[LS] The Black Gates (Interstice)

[jamieth]

Aiko, Daughter of White

"T'larryo Chute..." Aiko carefully repeated the sounds of unfamiliar lamguage, turning so that the girl won't be looking at the raging bunny-woman, "I don't know where it is, but I'll ask my friends - surely someone would be able to tell us..."

Probably enough reaches to live all our life without worry, if it's possible to chuckle in thoughts, Aiko does, and likely enough trouble that we won't anyway... Have you ever heard about a place named T'larryo Chute? A forest, it appears... oh, and I never asked - do you two have a home here? If not... we'll have to get one... for a while, at least

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

Silently returning the chuckle to Aiko, "A home? Dear, my home was one of the pilings of the Irespan where my mom's shop was. I suppose my home now would be The Garden, though I'm not sure Mother would appreciate me loafing about, and there seems to be precious little else to do there. At least with the piling I could work on my sculptures." A beat, "Oh, right, you haven't been to The Garden yet. Well, you'll probably see it soon enough. And to answer your question, no. It sounds slightly similar to the language that has been used to describe things beyond the normal scope of reality, but not quite. I'm sure it will be possible to find though. Especially if we can find a translator...I should start studying more languages, it appears like we're going to need it."

To Nadia, however, her reply is much more subdued and cautious, caught off-guard by the icy nature of her message. "Is that a lot of perin? It is a high number, but the only context we have is a copy of a record and a unique, custom-made magical weapon. We'll be inside momentarily, Mel is here, we needed to talk to him earlier, but..."

Kestal, however, was more interested in something else, and is less cautious than her counterpart, deciding that the best way to handle her was to meet her head on. "Only three? I feel like we were ripped off. We're worth at least three on our own, we figured there would've been eight. Oh well, they sound interesting enough."

[Vhaidara]

Nadia Vorns, the Reborn Drake

Nadia chuckles in her mind.
We've been here for a few hours more than you, that's all. And we weren't really planning on staying
Again, her voice when addressing Kestal is cold.
There were also four men who seemed to have been here by mistake. I gave each of them some money for their trouble, and sent them on their way.

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

"Ah, seven is a better number. Sounds like they weren't that interesting though, if you're not even going to tell us what they looked like. Besides, Eris would've released them anyway, but I take it there's a reason you've decided to keep those three? I thought you'd be against slavery, and I'm sure our new friend isn't fond of the idea."

Eris, oblivious to this part of the discussion, remains quiet.

[Vhaidara]

Nadia Vorns, the Reborn Drake

They chose to stay, so far. We're going to pay them, they are not going to be made to do anything they do not want to, and we will help them get home. The Magister is afraid that he'll be recaptured. He was tortured. The little girl wants her mother. She's crying into Aiko's shoulder at the moment. The rabbit woman had a tantrum when the girl mentioned her home, screamed in a strange language, and bent the bars of her cage with a kick.

[Mornings]

The City of White (World-Betwixt)
- The White District; The Black Dove: Rymont Bolt-Smiths
Arc: 0.5 - Dawning

The Daughter of Evenings
Blessed Chosen; The Star's Fury
The man swiftly turns about, snapping out his hand to examine the crystal. His hand passed through it instead. He looked at the Child with a wise-smirk. Bending over to examine the contents. "Smart... I believe it goes without saying. Don't let anyone catch you with this. They'll remove that pretty little head of yours." He produced a large stone from his palm touching it to her crystal. The dark light, was filled with a bright blue glow. "Current exchange rate today on DEs is 3.5 to Perin, leaving you at 3,400,000 Perin after the 100,000 in deductibles for the exchange. Exchange rates outside are never less then 10%, but I'm not such a miser. Come again later if you require my services, The Melborne Brothers always deal in a fair price~ " She spoke the last line like a catch phrase, as he took a curt bow turning about the group of children and some of the colorful men waited for him out of the room. He turned and waved farewell as he left, the group of colorful men and children pulled the man in a warm hug as they moved back out of the office. Mel took out a small drum and began to play a song on the instrument as they danced their way out of the Trading Office.

Rinnith Melborne Mellow - 'Mel'

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

Thanking Mel, she watches him leave, hoping that he's as kind and generous as he appears to be. Eris needed to believe that he was.

To Nadia, Eris finally responds, "Well, of course that's what we're going to do. What kind of woman do you think we are?"
Interjecting, "You two need to learn how to loosen up and have more fun. I mean honestly, what's the fun in having a slave that you can't make do what you want?"
"OK, what kind of woman do you think I am?" Eris corrects herself.

