NationStates Jolt Archive

"Sounds like bad blood between them, might be best to say out of it." Perigrine commented as she stepped over to his kit and brought him a towel to wrap around his shoulders and hold the warmth in.

"Are you tiring? You didn't have much of a rest time between the universal and this." She offered him some sports drink and a cup of yogurt she'd snagged

"Is there anything special you'd like to do once the tourney's over?"

"I'm starting to get a bit tired, but nothing I havn't handled before. Thank you for the food." Jason replied as he took a drink and had a bite of yogurt. "As to after the tournament, beside being with you, any other plans are still up in the air."

Sitting next to him, their bodies almost touching, Perigrine refused to resist the sudden urge to lay her head on his shoulder. She sighed happily, contentment washing over her.

"She's right. You make me smile. I'm not used to doing that" She murmured quietly

"It would be very interesting to meet this mysterious lady." Jason replied "You should smile more, your smiles are so very beautiful."

What they were discussing...

"That can really work?"

"Who can say for sure? It's never been tried - that we know of."

"And if it works?"

"Your wish will be granted. In full."

"Fine. But Raijin, you couldn't have thought to do this in the past two days. It's just not possible."

The larger man's face showed a scowl for a fraction of a second before resuming its expressionless state, smoothing over the sudden burst of emotion. "You are right, as always. I first heard about these ancient and rather powerful rituals when I was a little kid. My grandfather," he paused in remembrance of the last Kriovalian king, "my grandfather was the one who told me about them. He told me the legends of how the first two, the Ascension and the Banishment, were supposedly done at or before Krioval was founded. Naturally, I gobbled up the stories and then forgot about them - that is, until the mess of the Interregnum."

"You...you don't have to tell me about that. I already know. I guess I was a part of it too, the experiments and all."

"The official line was that I was to be enhanced exactly once and allowed to go home. I was ten years old at the time. The months dragged on. Sickeningly enough, it turned out that the Council had kept Varik in the dark about the process. In turn, Adele tarred and feathered him - by proxy - but you've heard that story already. A Christian priest tried to have his way with me when I was only twelve. You might have heard about this one. I killed him with a ten-kilo sledgehammer. That's when the Order of Andretara became interested in me - for killing. Of course, the scientists wanted 'just one more modification', too, after all, I was Prince Raijin, at least on paper. Three ideologies all looking to me as their salvation, as their weapon." His voice rose slightly, "Valkai the Elder saved me from all of them, and my mother when she could. Your father was instrumental in some of the more 'interesting' escapades as well."

"My father?"

"Philip Vartek. He managed to get me out of the capital and into Valak when I was sixteen. Valkai the Elder stayed there with us for three months before I went to Andretara. The Order wasn't the greatest place to hide, but it could shield me from the priests and the needlestickers. But that didn't turn out so well either."

"How's that?"

"The worst pain a person can experience, I think, is to find out that the love of their life doesn't return the feeling. I want his freedom. I want my freedom. I wouldn't mind for yours and a few others' as well. Krioval prides itself on being a nation with so few secrets. Maybe it's that we hide them in plain sight, but we've got plenty of them."

"Maybe it's that the secrets are hidden, but the 'it's a secret shield' is the thing we see. Like the Andretara Monastery."

"I knew I'd like you, Koro Vartek. Anyone else would have gone crazy just hearing me talk like this."

"Hey! I haven't said you aren't, ya know." The slightest hint of a smile formed at the corners of the High Priest's mouth. "I do have a question."

"What's that?"

"How many people does this thing need to happen?"

"One."

"Then why tell me about it?"

"Because, like I said, anybody else would have either dismissed me as insane or begged me to reconsider. You, on the other hand, *understand* me. At the same time, your perspective isn't the exact same as mine." Raijin took a deep breath before completing his thought. "In short, should you tell me to abandon this, right here and now, I won't do it. I won't think about it again, and I'll make it near impossible for it to ever be done by anybody in the future."

"Raijin! You're...asking me...to decide the fate of so many people?! Just like that?!"

"Yes. Do you need some time to think about it?"

