The Vision of Light (IC) Continued

[Jade_Tarem]

The Vision of Light (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?263829-The-Vision-of-Light-%28IC%29)
The First Story: The Dawning Realization
Episode 3: Nero's Ways (Continued)

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l511/jadetarem/Exalted/ManseoftheHiddenVictory_zps13d6d55a.jpg

Ezri looked up, and up, and up at the incredible structure. "We're gonna need a bigger boat."

"Not now." Meander scolded. He adjusted his glasses again. "This solves part of the mystery behind why Kaizoku is out here. Now we just have to figure out how to survive the next ten minutes. We can't outrun her on water... we'll have to actually enter the Manse."

"The ancient invisible Manse." Ezri said flatly. "That's probably full of First Age tech and booby traps."

"That's the one." The alleged merchant took a good look at Titus's family, and Titus could finally clearly see a yellow symbol glowing on his head - in fact, the man was giving off a faint yellowish aura, and looking into his eyes seemed to reveal an entire starscape behind them. The shiver-inducing thought hit Titus that he might very well be checking the status of his family in the Loom of Fate. A moment later, Meander apparently came to a decision. "I can mask their presence. We can hide them once we're inside. Of course, this means that it will be up to the three of us to somehow thwart Kaizoku and her minions..."

"Titus," Ezri said, "Can you find a good hiding spot for your family? If I deal with Kaizoku, and Meander takes on the Linowan raiders, that should give you time..."

"I think so..." Titus replied, still in shock from the reveal of the incredible manse, and the fact that they could really be screwed. He wasn't even sure he could get out of this if his family wasn't involved. His eyes began scanning the stairways for what looked like a safe way up. A safe way into a place that probably wouldn't be all that safe. "But will they be okay? You just said it was full of booby traps."

"I have no idea." Meander said bluntly. "But if they stay put and remain quiet, they probably will avoid attracting the attention of the Manse's defenses. We, however, will have more of a problem." He brings the boat up alongside the perfectly square pier, floating slabs of equally perfectly carved stone forming the staircase upward.

Titus nodded grimly. It would have to do. They weren't fighters, and even if they were he'd still want them away from this. He switched to his native Emdarian dialect. "Janus. Help me get everyone out." His father nodded, and gathered up the children who had many more questions than he did. Titus was the last out. "Okay, guys," he said, and the children's chatter ceased at once. "I know this looks...bad. And it kind of is. But we can fix it. We're just going to go up and hide you in the big building up there. It'll be fine." He began to walk forward, falling beside Janus. "It'll be dangerous," he continued, whispering in a tone on his father could hear. "Keep them together, alright? As long as you don't wander off, you'll be fine."

Janus nodded, apparently not seeing an alternative or a reason to argue.

The trek up the long spiral of floating stairs was interrupted twice. The first time was when Ezri leaped up to the side of the building and continued running up the wall, firing arrows down at Kaizoku's boat, far below. The Water-Aspect responded by jumping up after her, passing within yards of Titus's group. Within moments, the two of them have disappeared into the depths of the manse.

The second interruption comes when Meander stops ascending. He simply adjusted his glasses and ordered Titus inside.

"Inside," turned out to be something out of another world entirely. The building was enormous - possibly bigger on the inside than the outside. Light from the setting sun streamed in through the airy, open spaces, full of columns and decorations to put everything - the royal residence of Galdtern, the Aelius estate, everything - to shame. Gold - or perhaps some of that orichalcum that Nero talked about - filigreed the creases between walls, floors, and ceilings. Art frescoes painted by artisans that the nobles of Emdar would literally kill each other over filled the walls, wherever the natural beauty of the surrounding woodlands wasn't visible. Mirrors were used to great effect, catching and reflecting the sunlight and magnifying it, focusing it on related sections of artwork.

The only sources of damage to be seen were the runes - writing Titus did not recognize - floating in the air. They flickered and wavered, like a candle in a strong breeze. Puddles rested in nigh-imperceptible depressions in the floor, the glare from the sunset reflecting off of them like glorious scars.

Titus quickly saw a corner, chock full of mirrors, that might suit his purpose. It wasn't as visible or illuminated as it first appears, and the glare would discourage strong scrutiny.

Dashing further inside, the true scope of the building became apparent to the young rogue. The room within was massive, and had no doubt once been even more impressive than the one Titus had just vacated. But this room showed more signs of damage. Everything is stained from grime or mold - enormous machinery, far more complicated than the Guild's supposed wonders, ground against itself far, far below, its purpose unknown. The ruins of banners hung from the half-broken stone catwalks and balconies.

Moreover, not all of the devastation seems to be due to the ravages of time. What are clearly sword gashes and scorch marks are visible everywhere. This is a room that saw serious combat - perhaps more combat than Emdar on its final night.

Titus does find one bonus, though, in the form of a hole in one of the balconies that leads obliquely into a small, undecorated area, just outside the large room. It's difficult to see and awkward to reach - and will fit the entire family. On the other hand, there's nowhere to run if they're found.

Titus ushered in his family, deciding that this one would have to do, and that he couldn't afford to buy much more time. "Alright, guys, get in. Janus, keep an eye out. Unless you see one of us coming, you get everyone to hide. Keep a good eye out, and don't let anyone leave unless one of us tells you to."

"If it's not us...don't fight them. Just surrender, tell them I forced you to come along, alright?"

Janus bit his lip, nodding. "You're coming back." It wasn't a question. Victoria had once again gotten herself attached to Titus' leg. He reached down and gently pried her away, over into Janus' waiting arms.

Titus nodded in return. "Count on it."

Janus quickly ushered the children inside.

Demetrius was complaining loudly enough to be heard that he could help, but Janus' wide arms kept him secured.

OUTSIDE

Meander stared at the Linowan raiders charging up the stairs at him, and sighed. More mortal lives lost, and to no good purpose this time. As they got within speaking distance, he cleared his throat, checking his stance. It had been a while since he had truly fought. "I'm sorry," he said, the sunset glinting off of his glasses and transforming the rest of his coated, curiously dressed form into a silhouette, "but your Journey ends here."

With a blur of motion, the erstwhile merchant seemed to split into conflicting images, doing four things at once. A handheld, silver-grey disk flew forth from his fingertips and whistled through the air - moments later, four gouts of blood marked the maiming or deaths of four of the raiders.

The rest, well trained enough not to panic, closed the distance quickly. Meander dodged their first attempts, but the stairs were limiting in terms of escape options. A moment later, he felt a small pinprick and noticed a tiny dart poking out of his arm, right before his vision started to blur. "No, tha... won' do." He slurred. The symbol on his forehead flared more brightly, and a moment later he continued fighting, apparently unaffected. A touch sent one of the warriors staggering away. "Here, *you* can be poisoned. Take care of that fate for me, would you?" The raider went staggering over the side of the staircase, falling toward the stones and churning waters below. "Thanks."

INSIDE

Titus can see a number of exits, but they tend to lead deeper into the manse, outside to the terraces, or up. He can hear more raiders approaching - while none have been able to get past Meander, apparently Kaizoku sent reserves around another way.

Titus sighed and hefted his staff before running for the terraces, heading for the entrance to get a bead on the soldiers.

Titus rounds the corner to see nine Linowan raiders, including one who looks suspiciously like some kind of leader, on the terrace. They all 'spot' him and break into a run... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddTa4O9tKl8)

Titus made it to the upper floor, Linowans screeching behind him, without having broken a sweat. He was struck for just a moment by the majesty of the place; everything was gold or some sort of marble-like substance, and the scale was way off of the larger buildings he'd been in back in Embdar. Or course, there was no reason why one couldn't enjoy the splendor while in motion. He sprinted ahead of the Linowans, keeping what anyone else would consider suicidal, but he considered just perfect.

Meander had said this place had traps. He kept an eye out and saw to his left that there were suspicious-looking holes in the wall. That would mean there would probably be pressure plates, which one could usually determine by noticing deeper-than-usual grooves between tiles. Titus' trained eyes kept him safe, dodging too and fro between safe tiles, but the Linowans, close behind, weren't nearly as lucky. Meander had been right; the traps were still working. Spears shot out from the wall into a long, thin area, piercing two of the Linowans through the skull and lungs, while another was pierced through the leg. The spears retracted, and 6 of the Linowans remained running behind him. The last limped forward a few steps before setting off another pressure plate, sending the spears out yet again. This time, he was pierced through like swiss cheese, forgotten by the others.

Titus kept running, dodging instinctively to the left when he heard the tell-tale whistle of a thrown knife coming from behind him. He felt confident and laughed, knowing he could find the next trap and get rid of the rest.

It was then that two of the columns in front of him spit out a freaking net of beams of red light.

Titus let out a yell, but didn't stop running. Within a few seconds, he noticed that there were really only 12 light beams, 6 on each side, each angled to provide mostly-uniform cover. There were holes, which the lasers made up for by aiming up and down. It was then that he heard a shifting sound, and noticed that the lasers were angling in his direction. All of them.

They came one-by-one, leaving no room for error. Titus ducked under the first by sliding on his knees and leaning backward without losing his forward momentum, the light passing just over his nose. He twisted and brought himself back up, running into a pole vault over the next two, one at knee level, the other at the neck. He heard shrieks cut off by awful splatting noises, and smelled charred meat. He didn't have time to dwell on it, though, before landing to find the last beams all coming at once. He didn't have time to dwell on this, either. He hopped to the side, twisted left to dodge the next, dropped to the ground to avoid the next, pushed his staff down to hop over the next, rolled and dived forward through the last ones, which passed at waist and head level. He made it past, and turned to see that, thankfully, the lasers didn't seem to go the other way. Unfortunately, there were still 2 men behind him, and in what seemed to be a rage-filled burst, they closed the distance behind him until they were just a few yards away.

It was then that the floor decided to fold downward.

Titus only had seconds.The men, fortunately, were standing right where the hole first began to open. Titus had just a few seconds to scrabble up the rest of the folding floor. He tossed his staff, summoned his willpower, and launched himself forward.

He covered the remaining distance with just a few feet to spare, his torso slamming into the edge. He heaved himself over the edge with power born of panic, and rolled, flopping his arm out to find his battered staff. He looked behind him and realized that there was no no one else following him. He stood up, letting out a few halted breaths that could be taken as a laugh, but came out more as coughs. He dusted himself off and turned around, since the way behind him was now a hole. The only way to go was forward.

Even the monstrous size of the manse had some limits. Titus soon realized that he was moving up in a spiral, having apparently passed through some sort of security hallway. There were no more windows, and more of the curious orichalcum plated the walls. He finally found himself in a fantastic chamber, virtually untouched. The chamber was circular, with windows just... floating around the edges. Text scrolled by, most of it indecipherable, but some was written in very oddly-worded Forest-Tongue. Occasionally notes sprung up accompanying the images, and Titus realized that these windows showed other parts of the manse, as they were at that moment. He first found an image of Meander, stalking through the hallways and deftly avoiding more traps. He didn't seem to be buried in Linowan warriors, so apparently he had won his battle. A Forest-Tongue note popped up next to him, reading Sidereal of Journeys, College Unknown - Titus's homework, it seemed, was over at last.

Another image showed Ezri and Kaizoku battling, back in the ruined area near the bottom of the manse where Titus had hidden his family. No trace of Titus's relatives was visible - but as the sky continued to darken, Ezri appeared to be losing...

Titus looked on the image of the battle of Ezri versus Kaizoku with growing dread. Several parts of him warred with each other. One part claimed that he should help because it was awfully near his family, and they could get caught up in the battle. The other held a severe hatred of Kaizoku for the deaths of his friends and fellow gang members of the Marks.

A small, logical part of his brain told him that he probably stood no chance against Kaizoku. But if she was distracted by Ezri...
He studied the cameras for the quickest route to where he wanted before doubling back, intent on making it to Meander to tell him about Ezri. He needed the safest option, and surely a Sidereal could help him defeat the Terrestrial.
The fact that Meander was a Sidereal was something he stored away for later, when everything wasn't going to hell.
One last thing catches Titus's eye as he flees the room - a raised plinth of machinery in the center of the chamber, with a curiously empty socket where something ought to go. With no time to investigate the mystery, he's quickly on his way to Meander.

Unfortunately, the Sidereal had moved on by the time Titus arrived. Now close enough to hear the fighting, the young rogue had a decision to make...

Titus looked back to where he heard the fighting, and then off in the other directions. He knew Ezri was in trouble, knew his parents were in danger, knew there wasn't time to find Meander...

There wasn't any time.

He rushed off to join the fighting. Maybe Meander would come in to save the day.
As Titus passed beneath the archway leading back out into the enormous room, he was greeted with a terrible shriek, followed by Ezri's impaled form sailing across the room and sticking to one of the walls. The night sky filters in from above, leaving the greatest source of light in the room Kaizoku's continual blast of glowing, pressurized water - her Anima Flux, at full power.

An odd dinging noise is heard, and a rumble comes from below - the lake bed is filling back up, though that detail is shoved to the back of Titus's mind as Kaizoku turns to face him. "And who might *you* be?"

Titus was barely able to tear his eyes from Ezri - his teacher, she'd been such a tease, she couldn't be dead - to gaze upon the torrent that was Kaizoku. He steeled himself and raised his staff forward, pointing it at her. To his credit, he kept a stoic face, with barely a tremble for what had happened to Ezri. He couldn't step back. If he did, she'd catch him anyway, and then she might find his family if she questioned him about the escaped slaves. He didn't back down as he looked her right in the eyes, spitting in the face of any notion that he was inferior.

He was so ****ed, it wasn't even funny.

"Titus, son of Janus. And you just hurt my friend." He spun the staff over his head and caught it again, pointing it at her neck. "You also are responsible for destroying my home. Emdar's got a message for you."

"Is it that you're too poor to tie a white cloth to the end of that stick? Because that's the only message that makes what you're doing make any sense."

"I'm afraid not, milady." Crap, crap, crap. He needed Meander. He'd know what to do. But the best thing he could do was buy some time. "I really can't do that. You took my family as slaves. If I surrender, you'll just put them right back to work. And I don't fancy slavery or death, myself. So, I suppose I'll just have to fight you, and see what I can do about cleaning up this mess." Ha. Hahaha, big words, but he decided that he would at least die with pride.

Kaizoku laughs - surprisingly not the mocking laugh of a triumphant overlord, but genuine amusement. "We all serve to some degree or another. You've got a pair of white jade balls on you, I'll give you that, but it's not going to be enough. Take my advice, kid: make like the rest of Emdar and head south as fast as your legs will carry you. Your family lucked out in terms of slave deals - the Linowan are actually pretty good about upkeep and not beating them too often." She shrugs and brings out her blue-black, curved Daiklave, in contrast to the heavy spear she'd used against Ezri. "This is a one time offer."

Titus gave her a halting smile back. His mouth barely upturned as it was. "I'm sorry. It really is a generous offer. But I really have nowhere else to go. And even if I did, I can't. My family's all I got." He took a step forward. "It's them, or nothing, milady."

"I see." The dragonblooded twirls her blade idly and sets herself into a combat stance. "Well then, it's a more impressive death than most people get. Let's see what Emdar's last champion can do."


YU-SHAN

Saturn and Sol (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buifCKc9RNU) finally ended their stroll. They had stopped at the proving grounds, one of several upon which gods and spirits could test their mettle, should they wish it. This made the various attendants, hangers-on, and spectators nervous. The friendly competition between the two Incarnae varied from year to year. Even those who didn't suspect that something... intense would happen would likely have preferred that they pick something innocent, like the spitting contest they'd had last year.

Then Saturn had tilted her head to one side, and took off her veil. She almost never did that, despite the fact that the waifish goddess had nothing to hide - she was beautiful in a tragic, introspective kind of way. If Sol was at all perturbed by this, he didn't let it show. "You have chosen our little contest?" Though the tone was casual, his voice shook like thunder. It was as obvious as a sunbeam at midnight, demanding attention and awe.

"I have." Saturn replied, equally impressively. Her own voice, neither as loud or as melodious, nonetheless carried with it a finality that made it equally impossible to ignore. "We shall test our swordsmanship. No Charms or Sorcery are permitted, only one weapon is permitted to each of us. First to draw blood from the chest is the winner." With that, she summoned forth her Daiklave, a curving jet black weapon nearly as long as she was, that glowed with a dangerous violet light. Even those optimistic spectators suddenly found themselves in the grip of sheer terror. Saturn's blade was no mere artifact - it could end any foe with just a touch. Even a scratch from her sword would extinguish the Unconquered Sun. His own weapon contained tremendous power, but surely he would reject-

"I accept." Sol said, a positively massive Daiklave forming in two of his own four arms. Several local gods fainted. "Let us begin."

ELSEWHERE IN YU-SHAN

Alarms rang out through the Loom of Fate. On the observation deck, Sidereals of all stripes and allegiances made way for two of their greatest. The first one, of course, was Ayesha Ura. Officially, of course, there was no "Gold Faction." Nominally, of course, she was it's leader. "Status report!"

"A huge disturbance in the Eastern Block, north-central sector!" A panicked vizier shouted, almost into her face. Ura peered out into the loom, beginning to decipher what the twisting and warping strands meant.

"What is going on here?" A new voice bellowed, and the room quieted.

Chejop Kejak, needing no introduction at all, strode in, eventually standing next to Ura. Without another word, he too began to scan the murky strands of futures yet unwoven. "Another one? No, a special one. Intrinsic or extrinsic?"

"Extrinsic. Dawn Caste. There - in combat with the Kaizoku girl."

The two powerful starborn looked at each other. "The beginning of the end?"

"No," Kejak shook his head. "Merely the end of the beginning. You know my stance on this."

"And you know my stance on your stance."

The onlookers, confused, remained quiet.

"You'd make a very good second, Ayesha."

"And you a terrible one."

"You do know me."

A moment of silence, then. "It's going to be bad, isn't it?"

"I've heard that before."

CREATION

Titus took a casual step forward before leaning forward into a sudden dash. He closed the distance to the Terrestrial in seconds. Then, he dropped, spinning under what was hopefully her guard, his staff spinning right above him in one hand. He caught it with the other before driving it into the ground ahead of him, bending the staff. He glided upwards into a standing position next to her, forcing the staff in a windmill, charged by the spring-like momentum he'd imparted into it. It spun, aiming right for her smug face.

Kaizoku intercepts the stick with a movement almost too fast to see, knocking it out of the young rogue's hands and high into the air. As it comes twirling back down, a more focused strike shatters it entirely. Her Anima flux at this distance is intense, the blast of water stripping away Titus's shirt down to the armor, as well as some skin. Kaizoku shakes her head. "Tch. Just a boy after all." She raises her off hand high above her, and essence surges around it...

Chasing after the rogue, her flux still carving away at him, Kaizoku brings her fist down, hurling a bolt of her own essence at Titus. She seems to be immune to the torrential spray of water that lashes out in every direction, carving into the walkway and tracing lines of stripped stone from the epicenter. The rogue doesn't fare nearly as well - though the armor absorbs some of the impact, his torso, face, and neck are left a bloody mess as he goes sailing off the walkway.

Titus's body fell into the rising waters below, broken machinery seeming to rise around him as the water darkened, a plume of his own blood marking his descent. He wondered what would happen to his family, knew that he should try to swim back up and keep fighting, but his limbs seemed to be frozen, nonfunctional.

He wondered why the Water-Aspect hadn't leaped in to finish the job. Above, he could see flashes of light, both yellow and blue. Perhaps Meander had finally arrived? But it was too late, far too late.

Then the young rogue became disoriented. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsxNuOGkxC4) Something bright was behind him, but he was fairly certain that he was staring up at the bloody waters and the sky. There shouldn't have been any light from below. Twisting about in the water, he stared into an incredible brilliance. For one moment, one fraction of a second, he saw everything. A deep baritone voice could be heard, somewhere in the back of his mind.

"Urgency without Panic. Action without Thoughtlessness."

Even as the brilliance beneath him faded, Titus noted that the flooded chamber didn't seem any darker. In fact, he could see the bottom now - the gears that were jammed against some kind of debris.

"Brilliance without Arrogance. Strength without Brutality."

For that matter, Titus himself felt better, despite his wounds.

"Command without Tyranny. Charisma without Subversion."

The bleeding stopped.

"Power without Limit. Glory without Fault."

Titus felt a strange rippling through his body. Was he growing stronger? His wounds were still so severe...

"These are the ideals of my chosen. They are tested..."

Titus had sunk to the level of the weapon now. Part of the strange segmented blade was reflective, and he could see a strange golden circle, little lines radiating from it, shining brilliantly on his forehead.

"...assaulted..."

He reached for the jamming object, only now realizing that it was some kind of device.

"...even thwarted..."

A good grip on it allowed him to yank it free. Golden light spilled from his wounds as they sealed themselves shut, leaving no trace of scarring.

"...but never conquered." The voice ended on a clarion note.

And. Everything. Changed.

ABOVE

Kaizoku had no trouble locating (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bytvxk97kzY) the ball of fading green light against the far wall. Ezri had used the last of her essence to close her wounds, but she was done. The sidereal had, himself, burned too much of his precious essence pulling off his ridiculous rescue to put up a good fight. Kaizoku languidly stretched as best she could in the heavy armor. "Where were we, Ezri?"

The other dragon blooded muttered something. Kaizoku raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

"I said, isn't it a little bright in here?"

Kaizoku looked about. It was bright. The sun had gone down, the Anima fluxes were fading, the Sidereal's banner was never all that bright to begin with... but the light was coming from the water. "No." Kaizoku said. The odds were one in a hundred million. Less, really. "No no no..." She ran forward and dove off of the balcony, toward the depths. "No no no no-"

She was intercepted midair by a raggedly garbed knee, which connected directly with her stomach as something brilliant erupted from the water, a great golden/green serpentine dragon filled the high, vaulted ceiling of the chamber as a shining and impressively muscled young man finished the attack. The impact launched her clear up into the ceiling and brought her crashing back down onto one of the walkways. She got out and spat out some blood onto the wet stone. "An Anathema. Here in my manse. That'll teach me not to let enemies live a second longer than necessary next time." She readied her blade again, intoning something that sounded like a prayer in High Realm. Her Anima Flux flared into the shape of a watery dragon for a moment before returning to normal. "Tell me your name, Emdarian. The Immaculate Monks will want to know it when they record your death."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus took a deep breath, the air invigorating him, expanding his lungs. He raised his arms and flexed, which caused a worrying snap-clink noise. Confused, he looked down to see that his chain shirt had exploded, and trails of it were now hanging from his belt, like a tattered girdle or something. He looked up to see a gratifyingly alive Ezri, a not-surprising appearance of Meander, and the not-gratifyingly alive Kaizoku. His eyes rested on her, and his stance slackened for a moment.

He'd just died, right? She'd hit him with a water thing (cheap shot), and he was pretty sure that sort of thing should have killed him. Plus, he'd fallen in the water, and now he was not drowning and totally fine. Better than fine, even. What the hell had just happened? Had he died and come back to life? Had he tapped some kind of inner strength? But that didn't sound like what normal people could do. And that voice in his head... Anathema. Kaizoku had called him one. That meant...that meant his head hurt when he thought too much. Something was going on in his head. He felt so...different was the only word for it. What all had changed about him? Could he take on Kaizoku?

The thought immediately made him remember - was that the right word for it? - that he could make himself tougher. Well, tougher than he already was. He was strong, and he could fight. He wondered just how well. Kaizoku had nearly obliterated him in one hit before. He'd see how she fared now.

"Titus," he answered her, his expression thoughtful. "That's an awfully nice dragon up there. Any idea who's it is?" He looked over at Meander and Ezri and waved. "Hey guys! Good to see you're alive, be right with you!"

When his eyes fell back to Kaizoku's, they became hard, along with his eyebrows furrowing. "Just a boy, right?" He didn't feel any compunctions about what he was about to do.

He took a step, and the air around him began to shine with a golden light. He felt his muscles tense and bulge; he was stronger, now. He could hit a lot harder, too, but he didn't know quite how hard. Another step, and he focused what he guessed was that magic Essence stuff into his skin, causing the glow around him to explode back into being, and he knew he was shining.

He felt awesome, and he was about to beat the tar out of this chick.

Using Solar Hero Form for 6 motes, Durability of Oak w/Iron Kettle Body for 6 as well.

Essence
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 22-12=10
Overdrive: 0

Soak: 25B/25L

[Jade_Tarem]

Kaizoku held his gaze. "No, Anathema, a boy no longer. You should have drowned when you had the chance." Wasting no further time, the Dragon-blooded sprang into the air, two blue bursts of steam rising from her launch point as she flipped up and over any possible casual guard, swinging her curved daiklave as she sailed overhead in an attempt to end the battle in one solid swing. The attack landed perfectly across the right side of Titus's face, leaving a gash up from his jaw and actually striking sparks... but it was not a crippling injury, not even a debilitating one. A shock rippled through the air - clearly the blow landed with enough force to flatten an ox, yet still the Solar stood.

The bronze tiger landed on his opposite side, then skipped back across the walkway... and out onto the water level with it, standing on it as easily as she would the solid earth. She shook her head. "Ugh. This is just going to be one of those evenings, I can tell."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus blinked.

He wasn't precisely sure, but that attack seemed pretty serious. Going right for his neck, and faster than he could react. But instead of being blown apart and drowning, he had a slight stinging sensation on his cheek. Like he'd gotten lightly scratched on a cornerstone, or something.

This was awesome. No wonder strong people always seemed so confident. But he'd beaten big, tough guys like that. She probably could, too. She'd taken on Ezri, who was much more experienced than him, and nearly killed her. And now, after expending who knew how much magic junk, she was taking him on. Was she really so confident? How much of that was bravado? After all, before, he'd seemed really confident, too. And he'd been one-shotted. So he had to be careful. Big man muscle didn't mean jump in with and she'd get hit. She was fast, so he had to get creative.

She was also standing on water, and none of his instincts told him he could do that. But...he looked around, until he spotted a few slabs of wooden debris. Oh, yeah. That could work. He grabbed a few and turned to face Kaizoku with a slight smile.

"I think the evening's rather nice," he said jovially, hurling two of the logs with one arm, and punching the other. A shower of dust and splinters showered Kaizoku, while the logs splashed out around her. Titus pushed his foot down into the ground, causing a small crater to form as he launched himself behind his projectiles. In the air, he focused his magic into his legs, and proceeded to land on one of the logs before launching himself off, his right fists rushing forward to catch Kaizoku in the stomach...

[Jade_Tarem]

Whirling her big black scimitar almost too fast to see, Kaizoku sweeps the punch out to one side with an almost casual grace, careful not to end up directly in the awesome blow's path at any point. "Try to take this seriously, Anathema Titus. Don't you know what's at stake here?" The water-aspect leaps backwards and then skips sideways across the surface of the water, landing momentarily on the stone path again before dancing out and onto the surface of the rushing water again. The terrain is getting more complicated - other, higher walkways are extending, and the water level on one side of the room is dropping as the bilge turbines spin up, causing the water to flow under the stone walk and cascade into an ever growing waterfall. Indeed, water is also being pumped in, falling from the ceiling and sconces in the walls, reflecting the sunset in every sparkling drop. It would be beautiful if not for the signs of damage and the ongoing battle. Speaking of which, the Dragonblooded seems to be gathering herself for some new effort...

[Jade_Tarem]

Titus kicked the debris he was standing on over the stone walkway, surfing it up and over the obstacle and toward his foe. "Of course not! I'm a farm boy who's just trying to watch out for his family!" The exasperated Solar swung with a frantic sort of grace, finally, after a pair of deflected attacks, landing a blow that seemed to barely faze the Dragonborn, eliciting only a slight grunt. Without replying, Kaizoku's eyes flashed, and a massive blast of water ripped out from the Terrestrial, obliterating his impromptu flotation device and plunging him back into the sudden, artificial surf.

The princess of the Earth side-flipped back to the calmer end of the room, and meditated. Water flowed up and into her as the Solar forced his way back to the surface and the stone walk, clutching a fistful of splinters. Kaizoku descended from her floating position and gazed evenly at her opponent. "There are a thousand threats beyond Creation that would freeze your blood if you knew of them. The Realm protects our little pocket of existence, and that means that sometimes we have to do things that are generally frowned on. It's unfair and cold, but that's just how it goes. Unity within the bounds of reality isn't optional, and that means that sacrifices have to be made."

Titus shook his head and threw his collection of splinters back into the water. "That's a sorry excuse. No more of one than how I tried to protect my little pocket of existence against an army led by a superman! Lady! And I got trampled! My friends died like flies for a cause we never wanted in the first place! But now I'm the superman! How's it feel to be picked on by a giant like you?!" He jumped in and renewed his attack.

Kaizoku, however, was having none of it, the flashing black scimitar always in the way. The meditation and her adapted tactics had turned the fight in her favor...

YU-SHAN

The crowd had grown enormous. Sol, the Unconquered, Unconquerable Sun, was in mortal danger, possibly for the first time in a millennium. But there was still hope - the enormous grand daiklave that he wielded in two of his four hands remained intact, even after intercepting Saturn's incredibly destructive blade several times. And of course, he himself had not yet been hit.

But Saturn was likewise unscratched, and the small, waifish Incarnae seemed to be getting faster all the time, now dictating the pace of the fight. The skies turned an unsettling purple-black, like they did when she was ahead in the Games of Divinity. Music soured and keys shifted to minor, and a cold wind blew through Yu-Shan, independent of the gods in charge of such things. Those light, eerie notes, it was whispered from one spectator to another, might be the last thing any of them heard before The End.

CREATION

"You have... to help him." Ezri grunted, still trying to work out how she was going to remove the enormous shaft of black jade from her chest without doing more damage.

But for his part, Meander only watched. "No, Ezri. My instructions were very clear. He's free of the ascending destiny now and beyond my power. Interfering now would only stunt his development."

"Getting killed will stunt his development too." The wood-aspect's anima flickered and dimmed. "Sh*t... I've got to close this wound. I..." She gave up on talking, concentrating on keeping the damage minimized.

FIGHT

"The world doesn't care what you want, superfarmer! That boy, Nero, he did things our way, made our means his own because he understood that. Emdar's fate was decided, not by the Dragonblooded, but by its own citizens. The attack I led was just a refusal to prolong the inevitable." Another swipe, too fast to see, left another bleeding cut up Titus's arm. "Really, how would your friends have fared without me? They'd have had dreary lives of poverty and toil and then been wiped out anyway. I gave their deaths purpose, even just by proxy. You may not get it now, but you'll learn eventually. Mortals die, Anathema Titus; that's what makes them mortal."

"And why should we accept that?!" The Solar lunged across the waters, batting the scimitar aside and grabbing the ambassador with his other hand, hoisting her off the surface of the water.

Kaizoku yet managed to choke out, "Because accepting unpleasant truths is how you grow up."

"It's not the world that doesn't care, ma'am. It's you." Titus's growing rage imploded on itself, and with a final effort, he heaved and sent the Dragon-blooded sailing over the edge of the artificial waterfall, toward the bilge turbines below.

YU-SHAN

The fight reached a crescendo, Sol and Saturn both electing to attack at once, charging at each other. A flash of light, and then Sol's enormous Daiklave was spinning through the air, planting point-first into the ground with a sound like a thunderclap and wobbling twice before going still. The overbalanced Incarnae tried to catch his momentum but could not, tumbling and skidding along the dueling field, coming to rest against the five-metal wall at its edge.

Saturn turned, the vacuum-ripping noise her own weapon made lost to the pounding hearts and psyches of the attendant watchers. Some of the more delicate ones fainted, some prayed, and still more engaged in less dignified activities in their panic. "First blood from the chest, Unconquered Sun," the maiden said, lifting her blade high, point aimed right at his chest. Her face, just as it had been the whole fight, was expressionless, her eyes half lidded, almost bored. "It's over at last."

"Yes, it is." Sol said with remarkable poise. "And I have won."

A small spatter sound was heard in the stillness. Saturn's eyes opened the rest of the way. The tiniest trickle of blood dripped from her, from a cut so clean as to be almost unnoticed. With a small effort of will, she lowered her weapon to look at the injury curiously. The bleeding stopped, and then Saturn did something truly unnerving.

She laughed.

It wasn't the raspy laugh of a seldom-used voice, or the cackle of the insane, it was the sound of a very young lady having a blast, an infectious giggle that utterly failed to infect anyone... except Sol, who joined in. This, at last, was the unspoken signal for the spectators to breathe again, and as giddy relief swept through their numbers, they laughed and cheered too. Saturn banished her blade to Elsewhere as Sol's likewise discorporated, and she helped him get up before adjusting her veils to cover the small rip in her clothing. "Maybe next year."

"Indeed."

NOW

Mnemon Elrit was wrapping up the lecture. "And so Kaizoku struck the turbines, and I'm not going to go into the graphic details of what happened next, but it was ugly and permanent. Yes, Miss Peleps?"

The girl fidgeted for a moment. "That's... that's really what they've determined? That Peleps Kaizoku Atarove was some kind of extremist?"

"Kaizoku most likely felt that she was dealing with an extreme threat. As we follow Titus's meteoric path through history in the weeks to come, it can be easy, at first, to categorize his opponents as the 'bad guys,' especially given who he is now. Even so, by the end of the course I expect you to be very confused on who the good guys and bad guys really are, and the only sure thing will be that there is always a reason for why people do what they do, even if we don't agree with it, or can't make sense of it."

"She was right, though, wasn't she? The Fey, the Neverborn, the Green Sun, and especially the B-"

"Oh, she had a point, and there are some who say that her disowning was as much a crime as what she was disowned for. Ultimately, though, what influences history the most is that she was the first true enemy Titus dispatched, and her actions, influenced by fate though they were, put him on his path."

The bell rang, and the students began packing up. "Next time, we see where Titus went after the Manse of the Hidden Victory sank again! Some of you may have guessed that he's a big catalyst for the Upheaval, so do your required reading so that you don't end up looking silly!"

THEN

The Black Jade Dire Spear was broken. It was a waste of a perfectly good artifact, though Meander said the black jade could potentially be salvaged by a good enough craftsman, but it was also the only way to get Ezri unpinned without finishing her off. "So. Your first kill of an essence user. Congratulations and condolences. I'm sure you have questions." Meander doesn't stop bandaging the now-unconscious Ezri, but his attention seems to be on Titus. "Speak them quickly, because I'm going to have to leave very soon."

[Astro_sol]

Titus glanced over at Ezri with a concerned expression. "Um...is Ezri gonna be okay?" That seemed like the most important thing, at least for this very moment.

"If nothing else attacks us, yes," Meander said, not sounding particularly concerned. "Given where we are, and the fact that I took out the remaining Linowan before coming here, I don't think that will be an issue."

Well, that's good, then. Titus breathed a sigh of relief before his expression became puzzled. "So, uh...I was dying. And then I wasn't, and I'm really strong. And I heard this voice in my head." His hand reached up reflexively to scratch the back of his neck. "What...happened to me?"

At that, Meander finally grinned, a more satisfied grin than anything, and more than a little predatory. "You've Exalted, just as planned! Except for the part where Ezri got skewered, that is. I'll make it up to her in Yu-Shan." He cleared his throat. "The specifics of Exaltation are unique to each Exalt, but for the Solars, which you now count yourself among, a fragment of the nigh-incomprehensible power of the Unconquered Sun has found you worthy and has fused itself to your very soul. This particular fragment has marked you to be of the Dawn Caste, and bestows great power and potential concerning all things combative or strategic, as well as a few other things you'll have to find out about on your own."

At the "just as planned" part, Titus lowered his eyes a little. The rest of it seemed amazing - was that voice that of the Unconquered Sun? - but it reminded him...

"Just as planned? How much of this was according to your plans?" He crossed his arms. "You helped me out a lot, Meander, and I tried my best to work to make up for that. But you're making me feel kinda like a puppet here, and I think I'm supposed to be a bit above that sort of thing. That's the point of Exalting, right?" He didn't sound angry; it was more tired than anything else. "Also, I don't really feel that strategic. But...I did figure you out." He pointed, his gaze hardening. "You're a Sidereal. I...don't really know what that means. Does that mean you all plan a bunch of junk? What's the point?"

Meander laughed. "A common reaction. Sidereals are, as a group, overworked and underappreciated. Each Sidereal's official duties revolve around keeping Creation safe from, eh, we'll call them 'errors in reality,' and it's our job to fix them. Somewhere, minor gods are up to no good, and the land suffers for it. Somewhere else, a young woman dies and doesn't die at the same time. And a long, long time ago, the Sidereals as a group saw that the Solars and their Lunar cohorts were inadvertently speeding along toward disaster." A pause, and Meander's good cheer faded. "The Sidereals betrayed them, turned the millions of Dragonblooded against their rulers and deposed the Solar and Lunar Exalted, trapping their Exaltations in a giant Jade Prison and handed the reins of Creation to the Dragonblooded, and scattering those they could not kill - mostly the Lunars, since they were better at insane survivalism. Creation limped on for a while, but terrible disasters - the Great Contagion, Balor's Crusade, and more - threatened all, destroyed so much... and only the actions of one woman managed to stop it. You know her as the Scarlet Empress. The Sidereals entered a pact with her, set up the Immaculate Faith which villified the Anathema, promised to smooth things over in Heaven, along with other benefits, and the Scarlet Empire, also known as the Realm, was born."

"Today, most Sidereals are divided into two groups: those that think all of that was a good idea and those that don't. They call themselves the Bronze Faction and the Gold Faction, respectively. I am part of the latter, and each Sidereal that does join one has many other duties, Faction-specific secret duties. Until recently, all the Gold Faction could do was shake our fingers and say 'told you so' every time a problem threatened creation that the Solars of the First Age, before the Usurpation, could have solved in an afternoon." The smirk returned. "Then, two years ago, the Scarlet Empress mysteriously vanishes and the Jade Prison is shattered. Enter Scene: dozens, hundreds of Solar Exaltations begin seeking new hosts. Solars begin popping up all over the place. And now even the Loom of Fate is unclear on what happens next. But every Sidereal has their duties to Creation, and most have duties concerning the Celestial Exalted as well."

He pointed to the slowly fading mark on his forehead. "I happen to be a Chosen of Journeys, bonded to a fragment of Mercury, Maiden of Journeys, in much the same way that you are bound to a piece of Sol. My duties involve seeing to it that things and people are moving in the direction that they're supposed to be going... and indirectly aiding and abetting Solar Exalts. Now, one thing you should know: while my bosses are Journey-based Gods and a woman named Ayesha Ura, there is one more authority over Sidereals: Oversight. No one knows who they are, or why they do what they do, but we know enough to know that even though their assignments may not always make sense, they are almost always vital to the continued existence of Creation. My last assignment came directly from them. I was to go into Emdar, find the most likely prospect for Solar Exaltation, and encourage it to happen. But how? Solar Exaltations occur when a mortal displays great courage and ability together, against impossible odds. And lo and behold, Emdar goes up in flames, and one of its greatest street fighters has his family captured by a dangerous Dragonblooded captain and her fierce raider lackeys. So, I ensured that you undertook the proper journey, and I'll admit I may have twiddled with your Fate a bit when you stole from me in the marketplace." He shrugs. "I didn't plan for all of these disasters, but hot damn did I capitalize on them. Anyway, yes, I've been manipulating you. Oh, don't give me that look, it's nothing personal, and you've profited greatly from it, I might add."