****This takes place after Luna's and Nadia's confrontation, see the following posts****

Finally rounding the corner and entering the room, Luna gets a good look at all of her newly acquired bits of property. While Eris would have normally moved to the child first, seeing Aiko take care of her caused her to shift her attentions elsewhere. Intrigued by the alien mage, Eris wonders if all otherworlders are humanoid. It would make sense, I suppose. Most of the children of the stars back home were mostly human in shape as well. I guess everyone was created in a common image. Kestal, however, is much more interested in the angry demi-human than the human that was broken and beaten by someone else before she got there. She is a slave. Strong as she might be physically, if she had the power to harm anyone through a mental link, she wouldn't be property, she reasons.

Allowing Eris the control to cautiously approach the wounded man, the pair of them kneel down next to him and place a comforting hand on his shoulder as she tries to soothe him. "It's alright now. None of us are going to hurt you. We can't promise we'll get you home right away, but we won't just abandon you here to be captured again. Now, we don't have long, I imagine you probably don't like being in this room, but why don't we talk for a little bit?" Figuring that distracting him with a discussion on the theoretical and mechanical differences of their worlds' magic is the best way to distract a scholar she continues. "You're a wizard, right? Our home has wizards too. They study magic, and learn how to utilize it by understanding its effects and working on long, difficult rituals every morning so they can finish the spell at a moment's notice when needed, is your magic similar? Does where you're from also have something known as sorcerers? Where we're from, they have innate magical abilities. They can be rather dense, since they never study and rarely practice, but they're powerful in their own way. We're something more in the middle."

While her nicer half is trying to soothe the mage, Kestal reaches out to the last remaining woman with her mind. "So what's got you riled up? Bunnies are supposed to be adorable, and you've got the looks for it, but I don't know if they'd have that reputation if they got angry when let out of their cages." Though she possesses more tact than Eris, she decided that, like with Nadia, being confrontational might be more beneficial here. "You realize that you're free to leave if you want, you saw the others go I assume. So why're you sticking around if it upsets you so much?"

Spoiler

Show

Eris Diplo (1d20+12)[31]

Kes Diplo (1d20+9)[26] (She's actually not rolling to seduce this time, just talk. Seduction comes later, when they aren't in a hurry to get Kal out of town)
Kes Sense Motive (1d20+7)[15]

[Vhaidara]

Nadia Vorns, the Reborn Drake

As soon as Luna enters the room, Nadia's fist strikes her face.
NEVER DO SOMETHING THAT STUPID AGAIN!
Her voice, calm until now, comes out as a roar, sounding more like that of a beast than a woman.

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

Having expected Nadia to do something, being greeted with a full-powered slug square in the center of her face wasn't quite the scale of reaction either half of Lu'naus predicted. Caught completely off guard, she stumbles backwards, her wings flaring out and failing to help her keep her balance as the Child of Night falls flat on her ass with a stunned look on her face.

It takes her several seconds before she has the presence of mind to wipe away the blood now dripping down her nose and look up at Nadia in shock, too stunned to figure out what, exactly, it was that set this off given everything that'd happened in the last half hour. "What did we do?!"

[Mornings]

The City of White (World-Betwixt)
- The White District; The Black Dove: Rymont Bolt-Smiths
Arc: 0.5 - Dawning

The Reborn and The White
Blessed Chosen; The Star's Fury
The man reached out, but flinched back, deciding not to take Nadia's hand, as if by reflex. "T-Thank you... I'm glad to have met another traveler like myself again. I have nothing anymore, only these tattered rags, but the knowledge I carry seemed invaluable to those that traded me. The Librarians hunt for me as well... many times they raided places which I had been. I fear they mean to silence me...forever." He put his back against his cage, looking at the animal-woman then back to Nadia. "She doesn't understand your tongue. She's a Fae Child, she was only responding to the little one's words in the Divine-Tongue, or Godspeak, they call it. I don't know it well, but I'd say the child must be a Daughter of a Goddess if she can understand a Faeborn like her. I studied them to some length while I was traveling. The Faeborn are creature born of the natural energies that make worlds, often possessing attributes that link them to their nature... I don't think that box would hold her if she did not want to be their..." He looked over to the Fae-Child. "Um.... v-ven...dui." She crossed her arms looking at the man somewhat confused. " Dosst telanth zhah natha mithuth, qualla erkd'fe medose." The child in Aiko's arms burst out laughing, tears still in her eyes. "She says you speak her language terribly. Please study more." The little girl looked to Nadia. "She said you're a fake, a cheater, and you cheated her master. She said that a cheat like you isn't strong enough to find my home, or take me their... That you'd cheat me like you did her master, and sell me again... But I don't think that's true, she's just sad and being mean because the Athiyk Lodias won't cry. Sorry. I don't know your words for them. They are like.... um... uh. How do you call... Ghost. They are like ghost. They are very proud, and fight with the Dakka for fun. The uh... the wolf. The wolf-people. I don't think there is name in your tongue for them. The Athiyk love to fight, they like strong, and hate weak. She think you weak and cheat. Made her strong master loose, now she's sad. Athiyk love their strong master. Now she has none, but cannot cry, because she is strong. You see?" The rabbit's attention seemed to be caught by some of her words. " Dakka? Vel'bol xun dos tesso mina?" The little girl laughed, speaking over Aiko's shoulder. "Usstan tesso mina d'Athiyk Lodias z'ress lu'lu'oh nind malar. Neitar Ummo! " The fae-warrior beat a clawed white fist to her chest as if returning a war-chant. " HO! NEITAR UMMO!" The little girl giggled.
****************