Koro looked at the Commander straight in the eyes. "No. And you already knew that. My answer is..."

Sigrun let out a heavy sigh as he rose from his seat and departed. He wanted no more of this tournament. For him, at least, his part in it was over. He disappeared down the halls behind the stands. He was in search of some place that offered solitude to leave him to his thoughts and meditations.

He cared not for any prize the Kriovalians might feel they must give him for his victory in the Universal round. Just showing up to have a little fun was reward enough for him. Now, he wondered if he should leave. He didn't particularly feel like sticking around for their foolish games after the tournament, the ridiculous "freedom" they gave to everyone upon sundown.

"...actually, I do have a few questions." Koro watched Raijin's anticipation drain away and satisfaction replace it.

"Good. I'd hate this to be decided by an impulse. What would you need to know?"

"How the whole thing proceeds, once it's been started."

Raijin explained, slowly and carefully, the effects on Krioval. It took quite some time, and a bit of convincing. "Anything else?"

"No. I didn't know that you could do something like that, though. The laws of physics and all."

"Don't ask me *how* it works. It just *does*, or at least it should. If it doesn't, then I look like an idiot, and things go on as they were, to our detriment."

"Why do you say that?"

"Koro, look at what we've done in the past eight years. In another eight, there will be no concept of 'nature' in Krioval. We'll either be cyborgs or designer babies, with our genomes engineered in labs - by machines. We can then reach the ultimate deception. We'll still call ourselves 'human'. Is that a fate you want for Krioval?"

"So that's you're real reason, isn't it?" Koro chuckled lightly. "Even in something such as this, you still think of the 'greater good'. Do it, Raijin. What's the worst that can happen?"

"Best not to ask those kinds of questions." He thought for a few seconds. "VALIYOS."

Yes, Commander?

"Suspend all traffic into and out of Krioval effective six this afternoon. Cancel air and space flights. Indicate that there are issues of security that require this."

Yes, Commander.

May I have your attention, please. All space and air flights departing after six o'clock this afternoon have been canceled. Flights will resume as normal tomorrow morning. Please contact a travel agency or a port of transit for further details. In addition, due to security protocols, ships will be denied permits to leave Kriovalian waters after six o'clock. Arriving flights and water craft will be allowed to arrive up until seven-thirty. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Raijin looked at Koro. "Once it starts, you understand it doesn't end until the Powers that Be say so."

The younger man shrugged. "However it works, right? Just so long's it does."

"Pretty much." The Commander's fingers hit a variety of buttons on a console concealed on the underside of his desk. "Have to let the underlings know. It's time."

To the senior leaders of the Army:

In our troubled times, it is important to be steadfast in the defense of Krioval, though few will ever know the precise hour or day whereupon one's power will be needed. Be ever vigilant. Protect the innocent and leave the guilty to their Fate.

Slasher

"So you're the 'Slasher'!" Koro was somewhat surprised at the revelation, but was adapting quickly to the pace of stunning change in the past few days. "I thought that was Valkai the Younger."

"He was. Unfortunately for me and several others, he chose to fall head over heels in love with a foreign Empress. What's worse, all he had to do was to confess it and the two of them would have left the country blissfully before the setting sun tonight. But he runs for Crysalia, and she remains here in Torokara."

"For Crysalia? He's leaving Earth?"

"He thinks he is. He'll be back, just not soon enough to prevent Michiko Sirocco Jones from witnessing what is to come. I can only pray that the Gods fall in line with me on this one - she must be protected, if only because of the hardship she has already endured."

"The other foreigners?"

"Physically protected if the lore is to be believed, and not eligible for participation unless they so choose. The Gods recognize what is and is not of Krioval, and adjust accordingly."

"Then why worry about Michiko?"

"Because her personality is much like one of the Goddesses. There is the slight yet not negligible chance that she may be one of the Chosen. If she were to answer the question in the right way, it could be messy." He shook his head. "We should return."

"Yeah. Five hours to go." Koro's normally light and airy voice deepened and hardened. "And then we will be free."

Without any more words, the two men stepped on a teleporter and returned to the arena entrance. Koro silently mused about how different things would very soon become.

