Grasp Your Destiny

[Tengu_temp]

The sun is rising slowly, dispersing the darkness of the night and illuminating the white walls, roofs and columns of Master Kalat's manor. It has been raining during the night, and the weather is slightly foggy and sleepy, discouraging those who don't have to from getting up yet. You, however, don't have that priveledge.
A strongly-built, man-like creature shaped from roughly hewn, dark red crystal marches through the mansion's halls, passing the rooms of each of the Master's students. And it doesn't shut up.
"Wake up! Wake up, solar champions! The sun has risen, and when a lord is up on his feet, so should be his retainers! Wake up! Master Kalat wants to see you!", it yells at the top of its lungs (if it even has lungs) in a rumbling voice. You might have gotten used to it already - the elemental warden hasn't appeared yesterday.

Kalat himself isn't hard to find - easily distinguishable by his green and blue robes and long, silver hair and wispy beard, the old master is sitting at a terrace, reading a book while waiting for the water inside an elaborate, portable machine consisting mostly of a cobweb of brass pipes and cylinders to boil. The manor's inner courtyard is visible from the terrace - several of the mortal guards are gathering on it currently, preparing for the morning training exercises.

(Time to introduce your characters! You are free to choose how your character's room looks and where is it located, however you want - no matter where your characters currently are and whether they're asleep or not, however, the elemental will find them.)

[kamikasei]

Gihren awakens while the elemental is still some distance away, with the result that its call serves as a gentle alarm rather than a blaring disturbance. His suite is at the edge of the manor, near to the still-misty forest and a cleared training area, making him either one of the first or last to be roused. The rooms, paper-walled in the Cilan style, are spare in furnishing though ample in extent - there is little to them but plain spaces for sleeping, eating, and studying, and stands for his weapons and armour.

It doesn't take him long to get ready once he's dismissed the warden - he's reached the point now where he can sleep through the comings and goings of the servants so long as they stick to their routines precisely, so he finds water and fresh clothing waiting in the next room after his perfunctory morning exercises - it wouldn't do to keep Kalat waiting, so he's quick about them. He's not sure he'll ever get used to having others do such things for him, but it's easier to let them than to talk them out of it, and it does give him more time to train.

Shortly thereafter he's stepping on to Kalat's terrace. It's a quiet morning in the heart of their secure manor and so he wears only a simple black silk robe and his ordinary steel sword. He'll lay the sword by if specifically asked to by the Master himself, but not for much else.

However many others may have arrived before him, Gihren ignores them - he stands waiting on the Master, and neither speaks nor sits until bidden. For those who don't know him well - which will be most of the people in the manor - he looks as if he might be annoyed at being roused so early and impatient to be done with whatever Kalat's summoned them all for; Kalat, and perhaps a handful of others, will recognize that the light in his eyes is actually a concealed eagerness to be given something to do.

[inirlan]

Nagusa's room was devoid of many objects you would expect to see in a room, the walls and furniture were all made of pure stone, as were most other things in the rather empty room, with the notable exception of the bedding, there was almost no flamable or even fragile object in the entire room. In front of the bed there was Nagusa's armor, a great and peerless wonder of the first age. It appeared to be sitting and holding a daiklave whose tip rested on the floor. The beautiful wolf pattern of the armor was mesmerizing and seemingly perfect to an astonishing degree.

This room was so empty for a good reason, dragon-blooded had a far more violent anima banner than the celestials, and a strong enough one could shred anything weaker than stone in a matter of seconds. And all of Nagusa's essence also fed his anima which combined with the fact that it was far easier to get to more powerful levels than with any other exalted he knew ment that Kalat's servants had to reinforce several parts of the mansion.

Nagusa was deeply asleep due to his extensive training the day before. The loud bellows of the elemental tore him out of his sleep. A bit of cold water allowed to completely wake up. He dressed himself and put the armor on, aided by the innate systems of said armor. After swinging his sword around a few times he put it into it's scabbard and opened the door to the balcony outside his room, balcony which gave to the inner courtyard. Nagusa casually jumped down from the 4 meters high balcony and landed a few meters from the training guards with a loud thump. He then walked torwars master Kalat and the solar that had already arrived with a slow and leasurly pace, however considering the speed enhancing properties of his armor and his natural speed, he was still quite fast.