The man looks up at Luna, with wide eyes. "Um... well, there are many different kinds of magic in my world, but spells themselves tend to be long rituals, not something that can be completed at a later time when needed. There are sorcerers as well, though because most of our magic is reliant upon enchantment of inanimate or animate objects, the arts of witchcraft are far more common and readily used. Though it is somewhat a secretive practice, as most in my world do not believe that magic exists, or magic outside the scope of their faith. Even wizards such as my self tend to focus on but one school of practice in most cases, with the exception of those rare few individuals which practice a strange and exotic practice known as Chaos Magick... it is quite unique even among all the worlds I have traveled. " Kestal's connection reached out to the strange Fae-Child, but as if her words hit a solid wall, she felt a spiritual energy repulse her thoughts. The little girl giggled at Luna. "You're a Child like me. What's your mommy's name? - You should know cute bunnies like the Athiyk can't be talked to like that, hehe. You can't even blow em up. They are like Dakka, they punch and yell, because that's all that works. They don't like magic. They like strong. Hehe. I'm Theresia. My mommy's name is May." The Faeborn rabbit growled at Luna. "See, she doesn't like you. hehe." Luna could feel that the little girl was a Child much like herself, but of a different Mother. The rabbit chuckled at the bruised face Luna wore as if she was a walking joke. "You have an owie, I can make you better if you want."

[Vhaidara]

Nadia Vorns, the Reborn Drake

Nadia laughs at the strange creature's accusations.
I didn't win you, nor did I cheat to win that bout.
Her eyes narrow
And know this: Once my word is given, it is my bond. I have met with the Barra'Dakka before. They helped me to reach this place.

At another time

Nadia glowers at the fallen Child.
You bet your entire being! Your body and your soul! And you dragged Aiko and the priestess into it as well! I thought we agreed to be careful, and not take stupid, pointless risks? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one here!
Her voice is still raised to a roar.

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

****About 30 seconds ago****

Still reeling, it takes Luna a moment to process, but in the end it's Eris that retorts. "It wasn't a stupid, pointless risk! There was no risk at all, we knew you'd win! And because of that, we've managed to free four slaves and can work on returning the others to their home! How is that pointless?!" Butting in, "Plus, we're no longer completely without funds for this city, meaning now we can actually gather supplies that we're going to need! You should be thanking us for thinking ahead."

Well, I wouldn't go that far.
I would.


****The Present****

"Chaos magick? That sounds interesting. I wonder if it's anything like Desolation magic. And your world sounds interesting, maybe you could show us around when we get you there. But until then, why don't we get you out of those rags and into something more comfortable and away from all these...cages," she says in disgust.

Oh please, we both know you love them.
Yeah, when we're using them for fun, not for...this.

They frown in the direction of the rabbit-eared girl as the Child explains. When she offers to heal them, however, she hesitates. "I was going to say no, but it is apparently a bad idea to use magic in this world. If you can heal us without any spells, we would gladly accept your help, Theresia," she says with a smile...offset by the blood flowing freely from her nose. "Arias is our Mother, but I'm afraid you've been May's Child for far longer than we've been Arias', we don't know very much about this world, and we don't know Godspeak at all...but if you think you could teach us we'd be happy to learn."

Glancing from Theresia to the rabbit and back, "Do you know how strong she really is?"