The shadows deepened for a second and then a woman stepped forth and fell in alongside Sigrun, her long strides matching his.

"Want to tell me why Michiko is so ticked ?" Holding up a hand she forestalled the ancient elf's answer. "And no tis not the only reason. My prescience may be scattershot, but the winds tell me something is moving here." Her cognac hued eyes took on a faint, momentary lambency, as an unwind ruffled her hair and the flowing sleeves of her fine silk shirt. "Or will be ere the sun dives into Neptune's embrace"

Shalamar, the last Deadly Sin of Cats Keep, smoothed an errant wisp of bright auburn hair back into the thick french braid that even doubled fell nearly to her thighs, as she waited for the Tarlachian monarch to answer. Silver threads were just now beginning to creep into her tawny mane, but then again as she had recently become fond of saying "Look this good you will not, when you are twelve thousand."

She had left human behind long ago. The Shadow Realm, wherein Cats Keep dwelt for eons, changed people and despite her immense psionic donas, or perhaps because of them, she had, as the wheel turned, transformed into something ineffably 'other'.

MBC (http://www.atddm.com/mbc.jpg) and Smug (http://www.atddm.com/flapcat1.jpg) faded into visibility, one on each shoulder, giving Sigrun welcoming nods and whisker twitches. They then turned to inspecting their surroundings interestedly. They'd seldom left Cats Keep and like all felinids had lively curiosities. Their claws dug into the special leather shoulder pads attached to the wapons harness had held a pair of diverse swords across the Leronis's back.

One was a modified katana, recently crafted to her specifications by a Tarlachian swordmaster. The other was the sword of state of Cats Keep, its palm wide starstone, a semi organic psi enhancing matrix crystal, gleaming crystal, silver, blue and gold where it sat in the flareing crossguard. Moire silk wrapped the sword, sheath and all, insureing that there was no casual contact with the matrix crystal.

Sigrun was slightly startled as Shalamar stepped from the shadows. He looked to her, smiling warmly, then watching her as his face grew grave.

"Michiko was falling in love with a man that did not love her back. She was hoping it might develop into a relationship later. I saw the truth otherwise in Valkai's eyes. He did not love her, and very unlikely to develop the love necessary for her. Love, if it is meant to be, will happen in an instant, even if it is but a spark. It does not form from nothing."

He resumed his measured walk, pausing his speech to listen to the area around them. Finally, he looked sideways at Shalamar and continued, "There was nothing in his eyes. I only intervened to inform her of this, as kindly as I could. I did not wish to see her hurt in the long run. Better to let the wound on the heart be superficial than to be fatal."

He paused his speech again, taking a deep breath. "Now, she is vexed because of me. Do you understand why I did this?"

Her laugh was a little bit grim, a little bit sad. "Sigrun, Michiko's only what? Less than fifty. It took me ten times that long to begin to think I had a understanding of relationships, and I still wonder now and annon."

Padding on silent feet beside him, she chuckled and patted his shoulder with a kindly air. "Oh yes, I can understand whywell, having made the same mistake frequently myself."

Shalamar let that sink in and continued. "But Sigrun, might well be that this Valkai is as good at hiding as you or I are. We do that you know, with those we know little and trust less. Letting them see only what we want them to see."

Pauseing she half turned back the way they'd come. "There are undertows and riptides all about, currents and countercurrents. Makes me want to lay my ears back and bare fangs."

It was Sigrun's turn to laugh as Shalamar came to Michiko's defense, deliberately or not. He looked to her and shook his head slightly.

"Trust me when I say the eyes never lie. Valkai's eyes did not lie. And what I did, is not a mistake. No...far from it."

He resumed his walk, indirectly led by Shalamar.

"Besides...Valkai himself openly admitted to Michiko he did not love her. Why would he hurt her if that were not true? If he truly cared, he would have stepped forth on the matter. Yet, he did not. Instead, he told her the truth."

He nodded slightly, "And I respect him for telling the truth then."

Shalamar let her donas, her gifts, lead her, until at last the pair came out an arched opening and stood blinking slightly in the bright of the noon day sun. They stood at the apex of the western edge of the arena, looking down upon the restless, colorful throng below.