Seeing Titus's continued raised eyebrow, Meander continued, "If you want further proof, think back. One of the many abilities of the Sidereals is that we are not, normally, part of Fate. In other words, the world isn't ever quite sure whether we're real or not. And indeed, I'm exerting some effort, all the time, to make sure that you remember me - as you would normally forget that I exist right after I left your sight. So think back to the last hours of Emdar, and you'll see where I was watching you. Spot the minor inconsistencies. Laelius approaches you with six friends and leaves with five. Nero brings 11 Jade Marks with him to the raid, but thirteen enter the vault even after Caelia joins you." A shrug. "Some things are better left to Fate than chance. I did warn you about Essence users, though. This might be the first time someone's tried to use you, but it won't be the last."

Titus turned his memories back...and promptly got a headache. "Oh. Ow." He thought he'd had enough about Essence users, and...he was a Solar. And Meander...didn't really seem any different, now that Titus knew who he was. It made a lot of sense, he supposed. Unless he was lying about everything, but Titus figured he could confirm all that stuff later.

He looked around, idly wondering how much effort Meander was expending to keep him in his mind. "Well, I let you lead me like a lost puppy, so I guess I'll have to work on that." He shook his head. "I'll work on a lot. But in the meantime...what is this place? I saw visions, earlier, when I was trying to hide the fam. And I don't think rocks float in the air, normally." Which reminded him that he needed to see them to safety, but he'd get to that. They were safe, for now.

"This! It's a Manse. A Manse I had no idea existed until we tripped over it, or I would have gone into them in more detail in our little lessons. I gathered all the information I could, but all I knew was that we'd find some kind of shelter from Kaizoku in the middle of the lake." Meander finally stood up, his ministrations to Ezri done, and looked around. As his eyes crossed Titus's, the Solar could see the twinkling of stars in the older man's pupils, a small night sky of lights in the tiny windows presented. "There are great natural flows of Essence - we touched on this briefly a few weeks ago - that spin and twist and gather about Creation. When one of these gathering-points is located, they form a Demense. Such things range from being a little too vibrant all the way to obviously special, depending on how powerful the gathering is. An Essence-user can attune to a demense to reap the benefits of it... but a more enterprising figure can build a Manse on top of a Demense to harness its power. Not only do such structures have special abilities - like this place's floating rocks and buildings - but they also concentrate a huge amount of that power into a small gem called a hearthstone. If you can find this Manse's hearthstone, you can place it into an artifact, attune to it - remember our discussion with Ezri and her bow? - and then you can use the hearthstone's power yourself. You can also attune to the Manse with it, and you'll recover Essence faster while you're doing so."

He continued to drink in the view. "Back in the First Age, Creation was littered with Manses. Actually, it still is, but to a lesser degree... and Demenses are everywhere. Most are not that hard to find. If you focus for a moment, you'll note that you can feel this place. The Light that streams through it, the gold surfacing, the motifs... every second here feels like a cold, sunny winter's day on a lake fishing trip, and if I had to guess, I'd say this was originally a Solar Manse, with a Water subtheme." The Sidereal rubs his arms to keep the settling chill out of them. "It's a good place for you to hole up for a couple of days, but take care, it's damaged. I would imagine that it will be submerged again when Calibration ends. Really, you should start by finding and attuning to the hearthstone. That will identify you as the Manse's owner and will probably keep the booby-traps from trying to kill you." He shrugged. "And, as callous as it may sound, finders keepers. Whoever the original owner is probably died hundreds of years ago."

Titus listened intently, although it was difficult when all he could think about was what he was going to do after all this was said and done. What would happen to his family? Did he take them with him and expose them to people like Kaizoku, or should he hide them somewhere else, even if that felt like abandonment? And weren't Solars supposed to live a long time? Terrestrials certainly did...

Well, that was for later. Right now he had stuff to do, stuff to loot. Maybe that would help the fam. Until then, there was still one thing bugging him.

"I...Kaizoku said some stuff. Like how Creation has all sorts of threats to it, but from what I can understand, you guys can't decide how to fix it. And the Realm is getting its hands dirty defending against them. But they can't be all that right...right? I mean, she kept calling me an Anathema. As if Solars are bad, but I don't think they got imprisoned for nothing. I just..." He sat down. "I'm not exactly sure what to do. I don't hate the Terrestrials, but I think they're wrong. Kaizoku was wrong, and I..." He glanced at his palms. "I killed her. I'm not even sure I meant to. I think I could have knocked her out, maybe. Maybe talk to her, figure more of this out, instead of just...going for the easy route."

He looked back up at Meander, his eyes scrunched up, questioning. "But I don't know if I can talk everyone down. I'm not that good at it; I stopped arguing with Kaizoku because she seemed so...stubborn. But no more stubborn than me." He shook his head. "And at least she was trying to do something, while the Gods are...well, not here."

"You're starting to figure it out. Yes, Creation is on the verge of a crisis. Maybe the last crisis. The Realm, so heavily based around the eternal central authority of the Scarlet Empress, is failing, though I have no doubt it will be years, maybe decades, before all the limbs realize that the head is gone. The edges of Creation are constantly being probed for weaknesses while the center rots and decays from within, and Heaven itself is paralyzed by conspiracy and no small amount of corruption. Creation is not the paradise it was made to be, and it never was." Meander adjusted his sidelong gaze back to Titus, his eyes disappearing as his glasses caught the starlight. "As for Kaizoku... in the old days, Solars were referred to as the Lawbringers, and indeed that's what they were. If all goes well, you may be in the position of deciding what 'right' is, not just for yourself but for everyone else, too. To be sure, in my centuries of existence I've seen people - including myself - justify killings for far less." He sighed. "Look, there are enemies out there that can only be stopped with lethal force, of that there is no doubt, but I can tell you... there will always always always be plenty of death and destruction in Creation. Why add to it when it isn't needed?"

Titus sighed. "Oh, well, that's great. But...I guess I never expected to get this strength for free, right?" He gripped his fists tightly. "I want to help mortals, I think. Stop all this bullying about, using them, even if it's 'for their own good'. I don't regret what you did, Meander, but I want to make it so you wouldn't have to work that way anymore. Maybe the Gods wanted us to, but they're not here, and I don't feel like there's a lot of law going around right now."

He stood. "You're right. I'll kill if I have to, but I'd really rather not. And mortals...we...well, no, I guess it's 'they', now. They have it rough enough already. I'll be more wary around Essence people, but I don't want to bully them. I'm a bully who bullies bullies. It's kind of my thing."

A pause. "So am I going to forget you when you leave?"

"This? No, I'm too fully enmeshed in the scene to be forgotten easily, though no guarantees about the future." Ezri started to stir. "And remember, Titus, the gods are everywhere, but they're as diverse as people, so don't expect any one thing when you come across them."

Titus nodded. "Gotcha. Oh, uh, one last thing. How do I "attune" to the hearthstone, if and when I find it?" He was going to find it, no question. Manses sounded super useful. "Would it be kinda like how I knew how to do all that fancy junk when I was fighting Kaizoku?"

"Yes, though you'll need special training to fully attune to anything that isn't Yellow Jade or Orichalcum. I'm... probably not the right one to give you the lecture on why. Anyway, you can recognize Yellow Jade as it will look like Ezri's and Kaizoku's gear, but yellow, and you can recognize Orichalcum by the slightly luminous golden sheen it carries."

"Right." Titus scratched the back of his head, and then held out a hand. "Thanks. For everything. Wouldn't have been able to save everyone without you."

"Potentially." Meander shook it. "One more thing Titus: I'm sure you've picked up on the fact that you have a lot of new enemies now, just because of what you are, but I'm not sure you understand the true depth of the threat. They are legion, and immensely powerful. The Deathknights will seek to subvert or destroy you, the Realm will send Wyld Hunts after you - think Kaizoku, but times three or seven or twenty - and this isn't even counting whatever baggage you've picked up from your past incarnation." He let go and helped Ezri to a sitting position. "You might want to keep your family at arm's reach, to keep them safe, at that. But the good news is that you're not devoid of allies. Once the Manse sinks again, you'll have to decide what you're doing with your family and where you go from here. You could try to recover your old friends from the Haltans, but with the time you've lost, I don't think the odds of success are very good. You could seek out the Bull of the North and see what he's up to. You could try to track down Locke and join her little expedition, though I doubt she'll get it started this year. Locke has a tendency to overestimate her abilities, which for a Solar is really saying something, but somehow she manages." A deep breath. "But... if you're looking for guidance and training, you'll find nowhere better than Anisatsis. It's a temple city carved into cliff overlooking the join that forms the Yellow River. You will find allies there, once you show your true nature to them."

Titus nodded. Meander had given him some good advice. Anisatsis sounded like a good start, and he wanted to get used to all this Essence stuff before he ended up finding more danger again for him and everyone he loved. "Okay. Good luck with your plots and whatever! I'll go check on Janus and the others." He waved while walking slowly backwards.

At this, Meander begins a strange, unearthly chant as his caste mark flares again, yellow and scarlet mists whipping around him as rainbow-hued light shot through it. When he was done, a shimmering portal filled in the nearby doorway. With Ezri on her feet, Meander turns back to Titus one last time. "More's the pity that I'll need it. Good luck to you as well, Lawbringer Titus. We'll meet again." Ezri waves weakly as she staggers toward the portal. "You're gonna go far, kid. Help yourself to anything in the wagon, if the Linowan haven't looted it." Then they push through the shining surface over the doorway, and the portal collapses, taking Ezri and Meander to their destination, leaving the Solar and his family alone in the lost Manse.

Titus glanced for a few seconds at where the portal had appeared.

Yep, still remembered Meander. Awesome. He turned around to begin the march to the room he'd left his family in, when he stopped.

His powers were still working, and that meant he was super tough. So traps wouldn't be so bad to run through. And he was faster now...

He figured he could do some "shopping" on the way to the fam.

The Manse was as vast as Titus's earlier, hurried observations made it out to be, but now, with more time and less danger, he was capable of seeing through the traps and architecture to the tricks underneath. Though many of the treasures appeared to have been washed out and probably buried at the bottom of Lake Sanazala, a secret switch allowed him to find a much less dangerous path up to a private chamber, somehow still open to the sky yet invisible from the outside. This place, while waterlogged like everything else, was in much better shape, and Titus made two important discoveries within: a dresser containing a curious form of jewelry, and based on Meander's description, there could be little doubt that the empty-socketed pendant was Orichalcum. But more importantly, text scrawled by in vertical black pools seemingly stationed in the walls themselves, written in a language Titus didn't understand. The area appeared to have once been some form of office, though most of the rest of the furnishings were ruined long ago.

Titus grabbed the jewelry and put it around his neck. Might be useful when he found a hearthstone. And he supposed he could try to remember some of those runes, if they were important. Or maybe it was just nonsense. He wouldn't know; he'd never been an avid reader.

He made a hasty departure, his searching done, at least for the moment.

His singular bit of loot in tow (along with a hasty clothing change into a simple black shirt and pants), Titus took a jogging pace as he retraced his steps back to the safety of the room he'd left Janus and the others in. A few of the lasers that had diced up the Linowans burst back to life, reminding him of both the dangers of the place, and the fact that he could now be hit by light beams and feel warm tickles.

It didn't take long to find the others. Titus noted that perhaps his father would be happy that he was giving up a life of crime, because technically the term “Lawgiver” implied that he could totally make it legal to steal stuff. He snorted; he was joking with himself, but the thought still made him uneasy. Were there Solars that were actually that callous? Why would the Unconquered Sun pick someone like that? Did he even pick? Meander had said he was following the most likely person to Exalt, and it was more because of how he tried to do badass stuff rather than nice stuff. The two weren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but he knew this was going to be something he'd struggle with. Killing Kaizoku had been a lot easier than convincing her he was right, and if he wanted any chance of being able to do that in the future, he had to figure out exactly what it was he was doing. And that meant learning, and learning apparently meant Anisatsis. But he was dead set on finding this Hearthstone, first. Every little bit helped.

He finally entered the room, and couldn't see his family. Hopefully they were just good at hiding, because if not...

“Dad! Albus, Alphonse, Demetrius, Viccy!” That little pet name ought to piss her off. “I'm back, and I-”

He was interrupted by a small lump of tangled brown hair tackling into him. “Titus! Titus Titus Titus oh wow you got bigger.” The lump took a step back, revealing his youngest sister. “What happened?”

“I could ask the same, lad,” came the deeper baritone of his father. He was holding back the twins, both of whom looked wide-eyed, while Demetrius looked very confused at Janus' side. “Are you alright?”

Titus shrugged. “I guess so. I sort of found that Kaizoku lady, she's the Terrestrial general who's kinda responsible for getting you guys all captured and whatnot, and then she kinda nearly killed me with this water blast she did,” he ignored the strangled gasps and Victoria's renewed hugging, “but then I got all buff and strong, and I killed her.” He scratched the back of his head. “I, uh...” He realized they might not remember who Meander was. Ah, well. “I kind of Exalted. I'm a Solar, and apparently a fighty one.”

Victoria's lack of a reaction didn't surprise him. Janus' step backwards certainly did, though. Titus felt his chest tighten. “Father?”

Janus' expression was cautious. “I've...heard about them. Folks who came in town said they'd heard they were Anathema. That they'd nearly destroyed the world, and that they were demon-possessed. And...you seem different, son. If you are my son, that is.”

Titus looked his Janus in the eyes. He hadn't come all this way to abandon them. “I don't feel like I'm possessed, Father. I killed Kaizoku because...well, to be honest, I was trying to buy time for you guys. Maybe help my Terrestrial friend kill her. Ezri, I mean. But then...I didn't plan for any of this.” He rubbed a hand on Victoria's head, careful not to apply too much pressure. “And nothing's changed. I still love you guys. I'm honestly pretty messed up about killing her, you know? I didn't want to, and I just wanted to make sure you guys were oka-”

Fortunately, he was interrupted by a massive group hug. The twins were alternately shouting at him for stupid he was to go chasing after generals, Janus giving him an apologetic glance and a mutter of “Rory always was making up stories”, and Demetrius trying to sneakily compare his height to Titus'. Titus simply smiled, and leaned his head forward. The hard part was done.

The next part was easy. Once they'd all separated, Titus explained how they couldn't just leave yet. Funnily enough, it was quite easy explaining that the place was a Manse and he needed it for being super strong. Probably because most of the attending parties weren't listening. Titus took Janus aside afterwards.

“So we don't have a home, right?” Before Janus could reply, Titus continued. “Listen, I know farming's all you know, but...I've got to learn more about myself. But I don't want to just leave you guys somewhere and risk another incident like Emdar happening. I'm going to stay here for two more days, or until I find the stone thing that powers this place. You guys can stay in that room, because I can't be sure if I could disable all the traps in the other places. After that, I'm heading for Anitsatsis.” Janus' facial expression didn't change. Ah, he'd never heard of it. “I'll apparently learn more about what it means to be a Solar there. I just wanted to bring you up to speed. I'll try to find some food in the meantime, and I'll definitely find somewhere safe for you guys to stay.” He smiled.

Janus simply shook his head. “I don't know what else we could do, son. That sounds better than what I had planned, at least.”

“And that was?”

“Nothing.”

Titus gave his father a small grin, who replied with barely the hint of a smile. “It won't be so bad, Father. My friends told me I'd be welcome there, and I'm sure that means you guys, too. It's certainly better than me trying to keep you guys safe as I try to visit the Bull in the North, or over go look for any of the old Marks that the Haltans might have found.”

Janus' face paled. Titus gave a nervous laugh. “Ah, aha, I'll, uh, I'll just go look for that stone. You guys stay here some more. Those Linowans chasing after me before? All dead. Make sure Demetrius knows that.”

And with that settled, Titus said a farewell as he turned back to the door leading back deeper into the Manse.

Victoria spoke up. "The stone that powers this place? Is it green, with lots of little sharp corners?"

Titus' eyebrows raised. "It, uh...what?" He blinked several times.

"I saw it in the other room, while you and the dragon lady were fighting." She held out a star emerald, a hexagonal thing about the size of an obol. "There were lots of statues in there, but no traps, so I took it so the dragon lady couldn't have it."

Titus blinked several more times before taking up the little girl in his arms.

"Viccy, you're a genius! That has to be it." He gently took it from her hands. "Okay, that...makes things a lot easier. I guess I'll just, well, attune to it. That's what I was told to do at least. After that and the traps should stop trying to kill you guys. And, well, me, but I don't think they could anymore."

"I put a little bit of myself into the artifact." Ezri had said. "You have to commit to it, or the Essence stays dormant."

Titus reached inside himself for his Essence, which he supposed was that warm feeling he got whenever he decided to focus on it. Then...he imagined pushing it into the stone. He stared at it, his brows furrowing, hoping this would work...god, these Essence users, always talking about stuff as if it were instinct...

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaupXBpcFKc&t=1m40s)

Titus did feel the departure of a small amount of his power, flooding into the stone as he placed it into the socket in the amulet, and he felt the stone come to life, seemingly scanning him and recognizing... something. A rumbling shudder pushed through the Manse, and previously hidden lights sprung to life as the sounds of plumbing and machinery firing up could be heard. The text on the walls switched to Low Realm, and the previously intermittent pumping noises became regular. Even as part of his potential was stored in the stone, Titus could feel himself starting to recover quicker, and...

"It made you awesomer!" Victoria shouted, laughing.

OOC
Hearthstone Located and Attuned to: Crystal of Legendary Leadership (3 Dot Hearthstone). This gemstone enhances the bearer's ability to lead others, adding one bonus success to any Presence, Performance, or Bureaucracy rolls involving leadership or governance, as well as to any War rolls involving rallying troops.

Manse Attuned to: Manse of the Hidden Victory (3 Dot Manse, Repairable to 4 Dots). This Manse has a number of defensive and convenience features, but will be inaccessible until repaired save during Calibration.

[Jade_Tarem]

NOW

"...and so the young rogue's journey closed,
the wheels of fate did skip a turn,
and in the end did his family mend,
and Titus left with much to learn."

Hadassi closed out his tale, relating the last parts, including the final boat ride to Shadowholt, quickly. "So there you have it. It was in our territory that Titus Exalted, and Kaizoku met her end."

"But he didn't leave the East..."

"Oh no, not for some time after that, either. He still had to meet the mysterious masters of Anistasis, not to mention everything else that would happen before he finally departed for more exotic lands. Nor would this be his last trip to the East, but that is a story for another time."

"Pshaw, it sounds pretty farfetched to me, Hadassi." One of the other elders shrugged and puffed on a pipe as the people who had gathered began to disperse. "Heavenly conspiracies? A Manse floating over Sanazala Falls?"

"Believe what you like, or don't. I'm not a historian, just a storyteller." Hadassi got up and stretched. "If it's all the same to you, I'm going to turn in. You'll be here tomorrow?"

"Of course. Heh."

The old Dragon-blooded strode outside and looked up into the night sky, then looked back down. Unsurprisingly, there was someone with him, out in the middle of the darkened street. The newcomer wore a long coat and an odd scarf, and clothing that seemed vastly out of place among the Linowan, though of course no one had noticed. "Enjoyed my little tale, did you?"

"They get more educational every year." Meander pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the moonlight flashing off his glasses. He wasn't worried about his health - lung cancer was just something he could give to a potential future enemy. "I was just passing through and decided to stop for a bit. Hard to believe though, isn't it?"

"I meant to ask..."

"Yeah, we're going ahead with it. It's going to be a doozy. Creation will never be the same, but it should be better. If it survives. If he survives. Idiot insists on leading the proverbial charge."

"You'll keep me informed?"

"Sure, but like you said, it's a story for another time."

"Bastard."

A few moments passed in silence. "You know, I never did find out what happened to Titus before he went after the missus for the first time. Where did he go from Anistasis?"

"What? The shadowmaster fate-ninja needs little old Hadassi to fill him in?" The dragonblooded feigned surprise.

Meander turned to look at him directly, and Fast-Rapids could see the stars shining in his eyes, stars that were reflected from nowhere. "Humor me. I'm double checking some things. It pays to be prepared, these days."

"Well. As I understand it, he left his family well off in Shadowholt, and made tracks as directly as he could for Anistasis. Whether he was eager to train or just tired of being in the dark, Titus only bothered to skirt the shadowlands, plowing through all other obstacles. Even so, the journey took several months, so the sight of the cliff temple was likely a welcome relief. He was on the final approach to it, the mid-morning sun blazing into the remarkably barren river valley, when a beautiful woman appeared and said -"

THEN

"Welcome, traveler. I am Anistasis, and..." The figure trailed off as she visibly checked the Solar out. "...you are welcome to stay as long as you like. What is your name, handsome one?" She smiled gently as some leaves blew by (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJGe0RevHbQ) and off the side of the narrow cliff-face passage.

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l511/jadetarem/Exalted/AnistasisTemple_zpsb2cbe017.jpg

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Anistasis. That was...Meander had said it was a city, right? Maybe she just happened to be named the same. Did people even do that? He smiled. He just needed to talk to her, that was all. Probably not a coincidence. "Good morning, Anastasis!" His smile wavered; should he come clean all at once? What if she was a Dragonblooded in disguise, and things got awkward? "I'm Titus. I'm a Solar, and I was told you were a city." So much for subtlety. "You look pretty good for a city. I was expecting more...uh, edges, I guess."

...Well, she complimented him first, he might as well return the favor. Was that okay? She was smiling, so maybe, but the women in the Marks had taught him that smiling could mean a lot of things. She could be plotting. He'd spent a lot of time on that walk thinking about how people might be trying to use him, and what he could do to deal with it.

He decided he'd just try to keep an eye out for it. Until then, he'd just do what he always did, and try to be a nice guy. Janus had always told him to be polite.

[Jade_Tarem]

Anistasis laughed easily. "'City' is a courtesy that the Sidereals do for me. It's flattery, really. The temple is dedicated to me, and a very small settlement supports the temple. I myself am a fertility goddess, though few worship anymore." She seems more saddened by that, a shadow coming to cerulean eyes. "Even so, Mr. Titus, you are very welcome here. In fact, I believe you're expected." She extends her hand. "Walk with me, and much shall be made clear to you."

The Vision of Light (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtQ4VOGtI44#aid=P-eRIVOPp0M)
The First Story: The Dawning Realization
Episode 4: From Nero to Zero

Seven Months Previous to THEN

It hadn't been a good week.

The fall of Emdar was really only the beginning. Whatever Kaizoku's grand scheme was, it hadn't put nearly as much of a dent in the Haltan defensive line as she'd hoped, seeing as the treefolk still appeared to be winning. And they were winning, in part, due to their allegiances. Oh, sure, the Bull of the North was probably the more important one... but it was their pact with the Lapis court of the Fair Folk that concerned Nero the most now, seeing as he was scheduled to be fed to them.

One by one, the captured Jade Marks had met that fate. Their soulless, shambling husks still could be seen, occasionally, wandering around at the level of the forest floor. The agreement was clear - the trees belonged to Halta, the floor to the Lapis Fey, but the pact also stipulated that the Haltans provide their fey cohorts with a few snacks. They'd feasted on the spoils of the Emdar raid... and now only he and the new girl were left.

Nero looked up as the soft sound of feet hitting the sturdy ledge could be heard outside his cage. It wasn't a bad cell, really - it was spacious and breathed well, plus all waste was dropped a good several hundred feet to the forest floor (Take that, faeries!), so it smelled better than it could have, but it was still not really where he wanted to spend his final days. When he saw who his visitor was, though, something seemed a bit off. It was Caelia. Caelia sans guards. "Sup, Nero?" The Emdarian said cheekily. "What say we make like a tree?"

THEN

Titus makes it into the tiny village that, despite its small size, still manages to seem empty. It had a hell of a view, though, he'd give it that. Anistasis guides him to a particular structure - a tavern that seems to be the only inhabited structure - and then through the main room, through a secret door, and into a back room. Richly appointed and rather large, the room is festively decorated in golds and greens - that is to say, living plants. Random bits of decoration are mounted on the walls, though never so gaudily as to be tacky. Numerous circular tables rest here and there, and an open bar dominates the far corner of the room, with a patio to a hidden open-air alcove out back displaying a merrily crackling grill. For that matter, this room is more heavily populated than the entire rest of the town, as far as Titus can tell. At least fifteen people lounge at the tables engaged in just as many conversations, with more bustling in and out or making use of the bar or grill. "Welcome to the true Temple of Anistasis," the goddess says warmly, giving the Lawbringer's hand a squeeze. "I had to diversify a bit, but I don't mind. Beats getting turned into Starmetal." At this, she laughs at a joke that apparently only she understands, and guides Titus to a table in the far corner. There, a dark skinned woman with short, darker hair and a few attractive piercings halts an animated conversation with a pair of figures in red and blue robes, complete with hoods, to look up. "Hello, Ani." She tosses the goddess a questioning look. "This is the Solar?"

"So he says, and you didn't tell me he'd look quite like this!"

"He did exalt beautifully, not that there's many ugly Solars running about." The gold-dressed woman stands and extends a simple handshake, in the Emdarian style, no less. "Greetings, Titus, son of Janus. I am Ayesha Ura. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

She was a goddess. What in Creation was he doing talking to a goddess? Sure, he'd "Exalted" or whatever, but still! What would his family say if they saw him now? What would his friends...he paused. No, they'd be dead. He quickly got over the thought, though, because the goddess was still there, and people were saying he looked handsome. No one had ever really done that before. It was...nice, he guessed. But there was a reason he came here.

"Hello," he said with a light smile, accepting the handshake. "The, uh, pleasure's mine, I promise you that. But, well." He cleared his throat. "I hear you help out Solars. Or, well, Meander told me you did. Did he tell you I was coming?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Ayesha gives a lopsided grin. "Not as such, but I knew that if you survived, there were a limited number of outcomes concerning what you would do next, and I knew Meander would recommend this place." She sits back down and gestures for Titus to do the same. "As for helping out Solars... yes, we do that. The Gold Faction believes that the Usurpation was an overly extreme measure, and that sufficient guidance could have prevented the disaster that the Bronze collective feels was - and still is - inevitable. As such, we strive to live up to our original purpose in the Grand Scheme of Things, providing protection to Fate and Creation and offering guidance and training to Solars at all levels. The only real limit is resources."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus sat down, his face pensive. His hand returned to the back of his head, scratching as he tried to express what he'd been thinking about during the walk over.

"...Do you mind if I ask why it happened in the first place? The Usurpation, I mean. Meander was kind of in a rush when I Exalted, and to be honest all that Fate stuff kind of flies over my head. Ezri explained it to me once, but, well. I just don't think it would have happened for no reason to every single Solar. Like, I can see this power getting to people's heads, but everyone's different, you know?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Ayesha leans back in her seat. "Ohhhh my. Get comfortable." The other two Sidereals snicker a bit before she quells them with a look. "I'm going to assume Meander filled you in on the basics, so... the long version. Do you know how Creation was formed? No, I can see that you don't. Well, believe it or not, it's relevant." She waves over a newcomer, this one apparently mortal, and dressed in the robes of the temple. The monk refills the pitcher on the table with some kind of amber, non-viscous liquid and then departs. Ayesha pours herself a generous quantity of it before placing the pitcher back in the center of the table. "I can't start from the precise beginning - there is no precise beginning - but before Creation as we understand it existed, there was nothing but the Wyld. The Wyld, as you might know, is the realm of the Fae, but not the Fae as you've ever seen them. No, the Fae in the Wyld have no definite shape, form, or duration. Out in the true Wyld, there is no continuity of time or space, only a never-ending series of narratives that the Fae play in. Life, death, all are meaningless concepts to the unshaped Fae of the Wyld."

She takes a slow few gulps of her amber whatever-it-is. "You can still get to the Wyld, too. All you really have to do is pick a direction and go far enough that way, though of course you'd need to have some way of compensating for the effects of nearing an Elemental Pole. Either way, though, we have Creation now, so what happened?" She sets her mug down. "The inevitable, of course. Somewhere in that non-time, some of the most powerful Unshaped had an idea. What if there *was* time? And continuity? What if what you did *before* had consequences *after* and couldn't be undone? What if the set piece was real? The stage solid? The actors flesh and blood and bone? And so they gathered their wills and planted a seed, in the middle of nowhere in particular, and around it, reality crystallized. But they didn't stop there, oh no, they gave themselves forms, becoming something new, something... Primordial. The Unshaped at first treated this as a curiosity, but when they wanted to 'move on,' to move away from this time and place that had been Created, they couldn't. In fact, attempting to go there dispersed them like they never really existed. This made them angry, but what could they do? Nothing, so they watched and plotted as Creation continued to form."

"Creation was planned, you see. The Primordials built the world to have these complex forms, to develop on its own the weather, ecosystems, and so forth that you see. But they didn't want to spend a lot of time maintaining it. They created the gods, and left a world's worth of chores to them, then ran off to play the Games of Divinity. Now, I don't know what goes on in the Games, but suffice to say it's apparently pretty addictive, because they devoted a lot of time and attention to it and trusted the gods to take care of the rest - not that they trusted them *completely,* of course... they made sure, when they made the gods, that no god could directly attack a Primordial. It's still a hard-and-fast rule today. And that's how they left things for an aeon." She leans forward again. "As you might imagine, being the custodians of Creation for all eternity was not a fate that they particularly cared for, but how to change things? They couldn't attack the Primordials, and asking nicely... didn't work. But what they could do was split off pieces of their Essence and implant their divine spark into mortals. The most powerful gods, known to you as the Incarnae, did exactly that. Three hundred parts of Sol were granted to the bravest, the cleverest, and the most powerful of these little, insignificant humans. Three hundred pieces of Luna found their way into the adapters, the survivors, the protectors. The Maidens of Fate found twenty each of the greatest journeys, romances, battles, secrets, and endings, and these became the Sidereals. And Gaia and Autocthon, those two Primordials were convinced to turn on their bretherin. Gaia's Immaculate Dragon-Daughters created the Dragon-blooded, weaker than their Celestial counterparts but capable of growing to tremendous numbers. Autocthon crafted incredible devices, taught the secrets of magitech to the Exalted of that time. And the mortals were everywhere. It was an army the likes of which had never been seen before, even in the twisted imaginations of the greatest Fae, and will likely never be seen again. It was coordinated, it was planned, and when the moment came, the Primordial War began."

She takes a deep breath. "A bard can give you the grand tales of the frankly unbelievable battles that ensued. Tales of heroics, impossible feats, and unthinkable treacheries lost to time filled that conflict. Much of Creation was destroyed, but in the end, the Gods and their Exalted won the day, and seized control of reality from the very beings who authored it. The slain among the Primordials... didn't truly die, although we did not know this until later. They became the Neverborn, dead and not dead at the same time, their disturbed dreams and dark essence leaking out to create the Underworld. Of those Primordials that surrendered, their leader, now known as Malfeas, was turned inside out, and his body remade into Hell, there to imprison the rest of the Yozi and their numerous hellspawn and demons." She taps a finger on the table. "After that, there was much rebuilding to be done. The Incarnae moved into the Games of Divinity, the seat of the divine power moved to Yu-Shan, and a golden age began as the Solars took control. They formed a deliberative, a government, and attempted to see to the needs of creation while pushing their crafts. It was incredible, this First Age. The boundaries of Creation itself were extended into the Wyld. Feats of magitech, sorcery, and skill were performed, then codified, and finally perfected. Everything was going perfectly, except..." She looks at Titus squarely. "...power... corrupted. That's what it looked like on the surface. Imagine living a few thousand years with the title of Lawbringer, being better at what you do than literally most everyone else. One victory after another strung together. Rarely doing wrong and thinking one can do no wrong are very, very different after all. The Solars had it the worst, but the Exalted all had it to some degree. Valor became Vainglory, Conviction became Cruelty, and the Solars themselves became tyrants, possibly mad. Not that they weren't enabled, of course. But some began to see the pattern, wondered if the First Age was destined for a fall. The Sidereals had a convention after a while, where we decided to try to get an accurate read on the future to see if we could avoid a great tragedy. The Sidereals are very good at finding things out, Titus. Even more so when we collaborate. With *all* of the Sidereals participating, we could see an entire Age into the future."

"And what did we see? I wish I could tell you. I wasn't there. But the accounts that I've heard are that the results divided the Sidereals into two camps. Some saw a clear vision, with obvious symbolism. They could successfully convince the Dragonblooded to rebel, and put them in control of Creation. Creation would be injured, it would decay, but it would live on. Others saw a mix of visions, hinting that perhaps the Solars could be made aware of their growing madness and corruption. After all, the Solars had done many, many impossible things before. Fixing themselves from within... might just be doable. And if they succeeded, there would be nothing to hinder eternal peace and prosperity. A fully restored Solar Deliberative, free of their own hubris? Nothing, not even the schemes of the Neverborn and the Yozi, could stop it. But those visions were not guaranteed. The plan could fail, and if it did, Creation would die. Completely. The first of these visions was called the Vision of Bronze, the second the Vision of Gold, and the bad outcome was called the Vision of Darkness."

"The only thing they could all agree on was the Vision of Darkness would definitely come to pass if they did nothing. So clearly one plan or the other had to be chosen. A vote was taken, and... the Bronze Vision, the Bronze Faction, won. Some Sidereals abided by this, and others did not. Those that did not were quietly and systematically murdered in short order, in what is known to us as the Night of Fallen Stars. When their Exaltations had re-settled and all the Sidereals were on board, they began planning the Usurpation. The rest, Meander probably told you."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus sat quietly throughout Ayesha's entire explanation. His face was impassive as she told him of wonders and...madness. He didn't even blink, not once, as she continued on, but he found himself staring at the ground, his head-scratching hand slowly lowering to rest at his side. When she finished, he gripped the front of the armrests of the chair and leaned forward, his eyes still cast onto the ground. Then, in a quiet voice:

"Am I going to go mad?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Ayesha Ura, extraordinarily powerful Sidereal, by all accounts so far one of the most informed and competent beings in creation, leans forward as well and does her best to make eye contact. She considers for a moment. "I don't know." She shakes her head. "There are dozens of theories on why and how and who might have been cuckoo, of which maybe half a dozen are taken seriously, but we have no conclusive proof that the Solars genuinely were mad. Maybe the only appeared as such to us lowly Viziers. I don't know." She grins and snorts. "But that's not the real question, is it? The question to ask ourselves is... are we mad already? And to that, my answer is, 'how would we know?' I mean, I don't feel mad, but I'm sure that's what the Exalted of the First Age said, too."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus sighed. It was pretty much a non-answer, as honest as it sounded. If anything, it just worried him more.

"Well...I don't feel crazy, either. But I don't feel that much different, when I get right down to it." He matched her gaze with one of his own, his focus returned. "But I know I am. I'm stronger, and...before, all I was focused on was my little world. My family, the Jade Marks...but I feel like I want to see everything. I want to learn about everything I can, because I can do all this stuff now. I don't even have to think about it, I just do it. Is that madness? Maybe. But...is it madness to want to see the world? And from what I've seen and heard already...I want to change it. But to do that, I need to know what I'm changing first."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Well, restraint is the one thing those 'mad' Solars didn't have, though of course there's no reason for you not to be ambitious. As for your instinctive knowledge, no, that's natural among all the Exalted, not just Solars. Before you hosted it, your Exaltation belonged to another, possibly more than one other, and you've absorbed some of the techniques and powers that he, she, or they developed in life. As you progress in your growth and learning, you may find that you have memories of places, people, and events that you never witnessed or visited. This isn't, strictly speaking, natural, but it's also nothing to panic about. Those are just the memories of your past self. Hell, I'd try to hold on to those - in many cases they're the only remaining record of some parts of the First Age."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

"Oh." He...supposed that made sense. He'd heard a couple talking about reincarnation once in the markets, but he'd dismissed it as nonsense. Now, it still seemed like it, but he had no real reason to distrust these people. "Well, I haven't remembered anything yet. But I'll be sure to pay attention if something's weird, I guess." He flexed his hand; his skill at hand-to-hand had never been this good. But he wondered if wearing gloves or something would enhance it. But that was for later.

He put his hands on his knees. "I need to learn where to start getting stronger. I fought Kaizoku, and I was told Terrestrials were supposed to be weaker than Solars." Thank you, Ezri. "And she was tough. So what do I need most? Knowledge? Power? Is there some sort of training? Or are you going to get creative?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Well, this would be the place for training, but I'd recommend you get instructions from us in things you *aren't* good at. As a Solar, you're more or less a peerless innovator when it comes to your fields of expertise." Ayesha grins once more. "As for the power divide... it's real, but if you learn anything from us here today, I want it to be this: there is no such thing as a fair fight." She ticks off points on her fingers. "First, experience counts for a lot. The Elder Sidereals could easily kick your @ss, likewise for the Lunars, and even the Dragonblooded. The averages are just that - averages. And the power of the gods is all over the map. There are gods that mortals could beat up, trick, or otherwise get the best of, and then there are gods that have to take care not to accidentally obliterate the cities they visit. Second, every type of Exalted was designed around a paradigm that their creator found appealing. Solars are leaders, inventors, masters. Dragon-blooded, by contrast, are designed to make the most of the teamwork and superior numbers that their Celestial opposites will never, ever have. A one-on-one battle stacks the deck rather heavily against a Terrestrial, and if it had been a brand new bronze tiger you probably would have beaten her easily. By contrast, if Kaizoku had been given the time to contact some of her allies and organize a proper hunt, they probably could have overwhelmed you. She had practice at that sort of thing. Really, it's only the fact that you Exalted right in her face that screwed her up." She lifts her third finger. "Finally, don't underestimate *anyone,* and especially not an Essence User. Even one that you *know* to be weaker than you can still drop you with the right combination of ingenuity and treachery... and don't think they won't."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus wanted to say that he already understood most of what Ayesha was talking about, but he let her have her piece. When she finished, he raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright, you got me. I promise to use my smarts and treat Essence users like fireworks. Got it." He sighed. "But you're right. I should probably expand my expertise out of...well. Everything physical, I guess." He rubbed his chin. "I guess I want to get better at talking to people, I guess. I'd rather not fight, really. I...I think Creation sees enough death as it is. If I can talk to people, I think I can really make a difference."

He crossed his arms, thrusting out his bottom lip in a mock pout. "I still wanna train my body, though. Just in case."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Of course." Ayesha nods. "Did you have anything specific in mind?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus shrugged. "I guess I want to learn about how these special ability things of mine work. Then, I want to learn more of them. If they can help me persuade people...well, that's cool, but I don't want to learn anything that forces myself on others." He shuddered. "I ran into this one Exalt, Locke...Ezri said she did something to my head. Yeah, I want to learn how to defend against that sort of thing." He shuddered. "I mean, she's really nice, you know? But what if she hadn't been?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Ayesha tilts her head to one side. "If that's what you're after, I'm sure there are instructors here who can provide it. Not me, unfortunately - I'm expected back in Yu-Shan, like, yesterday. But someone here can help train you, I'm certain. You might even find a familiar face or two, if you look hard enough - and remember."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

The Solar squinted his eyes. "Right." She was probably joking about having to be there yesterday. Titus was still having trouble accepting the fact that Yu-shan was a place you could just visit, let alone work at. And again, goddess right there. But time travel...nah, best not to think too far into it. He had too many things he'd want to change, and he didn't feel like having that dream shot down if it wasn't. He held out a hand. "Thanks for the introductions. And the hint." She nodded back with a small smile, and before he knew it, she was gone. He'd only turned a little bit around; maybe he could learn that one day, a day when he didn't have to worry about people messing with his head.