[Mornings]

The City of White (World-Betwixt)
- The White District; The Melborne Trading Office
Arc: 0.5 - Dawning

Blessed Chosen; The Star's Fury
As Nadia spoke the Faeborn seemed to completely dismiss her until she heard the words 'Barra'Daka', she looked over to Theresia, "Vel'bol zhah il ezual?" The girl looked at Nadia "She's asking what you're saying." She looked back to the rabbit. "Il zhah ezual l'Barra'Dakka xxizz'a ilta inbau ghil, lu'nindel rena il xunus naut 'nez' l'malar, il xunus naut dunga." The rabbit looked confused, then laughed. "...I told her what you say." The rabbit looked back at Nadia through the bars, laughing out at her and speaking in a condescending tone "Xunus naut nez? Nau nez, zhah g'jahall! Wiles whol l'yibin!" The girl shook her head. "She thinks you weak. To Athiyk, your words make no sense. She say you did not win. Not win is defeat, and you speak the words of the weak. Athiyk cannot understand win without victory." She looked back to the rabbit and spoke beating a small fist to her chest " Jhal il uriu bel'la. Bel'la zhah gareth! - Bel'la!, Honor." The rabbit slammed her back into the cage as if to rebuttal " Honor....gareth." She looked back to Nadia, "I say, weak maybe - because win without victory is weak. But honor you have, and honor is strong. Even to Athiyk. Is best strong to Athiyk, because it means to fight against world. True victory. Is closest to win without victory Athiyk can understand."

She smiled at Luna after the exchange "Spells are weak, mommy says so. Command the Anima, and this is strength." She closed a hand in front of herself, as if the air seemed to become dense around herself, sparkles of green light flickered around Luna, her wounds vanishing, her ears rang slightly and gave her a strange sensation. "Your mommy is Ariri? She is mommy's oldest friend. She knows where mommy and I live. She can help, yay!" She looks at the rabbit then back to Luna, "She is very strong Athiyk. You can't see her strength? Athiyk have Vaelin, like tree-rings. More rings, more strong! This why no things, but fight and yell work on Athiyk, they born from Anima and it protect them from what makes world. Need mastery of Anima to get past it, very hard. She has many-many rings. Won many battle, so very strong. But Athiyk fight, love fight, but fight for honor. More fight, stronger Athiyk is. See? But Athiyk is sad now with no strong master, and mad at her who win with no victory, because she loose strong master. Maybe if she find strong fight, she will be happy again."

[Vhaidara]

Nadia Vorns, the Reborn Drake

I think she misunderstood me. I won the fight that her master had bet her on. However, the bet that won her was not my bet, but the bet of my friend

In the distant past

You knew none of that! I was simply entering a tournament for laughs, and you went and bet everything on it! I was facing a ****ing Vessel, you stupid little girl!

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

Returning the smile, "In that case, then would you mind waiting with us here a minute? We need to talk to our friends and figure out a plan, after that we'll go ask 'Ariri' for help on how to get you home, okay? Why don't you teach me about this 'anima' to pass the time? You seem like you know a lot about it, and I'd like to learn. We're good at talking to two people at once."

Past

"We aren't that stupid! We knew you'd win, vessel or not! And we were right. Why not just be happy?"

[Vhaidara]

Nadia Vorns, the Reborn Drake

No one could know that I was going to win! I didn't know that I was going to win! Even if you could see fate, that was literally the foe most likely to be able to **** with that!
Then Luna makes her second comment.
Why not be happy? Why not be happy? You risked EVERYTHING we had. Did you even consider what would have happened if you'd lost?
She turns and points at the cages
That's what. If you'd been lucky. And it would have fallen to me, and me alone, to get you out. And probably die trying! You need to learn to think about more than yourself. I'm not sure if this has sunk in yet, but I thought I made this clear after Rain took over the Cathedral Ruins: There are people who care about you now. There are people who give a **** if you live or die. There are people who would do anything not to see you hurt. So open your damned eyes.
Tears are streaming from her eyes as she speaks,and by the end, her voice is no longer a roar, but a hoarse rasp.

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel - 30 seconds ago

Scowling now, though the effect is somewhat diminished by the blood dribbling down off her chin and unto her exposed everything, Eris takes a second before sighing, conceding that Nadia wasn't entirely wrong. Swapping to telepathy for a modicum of privacy, "Who said we can't see 'fate'? But I admit...we only knew the outcome. We didn't realize that Black Star was a vessel."

Shaking her head, "We understand that perfectly well. We didn't waste time considering a what if for what wouldn't happen, because we had faith in you and ourself. But if we had somehow lost, then you'd have found a way to save us without killing yourself in the process, and we would do the same if our positions were reversed." As tears begin to form in Nadia's eyes, Luna finally drags herself back onto her feet, blood dripping onto the floor as she moves closer to Nadia. "We promise, we weren't being as rash as you think. Our body would be one thing, but after all we have been through, do you truly think we would risk our souls? Or anyone else's?"