"There." And with a swipe of her hand created a shimmering disortion that settled into a closeup view of the first and second rows of seats, centered in the width of the arena. Her sigh was deep. "And of course Michiko is right in the thick of things. There, the row below her. That is where the focal point is. That one has something planned. I wonder if he has the strength to handle the outcome?"

Well, doesn't concern me. Much. Akina thought as the listened to the short message regarding Krioval being, well, for all intends and purposes, cut off from the rest of the world.

She paid a bit of a thought to the possible economic problems and the minor cases of chaos that would likely result, but eventually she concentrated on her two Kriovalian 'hosts' of sorts, again.

It didn't occur to her that one man could have the power to do what Raijin had just done. The society she came from, with its chaotic, barely regulated system(s), where nobody could wield even a fraction of the power Raijin wielded, made it almost impossible to even think about such power being concentrated in hands of a single individual.

At least when it came to comparatively like-minded nations like Krioval.

In the end, it was a good thing that she didn't actually knew anything about this particular fact. Had she known it, it would... Well, it wouldn't have scared her, but still... It wasn't a particularly nice thing, being in a nation where such was possible.

Well, not for Akina, in any case. But then, the average Kriovalian (Kriovali? She was still a little 'poisoned' with alcohol and wasn't entirely certain) would most likely have found DA's constant (Either hot or cold) civil warfare, its radiation levels and the amounts of toxic waste found in the industrial areas to be vastly more disturbing than Raijin's power could ever be (And this was disregarding the possibility of Psionic Magpies pickpocketing unsuspecting tourists).

In a sense, Krioval's stability and security was quite possibly vastly preferable to DA's sheer... Well, nobody knew why the nation still existed, given its chronic instability.

In any case, Akina wasn't too worried. "Has to be something serious, huh? Any idea as of what it could be? The media hyping some new virus into a world plague? Can't say I noticed such, but perhaps I just wasn't attentive enough..." A quick glance in Christine's general direction followed. "But you should know, shouldn't you, Senator? Or is it some especially secret matter?"

'He thinks my smiles are beautiful' Perigrine's thoughts whirled delightedly for quite some time becore calming back to the moment at hand.

"Michiko Sirocco Jones, Empress of the Tanara. She's been Empress almost three years, was President before that. Widow, one son affectionately called Race by one and all. Personally saved my life when I first came to this Universe, became my friend"

She looked up at one of the wide screen tv's adorning the walls. A camera was slowly panning the crowds. After a couple of minutes "There, the lady in the second row, with sun glasses on, she just purchased a straw hat from the vender." She indicated Michiko who was involved in settleing the hat on at just the right angle.

***************************************

Michiko settled the broad brimmed hat carefully, to block the maximum amount of sun from her face, but to block the view of those behind and above her as little as possible. The announcement that as of six that evening travel would be suspended didn't worry her. She could retreat to her hotel room after an early dinner, and let Perigrine and the Grendel free to enjoy the festivities. She remembered seeing a book store in her wanderings, and reading works by local authors would be a relaxing way to spend the evening.

'You could have been having an evening in Valkai's arms' her thoughts reminded her traitorously. 'I know, I did a good job of lieing to me, myself and I, didn't I. Carefully saying that I just want a romp in the hay, when what I really want is some one to love and be loved in return.' Her thoughts turned fierce 'I don't want a play toy, or a puppet, or a sheep to a prophecy. I want some one interested in me, as a person...is that so much to ask?' A tear trickled out from under the sunglasses, and angrily she dashed it away. Michiko accepted the handkerchief the Grendel offered wordlessly, dried her eyes and blew her nose.

"Then I shall have to thank her. She is beautiful, though not as beautiful as you are. I wonder how well she would get on with the royal family?" Jason replied

Raijin and Koro made their way back to the front of the spectators' section of the arena. The time was nearly four o'clock, and the tournament would soon be called on account of time, as most people would require at least a couple hours to prepare for the revelry. As they sat, Raijin turned to Michiko. "I apologize for the inconveniences you've encountered thus far." He frowned, thinking. "I fear that things might get a little...interesting...tonight. Please keep yourself guarded at all times. I'm told that sudden freedom can cause a bit of instability." Again he hesitated before offering her a piece of paper. "Should you ever decide to visit any of our other cities, it may help to know where they are located." With that, the look of concern on his face dissolved into his more usual expression of levity.