He turned to survey the room, letting his eyes rest on each of the occupants, hoping that maybe someone would feel right. Or something.

[Jade_Tarem]

Titus doesn't have to wait long. The blue-garbed Sidereal next to him smirks for a moment before commenting. "I'll train you physically, handsome. Just what sort of Charms I can offer, though -"

"Or I could do it."

She came from nowhere, and everyone in the room tensed. "What? This is the Convention on Essence Users, isn't it? And here we have an essence user."

"What are you doing here?" Red got up, and as his hood fell back Titus could see that it was a young man, clearly of the Realm, bedecked in black and red with a bow already strung and in hand.

"Offering my services. This isn't hard." The green-haired woman takes a look around before her gaze settles on Titus. She gives him a casual salute. "Shouldn't one of you introduce us?"

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l511/jadetarem/Exalted/Nova3_zps6ed3fc93.jpg

"Fine." Blue says shortly. "This is Titus, recently exalted of the Lawbringers, Dawn Caste. Titus, this is... this is Nova Veritas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vxvLRr1PbA), Chosen of Jupiter, Sidereal of Secrets... Bronze Faction."

If it is Nova, she definitely looks more composed than she did in Shadowholt. Older too - this woman is at least in her late twenties physically. "Oh, please. Faction this... faction that... I've told you I'm unaligned."

"Yeah, Kejak's favorite is unaligned, and I have a bridge to sell you."

"Maybe Titus can form his own opinion?" Nova raises an eyebrow in the Solar's direction.

[Astro_sol]

Titus

"Well," Titus began, his hand having found its way to the back of his head, scratching away. This was Nova they were talking about...right? That girl changed ages more than...well, more than a girl should. He didn't remember her being so...divisive, at least in effect. But she'd always been nice to him, even if she had been confusing. Really confusing. That, and part of him was really confused due to always treating her like a little kid. And here she looked older than he was. And she was an Exalt.

He realized he'd been staring, trying to figure this all out. "Well, I, uh..." He blinked; it was Nova. She was his friend, no matter if she had considered herself a Mark or not. "I suppose that's alright." Was this what Ayesha meant by remembering? If so, he'd just need to get used to this whole "Sidereals-are-utterly-and-needlessly-confusing" thing and just go with the flow. It'd been so much easier, being a thief. "Who's this Kejak guy, though? Why's everyone getting all freaked out?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Nova grins brightly. "Chejop Kejak is the oldest and most powerful Sidereal in existence. Maybe the most powerful Celestial Exalt in existence, if the Deathlords are not factored in. He lived through much of the First Age and it was he who created the Bronze Faction and plotted the Night of Fallen Stars, the downfall of the Solar Deliberative, and the rise of the Shogunate and the Realm. He is, if only by proxy, one of your greatest enemies, and he controls much of Creation from the Shadows. He is also who I was referring to when little Nova would talk about dear old 'Sifu.' My master, in short." She takes Ayesha's vacated seat. "So... you can probably guess that all of this doesn't make me the most popular person around Goldilocks Central, here."

[Astro_sol]

Titus stared at Nova with a blank expression for several seconds. He raised his eyebrows, then spoke. "So...he's your Master, but you're not a Solar-knocking Bronze lady."

"No no no," Nova said irritably, waving her hand as though trying to shoo away an annoying insect. "What in the world do you expect me to say to that? 'I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you?' You have no way to verify anything I tell you, and a tongue-in-cheek evasion doesn't help you much."

Titus blinked. "I expected...uh, nothing. That's why I asked it." Gods, but she was speaking in riddles again. He gave a shrug. "Look, I...well, if I said I trust you, you'd probably laugh. But I guess I trust that you're not up to something jerk-ish." He squinted. "I think. I get confused, especially when people start changing ages. Or hide in my memories." Sidereals were weird.

He didn't sound mad; more like honest, and a touch confused.

"Oh, Sidereals don't hide. We just exist where people won't look. And I'm inherently untrustworthy, but you'll learn to trust me anyway." Nova steeples her fingers. "Damn, Titus, I'd like to say I didn't know you'd Exalt into this fine of a specimen, but I did. Still doesn't lessen the impression, though."

Titus bit his lip, feeling a blush coming. Which was weird. Nova had been a kid to him for ages. It had been months, but,...it was weird.

"Well, uh, sure." Scratch, scratch, scratch. One thing when complete strangers did it. Quite another when friends who were suddenly older than him did it. "You...uh..."

There was absolutely no way he could say she looked good when she wasn't a child.

"...did you say you were gonna train me?" he finished weakly.

"I can, but you'll find that the student's desires and attitude have a much greater effect on how much learning gets done than the sifu's. That's true of everyone, really, but as with everything else, it applies extra-hard to Solars. Plus, you'll have to know going in that there's some stuff - okay, a *lot* of stuff - that I can't or won't tell you, and may even lie about." Nova clapped her hands together and then spread her arms to take in the whole room. "But on the other hand, you can be sure that I won't be kissing your ass or hitting on you the whole time. Ready to train with the devil you know, Titus, or would you prefer to take your chances with the fan club? They can teach you the same stuff... probably."

"This is a mistake." Red finally butted in. "Anything Nova does will fit in to Kejak's master plan, and his master plan has been Solar-free for the last fifteen hundred years. She's the 'devil we know' like death knights are 'contributing members of society.' What's your real angle here, Nova?"

"That... is a secret." She shrugged and raised an eyebrow in Titus's direction.

Titus held up his arms. "Okay, whoa. Training's priority. And as for devils..." He looked around the room. "Well, I'mma just say that, what with my experience with Sidereals, you all have some sort of secret agenda. And I have no idea how it'll fit in with my obvious ones, so I'm just going to have to lump them all in the same category. You all are probably going to end up lying to me. And Nova's..." He shrugged. "She's someone I grew up with, even if she was a mysterious Sidereal."

"I'm so sorry, she'd said. He looked her in the eyes, his focus returned.

"I'm ready, Nova."

"No you're not. But that's a good attitude to have."

[Jade_Tarem]

Titus was accustomed to dawn long before he was one, and the next day saw him rise early set out for Nova's preferred training location.

"Not here," she'd said to him the night before. "Too much damage."

He found her 'up and deep' to the East, on a small path carved into the larger branches of the ever-thicker trees. She was strumming on a stringed instrument idly and singing as he approached.

"...no royal curse, no more remorse,
and there's a happy ending of course..."

Upon spying her protege, though, the instrument literally vanished into thin air. "Aha! Training! So, tell me, Titus, what are we working on today?"

Seven Months Previous to THEN

"So... and this is not to be taken as a slam at your current plan, because I love it... is there a plan B?" Nero huffed as he ran, his injuries still barely closed. "Because I feel like we're gonna need a plan B by the time we get out of the city."

"I'm still finishing plan A. Where the hell do we go once we're out of range?" Caelia was in better shape, and it was she who led them on the dangerous dance between ground and tree. Six feet - that was the magical divider between the Fey realm and the Haltan domain. As long as they kept shuffling along that line, they made it hard for any on either side to target them. Not that the branches and pathways always cooperated.

"The Bull of the North. They're not too far off, and they'll take strangers more readily than the Linowan."

Caelia shot him the best quizzical look she could. "I thought he was Halta's friend."

"Yes, but that doesn't extend to letting them sacrifice people in his army. We volunteer, then we desert."

"Sounds good. What do we do to keep them from trapping us with ata-beasts?"

"Pray."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus barely blinked at the disappearance of the apparently magic instrument. Spending weeks with Meander and Ezri had helped in that regard; it had become natural, filed away in his brain as "weird stuff". It still, of course, weirded him out. As far as he knew, all his own "tricks", for lack of a better word, were relatively straightforward.

His eyes darted across the landscape. This looked like the perfect place to leap from tree to tree. The place was much better to leap around than the city. Maybe...

He shook his head. He'd come here for a reason. "I want you to explain what all kinds of bad mind stuff I'll run into, and what I can do to defend against it. I know that's kinda vague, but I don't want to take any chances against something like that. It's scary. But, uh..." He paused. "What did you mean by too much damage? Do...you want to fight?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Nova regarded Titus critically. "Bad mind stuff? No doubt you're referring to mental domination?" An expression - almost of unholy glee, but definitely teasing - sprang to her face. "Afraid Locke will come back and seduce you with her mojo? Deploy her juju and make you her Glorious Solar Boytoy?" She assumed a sultrier stance on the log and struck a ridiculous pose. "Shouldn't Ezri have had this talk with you already? Okay, picture birds and bees for a second..." She snickers and hops down to the wider path with Titus. "Alright, I'll leave Gracious Shaia to teach you about that." The Sidereal walked up to within a handful of paces of the Solar. "Okay, resisting mental domination is real simple. Unfortunately, simple isn't the same thing as easy. There are as many kinds of mental attacks as there are physical ones, and I don't think there's going to be a way to defend yourself perfectly against all of them. Remember - a lot of manipulation is going to come completely naturally to the people doing it, and they aren't going to think there's a thing wrong with it. I mean, I convinced you to come train with me despite the objections of all of your supposed allies, all of whom are smarter than you, and I don't really see that as 'bad mind stuff,' do you?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus realized she had spent just about half the time messing around with him, and half being helpful. He idly wondered if the quality of her teaching compared to everyone else's, and whether they would...nah. That lady from before sounded like she would probably spend a lot more time flirting. And while his brows furrowed and he jut out his bottom lip, he did it in good humor. It was just Nova pushing his buttons again. She just happened to be an adult now.

"Well, I'm really, really hoping you didn't deploy any mind juju. But I still trust you, even if you claim you're untrustworthy." He'd been thinking about why she'd claim that. Probably the same reason she'd apologized. Maybe she knew something bad would happen to him. But maybe...she saw other stuff, and in that stuff, he'd died, or worse. But maybe he could change that. He was a Solar, right? They were strong. They could change things. "Call it a gut feeling." No way he'd tell her she was probably afraid to open up about it. She was putting up a facade out of pride, after all. Like Nero did...but it was different. Nero wanted to become a powerful guy, and used everyone like pawns for himself. Nova...didn't seem as selfish. She cared.

"So if I can't really train with the mind juju, or if there's no point, then what? Go for Plan B, get stronger and faster?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... slow your row, mighty Solar!" Nova waved her hands in front of her. "Back up a second. I said there was no perfect way to defend against everything, not that there was no way to improve, or no point to improving." She leveled a finger in his face. "You're a Lawgiver now, a chosen of the Unconquered Sun. There's *always* an answer, even if it doesn't exist yet." She she lifted her finger and then stretched slightly to tap it on Titus's forehead. "First things first. Like I said, there are several kinds of bad mind stuff. The first is au natural - that is to say, everyone is going to try to manipulate you. Sometimes it's fine: your friends will do it, your loyal subordinates will do it, your powerful, sexy, and talented sifu will do it, and all of them think they're doing it for your own good. Sometimes they're even right! This is called 'arguing' and you've been dealing with it your whole life."

She bounced back and sat, lotus-style, on her stump again. "Sit!" She commanded. "We're going to have an argument. Tell me something you disagree with. A person you don't like, a political position or activity you can't stand. Whatever, I don't care."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

She said sit the same way you'd tell an animal to do it. He still did it, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of her, looking nowhere near as suave. He scratched the back of his head for a few seconds, before the answer came rather quickly to him.

"I think feeding people to the Fair Folk is wrong."

"Why?"

He was expecting that, since this was teaching and it seemed almost too basic, just like his knowledge of arguing. "Because it could be your family member or friend being fed to them. They're humans, just like you and me...well, used to be. I certainly wouldn't want to be fed to them, but I can defend myself. Most people can't." He found himself wondering what it was that Fair Folk actually did. Question for another time, perhaps.

[Jade_Tarem]

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_PWiDMHkW0&index=2)

"That's an interesting stance," Nova said calmly. "What do you think of that, Myxia?"

Into the area bounced a new figure, easy to mistake for another of the Sidereals at first. She was dressed in knee-high boots, white scaled mail, shiny pauldrons, a very nice white hooded cloak with the hood down, and carried with her a staff that appeared to be made of twin spokes of ivory twined around each other. All of it was decorated in a rich embroidery that shimmered between emerald and aquamarine depending on the viewing angle, and a pearlescent pink shone across the armor.

More than that, she was beautiful - potentially the most beautiful woman Titus had even seen. If asked, he'd have been hard-pressed to describe exactly what it was about her, but she seemed to have expanded to fit each nuance of the concept of beauty. Not a single blonde hair fell out of her perfect ponytail, not a single feature was marred or irregular, and her piercing green eyes could bore holes through the trees around her. The pointy ears, however, gave her away - this woman was Fae.

"Hello, Titus. I understand we have a lot to talk about." She winked at the Solar.

"I may have cheated a little when preparing for this lesson," Nova adds, the picture of innocence.

Titus' hand stopped scratching. His back straightened, and he shifted his legs to sit a little more loosely, just in case he had to move quickly. "Is this your idea of a joke?" he asked calmly, his eyes dead set on the Fae.

Myxia blinked, not losing her smile. "I don't rightly know. What would the punchline be?"

"Wasn't asking you." The young man's eyes darted to Nova before returning to the Fae. "Though if you must know, the fact that my powerful, sexy, and talented sifu is throwing a powerful, sexy soul-eater at me could be seen as kinda funny, in a morbid kind of way."

"You're right, Titus, maybe you should only encounter *safe* things," Nova says, deadpan, "until you're on your own and I can't stop anything that gets out of hand."

Titus raised his eyebrows. It was a fair point.

"Well, Sifu moves kind of fast for my tastes." He scratched the back of his head. "I'm a fan of taking things a bit more slowly. You're not sucking on my soul...I think. So that's a nice start."

"Slow is a luxury you don't have." Nova says with some finality, all trace of her teasing from earlier gone. "Not yet. Besides, you wanted to learn about 'bad mind stuff' and the many manipulations of Creation... did you think you'd get that understanding without ever seeing it?" The tease comes back. "Or were you hoping *I* would put a bit more effort into seducing you?"

The Fae sits across from Titus. "Besides, it's not going to get that far. Nova here has told me that if I start to get into your head, your dreams, or your pants, she'll harvest me for gossamer, so for now we're just going to chat each other up."

Titus dropped his jaw in mock surprise. "Oh!" He raised a hand to his mouth. "She does care. I need to remember that Sifu gets jealous easily."

The joking helped deflect that there was still a mind-eater sitting across from him. And the goddess earlier...how long would it take him to get used to this? Would he ever?

He set his hands on his legs. "So, what are we supposed to talk about? My problem with you eating people? Or maybe how you got here without trying to eat my Sifu?"

"Did you skip breakfast or something?" Myxia tilted her head quizzically. "You seem to be stuck on this eating thing."

Nova shook her head. "I think he's just naturally uptight."

"I could fix th-"

"No."

The Fae sighed and fiddled with her staff for a moment. "Okay, I got here without trying to eat your Sifu because Fae Nobles are a touch more complex than barracudas."

"I latch on it because it sounds really similar to serial killing, and since everyone talked about it in some form or fashion, it kind of stuck." He tilted his head. "The fact that you sound about as much like a person as anyone else is already...kind of weird, but not really all that unexpected." His hand tentatively reached up and began to scratch again. "Plus, a lot of my friends were probably eaten by Fae recently. So it's a bit of a sore spot. For all I know, you might have snacked on one. So this is really weird."

"Oh, yeah, that 'friends and family' bit gets us every time. But, um, yes? It is serial killing. What's your point?"

Titus shrugged. "I think indiscriminately killing people is bad. They could be nice. They might not deserve it. If everyone you ate were a rapist or a murderer, then I probably wouldn't be all that mad. Those kinds of people are sentenced to death anyway, so I don't know if it really matters where they're hanged or beheaded or eaten by pretty ladies."

"Indiscriminately!" Myxia, for the first time, looked offended. She turned to Nova. "Indiscriminately, he says!" Back to the Solar. "We do not kill people 'indiscriminately.' I for one am very discriminating about who I eat and how. I'm trying to form a coherent narrative here; there's no room for indiscriminate killings in it."

"Then who do you kill?"

"Anyone I want." Myxia leaned forward. "I'm a living story, Titus. I don't think like you, I don't act like you, and if I tried, I'd quickly become nothing. So who I 'want' to kill is anyone that pushes that story forward. I can't just make it happen like I could in the Wyld, so I have to keep myself fueled on the pieces of sapience I come across."

"Then suppose it like this. Maybe we just don't see eye to eye on who you should murder, because "anyone you want" could be someone I don't want." He shrugged. "I still don't think we, as humans, should give you guys and girls...if you even think like that...people that we conquer in war. And I don't think we should allow you to eat just anyone you want."

"Which is why so many of us have moved in and compromised. Some Rhaksha live among you, you know. They eat parts of emotions, parts of souls, all offered freely, but it is all secondary to need in the end."

Titus raised a finger. Then he lowered it. "Does that result in permanent damage?"

"That depends. Does every wound a mortal suffers result in permanent damage? As a living idea, I could never really tell..."

"Well, uh, no. But that's physical stuff. I dunno if, uh, emotions can come back after you nom on them. Or if souls heal from soul cuts. Or soul tooth marks." He shrugged. "This is kind of uncharted territory for me, too, and I'm not a living book or whatever."

"Well, you can get the lore another time. Let's go back to the subject at hand. You have said nothing about it being 'wrong' for your fellows to be sacrificed to the Lapis Court, only that you disagree. Are you prepared to abandon your previous stance on the matter?"

"No. But I'd like to make it a little more clear, and to perhaps modify it due to misunderstandings and accidental misinformation. I believe that the Haltans' policy of feeding prisoners of war, who include citizens who were not personally involved in the war or who just wanted to live their lives, as being wrong. I think that applies to humans, but not necessarily to Fae. I don't think it's wrong for you to accept those prisoners. I think the Haltans are wrong, here." He scratched his head. "Since you're not human, I suppose I can't hold you to the same standard that I do the Haltans. But they're wrong for it. At least with how they're doing it."

Myxia nodded, and then coughed lightly. "So *why* is it wrong for them to be giving us their POWs?"

"Because..." He paused. "Because humans are capable of empathy. Putting ourselves in other people's shoes, considering how we would feel in their situation. We're all different, but we're the same in that we have feelings about stuff, and we all want to live, at least most of the time. It's stuff like that that helps keep people together. That, and other stuff, but I tend to focus on the feelings." Scratch, scratch. "I don't know about any sort of rules that should keep all humans together, mostly because no one's written any down, but I do believe there are some basics that humans should hold themselves to. And we can't just treat another human as an object, because thinking like that is a betrayal of one's self. If a person treats someone else as an object, they treat themself as one. If that makes sense. And that registers to me as wrong, to just make someone die because they happened to be living in the city that the army is attacking, because they weren't doing anything worth killing."

"But it *is* a subjective morality you speak of, Titus, and here we come to a standoff as old as linear time." Myxia threw her arms wide, staff notwithstanding. "You can come up with whatever rules you like, even go with feelings, but if you want everyone to follow your rules, you have to enforce them somehow, or convince others to do so. So let me ask you this - if a will to power is all that stands between 'right' and 'wrong,' do the concepts have any meaning at all?"

"Yes," Titus said with a slight grumble, his hand switching from the back of his head to his temple, rubbing out a growing headache that he knew was purely natural. "But you wouldn't get them, because you're a Fae, and you just don't have the same ideas of those concepts as humans do, or the context. You just don't care."

"That's true enough. But do *you* get them?"

"That's enough for today, I think." Nova got up from her stump. "Myxia, I release you from my service. Your heart's grace can be found in the most interesting stump in the Haltan Forest."

"Ciao!" The Fey darted off, the line trailing with her, "Call on me sometime, Titus, and I'll show you what I can really do. I promise you'll enjoy it!"

Nova paced over to the Solar. "So! What do you think? No charms, no bedeviling sorcery, but I thought she had a good point, and you look a little frazzled."

Titus huffed. "I could still back out at any point." He still felt grumpy. "But...you're right. And she was, sort of. It's subjective morality, but it doesn't really change how I feel about how I believe others should be treated." He kicked a stump. "Fae are weird."

"Fae are the weirdest." Nova agreed. "By the way, there's nothing *wrong* with a subjective morality. Most of it is based on ever growing complexities of defining behavior in such a way as to maximize the quality of life for individuals in a group by curbing the most predatory behaviors of that group toward each other. By doing so, individuals can specialize and society can advance, which is the only meaningful activity a mortal being can engage in." She stares at him for a second. "Or so I've heard."

Titus stared several seconds at his Sifu, blinking slowly. "I need to start bringing something to write with."

Nova grinned. "Myxia was quite correct about one thing. If you plan to enforce your subjective morality, you must have the power to do so. Fortunately for you, the Solars have always had power to spare. That's why they're called the Lawgivers." She shrugged and offered a hand to help him get up. "Now the question is, why couldn't you come up with that response on your own?"

"Because I got really uncomfortable with the subjective morality comment, and I'm still trying to get used to thinking on my feet. I kept wanting to go back and think more about what I was saying, but I just didn't have time." He took the hand and rose. "Because the one time I thought I did something right as a Solar, I got yelled at that I might be really messing things up in the long term. So I'm a little cautious of saying or doing something that I'm not a hundred percent on."

"Eh, good enough. I was just going to say that you're not used to thinking on your feet, unless it's something you've already trained for - or something your Exaltation does for you instinctively. And that, I think, might be the best use of your time here. We're going to make you a Wit. The way I see it, you're halfway there already."

"Right on," Titus said, giving a thumbs up with a straight face. "Teach me your ways, my wise and powerful Sifu. Curb my predatory behaviors, so that I may specialize in this "Wit" of yours, and advance my ideas of society with style and maximized quality of delivery."

"Oh, we've already started, and it's a good thing you're so enthusiastic; you're going to need the energy." Nova flopped back into a sitting position on her little stump, crossing her legs and stretchig. "Because I poisoned your breakfast. The cure is somewhere in this forest, probably. You have..." She pulls a curious device out of her pocket and examines it, pointing a finger into the air with her other hand. "...about 22 hours left with which to do so. Really, it's a good thing you weren't more verbose." She twisted her wrist to point at Titus. "Go."

Seven Months Previous to THEN

They'd stopped to rest.

They'd had to. The Haltan forest was enormous, and slow going, and they could never really be sure that a given animal was what it seemed to be. Rest was essential, and they had finally been able to bribe a quasi-sympathetic god into letting them stay in his grotto. It was a small, water-aspected demense - not that either of them knew it - and the water, while clear and safe to drink, was lit from below by a light source that made the entire cavern glow blue, the patterns in the water dancing off the ceiling. It was beautiful, a secret little cave of safety. With the mushrooms, there was even something to eat. It was a much needed respite, but only a respite - tomorrow, they would need to move again.

"Ohhh, this feels incredible." Calia was soaking her blistered feet in the water. "You should try it, Nero."

"I'll pass." The rogue sat on the largest of the mushrooms, drumming his fingers on one knee as he thought about their route. "So... you never did tell me what you were doing at the Aelius Estate."

"And you never told me what you were doing with that dragon-blooded lady."

Nero snorted. "It was a good plan. It could have worked. It should have worked."

"So you did know! You actually plotted against Emdar itself! I can't believe you, Nero..." Caelia started to rise, but lost energy halfway there, flopping back down dejectedly. "How could you?"

"What's not to believe?" The former leader of the Jade Marks straightened slightly. "Peleps Kaizoku Atarove came to me and introduced herself as a Dragon-blooded of the Realm. She was charming and polite, even encouraged people to call her 'Rovie.' She said she had a plan that would bring Emdar into the Realm and make me - and everyone who depended on me - rich. Basically, she would lead a force of Linowan to the south of Emdar and raid some of the city-state's tributaries, thus leading away Emdar's garrison forces to engage them. The Haltans would be incited to attack from the north, weakening Emdar slightly and also earning them severe animosity toward Halta. In a tight squeeze, Emdar would be forced to turn to the Realm for aid, since it was too far south for the Bull or Halta to support. The Realm makes progress in the East, possibly even gaining a garrison area to use in putting pressure on Mount Metagalpa, Emdar itself gains an ally big enough that it might not be wiped out, not to mention access to a wider market, the nobles of Emdar would get properly screwed as the Realm's ambassadors moved in, which didn't bother me at all, and my gang would make out like, well, like bandits. She even promised me support in selling the damn artifacts we were stealing - after all, we'd need protection to prevent someone from just taking it from us the same way, once they knew we had it." Nero sighed. "And it would have worked too, except for the part where Kaizoku wanted to sack Emdar more than she wanted to keep it. I guess it makes sense, strategically... Emdar would have been a logistical overreach for her, and the Linowan did need the supplies."

He shrugged. "So, there's your answer. What's your story?"

"I'm the princess of Emdar."

Nero snorted. "Fine, if you don't want to tell me, you can just say so."

"I'm not joking!" At this, Caelia did get up, standing calf-deep in the pool. "The Voice-Elect was appointed, remember? And Zealous Vitality can appoint anyone. I was the one tapped to be the next voice, after the current one bought it."

"Well I'll be! I hope you're not expecting an apology for the comment about the nobles."

"Not even close. I hated that life! I was trying to fight my way out of it, remember?" Caelia kicked idly at the pool, making a splash. "One ironclad destiny. Learn the courtly graces, then wait for the current puppet of Big Bad Zealous Vitality to die so that I can spend the rest of my life doing exactly what he says. Lots of nice things, but no freedom to enjoy any of it. No freedom, in fact, at all. It's the most comfortable form of slavery imaginable."

"Gods." Nero raised an eyebrow. "What's the point of having a King or Queen if you're just going to control what they do? Why didn't ZV rule, uh, directly?"

"Politics." Nero's eyebrow stayed up, and Caelia clarified. "Heaven's politics, not ours. There's apparently a Big Bureaucracy in the Sky that all the gods answer to, and some powerful... things up there don't like it when gods run cities directly. By having a human ruler, and probably by bribing the right supernatural entities, Zealous Vitality could get Emdar recorded as being ruled by humans, even though it wasn't."

Nero nodded, whistling. "I always envied the nobles a bit, and especially you, princess. Not having to scratch and scrabble for each meal and upswing in fortune... I didn't know that your life was just following dictation."

"It *is* better than starvation, and some of the lesser nobles were... like you say, partying at the expense of others. I always admired the possibilities of a life on the street with no responsibilities, no one hunting you when you go out on your own... I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. I never even thought about what the living conditions would really be like. I don't know if I can hate you for what you did, Nero... that Kaizoku lady seems to be the real issue. Zealous Vitality was a coward and a bully. Emdar would have capitulated to her and the Realm if she'd shown up with any real force, though he'd have hated having to answer to them."

Nero got up, wincing slightly, as Caelia got out of the pool and gingerly back into her boots. "Well, as I don't want to answer to our Haltan pursuers, we need to decide how we're getting past their patrols."

"I don't know if we can just keep running, Nero."

"Agreed, so we need a distraction, and I have the perfect one in mind. It's really, really dry out, and we're very close to the Haltan Town of..."

[Jade_Tarem]

Time passed.

The first month was hectic. Nova did her best to make Titus's life a never-ending barrage of barely-surmountable trials, many of them potentially deadly. Some of them didn't have a ready solution, requiring the Solar to instead come up with one. The poison had - at first - been simply countered by finding the right herbs and convincing one of the mortal attendants at the lodge to brew them into the antidote. The next one... didn't have an antidote, so Titus had been required to bargain with a passing Harbinger to remove the poison from his file and hold it in escrow, to be used against the Sidereal's enemies later. Nor were all the issues poison-related. Sometimes she would ambush him with mortal martial arts or improbable weapons, often at the least opportune moment, including at meals, while he was in conversations, and on one notable occasion she filled his bath with hostile water elementals. Nova didn't forbid his consultation with any of the Gold Faction, though she made sure they couldn't solve every problem for him. "Sometimes there will be allies, and sometimes there won't." Was all she would say on the matter.

She did allow him some downtime, though she rarely stayed around when she wasn't debating with him, giving him training assignments, or trying to distract him into failing said assignments, and during that time he got to know the Temple of Anistasis better. As he learned, gods were entities distinct from their domains, though the size of their domains granted them power. Indeed, Anistasis told him of numerous homeless gods littering the slums of Yu-Shan, which appeared to be a fair sight better than the slums of Emdar, but it was still a startling revelation to the former rogue. Anistasis had thrown in her lot with the Gold Faction when her cult had been wiped out by the Contagion, a problem that she indirectly blamed on the Bronze Faction, as the Solars could, she felt, have prevented that. She allowed the Golds unrestricted access to a very secluded bit of well-made infrastructure, perfect for their purposes, and in return they worked on reconstructing her cult, not to mention the unparalleled protection having Sidereals flitting about offered the Temple. The risk of being discovered by the Realm, here on the other side of the Confederation of Rivers, she believed, was low.

Speaking of Sidereals, Titus quickly learned that only two were permanently assigned to the lodge - a Sidereal of Venus named Gracious Shaia and a Chosen of Battles that went, oddly enough, by Red, though apparently his full name was much longer. The Solar got his first chance at a real conversation with them when Nova declared that it was a holiday and suspended their training - she'd deadpanned 'Nova Day' when Titus asked which one - until the next morning. With no death traps, poisoned food, summoned enemies, or other mindfoolery to contend with, he'd lingered at breakfast and overheard the beginnings of an interesting conversation, which apparently had paused the two Sidereals right outside the door to the dining room.

"...not something to be concerned about. We see this all the time. The thing is all over the map, and ice that far south at this time of year? - it's probably just a Wyld Storm."

"It hit a guild slave caravan, a Haltan raiding party, and leveled what was left of Emdar without killing any of the refugees in it. That is a very specific Wyld Storm."

"I still say it's a stretch. Why would it follow that path? Is it pacing the East?"

"No... I talked it over with Meander, and he thinks it's triangulating. That's after a look at the Loom, too."

"Triangulating? On what?"

"Now *that* is the interesting question. I don't know, and Meander said the pattern spiders chased him off to deal with an intersecting string that's been building up a lot of resonance."

At this, the pair finally moved through the door, easily recognizable. Shaia was a relatively short but beautiful willowy woman, looking no older than her low twenties and easily excitable. Fair skin met adorable freckles and cerulean hair, and she'd offhandedly mentioned to Titus once that Venus looked 'like her, but a lot more perfect, and usually naked.' Red, by contrast, had the nearly black skin of the south and a wiry fighter's frame, plus his trademark red garb that seemed to feature layers of not-quite-discernible armor and a ridiculously long scarf. Both blinked when they saw the Solar still there, and Shaia waved her hand, the paper held in it disappearing. "Titus! Did Nova finally leave you alone today?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus had been on edge the entire day. "Nova Day"? Was she taking a day off? She'd been training him nigh constantly, so he guessed she'd deserve a break. He'd wondered how often Sidereals in general got breaks, since they seemed like busy folks, always playing games even in their "off time". That's why he was still a bit suspicious about Nova's intentions. He found himself constantly keeping an eye out. When he overheard the conversation between Shaia (Gracious was a silly name, but he'd never say it) and Red, he checked to make sure Nova wasn't in the rafters, about to swoop down and rat him out. When they came in without incident, Titus gave a sigh of relief.

Shaia's remark made Titus give a short laugh. "Maybe? You never know with her." The laughter became a tad desperate at the end, before he gave a small cough. "So, uh, I didn't mean to overhear, but you were talking about some tomfoolery happening around Emdar?" He looked down, still smiling. "That's kind of my hometown. Is it okay?" He coughed again. "I mean, uh, the people who're left, I guess."

[Jade_Tarem]

Shaia snorted - somehow making the action delicate and ladylike - while taking a seat. Red went to get 'coffee,' a mysterious stimulant that didn't seem to affect the pair that much but that they both claimed they couldn't live without. "The people, such as they are, are fine. No one was harmed by the latest... phenomenon. As a city, though, Emdar has been completely destroyed. Someone or something has done tremendous, possibly irreparable damage to it, the geomancy running through it, and whatever it was outright killed Zealous Vitality... and we haven't been able to recover his Starmetal."

Red returned with a steaming pot of the black fluid, rolling his eyes as he set it down. "Shaia thinks that the cause of the devastation is a new Lunar. I don't think it's possible. There's too much ground covered, too much damage, and most importantly, there's been a great deal of frost found at the site of each attack. Raksha, a Wyld Storm, or something else from beyond Creation is more likely."

"You're forgetting the witnesses." Shaia said, hauling something out.

"Oh, here we go." The Sidereal of Venus ignored him, however, and yanked a small, flat stone out of thin air. When she squeezed it, a panicky, faint male voice said, "...it came during the full moon. It tossed the guards aside like children's toys, froze the ground it walked on, and stalked up to the leader of our camp... and it spoke. It wanted to know where our god was, we... we didn't know!"

"Slow down." The voice was at once Shaia's and not Shaia's. "What was it? What did it look like?"

"It..." An audible swallow. "It had the form of a massive silver and platinum hound... a gigantic Winter Wolf! Oh gods, I thought I was going to die..."

The voices cut off. "Sounds pretty Lunary to me."

"More like lunacy, you mean. A Lunar, doing our work for us? That'll be the day." Red turned to Titus. "Anyway, the remaining refugees have managed to escape from the Lapis Court and, I think, are making arrangements with the Metagalpan Hawk-Riders. Some sort of mutual protection/economics thing."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

They were just like Nova; doing their job even when they should be relaxing. It was maddening...but that was nothing compared to the relief that the refugees, who could've included...well, someone, were safe. He smiled at the pair. "That's good to know. But I'm getting the vibe that you're not the biggest fans of Lunars. Are they bad, or something? Because a big bad wolf probably would've killed everyone." He grabbed a spare fork and jabbed it at the pair. "And do you guys ever take an actual break? It's still technically breakfast and you're here discussing Sidereal business. Do you guys have fun? I mean," he waved a hand, "I don't mean to be rude, but it's like every Sidereal I've met is always doing something for their big plan, or something. And they never really seem to take a break, because they do the same thing you're doing." He scratched his chin, changing his tone to mock surprise. "That could mean you telling me this stuff could serve your master plan!"

Well, they could. It just didn't really bother him all that much anymore.

[Jade_Tarem]

Shaia laughed. "Lunars are too varied for us to make an opinion about all of them. Lunars, however, tend not to be the biggest fans of us, if they know about us at all. It's that thing where Sidereals arranged for the oldest and most respected among them to be hunted to the beyond edge of Creation and back for fifteen centuries that tends to sour our talks. Hopefully there's a special someone for you among them though! <3" Titus had no idea how she managed to pronounce a heart, but she did.

Red took a long, slurping drink of his coffee. "Sidereals are very busy. We handle all of *our* duties and many more besides. We're tied - heavily - to the bureaucracy of Yu-Shan, which means even more work. That said, not every single Sidereal you meet is working a master plan. Some are still in training."

"Right! And we do take breaks, but they tend to be scheduled. Sidereals will occasionally go on sabbaticals - sometimes long ones - to pursue hobbies, clean up unfinished business from their mortal lives, chill and reconnect with the mortals for a while, hatch a brand new agenda, or occasionally plan a bangin' party for their friends." Shaia giggled. "But while we aren't completely immortal, our maximum lifespan is thousands of years. It can be a long time in between such breaks... not that there's no way to mix business and pleasure, of course."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus felt his inner urge to learn rising. He always thought he should have read more, but reading was so...boring. He always wanted to get up and move around, or at least talk to someone. And here Shaia was making hints at a lot of stuff he'd wondered while training with Nova, but he'd either been too busy or just forgotten to ask.

"But that's the thing. It's like the smart Siddies always mix business with pleasure." He couldn't resist a light jibe first, though. He smiled to show that he was kidding. Sort of. "But seriously, what do you mean a special someone? Why would it be a Lunar?" He resisted scratching his head. "And how long am I supposed to live, anyway? Barring a really bad day for me."

[Jade_Tarem]

The two fate ninjas exchanged a look, a sad one, at Titus's mixing jibe. Shaia got over it first, though, when Titus's questions moved on. "Oh! Well, waaaaaay back when Sol and Luna and the Maidens were hammering out just what Exaltations were going to be, they set it up so that there's a bond between each Solar and Lunar, all three hundred of them, at a 1:1 ratio. They're paired up. It's... not quite an equal bond. It affects the Lunar more, or at least that always seemed to be the case. Either way, the opposite is known as the Solar or Lunar Mate, depending on which one you are. Odds are good that your Lunar Mate is out there somewhere, though good luck tracking them down." Shaia sighs and props her head on one hand, smiling dreamily. "It doesn't always turn into romance or sexy times - some Solar/Lunar duos formed millenia-long friendships or even friendly rivalries instead. Or millenia-long sexy rivalries."

"Or horrifyingly abusive sadistic tangos."

"Red!" The Chosen of Battles was undeterred, though, by Shaia's hurt look. "There's no sense in sugarcoating it. The Solars of the First Age... had some hubris-related problems. Sometimes it carried over into the bond, and it was never pretty when that happened. Some of the Lunar Elders have less than sterling memories of the Solars, in addition to their reservations about the Sidereals and Dragon-blooded. On the other hand, some of them died defending their Solar mates, even in spite of the obvious madness that had gripped one or both of them." He shook his head. "That's why we try to impress a sense of service on the Solars of this age. So far, it's been working out... most of the time. But the Exaltation itself doesn't care about morality... only greatness. A Solar can be a King or a Tyrant, a Champion or a Predator... the one thing they'll never be, though, is nothing."

Shaia comes out of her momentary pout. "And that's as good a time as any to segue to life expectancy, though they say it's bad luck to ask a Sidereal when you're going to die." She grinned cheekily. "Now, you're currently on the 'I'm a Solar' health plan, which comes with rapid healing, powerful active and passive defenses against all manner of attacks - otherwise Nova's training would have killed you by now - and, more germane to your question, you won't croak of old age for at least a good 3000 years - and you'll stop aging physically in a few years, right when you hit twenty-five to thirty, and you'll continue to look that age until the last few decades of your life. But wait! There are ways to extend that. Age-staving cordial is hard to come by, but with the resources available to a powerful Solar, you could stay on a steady diet of that, and that would tack on about one fifth of your lifespan on again - about another six centuries, in your case. There were treatments in the First Age that could double that extended lifespan, bringing you up to seven millenia and change. Those techniques are lost now, but if the Solars retake the world? Who knows? Certainly, anything done before could be reproduced in theory. Finally, there are geomancies out there that can be channeled into hearthstones, powerful hearthstones, that can delay death indefinitely, though of course these are well guarded, and mostly stored in Yu-Shan anyway."