With a slight movement he activated the mecanism to retract the helmet, which split into several part and slided down to his shoulder and higher back, letting his long blood-red hair flow freely in the soft breeze of the courtyard.

With respect he bowed for a few seconds before straightenning again, and with a voice full of curiosity and the energy of a wildfire he asked.

"Good morning Master Kalat, you wished to see us?"

[Terraoblivion]

In a bed tucked into a corner of an incredibly overstuffed room, Miko woke startled by the elemental's words. Even after two years she still wasn't quite used to that kind of noise and she usually slept in the morning. Her work took place at night and had for most of her life. Not wanting to keep Master Kalat waiting, however, she got out of the bed and began preparing.

This task was somewhat hampered by the amount of clutter in her room. In many ways it seemed more like a theater storeroom than like a place where someone lived. Racks of odd costumes lined the walls, priestly garb from dozens of cultures, modern and extinct. These were supplemented by a couple of elaborately carved wooden masks, hanging in what little free space could be found on the walls. A set of scroll stands in the middle of the room held a variety of prayer strips in several different languages, most of which Miko wasn't even able to read. Other props included staffs, censers, rosaries and other items of significance in Creation's various religions.

Despite the clutter, Miko managed to finish preparing without too much of a delay, quietly heading through the corridors from the remote wing her room was located in towards the terrace where Master Kalat usually met them. Once there, she took position next to the warrior who had entered Master Kalat's service only recently, bowing to their master and preparing to hear what he wanted them there for.

[Fri]

The elemental found Fu lying on top of one of the higher tree branch, chewing a sheet of leaf and enjoying the morning sounds and the after-rain smell with his hard hat covering his eyes.

As the elemental shouted at him, Fu pushed his hat upward and yawns.

"I'm coming." was the only thing said before he nodded, stretched himself, and jumped downward.

[Iry]

Within the room of Gregorias Furie there were only three things, or at least only three types of things. The first was a wooden bed of respectable craftsmanship and a matching wooden table without a chair in sight. The second thing was a wide variety of pillows that not only made up the majority of his bed but also served as a sleeping mask he keeps over his face and a comfy place for visitors to sit if they wished to join him for morning juice. The place might have once been a kaleidoscope of colors, but these days the pillows were mostly composed of whites, greys, and blues. The final type of thing in this room was an absolute abundance of fruit that was constantly replaced either by Gregorias himself or one of Master Kalat's servants. This was one of the few vices that he allowed to dominate his free time, when he was allowed free time.

When the crystalline elemental came calling, Gregorias tumbled out of bed and quite literally sprung to his feet with the grace of a landing crane. Donned in only his night-things, he locked the door on his way out and strolled to the wash room to cleanse himself for the day to come. This morning wash was nearly a ritualistic thing for Gregorias, and he has been known to become rather grumpy and spiteful when he is unable to keep himself clean. After all the washing was done, he pulled on his white-silken armor and gave a pointed twist to the bracer at his side. The resultant subtle hum was all that could be detected after Gregorias abruptly vanished from sight and began to make his way to meet Master Kalat.

With many of the other retainers gathered, Gregorias let the shroud of invisibility vanish as if he had been waiting in the room the entire time. Certainly it is unlikely anyone actually heard him come in. The armored man stood a perfect 6'0" within his armor, which was more of an indicator that he was slightly less than 6'0" on his own merits. The armor's white-silk mask was drawn back and away, showing off his unremarkable cheek bones and rather common looking eyes. If any culture could be said to influence his appearance it would be that of Rome, or it's Creation based equivalent. Indeed, his charcoal black hair is cut brutally short and just a bit messy, as cut it himself with a straight razor every morning.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Would anyone care for an apple?" To which Gregorias pulled forth a rosy red apple from his ever present haversack and offered it to the room in general.