(see OOC thread for map)

*******************

Valkai praised the Gods effusively. His canceled flight was rescheduled for five, which put him safely in Crysalia just before nine, Torokara time. Good. I'll get out of here and be able to watch Raijin's little 'thing' on the holoscreen, and then good riddance to that life.

In any case, Akina wasn't too worried. "Has to be something serious, huh? Any idea as of what it could be? The media hyping some new virus into a world plague? Can't say I noticed such, but perhaps I just wasn't attentive enough..." A quick glance in Christine's general direction followed. "But you should know, shouldn't you, Senator? Or is it some especially secret matter?"

"Especially secret matter? Don't I wish! It's probably some stupidly boring thing Raijin's doing for attention. I wouldn't worry overly much about him. He does seem to always have Krioval's best interests in mind - and he tends to deliver on his actions." Christine thought for a moment. "I haven't heard anything about a virus, though."

Michiko took the offered map with a gentle smile "Thank you Raijin, I shall keep this for future visits, and don't worry, I think I shall be staying in with a good book tonight, I find myself not much in the mood for partying."

Carefully she tucked the map away "Could you Raijin, or you, Koro, recommend a local author? "

**********************************************

Perigrine looked at Jason with a wry smile. "More beautiful than her? Well you can't see much with the hat and sun glasses, but she's far more beautiful than I"

She knew her features were pleasing, the superority of her genome assured that, but she's never thought of herself as beautiful.

"And as to how she might get along with your royal family? Michiko genuinely likes other people, is genuinely interested in others, and is one of the kindest people I've ever known. She'd actually make a far better good will ambassador, she's wasted on the throne" Perigrine said thoughtfully

"Reguardless of how good a look I got of her, I can still say with complete certainty that you are more beautiful. Why doesn't she name an heir and retire or take the position of an ambassador?" Jason asked

Perigrine began to laugh "She has, by their rather wierd laws - she has nine official heirs named, and only one of them is going to be acceptable to most every one. As I understand it, before Sigrun stuck his elvish nose in, she was intending to abdicate in about six months, but now, who knows. It might be a solace...The laughter died and something deadly looked out of her vertically pupiled eyes "Part of me wants to find that 'white robed ninja mockery' and break every bone in his body for hurting my friend." Her voice was cold and calm, her body gone very still, like that of a great hunting cat before it exploded into lethal combat

The Lady of Cats Keep studied the image further. "Ah, the Grendel is with her. I thought he'd make a good bodyguard for her, discrete, nearly unkillable and hmmm I think she's crying. I was going to suggest we go down there Sigrun and let me act as intermediary, but I don't think that would be a good idea just yet." Shalamar frowned at Sigrun. "It tis going to take time."

Unwind ruffled her hair with greater force as her donas taunted her with half glimpsed probabilities, transient phantasms of alternate time lines. She shook her head briskly and shut off the disturbing visions firmly.

"Sigrun, if I fall, catch me will you" Bracing for possible backlash she let her mind range out and shuffle through the thousands around her looking for the 'frequency' of one that blazed stellar bright below.

*Raijin Dekker, might I ask what you are planning?* Her mind voice was soft, melodious and crystal clear, directed at the Commander alone. An in animate image of her (http://www.atddm.com/421930c93dbaa44fe2700.gif) iconed the querry as further protection against blind lash back.

"I understand, if someone hurt those close to me, I would be very tempted to hurt them in return." Jason replied as he rubbed her back.

ooc: Krio, TG'ed you.

Perigrine found it impossible to stay angry as Jason's hands rubbed soothing circles across her back. She let the emotion go with a gusty sigh, her muscles relaxing.

"Michiko would like to treat us to dinner tonight. She does want to meet you"

"It would be interesting meeting her as well." Jason replied as he continued giving her a massage.