[Vhaidara]

Nadia Vorns, the Reborn Drake

I just don't know. Even with all we've been through,I barely know either of you. And you are all that I have.I need you two here to remind me who I am. Who I need to be. Who I cannot be...
She looks up
If the two of you had died, we all know what steps I would have had to take to get you back.

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel - 30 seconds ago

Again, she looks off-guard, but concedes the point. "I guess that is true. With everything that's happened it almost feels like we've been together for months, but I guess it really has only been about a day, hasn't it? If we ever get some time to relax, we can try to really get to know each other...but for now, we know everything that we need to know about you. And you know everything you need about us."

Trying to lighten the heavy air, Kestal can't resist the chance to make a joke. "Oh please, look at us. We're too pretty to die," she says, showing off her already purpling nose and bloody face with a carefree grin, even as she does her best to ignore the pain to not show Nadia how much that hit really hurt. Becoming more serious, they embrace Nadia and whisper into her ear. "Just have a little faith in us too, alright?"

[Mornings]

The City of White (World-Betwixt)
- The White District; The Melborne Trading Office
Arc: 0.5 - Dawning

Blessed Chosen; The Star's Fury
Theresia looked at Nadia and shrugged, "To Athiyk, you fought, you win with no victory, and now you here - freeing slaves from cages. Only masters and thieves free slaves. So she blames you just the same. If you beat enemy in fight, then she'd not be sad. But master lost because of rules Athiyk doesn't understand. So now she sad." - The child looked at Luna then the scarred man. "Mommy still teaching me your ooble', um... language. My family speaks Yah'Telanth, like Athiyk. I don't know your words to teach you of flasmix, um.. Anima. It is what the Magisters learn of, they study the flasmix and the worlds. Maybe Haru Nesst can speak for me." She looked at the man, the wizard, Mathew. He grinned bitterly... " ...'Scar Man', eh?" He ran a hand over his mutilated face. "I suppose I am... " He looked to Luna, "I don't know what you and your friends wagered for my freedom... but I am thankful. I am not exceptionally educated on matters relating to what they call Anima, but I am familiar with the the concept, and can understand enough Godspeak, though I can't speak it for the life of me. But I think I understand where this Child originates from now - after meeting you both, but I don't claim to be any subject matter expert on Children."

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel - Present

Still paying attention to the Child's translations, Kestal's intrigued. "Can you ask her who her previous master was, and what rules she doesn't understand?"

Eris, however, keeps her attention focused on Matthew. "Don't worry about our wager. To be perfectly honest, helping out the slaves being gambled was a secondary concern for us at the time, mostly hadn't thought about it. We believe you are from another world, so please, believe us when we say that slavery is the least important issue we've dealt with today by a wide margin. In any case, you might not be exceptionally educated on Anima, but any education is more than what we possess on the topic. Though you've been suffering here, you've been a part of this world for far longer than we have, so anything that you can teach us would be appreciated."


To Aiko, Nadia, and even Kal'Fel, as she finally decides to reach out to add him to their telepathic network, "So, where do we go from here? We still need to see what else we won, but our Brother can't stay in this city for long." Even as she says this, they move to open the remaining chests. "Kal, Mother wouldn't mind us taking Theresa to the Garden, would she? Taking her home seems the simplest task before us right now, but I don't want to bring uninvited guests. Other Children are allowed, aren't they?"

After getting his answer, she continues. "It'll be harder to figure out what to do with these other two. Going by what the priestess said, I'm not sure if they can travel with us through Wakes, so getting him home will be a hassle, but shouldn't be impossible if this is really the 'World-Betwixt'. The problem is we can't leave him here on his own if people are hunting for him. We have no idea what we're going to do with Athiyk either. She doesn't seem willing to go free, or happy to serve anyone who isn't strong...Anyone have any bright ideas?"

[jamieth]

Realizing the little one for what she was, Aiko immediat6ely sets her down... too bad it would still be to late to allow herself to interfere in the Nadia and Eris's fight. "We'll get you back, I promise..."

"What should we do with you, though..." she crouches near the bunny, though still outside her apparent reach just to be sure, "can't force freedom on people...and most cetainly can't leave you here..."

"You know", she adds aloud, "I still say we need a retreat. After all, how expensive can a humble two- or three-story home be? You know", she winks at Eris, "with large bedrooms, internal pool, maybe..."