"That said, our experience for the last fifteen centuries is that most Solars die young. There have just been too many forces arrayed against you. This recent chaos with the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress and the en masse return of the Solars is the first time I can remember that any of you have had half a chance of making it to your fiftieth birthday."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

The news came a bit more strongly than he'd anticipated; it was all he could do to maintain his posture.

He could live for a very, very long time.

...That brought mixed feelings. On one hand, he had a lot of time to get stuff done. On another...he was definitely going to outlive everyone in his family. Unless he got them some of that age-staving stuff. He had time for that, he hoped. But that was for later. Right now, he had other things to think about, like what Red had been saying. "Well, let's hope I don't have a really bad day, right? But, well, I'm, er, not into sadistic stuff. So you won't have to worry about that from me. I hope my Lunar and I turn out to be really cool if we meet up." He dropped the fork he'd been carrying, and gathered his silverware onto his plate, looking pensive. "And if that's the way Exaltation works, it's wrong, at least if the Sun wanted us to prosper. Having lunatics in power will just end up hurting more people, so I guess I'll have to get stronger so I can make sure those guys don't cause trouble." He coughed. "Now, uh, I have a day off and I'm not sure how to spend it. I've been stuck in Nova's routine, and I'm trying to shake things up. What's there to do around this place?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Well, there's always Nathir." Nathir was the city across from the river temple. It was actually visible from the river temple, but the temple's location on top of the cliff and the deep-East terrain meant that getting there would require a convoluted route. "We can show you the way down the cliffs, of course, though it's been a while since I've been down there, so I'm not sure what they're up to these days. In fact, just knowing that would help us out - it's not good to lose track of the locals. Alternatively, there's some strange happenings going on at the nearby ruin. It's probably haunted - if you wanted to go there and salt the place for us, that would be helpful too."

"Or, if you feel like resting up, you could stay here, get to know the Temple crew, swap stories and drinks with us, or just fall into bed. Not your bed, of course - I'm pretty sure Nova booby trapped it." Shaia smirked. "Or if you're too shy for that, Red can show you some archery tricks that will leave the god of physics feeling dirty and used."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus rose up, quickly making a decision. "Well, I think I'd like to get to know some of you a lot better." Probably not how Shaia meant it, though. Probably. "But I think I'd like to check on Nathir, if you don't mind. I like being helpful." He didn't mention how it reminded him of the old days with the Jade Marks, where he'd fallen into the routine of constantly following Nero's lead, keeping himself busy with odd jobs in between the major heists. He'd fallen into a pattern with Nova, true, but that didn't mean he still wanted to try focusing on someone other than himself. After all, the training was for him to improve. This way, he could help someone else, even if it was just making sure the village was still safe and sound. "I wouldn't mind the help with directions. I'm a sucker without a map." He raised a hand to Red. "I'll pass on the bows, though, thanks. Archery really isn't my thing, even if I could learn it super quick thanks to this Solar junk."

[Jade_Tarem]

"You just say these things!" Shaia said, laughing. "The path down is this way... come back whenever you want to discuss your Solar Junk further."

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, considering that he hadn't seen any evidence of one on the way in, the path down was extremely well hidden - a tunnel on the opposite side of the temple snakes through the earth, under the river, and ends a short ways away from the town itself. Titus emerged in a dusty, disused storeroom, in the back of what turned out to be a boarded-up building, though the cellar led to a still-open storm shelter exit, and there, finally, Titus was confronted with Nathir.

Nathir was a trade stop on the far end of the Confederation of Rivers, a peaceful and mostly unnoticed town despite its size. Today, however, appeared to be some kind of minor festival. The stalls of street vendors and traveling merchants were well decorated, their stocks full. The morning was sunny and calm with few clouds overhead. Music was playing, somewhere - a tune Titus didn't recognize. In fact, the instrument was also one Titus didn't recognize. On the other hand, the banners, while full of notations in the local dialect, were still recognizably Forest-Tongue, and Titus managed to piece together enough of the context to recognize that the celebration was in honor of something called, "Sunshine Day."

While not showing any outward signs of his Exaltation, Titus was still over six feet tall, good looking, and alone. It didn't take long for him to be noticed. The first to acknowledge was a couple driving a small wagon into town, apparently full of produce, by the smell of it. "Greetings, stranger! What brings you to Nathir?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus raised a hand in greeting. "Hullo! I'm-" a Solar coming to check up on things for the Siddies, how's everyone doing? - "a monk in training over at yonder Temple of Anistasis." He smiled. "One gets a bit lost in training, y'know. I just wanted to see some friendly faces out of that place. You all have some sort of celebration happening, I see," he deadpanned, still smiling. He approached the couple and held out a hand. "I'm Titus, son of Janus, by the way. And you two are?"

[Jade_Tarem]

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEi8w41BKpw&index=39)

Titus raised a hand in greeting. "Hullo! I'm-" a Solar coming to check up on things for the Siddies, how's everyone doing? "-a monk in training over at yonder Temple of Anistasis." He smiled. "One gets a bit lost in training, y'know. I just wanted to see some friendly faces out of that place. You all have some sort of celebration happening, I see," he deadpanned, still smiling. He approached the couple and held out a hand. "I'm Titus, son of Janus, by the way. And you two are?"

"Kunar! And this is my wife, Partha." The aging woman beside the wagon's driver waved. "Titus son of Janus... that speech pattern sounds... Sijanese? No, Emdarian. Nasty business, that, but I can see why you'd be down here."

Partha nodded sympathetically, "It's good that you found a home at the temple. Did you come into town seeking a special someone?"

Titus shook his head, blushing slightly. "No, ma'am. Just visiting. What's this Sunshine festival all about?"

"Oh! You must be really new to the temple, then. Every year, right in the middle of Earthfall, the Illuminated Church throws a celebration in honor of the Unconquered Sun and the Shining Ones."

Kunar nodded. It seemed to be a habit of theirs when backing up each other's sentences. "Yup. Prayers, feasting, dancing, games, and all sorts of stuff traded around. It's been that way for a while, but Lady Aisha finally made it official three years ago."

Titus grinned. "Oh, that sounds right up my alley. And yes, I'm Emdarian. I think I could use some festivities. Is the Lady Aisha the head of the town or something?" He scratched the back of his head. "To say I've been isolated is a bit of an understatement."

"She's the..." Kunar scratched his head. "Regional... Governess?"

"No, no, she's from the Ten Tribes, from even further East."

"I could've sworn she was connected to Nexus somehow."

"Doesn't matter, dearie. Everyone listens to Lady Aisha. She's polite, she's sooo beautiful, and her advice almost always works out wonderfully for the town. She can't seem to resist playing matchmaker either. Did you hear that Boto and Elna are getting together?"

"No, that's a new one." Kunar shrugged. "So there you have it. You're already in town, so I don't think you'll have too much trouble finding a good time. It's good to see Anistasis letting her boys out of that stuffy old temple for once."

They were a nice couple. "Thanks for getting me up to date. I think I'll settle for feasts and dancing and whatnot." It seemed a bit early for matchmaking. Maybe. Was it? It was a complex issue, to say the least. "Kunar and Partha, was it? I'll remember you. Thank you, again."

"No problem!"

Though not the source of the music, the epicenter of the growing congregation of revelry was a two-story, rather conventionally constructed building apparently called the Cornerstone. True to its name, it did sit at the corner of two of the town's few paved roads. Getting in was difficult, the crowd willingly but sluggishly making room for Titus's new bulk. Inside was noisy, boisterous, and well-decorated with anything that had apparently come to hand or mind during wahtever preparations had taken place.

It didn't take too long for the party to surprise Titus. Sitting in a corner, isolated but hardly alone thanks to the occasionaly friendly ribbing or offered drink, were 'Sky' and 'Dunes' - the Dragon-Blooded Titus encountered, or rather avoided encountering, in Shadowholt.

The pair were even wearing what Titus was coming to recognize as Jade armor and weaponry, thankfully put away for the moment. Indeed they appeared to be enjoying their drinks. How they had beaten the odds to get here from Linowan, Titus knew not, but there they were.

Titus raised his eyebrows at their arms and armor - how expensive would that be if he...no, no, it was a festival. He was supposed to have fun. If they noticed him, well, that was a different story. A way different story altogether. He tried to avoid lingering eye contact while still keeping an eye on them, trying to move on out of sight and hopefully out of mind.

Out of sight was one thing in the crowd, but out of mind proved more difficult. A clearly inebriated reveller staggered into Titus and rebounded. "Whoooaaa, you're nearly as big as Dunes!" He looked over at the Terrestrials. "Hey Dunes, this guy's nearly as big as you! You should arm wrestle!"

Dunes turned to look and snorted. "He's a big one, alright, but the arm is off duty. Hey, kid, are you from out of town? I could make it worth your while to answer a couple of questions."

Titus smiled. ****. "Oh, sure, sir. I'm over from the temple, training to be a monk. What are your questions? I'm happy to be of service."

"Even better." Sky waved the Solar over, "C'mon, have a seat." As the former rogue joined them, Dunes grinned easily, the sunlight pouring though the windows gleaming on his bald, dark head and his teeth. "No need to be nervous. This is Sky and I'm Dunes-"

"Ehhh... Iselsi's going to want at least one proper report out of us."

"Okay, sorry." Dunes rolled his eyes. "Ahem. I am Ragara Nombla, sometimes known as Alabaster Dunes, and this is Azure Sky, more formally called Ledaal Michri. We're pursuing a rather dangerous Anathema named Locke of Fables, or, if the leads we've had so far are correct, her original name was Lockerbie. And yes, we know that you'd rather not see us after the 'Shining Ones,' but apparently Locke finally snapped and killed like thirty people up north. We were close to giving up the chase until that happened."

"Oh, well. That's sad to hear, I'm sorry. What happened, exactly?"

"No one knows." Sky snorted. "Waaaay north near Lake Sanazala, some sort of tiff occurred between an unknown attacking force and the local Linowan Tribe. But then they all disappeared during the Calibration storms, along with one Peleps Kaizoku Atarove - a Dragon-Blooded like us. We found what was left of Kaizoku at the bottom of the lake, and... bodies, apparently, had been washing up on shore. Some of them were killed with First Age tech, others through more conventional violence."

"The Bull of the North was, well, too far north for it to have been him or his circle. Lookshy wasn't operating in Linowan, and never has. The Fair Folk haven't penetrated quite *that* deep into the East yet, and everyone else wouldn't have enough firepower to take down Kaizoku like that. Locke is really the only one with the means, the motive, and the opportunity who was within a hundred miles of that place." Dunes shook his head. "That's a darn shame. She seemed like a sweet girl, too. But if she can take down Kaizoku, she's a lot more dangerous than we thought, and it could be a lot more than thirty-odd bodies next time."

Well, that wasn't good. Locke had enough problems for these fellows to be after her. "Oh, wow. That sounds kind of intense! Well, I'm from the war from Emdar, if you couldn't already tell by the accent. I saw plenty of violence there, but no First Age stuff. Just a bunch of angry soldiers."

"You do look like a fighter." Dunes gave Titus a long, evaluative look, somehow managing to not make it insulting. "Army or Amateur?"

"Amateur. Working the plow tends to build the muscle, and the temple taught me to use what I have to my fullest extent." Lying seemed so much easier to do after Exalting. That, and he'd been taught to mix truth with it. Made it easier to be natural about it.

"Working the Plow." Sky snorted, apparently sharing an inside joke with Dunes from the look they exchanged. "We should suggest that to Iselsi the next time we see him. What do you think?"

"It would literally kill him." Dunes snickered. "Sorry, big guy, we have nothing against farmers. We're just currently under the yoke of..." he provides a small but surprisingly well-done drumroll on the table with his armored fingers.

"...the magnificent Islesi Esoru, Third Coil Immaculate Monk, Teacher of the Wood Dragon Style, Leader of the Hidden Grove Monastery..." Sky put on an impressive herald's voice.

"...and Hunt Leader!" They actually *sung* before dissolving into something slightly more masculine than giggling, but not by much. "Whew. Anyway, he's one of those fanatic types. We very carefully arrange for him to go deeper into the Confederation whenever we're in this part of the East and split up, because he wouldn't leave a single man, woman, or child alive at a celebration like this." Dunes cleared his throat.

Sky waved a hand airily. "Of course, lacking his level of True Enlightenment, Dunes and I are still laboring under the delusion that it's easier to investigate and follow up on leads if people don't run screaming at the sight of you, and that maybe not being a worse monster than whoever you're hunting could have some undefinable yet real intrinsic value."

Titus nodded. He was glad he hadn't come in fists swinging. "That's very kind of you. After what happened him Emdar..." He looked down. "I'd rather avoid violence when I can."

That was a bold faced lie, and he knew it.

Seven Months Previous to THEN

"Alright, Nero, what's the plan?"

The two fugitives stood high in the trees, safe from the marauding fair folk below, but once again threatened by the ata-beasts, san-beasts, and people of Halta. They were over one of the northernmost cities now, looking down on the bridges and platforms of the Haltan treetop cities. "Alright, it goes something like this. In the old stories, the guards are always hilariously incompetent. They're incompetent because that's the only way the underdog hero can win, and the hero is always against the guards because the hero has to have fewer resources, hence no money to buy guards, or he wouldn't be the underdog." Nero sighed. "In real life, though, guards and professionals are usually not that incompetent, and they get competent by training for all the little alarms they'll have to respond to. If the fire alarm goes off, they know what to do. If the prison-break alarm goes off, they know what to do. If the attack alarm goes off, they know what to do. Anyone trying something will be met with organized and better-equipped resistance and caught or worse."

Calia looked at the city with some trepidation. "And you have a way to beat that?"

"Yeah." The rogue grinned, though it seemed a bit more like a wince - he'd been moving more slowly the further they'd run, though he refused to comment on it to Calia. "See, significantly fewer places train their guys for what to do if every alarm goes off. Do they respond to a fire? An attack? Are the prisoners the most important thing? And the best part is that even if they respond like Chayans in Fire Season, they still have to split their resources three ways. The Marks would use this little plan when an area was too hot for normal operations but had something we really needed. We called it the High Side Shuffle. It worked two times out of three, I swear to any god you care to name."

Calia nodded eagerly. "Well, that sounds like our best bet, then. What are the details?"

"Well, normally you need at least four people to pull it off, but if you're up for a little multitasking..."

THEN

"A nice attitude to have, to be sure." After a bit more small talk, the pair of Dragon-Blooded wandered off to enjoy other aspects of the festival. Titus's chance meeting with them, however, was the only thing of note to happen before sundown. There was much talk of the Lady Aisha, though Titus never quite managed to find her. Finally, a surreptitious hop down into the hidden tunnel had Titus on his way back to the temple. Popping out, Red is there to greet him. "Good, you're back alright. I just got back in myself. What's the news on Nath-"

NOW

"Hold on." Meander said, holding up his hand to break Hadassi's cant. "The Wild Hunt was a bit more substantial than just Sky and Dunes. I would know, I actually filed some of those records. We're just missing *who* that was..."

The Dragon-Blooded waved that off. "It's not important."

"Mmmmm... how 'bout we let the Sidereal decide that?"

"Suit yourself. Titus did leave it at that with Sky and Dunes, but he quickly set off in pursuit - well, perhaps pursuit was a strong word for it - of Lady Aisha. Try as he might, though, he could never quite catch up to her. He always arrives a few minutes, or a few seconds after she left one part of the festival to attend to another. But he *did* meet someone interesting... someone you should recognize. Titus found her in the middle of the town, not that far from the very establishment where he'd stopped in for a drink and a chat with his would-be hunters, when he found the source of the strange music from earlier. It was a woman with -"

THEN

- bright pink hair and even, trim features, though a little bit of ruddiness to her skin suggested either a slightly supernatural tinge to her complexion, or perhaps she'd simply had a few strong drinks already. She was playing a most curious instrument, a long, J-shaped thing with a reed mouthpiece and innumerable valves, and she was playing it well. She moved to her own beat, the crowd moved with her, and the square was alive with dancing. Titus, now a Solar, could suddenly feel the compulsion in his head, and knew that he could resist it with some effort, but before he had the chance, the song ended and the influence with it. The woman took her bows and took a seat, reaching down to a canteen and drinking from it quickly. With his newfound status - not as a Solar but as a six and a half foot tall mountain of physical near-perfection, Titus had little trouble approaching her...

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus had to admit that he had a thing for weird hair colors. It may have influenced many of his friendships, and it might have had something to do with his family being so plain colored in comparison. But the hair wasn't the only reason he wanted to talk to the lady. He had to report. Two Dragon-bloods on a Hunt were already news enough, but this lady had some strange thing going about her. He found that people simply parted ways for him now, when as a thief he'd had to slip through between people. It was a strange difference, to be sure.

He took a seat next to her and raised a hand. "Hi! That was really neat. What kind of instrument is that? You play really well." He resisted the urge to babble, thankfully.

[Jade_Tarem]

The air got a bit warmer as the girl smiled at him, and it took Titus a moment to realize that it wasn't - exclusively - social awkwardness on his part. It was literally hotter next to her. "Thanks." She balanced the bottom of the instrument on the ground and a leaf under it wilted. "It's hard to play this well without burning down the town, but I enjoy the challenge. This here..." she bounced the instrument once, and the leaf turned to ash, "...is a newfangled thing they're calling a Saxophone, the tenor version of it, at least."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus wondered if suspecting the supernatural was really an excuse for anything. It'd be hypocritical to be suspicious of such a thing. "Well, uh, thank you for not burning a whole bunch of people to death. Burning's not an easy way to go." He leaned forward, ignoring the Emdar flashbacks. He flashed an honest smile, partly to ward off the memories, and partly because she seemed like a nice lady who could set things on fire. And that was cool. "My name's Titus. I'm a monk and I train and, uh, stuff. What's your name?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Cathak Io Yoma." The girl takes a bow, pronouncing her surname as another "yo." "Member of the Cathak Bloodline, Citizen of the Realm, and seeker of new and exciting ways to disappoint my father. I'm glad to meet you, Titus. You must be new to the temple, with hair that dark. Eh, everyone's gotta start chasing the dream sometime. Are you here looking for a special 'other?' If it's not too personal, that is?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus scratched the back of his head. What did she mean, dark hair? Would he get gray hairs? He'd have to ask one of the Siddies what that meant. And...

"It's nice to meet you, too!" Scratch, scratch, scratch. "Uh, what do you mean this 'other' business? I mean, you're not the first to ask. I'm clueless...and that's kinda why I'm here, actually." He shrugged. "I dunno what to do from here."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Ah, sorry, my Forest-Tongue is a little rusty. Is it... significant other? Boyfriend/Girlfriend? Fiance? Something like that. On account of Anistasis being a goddess of love and fertility, although she was ignored for a while, or so I heard..." She spins her instrument on the ground idly before catching herself doing it and stopping. "Ah, but I'm babbling again. I need to work on that. Is this your first time into Nathir? I don't get this far East often, but I've been here a few times before and I don't remember seeing you..."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Oh. That seemed like something he really, really should have known. You would have thought someone would have mentioned it in the past few weeks. "Ah, well," he said, his face warming slightly as his hand dropped to the table. He took a breath to steady himself; he was a Solar. He was a badass. Badasses never got nervous...or, rather, they at least didn't show it. And what was there to get nervous about, anyway? She was just asking; of course it would look like that, if Anistasis was really all into that. He really needed to ask her why she hadn't...

Ooooooooooh. That was why everyone kept saying how handsome he was. "I...hadn't exactly thought about it. I guess I'm not all that against the idea, haha..." He leaned to the side of his chair, letting himself lounge a bit more. "But yeah. First time here, if you couldn't tell by how absolutely clueless I am. I'm originally from Emdar, but I hope we didn't meet around then. I probably would have swiped your purse." He sniffed. "Or, rather, tried to, and then there would have been a lot of fire and possibly screaming."

He paused. "Well, you know, before the fire and the screaming that came from the battle that destroyed it."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Wow, that sounds rough." Yoma idly stamps on another leaf that was showing signs of catching. "Everything out here is so flammable, though I guess your building materials are limited when you live this close to the Wood Pole. Everything being made of Jade and marble is probably what I miss most about the Blessed Isle... and I'm rambling again. Why don't we get a drink or something while I cool off?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

"Oh, yeah, we can-" he stopped. The bar looked like it was quite flammable, and this woman looked fiery. "I'll grab you something. What would you want?"

She opened her mouth, and said a whole bunch of foreign words. They settled for her getting just something. Lord knew he needed one. Or four. He hopped into the bar, and came out with five drinks pitchers, which he had somehow paid for with the pocket change he'd been hoarding for weeks. Thank goodness they were on a sunshine discount or something. He dropped a pitcher in Yoma's lap and grabbed one for himself, holding it out to her. "Cheers."

After clanging pitchers, he took a long gulp before wiping his mouth. "I'm sorry everything's so woody here. But if it's so flammable, then why come down? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I like an element of danger." It gave a rush, certainly, and he especially liked it now that he'd had to completely rework his definition of the word.

[Jade_Tarem]

"Well, flammable materials can be extinguished, flammable tempers is something else. Ugh. Dad takes after the head of the house, he thinks I should be in the Realm Army, or at least in the Order. I'm... just really more interested in pursuing my music, but he sees that more as a hobby. It's part of why I joined the Wyld Hunt. I figure if we actually nail this Serial Killer Anathema that might get everyone off my back for a decade or so. Maybe by then I'll be enough of a house asset that I can do this full time." She looked around, belatedly realizing where she was. "Oh! Not that I'm sold on the whole 'destroying every Solar' thing, but, well, you've probably seen Nombla and Michri by now. Apparently this one is pretty bad news, or maybe they're just mad that she killed Ambassador Kaizoku."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus' smile faltered for a moment, but he recovered quickly, covering it with a cough. Why did Kaizoku have to mess everything up for him, even though she was dead?

"I have, actually. I'm glad the Wyld Hunt isn't like the stories say. I'm still getting used to how complicated the world is, so I figure if the Dragonblooded aren't so bad, maybe the Solars aren't either. But I hope you find who you're looking for. If you're anywhere as good at fighting baddies as you are playing that Saxothing, I'm sure you'll get that lady in no time. And I don't want to make any assumptions about your family, but the Arts are a noble pursuit. Music captures hearts, and I much prefer a world full of music and fun rather than...well, this one."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Aww, that's nice of you to say. Though, please note that there isn't just the one Wyld Hunt; some of them probably did... something to inspire the stories, though mortals tend to blow things the Chosen do out of proportion." She frowned into her pitcher before brightening, pulling out a flask and dumping the contents in before swishing it around. After trying it again, she nodded, satisfied. "There we go. So, Titus, what made you decide to give up a life of lifting purses and pursue service to Anistasis? Mind you, she's friendlier than most gods, but it still seems really out of your way."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

"Ah, I don't doubt you're all perfect, just like I don't doubt some Solars suck. We're all people, you guys are just fancier." He took a swig, mulling over her question. "Well, after the city fell, I tried meeting up with my old gang members, but they either died in the city, got captured, or just scattered. I saw my family to Shadowholt, and a friend there told me about the temple. He didn't...mention any of the specifics," another swig, "but he said he had friends there and that it'd be good for someone like me. I thought he meant me trying to reach the peak of my strength as a mortal, but maybe he just wanted me to get laid after all the death and whatever. But they have been helping me at the temple as they can, but no one's tried to come onto me beyond mild flirting yet. And they're more on about training your body and mind than you'd think for a bunch of fertility monks."

[Jade_Tarem]

Yoma raised a pink eyebrow. "Why would he send you down here when there's perfectly good-"

A roar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2lJDrrjRkU), two roars, three interrupted her, and not metaphorical roars either - the sound was unearthly and strange, wrong and not-wrong, all at once. Screams could be heard at the edges of town. Faster than Titus would have believed possible, Sky and Dunes were out in the square, with the former already helmeted. He scanned all around, apparently seeing something that Titus could not. "Essence Signatures Southwest, South, and East. Yoma -"

"Don't ask twice. I can handle one."

Dunes nodded. "Alright, then, take the East disturbance and pacify or kill it. Don't die."

"I'll make a note of that." With no further ado, Dunes darted off down one of the avenues, his footsteps sending tiny tremors through the ground. Sky, by contrast, was up and on the rooftops with nearly supernal grace, despite the bulk of his sophisticated-looking armor. Yoma turned to Titus. "Stay here, unless... *how* close to the peak of mortal strength are you? Up for taking on a big, bad hellbeast?"

Roll Valor, or don't to take her up on the challenge.

[Astro_sol]

Titus

This was a bad idea and he knew it. But his damn man instincts wanted him to show off to this Dragonblooded lady. "Pretty close to it," he said, his grin turning feral. "I'd be happy to join you."

Idiot.

[Jade_Tarem]

"Hunt's on, then!" Yoma wasted no time in dashing East toward the disturbance. There, however, she skidded to a stop to size up her opposition - and what opposition it was! Though humanoid, this creature would never be mistaken for a common human - standing nine feet tall, with cloven elk-feet, two elk-heads complete with an impressive array of sharp, sturdy antlers, and covered in muscle, fur, and more muscle, this creature sized up the town around it like it was all for the huge being's taking.

"That... is new." Yoma said. "Wyld animal, has to be -"

"Takes one to know one, party girl." The creature cut her off, hefting a massive, double-bearded axe in one hand and a two barrels of unidentified goods in the other.. "Care to join me on my way out? I was just looking for souvenirs." Until this day, Titus had not known what an elk-smirk looked like. Now he was seeing two.

"Oh, well, I'm flattered, but you know what they say: once you go Dynast, you'll only take the finest." Despite the cavalier rejoinder, Yoma looked nervous. "See if you can find a spear or something and flank him. Oh-!"

Laughing, the creature charged in!

Titus of Emdar vs. the Buck Ogre
Allies: Cathak Io Yoma

Roll Join Battle!

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus clapped his hands together, his face absolutely gleeful in the face of the charging creature. "I don't need weapons, ma'am," he said offhandedly, slipping into his old respectful habit. He concentrated. Nova had taught him that he could use a certain amount of Essence without being all obvious about it. He'd just have to hope it was enough.

He dug one foot into the ground, digging in a small crater. He focused his inner Essence into his skin, reinforcing it in the way that had saved him from many a botched trap of Nova's. If he could take a crazy Terrestrial general lady, he could probably take Twinbozo here no problem. He dug another foot in, spreading his arms and focusing more Essence throughout his core, reinforcing his muscles and bones for the next part. The Elk-duo raised its axe, and Titus pumped his right leg backwards, smashing a cloud of dust behind him as he slipped underneath the attack. He kicked to the side, hooking an arm under the mutant's and using it as leverage to pull himself behind it, slipping his legs behind him and pulling the creature into a lock. He grinned.

"You suck!" he roared, wrapping his arms around the creature's neck and squeezing. He didn't get it as well as he wanted, though, as the Elk was thrashing beneath him. He fought to control, wrapping his arms around and gripping his hands into the creature's noses to distract them. At the same time, he dug his feet into the back of its legs, trying to force it to kneel.

[Jade_Tarem]

The ogre's attempt to shake Titus off proved in vain, and Yoma burst into flame as her Anima Flux flared. She took careful aim with, of all things, the bell of her saxophone, took a deep breath, picked up her earlier song, and suddenly dropped the beat. A light flared from within the instrument and a jet of fire leaped out, transforming briefly into a score of music writ entirely in flame before searing one of the buck-ogre's heads off entirely! The creature's shrieks were nearly muted by the noise of the music, and ash and smoke rippled from the beast along with the incredible heat, but Titus was unaffected, armored by his charms and Solar magic.


Tick 0: Titus Move/Grapple/Crush
Tick 1: Buck-Ogre Fails to Break Grapple || Yoma Aims
Tick 2: Yoma Aims
Tick 3: Yoma Aims
Tick 4: Yoma uses unidentified Flame-Attack
Tick 5: No action
Tick 6: [Titus gets to act]

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus began laughing as the creature's head erupted, and left him plenty of room to grapple with the other. He kept one hand gripping the nose back while the other slid beneath its throat. "It's okay, Yoma, I got this!" he called out, forgetting the fact that he was supposed to be a mortal and thus afraid of fire. No matter, though. He squeezed the Elk's remaining neck hard, his face growing in concentration; what had the creature done, exactly? He was killing it because...well, it'd been nasty to Yoma. Also, it had charged first. But he realized the laughing was a bit off, for him. He'd certainly enjoyed fighting people before, but he'd never actually laughed, or enjoyed it nearly this much.

But it was fun, straining against such a creature, especially with the cute chick watching. He resisted the urge to show off, and focused on efficiently (if with unorthodox technique) taking the beast down.

And that he did. He finally got a good grip, and crushed the beast's throat. It gagged, but they'd said it had an Essence signature. Could it heal from that? He snapped its neck, just to be sure, using the leverage from gripping its nostrils to do the deed. He felt...very, very strangely satisfied. It had attacked him, though. He'd just defended himself. Vigorously. Speaking of, he leaped off the corpse and dusted off his hair as he faced Yoma, a light grin on his features.

"Well, that was easy. Any other signatures we gotta deal with?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Just... yours." Yoma lowered her instrument partially - and cautiously. "What are you?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus continued smiling, proud that his heart didn't even skip a beat. He'd been thinking about this. "Er, a mortal? Those monks at the temple say I can do some fancy stuff if I focus right. Is that Essence? They never really get into details. All I know is I'm strong, but I try to save it for crazy stuff like that Elk-thing. Things?" He scratched his head. "But I really do try to hold back. Wouldn't want to get into a bar brawl and really hurt someone, you know? Saw enough of that in Emdar..." His smile drew into a frown, and his gaze grew a bit distant. Part of the act was really feeling it, and he still saw Horatia's eyes staring at him when he talked about the Fall.

He glanced at the houses, giving a small cough. "Did it hurt anyone? Should we check on them?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Yoma relaxed, just a bit. "You should check on them." She waved a hand at her own body, indicating the conflagration engulfing it. "I'm going to report to Dunes and keep away from buildings. Shout if you see any more Wyld-forms."

[Astro_sol]

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YCN-a0NsNk)

In the wake of the attack, and with the temporary departure of the ever-burning Yoma, Titus elected to see to the damage caused by the beast. Lacking any real medical skills, the townspeople found plenty of use for him in moving heavy debris, turning wagons back over, and - in one notable case - getting a horse down from roof on which the buck-ogre had placed it for safe keeping. No one was quite sure how he did it, but to this day all agree that the horse never did figure out what was going on.

Titus eventually found his way to the Dragon-Blooded, not that they were difficult to spot. The twin screeches that had sounded out while he'd worked had been sufficient to quell the doubts of the townsfolk that the Terrestrials could handle the Wyld beasts. When he got there, the three Dragon-Blooded were in animated, if amicable, discussion. Upon noticing him, all three turned and put on the same cheesy smile. "Titus! So good to see you again," Michri said. "You're looking no worse for wear, I see."

Titus gave two thumbs up. "My dad always said I have stamina."

"Yes, your father. Could you tell us a bit about your parents?"

Titus blinked. He'd prepared for this. He lowered his hands and scratched his head, as he was wont to do, and told the truth. "Well, my father, Janus, he was a farmer. Always was, he's the one who moved us to Emdar, ya know, said there were opportunities. He was always really strong, but nowhere near as strong as me. My mom, Helena, she was really strong too, she'd help in the fields unless she was pregnant, and even then Janus had to talk her out of it. I got my hair from her," he took a moment to point at it before scratching again, "and she was a brilliant cook. But she died giving birth to my sister. Why do you ask?"

"Because *mortals* don't wrestle buck-ogres and win." Nombla answered evenly. "Not even ones who have trained at the temple of a long-unfavored goddess."

"For a short time, too, considering how recently Emdar burned." Yoma added, also evaluating.

Titus cocked his head. He was used to being confused, so he just put it onto his face. "Well, I told you that I know I'm stronger than other people. But..." He bit his lip. "How could I not be, you know? My parents were mortals. I've looked in a mirror, and I look it, right? Are you saying there's something wrong with me?" He kept his voice even, and held his gaze to theirs, except for a few strategically placed aside glances. Nova had shown him how people did that when they were genuinely nervous. He just had to make sure they interpreted the way he was laying it out.

"No one's said anything at the temple. I brought it up once, and they just told me that I'll die just like everyone else. I thought they were being clever, or something. But they wouldn't elaborate, so I left it at that, you know? But I'm strong, and I...well, I can count the times I've been really tired in the past year on one hand." He swallowed. "I don't want to hurt anyone. That's why I went. I don't want to lose my temper one day and really hurt someone. During the fall, I...I killed a lot of people. They were soldiers. They killed a lot of my friends, and they were trying to kill me. But I killed them, and I got my family out of there and safe. And those soldiers might have had wives, or sons or daughters. I would have lost myself if I lost them...what about their families?"

He sighed. "I wasn't trying to hide nothing. Otherwise I wouldn't have come. Just thought I could help, and use this strength for something nice, you know?"

The three Terrestrials exchanged a glance. Finally, Michri brightened and asked, "Can you describe your father physically?"

"Oh..." Titus pretended to realize he'd babbled on, looking sheepish. This may have gotten bad. "Dusty brown hair, hazel eyes, really tanned, maybe 5'10" with a whole lot of muscle. Got lotsa wrinkles on his face. Why?"

Nombla gave a snort. "Just some standard security checking. We have to ask anyone with supernatural abilities." Another exchanged glance. "I'm going to go see to some of the damages."

"I'd like to continue on with Titus for a bit. After all, he just did save like a third of Nathir." Yoma winked at Titus.

"I'd like to join Titus too, if-"

"You're coming with me."

Michri turned to the Earth-Aspect. "What? But..."

"I need someone to double check my damages figures for Islesi."

Michri barked a laugh. "Ah yes, the adventures of Azure Sky, Ace Statistician of the Wyld Hunt..."

Yoma brushed herself off as her flux died down to reasonable levels. "So, Titus, have you ever been to a sauna?"

Titus blinked. That was...very unexpected.

He blinked again. A sauna...he wasn't an idiot. He'd killed an Elk and showed off his strength to a bunch of villagers. He was hopeful.

"Not that I can recall. The fields were rather lacking in that regard."

"Awh. Emdar was a river-city, right? I'd have thought they'd come up with one at some point. Well, they don't have saunas in Nathir, either, but they do have a river west of here and I can produce a lot of heat... we'll make it work."

Ha. Haha. Hahahahahahaha-

"Oh, well, that sounds nice. I could really use a bath." He stretched his arms. "Care for a race? First one there...uh..." Scratch, scratch. "Something. We'll make it work."

Titus was talking to a puff of smoke. Burning tracks were already headed west.

[Jade_Tarem]

NOW

"Ahhhh..." Meander said. "That explains a few things. I take it we're referring to the Cathak Io Yoma, and not someone named for her?"

"The same." Hadassi nodded. "She doesn't noise it about. All part of the performance persona."

"Aaaand how do you know this?"

"What are you saying? My sources are unimpeachable!"

"And unapproachable, I'm sure." Meander returned his gaze to the falls of Sanazala. "Go on."

THEN

Nova returned the next day, though the training changed. Satisfied, at least in part, with Titus's growing awareness, she instead turned his attentions... inward.

She picked a new favorite meeting place, too. What had once been a temple, or perhaps a fortress, now lay in ruins on the overgrown floor of the dense Eastern woods. Sunlight reached it through holes in the shade, rather than patches of shade being available against the sun. Moreover, the trials of time had twisted the geography in such a way as to put the ruins in the path of a large stream, which now flowed into the building in the form of several small waterfalls. It was beautiful, in a way, but also a reminder of glories long gone, and long forgotten.

Nova was neither, though, and she waited for Titus between two waterfalls, resting up against an overgrown but still-intact brick pillar, with the sunlight sparkling off the flow to one side of her. "Good morning, Titus. I figure we'd shake up the attempted homicide routine a bit today. Ready to learn a thing or two about martial arts?"

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l511/jadetarem/Exalted/TrainingGrounds_zps6f328060.jpg

Seven Months Previous to THEN

It started small, the High Side Shuffle. A bit of kindling here, a missing lantern there. Nero had once read in a stolen copy of the Thousand Correct Actions of the Upright Soldier that fire was an excellent flanking buddy. Once you start it, it maintains itself, costing you nothing, but your enemy still has to fight it or it will cost them everything. For that part, he used Caelia - he wasn't sure he could move fast enough once things got going.

The next trick was more impressive. He'd have liked to have dropped a redwood, but he didn't have that kind of strength or the time. Instead, he settled for sandbagging a few Haltan guards with Caelia's assistance. Their gear would prove handy - but more importantly, he wanted the Haltans to be thinking about their missing guards when everything started happening.

The final preparation was one he'd completed as they'd traveled, and in his captivity. While he had about given up on a chance of rescue, he'd put some effort into learning the Haltan dialect. Just in case. Caelia was working on it, but she still had a ways to go, so the last part of the deception would be all up to him.

They'd spent an entire, tense week setting up. A week avoiding capture, a week of Nero fighting off the effects of his injuries, but finally it was ready. The timing, however, would have to be perfect - and it all hinged on something as unpredictable as a fire.

Finally it was ready, though. Caelia and Nero hid inside the Haltan city, waiting for the telltale signs of the three blazes Caelia had started to the south, west, and east. "Are we going to hell for this?" Caelia asked.

"No. I don't think the afterlife works like that. We are going to piss off a bunch of gods though."

"Not to mention the Haltans."

"Not to mention them. There it is!"

The first alarm sounded. Fire spotted to the west. Caelia started to get up from her position, but Nero pulled her back down. "Not yet."

More tense waiting passed, then the alarm went (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJsjxQ6V7Is) out for the fire to the east. "Now."

Caelia - skin darkened to a deep shade of brown, bolted out and into the interior of the settlement. Nero, skin also darkened, popped out and went west as fast as he could. The disguises were pretty poor, but they weren't planning on everyone being super-observant today. "Linowan!" Nero shouted in his best Haltan. "It's a Linowan Ploy! I can see their war camp beyond the flames!"

Nero's plan was really not that complicated - perhaps a blessing, given their limited resources. Give the Haltan town four real emergencies - three fires and a prisoner breakout - and one fake one just for good measure. Split the attention and resources of their opponents again and again, and raise a big enough stink that their pursuers would have to detour to help prevent this from turning into a genuine disaster. He began moving north, still shouting his false warning, and finally dropped it as he reunited with Caelia - just in time for the shouts of an impending prisoner breakout to emerge, along with the news of another fire. "Arson, murder, highway robbery, and now disturbing the peace. We've become quite the crooks." Nero snickered. "This way. If the Bull's army won't take us, we'll keep on until we hit the Haslanti league."

The pair took off along the walkways, pursuit shaken for the moment.

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus found that he had been humming the entire rest of the day before, and today it hadn't stopped. The previous day had proven to be confusing, but overall really cool. He'd ultimately determined not to tell anyone about Yoma, although he figured the Sidereals would know about it anyway and would at least recognize his avoidance of the subject. He even wondered if they'd planned on it all happening in the first place. Hrm.