*Raijin Dekker, might I ask what you are planning?* Her mind voice was soft, melodious and crystal clear, directed at the Commander alone. An in animate image of her iconed the querry as further protection against blind lash back.

Of course. I am planning to inaugurate the festival tonight. I have made a few modifications to the script, though I would prefer not to unveil those until the main event. He paused, considering further responses. Do you need to know my reasons for that decision?

Shalamar let her more potent defenses drop as she recieved a most civil reply from Raijin. *Thank you for your courtesy to a stranger. Require, most certainly not. And need, no to that as well, but it would be interesting to know the reasons behind your decission. My precognitive abilities are most imperfect, and I see no one outcome, too many potential outcomes. The nexus that is forming about you is one of the most powerful I have ever witnessed.

The Lady of Cats Keep let the icon phase into a mental image of herself where she currently stood, looking down into the crucible of the arena. Then opening the link wider, allowing him to see, should he chose, the streams of potentials gathering and knotting, a weaving here, a braiding there- only to fade into nothingness, or warp into infinite multitudes. *Make of this what you will. I hate playing Cassandra*

Very well. You can see it, so there is no harm in revealing a bit more. Raijin secured the connection - no ordinary telepath would be able to interfere, or worse, eavesdrop. It is called 'the Conception', and literally refers to the joining of all potentialities into one. That fusion then allows those within its grasp to determine the resulting path to take. That is called 'the Creation'. What you see is what I have dedicated much of the past twenty years to researching and, more recently, arranging. He paused in reflection. You have me at a disadvantage, which is reasonably uncommon, and I know neither your name nor your true form.

*My apologies* A skein of bell bright laughter coursed down the link, and she gave him a view of herself. I am Shalamar Thorskald. And this is the form that I wear most often, an tis close enough to the form I started with. I've dwelt in the Shadow too long to say for certain if it is my "true" form.*

Laughter fled from the link, caution taking its place. *You are bringing the gods into play. You are mature, and stable and aren't seeking godhead for yourself. I'd guess you'd weighed the risks appropriately and are willing to pay the price. But have you counted the cost?*

I am reminded of a tale in which, for whatever reason, an ape was placed into a cage with her infant. Slowly, the temperature of the floor was raised. At some critical threshold, she will cease protecting her young, instead using the infant as a buffer between herself and the floor. Beyond the obvious barbarism of that scenario, it illustrates an important point - one's self interest eventually dominates all other factors if pressure is sufficient. Raijin stopped briefly to allow the impact to sink in, and to allow his conversation partner to determine where he fell on the axis of self-interest versus the common good. He resumed his communications after a few seconds. There is one thing, though, about sentient beings. We are capable of making sacrifices for, in terms of self-interest, truly bizarre and irrational reasons. The Conception judges first, and most severely, the initiator. I won't be killed if unworthy, but the ritual will fail. Even should it succeed, and I gain in power, which is a likely outcome, I will have to contend with the very real possibility of the fear of my fellow Kriovalians. But the time for reflection on those matters is over.

Shalamar (http://www.atddm.com/Shal1.jpg) sent a wave of understanding down the link.

*Those that say that power corrupts are often offering up the sourest of grapes, and seldom have any understanding of the price of having power.* She mused. *Welcome to the club, though warning, it can get lonely, and the dues can be...* Her thoughts trailed off darkly for a second then returned, briskly matter of fact. *What will be, will. Now I smell toffeed apples. I haven't had those in a coons age. I'll be around Raijin, should you wish to converse further.*

Concluding the link she turned Sigrun. "Come on *old* friend, I'll treat you to candied apples. I'm feeling half my age today and need a memory from youth long put aside to lighten my mood."