[Vhaidara]

Nadia Vorns, the Reborn Drake

The draconic woman simply nods, not trusting herself to respond to her friend.

The Present

Nadia looks over at Aiko.
That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. though we should probably see what else my love's recklessness won us.
She walks over to the first of the unopened chests and opens it.

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

"A big, beautiful home sounds wonderful," she says sliding up to Aiko to whisper suggestively into her ear, "but who needs beds?"

Holding the position for a moment, long enough to tease the cleric, she sighs. "Unfortunately, it will have to wait." Glancing toward Nadia, "We'll need to find some place safer to settle down before we invest in something large and immobile. It'd be pointless to buy something that we might never see again. Maybe once we've finished the training that we all so very clearly need..."

[Mornings]

The City of White (World-Betwixt)
- The White District; The Melborne Trading Office
Arc: 0.5 - Dawning

Blessed Chosen; The Star's Fury
Theresia moved next to Aiko looking inside the cage where the Faeborn rabbit sat. She knelt down and begun speaking to her again, pointing at herself. "Usstan tlun Theresia, vel'bol zhah dosst kaas?" The rabbit glanced at her from under the mount of rags and her cowl like a bundle of bed-sheets. " L'T'Puuli Yila, Z'Ress - L'Athiyk Yila " She beat a fist to her chest with a dense thud as she spoke. Theresia looked to Aiko, "She says she is of L'Athiyk Yila Clan - They are rare Athiyk fighters, very old. She says her name is Z'Ress, The White Rabbit. The L'Athiyk Yila earn a title after they have defeated their parents and the leader of their clan. When she defeat her family, the chief of L'Athiyk Yila give her Warrior Name, Puuli Yila, to show her strength. She travel far away looking for Gareth Jabbuk - um. It is like 'love' to Athiyk Yila. The look for a strong master. Until she is defeated, she carries title Puuli Yila. Z'Ress thought her master would be her Gareth Jabbuk." The rabbit, Z'Ress, sighted pointing at Nadia as if accusingly while she spoke. "Waele yibin ligrr dunga Jabbuk, lu'nin Usstan tlun ghil..." Theresia nodded, looking back over to Aiko. "She thought her master would be her Gareth Jabbuk in time, but the 'stupid girl' cheat her master and made him loose claim - I guess he bet more then he had at the time, and lost very rare L'Ahiyk Yila to his debt. Now she is here, and sad. " Theresia stood up leaning into the cage petting Z'Ress's head. "Doer xuil uns'aa? Ussta fuma zhah ves gareth, garethurl. Nau G'jahall! " Z'Ress looked up at her, perking up at her words. "Nau G'jahall? " Theresia pounded her small fist on her chest, like the rabbit. "Ho! Garethurl, Nau G'jahall!" Z'Ress stood up in the cage, her head smashing through the wood and steel cage like it was made of cardboard. "Ho!" She wrapped her arms around Theresia and swung her around, as she bent the steel door aside with her hand and walked out of the destroyed cage. "Siyo! Usstan orn doer! Usstan orn ragar Gareth Jabbuk!" Theresia chuckled as she was put down by the 7 ft tall rabbit. She threw the tattered rags to the ground, revealing her features clearly for the first time. "I tell her, I bring her home with me. She can fight my family, because mommy is the strongest! She happy again, and wants to fight and find her Strong Master. Not good to fight around people though, L'Athiyk Yila, make big mess when they fight. Much stronger then Dakka and Rivvil - your people. There is no buildings to destroy in L'Athiyk Yila home, only tree's like my home, so Yila play very hard, make big mess. Not good in your cities with stone and people." She climbed on Z'Ress's back. "Now we can go home! - Delmah!" - "Delmah!"


The White Rabbit - Z'Ress; Puuli Yila of L'Athiyk Yila

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

That sounds like a good a plan as any to us. That just leaves the wizard.

Looking at the child, she seems almost wistful as her gaze shifts briefly to Nadia, "Love, huh? Well, if your Mother will take her in, then I suppose that will solve that issue. But tell her that we aren't as weak as we might look. Even dragons need time to grow to their full power. We'll want to visit you again, Theresia, so we'll do that when we're stronger, and we'll see if we're strong enough to be her 'Gareth Jabbuk' then, if she hasn't already found one."

[jamieth]

Aiko, Daughter of White

"Of course we'll do it... if that's the only kind of love her people know, we should at least attempt to give her one. So far, though... how do you p[ropose we carry all that with us?" she points at the chests. "Training we might need, but... far as I learned, they don't teach... our kind of magic here, not to mention... mine's of a kind that can't really be learned - and I don't think I'm really suited for combat..."