He blinked. Hearing "martial arts" had peaked his interest. "Well, yeah. I've been going off of instinct up til now. What did you have in mind?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Not instinct." Nova shook (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKmZsKy5wWk) her head. "Not quite. What you've got is a past life. Let's talk a bit more about Exaltation."

Nova sat once again, this time on the rocky cropping between the falls. She didn't seem to care if Titus followed suit. "Mortals, by default, have a soul, and that soul is really more like two souls. The higher soul, the hun, represents conscious thought, memory, and will, as well as learned skill and wisdom. The lower soul, the po, is the more subconscious and instinctual soul. Solars, Lunars, and any Exalted somehow derived from them have a third soul, though - the Exaltation, a fragment of Sol or Luna. That third soul can be imprinted on during an Exaltation. A skilled and ancient god cleans off as much of this accumulated detritus - some helpful, some not - between Exaltations, but he never quite gets all of it. You may find, as you bind more closely to your Exaltation, that you experience memories that are not yours... and these moves that you've picked up weren't learned by you. They're yours now, though, so let's talk about Martial Arts!"

Nova hopped up and bounced her way to the middle of the room, balancing easily on a narrow rock poking up out of one of the incongruous streams. "Martial arts are a subject of great study throughout Creation. The Realm has its own classification system, which I'm going to teach you just so you can talk about it without sounding like a goober if you run into the Immaculate Monks. They consider the Immaculate Styles to be the greatest, most powerful, and most spiritually pure expression of martial arts." Nova began to demonstrate, moving through a series of attacks too fast to see... before disappearing for a moment herself, all without leaving the tiny rock. "Below that, according to the Order, are the Immaculate-approved but secular styles like the Five Dragons Style that you've seen. Lots of Dragon-Blooded know that one, since it provides some solid benefits but takes a lot less time and effort to learn." Nova reappeared as she spoke, this time moving in a familiar pattern - it was how Atarove would have fought, had she lacked a daiklave, Titus could tell. "Below that are the various unenlightened mortal styles, and below that are the blasphemous Anathema styles such as your own, which don't-you-know are supplied by getting in bed with demons and whatnot and therefore not worth learning despite their power. The practice of these is forbidden in the Realm." At this, Nova's stance broadened into the one Titus would slip into during combat; one hand clenched, another open, both ready to strike and tear until the enemy was overwhelmed.

Now faintly glowing, Nova stayed in that one. "But Heaven sees it a bit differently, divvying up the styles into normal, Terrestrial, and Celestial. Normal styles can be built around anything - some are spiritual, but more are based on practical and utility reasons, like defending your town from brigands: 'This is our patented 'Villager Crotch-Punches a Bandit' technique.' And of course, there is some value in such things... for mortals. But the game changes once you have Essence. By the time you're dealing with a Terrestrial style, you're trying to understand your own Essence, and using whatever you can to help you focus it into an effective fighting mechanism. Practicality is still a factor, of course, but whether philosophical or not, you have to take spirituality into account. At some level, someone using the Five Dragons Style has to understand what the Five Dragons represent and how to emulate them as a group." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Celestial Martial Arts are one step tougher. Those who master the Martial Arts at this level, known in some circles as the Resplendent Bulb of Understanding, are those attempting to emulate the functions of Creation and Heaven. They perceive the world as one entity and, in seeking the enlightenment that allows them to do so, learn the true nature of the Essence that binds everything. They pattern it after aspects of reality - animals, one of the Five Dragons, light, anything - and can use that understanding, that emulation, to channel Essence explosively."

Nova extended one hand, and a thick, dull-grey staff leaped into it from out of sight, inset with a sparkling hearthstone and casting the odd prismatic shadow every few seconds. "With that, Titus, we'll talk about your first style. You're deep into what was once known colloquially as the Solar Hero Style, or Fist of the Daystar Style if you want to be formal. It channels the Essence of the Unconquered Sun into general excellence in combat, that the Sun's Chosen might stand against the enemies of Creation with naught but their fists and prevail. Mastering it means understanding what you are and what you are to do. It is the understanding of how your virtues guide and shape who you are, how you can withdraw and remain valorous, grow and retain your convictions, experience and remain temperate, and act with necessity without losing compassion. When you understand yourself, and the difference between what you can do and what you should do, you will be a true hero, Titus, one who can do anything, even lose..." She leveled the staff at him. "And still remain... unconquered. Ready for anything?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus listened dutifully and only got distracted by the way the sun shone through the broken windows only twice. He'd never seen the like as a farmer, and now Nova was doing double duty with both sightseeing and training. It was almost like a date, except you beat each other up. It was kind of like how he'd met Yoma, honestly. He hoped future endeavors - he stopped that thought. Endeavors! Plural! He'd never have dreamed of this sort of thing back when he was a thief. Times were changing. Maybe he was just growing up, instead of becoming some womanizing fiend thing.

He thought about the styles. Apparently, he was doing this Celestial martial arts junk and he wasn't even trying! But he couldn't get spoiled off of expecting everything to just occur to him. He knew he should learn Terrestrial Martial Arts, just to get the feel of it. He doubted he could excel with his base knowledge alone. The bit about virtues really got him frowning. He wondered about his family; they would probably at least be watched by the Wyld Hunt, if not questioned. Would that have all been avoided if he hadn't wanted to show off to Yoma? He certainly couldn't find another reason why he'd run off and shown off his skill without really considering that he hadn't practiced holding back. Even then, he probably still wouldn't have anyway. But if he hadn't done all of that, he wouldn't have had that rendezvous with Yoma, and that wouldn't have been good at all.

Maybe he'd just understand this all later. Right now she was pointing a staff at him, and as much as his higher brain (was that like the Puns and hoes she was talking about?) told him that it was just calling his attention, his lower brain was screaming at him to bat it aside and smack her before she did something sneaky.

"Sure." He was a Solar. She'd probably be unexpected anyway, but he could deal with it. He cracked a knuckle. "So are you going to be the bandit, or the angry villager?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Nova snorted. "The Sidereal is always the bandit, Titus. Everything I do is a lie, remember?" With that, Nova wasted no time in getting started (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JipkIGo4m7s)...

...and never really stopped. Day in and day out, for two months they came to the temple, and would spar while speaking of virtue, the weather, various martial arts, even economics... whatever Nova wanted to talk about, it seemed. Titus was even with Nova in skill when he began, but as he improved... he still seemed even. It slowly dawned on him - hun not intended - that Nova was holding back, possibly significantly, and it occurred to him that he had no idea how old or powerful the Chosen of Secrets really was. He didn't get much chance to ask, though, and soon found himself in a mix of martial arts with Nova's earlier training. Indeed, it was an intensified version of anything that had come before.

He could handle that, though. What was truly disconcerting were the memories that came to him, just as Nova foretold. They didn't come in the form of dreams - indeed, when he fell asleep he tended to simply vanish into black oblivion until Nova's elbow drop or summoned elementals awakened him the next day. No, the memories occurred while training. He could look up and see the same temple, in all its glory. No overgrowth, no matter how green and inviting looking, marred the walls. The streams were held in check in decorative pools into which the waterfalls spilled perfectly. The skylights, no longer choked with canopy and brush, let in abundant natural light, and the hall remained illuminated - probably by Essence - even at night. Nova's voice would sometimes turn distinctly masculine, and Titus's shadow occasionally took on much longer hair and more feminine curves. Sometimes, in the rare free time he had to explore the ruins, Titus would realize that he knew something of the layout before he reached a new area. It was, all in all, a bizarre experience that Nova never discredited or scoffed at when Titus brought it up.

Another two and a half months passed. "You're doing better at thinking for yourself, Titus, I'll say that," Nova said one day. "So today's training is going to be a little different. We're going to spar for a bit. I'm going to use only the Violet Bier of Sorrows style, and only moves from your particular level of Essence enlightenment. If you can beat me, or force me to break one of those rules, there's a special prize, and I'll consider your martial arts training with me complete... for the moment."

[Jade_Tarem]

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmLvX-oIwSI)

Nova twirled her staff and held it behind her to make the Lesser sign of Saturn, as Titus understood it. Scarlet Essence flowed around her, and her anima flared up into a hard, clear green jade color as her caste mark popped brightly onto her forehead. Maneuvering herself quickly, she tested the Solar with a sweeping swing of her staff, the inset hearthstone leaving a blurry afterimage of a rune in a language Titus couldn't read as it sped toward his face.

The blow sends shivers though the air and surrounding structure as Titus leans back out of the way. Nova keeps the staff moving, nonplussed.

After so much training where pain could come from any angle at any time, Titus' body had apparently learned to think for itself. He narrowed his eyes and took a step, his deep golden Essence shining through a slight haze that began to form around him. He took another step, raising his fists, one hand closed, one hand open. No time to think, just react. His own caste mark burst into life, mixing with Nova's green and overall making the surrounding color a bit unsettling.

Attacking from the front never, ever worked against someone who knew what they were doing. So he improvised; he launched forward, pushing down with his left foot to go right...but suddenly kicked back off a rock buried in the ground, bringing his fist in line with her glowing bored expression.

Nova countered by spinning the staff in place, using the heavy end to try to push Titus's fist out of line, and succeeded. "Clever, but you're not thinking this through." Nova went back on the offensive faster than Titus had thought possible, this time thrusting with the chisel-end of the staff three times in quick succession.

Titus leaned back to give himself some minor distance between him and Nova's attack-chisel, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. He shifted his weight to his back leg, twisting to punch the staff aside, and readied himself to begin to thunderous "applause", hoping to catch the evasive weapon.

The staff flashed through in a grazing impact for the first strike, the weapon riding a strand of fate through Titus's forceful Anima banner. Titus recovered quickly, though, and swatted away the second strike before hard-blocking the third with his clapping.

"You still think as a street fighter, Titus." Nova said, twirling the blood off of her staff. "Remember: Solar Hero. I appear to be the better striker. What will you do about that? Will you stand your ground here? What are you protecting?" She shook her head and reset the staff - blunt end. "There is nothing for you here... is there?"

Titus fought off his growing frustration. She was right. He was still being too straightforward. He needed to change something, bring something to his advantage, he...

He looked down.

He looked up.

And he smiled.

"Boo," he said, and brought both fists down into the dirt as hard as he could, his hands now shining like two suns.

Rather than the crater Titus had been expecting, a spiderweb of cracks shot thorugh the floor, a thin film of dust puffing up into a temporary knee-high mist as the floor crumbled away. Nova maintained her balance, but had to dance from rock to rock as the footing rapidly got worse. "Good gods, you could have just done a backflip into another part of the ruin! Why is this always the first thing a Solar does?" The ground gave way, and both Exalts plummeted into the core of the temple. "Someone has to fix thaaaaaaaat!" Nova's voice faded away.

The room Titus landed in was dark... before he arrived. Anima still blazing, illumination was not an issue, and numerous things with Too Many Legs scuttled away when he reached the next patch of stable flooring.

Looking around and through the cobwebs, Titus could see old designs, glyphs similar and not-similar to the Manse in which he had fought Kaizoku - his manse, though it was odd to think of it that way. Unable to read the symbols, there is only a set of spiral stairs leading down and a strange door that appears to be made of white jade, unless Titus was of a mind to jump all the way back up...

Titus blinked a few times. He didn't know how well she could take a fall. Probably well. And he was still wondering what to do next. As much as he wanted to, up front fighting didn't seem like it was going to work. He still needed to think. He could use the environment, make things more difficult for her...he needed to use up her Essence, somehow, without tiring out first.

He continued pondering as he let his legs take him to the door. He tried pushing it open.

Touching the door yielded an immediate result. A bright golden glyph appeared on it, a grinding noise was heard... and then stopped, the door unmoved.

Titus frowned. Maybe it was a pull door. He tried giving it a tug.

Despite the lack of a handle, yanking on the door was possible - but produced no effect when done casually.

Titus shrugged. He needed to conserve his Essence, he knew. Plus, it would help if he could maybe get the drop on Nova, so he should be as quiet as possible.

He laughed as he walked to the other end of the room. Screw that. He was a Solar. He didn't listen to doors that said "no." He charged across the room, bringing up clouds of debris with each stomp as he shoulder-slammed the door.

The door remained perfectly intact. The wall around it, however, did not, and the assembly toppled over like Janus's neighboring farmer from down the street after a few too many at local gatherings. Inside, Titus' light shone over what was clearly - once upon a time - an armory. The racks are picked clean, the closets broken open. A hole in the far wall is no doubt how whatever scavenged the place managed to get past the jade door. But not all of interest is gone. At the far end of the room, almost enshrined upon a seeming altar, a tattered pair of rags hangs from what was probably a silver bar before the tarnish took it. Flickering lights adorn the walls, attempting to spark back to life as Titus walks in. A crumpled suit of armor lies beneath the weighty jade door, and piles of refuse in the corner hint at other destroyed perishables.

Titus felt his not-forgotten thieving urges burst to the surface.

"Loot!" he shouted. She'd never said he couldn't take anything from the place (almost worryingly, neither did she), and the rags looked...well, useless. But he supposed it wouldn't hurt to wrap his hands up with something. Maybe they were magic. Most things in a place that was all glowy did that. The armor wasn't interesting, though; experimentation had taught him that wearing armor made him soften up, for a given definition of "soften".

He grabbed the rags before making his way for the hole in the wall. Sure, he was in a fight, but he had to loot. He was poor enough as it was. He at least noted the armor's location before moving on.

The hole in the wall led to a hallway with a number of doors, some of which seemed to lead to much-abused living quarters, one to a lavatory with a hole in the ceiling, and one at the end of the hall into... something else. For the life of him, Titus couldn't figure out what to make of it. The scavenger's hadn't gotten in, it seemed, but they hadn't missed much. Strange contraptions littered the floor, and the back wall housed a suit of armor apparently built for a man twenty feet high. It may, in fact, have been a statue of green jade. An even bigger alcove sat empty. Opposite the giant armor, a wall cracked partially open in a way that suggested it was supposed to open up like that and had gotten stuck halfway. The outside was not visible through it, only packed dirt and roots. And battle damage is everywhere, signs of might blows, vicious gashes, burns, blasts, and more are evident on every surface of everything. Moreover, when he stood perfectly still, Titus could faintly hear the sounds of combat. Mass combat, with lots of screaming.

Other than the massive door with the caked dirt, other doors were available, some leading to other, twisting hallways, some leading still deeper, and finally, there was a ruined staircase leading straight up in each corner. Taking one of them revealed an ascent past a room damaged beyond all possibility of recognizing it's function or, indeed, it's original form, though it also possessed the large pair of cracked doors. Another floor up, requiring some creative footwork from the young Solar, managed to take him into real sunlight again, a hallway that led him a considerable distance north, and into a whole new giant chamber. This new room was a true curiosity - a large and complex apparatus leaned at a dangerous angle, clearly supposed to connect to the ceiling and just as clearly failing to do so in an orderly fashion. The machine was narrow but appeared supernaturally sturdy despite the ravages of time. The rest of the room was barren, save for the fascinating murals, many of them depicting the exploits of a young, brown-haired woman ablaze with golden light... and her green-gold dragon anima.

A closer examination of the machine was interrupted when a small *pop* and crackle was heard, a moment of silence later, a fantastical creature with the head and front of an eagle and the back of a lion crashed through the wall with a vicious shriek!

Roll to Join Battle

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus ran his fingers over the mural. This was...weird. He'd certainly noticed his shadow changing, and he knew he was experiencing other people's memories, but this was something completely different. This was weird. He'd...never exactly prided himself on being a man (a nagging voice pointed out his behavior with Yoma and the ****-Ogre, which he ignored), but this raised questions. It was certainly more important than whatever noise the strange creature now screaming at him.

He had to know if he was a lesbian, of course.

He didn't take his eyes off the mural as the creature leaped towards him. A quick shift in his weight and one small step let him angle out of the way. He wondered, as he finally gave the eagle-lion thing some attention, if that meant that his lady incarnation had liked women, or if he would end up looking at men the same way he had started looking at women. He began to consider whether any of this mattered as he ran up the wall, digging in instant footholds before launching himself downwards from the ceiling, one foot extended out. He wanted to end this quickly, after all. He had important things to consider.

[Jade_Tarem]

The creature seemed none too pleased with Titus's kick, lashing out at him and gnawing on the foot that had so rudely intruded on his personal space. It failed to make a dent, however, and with another swift kick Titus put it down...

Only for a pair of bears to lumber through the hole the eagle-cat thing had created! At least, they most strongly resembled bears... but their fur was green and extra fuzzy -

NOW

"Extra Fuzzy?"

"You heard me."

THEN

- extra fuzzy, they stood on their hind legs, 12 and 13 feet tall, and their rich gold eyes showed them to be smarter than the average bear. With neither threat nor comment, they both adopted a clear martial arts ready stance and moved in...

[Jade_Tarem]

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwBKjK7Xik0)

Titus had never seen a bear before. He'd heard the name, and knew they existed, but bears didn't tend to go shopping, and even in his time spent on the farm with Janus, he'd never encountered one. Probably because they were too close to the city. That said, he'd heard that they were incredibly strong, and could tear a man in half without too much effort. And these bears were holding martial arts stances.

He clapped his hands together. "You guys are adorable!" And then he'd settled back into his stance. He couldn't let the excitement get to him; he was learning a lesson, here. Nova was a bloody Sidereal, so she could probably tell he would have to fight Kung Fu Bears.

He decided to gauge their strength. A street fighter would rush in and create havoc. A Solar Hero, he decided, was directed havoc. Thus, he rushed forward...and then to the side of one of the bears, pulling back his fists for a hammer blow to the side of one of the bears...

The struck bear went skidding and rolling across the floor, letting out a big "whoof" both at Titus's punch and when it hit the other bear. The second one finally spoke. "We get that a lot. Huah!" It made a sudden effort to grab Titus, using the proverbial bear hug to gain an advantage over the faster Solar.

The prone form of the first bear opened its jaw wide, and a winter blast of icy hail shot out, crashing into the Solar's held form. The second bear squeezed for all it was worth, but failed to break Titus despite applying pressure that would crush a normal man to powder. "He's resilient, Ji Jao!" The standing bear said. "I can see that, Ji Bao!" The prone one replied. "Resistant enough to face a Huraka?"

"He *is* a Lawgiver, but then, you know the rules."

"True, true."

Titus gave his muscles a flex. "You guys can talk. And, uh..." He flexed harder. "I don't know what you guys are on about, but..." He grinned. "I don't care about your rules! I'll face anyone who wishes to fight, Huraka or fuzzy wuzzy bear!"

The bear proved too heavy and too canny for Titus to flip, at least with the grip that he had. "We are the Eastern Huraka, two of many." said 'Ji Jao' as he got up, still holding his side a little. "It is our duty to shepherd the winds of Creation where they need to go, to dispel falsehoods where we find them, and to serve the masters of Wind within our domain. We also know martial arts."

"A surprising number of things in Creation do." added Ji Bao, still squeezing.

Titus grinned. "You're strong, very strong! But why," he asked, slipping his leg through 'Ji Jao's', "are we fighting? Not that I need an excuse, but I'm not a falsehood. Is this about me smashing the roof?"

He pressed his arm against the side of his opponent, and put some real Essence into it this time, shifting his weight to bring the bear to the ground.

"Foouuuul!" Ji Bao shouted as he hit the ground heavily. "Not really, well done!"

"But now I must express confusion." Ji Jao added. "We were called in specifically to fight you, though you do seem to be looking different these days." Neither bear attacked, both on guard...

"And you clearly want to fight." Ji Bao added from the floor, gesturing to the ruins of the gryphon. "I mean, look at what you did to Jimi."

Titus nearly dropped his stance. He tried not to let it show on his face, but...

"He...he had a name?"

"Indeed! Dead long ago, of course. Gryphons don't last like the Huraka do."

"Hrmph. That's what you get from Wyld construction. All flash, no substance."

Titus breathed a sigh of relief. Barely. This didn't feel right at all. "What do you mean, I look different? I've never met you two before."

An idea dawned on him. That picture, of the lady with the dragon anima...

"I fought the gry...Jimi because he ran through a wall shrieking at me, and I'm on edge because my Sidereal trainer is trying to teach me fighting stuff. I want to fight, but I'd rather not kill you guys if you can think and whatnot." His smile started to return. "Of course, if you want a thrashing, training or not, I'll give you one. But answer my question, first."

"Well, that's the curious thing of it."

"Comes from dealing with Mortal Souls."

"Mrmph. Yes. You seem to be under the impression that you're viewing reality as you're accustomed to it, but that's not true."

"No, not at all. It's as if he doesn't know."

"He might not. I mean, they don't really have proper schools these days."

"Well then we should clear that up for him. Solar! Your previous incarnation had this place built as a training facility, repurposing it from a military base used during the Primordial Wars."

"Nasty business that. I've always said it's a bad war when no one even knows how long it lasted."

"Yes. Anyway, being a Solar, she installed the very finest equipment, including this place." The bear gestured expansively. "A vault of woven dreams. Rare and valuable, and typically used - ah - *recreationally*, but your past self was more of a fighter than a lover."

"By Solar standards."

"Not now, Ji Jao. Anyway, you've turned on the vault again, so here you are in a solidified dream."

"If Jimi over there is anything to go by, the vault seems to be calling up entities that your past self fought during her time on Creation. She liked to study opponents she'd gone up against and test herself against them with slight changes to the environment and the opponents themselves, to refine her fighting techniques."

Titus couldn't stop the image forming in his mind of bears, gryphons, and "recreational" usage, even if Ji Jao said that it was a fighting place.

"Pity. Love is just another kind of fight, anyway. Sort of like wrestling." He coughed. "Look, uh, are you guys, er, dreams, too, then? Did you fight her?"

"Oh *my* yes. Not at the height of her power, of course, but early on. She was looking for sparring partners, and we were, in a nutshell, bored."

"And yes, we're dream constructs. The real Ji Jao and Ji Bao could be anywhere."

"But probably somewhere in the East."

"I see!" Titus began flexing his fingers, causing cracks to echo in the chamber. "One last question, before we get back to it, then. What was her name?"

"Well that's the curious thing of it."

"We don't remember."

"And we never forget."

"Anyway, prepare yourself... for the flair of the Air Bear Scare Affair!"

The two spirit bears launched themselves at Titus, moving quickly into a rapid flurry of punches and spin kicks.

"Hoo! Ha! Hiyah! Kiiiyah!"

Titus tried to control his snickering, but realized very quickly that it was a futile effort. "R...hahaha...right! Hiya! Ha, ha, ha!" he cried, the last laughs punctuating his punches.

The Huraka were literally punched in half, but they had time to give their final regards to the Solar.

"I say! Well done!"

"Good day, sir!"

"Titus, what are you doing?" The voice was calm but stern. It also belonged to Nova. The Sidereal stepped out from behind the machine-pillar in the center of the room.

Titus waved. "Oh, fighting some bears." It...it wasn't like he'd forgotten he was in the middle of training, but...well. He'd gotten a bit carried away. "I was looking for you, and then a gryphon came at me. Then Ji Jao and Ji Bao here," he pointed at the mess the pair had made, "wanted to scuffle. They told me about this place. Dreamland that belonged to me, back when I was a lady-person." He shrugged. "Apparently fighting's in the blood. Er...no, that's not right..." he scratched the back of his head, metaphorgotten.

"Right. This vault thing is dangerous. It shouldn't have activated on its own, and odds are good that it isn't double checking to make sure that you stay safe. We need to leave before..."

"E! Vashtu kor'kona iamo djorgandan loram toch! Ustoch ne var!"

Nova's eyes widened. She glanced at Titus. "It said that the higher Essence presence in the room has upped the difficulty of the training. It's pulling from a limited list of opponents, though - namely, things your past self fought - so I'm not really sure what it thinks is going to be a threat to m-"

A man stepped through the hole in the wall. He was dressed in well-kept attire, a tunic, bloused pants, plus boots and belt. He had a neatly trimmed beard and hair, and looked calmly at the two Exalts in the room. "It is all..." he stated calmly, "for the ideal."

Titus wasn't sure what happened next. To say that it happened in an eyeblink would have meant that Titus had blinked, and he had not. Nonetheless, one moment the man was framed against the forest outside, and the next his fist was six inches to the right of Titus' face, having apparently been pushed there by Nova's staff. A look of genuine panic framed Nova's features. "Titus! There's a command to shut it down. Your only job now is to remember it before I die!"

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyJh5g9F-1Y)

"Remember?!" Titus fell back, his heart racing at Nova's proclamation. She was...he had no idea exactly how strong she was. Who was this man? No, no, he had to think!

Ji Jao and Ji Bao. Jimi. A Dream-world, laced with memories that he had no access to. How could he just remember? He ran the man's words through his head...'all for the ideal'? He sounded like Kaizoku. Maybe his past shared similarities with the present. Who was he? He tried to think of having long hair, tried to take in the Essence of the place, reaching out to with all of his will to truly feel the place...

"Dammit!" He smacked himself in the head. "Remember, dammit!"

Memories, astonishingly, flood back in - perhaps female!Titus had spent a lot of time here? Hundreds of training sessions, all of them ended with the simple phrase...

"Aio Sicrua!" Titus had no idea what he'd said, but it sounded right. "Aio Sicrua, E!"

In even the thirty seconds it had taken him to come up with that, the room had been devastated. Moving almost too fast to see - and in many cases too fast to see, but Titus wouldn't know that - Nova and the new fighter had skipped off of walls, ceilings, and purely intangible concepts to tear at each other. A strange buzz filled the air, as though the world around them couldn't decide who was supposed to win. They, however, apparently *did*, and Nova was losing ground rapidly when the man, and all the room's battle damage, dissolved, leaving a relatively pristine chamber, a leaning mechanical column, and the two Exalted. Even the hole that the gryphon had made was gone.

Nova collapsed where she stood, breathing heavily and bleeding from somewhere above her hairline. "Titus, can you check? Do I still have all my soul? Is my personal integrity okay? Am I, at this moment, experiencing delusions of grandeur? Also, what year is it?"

Titus ran to her side, placing his hand on her forehead, his own creased in concern. "Er...I think you're fine. I think. I'm not a doctor. But you're always experiencing delusions of grandeur, so, uh..." He stood up, lowering a hand to help her up. "Who was that? I've never seen fighting like that before...or at least I don't remember it."

"That was Chejop Kejak, my Sifu, circa the Usurpation. He's now probably the most powerful Exalt in existence."

Titus whistled. "Damn! And my predethingy fought him? How the heck did she get out of that?" He blinked. "Holy sh...you're telling me you nearly died fighting a past incarnation of him, and he's stronger now than ever. Damn, damn, damn, damn..."

"She didn't. And yes, he's much stronger than that now."

Titus gave that a few moments of thought.

"If she didn't, then how'd he turn up here? Bears said people popped up who she'd fought, but, um, wouldn't she have to, like, come back here or something?"

He didn't know how exactly he felt about the guy. Solar stuff was weird. The guy had murdered his predecessor, and here he was training with the guy's apprentice. Odd.

"Odds are she had a device on her at all times that kept track of who she was fighting and sent the data here automatically. Solars did that kind of thing, back in the First Age - it's really hard to impress on the people of the current generation just how much has been lost over the centuries, technologically."

"Ah...right...so, um. Are we still training? Never seen anything thrash you this badly." His hand was still held out to her, just in case she wanted it.

"No, we're done for today. Grats on your win, though." Nova took the hand and got up.

"Cool. Question, though. What was my lady-self's name? I asked the bears, but they didn't remember. And that's apparently really odd for them, too."

"Funny story. I *do* remember, but I'm not allowed to say it. Not by Sidereal rules - I'm literally not allowed to say it due to metaphysical constraints. And that's the answer you're going to get from just about everyone."

"...Metawhat now? You're saying the universe won't let you say it?"

"Correct. I could maybe spell it for you, slowly, but you'll find that you can't say it either. Also, you don't speak Old Realm."

Eyebrows furrowed. A hand scratched his head. "Well, alright, but don't cause a metaphysical breakdown. Can you tell me how it's meta-illegal, though? Or are their constraints on that, too?"

It was kinda cool to think about, though. He...or a part of him, at least, had broken the universe, it seemed. Either that, or kicked it in the nadgers hard enough that reality itself got really mad and started hiding information.

"Ah. She was greatly honored, revered by all, as potentially the greatest champion of the Primordial war. She was crowned as Queen by the Unconquered Sun himself. She once strangled a Primordial to death with her bare hands, and they don't even need to breathe. They said her tears could cure cancer, but she never cried. She counted to infinity twice. She could touch the goddess of intangibility. She..." Nova blinked. "Sorry, I got off on a tangent there. Her name was Ma.......... Re.......... La.......... and as a sign of respect her Solar peers rewrote a few laws to make it physically illegal for most things to speak or write her name. You'll sometimes see it referenced as Queen M-R-L." The Sidereal shrugged. "On the other hand, the Queen thing was largely symbolic within a year. Being the best fighter didn't make her the best administrator, after all."

"Oh, well." He sniffed. "That's a bit stuck up, isn't it? Shouldn't be illegal to say someone's name. Especially if it's mine, sort of."

He raised his arms. "Behold, world! I am the Great Titus! I am the Great Eraser of Laws! I am your Queen! I mean, King! Yes!"

He gave an aside glance to Nova, lowering his voice back to normal levels. "Mare-" he descended into a coughing fit. "Ma-" and once more, coughing. "Damn! So, she allowed that stupid law to be written? Gosh, things really were screwed up." Maybe Kejak had been the hero, after all. But that was then, and this was now. "I can agree with her on one thing, though. I don't want any administrating. That's why the word 'delegate' exists. And 'lazy', too."

"Yes, well, things change over the course of Thousands of Years." Nova snorted. "Oh! I promised you a prize, as I recall..."

Titus raised an eyebrow, lowering his arms. "Oh? I didn't know I'd won, to be honest. Things got a little sidetracked there for a bit."

"Yeah, get used to that. But technically speaking, you activated the machine that forced me to use charms that were against the rules." Nova waved a hand at it. "Be warned, not every Sidereal is going to be nice enough to point out your hidden advantages."

Titus gave her a smile. "Well, you're not every Sidereal. You're Nova. So, what's the prize?"

Please don't say "the gift of me continuing to be your trainer". Or "me allowing you to keep the stuff you looted from this place." Which I need to go loot, anyway. It seemed like something she might do. This was Nova, after all. "Is it cake?"

Nova blinked. "No, it isn't cake." A piece of parchment appeared in her hand, and this time Nova didn't even try to pretend she'd pulled it from anywhere. "This is my invitation to the All Creation Invitational. It's a martial arts tournament that, well, includes all of Creation and Heaven, and specific individuals in the Underworld, Malfeas, and Rakshatan. They hold it about once a century, and offer positions to the top 4096 martial artists in the world. There's a bunch of rules that apply to it, but it's a chance to see who's who in the greater MA community, and the prizes for winning are... extensive. You can decline, and noooormally you can't just hand the invitation off to a specific someone else, but I know a god who knows a god, and they've okay'd this. Assuming you want it."

One moment, the paper was there. The next, Titus was whistling and reading the parchment. As his eyes moved down, the whistling became good-natured humming.

"I'll take that as a yes. I think we need to take another break, for tomorrow. For one thing, the folks at the temple are going to want to take the vault apart - it's probably responsible for the increased Wyld activity out here - and I could use a rest."

Titus nodded without taking his eyes off the parchment. "I wanna loot it first, though. It's, like, my stuff, right? Sort of."

"The stuff in the armories down below is nonfunctional, and even if it was, how exactly would you operate a Warstrider? Anything of value, except maybe the handwraps you've got there, was looted long ago, I assure you."

Titus shrugged. "I dunno. Figure *someone* would want it. I'd sell it, not *use* it. You Sidereals know people who know people, right?"

Nova's face grew serious. "To whom would you sell it? Sidereals don't cultivate mortal business contacts. Most merchants forget about us as soon as we leave their sight. The Guild, upon realizing what you've got, will find a way to take it without buying it from you. You're better off finding an artificer among the Silver Pact or something and getting a favor for it. Buuut, if you *insist* on trying to sell it, Nexus would be your best bet, and something tells me you'll get the opportunity to go there soon."

"The Guild can kiss my glorious Solar ass. I'll just hoard it until someone turns up. I bet I can find a place."

"Spoken like a true Lawgiver. I'll see you back at the Temple, Titus."

****

The temple held one more surprise for Titus, though. Inside, conversing animatedly with Red and Shaia, a young woman with purple hair and something like a harlequin outfit, but classier, dominated the room. "Oh, Titus is back!" Shaia said, brightening. "Haaaaaave y'met Locke?"

Seven Months Previous to THEN

Like so many things these days, it had started well. The High Side Shuffle had worked like a charm, and their pursuers had, as Nero predicted, stopped to give the town aid. Nero and Caelia had fled north as fast as they could, though Nero was moving slower than ever. Even so, it looked like they were going to make it.

Until they ran out of trees.

Neither of them knew the *exact* limits of the fae territory in the area, but they reached a point where they could no longer progress without touching the ground, and sure enough, close to the border though they were, a hunting horn was sounded and they began to catch glimpses of wyld beasts and riders through the thinning trees. Nero finally called a halt.

"What are you doing?" Caelia hissed. "We're almost there."

"You're almost there. But neither of us will make it if we keep moving at my speed. You're a strong young woman, Caelia, I know you've been slowing down to let me keep up." Nero leaned back against a tree. "You need to cut that out. Go."

"That's insane, Nero. This isn't the time for some grand gesture-"

"There's nothing grand about it." Nero shrugged out of his hauberk and jacket and Caelia gasped. Nero's wounds had not healed, and were badly infected. Even in the chill air, he was sweating and shivering, feverish. "I was never going to make it to the Bull. But you can. You've still got a chance of making it out. I'll try to kill one, slow them down or something." He saw her continued resistance. "If you can make it to the army, tell them to come get me, they've got a free recruit right here. Tell them I know of loot caches in Emdar if they get that far south. Tell them whatever you want, but don't stay here. Go!"

"I... I've never given a command before... in all the years I was 'royalty,' but I'm giving one now." A tear leaked down Caelia's cheek as she hugged him, taking care to avoid the injuries. "Make it through this, Nero. As your princess I order you to survive! Don't give up, and I won't either."

Nero returned the hug. "Heh. I'm a criminal, princess, but I'll give it a shot. By the way, hand me the iron dagger and the steel sword. Keep the iron cleaver for yourself. I've got one more plan..." It wasn't much of a plan, but it was better than nothing.

Caelia sniffed. "That's more like it. Kick his fairy a-" The hunting horn sounded again, and Caelia began to run north, moving faster now that Nero was no longer in tow. Soon, she was out of sight, and Nero shrugged back into his clothes and Hauberk. He readied himself, and sure enough, they came. Grotesque hobgoblins, fantastical creatures, and at the head of it, a fair man - a fair folk - with pale mint-green skin, luxurious brown hair, antlers, and the accoutrements of a king. The hunt rode forward, and Nero didn't budge. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yuYL4D1JiE) "Challenge!"

For a wonder, the hunt ground to a halt. The hobgoblins and critters moved to encircle Nero and the antler-fae. "You dare challenge me here? Do you even know whom you face?"

Nero could have burst out laughing. Had it been anyone else - the Emdarian City Guard, the Realm, the Haltans - it would never have worked. But the fae weren't doing a job, they were acting a part. The entertainment he provided was better than simply running him down and moving on would be. And they said all those nights breaking into private libraries were a waste of time. He settled for snorting. "You're not that famous, apparently. Why don't you enlighten me?"

Nero tuned out the aggrandizing response. He was trying to get a feel for how to best this guy in a fight, but he was distracted by the pain wracking his body, by the cold, by his fatigue. He listened only to buy Caelia time, but he found that his final efforts here were unsatisfying. It was extremely unlikely to make much of a difference, after all, and it was different, actually staring death in the face. Eventually, the fae stopped. "...so I fail to see why I should bother sparring with a simple criminal. Why not devour you instead?"

"Because I challenged you." Nero said, like it was the easiest thing in the world. "I challenged you, and you can't have that, living your story as you are. You can't abide by it. You know what my crime was? The one that got me grabbed by the Haltans? Being in the wrong city when they attacked. Before that, it was not being born to the right people and - the greatest crime of all - wanting to improve my station a bit, along with my friends and adopted family. And it nearly worked! Alas, there was no happy ending for a mortal story... the game was rigged long before I started on it. Will to power, talent... none of it mattered in the face of a setup like that. But I couldn't help but try anyway. I'm injured, sick, and tired, but I'm still standing, and you look like you could afford to miss a meal anyway. So come and face me on an 'even' footing, Fae Lord, and prove your superiority or shut up."

The fae grinned. "Hrmph. Well said then. Very well, mortal, you have your wish." He dismounted his mount - an honest to goodness jet black deer - and drew a long, curved, gossamer blade. "A fight to the death. Yours."

"I know. It's your survival that's in question."

There was nothing else to say. The Fae charged; Nero held his ground. The fae lifted his blade for the thrust; Nero did not budge. The fae made the plunge, and Nero made his final move - with a practiced motion that had saved him time and again in Emdar, he flicked the iron dagger - hidden up his sleeve until now - into his other hand. The difference was that he deliberately waited a little too late - the fae's blade plunged into his stomach and, anchored there, the fae entangled with him, Nero dropped the sword, grabbed his opponent, and plunged the dagger into the Fairy Lord's antlered face. The fae's reflexes, strength, and skill were all in excess of the injured rogue's, but sheer surprise at an opponent with no survival instinct at all held him in place a fraction of a second too long. The Fae and his weapon exploded into a rainbow blast that permeated the surrounding area, warping and twisting the trees, rocks, and snow, and Nero dropped to his knees as the pain in his gut spread out to overwhelm him, too tired and hurt to care about the hobgoblins rushing him. That's it, then. Sorry, Princess, but I had to take him out. His life didn't quite flash before his eyes, but the last few months did, as the hobgoblins seemed to move so... slowly. So it's possible to succeed... if you look at the big picture. If you're willing to make sacrifices... do what you have to. He took one more shuddering breath. That's... infuriating. I'd give anything for one more chance. Anything to stay in the game!

And there, in that frozen moment in time, he heard a voice. "Is that so?"

[Jade_Tarem]

NOW

"OhhhhHHHHHhhhhh." Meander facepalmed. "Yeah, okay. So that's how he met up with Locke prior to-"

"Yeah." Hadassi shrugged. "Not so much the precision timing you thought, eh? It was pretty much bound to happen sooner or later."

"Don't remind me." The Sidereal dug out a bulging pouch that jingled. "Here. For your trouble."

The errant Terrestrial waved it away. "Pssh. I love what I do, that's all the pay I need."

Meander peered over his glasses at the recipient. "Trust me on this, you're going to need it soon. As a side note, try not to be in your house this coming Mercuryday."

"F*cking Dragons, Harbinger, when you put it that way..." Hadassi took the money and took a look at the contents, resisting the urge to whistle. "That serious?"

"At least. We're all going to be affected, make no mistake. I expect a good account of it from you, but that really is a story for another time. I have an appointment..."