"Especially secret matter? Don't I wish! It's probably some stupidly boring thing Raijin's doing for attention. I wouldn't worry overly much about him. He does seem to always have Krioval's best interests in mind - and he tends to deliver on his actions." Christine thought for a moment. "I haven't heard anything about a virus, though.""I... see. For attention?" Akina hesitated for a moment, for a second ignoring Krodans equally apparent and cute drooling. "Can't see what would be good with this a move... Well, perhaps having fun with the system or something." Having fun the sheep lacking any kind of will on their own, too? Possibly a little unfair, this classification... But they do remind me of sheep... Sometimes. Doesn't anyone here want to compete or critizise? Must be genetic... They need some internal strife, just to get fit, again. A bit of evolution or something... "Oh well. We'll see. If you don't know anything..."

Then she clearly isn't doing her job as a senator. came the 'bird's' comment.

Shut it. Even though I wouldn't entirely disagree...

"... Then it is either a silly joke or it is so secret and important that I've travelled from one cataclysm into the next."

It was a joke, of course. At least in Akina's mind. Unfortunately, it wouldn't take terribly long for her to almost start believing in her own prophetic abilities... As annoying and seriously discouraging as they were.

"By the way, if this isn't continuing for much longer, I guess a little food might be appropriate..."

Or a little more. Angstian metabolisms tended to be exceptionally demanding. After all, telepathy and telekinesis required additional energy to run. And this energy had to come from somewhere. In the case of a warship, it was fusion. In the case of Akina, it was food.

"Why, Smug and MBC, if you are here that means Shalamar is to. What are you all doing here of all places" Michiko exclaimed as the two winged felines soared into view and prepared to land.

"Well SHE is indulging in monkey food, and forgetting all about poor pitiful us" Smug flicked a oil slick irridescent wing feather into proper position and twitched his whickers as he looked up from settling himself daintily on the Empresses left thigh. He chose the ever popular leg tucked, meatloaf cat position

"We want ice cream" MBC demanded. He folded his wings tidily, not wanting to snarl them in her hair as the velvet skinned Flapcat alit on her right shoulder "This certainly isn't Cats Keep where our every wish is a command"

"Or fresh felled field lark. Oh I could sink my fangs into that" Smug remarked reflectively as Michiko burst into laughter

"Spoiled rotten you two are! Ice cream I can do, the birding you'll have to do yourself lazy bones" Raising her hand to attract a vendors attention she purchased the pair each a cup of the semi melted in the heat treat. She ignored the vendor's wide eyes as the flapcats discussed which flavor they wanted, but she was laughing inside- she'd forgotten how sheerly entertaining they were.

MBC abandoned her should for the Grendels lap, the better to enjoy the ice cream, while Michiko held Smug's for him

Sigrun let out a half-smile. "Candied apples it is, then."

Together the two walked to a nearby vendor and soon had their apples in hand. As they continued walking, he thought to himself silently for some time. Finally, he spoke up.

"I assume you are here for the festivities tonight?"

"It's not going to be that festive tonight Sigrun. The Winds brought me here, I may be needed...Thats the worst thing you know about imortality, is ere long you are not needed any more, the world moves and things change. I think it's getting to be that time Sigrun, time to move on, reincarnate. The first twenty years are an unmitigated bitch, but after that, the worlds your oyster."

She laughed "And even if I were here just for a little flirtation, and roll in the hay, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not currently committed or married -who'd have me? And I've never been bound by monogamy anyway."

"Oh well. We'll see. If you don't know anything..."

"Do you think there's something to know?" Christine asked pointedly. "One typically doesn't pry into the Commander's private affairs unless one has a desire to travel to Vastiva in July. Besides, it's not as if any women other than his mother or his daughter can get anywhere near the man. Even if one did, forget charming him - he's immune. If you're male, well..." The senator trailed off. Some issues didn't require public statement to be understood.

"By the way, if this isn't continuing for much longer, I guess a little food might be appropriate..."

Both Christine and Krodan had brushed off Akina's earlier "cataclysm" comment in favor of her statement in favor of food. They were both hungry, and after a night without sleep, energy was already running low between them. "Should be done soon, I'd guess," Krodan offered, gesturing to the sun, which was moving ever further westward. "Sundown's the Festival, after all."

Their combat was not a fight.

It was a beating.

It was obvious to any observer but a faint minute into their combat Therassi was by far the superior fighter, in strength and reach and sheer power. Skill too would seem to be the privledge of the larger man, so aptly did he disarm - and return the weapon - of his opponent.