[Tableface]

It takes less than a minute for Nonamé to compose himself, throw on what few pieces of his outfit he hadn't slept in, and head out his door. Behind him he leaves the mussed, heavily-scorched room that used to be the most well-decorated in the house, and as he stalks grimly through the halls--looking for all the world more like he was about to head off to a shootout rather than a meeting with the Master--he gives a brief wave and a half-hearted smile to the woman who used to be head of housekeeping. Her reply is less friendly.

He emerges onto the terrace with his hat hanging off the back of his neck, and hikes his goggles up to his forehead as he acknowledges Master Kalat with a tilt of his head.

[Tengu_temp]

"Greetings, my students." Master Kalat smiles gently. "May I interest you in a cup of tea? I believe I managed to create a method that pronounces the essence of the leaves' taste much more than traditional ways of brewing."
So that is what the contraption is for. No matter how many of you accept or decline (the drink does taste a bit better than normal high-quality tea, but it takes a refined taste to notice the difference), he continues.
"You are probably wondering what is the reason I called for you, what is the task I want you to perform." He gives everyone a brief, but deep look with his green eyes - and not just ordinarily green, as tiny emerald stars can be seen glowing in his pupils, a mark of a Chosen of Secrets. "I shall not make you wait any longer, then. There is a certain, extremely rare plant, the flowers of which possess exceptional healing capabilities - in the hands of a capable healer they make curing many illnesses a triffle. This plant, however, blooms only once in several years, letting out but a single flower as the sun rises - the same flower, unless preserved, withers as the sun goes down, its medical properties lost forever.
I am sure you can reasonably guess what am I going to say now."

[kamikasei]

Gihren accepts a cup, but cannot tell if the master's contraption has achieved its end. All the tea since he arrived at Kalat's manor has been superior than anything he ever drank in his previous life, and distinguishing between their merits is a skill he considers unbefitting for him to cultivate.

"Where is it, how soon will it bloom, and who will be trying to keep us from reaching it?" he asks quietly when Kalat gives the opening.

[inirlan]

Nagusa politely refused Gregorias' offer and waited for the master to speak.

When he offered a cup of tea, Nagusa nodded and took a small cup of tea. He was not as interested in tea as Kalat, but he had a sufficient knowledge of the subtilities of tea to notice a slight difference in the quality, his way of drinking the tea had a traditionnal and formal feel to it, coming from his education as a member of house Cathak.

After Kalat talked about the presumed goal of their next mission and Gihren said what they all thought, Nagusa added in a calm tone.

"Or already got said flower in his possession."

[Tengu_temp]

"It grows on the hillside of a nearby mountain - once you ask all your questions, for I have no doubts you will have many questions, I will show you its location. The plant has blossomed this very morning, and while you should be able to reach it and return before night, there is another reason why you shouldn't procrastinate: the smell of its flower attracts many wild beasts and spirits. Should any of them devour the flower before you reach it, your effort will be for naught."

[Tableface]

Nonamé glances back and forth between the other assembled Chosen, and asks the only question that he believes matters.

"What're you going to do with it?"

[Tengu_temp]

"The only noble thing." Master Kalat takes a sip of his tea. "The flower will be used to make medicine, for those who need it."

[inirlan]

Nagusa raised an eyebrow at Nonamé's question. To him Kalat's intention were obvious, but it was not his place to question the other students, instead he asked master Kalat his own question.

"How far is said hillside? If it's near enough I could be there in a few minutes."

[Terraoblivion]

Miko bowed her head lightly as she accepted the tea. She took a short moment to savor the smell before she began sipping of it. The result was underwhelming, as far as she could tell it was just ordinary, good tea. She didn't say anything as she listened to their master talk, however.

"Would we have the time to return it to you or do we have to learn the procedure to preserve it?" The question was asked in a soft tone of voice, almost as if she was not trying to draw attention to herself as she asked.

[Tengu_temp]

"It should take you around six hours to reach the mountain on foot.", the Sidereal answers Nagusa's question. "I am sure your armor lets you cover that distance in a much shorter time, but there are several matters you have to consider. Do you possess the means to share that speed with others? It might not be wise to arrive there alone, only to face an overwhelming challenge. Furthermore, the route you need to take leads through the forest, and I would rather avoid setting it on fire." Master Kalat is aware of what happens when the young dragonblooded spends more than a bit of Essence.