"You-" Hadassi looked up, but Meander was already gone, or at least appeared to be. Just in case he wasn't, the Dragon-Blooded finished. "-too. Make sure King Titus knows what he's doing. I don't intend to be tellin' stories outside of Fate!" He took another look in the bag, wondering how much he'd be able to move out of his house before Mercuryday. He was getting too old for this, he mused as he turned back in toward the village, but at least he was getting better compensation for it now. He was already working on a draft of the tale to come. It would be the greatest story - and possibly the last.

The Vision of Light (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htJHlsTb_54)
Second Story: The Zenith of Hyperbole
Episode 5: Enter: Locke of Fables

NOW

Mnemon Elrit had gotten to like this class. They were studious and quiet for the most part, and usually asked intelligent questions. Today, too, they were on time. "Excellent, everyone is here." While still not showing her age, Elrit occasionally felt it. She had lived through some of this, after all, and now it was being taught as establishing antiquated history. "When we last left off..."

THEN

Caelia stared out the window, though to be honest there wasn't that much to see now that the Semper Pro Tempore was up to flank speed. More interesting, really, was the fact that the ship was big enough to have a lounge. More interesting than that was that Waterfall Design was there instead of the built-in workshop, or repairing the damage it had taken. Of all people, Caelia would have pegged Nova as the one most in need of a stiff drink right now. Being marginally familiar with elephants, Caelia elected to bring up the one in the room, especially as Titus seemed content not to. "So what's got you so down, Mako?"

"You *are* joking, I hope." Waterfall Design sighed. "You know what happened to-"

NOW

"Yes, Miss Nellens?"

"Professor, I think those are the notes for your second-semester class."

Elrit looked at her notes. "Oh, so they are. One moment..."

THEN

"Of course you have," Shaia laughed. "Locke, this is Titus."

Locke gave her a blank look.

"From Shadowholt."

"He followed me here from Shadowholt?" Locke suddenly seemed alarmed. She glided over to him, and Titus noticed something. She'd been astoundingly pretty before, kind of like Shaia, but now she was beyond that. She was Myxia pretty, almost inhumanly so. The riot of colorful robes she wore and the festive opera-mask she had on did nothing to conceal that, and then she took the mask off, placing it in Titus's hands to gaze seriously into his eyes with her perfect face, taking a deep breath as she did so. "Listen. I know the time we had together was special to you, but like I told you before, I'm not interested in pursuing a mortal dalliance, and you have a life to get back to-"

"Titus is a Solar now, Locke." The Joybringer said, through an astonishing double-facepalm.

"Ohthankgoodness." The other Solar let out the rest of her breath in a rush, replacing the mask. "Sorry, this happens more often than you'd think, and it's always terrible to burst a mortal's bubble like that."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

The response Locke got was a raised eyebrow and a wry grin. Titus realized that exposure to very pretty ladies (un?)fortunately got you used to such things, and he found it was much easier to concentrate after Nova's teachings of constant awareness. If Locke was being this pretty, she was trying to be that pretty. So, he'd ignore it.

"I don't know why you'd be surprised at the thought of me following you anyway. Last I checked, it seemed like you were trying to get me to follow you. Something about some really big artifact. Our "special time" was you seeking information about the fall of Emdar as I kept watch for Dragonbloods. I'd be more inclined to believe that you followed me, to be honest." He tilted his head. "What are you doing here, anyway? Still recruiting for your artifact thingy?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"No, no, no... I mean yes, I am! I mean, what caste are you?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus snorted at her response. Ezri had Locke on the mark. "The fighting kind. I got the Charms that make the people fall down." He scratched the back of his head, still smiling. "You aren't mad because of how everyone is blaming you for Kaizoku dying, are you?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"I don't get it, why would I be mad about that?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

The answer wasn't completely unexpected, but it was a relief nonetheless...if she was telling the truth. But she probably was. "Oh, well, I didn't know how you'd feel about the extra attention and all. Since it was kinda my fault. Kinda. I didn't really tell anyone anything, they just kind of assumed you did it. And I didn't really feel like correcting them..." He shook his head. "Right, so, why're you here? Has Nova come by yet?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Locke raised an eyebrow as Shaia added a palm to her face, which was remarkable as she had already used both hands, and had to recruit a temple acolyte to help. "Back up, here. You killed Peleps Atarove? You just straight-murdered the Realm liaison to the Linowan, the current up-and-coming scion of the Kaizoku family, precipitating a succession crisis with the Realm's naval bastion, a power scramble inside House Peleps, and most importantly, a renewal of the Wyld Hunt that's been dogging my ass for the last two years that was a hair's breadth away from being called off? This was you?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus responded the only way he knew how: shrugging, and avoiding a sheepish look. "I was kind of rescuing my family from slavery, and I wasn't thinking of any of that. It wasn't like I was trying to go out of my way to ruin the Realm. At the time, it was either her or me, and I honestly wasn't expecting to live. I was just buying time. And then she died." He stopped scratching his head. "Again, sorry they blamed you. There weren't really any witnesses or anything. I wouldn't have killed any, even if there were."

[Jade_Tarem]

Locke seems to deflate. "Yeah, of course. There's always a reason..." She suddenly perks up. "You! You could help... if you're serious about being sorry for all this trouble. I never got to Nexus before I was headed off by the Wyld Hunt, but you could fend 'em off long enough to reach the city. And the Wyld Hunt isn't allowed to operate inside Nexus! Besides, there may well be something there that you want anyway. If I was willing to hire you as a mortal, I'd be willing to partner with you as a Solar. Think about it - there's a ton of stuff buried in the Scavenger Lands that's too dangerous for the Scavenger Lords to handle, but I'm willing to give it a shot. What do you say to that? And remember: you owe me!" She punctuates that with a wink, but something about her still seems serious.

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus caught the hint, and realized that Nova was probably aware of the possible arrangement. He wondered if assuming that Sidereals knew everything was a bit much. Probably not, but...

"You had me at "ton of stuff"," Titus grinned. "I'm happy to make up the debt, even if it was accidental. And besides, I think I've trained hard enough now. I'll just go talk to Nova about it. When did you plan on leaving?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Tomorrow morning, if at all possible."

"Aww," shouted Shaia, "you're not going to stay with us any longer than that?"

Locke turns in a swirl of multicolored robes. "No, I've burned enough time. We can still head to your room to catch up later tonight, though."

"Sounds good!"

Nova was easily found deeper in the temple, in a long-disused chamber that seemed to feature only a boarded-up door and some dusty furniture. She was sitting - on a chair, this time - and idly strumming her stringed instrument when Titus walked in. "Met up with Locke again, I see."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus greeted his enigmatic trainer with the same caution that he'd learned to develop over the past few weeks. By checking the doorframe, testing the wind, and by giving each piece of furniture a cautious tap as he approached her. The fact that she already knew about the meeting confirmed his suspicions of her silly Siddie foresight.

"Yyyyyyyyyep. Sorry if you had anything else planned, but I kind of promised her I'd help her out, what with me being the reason she's got the Wyld Hunt all up in her business again. And she didn't even have to work her sexy magic."

[Jade_Tarem]

"That you know of." Nova countered. She sighed and the stringed instrument vanished into thin air. "Mrm. Titus, we've been training pretty intensely for a while now. I've been... resisting getting to know you, or vice versa. Partly that's natural caution, and partly that's a training precaution. One moment of weakness and I could well end up letting something slip that I shouldn't, or wind up in your bed for reasons other than booby-trapping it, and then everything is much more awkward." She shrugged, "But that is, largely, unfair to you for any number of reasons. So this evening, before I go, it's open house for Nova - within limits. Anything you want to ask, anything you're curious about, now's the time. If it's a secret, I'll tell you - but remember that everything I do is a lie."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Even though he finally had some experience thanks to Yoma, Titus still found himself blushing at the "bed" comment. Was he really that approachable? He found, though, that trying to think of Nova that way was...weird. He'd known her for a while, and when he had, she'd been so much younger than him. Knowing that she was a who-knows-how-old Sidereal didn't really help things, he'd found. That, and she'd done a fine good job of making him question everything she did. But he still trusted her, and he put a lot of thought into his ability to make his own judgments, regardless of mind-magic. He was sure that it was his own decision to help Locke, at the very least.

"Well, er," he began, this time catching himself before starting his head-scratching. "I wouldn't really know where to start. How old are you?" That wasn't really a question one was supposed to ask women, but he felt it was warranted this time. "What was your life like before you Exalted? And, uh, if your mentor was that Kejak guy, why aren't you aligned with him?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Nova smiles, just a bit, at Titus's questions. "I am, as of recently, eight hundred and eighteen years old, though with Sidereals there's always room for error. I grew up as an overly curious street urchin in a gang that closely resembled the Jade Marks... acting the part came naturally to me. As for alignment - you fought together and had sex with Cathak Io Yoma. Would you say that you are 'aligned' with the Wyld Hunt?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

The casual mention of her age made Titus start whistling, which soon morphed into a desperate coughing fit as she also made casual mention of his trip to the "sauna". "Well, I *hack, kerhoph* wouldn't say, er, okay, point taken," he said. "Nice dodge, I guess. Look, I guess I want to ask why are you helping me, if you're not a Gold or a Bronze?" He tried, weakly, to show off one of his biceps. "I doubt it's just because I'm pretty, or because we stole stuff together." He paused, putting a finger to his chin. "Actually, what is your general opinion of the Solars, anyway?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Hrmmm." Nova smiled and leaned back, crossing her legs and stretching her arms out across the back of the bench. "Like all Sidereals without a faction, I serve Fate - or more specifically, the Bureau of Destiny, which is the section of Heaven that deals with Fate and the smooth running of events and reality in and out of Creation." She lost the smile. "As for the Solars... what can I say? That the ones of old were monsters? Heroes? That their potential for anything, good, bad, or otherwise, was infinite? That they broke every limit, every taboo placed before them? That they deserved to be overthrown? That they didn't? All of this is true, and more. They say living in interesting times is a blessing and a curse... and with the Solars back, times will be interesting."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus could only shrug at her comments on the Solars. It matched her stated opinions during their training, and it did shine some light on just why she was neutral. But he still had a few things to ask. "Right, so, uh, how do you always seem to know stuff? Is there any possible way I could do something that you wouldn't about?" He bit his lip. "I mean, though, I don't mind you knowing. I mean, you're you, lies or not. And, uh..."

The thought past his mind that she may know just how how good he was with Yoma...but he couldn't ask that! That was a Graciously-Generous Shaia question. Who was taken up with Locke all night. And that, of course, led to a nice line of thinking that he needed to actively avoid while trying to focus on Nova, who never helped such mat-

He paused, and struggled to get his voice back. This might get awkward...well, more awkward than that other line of thinking.

"Why did you say you were sorry after telling me that whole prophecy business?"

[Jade_Tarem]

The blood actually drains from Nova's face at the second question, but quickly rushes back. "I... can't answer that question, Titus. I'm sorry. It was a moment of weakness on my part." She took a deep breath, and then the mischievous smirk returned. "As for how I know all this stuff... I'm cheating, of course. And as for you keeping secrets from me... it's theoretically possible, but how would I know if you succeeded?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus let his gaze linger on the green-haired girl for a bit longer than he really should have. He'd honestly expected that answer...but he had to ask.

"Right, stupid question," he allowed after the silence, not bothering to specify which one. "I...think that's it." Don't ask about Yoma. Definitely don't ask about wondering if it'd be fair now to share a bed. But he didn't want to leave on such a somber note...

"Well...er, is there anything...you wanted to do?" He finally let himself start scratching. "I dunno what you like. The whole Siddie thing with y'all's idea of fun, and all." He still remembered Shaia's face when he'd broken that joke. "Before I go off treasure-hunting and who-knows-what. I dunno when I'll see you again, after all."

[Jade_Tarem]

"A thousand things." Nova closed her eyes. "A million, but none of them feasible here and now." She gave Titus an evaluative stare. "Titus... Sidereals are... lonely. That's not a come-on. When the Usurpation occurred, the Astrological Mask was broken. It means that we fade from the memory of everyone. Fate, gods, demons, mortals, even the Terrestrials rarely have the strength of will and the keen perceptions necessary to remember that we exist. Every Sidereal knows every other Sidereal, and we do not lightly war on each other like the other Exalted do. Even the Factions stop short of killing each other - every target, every victim, would have a name and a face to one of the Starborn who sought to prey on one of her own. We are isolated, half-real, and it can grind on you." She got up and walked up close to Titus, then spontaneously surged forward into a hug. "So I would like to say thank you. It would be too easy to walk away and... forget, but you stayed through my awful training." She backed up. "And I can train you in more impressive things, if you're up for it. Seek me out at Kether Rock, Titus. Good luck finding it - I won't tell you how. You have quite a bit of time to get there, as I'll arrive when you do - don't ask me how I know - but Creation may not have all of that time, so don't take all decade."

The Chosen of Secrets turned to the boarded up door and pried it open. "Do me a favor and seal this portal behind me, yes? Don't want the monks drifting in." She walked through into what looked like a dimly lit hallway comprised of an unknown, smooth metal, and turned around. "Goodbye Titus, and good luck. I'll see you sooner or later." And with that, she shut the door.

Then she opened it again. "Also, your bed is full of invisible spiders. That one's free, as a parting gift." Close.

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus watched the portal for several seconds, his hand slowly falling from a wave. The hug had been warmer than he'd thought.

Nova was a mystery that he didn't know he'd ever solve. He wanted to make things simple and label her as a friend, but she seemed...both more and less than that. Still, he realized that he didn't actually have that many people close to him at the moment, and Nova was the closest thing he got. His closest friend was the one who hid the most secrets from him...something was off about that.

He brought himself back to the present and re-boarded up the door. He substituted his fists for a hammer, driving in the nails with absent-minded smacks, humming an old song he'd heard Nero sing sometimes after a few too many drinks. He'd...never been that close to many of the Marks, had he? Why had he kept a distance then? Was it the shame from his family not approving? His little brothers hadn't cared, although Victoria had always chastised him...

He walked out of the room and looked for the common area. He needed to eat something, make small talk. He'd wanted to discuss....something with Shaia, but it appeared she'd have her hands full, and that left out Locke, too. Yoma was, of course, out of the question; she'd left with the intent of probably not talking again, he'd come to realize. Something in her voice...

He shook his head. Food first, introspection later.

[Jade_Tarem]

Titus narrowly avoided colliding with someone in the dining room, only to realize several seconds later that it was Red. "Easy to forget, isn't it?" The Sidereal hadn't been in disguise - he was wearing the same black long coat, red pants, dark red tunic, and black boots and belt that he had been previously. He even had a strange bow strapped across his back, a construct that shimmered with different colors even when the angle of light wasn't changing. He was right - it was all too easy to overlook him. "Not that I blame you. Nova left?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Easy to overlook, right? And he'd been training specifically to notice the hard-to-notice stuff, but he found that usually he just kept an eye out for spiders and traps. That, or Red had done some Sidereal junk.

"Nova left, yeah." He let his gaze wander around the room, looking for something appetizing, which really, really didn't narrow down the list at all. Better not be too open about the circumstances involved, or where she wanted to meet him again. Unless these guys were just as good at knowing every damn thing he did as Nova was, and they didn't have the "I've was your childhood friend and I'm kinda cute" aspect to them. But he was trying to change that...

"Naw, you should blame me. I'm trying to get better at it. I'm a Solar. Gotta notice the unnoticeable. And I should have seen the bow, anyway. It's nice, where'd you get it?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"I inherited it. From myself." Red snorted and took a seat by the window, removing the bow from his back first. "Starmetal. It resonates with Sidereals the way Orichalcum resonates with you Solars. Unlike Orichalcum, it's forged from the fallen stars of dead gods. They are fated, by their nature, to strike incredibly deadly blows." He put it aside. "But, you don't seem that interested in magical constructs 101. To be more precise, when a Sidereal dies, his possessions are technically the property of his next Exaltation. However, this can take months or years to surface, and in the meantime the bureaucrats and scavengers of Yu-Shan look for ways to finagle, con, and legally loophole their way into stealing them. The massive panoply of my predecessor was reduced to this jacket, this weapon, and a manse at the edge of Heaven by the time I was able to stake a claim to any of it."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

The younger man stuck out his tongue. "Blegh. Bureaucracy. Still, at least you inherit something. All I got was a pair of fist wraps and hazy lady memories." He didn't mention the Manse, mostly because it really wasn't his predecessor's. "How much do you remember about your past, anyway?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Not much," Red admitted, "Most of the time, Lytek is very thorough when he purifies the Exaltation. Little remains from its past holders, the better to allow the new host to smoothly integrate with it."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus nodded. "Same with me, I guess. Just memories, feelings..." He shrugged, shaking off that thought before he got too deep into it. "I guess I'll be diving right into this whole business with Locke. What's your take on her?" He put off the idea of food, for now. "I mean, I've met her before, but the circumstances were...different. I was a mortal, and she was just looking for a hire for messing around in the Scavenger Lands. But I realize that I don't really know that much about her. I'd ask her, but, well..." he moved his hand to his chin, scratching at a distinct lack of stubble. "She seems...I dunno. Maybe less than forthcoming. That, and I don't want to interrupt her meeting with Shaia. She seems likable enough, but I don't know how much of that is a mask." He sighed. "I...know I kind of ribbed on you guys for that, and...well, I'm sorry for that. But it seems like just about everyone I know has one. And for good reasons, too, I guess, but..."

I'm afraid I'll eventually do the same thing, and I never want to do that. I'm Titus, and I want to be the same person to everyone I meet.

"...I dunno. Sorry I'm kind of throwing all of this onto you. Like I said, I'd ask her myself if I could, and I will by the time we travel. I kind of leaped before seeing the cliffs down below when I offered to travel with her, and I don't want to seem like I'm just trying to gossip, here."

[Jade_Tarem]

"I see. Perhaps in any other circumstance... but we are of a mind to prepare Solars for what lies ahead, and that includes contact with other Solars. Besides which, Locke is probably asking Shaia about you." Red twirled the bow idly as he spoke. "Locke is very much a mask, Titus. I know little of her personal history, though perhaps she'd open up more to a fellow Solar. However, I can make some basic inferences. She speaks with enough Skytongue influence - whenever she's stressed, mind, because when she's perfectly calm and in control it's accent-less - that I suspect she hails from the Northeast, and her skin is pale enough to place her in one of the Realm's main tributaries there, though the dark hair hints at a mixed parentage, or perhaps a lot of travel from elsewhere in the North or even the West. Whether she was a citizen, a serf, or something else, I cannot say, but it is extremely unlikely that she was high up in the social hierarchy before Exaltation. As a Zenith Caste, she must have received a specific vision from the Unconquered Sun upon her Exaltation, but I do not know what Sol Invictus would have told her." Red scratched his head, thinking. "She has spent the last three and a half years attempting to right social ills - or what she believes to be social ills - all over the East while dodging the Wyld Hunt, which was called on her shortly after she began her efforts. As you may have noticed, Locke is fairly conspicuous, and it's only due to her quick tongue that she's evaded them as well as she has. This materialistic streak - setting up a Scavenger Lord operation - is new to us. In fact, only your accounts provide evidence that she was trying to get it together as far back as your stay in Shadowholt."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus listened intently, and only gave a curt nod at the end. "Well, righting social ills is a lot better than trying to establish tyrannies or, you know, murdering people. I mean, I know that sort of thing can happen. I started a whole bunch of stuff when I killed Kaizoku...but I'm realizing that stuff just sort of happens. Consequences...happen." Which made him wonder just how bad visiting the Yoma-sauna would end up. He put that thought into the Vault before he started worrying too much. "Yeah, I dunno what else to tell you, besides that." He remembered Meander and Ezri talking about it, but it'd been over his head, so he'd set it aside. Maybe he should listen more. "Visions, you said? I didn't really have a vision, just some voice talking about Strength and Power and Glory. Something about never being conquered, which I wish I would have gotten a little more explanation with before Nova started kicking my ass." He'd never really given the words much thought, but of course when he needed them, he could barely remember them. "Does that count? It didn't seem like someone was really talking to me. More like some sort of note on my door. I couldn't really say anything back, at least, and I certainly didn't see anyone. Is that something that happens to every Solar? Do Zeniths get something more?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"That would be the form letter." Red chuckled, seeming to recall something else. "Yes, a surge of words and not-words that define you as a Solar. Zeniths do indeed get a more detailed and specific chat."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus gave a snort. "Well, that's certainly some favoritism. You'd think he'd care more, but I know the Solars used to get...nasty. I'm guessing he just kind of lost interest, then." He smacked a fist against the other. "Well, maybe I'll shake things up enough that the gods will pay attention again. But from what you said about Yu-Shan...why does anyone pray for these guys if all they are are just...freaking bureaucrats? Not that people are any better, but that's kind of the point. They sound like people with extra power, really. What's to stop a human from doing the same thing?" He sniffed. "Besides, well, being weak. And not knowing where Yu-shan is. And dying after a few decades." He shook his head. "I dunno what my point is. I just know I've got a lot to do ahead of me besides looking for treasure."

[Jade_Tarem]

Red shook his head. "No. Not like bureaucrats. Not originally. Most learn to play the bureaucratic game, and in their centuries or millennia they learn to play it well, and some even revel in it, but gods are not merely fancy people. They are shaped by their domains, by the thing that brought them to be. They can grow and change with time, yes, but there is no escaping their focus, and as a result most of them have a form of monomania. They are spirits, timeless and immortal, though hardly infinite of wisdom or ability."

The Sidereal of Mars leaned forward. "And that's why people pray to them. Mankind was designed, at the outset, as a source of prayer. That they have become anything else is a testament to both their flexibility and the ability of even the best laid plans to go tremendously off course. But mankind doesn't get nothing in return. Oh, some gods bully their populations into praying, but many are willing and able to dispense gifts or perform services far beyond what any mortal source could provide in exchange for prayers. And indeed, many gods are grand and inspiring enough to warrant prayer on their own. As I understand it, Locke occasionally prays to the Unconquered Sun out of genuine faith, or respect, or something else, even though Sol has paid little attention to the Solars since the First Age... a situation that the Solars had no small part in bringing about."

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Everything was just so complicated! The gods were *****, but they weren't, because reasons. That was just who they were. But they could change! But...

"Well, obviously someone's gotta make sure the Solars don't screw things up all over again. That's why I don't really blame you guys...well, your predecessors, for locking us...my predecessors up. We went nuts. And I get that. But sometimes I wonder just how I'd do it." He flexed. "I'm a strongman. A sma...well, let's not go that far. An observant one. Unless you're you, or the spiders Nova put in my bed." He shuddered. "Or that time put something really itchy in my...anyway. I'm going to change things. Make Solars do what they were supposed to do, and make mortals not so...weak. Balance the scales, because the idea of a bunch of people who happen to be super charismatic or strong or smart running around is about as appealing to me as...well, a bunch of gods deciding that maybe they should take a year off and take a dump on everything." He needed to work on his metaphors. "I'm still not sure how I'll change things. But I have a few centuries ahead of me. A lot more, if things go to plan." Or that Kejak guy could smash him in the meantime, but not before he got to see Nova again. Or his family.

He leaned back off the wall, the smell of food too enticing. "Alright, that food smells too good. Thanks for chatting with me, Red. You ever need something smashed, you know who to call. You're alright."

[Jade_Tarem]

The night passed uneventfully, save for the occasional scurrying sound in Titus's bedroom and the occasional grunt or bump from Shaia's. The morning breakfast was similarly free of drama - but not of interest.

"Gooooood morning!" Locke burst into the dining room with a freshness that earned her murderous glares from the two sidereals, and was also accompanied by strange, upbeat music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJiOf_sld3k) that seemed to suffuse the room when she walked in.

"Where the hell is that coming from?"

Shaia grimaced. "She figured out how to turn her Anima Banner into a soundtrack."

"Mars save us all."

Locke ignored them, zeroing in on Titus and bounce-gliding (the robes and skirts and such made it hard to tell) into the seat across from him. "I can't wait to get on the road, Titus. Are you packed?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Thanks to a series of arachnid-related interruptions, as well as "mild" speculation as to the source of the noises coming from Shaia's room, Titus had had plenty of time to gather his very few belongings: some rations (which mostly consisted of crackers), the clothes on his back, some spare pajamas, his fighting gloves, and the scatterings of jade that he'd managed to save. He'd also packed dark circles under his eyes and a very sleepy demeanor.

"Right, yeah," he mumbled, giving the small bag at his side a small kick. "Don't have any loot yet, so I'm traveling light." Not that he'd carried much as a pickpocket. Back then, it was whatever you could keep in your pockets. His clothes didn't really have pockets anymore, not like he used to. Even though he'd always had a preference for light clothing, he'd been able to stick a lot into his old vest. And even now, he still didn't have much money. That sort of thing happened when you were constantly training. Nova didn't have the habit of showering him in jade. Just spiders, and traps. Bringing himself back to the present, he realized he'd begun humming to the music Locke was making with her magic-whatever. That wasn't fair, he just had a dragon that would roar really loud. And he hadn't decided whether or not the constant bubbliness was a good thing. Maybe he'd just gotten used to Nova's (albeit artificial) distance.

He yawned and stretched, cracking nearly every bone in his back. "Ready when you are."

[Jade_Tarem]

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEi8w41BKpw&index=39)

Locke, fortunately, came with her own wagon and pair of horses. The wagon was open, with an allegedly rain-proof tarp stretched over her few possessions in the back. Adding Titus' goods didn't seem to make much of an impact on the space. He didn't see much in the way of food, though Locke claimed she had it covered. With a final round of goodbyes to Shaia, Red, Anistasis, and some of the acolytes, Locke guided the wagon down the long, winding road away from the Temple and southwest along the river road. She didn't stay on the main road long, however, before she took it to back paths, and occasionally off the paths where she thought she could get away with it. Titus was only called upon to push the wagon out of a stuck rut once or twice in the first morning, though.

Moreover, Locke was a chatterbox, though an extremely pleasant one who never repeated herself. Eventually, though, conversation turned to Titus. "So, I only got a fraction of a story out of you before, Titus. Tell me what's been going on!"

Titus gave a smirk. He'd been expecting something like this, although he was sure she'd already gotten the story out of Shaia. It was polite, though.

"Well, after I met you, I went off to find my family. I was traveling with this Sidereal named Meander, and Ezri was helping, too." He scratched his head. "I dunno if you've ever heard of them, but they'd heard of you, but yeah, that's who I was with. Anyway, yeah, traveled with them, discovered where my family was being held, and then all hell broke loose. We raided the Royal Estate, and Ezri and Meander were running distraction while I rescued the fam. Then, uh, Kaizoku got involved. We were trying to escape when we found this big...place...thing."

He wondered just how much he should tell her about his secret hideaway, and then decided "**** it". "It was a Manse. We were being chased by soldiers and really didn't have a way out, so I took everyone into the Manse. I led the soldiers on a chase, getting most of them killed by traps while everyone else was hiding. But I saw this...thing...that showed me Meander was in trouble. And I figured, hey, if they die, Kaizoku comes after me and the fam next, so I should, you know, maybe distract her. Which would have led to me dying, but I figured just a few seconds would be enough for Ezri at least to recover while Meander came to aid."

He looked up at the sky. "When I came in, Ezri had been impaled and thrown aside. She was still alive, but I had no way of knowing if she was dying. Kaizoku taunted me a bit before blowing me up with some water thing. Didn't even land a hit on her." He shrugged. "Then I got some automatic message, apparently, from the Big Sun, got really strong, and had a really tough time of it before I said "screw it" and chucked her into a ravine."

He shrugged. "Not much more to tell after that. Ezri and Meander gave me a rundown of what happened to me, turns out they were kind of expecting it, durr." He smiled. "I mean, they weren't 100% sure, but Fate was being wacky with me, or something. Anyway, took my family to Shadowholt, got them set up with all the loot I had at the time, and then came down to the temple 'cause Meander said I could train here. And I'd just gone Solar, but I wanted to be more sure of what I could do. Ran into...an old friend, Nova, and she helped me train...or rather, taught me to look for traps everywhere. And gave me a newfound hatred of spiderkind."

He cast his eyes back to her. Wondered if he should tell her about the Yoma incident. Decided against all the details. "I guess the only other thing was running into the Wyld Hunt myself, but they thought I was a Godblooded so it was cool. I helped them kill some ogre-thing, learned about what they were doing, and that's when I found out about them blaming everything on you." He held out his arms. "And here we are, one guilt-trip later."

Locke nodded, having listened intently. "Must've been Nombla and Michri, if they didn't attack you on suspicion. They're more reasonable than most. I heaaaaard that Cathak Io Yoma visited town. Did you run into her?"

Titus raised his hands to clap his hands together, only to have them falter. "Y, yeah, I did! She helped me kill the buck-ogre, but, aha, that was mostly her almost setting me on fire." He gave her a squint. She...she had to know. "May have, er, hung out with her a bit afterwards. She's nice. Really into music, hope that works out for her."

Locke blinked. "Ohhh. You ran into her repeatedly. With your crotch."

And then the coughing started. "Okay, so, putting that out into the open! Glad to know where we stand!" He punched himself in the chest. "Right, yeah. First time something like that happened. And she was, well, really, er, forward about it. So I didn't say no. It was a one time thing anyway, prolly not going to make a repeat, er, performance." For multiple reasons, not including the fact that he was really starting to expect that he wasn't that good of a "performer".

To his horror, his voice was starting to crack. "So what about you how have you been sure you've been busy!"

"Yes... busy." The Zenith shook her head, cheer momentarily gone. "I've been getting to know the Wyld Hunt in an entirely different way. Something you should know - they may be nice, they may be personable, they may be pretty, but they are hunting us for sport. Never forget that."

By the Sun, he wasn't good at this. He felt himself begin to color - or, rather, more than he already had. "I...I haven't. I...try to see the, well, humanity in them, but I know what they are. I got lucky; they were working to protect a village. I'm sure it would have gone differently if they were actively hunting a, you know, person."

He sighed. "I really am sorry, again. I would have tried to convince them otherwise, but I'm not sure what I could have done, and I didn't want to endanger the Temple. And now that we're traveling together, I really don't know if it matters anymore..."

"Hopefully not." Titus' companion smiled again, seemingly lighting up the road they traveled on. "One of several reasons to get to Nexus is that the Wyld Hunt is not permitted to operate there. There are other dangers, but hopefully roving bands of bored Dragon-Blooded won't be among them."

The wagon traveled in silence for a bit before Locke changed the subject. "So... have you heard anything about Emdar lately?"

Titus gave her a glance, having started trying to balance a jade coin on his elbow before whipping his arm to catch it before it hit the ground. He'd already moved up to seven coins before she asked him. "Er, no, I hadn't. To be honest, I assumed that it burned to the ground. I know some refugees made it out, but I'm not exactly sure who, and my old friends supposedly all split off...I don't really know where any of them are." He turned to face her, his eyes beginning to widen. "What, have you heard anything?"

"Oh, I just wondered what you might have heard about that Winter Wolf everyone's been talking about. They say it was seen in Emdar right before the fire that truly leveled it."

Titus clapped his hands together. "Oh! Yeah. I did hear about that a while ago. Didn't really think much more into it, though. What are they saying about it?"

"Well, not much. Those with a close-hand account of it all, ah, died."

Titus gave a frown. "Wait, what? Was it killing everyone, refugees and soldiers?"

Locke shrugged. "Hard to say. I think a Fair Folk posse moved in, actually. It's somewhat hard to tell who was where when the Wolf arrived. I mean, we know about it because someone got out, obviously. Certainly, it didn't hit the Emdarian Refugee Camps like that."

Titus shook his head. "Well, as long as it's not killing refugees, I don't really have a problem with it. That said, if someone starts, you know, indiscriminately slaughtering people, and I'm, like, right there, I'm going to do something about it."

He blinked. "Wait, Fair Folk? They settled into my old tu...Emdar?" He ground his teeth, remembering Myxia, and Nova's words about them. "What the hell do they want with it?"

"What do they want with anything? A Fae's mind is like a bag of wet cats. They probably thought it was dramatically appropriate for their latest exploits."

"Well, not on my turf. You're lucky you got me before you found me before I heard about that." He smacked a fist into his palm. "Hell, I wouldn't want that on my worst enemy. The whole..." he waved his hands around his head, "brain eating...thing. Or emotions. It's sick." He bit his lip, his brain starting to sidetrack. "Well, now I know about it, at least. One more thing on my to-do list."

"Gotta watch out for that to-do list." Locke laughed. "It's too easy to get carried away. We aren't god-kings just yet." The Zenith paused before changing the subject again. "What was the music like in Emdar? What stories did they tell there?"

Titus shrugged. "Well, the music I mostly heard in the marketplace. Emdar was really into, like, flute stuff. Really upbeat junk, I don't really know how to describe it. But they took a lot of influence from other places, had a few stringed instruments...not like what Sidereals have. More simple. But the music was mostly a blend, I couldn't really say Emdar had its own style just yet. As for stories..."

He paused. "Nero was our source for most of the stories. My father didn't really tell stories, and I was always pretending to listen when the merchants would talk about the mishaps they'd had on the way there. I was mostly trying to, you know, swipe their stuff. I was kind of a thief. Not really into the music scene beyond hoping one of the other guys in the gang could play well enough to draw people's eyes away."

He gave another awkward smile. "Just to let you know, I've grown out of that. I figure there're better ways to earn money."

Locke smirked. "We'll see." There was another protracted silence. "Do you miss it? Emdar, I mean?"

Titus gave a sigh. "Well, I mean, I guess? But it's weird." He held out his hands. "I'm...different, now. And I don't regret that. But I know that no matter how much I miss how simple the old days were, things are just so different now...so I kind of don't? I certainly miss my friends, and wish I could see them again. But Emdar itself? It's hard to say. Parts of it, yeah, parts of it, not really. I couldn't live that way now."

He realized just how much he'd been talking about himself. "What about you? Where are you from?"

"My home was boring." Locke waved her hand airily. "And not all that pleasant. I left for reasons I try not to dwell on. Post-Exaltation? That's where the fun starts."

Titus shrugged. He'd tried, and it was her decision. "So what about that, then? Do you have some sort of place you want to call home that isn't boring? Or at least some sort of favorite city."

"Oh, I'd love to, but your carnal associates tend to ensure that I can't linger in any one place for too long." The other Solar snickered, taking the bite out of the remark. "That may change with Nexus, though."

He was never going to live that down, was he? "So tell me about Nexus, then. What all do you like about it, besides my inability to screw my enemies?"

The joking was helping ease his tensions when it came to discussing that sort of thing, but he still found himself sounding awkward as he said it. Still, he was determined to keep up a joking demeanor. Maybe he'd get used to it soon.

"Well, Nexus is the central trade hub among the Confederation of Rivers, meaning it draws its protection from Lookshy, mostly, as well as the assembled forces of the rest of the Confederates. It has a... unique legal system, that I'm sure we'll need to go over when we get there because it's probably changed since I last heard of it. The Council runs Nexus, in addition to the presence of the Emissary. Add in the still-present influence of the Realm, the MAJOR influence of the Guild, the Council, the trade companies, Lookshy, the criminal enterprises in competition with the guild, and a couple of Celestials like you and I, and things can get complicated in a hurry. Like every major city, there are good parts of town and bad parts, and how pleasant it is to live in is determined by where you are and who you know.

"However, Nexus is also built right over a huge First Age ruin, meaning that you can basically pick a spot and start digging and you'll eventually hit something magical. You have to be careful about it, of course, but "Scavenger Lord" is a legitimate profession there. Really, this whole part of the world is littered with First Age ruins. Didn't Nova take you to train in one?"

Titus nodded. "Well, yeah." He held up his fist wraps. "That's where I got these bad boys. It was mostly in disrepair, though, and I kind of wrecked some of it, too."

"Yeah, that happens depressingly often." Locke took a look at the handwraps. "Those look damaged. If you find an artificer, ask him or her to take a look at them. You never know where you're going to get with damaged artifacts."

The conversation continued, and drifted into all manner of topics. Sometimes it would lapse for hours, and that was fine too. Eventually, it was time to make camp. True to her word, Locke was reasonably competent at gathering food from the bountiful forest, though the diet was high on fruits and nuts and low on meat. And that night, all was calm, save for a singular, distant howl.

So it went through the days, and into the second week. Locke was full of amusing stories, but gave away little about herself. And after the first week, she too had noted that they heard the howling each night. This would still have been no cause for alarm, save that it was getting closer.

It was in the third week that it came to a head. Locke had kept the wagon moving after dark, hoping to reach a shelter she knew of before a rainy front moved in. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, she still managed to keep the mood light. "...so the Governor's daughter was found on the house steps the next morning, wearing a giant, decorative bow - and nothing else - the economy of the province collapsed, and the baker was never heard from again! And that's the story of why Sidereals don't make fortune cookies anymore."

Titus laughed distractedly, too preoccupied with the mental image he had of the bow-girl. "Well now I just want to see if you can one up yourself in Nexus." He frowned. "No way I'm wearing a bow, though." His frown only continued as he looked up at the looming clouds. "You think we'll make it before we have an impromptu shower?"

"I think so. The weather is strange for this time of year. Do you feel that?" A chill wind whipped down the road, along with a couple of snow flurries. "It's getting toward the end of Earthfall, Titus. We shouldn't be seeing that this far south."

Titus' response was cut off when Locke rounded a bend in the road to see a Caravan already parked near the shelter. "Ah, great," She moaned, "I didn't know anyone else had found it." Upon closer inspection, the Caravan was quite large - and not in the shelter yet. Moreover, it was rather clearly either a travelling circus or a slave caravan, judging from the number of barred cage-wagons it featured.

Locke brought the wagon to a halt. "Mrm. Not good. A strong, pretty guy and a classy pretty girl are going to get all the attention, here. What do you think?"

"Handsome, not pretty," Titus said on reflex, eyeing the crowd. "But I'd rather be gawked at than sit in the rain." He found himself staring at the cage-wagons, and found himself wondering. "You think they're slavers?"

"I'm sure they are. Carnies would have more variety." Locke considered for a moment as she pulled up to the end of the caravan. "Alright, I can talk my way past them, just let me-"

A silver, blue, and black explosion of light at the front of the caravan preceded by a split second the anguished screams that most likely belonged to the people whose limbs and bodies could be seen soaring though the air, frequently in different directions. An alarm went out across the caravan as the guards began to react.

SRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZotzUdeyPik)

Titus' eyes widened. "Oh, crap! Awesome!" His eyes widened further as he began to wonder how discriminatory the explosion was. "Oh, double crap, the slaves!" He raised a hand to Locke. "Be right back!"

And bolted before she had anything to say about it. This would be fun.

Titus only made it halfway before meeting the attacker. A young woman with white hair, tattered garments, and a massive silver scythe moved through the caravan guards like it was a giant choreographed dance that ended with all of them meeting the blade sooner or later. The scythe bent and twisted to accommodate her motions, obviously special somehow. Nor was that the last of her abilities - a furious overseer took a swing at her from behind only to freeze solid and shatter. And she never actually moved, instead popping around the battlefield, changing locations without seeming to cross the intervening space. As Titus watched, she seemed to attack several guards down one side of the caravan at once, flickering pre-images of the woman arriving and fighting momentarily before bisecting their targets.