[Mornings]

The City of White (World-Betwixt)
- The White District; The Black Dove: Rymont Bolt-Smiths
Arc: 0.5 - Dawning

Blessed Chosen; The Star's Fury

Z'Ress looked at Luna, then back over her shoulder to Theresia "Gareth Jabbuk? Vel'bol?" - "Il tanaleth'u kyorl lu'kyorl, nind orn doera gareth! Ji gareth nind morfeth Puuli Yila, Noa! " Z'Ress looked back to the nude horned woman, "Jhal il zhah ji inlul, xun nind knan jatha'la?" Theresia laughed, pointing at Luna "Siyo! Lu'il orn zotreth ves dubo!" The rabbit looked back at Luna with a look of amazement and wide-eyed, she pointed her fist at her. "Ho! T'yin vel'drav dos jatha'la, orn orn malar! Siyo!" - "I tell her your words, and that you like my will get very strong and punch hard when you are zhuanth, like my family. So she will fight you when you are big, and you can show true strength."

Mathew, limped over to Luna and Nadia turning them away from Theresia as she had her attention elsewhere, making it look like they were looking at the boxes. "That Child's home is a dangerous place. A preserved world south of the Magister's university, Barionheim. A place called The Forrest of Shattered Ash... I've only visited the place once, where time is altered by the very path taken through the forests. I was told an ancient Goddess preserved her domain within its center, if little Theresia is a Child of this Goddess, you may wish to proceed with caution. My friend warned me of the place many times, because it penetrates so many various worlds as a labyrinth might. The stories he told me said this Goddess was a master of an unknown number of lost magicks, and her Children roam the worlds between devouring existence. I can't believe Theresia is one of these 'Devourers' but perhaps gifted in the arts of magick, which seems more likely, with her command of Anima. You may wish to consult your own Goddess before proceeding, just to be safe..."

They begun opening the boxes. The chest of perin stones, was rather self explanatory, they opened the next box, finding another box of perin stones. A ledger sat in the box as well, another 150,000 Perin. Luna opened the next box, it was filled strange stone tablets wrapped in fine leather. Mathew took a closer look at the items. "These are quite valuable, Memory Tomes. Tools used by old Magisters to imprint abilities and magick they have learned - Each tablet contains a unique challenge created by the Magister to guard their knowledge. I've used one before. Some can be rather frustrating puzzles, but the time is worth the powers they may grant, though they can only grant such a thing once." He ran his hand over all five of the tablets. Nadia opened the next box. It was filled with velvet and a row of 5 black fist-sized crystals shaped like triangular diamonds. Mathew coughed, in shock seeing the things. "Just... what the hell did you bet exactly? These are Soul Vestals... and not just normal ones either. Perhaps tens of thousands of lives were sacrificed to make a single one of these... If The Order catches you with these, you're as good as dead." His hand shook as he extended his fingers as if to touch one, then quickly pulled away. He closed the lid "You should get rid of them... Not many things can destroy them, there hasn't been Quortek Khaliizi made since the wars of old, before The Order brought stability." - Rei quickly turned on her heel and moved out of the room patting Kal on the back as she went. Z'Ress lumbered across the room, her 7 ft stature towered over the scarred man. She looked down at the cowering man with Theresia still on her back. She placed her white fist in her other hand, and cracked a knuckle, while looking down at him coldly. " Quortek Khaliizi!? Vel'bol zhah l'iklnig d'nindol?" He shook his hands in front of his face sheepishly. "N-No... I don't know! - Uh.. Uh.. U-Uss..tan..xuat.. zhaun!" Luna opened the last box, which was filled with a number of strange items, probably magic items based on their wager. The smaller boxes were strange objects. One contained 3 very large 5 inch long rounds, made with infuriatingly detailed engraving and forge-work from strange colored metals none of them had ever seen before. It was safe to assume these were the C.SABRE 909 Bolts Magister Rymont had mentioned. The other held a small black and crimson orb, no doubt the strange 'World Sphere' the slave had spoken of.