"You should have enough time to deliver the flower to me." He nods towards Miko. "In order to be sure not to waste it once you manage to obtain it, however, I will supply you with a jar of special alcohol. As long as it's kept inside, the flower will remain fresh, even without access to sunlight."

[Terraoblivion]

Miko nodded her head at the master in reply to his explanation. "I see, Master. Even so we should be on our way just to be safe. I have no more questions." Keeping her position, she looked over the others to see if they had anything more they wanted to add. She had traveled much and didn't know them as well as she should. Especially the topknotted warrior, Gihren she thought it was. He was new and she had been away when he arrived. He seemed like the honorable, dutiful sort, in some senses a lot like herself she supposed.

Quite the contrast to Gregorias. There was something wrong with that man. He seemed like the ghosts she worked with in some senses, out of touch with normal human behavior and utterly without humor even as he went through the motions of it. She knew him better than the others, though, having worked with him as he restored the armor left behind by her previous incarnation and simply because he had been around longer than anybody else. She understood him though, they were all different and some of them had backgrounds more different than others. He was probably like her in having one of the more unusual ones.

[Iry]

Finding none who wish to partake of his apple, he takes a sizeable bite out of it and sets it atop a nearby table to resume eating after he finishes asking questions. He does accept the tea, but rests it in his open palm to allow it to cool to a more comfortable temperature.

"Isn't it clear what he plans to do with the flower? Why, our Master has found himself a young lady to court and desperately desires to know if she loves him or not. I understand the plucking of petals reveals such information?" That was most definitely an attempt at humor.

On a more serious issure he inquires, "Master Kalat. I hate to be the one to ask the most obvious question, but if you discovered this bloom through supernatural means then why did you not send us out earlier so that we might have arrived at the dawn and assured a swift delivery before the arrival of all the beasts and spirits?" Gregorias was not challenging his master, but gathering information that seemed important for him to gather. This seems to be the only question he had to ask. The area was familiar to him, and if he had any questions he knew of a particularly reclusive ranger living in the woods that would be able to guide them if they encountered trouble.

[Fri]

Fu nods and swirl his hard hat mindlessly.

"Well, I'm always ready for an adventure. It's written on my hat after all." he smiles and pushes his glasses upward.

It's true. There are two lines of words written inside Fu's hat. On the left side, "Civilization through willpower" is written. And on the other side. "Always prepare your hat as if someone might ask you for adventure at any time."

[Tableface]

Nonamé simply grunts, evidently unsatisfied with the answer given to his question and its lack of specifics. As he plants his hat over his head and lowers his goggles over his eyes to conceal his near-perpetual glare, a combination of irritation and distrust can be read in his body language; whether it's related to this particular errand or his usual grumpy fare is anyone's guess.

[Tengu_temp]

"That is actually a very good question." Master Kalat gets up from his chair and glances briefly towards the practicing guards. "Why haven't I sent you earlier? Do not forget - this task is not just an errand I'm sending you on, but a part of your training. Don't you think it would be too easy if you just had to travel to the mountain unbothered in the night, wait for the flower to bloom, pick it up and return here? The distance gives you a big disadvantage, but I have faith in you - I am sure that you will succeed."

"As for what is going to happen afterwards..." He turns towards the group again, most specifically Nonamé. "If you suspect that I might use the blossom to foresee if the woman I'm interested in loves me after all, then you are more than welcome to assist me in preparation and distribution of the medicine. I'd be more than happy to get some help with those, in fact."

[kamikasei]

Gihren displays a trace of surprise at Gregorias' question. He knows the other man is one of the longest-standing students at the manor, so surely he knows better by now than to ask why Kalat has made things needlessly awkward for them? "It's all part of the lesson", which he's learned to interpret as "I'm a contrary old fart who enjoys messing with people's heads", is one of the first mantras he learned after submitting himself to Kalat's tutelage.