The woman was shrouded in a halo of light, but unlike Titus's it was... odd. The outer corona was a brilliant blue/white platinum color, but the interior was a twisting miasma of something that was Not Light. Something /fascinating/ to look at. A silver, empty circle glowed on the young woman's forehead, but her features were hard to make out beyond that. Additionally, a trio of silver halos swirled around her in a triple-thick corona.

Unfortunately, she also seemed to care little for a priori alliances, and she turned to Titus the same way she looked at the other guards.

The young woman narrowed her eyes and didn't-move, appearing right in front of Titus and swinging with the weapon in a massive horizontal arc, the shaft and blade twisting to catch him. The air itself freezed into snow flurries as she swung, and an aura of biting cold heralded her presence.

Titus raised his arm as the mysterious snow-lady turned her attention to him. "Oh, hi!" he shouted, having to raise his voice over the madness around them. "Do you need some heoh****!" He threw himself out of the way, trying to focus. She was so...interesting! But maybe she didn't know he wasn't a slaver? Well, he could fix that!

As soon as he took care of this. He focused inward, focusing his Essence into his limbs and skin. He felt warmer, which maybe would help against the freezy-scythe.

He hoped it didn't start raining.

Titus hadn't been thinking about hiding, especially since this lady wasn't. Thus, his forehead burst with golden light, and white clouds began to erupt from his skin, while a green-gold dragon erupted from behind him. Its body constantly moved, and its glowing red eyes were as fixed on the woman as he was.

And then the scythe came in at what Titus swore was an impossible angle, cutting a neat gash into his chest while sending both him and a freezing blast of air back several yards.

"Resilient." It was the first word he'd heard her say since the fight broke out. Her voice was a bit high for a contralto, but still lived somewhere in that zone. It was also weirdly familiar. "But I'd expect that from a Solar. What I didn't expect was you guarding a Slave Caravan."

Titus gave a cough as he patted his chest. His hand came away bloody, and he realized that it hurt. Damn. Kaizoku had never been able to hit that hard, although there were times that Nova had.

"Ow! Crap, lady, I'm here to smash slavers!" He dusted himself off. "You just beat me to the punch!" Or scythe, rather.

He made no move to strike back, although it was really, really tempting. He wasn't going to run, though. "I'm serious! Now, I like what you're doing, and godsdamn, lady, that smarts, but I'm here to help! I swear!"

He tried to find the nearest slaver, and made a grab for him. He nearly missed because he seriously could not stop looking at the pretty lights, but he was able to lift one up by the neck.

Which he quickly broke absentmindedly. "See?!"

She laughed. "That's a good one. But your wagon is parked neatly in line behind theirs. That you'd turn on them so quickly really just shows a startling lack of commitment." Another warp and she was standing over him, balanced easily on one of the wagons. The silver halos whirling around her condensed into a line of death. "And thus ends another Sun-Child, his last words a tiresome bluff."

"TITUS!" Locke had caught up with him at last, and the word froze the lady where she stood. Another guard took the opportunity to try to deliver a haymaker to the back of her head, but he froze halfway there, dead before he toppled.

"Who are you?"

Titus waved his arm in the air, still connected to the dead slaver. "Hi, Locke! Little busy!" He flicked the body away, and turned back to the silvery woman. "Titus, son of Janus. I'm from Emdar! Not a fan of slaves, big fan of your persona-of-death thing, though!" He coughed. "Ow. Not bluffing. Are we cool now?" He realized how bad the pun was, but, well. He was so focused on the lady that someone else tried to stab him from behind, only to have their spear break in half. He flicked behind him as if swatting a fly, breaking a man's skull open in the process. "Because if we are, I was going to make sure the slaves were okay. You're making it a bit difficult!"

"Titus..." The banner cleared enough to reveal the young woman's features though the haze of dark blue not-light shot through with flashes of white. Though she had clearly gotten all growed up, and though it had been more than a year...

...it was Caelia.

Titus froze. He raised an arm to his head and began scratching, completely forgetting about the destruction around them. "C...Cae...Caelia? You..."

It was several seconds before he finally took his eyes off of her and scanned the battlefield, although his eyes trailed back to her soon enough. "Well, uh, you certainly grew...up."

Last time he'd seen her, she'd been having a rough time of it with the Haltans. He was reasonably sure she wasn't...super powered, or whatever she was back then. The scythe was obviously new.

"Well, uh," he fumbled. Wasn't she, like, a lot younger than him? Which was weird because he was still staring at her. Something to do with those lights she had going off. He shook his head, remembering that they were in the middle of a battle. "Uh."

Yeah, words weren't coming, so he settled for grabbing another slaver and giving him a Kaizoku-toss.

"****. Shiiiiit." Caelia shook her head, a rather dog-like motion, actually. "You can't possibly still be alive. And not... not like this...augh." She paced back and forth on the wagon-edge for a moment. "I need time to process this. Don't try to follow." With that, she sprang off the wagon into a backflip, dissipating into a cloud of Caelia-images again that finished off all but a couple of the remaining slavers. She took one more long look at him, her eyes searching for something in his. Whether or not she found it, she turned, and one last afterimage darted into the face of the cliff the shelter was built into as Caelia ran straight into it and disappeared, leaving a spiderweb of silver cracks behind.

Locke dispatched the final two slavers as Titus watched. "Well that certainly looked dramatic. You knew her?"

Titus had his eyes glued to the spot Caelia's after image had disappeared. This was...he thought she'd been dead. Written her off, just like the rest of his friends. How could she still be alive? And super-powered? But...that didn't look very Solar, to him. Too...weird. But did it matter? He'd only known her for, what, an afternoon? And then all this happened, and why couldn't he get her out of his head? It wasn't...well, maybe a little, but c'mon, she was so young...but she didn't look like it. And it wasn't that much younger.

He blinked. Locke was still waiting on an answer. "From Emdar, yeah. We...had been robbing the same place. Then I tried to help her escape the city, but I lost track of her...I thought she'd died. I guess she figured the same for me." What did she mean, "not like this"? Any time was good for reuniting, as far as he was concerned. He was just happy to see someone he'd known. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that he literally could not stop thinking about how her hair was now white, and she'd lost the freckles, but it was still her nose, her chin, her...how did he even recognize all of that junk, anyway?

"She's...changed, for certain. I can tell you she couldn't make people freeze like that. I wonder what she's become. Or why she's..." He let that trail off. He was still looking at where she'd run through a damn wall. "...It would have been nice to talk to her."

"Maybe." Locke stared at the silver cracks as well. "I take it this is your first time meeting a Lunar?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus began to scratch at his chest-itch, which was probably bad. But it was itchy.

"She was a Lunar? Er, I mean, yeah, at least knowingly. Nova had apparently hung out with me for years and I never noticed she was a Sidereal. Shows what I know." He turned to face Locke. Funny how she was pretty, but nowhere near as...interesting, was that the right word? "How could you tell? All I noticed was silver colors and icy stuff. Figured it could be anything."

[Jade_Tarem]

"The silver colors and icy stuff. Look for the caste mark." Locke pointed to her own forehead, and a golden, full circle of light appeared. "Every Celestial Exalt has one. Hers marked her as a No-Moon Lunar." She shrugged. "And she may have Exalted since you last met. Like you did."

[Astro_sol]

Titus decided to commit that to memory. "Didn't know that was their theme. Right." He walked up to where Caelia had disappeared and lightly knocked on it. "She hit like a ton of bricks. Haven't been hurt like this since I Exalted." He hoped that she wasn't too upset by it. He certainly wasn't. He took a few moments to trace his fingers along the cracks before idly slamming the rock face, creating a bigger, more natural spiderweb of cracks.

"Well, I'm not going to try following her." He turned back around and looked out at the battlefield. He needed to distract himself. "I'll, uh...clean this up. So it doesn't smell. What are we going to do about the slaves?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"It isn't their collective theme. Lunars- we can have this conversation another time." Locke took a look around at the caravan. "I'll organize the slaves. There's enough weapons and armor here for them to form a group, but if they weren't taken from the same spot, there could be trouble."

It didn't take long for Titus to stop the bleeding - merely willing it to cease was enough, and he was pretty sure that ability had come from his exaltation. Locke's efforts took a bit longer, but by the time she was done, the group was indeed organized. A very grateful older woman who was their new 'leader' thanked the duo profusely, and they collectively decided to bed down in the shelter. Indeed, it had been built here in ages past - possibly as far back as the First Age - for specifically this purpose. None of the old tech worked, and the vast majority was stripped out, but the area (what appeared on the outside to be a hole in a hill ended up being a sprawling, clear-cut cavern complex) was still dry, covered, and relatively waterproof, which proved important as the skies opened up immediately after Locke had restructured their social hierarchy.

There was nothing so dynamic about what Locke did, especially compared to Caelia's flashy moves from earlier, but it was remarkable watching her work. She ended arguments with a word, fights with a glance, and none questioned her authority. And unlike the villagers outside the Temple of Anistasis had with Titus, Locke was never asked to perform menial labor. Watching Locke move through the group and issue gentle but firm orders, Titus began to see for the first time why the old Solars had held the title of Lawgivers. Locke gave them laws and these were obeyed without question.

Finally everything was settled, someone had started up a fire - there were clever vents in the ceiling that let smoke out without letting water in, and the open cave entrance, while necessitating a guard, did keep everyone from suffocating - and dinner was served. There was no focused entertainment, only the excited and weary chatter of those who had lost everything and were now contemplating how to make the most of their opportunity to get it back.

"I could have handled this better." Locke admitted to Titus, out of the blue. "I got impatient. Should have let them work more of this out on their own, but I didn't want to lose supplies to the weather. Think they'll be alright?"

[Astro_sol]

The admission was certainly a surprise, and Titus didn't pretend otherwise. He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, well, I thought you did great. Certainly better than anyone else would have done. I mean, what else could we do? It's not like we could dedicate ourselves to helping each and every single one of them. It...it'd be nice, yeah, but it just wouldn't work out. We've done the best we can. Give them food, give them stuff to defend themselves...and, well, I would say that it really isn't our responsibility and couldn't have been, because Caelia was the one who started it all, but I'm going to be honest here. I'm not a fan of slavers, especially after what happened to my family." His gaze hardened. "If Caelia hadn't started something, I would have."

His face brightened almost as quickly as the anger had appeared. "There's no guarantee, honestly, whether they'll be okay. But we did our best...no, you did your best. I didn't even think about a clash of culture." He shrugged. "Fists only fix so many problems...and I'm glad you're here to fix the problems these bad boys ca...shouldn't solve."

[Jade_Tarem]

Locke chuckled. "I appreciate the pep talk, but it's unnecessary. I've been doing this for a couple of years now, as you'll recall." Her gaze swept around the cavern. "It's a shame Caelia attacked when she did. I could have probably convinced the slavers to make a lifestyle adjustment."

[Astro_sol]

Titus frowned. "I...don't doubt it, except for..." He paused. This was one of those mental issue things, and he still was wrapping his head around it. "Can you really change someone like that? Someone who has the capability of looking at another person and can just...so easily look at them the same way you'd look at a chair. As just a utility." He shook his head. "Could you really just turn around their entire outlook on...everything, magic words or not? Is that any better than killing them? Is that part of who they are? I mean, it was one thing to do something like convince me to come help you after I helped my family. That didn't change anything fundamental about me. But..."

He shook his head. "Sorry. I may have trained with Nova for ages, but I'm still trying to get a handle on all of this. What makes a person a person, and all that. What exactly we can do to people. I still remember how helpless I felt when I realized what Exalts could do to me as a mortal."

[Jade_Tarem]

Locke leaned back against the wall of the cavern and closed her eyes behind the mask. "I'd wondered when we'd be having this discussion. Shaia said the whole Social Exalted thing bothered you." With her arms crossed, she tapped the finger of one hand against her other arm as she thought. "There are really two kinds of mental influence, at least at the level of personal interaction - economic and political influence, while also things a Solar like us can excel at, are a bit beyond the scope of this discussion. The two kinds of influence are natural, and unnatural. Everyone can influence people naturally. It's about making a good argument, making people like you, making people notice you, all that jazz. Then there's unnatural mental influence - I have charms that will let me ram thoughts and beliefs into someone's head, or the heads of lots of people. Give me a little time, and I can restructure a city-sized organization around an entirely new set of guiding principles. I can wave my hand and make someone I'm talking to believe almost anything. All of this is unnatural influence; it's pretty straightforward." She gives a humorless smirk, eyes still closed. "Where the line gets blurry is when I use my magic to enhance natural influence to the point where my charisma and influence become superhuman. I still haven't done anything to anyone directly, but they'll believe outlandish things or give me more authority then they normally would because I'm just that persuasive."

She finally turned her head to look at Titus, opening her eyes. "But that's not your real concern, is it? No, what you're worried about is whether or not I've already done something, or will do something, to you, yes?"

[Astro_sol]

The question wasn't unexpected.

"I asked Red about you the night you were with Shaia." He cocked his head. "Asked someone else who knew you after we met before I Solar'd. They both said that you were a good person, and I trust that. To be honest? I had already decided that I'd do whatever you wanted me to before you asked me for help. So I don't...really care. Doesn't matter if you did or didn't, because I was going to anyway. The first time...it bothered me, yeah. But it was a nice, pretty girl who wasn't asking me to abandon my family. This time it was a nice, pretty girl who I was already feeling guilty towards. If you were planning on it, I'd tell you not to worry about it. I guess things are different now that I'm Solar'd. I'll prolly be working it out for a while when you try it with mortals, but...your heart's in the right place. I guess like I like to think mine is when I try to punch my problems out. You just happen to punch brains. With words." He shrugged. "It's more like I'm trying to work out if there's anything really that different in how we do things. Yours certainly hurts less."

[Jade_Tarem]

"It's not quite that simple, but I appreciate the thought. It's certainly one of the less hostile reactions I've seen." Locke adjusted her tiara absently, as though the fidgeting motion was alien to her. "Mind if I ask a question of my own? What are your goals for yourself, not counting what I'm doing. Say that your travels with me ended tomorrow, where would you go? What would you do?"

[Astro_sol]

It was a question he'd been asking himself before he'd run into Locke, and he said as much. "I'm...not exactly sure, really. Or, at least, I don't know what I want to do right now. I've got the God-King ideas down, but I know for a fact that I'm still not strong enough to enforce all of my ideals, and I'm still not sure I've got a handle on those." His hand absently began to scratch at his hair. "I know I want to change how powerless mortals are. Or how Exalts tend to treat them. Or both, I dunno. But for now...I may not be a thief anymore, but I'd want to start making some money. Which is partly why I agreed to come along. And...now that I've found Caelia, I'm honestly pretty curious who else survived. So I'd probably go looking for them, see who all made it. Try to make sure they're in a good situation. Try to make a good situation if they were in trouble."

He kicked at a rock, watching it soar a good distance. He didn't mention eventually looking for Nova again, or that tournament she'd mentioned. He still had a ways to go before that became a real priority. "If you're worried I'll find something else important enough to make me want to leave, don't. Only thing I could imagine is hearing my family's in trouble in Shadowholt, and I'm just going to go on assuming they're okay."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Making money isn't that hard." Locke shrugged. "Although I guess it might be if all your Charms are combaty. Typically if I just stay in one spot long enough people will start giving me things. Comes with the looks, I guess." The masked woman got up and made her way to the wagon. "I think my bedroll is probably dry enough now. Anything else you wanted to ask before I go to sleep?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus bit his lip; as far as he knew, all of his Charms could be considered combat-y.

"No, I think that does it for tonight." Well, he did consider asking whether she really had worked some mind magic on him, just for kicks, but he'd meant what he said before. "Sleep well. I'll stay up for a little while longer."

[Jade_Tarem]

Morning saw the Celestials and mortals part ways, but it was a good start to a day regardless. Idle chatter about nothing filled the time until lunch, when Locke called a halt. As something meaty and only slightly unnatural roasted over an open fire ("Tastes like chicken" was all Locke would say on it), a flash of something remembered crossed her face. "Ah! Before we get too much closer to civilization, we need to work on our act."

[Astro_sol]

Titus cocked his head. "Oh, right. Act. Er. I totally had that covered."

He didn't have it covered.

"...Did you have anything in mind? I was just thinking I'd be your bodyguard, or something."

He hadn't thought that at all before this moment.

[Jade_Tarem]

"Bodyguard may be difficult. My usual ploy is to hope no one asks, and if they do, tell them I'm an outcast Dragon-Blooded and not interested in going to the Realm. I doubt they'd believe the mortal is guarding the Terrestrial, not in Nexus, anyway. Though... that disguise has never held up well in Nexus regardless. What if we reversed it? If I take off my amulet, I'm not superhumanly pretty, but I *could* be pretty enough to be a servant of yours, and I've had lots of practice playing that role. You've pulled off the God-Blooded charade once, you could do it again..."

[Astro_sol]

Titus gave several, several blinks. Locke as his servant girl...

And all too quickly, his mind provided helpful ideas, such as Locke referring to him as "Master", washing his feet, tending to his clothes, and tending to his - he needed to stop thinking about that right now.

"Ah! Um. Well." He realized he couldn't hide the coloring of his face, and decided to just roll with it. "Well, er, whatever you say. Um. So what would you suggest I'm doing in town? On holiday from my hometown? I suppose I could say I'm from another lesser known country in the, uh, Hundred Kingdoms." Want me to rub your shoulders, Master? Or somewhere...else? Good gods almighty, no! She already said no! Don't make this awkward! "I...can do the Godblooded thing, yeah. Kind of new to having a servant, though, so, uh..." More ponderings on how sexy just blinking could be. He'd been doing fine before this! They were just traveling partners! She was a tease, and teases stayed teases! Right?! "I'd need your help, there, I guess."

[Jade_Tarem]

Locke's eyebrow rose as she gauged Titus's reaction. "On second thought, there are other options. Merchant cousins... except we have nothing to sell. Traveling entertainers if you can perform something. We can even pretend to be wandering spirits, though that charade falls apart the second real gods want to do business with us. Hrm..." The Zenith considered her options. "Well, any of those can be fixed. I could teach you to perform, we could acquire goods, etc. Any of that ring a bell?"

[Astro_sol]

Oh thank the gods. Wait! No! My lady servant! Wait, no, that's pretty close to slavery, isn't it? Didn't I just get onto-focus!

Titus shook his head, but it didn't stop the continual distraction of Locke kneeling in front of him, hands held out in a begging motion. He settled for one of his eyebrows continually twitching, and he ran over what she'd just said in his head, just to make sure he didn't blurt out something stupid. "Right. I can perform. I could learn, I mean. When I was a pickpocket, I'd just wait for someone else to do all that business." He held a hand to his forehead, and that didn't help either. "I'm afraid all I got right now is the Human Ox routine, but I'm pretty good with my hands."

Oh, that really didn't help. His cheeks were really burning at this point.

"I mean, yeah, used to be a pickpocket, and all. I could probably reapply some of those skills. Could probably juggle. Maybe a trick with cards? We had a few members of the Marks who could do something like that, I know it had something to do with quick fingers."

[Jade_Tarem]

"We could try something like that. Do you have another outfit? Something more showy? No, I suppose not. So we're going to need some money anyway. Mrm." Locke looks down the road for a moment. "Well, the fastest way to getting money and goods is probably violence. Beyond that, we can take a week-long detour and let me play economics in a nearby city. Any other ideas?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus frowned, grabbing a hold of his shirt to inspect it when Locke mentioned the clothing issue. His clothing was fine, right? Men didn't need more than one outfit, or maybe a pair of pajamas along with it.

"Violence is easy, yeah, but I'd...rather not, unless you happen to know of a bandit stronghold that totally needs an ass-whooping in a way that doesn't get a lot of attention." He began to nibble on one of his fingernails, frowning. Thinking was hard. So he stuck with what he knew.

"Why not just be soldiers? Mercenaries or something." He imagined Locke in armor. He found that he was giving the armor curves, and he was pretty sure that wasn't a thing. "Or refugees, hell. Find out about the nearest convenient destroyed place, pretend we're from there." He shrugged. "Technically, I could just be an Emdarian refugee."

[Jade_Tarem]

"I do know of a bandit stronghold in need of a whoopin'. It's called Nexus." Locke laughed. "Refugees is a good idea. It explains why we don't have much in the way of possessions or connections, explains a lot, really. And it sounds better than fugitives. Good thinking. Now where should I be a refugee from...?"

Locke spent the rest of the morning thinking out loud, finally settling on simply inventing a backwater village. Apparently, there were any number of such lost little towns scattered throughout the East, and this would not raise too many questions. With that resolved, Locke spurred the horses to a slightly faster pace, and the pair of Celestials made better progress. Better progress, however, did not reduce the trip to a trivial amount of time, and soon the pair sought entertainment again. Locke was happy to provide. "What do you know about the gods, Titus? The big and bad ones, I mean... the Incarnae?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus raised an eyebrow, but didn't react otherwise. "What, them? I know they're incredibly single-minded just because they are, and they're stupid powerful and not here. Because reasons." He shrugged. "Not much. To be honest, before I got muscle-sexy, I really didn't think about them at all, good or bad. But now they're apparently something I gotta think about. I got that semi-note...speaking...thing that the Big Sun Guy left for me, but apparently that was automatic or something. That's really it for what I know about them.

[Jade_Tarem]

"Lesser gods are single-minded. The more powerful - and important - the god, though, the more diverse their methods and eh, motivations are. For instance, presumably this road we're traveling on has a god. If that god has enough of a domain for conscious thought, then I assure you, the state of the road is the most important thing to that god - that and maybe trying to be the god of something more than a road. You with me so far? Good." Locke navigated the wagon around a newly-formed major pothole in the road, still full of rainwater from the previous night. "Now let's consider a "bigger" god, like the god of luck. His name is Plentimon, and and you can tell he's a much more powerful deity simply by the fact that he's in charge of a nearly ubiquitous abstract concept. People pray to him consciously and unconsciously, all the time, whereas people are rarely going to pray to a road. This increases both his power and his status, and these things, in addition to luck and enterprises that promote it - such as gambling and business - are all major concerns of his. In other words, he's not so much single minded as centered around expanding his influence, either through promoting risk taking or simply maneuvering through the bureaucracy of Yu-Shan."

The Zenith Caste paused for a moment to let that sink in. "The Incarnae, though, they're a different story still. Unlike lesser gods, many of whom come to exist around a basic, minor thing or concept, the Incarnae have been around since literally the beginning of time, and a lot of the stories of them are closer to myths than legitimate history... but you can learn a lot from a myth. So let me tell you a little story about the Unconquered Sun. A long, long time ago, during the massive war where the gods and their newfangled Exalted took on the Primordials for control of the known universe, the Primordials realized very early on that while the gods could not fight them directly, they could still provide tremendous aid and support to the Exalted who did the actual fighting. Moreover, as the Primordials had created the gods, they knew a few things about them that, perhaps, the gods did not know about themselves. The Unconquered Sun, for instance, is among other things the god of virtue, and they sought to turn this against him. They offered to let a single captured mortal go, in good faith, if he would surrender himself." Locke snorted. "Picture it for a moment. One mortal, versus the massive, sky-shattering might and perfect strategic ability of the Unconquered Sun. It was the most inequitable wartime trade ever devised, and only a total idiot would have accepted. An idiot... or the Unconquered Sun, because take it he did. Sol Invictus surrendered himself for a single mortal, and why? Because virtue is meaningless if you abandon it when convenient, that's why."

[Astro_sol]

Titus gave the road an almost apologetic glance; he'd hocked a loogey onto it before, and that may have offended the god. If it was able to be offended. Where did the sentience start? Was there a god of latrines? Was he or she popular?

So many questions, and yet only one truly gave him pause.

"Well, that sounds mighty nice of him." He realized how that sounded and shook his head. "No, I mean...sorry. He sounds like a great...guy. God. Thing. And that was a noble thing to do."

He pointed back down the road where they'd come from. "But why didn't he promise to save any of those people from the slavers? I mean, I get that there are a lot of people who need help, but I don't hear about him doing anything anymore. I know the Solars went psycho, but what about the regular people? Why not help them?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"That's a good question," Locke shrugged, "and if I could get to Yu-Shan, maybe I could tell you. By all accounts, though, it's a matter of honoring free will, managing things at a higher level, general fatigue, something called the "Games of Divinity," or perhaps all of the above."

[Astro_sol]

Titus bit his lip. "Games of Divinity" might have been a euphemism for something. Or, much more likely, it totally wasn't, and the gods were too busy playing chess to pay attention to anyone.

But isn't that weak? Constantly asking the gods for help, like a mongrel squabbling in the mud?

Titus raised his eyebrows at the thought. He hadn't meant to put it so harshly, but it did come across that way to him. It was almost like people had been made that way...but the gods had made the Exalts. And made a whole bunch of other stuff. Maybe they were just tired of it all?

He quietly pulled out a small red bound book he'd gotten in town on a trip, and had proceeded to use for absolutely nothing because journal writing was for strange, secluded people. But he felt like he had to keep up with some of his thoughts. So he wrote.

'Dear Diary,

Maybe the gods need a ****ing break.'

He then proceeded to jot down the rest of his thoughts, but he didn't want to leave Locke hanging. "So how bad would it be if the gods took a break? Would it be possible for someone to step in for their job? An Exalt, maybe, even if only to take the job for a short time? Or what if we came up with some kind of, I dunno, way to do it with no one behind the wheels? Like some kind of driverless wagon that takes people where they need to go. But the wagon's a god and the people are still people, but they need stuff besides traveling."

'Dear Diary,

**** metaphors.'

[Jade_Tarem]

"Gods take breaks all the time. If the gods all took a break simultaneously, though, that would be really bad." Locke's face scrunched up a bit as she cogitated on that. "Gods are the caretakers of Heaven and Creation, and while a lot of them do only the bare minimum necessary to maintain their duties, a mass absence would result in lots and lots of stuff going wrong at once. Rivers overflowing, fauna becoming unusually violent, probability going nuts, economies crashing and - if we're including the Incarnae and their aides in this - the cessation of Fate, a wreck in the time flow, and the failure of the sun or moon to rise."

She lets that sink in for a bit, taking that time to maneuver the wagon through a few more pothole-strewn patches of road. "That said, back in the First Age, a whole lot of stuff *was* done by automating magitech - I wasn't there, obviously, but what I've uncovered leads me to believe that even the mortals of that day had some conveniences out of the reach of today's Dynasts. Ooohh!" She lights up. "You were talking about the Incarnae specifically, weren't you? The short answers are 'no' and 'they already did.' The Incarnae are on break more often than not. Sol does not, personally, oversee the sun rising any more than the Incarnae personally weave Fate as it flows through the loom - that's handled by the 'Daystar,' whatever that is, and Pattern Spiders, which Nova may have filled you in on. Those are machines, though sapient, allowing the Incarnae to do, well, less.Why the Incarnae need that much time to rest, I don't know, but I do know that no one Exalt could 'stand in' for them. Remember, we have the powers we do by being fused to a tiny fraction of the Essence of the Unconquered Sun. Can your big toe fill in for the rest of you?" Locke giggled, and then sighed. "Plus, I still remember meeting him - the Unconquered Sun, I mean. Not face-to-face, but I was blessed with a vision. We talked, and he showed me... things. Lots of things, actually. Then the hilarity began. I'll tell you the story of it sometime. But for now..."

The wagon took a hill, and - with the morning mist having burned away without Titus realizing it - a remarkable scene revealed itself. In addition to the beauty of the East sweeping forward from forests to flatter farmlands, and a massive city sprawled out before them, still far enough away that wagons were tiny specks and people were all but invisible. Plumes of smoke bespoke the industry of civilization, and the size of the city and river boat traffic belied an important trade hub. Here, tens, maybe hundreds of thousands could make or break their fortunes in every enterprise from archeology to crime to politics. "That," Locke said proudly, "is Nexus!" Then she blinked. "No, wait, that's Great Forks. Damn. Well, that's the halfway point. Are you hungry?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus tried to keep from snickering at the big toe remark, and outright failed to contain a snort at the "things" the Sun might have shown Locke. But he couldn't help but wonder what made her so special compared to him.

Probably because she's got looks and smarts. And fight, unlike you, you big doof.

He mentally shrugged. He was still learning. Probably always would. Just like how big Great Forks was compared to his hometown. Emdar had been a city, yes, and they'd been something of a trader-stop in the chaos that was the Hundred Kingdoms. But it hadn't been this big...or at least he'd never looked at it from an angle like this. And yet, it was just a peg in their journey towards Nexus, which was just another peg in his supposedly long life. Unless he died tomorrow. Like he'd almost died to Caelia's scythe.

He shook himself back to reality, the flash of what-was-probably-not-steel still flashing in his mind's eye. His stomach took the initiative and growled appropriately. "I could eat a horse." He blinked, and nodded ahead of them. "Ours are probably fine. I think. Ask me again in five minutes."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Nah, I've got this."

Meander's assessment of Locke's overabundance of confidence aside, the Zenith did indeed 'have this.' She disappeared into the woods and, about half an hour later, came back with an assortment of berries, roots, and some sort of wild fowl, and minutes later it was all roasting. Locke revealed that she had no intention of stopping in or near Great Forks for supplies, noting that she could forage pretty effectively and it would be one less clue for the Wyld Hunt to follow.

The days and nights passed uneventfully. Locke was an unending fount of stories, history, mythology, and gossip, but rarely said anything about herself, beyond her preferences in the here-and-now, and artfully dodged all questions leading in that direction. More reassuringly, or perhaps not, no evidence of Caelia surfaced during that time - whatever the Lunar had gone off to meditate about, she was apparently having a good, long think on it.

Eventually, Nexus did loom before them, and it was impressive enough to make Grand Forks pale in comparison. Oh, the signs had been present the day before, as they crossed the invisible barrier marked by statues of someone Locke had called the "Emissary." Apparently this comprised the border of the zone governed by Nexus law. Said countryside was not beautiful - the eastern deciduous forests had given way to flatlands and rolling hills designed - in some cases literally - to support wide-scale commercial agriculture. Higher elevations supported orchards and farms not entirely unlike Janus's, though considerably poorer, while the swampier lowlands grew the appropriately named swamp rice - black, chewy, unhealthy, tasteless stuff that even Locke couldn't present in a positive light. The primary benefit of consuming it was, as far as the Zenith could recall, that it was slightly better than starving.

That was the fabric of the landscape, but the buckles and studs were more interesting. Three roads ran into Nexus, all of them secondary to the main path in - the two rivers feeding the mighty city. Dotted along all five of these major routes in were inns, taverns, and other hospitality industries, all of them taxed to the brink of death and lacking in decent accommodations, specifically to encourage people to hurry in to the city. These were interspersed with walled compounds that started at the ostentatiousness of the Aelius Estate and worked their way up from there, and the roads themselves were traveled by everyone from slave chain gangs on up to people who could have sat down at a noble Emdarian banquet. The sharp juxtaposition of the haves and the have-nots was a stark message to all comers - Nexus could make or break you.

And still, that was nothing compared to the city itself. Canals, floodworks, and dams - in all states of repair - formed their own city network between the Yanaze River and the city walls. The city walls, tall and sturdy, were permeated only by their massive gates - which were clearly more for collecting entry fees than defending against marauders. The rivers were no exception, and the riverboat traffic was lined up for entry just as the wagons that Locke pulled into line behind, almost chortling at the thought of what the Essence Kings of the First Age would have thought of two Solars taking a number. The interior of the city was as yet invisible to Titus, but he could see the thick plumes of industry within, including one end of the city that apparently never stopped belching black smog, and the far-away glimpse he'd gotten had showed a wildly variable architecture, not at all like Emdar's.

The Zenith sighed as another holdup at the gate brought the line to a halt. "Well, farmboy, what do you think of true civilization? You'd have to go to the Blessed Isle to find a greater concentration of it."

[Astro_sol]

An eyebrow raised in response. "Well, the one thing that's been bothering me this whole time is this." Titus raised his hands. "Picture this: everyone farts, right?" The look on her face led him to desperately maintain eye contact. "Hear me out! So, everyone farts, and what's civilization but a big gathering of people who fart, right? So we're basically swimming in a sea of invisible farts." He narrowed his eyes at the black plumes in the distance. "Can't tell if that's better or worse than that crap. Ironworks." He finished off by spitting on the dirt.

He rather hoped she hadn't been expecting something profound. All he'd done was look at big stuff off in the distance and deal with crappy food and worse smells. That, and the fact that he was almost feeling claustrophobic from the sheer amount of people that were around. He'd always blended in as a thief, but sometimes he found himself wondering if a god, Exalt, or some other thing were hiding among the people around. He'd noticed that he couldn't keep track of everyone, but training with Nova had led him to pay a lot more attention than he'd used to.

...That, and the off-chance that maybe he'd spot Caelia.

[Jade_Tarem]

Locke blinked several times. "Well, Titus, you've existed directly behind a horse for weeks. If farts were going to be an issue I think you'd have keeled over by now." She shrugged, and the mask bobbed a bit as if she were wagging her eyebrows. "But don't worry, if you start to get overwhelmed, I'll just use my powers to counter-fart."

[Jade_Tarem]

Leaving her olfactory abilities a mystery, Locke spent much of the rest of the time negotiating her way down the line - a line that, perhaps disappointingly, featured absolutely no evidence of Caelia. Sunset had come and gone by the time Locke drove through the gates, spending part of the precious cash reserve on the entry fee. The guards, however, did not question or scrutinize Locke's tale of refugee woe closely, and the destruction of Emdar was apparently known to them, though not nearly the cause for alarm that it was further north.

Once inside the city, progress became reasonably swift again, though not as fast as it had been on the open road. Indeed, it was just as crowded, and the only appreciable difference was that everyone was moving faster. Despite the pace, Titus was able to get his first look at the architecture of Nexus - spanning the spectrum from ramshackle shanty towns to buildings that had to have been constructed with the mystical technology of the First Age, Nexus was just as much of an enigma inside as out.

Locke finally brings the wagon to a halt in a circular plaza-type area, named 'Monument Square' for reasons known only to the city planners. She nods at a monument in the middle of the zone, a massive statue of an armored figure. "That's our mark, by the way," she whispers.

[Astro_sol]

Titus had been zoned out staring at a particular lining of what seemed to be shops. At least, they had the necessary signs of them; it was just that they looked incredibly boxy, and made of some kind of metal. And then the next building was made of clay. It threw him off; some inner urge wanted to smash the poor-looking houses and make everything neat. But the boxes had to go; the next place looked exotic, with weird trapezoidal shapes and curved roofs and-

Locke interrupted his train of thought. He raised an eyebrow in response. "What?" he replied with a smirk, though not too loudly. "You want me to steal the statue?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Noo..." Locke sounded annoyed at first, but then turned contemplative. "Unless... no." She pointed at the earth beneath them, "The statue sits over a First Age Solar's tomb, possibly my predecessor's. It's remained untapped so far because it's in a public space, making a major looting operation difficult, but more importantly because the defenses are still operational. That's where you come in."

"If that isn't an entry cue..." With a thump, the two Solars were suddenly made aware of a third presence in the back of the wagon. A look behind them revealed Red lounging among the wares in all his gear, scarf dangling merrily off the back and bow propped up against his shoulder. Locke blinked, then glanced at Titus. "I thought you were doing a bunch of awareness training with Nova."

"I just got here, and just in time, too." Though his posture didn't change, Red became more serious. "Locke, Titus, your Bronze friends have been made aware of your team-up. I don't know how. *We* caught your Essence surge west of Great Forks, but we were specifically looking for stuff like that."

"Maybe they just got lucky," Locke shrugged, "we're in Nexus now, so-"

"Do us all a favor and don't finish that sentence." Red cut in, finally sitting up straight. "The Wyld Hunt can't legally operate here, but they might be the least of your problems. Kejak, or one of his many lackeys, has tagged in Ahn-Aru."

That got a reaction from Locke. "What?!" She paled, notably. "I thought Ahn-Aru was dead."

"Everyone thought that. I mean, it sure looked like Lilith killed her, but apparently little miss Ivory had more tricks than expected."

[Astro_sol]

Titus half-raised a hand while looking a bit sheepish. "Uh, yeah. Who's Ahn-Aru? Is her name also Ivory?" He scratched his head. Sure, Locke looked scared, and he hadn't been exactly scared so much as pretty sure he was screwed when Kajak's twin guy had shown up. Surely Ahn-Aru wasn't so bad, unless she was just as ancient. Which she probably wasn't. And she was probably just as vulnerable to a suplex as anyone else.

So he leaned forward with only a hint of a grin. "You think she's a zombie?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Ahn-Aru, a.k.a Sad Ivory, has been one of the Bronze Faction's top assassins for decades, now." Red rattled off the information as though reading it from a list in front of him, though it was unclear if he just had a good memory or if it was some Sidereal trick. "Originally Haltan - though after so long living in Yu Shan that probably isn't much of a factor - she's very familiar with pretty much the entire East and has a few dozen identities and hidey-holes and an unknown number of contacts, though you can bet there will be a bunch here in Nexus. She's a proficient archer - by our standards - and a fairly powerful practitioner of the Violet Bier of Sorrows style of martial arts."

Locke hesitated. "I never did ask last time... she's a Sidereal of Endings, isn't she?"

Red snapped his fingers, pointing at Locke in the same motion. "That's right. Also known as Reckoners, Saturn's Chosen, Heaven's Gardeners, and a few other things depending on where you are."

"I know."

"But Titus might not. You're part of a circle now, Locke, such as it is. Might be time to stop playing things so close to the chest." Red scratched at his head for a moment. "Ah, right. She's not a zombie, Titus, though if she was that would make things a lot easier. It's more likely that she ceased to exist and dropped out of Fate. I mean, she was pretty close to the edge of Creation... it wouldn't be that hard, but..." he shook his head. "Speculation is pointless. Her job is ending organizations, locations, and people, and now she's coming here to end you. I don't know how much direct assistance I can offer, but I'll do what I can. Any questions?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus couldn't help but wonder about Locke's chest, as well as the equally important thought of whether or not zombies actually existed. He had to assume so. He'd fought gentlemen bears.

"Well, not really." He shrugged. "I mean, so she's a sniper assassin, and she's a Siddie, so she's sneaky. And you tell me she's dropped out of Fate, and that implies a lot that I can't really wrap my head around, except that I don't think that makes her immune to a suplex. And she uses arrows, so I'll probably only know she's there when I get shafted in the gut. Unless you tell me she has a problem with men and just goes for crotch shots." He began to scratch his head. "Still, uh, what does she look like? Wait, no, that doesn't work, Nova was like ten years old for a while..." He shrugged. "Does she have some kind of tell? Some way of recognizing her? Anything? Because otherwise, thanks for the warning, I guess? I think I'm in just as much danger knowing this as I would be if I didn't."

[Jade_Tarem]

Red rubbed at his temples as if fighting off a headache. "Please don't be dense. Just knowing that she's after you is a benefit - you can take steps to avoid being easily ambushed, and you already know some of her gimmicks. After this long with Sidereals, though, you should know that her first attack almost certainly won't be an arrow from a rooftop or a sudden knife in the dark - it will be through layers of indirection, through pawns and cat's-paws, and that's the kind of thing you can detect."