Z'Ress tossed open the lid to the box with the Soul Vestals within, picking up the man by his chin with two fingers, his feet coming off the ground. "Usstan xuat zhaun?" She pointed down at the gems. "T'yin tesso uns'aa... Vel'bol zhah nindel?" Theresia looked down at the gems. "Oooo, someone's been really bad! Those are bad. Why do you have that? "



Winnings
Chest 1 - Perin -
Chest 2 - Perin (150,000)
Chest 3 - Memory Tomes x5
Chest 4 - Soul Vestals x5
Chest 5 - Loot Box (Items)

S. Box 1 - C.SABRE 909s x3
S. Box 2 - World Sphere

[Desril]

Lu'naus'Fel

Hearing what the Soul Vestal's were, Eris couldn't help but look disgusted, even as her eyes gleamed with temptation. She quickly shakes that thought off though. "You'll probably be happier not knowing, you saw what happened the last time someone found out," she says to Mathew when he asks what they bet, gesturing toward Nadia. "Though I wonder if it's easier to free these souls than the last thing we got that was like this..."

Looking at Z'Ress when she lifts up Mathew, Eris sighs and looks toward Theresia again. "Can you ask her to put him down? He's not the one who made them or wagered them, and we don't know who did. We have them for the same reason we have all of the rest of this and for the same reason that we own the three of you, at least officially. Someone wagered them, and ours was high enough that we won them. We don't know what to do with them yet, but we'll make sure they aren't misused. But if they're that dangerous to have around, it might be best if I move them somewhere else for now..."

Luna quickly marks each of the chests and their respective contents with the Naus-Stone given to them by Arias before looking at each one and thinking. After combining the collective Perin winnings into three stones of equal value and handing one to both Nadia and Aiko, keeping the third for herself, she starts to shift things around, trying to fit everything within a single chest, including the smaller chests containing the World Sphere and C.SABREs.

"Can anyone tell us what this 'world sphere' is?"

[Mornings]

The City of White (World-Betwixt)
- The White District; The Black Dove: Rymont Bolt-Smiths
Arc: 0.5 - Dawning

Blessed Chosen; The Star's Fury
Theresia pat Z'Ress on the head. "ol zhah naut ukt que'darn, uk zhah rothe." The Faeborn Child released Mathew, setting him down. "...Uh. Quite the misunderstanding. I think you should perhaps consider leaving those things. Soul Vestals do not contain souls... they are made from them. Tens of thousands of people's body and spirits were consumed to create them. There is no undoing that, but they are objects of wickedness and cruelty. Tools born of genocide, suffering and anguish to be used as powerful sources of energy in arts we do not speak of. They can corrupt lesser creatures simply with their presence. During the wars of old, the Daemons under Chaos's command would bring countless victims together and slaughter them in their profane ritual to create these very stones, to be used as weapons. They are objects of death from an age past wielded by inhuman creatures... one of the greatest affronts to the natural spirit folk like the L'Athiyk Yila. Thus, you might be able to understand why our friend here is not pleased." - As Luna moved through and consolidated the winnings marking the boxes and items, she was abruptly interrupted as she closed the lid of the Soul Vestal gems. Z'Ress pulled her back from the box and placed her clenched fist in front of her face. She spoke softly, until the end where she roared two words into her face with great force. "...Usstan saph dos, jhal Usstan orn ELRIE DOS, ka dos fre'sla wun ussta i'dol. " - Theresia looked over her shoulder at Luna "...Um. She says she likes you. But she will 'crush you' if you touch those... I think she was being, um... how do you say. Literal. Maybe it's better if we find someone who can dispose of -" The tall rabbit opened the box, plucking out like truffles, and ate them, the crunching of glass audible. Theresia and Mathew looked at her dumbfounded. "...I ..What? I didn't know Soul Vestals could be destroyed like that..." Theresia shrugged "Lu'oh xunus dos cal mina?" - " Ussta lodias, L'Athiyk Yila, cal faer. Zhennur z'ress, mzild udos cal. Usstan cal mina mzil draevalen, saph ogglin" Theresia scratched her head. "She says L'Athiyk Yila eat enegy, eat magic. Stronger the Yila, more they can eat. She says she is old and strong, eaten many of these. - I think she have fight the ones who made these, long time ago." Mathew shook his head, "Well... It's better off that way. Who knows what foul things would have emerged should those things been allowed to exist. As for this 'World Sphere'... I've only heard the name once in passing. I have no idea what it is aside from some strange and foreign space isolated within an object. Perhaps Theresia may know. As a Child of Magick." She put her chin on Z'Ress's shoulder looking down at them from her perch. "Bleh... I know it. They are all different though, some good some bad. Depends what they were made to do. You need to examine it first. " Mathew nodded, "Hm, so there are different kinds for different purposes... Interesting - On another note though. I've finally thought of what to do. Can you please show me to Barionheim or one of the High-Magisters, or anyone that has some authority in the university. They are perhaps the only organization that can assist me now, and keep me out of the Librarian's hands. Will you help me?"