"I shall fetch my gear. Shall we meet at the stables, or at the gate?" In other words, is the path suitable for horses, or foot?

[inirlan]

Nagusa didn't bat an eye at Kalat's explanation, as it was pretty much standart procedure of those who thought him before to make non-challenging tasks more difficult for his trainning.

"We should use horses if possible, it would allow us to cover more distance in less time. If the terrain permits it we could be there in less than an hour on horseback, which is far from unnecessary considering that we have to find said flower before the beings that can smell it clearly find it. Before we go, could you give us a short description of the flower, master?"

[Iry]

Gregorias only gives a nod to what Master Kalat says. It was just as he suspected, but it was always important to find out for sure. In the role of a spy what you guessed was true held precisely no value compared to what you knew was true. The gentleman carefully finished his tea once it was cold enough and discovered that he noticed no difference in the taste of it. Perhaps tea-tasting would appear on his list of priorities to master, right after saving his own life, saving others lives, and a million other things that Gregorias found more important than actually tasting tea.

Still, Gregorias managed a happy smile and set the cup down, only to resume munching upon his delicious red apple. "As much as I love outrunning horses, Nagusa is correct. It would look rather strange if others saw us sprinting across the horizon carrying each other. This is especially true since I would have to carry Lady Shirogane and Nagusa would have to carry all the rest."

[Tengu_temp]

"You can take horses with you, should you so desire. Bear in mind that they won't be able to gallop freely the whole way, however - there is no road or trail leading to the mountain, just the forest."
Master Kalat pauses, noticing that someone is approaching - it's one if his servants, carrying a large, lidded glass jar, filled with a transparent liquid.
"Ah, and here we have the preserving alcohol - please, take it with you. As for the flower itself, its shape resembles an orchid. Its petals are red, spotted with yellow and green dots, and as large as a grown man's hand - it is hard to mistake for something else. The plant itself is a thorny vine."

[Fri]

"Don't worry, master. We'll get it in no time." Fu put his hat on. "So, anyone want to bring the preserver? I won't trust myself with something that important."

[inirlan]

Nagusa smilled and poked Gregorias in the ribs with his elbow.

"Gregorias, you must have mixed the order, I'd carry Lady Shirogane and you would carry the rest since you can lift more than I do."

In fact during the training it came to light during their trainings that when both used their strength-enhancing armors Gregorias was still able to beat him in terms of lifting strength, but by only 200 pounds.

"And you forgot Nonamé's Swiftrider which even I can only barely match in speed when I go all out."

As the preserving alcohol was brought and they wondered who should carry it Nagusa voiced his opinion.

"Gregorias and I are fast and our cloaking systems could allow us to hide from anyone trying to catch us, so we could put it in the pockets of one of our armors."

[Terraoblivion]

Miko studied the two artifact armors, she had never noticed either of them having pockets. It made sense she supposed, after all soldiers needed to carry things too. "Nagusa has a point. If one of them carries it, the rest of us will look out for the flower." She eyed the alcohol for a bit, trying to see if she could recognize it or remember anything about it before quickly determining that it was beyond her knowledge.

[Iry]

Gregorias gives a chuff at the friendly impact to the ribs, and cast Nagusa a sidelong glance. "Good sir, the flames of your... passion... are too much for anyone to bear save perhaps Gihren. Now that I consider it, I believe it would be wise for you to carry Gihren even if we do ride upon horses."

It was absurd, but it was delivered with a deadpan seriousness. Gregorias gave a swift check to his haversack to ensure that there was enough room for the lidded container of alcohol. "We're in luck. We must only eat three apples and one pear before we can comfortably fit the preserving jar into my haversack. From there, I should be able to safely transport it back to the estate if anything unexpected attempts to delay our return."

[inirlan]

Nagusa immediately countered Iry's comeback with his own, all while smilling broadly and talking in an amused tone.

"If you accept to carry me while I carry Gihren, sure why not."

When Gregorias brought up the fruits Nagusa sighed and answered in a slightly less amused tone.

"Okay, give me an apple before I set fire to something. Have you got a green one?"