He looked up and seemed to spot something through the crowd. "And speaking of detection, I've been here too long." With that, he tumbled off the back of the wagon and vanished as Locke brought the wagon to a halt, and Titus turned to discover that their progress had been barricaded by what looked like a couple dozen large men and one or two large women. They did not look like they were there to offer assistance in unloading the wagon, unless it was through some innovative new technique that involved using clubs, flails, and the occasional tonfa for leverage. "Locke..." the biggest one toyed with his weapon while turning her name into a lengthy, multisyllabic narrative. "The Admiral is pretty unhappy with you."

"The Admiral is pretty unhappy with a lot of things. There's really not that much that floats his boat." Locke's cheer was long gone, replaced with something else - something hard to define. "You should go put on a nice song and dance routine to cheer him up. It's bound to work out better than whatever this is."

"What this is, Locke, is a notice. Leave. And in the hopes that you'd listen, you'll notice we brought a whole bunch of people this time."

"Neat. I brought a Titus." Locke shot her companion a look.

[Astro_sol]

"Oi! I'm not dense, I already knew all that sh-" Titus tried to growl, but Red had jumped ship before he could finish. Damn. Slippery Sidereal ****-for-brains.

He turned around and kept a sullen face throughout the encounter, frowning further at the lack of familiarity with how Locke was feeling. When she gave him that look, he could only interpret it as, "Waste these schmucks." Which was probably just him projecting, because the second he mentioned his puny backup, Titus couldn't stand back.

"Ah, yes, hello," he greeted in a dull voice in that same angry face. He had dropped down next to the cart, but he had taken to leaning on it. "I gotta tell you guys, you don't want to go for the brute force routine. I normally like fighting, but fighting you guys would be like kicking around a bunch of puppies." He cracked a knuckle idly. "By all means, though, let's make a scene. I'd be happy to show you what happens when you use a human body as a club."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Weeellll, I was ready to let you off with a warning if you got out of our way, but after that line, how can I refuse?" The leader-man twirls his flail-like weapon while the group closes in, ready to let sheer numbers try to do the work. "Show me your club and I'll show you mine. Get him, everyone!"

Going to use this light-battle opportunity to test the most basic mass combat rules, which will come in handy if Titus is going to Dynasty Warriors his way through a crowd of mooks from time to time. Looking things over, we can stat Titus as follows:

Titus: Solo Celestial Exalted Close-Combat Hero Unit (Drill 0)
Health boxes equivalent to nine extras, rounding up (Magnitude 1)
Composed entirely of young Celestial Exalted (Might 3)
With basic magical armament (Bonus 2)
Endurance (Solo Unit): Sta + Res = 10
CC Attack Rating: Dex + MA + Bonus = 12
CC Attack Damage: Str + Weapon Damage + Bonus/3 Rounded up = 4
Armor: Lethal Soak/3 Rounded up = 3
Hardness: Also 3
Morale = Valor = 5

With that... Join War, and we'll get the party started!

[Jade_Tarem]

Titus hesitated before pointing down. "Wait, do you mean-" he managed before the first man moved in. "Oh, you didn't. I was gonna say," he ducked, "I don't swing that way." His arm shot out, grabbing the man's wrist and squeezing until he felt it crack. The man started shrieking.

Titus let his face show how he really felt; his gaze darkened and his mouth contorted into a frown. He set his gaze on the ringleader as he casually tossed his prey aside, sending the man rolling. He didn't get up. "That's no way to speak to a lady. I don't give a-" he tried to say, but the ringleader's flail caught him in the face.

The flail fell, only to reveal and angry, unmarred glare. "-**** about your admiral, or what you have to say." He grabbed the man by the face as he was surrounded by the others and slammed him into the ground. He leaned down as the men - and unfortunately, and somewhat ironically, women - closed in. "Remember what I said about a human club?" He changed his grip to the man's legs and heaved, throwing him around with a roar. He clipped several of the attackers, sending them sprawling. "Run home to Admiral *******, and tell him to mind his own business!" With that, he tossed the man straight up into the air, not bothering to catch him on the way down.

He stepped forward, holding his arms out. "Had enough?"

And in point of fact, they had. With the band scattering, Locke simply pulled the wagon up to allow easier access. "Sorry about that... although it didn't seem to be much of a problem for you." She looked around - Titus's rampage had attracted a fair bit of attention. "We're about to get more company than we want. Company that you can't punch through. Let me know if you see anyone else headed our way."

[Astro_sol]

Titus "harrumph"-ed and pulled himself up next to his companion. You could punch your way through anything, as far as he was concerned. It was just a matter of the scale of the punches. He leaned back and put his hands behind his head as he casually scanned the surroundings, and to his dismay there seemed to be no one interested in them beyond a cursory glance, and the usual stares that Locke received for being pretty. He sighed.

"We seem fine, unless we're not and we get ambushed by Siddies or something." He turned his eyes to her. "So, mind telling me the story behind this Admiralwhoever? Or you can keep it secret. I really don't mind, I'm still in a good mood from getting to stretch my legs." He picked a small piece of mace out of his hair and flicked it onto the side of the road. He hadn't even noticed that the damn thing had broken on him. He didn't know if he'd ever get used to that happening. It certainly helped his self esteem from when Caelia had nearly shred him in one go.

[Jade_Tarem]

Locke maintained a frown, if a pretty one. At least, it seemed to be a frown, though it was hard to tell behind the half-mask. She seemed to be thinking something over. The time it took her to do so was enough to carry them out of the big square and down another several roads, though Locke showed no signs of stopping the wagon. Nexus seemed to go on forever.

Finally, she spoke. "You've run into the Guild before, right? Yes, you passed through Shadowholt and lived in Emdar, so you must have at least heard of them. I guarantee that you've worked for them if you ever were part of a street gang like the Jade Marks, though maybe not directly. They are an extranational mercantile organization interested in anything and everything that can make money. Profit is the first, last, and only thing that matters to them. They are not... not the most wicked group of all time, but they hurt countless innocent people from one end of Creation to the other. Many years ago... I was one of them, and that's all I'm going to say about that. After my Second Breath, I made it my mission to try to counter their influence in the East."

"It started well. You've seen my power at work, turning a bunch of desperate, recently-freed refugee/slaves into an orderly evacuation. It doesn't take me much longer to restructure a city-sized organization, and that's exactly what I did at first. I would go from town to village to major trade hub, find the Guild, or whatever front-businesses the Guild was using, and turn them into more honest and charitable enterprises. It was satisfying work, everyone loved me, because of course they do, and it was all so easy." The Zenith sighed. "Too easy, as it turned out."

Locke fiddled with the reins as she continued (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhgiyDTp96Y). "It started when I eventually, on a whim, doubled back to one of the earlier cities. The Guild was back in business, exactly as they were before. I started investigating, and that's when I found out that I wasn't the first person to try this stunt. The Realm has been attempting to gain direct control of the Guild for centuries, using less raw Essence, but more money and manpower, and the Guild has long had a way to compensate for Essence Users trying to interfere in their business. They don't fight back directly, because it won't work, so they just... let them win. Then, when the Essence User moves on, they move back in and rebuild using the resources they would have used uselessly fighting. They have a huge 'strategic reserve' for exactly that purpose." She took a deep breath. "At first I didn't want to believe it. I'm a Solar! I wasn't going to be beaten by a bunch of crooks and merchants. So I started up a circuit. Ten towns. At first, I was able to keep ten towns and cities free of the Guild influence. They stepped up their capital expenditure. Ten towns became too many. That was also when the attacks started - I'm not a fighter by Solar standards, but I'm still more than a match for any gang of thugs. I think they just wanted to keep me off balance and angry, and they mostly used their more 'disposable' slaves for it. Wanted to rub in the fact that I wasn't even hurting them when I killed their goons, I guess. Anyway, I shrank my circuit to seven towns. They stepped up operations again. Five towns. Three. Finally, I said 'screw it' and camped out in just one city. That was what they'd been waiting for. They called in the Wyld Hunt, and I've been on the run from that ever since."

The Zenith looked over at Titus as the wagon finally rolled to a stop outside the Wrong Note Inn. "That was when I knew I would need to change my game, gather more power, and try a different strategy. Hence, I started looking for people to help me plunder my old tomb. Well, what is probably my old tomb. Then I'll take on Boss Kaji... oh, that's right. I didn't answer your question. Boss Kaji, a.k.a. the Vice Admiral, is the leader of Guild Operations here in Nexus. I've never actually met him or, gosh, her, but he or she is the one setting policy for the Guild. If I can't beat them by fighting them at the fringes, I'll take apart their organization at its heart." She grinned for the first time since Titus last spoke, and hopped off the wagon. "I'll go take care of room and board for us. Why don't you take the wagon around to the lot? Anything you'd like to ask before I go in?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus gave a frown during her explanation. Slavery was...despicable, to say the least, and he found it troubling that he'd probably indirectly helped them in his past. But the past was the past. Locke was trying to do a cool thing. He just wished this was a problem he could punch his way out of. But he could always look at this as having to punch one man in a crowd of innocent people - sort of. The metaphor didn't work, since the crowd included a whole bunch of slavers. But there were still innocents in there, and at least Locke could tell him who to punch.

Maybe he should have thrashed those people a bit harder before.

"Naw, no questions," he smiled back. "Thanks for opening up." And for not treating me like a simple attack dog.

He took hold of the reins. "Giddiyup, or whatever."

[Jade_Tarem]

The horses were well trained indeed, responding to Titus's... command. He was able to stable them and secure the wagon. A pause just inside the door of the Wrong Note Inn reveals the difference between it and the flop-houses the Solars had stayed at outside the city to be like night and day. The Wrong Note Inn was messily, artfully 'dirty' in a way that suggested that they didn't stand much on ceremony but that you didn't need to worry about who or what had last cleaned your mug. It was noisy and crowded, but in a way that suggested that everyone was there and having a good time, rather than that space would be priced at a premium. The innkeeper, a surprisingly young-looking man with green hair, lightly tanned skin, and the kind of face that always seemed to be laughing just a little bit, looked a little harried, but hardly exhausted or desperate. Outside the city, the places available for the night were simply dingy, dirty, dark, cramped, and pestilent to the point that the bedbugs had fleas.

It was a marked improvement. A stark contrast. The haves and the have-nots. Nexus.

The Inn would have been a sight in its own right, though. The decor was a wild, hodgepodge mix of weaponry, artwork, and pelts. It was well lit in some places and dimly in others, though Titus can see in the walls the sort of architecture that Nero had once told him was designed to let as much light from outside in as possible while still not providing access to human-sized thieves. In addition, much of the interior walls and pillars was coated in what looked to be notices, warrants, bounties, judicial rulings, and other news, all of it surprisingly recent. Toward the fireplace and the lit fire within, a space was clear, though no clear reason for that was given.

Even across the crowded room, Locke was visible, apparently just finishing up a conversation with the innkeeper. Waving Titus over, the Dawn Caste was barely within audible range when she grinned to him. "I got the usual deal, Titus. I perform for the night and we get room and board for free. What do you think of the place, eh?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus waved a hand and smiled. "It's alright. Of course, I've only been able to compare it with staring at a horse's ass all day. Or a mace to the head." He shook his head, leaning against the counter and motioning for the innkeeper. "Naw, I could use a bit of relaxation. Good atmosphere. What's gonna be your routine this time? Oh, hey, what do you guys have to drink? I need something strong."

[Jade_Tarem]

The innkeeper rummaged around among the bottles on the back wall while Locke talked. "I could tell the story of the street rat Titus and his transformation into... no? Well, I'll probably stick to one of the classics then. Maybe some subtly Sol-positive ballads or the latest international gossip spun into sensationalism."

The innkeep returned quickly with a list, smile still evident. "We have Lookshyan Moonshine, Imperial Honey Wine, and I think I still have some unnamed ale from the Lap to round out the strong selection. Well, I also have Chayan Firewater, but you'll have to sign a waiver before I'll let you drink that."

[Astro_sol]

Titus smirked at Locke's lack of subtlety while turning to fully face the innkeeper. "Gimme that waiver thingy. I haven't had a good drink in a long time."

[Jade_Tarem]

The innkeeper actually did have a waiver to sign, and produced it on short notice. Locke, for her part, made her way to the clear space by the fire and produced a stringed instrument from nowhere.

All around the room, the patrons took notice right away, even beyond the 'let's watch the pretty girl' glances they were giving her before. Many of them visibly cheered, and before Locke even introduced herself, most of the room had gone quiet.

"Hello everyone! I'm Locke of Fables and, for those of you who haven't seen me before, you're in for a treat." A violet wink from behind the mask. "You may have noticed that I did not return with an army of loyal followers. It turns out that recruiting for a suicide mission is harder than it sounds." A small titter. "And so is campaigning to be named the next Empress." A slightly bigger laugh. "Still, I didn't get run out of town until I tried to get help with my taxes."

"It is fortunate that she was able to recruit you." The innkeeper said softly from where he leaned on the counter, yet it still sounded as though he was right in Titus's ear. If anyone else heard him, it would be an impressive feat. "Locke may be Nexus's most wanted, in more ways than one."

"But enough with the cheesy jokes, you wanted a show, right?" Affirmative shouts. "Well, I'm still cleaning the dust from my throat from all that time on the road, but while I do that..."

And she began to play.

Yoma's music had been hypnotic, even captivating, but Locke could match it, and on her warm-up, no less. The room wasn't well set up for music - at least, it had nothing in common with the amphitheater Emdar had boasted, the one time Titus had seen it - but the music resonated around the room leaving no dead spots and no reverb. It was music you could get lost in and find peace. It was also good cover for more of what the Innkeeper had to say.

"It isn't just the Vice-Admiral, or that Sidereal. No, rumor has it that the Wyld Hunt is lobbying the Emissary for extradition. Locke may think she's safe in Nexus, but that will only last as long as political expediency does. When that happens, where will you stand?"

[Astro_sol]

The liquid in the glass was a nice amber color, but a bit dark. It looked delicious, so he took the glass and drained it in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, it didn't have quite the desired effect. It tasted a bit like cinnamon, and he would have asked if it had been watered down, but judging by the slight aftertaste and the widening eyes of the bartender, it was the real deal. Titus set the glass down and motioned for a refill.

The question didn't quite catch him off guard. He'd doubted they would have entered some place where Locke didn't have friends, but the news would have been worrisome had Titus not taken several blows earlier without feeling them. Still, if they had someone like Caelia to bolster their ranks...

"By Locke, of course. What did you think I was gonna say?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Well, slightly more introspection couldn't have hurt. Your loyalty, confidence, and convictions are good, but I wonder if they are born of ignorance rather than true virtue. The Emissary, for instance, took on Dace of the Bronze Tigers - a man not unlike yourself - and won. And even though Dace survived, there are no guarantees in Nexus."

Locke's song apparently reached a point that normally had lyrics, as the crows in the inn began to sing along. The voices were untrained but enthusiastic, and the song apparently was well-known to them as they made few mistakes in the lyrics.

"Still, it's hardly fair of me to ask you how you'll react to events you've never experienced before, eh? I just wanted to bring up that you are quite likely to experience them in the near future. There are so few of your kind. I'm not asking you to abandon Locke, but you can compel her to flee. The time may come." The smiling man finally looked at Titus directly as he produced the refill. "I'm Yoshiko, by the way, though almost everyone just calls me the Wrong Note's Innkeep or by my old war nickname, Bedside Badinage. The place is far better known than I am."

[Astro_sol]

Titus downed the next cup, and still wasn't feeling anything. It was strange; he wasn't a stranger to alcohol, as he'd partaken once or twice back during the days with the Marks, but he should have had trouble sitting up straight by now, and that was if the stuff he'd been drinking was simply ale.

As well, he began to speculate what exactly Yoshiko was. He said "your kind", so he evidently wasn't a Solar. Hopefully not a Sidereal, either, because then he'd forget all about him. Maybe. Perhaps a Godblooded, then. Or a regular person in the know. But he couldn't be too careful.

"Titus," he mumbled, "and it's fair of you to ask," he continued, turning back to look at Locke as he absentmindedly stuck out a hand for the Bedside guy to shake. The voices would have spoiled anyone else's music, but Locke kept the tune so well that it kept its own kind of perfection. You couldn't soil that. "Perhaps it's born of both. I can't promise you what will happen to me, but I can assure you that Locke would only die over my dead body. I could always just toss her out of the city. Past that..."

Strange. He'd only known her for a short while, but it felt right. Just like when he'd been ready to die for a Sidereal and a Terrestrial, and he'd only been a mere...no, just a regular guy back then.

"Locke's a lot more compelling than I am. But I got a better arm, that's for sure." He frowned. "You sure you don't have anything stronger than this?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Yoshiko laughs easily. "It would have to be some First Age stuff, and if Locke is singing for your supper, then I'm fairly certain you couldn't afford it - if I had any."

[Astro_sol]

First Age stuff was going to be next on the to-do list, then, because Titus hadn't considered that super-powers included a super metabolism, even though it really made sense. At least he'd probably be super-resistant to poison, then, but he was already missing the ability to get drunk when he really wanted to.

"Count yourself lucky that I'm not offering to sing. I'm as good at singing as Locke is at...at...bad example, but that's one thing that hasn't changed. I could probably juggle or swallow a sword or something. I could always get people to slug me as hard as they can in the stomach, too. I dunno. I'm usually pretty bad at the money making thing. It doesn't help that I used to just steal it. Farming was never very lucrative."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Well, consider yourself fortunate. Nexus is all about lucre and the tive thereof." The man did his not-laughing face again. "Take a look around you. I keep the most up to date news around here. The most recent thing is in the entertainment sector, I'm afraid." He pointed at a new notice, one that read COME AND SEE THE HOTTEST NEW ACT: SATRAP! COMING SOON TO THE NEXUS OPERA HOUSE.

Other statements and notices showed more tantalizing possibilities, though none of them matched what Locke described. Still, it would be a good fallback plan if hers fell through...

The night passed in song and celebration. Locke and Yoshiko proved able to 'read' each other very well and pace the merriment to avoid burning anyone out. Eventually, though, energy ran down, purses ran light, and all those who weren't strictly supposed to be there ran home. Locke headed over to discuss something else with Yoshiko, and then bedtime arrived. Locke managed to get the two Celestials separate rooms, and stretched on her way up the stairs. "Goodnight, Titus. Rest well - tomorrow the real work begins."

[Astro_sol]

For the Dawn Caste who used to spend long nights scoping out potential marks, now armed with a stamina that had impressed a fire-y Dragonblood, there was still much to do. He'd been drinking that Firewater all night, and he still felt mildly warm.

"I will. At some point. No one told me I wouldn't be able to get drunk anymore." He was still sore about that. "I'm going to walk around town, see the sights. I'll try not to attract any undue attention, but I would like to get a good feel for town before we accidentally get ourselves into too much trouble."

That, and he still wasn't able to kill his urge to act as a lookout for the Jade Marks. Maybe it would never go away completely.

[Jade_Tarem]

The night air was still, but not too warm or humid, here at the end of the month of Resplendent Earth. The air was the only still thing about town, though. Nexus, it seemed, never actually went to sleep... it just got dark outside.

Titus didn't even bother to dodge the pickpockets and chiselers as he wended his way through the streets - what little money he and Locke had was with the Zenith back at the inn, and none of the would-be thieves seemed to realize that his handwraps held more intrinsic value than a city block's worth of real estate and everything built on it. Instead, he took the opportunity to drink in as much as he could about his new environment, putting Nova's training to use.

He noticed a few parallels to Emdar immediately. Gangs posted their own lookouts and ran their own jobs as they scrabbled for a bit of turf to call their own, regardless of whose name was on it. None of them seemed interested in picking a fight with the man made of muscles, unarmed or not. Businessmen, bold during the day and furtive at night, darted through the night with their guards on errands that couldn't be done during business hours. None of them wanted anything to do with Titus either.

There was an area that seemed brightly lit, down near the riverfront. And of course, other areas boasted indoor attractions - usually fancy paid events at this end of town. Before anything could be investigated in detail, though, Titus heard a small shriek, probably female, down an alley a few feet away, though it was suddenly cut off...

[Astro_sol]

It was almost a pity that no one seemed interested in a street fight, but he had promised Locke to avoid catching anyone's attention. Mostly, he'd just been curious as to how a city operated like this, and mostly it was like a bigger Emdar. He wondered if...well, he stopped wondering once he heard the shriek.

Where once he would have shouted and announced his arrival, a life was probably at stake here. He had to be cautious...so he simply bounded in the direction of the shriek, keeping on the balls of his feet to avoid the usual loud footsteps he seemed to have these days. He avoided using any of his powers, hoping that his stature and muscle would discourage whatever the hell was happening.

[Jade_Tarem]

Whatever impression Titus was hoping to make, it was lost on the denizens of that alley.

Really, it must have been a nearly comical sight. A young, relatively cute woman was held up by the throat against a crumbling brick and mortar wall by a large, large man, though the tone of his flesh betrayed some elemental blood. Next to him, three smaller but still intimidatingly large thugs, two men and a woman, acted as a perverse honor guard. Nor were they silent.

"This isn't helping, you know." The big man was saying. "Kaji expects returns on his investments."

"Takes... time..." The girl wheezed out.

"And yet here you are with brand new tools. And a bag of money. Now what am I supposed to say about that, huh?"

One of the smaller thugs was the first to spot the Solar. "Marb, trouble."

The bipedal mountain turned to look - and scowl - not putting the target of his ire down. "What now?"

[Astro_sol]

To be honest, all Titus really needed to get involved was the fact that a big man looked like he wanted to put the hurt on someone who honestly couldn't put up a fight. Well, she was also a girl, but that didn't ring nearly as true after he'd fought Kaizoku. Still, his farmer-boy/street-fighter instincts were screaming to get involved, and he was aiming to fulfill them.

That, and the fact that they said Kaji. The son of a bitch who'd tried to hurt his friend...through flunkies. The worst.

"Hullo, Marb, et al," he waved lazily, slipping in a few native Emdarian words. "My name is Trouble. Now, as much as the doctors here need the patronage, I'm sure they could use a night off. Now, if you would...why don't you put the nice lady down and come and have a chat with me? Or does a man like you feel he can only win arguments with people smaller than you are?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Marb" stared at Titus for a moment, as though trying to judge how serious the Solar was. Then he cast his glance at the journeywoman, then back at Titus. Ultimately, he put her down, though the dark-haired girl only stood there. She didn't seem hurt, though she did rub at her neck. "Alright then. Talk, if you're so vitally interested."

[Astro_sol]

"Wonderful!" Titus clapped his hands together. "You could start by explaining why you're manhandling a nice young lady in the middle of a dark alley."

Talking was fun, of course, and he did want to know what was going on, but he wasn't sure if he was going to care either way. He could always bash their heads together and ask questions later, but stuff like that would have made Nova groan. But then, they were Guild, and while he was sure messing with them would come back to bite him, he couldn't just sit back on this one.

[Jade_Tarem]

"You must be new in town." Marb shook his head. "Fine, then, I'll play tour guide tonight. This, uh... place you've arrived in is called Nexus. It's a biiiiiiig commerce hub. Lots of buying and selling and whatnot. The Guild has a big presence here, and lots of people do business with them. The Guild is a business enterprise. That's it. Tons of money changes thousands of hands without a problem for anyone. If you're clever, you can make money associating with the Guild. If you're honest, you can at least use them as a banking service. If it makes money happen, you can get their interest. If you need to borrow money, they've got you covered there too."

He glanced at the girl. "The trouble happens when people mistake it for a charity. A lot of people pursue jobs, educations, tools, whatever they think will give them the boost they need to get their lives on track... all on the Guild's obol. Most of them pay it back, but some won't or can't. That's when business goes sour - the Guild doesn't let anyone cheat them, they have a reputation to maintain. So I'm here to give Miss Moneybags here a friendly reminder - we'll be getting that back one way or another."

[Astro_sol]

Titus nodded as he grabbed a piece of jerky from his pocket and began to chew on it. "Mm-hm. Guild. Right. Gods, this is good jerky. So, Miss...what's your name? What's your side of all this?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"Rya. Rya Dovis. And what he said is true." The dark-haired girl glanced between the members of the enforcer squad. "I'm... handling it, but not as fast as the guild would like, apparently. Don't... fight these guys, please. Even if you win somehow, the Guild will just send more, and angrier."

"That's about the size of it." Marb shrugged. "Welp, we're about done here - you're not late enough for us to get really unpleasant, yet. So we'll be on our way unless Trouble here has something else to say..." He raised an eyebrow in the Solar's direction.

[Astro_sol]

The sound of knuckles cracking echoed through the alleyway. Titus was still sporting his wry grin as he eyed the men (and woman) up and down.

"I'm...deeply sorry, Ms. Dovis, but I can't tolerate schoolyard bullies. You'd think Meat Mountain right here wouldn't feel the need for some backup, but he's apparently more of a chicken**** than I'd initially thought." His face began to transform into a scowl. "Now come at me, one at a time or all at once. Or run, I don't care. But if you fight me, Sun help you because I will break you limb by limb!" he ended with a roar, falling into his fisticuffs stance.

[Jade_Tarem]

Thirteen Seconds Later

"Holy ****ing Dragons! I can't believe you broke them limb by limb! I didn't think that was even possible!"

NOW

The class groaned and made other assorted noises of disapproval. Mnemon Elrit gave them a look that stated in no uncertain terms that she would brook no defiance. "Listen, if we get into a detailed blow-by-blow account of every group of random idiots that attacked Titus of Emdar, we'll be here all decade. There will be a flashy martial arts battle by the end of the lecture, I promise."

THEN

Rya cowered against the far wall after the display of violence. "W... is this a robbery? I don't have that much but you can have it. I don't want to tangle with any warlord rivals of the Guild. I'm sorry I haven't heard of you yet, but I'm sure you're very well known..." She began digging for her coin pouch in the middle of the terrified babble.

[Astro_sol]

Titus had to remember just how tall he was when he was looking down at Rya. He looked down at the young woman with a sheepish glance, simultaneously eyeing the carnage around him. He could have sworn Marb would have put up a good fight, but one punch to the stomach and down he went.

"Would you believe me if I said I actually just got into town, I'm not involved with the Guild or any real organization against them, and I just rushed in because I heard a pretty lady screaming and thought you were getting robbed?" He began the usual head scratching, using the other hand to move her hand away from the purse. "I'm not a thief." Anymore, at least. "I was just worried about you, and I was telling the truth earlier. Those Guild flunkies were bullies, so I beat them up. If they send more after me, I'll beat them up too. Real question is, are you gonna be okay?"

[Jade_Tarem]

"I... don't know. Now that those guys are in such bad shape, the guild will just send more thugs after me. This will keep going until..." She sighed. "Everything was working out. Borrowing money from the Guild is fine if you're careful... and nothing goes wrong. I was pretty close to getting my mastery and being able to make back what I owe, but then my master went on a Scavenger Lord expedition and got himself killed. Now I'm stuck trying to make it back on Journeywoman wages. They're not terrible... if you don't have a crushing amount of Guild debt to work through." Rya rubbed her temples. "The real trick is just making back the money. Helping with that would be more effective than beating up Guild goons forever."

[Astro_sol]

Titus began to scratch the back of his head. He felt guilty; he knew that this would happen, but...there was an option.

"Look, I, uh, know it's kinda bad form with your previous master dying due to events that I...look. Let me make you kind of a lucrative offer." He brought his arm down and crossed them, looking pensive. "I dunno what Locke'll think, but I'd be willing to take you along and guarantee you a cut of the loot. Wait, I'm out of order." He shook his head. "I have a partner, Locke. She does the talking, I take on the things that make people fall down. We're going on our own Scavenger hunt in some old tomb under the city. It'd be dangerous...for you. If you went without me." He tapped his chest. "Haven't ran into anything that's hurt me yet." Well, except for that one time with Caelia, but that didn't count. "At least, not in a tomb like this." That was better.

"You know, to make up for the getting-you-into-trouble thing. And that way I can make sure more goons don't come beat you for lunch money. Or doctor's bills."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Student loans," Rya muttered, but then her voice picked up. "A...alright. I suppose I could follow you down and hang way, way back. But what happens if your partner doesn't agree to this?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus tilted his head. "No need to be scared. Besides, my partner's been trying to recruit for this for a while, so I really don't see why she'd turn down a fresh-supplied thief. It really shouldn't be an issue. If she brings it up, we can work something out. I could make sure you're hidden and help pay off your debt when our job's done."

[Jade_Tarem]

LATER

The next morning had brought with it another standard day in Nexus - poisonous gasses filled the lower parts of the city, the night businesses closed, the day businesses opened, and men stood on the corner shouting which laws had changed since the last time anyone checked. It was mostly business related, and not the sort of business that Locke and Titus were to be up to, so the young Solar ignored most of it.

Locke was up early, and raised an eyebrow - the only change in facial expression Titus could see around the half-mask - at Rya's entrance. Upon hearing the proposed arrangement, the Zenith managed to avoid making an exasperated noise, though Titus could tell she sort of wanted to. "Titus... just what sort of goods do you expect to find down in that tomb? It probably isn't going to be trunks full of obols and current-denomination cash. If anything at all remains, it will be artifacts - the non-splittable kind. My plan was to divvy up whatever we found based on need and move on. Where do you see Miss Dovis figuring into it?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus shrugged. "Maybe not every artifact is something you or I could use. Maybe there's some precious stuff lying around that you aren't considering. Or maybe we do run into some kind of currency she could use, who knows." He lowered his voice. "Besides, honestly? I just want to keep her out of the Guild's eyes for a bit. Worst comes to worst, I'll just let her sell something I could use."

[Jade_Tarem]

"That's..." This time, Locke did make a noise and planted her face into her hand. "Artifacts can't be bought and sold, Titus. An Artifact isn't just an extremely fancy sword, it's an irreplicable work of art, science, and magic from a bygone age. They're priceless because they have no price, that's what that means." She gave the Dawn another arch look. "And were you planning to fix the accounts of everyone who owes the Guild money? Because you're going to be at that a while."

[Astro_sol]

Titus' eyes narrowed. "Look, Locke. I like you. Even past the magic whizzwazz you did, I like you. You're a good person. So you of all people should understand how I feel. Because it's been several months of being all super-powered, and trying desperately not to forget how I felt when I couldn't throw people halfway across the city if I wanted to. I don't plan on saving every single needy person I meet. But she needed my help, so by the gods I helped her. And I'm going to continue to, even if it means just watching her back against the Guild thugs that my pride started. Those artifacts we find? Some of them might be mine, but they won't mean **** to me. I'll ****ing give her one if that's what it takes. And if we don't find anything here? I will make sure that somehow, some way, she will get what she needs so her life isn't in danger because of my screw up."

He took several deep breaths, loosening the fists he hadn't known he'd made. I think I took that a bit too far. "Of course, your mission comes first, as always. My debt to you will be repaid."

[Jade_Tarem]

"No, that's..." Locke adjusted her mask. "I'm not being very clear. Yes, please help the mortals. What I'm trying to say is that giving her an artifact won't help. You can't sell them and neither can she - it's just an expensive heavy thing that's not extrinsically valuable enough to help her, but is more than intrinsically valuable enough that certain beings will kill her for it." The Zenith caste straightened. "If she wants to, she can tag along, I guess. If we don't find material goods down there, I'll show you how to make boatloads of money in a hurry and we can give her some of that instead."

Rya's reply was quiet, but the inn was hardly the rowdy place it had been the night before. "You'd... really do that? You don't even know me."

"It's what we do." Locke stood and smirked. "Even if we can't agree on how. But Titus... could you please avoid referring to the undiluted pure perfection of the power of the Unconquered Sun as 'whizzwazz?' It's a matter of some religious importance to me."

"Religious...? Wait, I have heard of you! The Jester Priest, right?" Rya leaned forward over the table. "The Anathema from the Realm's tributaries to the Northeast. They say you can talk people into or out of anything. That you once-"

"They say a lot of things. We should get going." Indeed, Locke already had her pack in hand. "Ready to go?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus

Titus bowed his head, but only slightly. "I'm sorry. Misjudged you. Yeah, let's get going." He took his place behind Locke, but he leaned in Rya with a small smirk. "It's still whizzwazz."

[Jade_Tarem]

The Vision of Light (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htJHlsTb_54)
Second Story: The Zenith of Hyperbole
Episode 6: The Jester Priest

It didn't take long for the trio to make their way back to the statue. There, Locke simply popped open a hatch in the street cover and the Solars began to descend, followed distantly by Rya.

The journey wasn't what they expected.

Illuminated by the glow of Locke's caste mark, the team made good time down the twisting passages below the city. The dingy earth tones of built up modern architecture slowly metamorphosed into rust orange and burned black metal, and then, past that, to progressively more pristine plating. "Something isn't right," the Zenith mentioned, finally. "These particular passages are supposed to be full of roving defense automata, traps... you name it. The Emissary had this part of the underground sealed off because it was so dangerous." She came to a stop by a particularly impressive door - more White Jade, by the look of it. Locke put a hand against it and it snapped smartly open.

A terrible stink washed out, so bad that even Titus reeled back from the door as the bad air spilled out into the hallway. Eventually, the pair recovered enough to take a look inside.

Here, at last, signs of danger finally appeared - but only signs. Lights - entirely absent everywhere else - flickered and flashed from loose connections. Bodies both organic and metallic littered the floor, not new, but hardly centuries old. Weapon scores lined the walls and floors, etching a meaningless pattern across the once pristine tomb. It went without saying that the sarcophagus in the center stood open and empty, with what had once been gilding and gemstones pried out of the decorations on it.

For her part, Locke walked to the center of the room and looked around, taking it in. Titus could practically see the wheels turning. "Someone beat us here, obviously..." She turned to Rya. "And you knew."

How she came to that leap of logic was a question better left for sages. She was, however, correct. "Y...yes. The guild thugs mentioned that they wanted to beat the Solars to the punch on looting the tomb. They even dragged me into that alley to get your attention, Titus. They're sneaky, sneaky people. They also told me to give you a message - that Calibration Kaji would be waiting for you at the opera house. One week from tonight." She held up a pair of tickets.

[Astro_sol]

After several moments of silence, both girls saw that Titus' eyes had flared open. His fists were opening and closing, with the closings causing cracks that echoed through the chamber. His eyes were on Rya, and he didn't speak as he slowly walked over to the shorter woman, carefully plucking the tickets out of her hand. He looked like he wanted to say something, but honestly nothing really came to mind. He didn't even know why he was as angry as he was. Maybe just memories of the Jade Marks and being lied to about them, too. And besides, if an organization like the Guild wanted Rya to do something, and she had to do it...no. What if she'd been okay with it? He couldn't read her.

He turned back to Locke, but not before punching one of the walls hard enough to send a spiderweb of cracks across it. "Is there anything else you needed here, Locke?" His voice only slightly cracked, betraying the anger he was barely holding in check.

[Jade_Tarem]

"Yes..." Locke continued to stand there, gears turning (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBOzkprH-G8). "Yes, I think I do still need you, Titus. There's still a way for us to make bank." She gave Rya a long look, and the girl finally caught the hint. "I can see myself out."

With the journeywoman vanished, Locke began pacing about the tomb, gingerly sweeping around the bodies. One by one, she touched the... meatier ones, and the corpses blazed with a brilliant golden light for a moment before simply fading away. Her caste mark continued to shine brightly, visible from underneath her mask, even. "Calibration Kaji has this meeting all set up for a week from today. There, he either plans to have his goons jump us, probably with our own First-Age weaponry, or, more likely, he'll send us off to tackle some job that he can't handle on his own. This job will be designed to kill us, probably by sending us into the truly dangerous part of the Nexus ruins. Along the way, he'll make sure that all other avenues of assistance for us are cut off. The Wyld Hunt can't operate in Nexus, so he'll likely try to do it through the Emissary, who actually has defeated Dawn Caste Solars before." She held one finger to her lips and thought for a moment. When the last of the corpses burned away, she apparently came to a decision. "That's making a lot of assumptions, but it adds up. It also has a hole in it, though - it relies on the Guild having more influence in Nexus than a pair of total strangers. Normally, that'd be a sure bet, but the Guild still isn't completely used to dealing with Solars. We can beat him politically and get our stuff back at the same time. We just need to seize control of the legal system before that meeting next week."

[Astro_sol]

Titus' fists alternated between cracking and loosening as he watched Rya go. What a waste of time. He turned back to Locke, his face stuck in a mild half-grimace. "I'm assuming you'll take care of that. I'm not exactly a legal expert over here." He slammed a fist into his palm. "And one day, I'm slugging that smug bastard in his bastard face."

[Jade_Tarem]

"Nope, it's going to take both of us." Locke began the trek back to the surface. "Get ready to see the wonderful world of combat on a social scale. Hearts and minds, here we come."

[Jade_Tarem]

Titus's social training ground started as an empty room at the top of a multistory building. Locke had 'led' him here, but admitted that she had picked the business location almost totally at random. The monthly rent was more than the Jade Marks gang could typically make in a year, but that didn't seem to faze the Zenith - despite the fact that she didn't have anywhere near that kind of money unless she was keeping it hidden in her layers of robes, skirts, and ribbons.

It lacked furnishings or extrinsic value beyond location, but it did have a view - indeed a view of nearly all of Nexus, from the teeming and busy streets of the upper sides right below them to the crowded and dirty streets choked with smog further away, split by the rivers that sliced through the metropolis. Locke stopped in front of the voluminous balcony and threw her arms out. "So what do you think? Any questions before we start?"

[Astro_sol]

Titus wondered if he should ask whether they were legally in the building or not...and if so, how exactly she managed to pay for it. But he had better things to worry about. He simply shook his head.

"No." His eyebrows furrowed as he considered something, then he continued. "Only...how much do you really expect to teach me in a week? I dunno if I can learn any of that Essence whiz-wham that you can do, and I'm kind of lacking in the persuasion department."

[Jade_Tarem]

"You learned a lifetime's worth of Martial Arts in four months with Nova, you can pick up some basic social skills in a week with me. Solars learn fast. It might be our biggest strength. It's certainly why the Wyld Hunt comes after us as soon as they can and as hard as they can - the task gets harder the longer they put it off."

The Zenith started pacing, gesturing for emphasis. "Besides, you know more about this than you think you do. What if I were to tell you that social interaction, at least between opponents, is just another kind of combat?"

[Astro_sol]

The Dawn crossed his arms. "I'd tell you, duh. I've always imagined it like an archer battle, but with words instead of arrows."

[Jade_Tarem]

"The usual metaphor is swordplay, right down the use of words like parry and riposte." Locke drummed her fingers on the only drummable surface in the room - the windowsill. "Still, it's accurate enough. You'll pick up social skills as we go: reading people, reading crowds, timing, etc. For now, I want to focus on teaching you to be... eh... let's call it 'more you.' Larger than life. Titus Maximus. Not... not literally, that's a terrible name, but the point stands."

[Astro_sol]

Titus gave her a grin. "I dunno, I was liking the sound of it. Titus the Great, mm?"