Repeatedly.

He did not strike to damage; he struck for effect. Legs lost their ability to support weight, arms could not move, hands opened, feet slacked and twitched.

And still the bout went on, each strike and counter leading to further pains and suffering - and yet further and further it went on, neither pleading nor offering.

Gelt moved away, dragging his leg for the sixth time, a cur-sweat falling down his face, hair matted with sand and stained with blood. He watched still for openings - then threw down mace and hammer, drawing twinned blades.

Therassi grinned, bearlike - and drew his own.

They engaged, the lighter weapons whipping through the still air, their lethality being avoided by the thinnest of margins...

Or as Gelt's armor showed, sometimes not - and yet it was more oft then not he was struck with the flat or the rear of the blade...

He fell to his knees, exhaustion and blood loss telling their tale in long sweeps across the sand. He looked up into the sun - and watched it blotted from view as Therassi took a step forward.

Gelt's eyes rolled back into his head; his body dropped, boneless, smeared, stained, bruised, into the crusted sand, his conciousness flown long before the cheers of the crowd began.

Therassi grunted once, turned, and - ignoring the cheers - returned to the benches.

Perigrine watched the punishment - for it was no fight and had never been one- in silence, her face coldly hiding a core of utter revulsion. And the cheers of the crowd added to that disgust. When the ursine built Vastivan returned to the ready room, she deliberately turned her back on him, having already drawn her veil back up.

Jason would make his own decissions, but part of her wanted him to chose not to take on Therassi. The Vastivan was not worthy.

Feeling Perigrine tense up when Therassi entered, Jason leaned down and asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

Her voice was deadly calm, and carrying no further than Jason

"You reward in public, you discipline in private, and if it *must* be physical you stop long before he chose to. Taking pleasure in hurting another is not something I condone, nor wish to see rewarded. The scum that are cheering for him ought to be sterilized to prevent their stupidity from being passed on."

Raijin looked on with apparent disinterest, only motioning to a doctor to remove the stricken Gelt for healing. Inside, though, the paladin's mind was forging resolve into a substance more enduring than the strongest determination. His distaste was not directed toward the Vastivan fighter Therassi, to whom he would have given a quick "well fought" before tending to the wounded man, effectively damning with faint praise. No, his thoughts were on those cheering wildly for the man who had so roughed up his opponent. He made sure his thoughts were guarded. Barbarians. So this is the essence of Krioval. Cheering for artifice when the younger defeated his elder, and for retribution in a blooding so devastating so as to leave the younger broken and unconscious. Well, then. We shall see how much you like it. Raijin refocused his thoughts to maintain composure. I mustn't let them affect me so. After all, half will breathe their last before the clock strikes ten.

Noticing that the doctors were conferring over where to send the fallen Vastivan, Raijin lost his patience. "Get that one to a hospital! Fifth level. And do it now!" Looking at his armband, the Commander noticed the time. Four-thirty.

There were low growls coming from behind where Raijin sat. MBC and Smug had found the whole incident reprehensible. Smug was going so far as to groom his shoulder at the those he felt were showing far more than abysmal taste. He didn't feel like honoring them by speaking, so he offered the ultimate feline insult.

The Empress took comfort in stroking their ruffled fur and agreeing with them in a low voice. She was no stranger to bloodshed, but that had been nothing she considered combat "I know, I know, it's over and we can hope that others refuse to fight so dishonorable a person. And one would like to think that the crowd just doesn't understand what they are seeing" She could hope that that is what the explaination was, but she sadly doubted that

Quietly, calmly, looking neither left nor right, Therassi cleaned his blades, cleaned his armor, resat his boots, checked the fit on his blades, and waited for the next announcement.

He paid no attention to the whispers, he had no ear for the calls from outside.

Instead, he sat, closed his eyes, and found calm inside.

Saul Kovaly listened to the cheering of the crowd around him, and chewed his lip before writing...

Dateline:Krioval, The Festival of Fighters.

In spite of more than two weeks in this country...

He stopped himself.

No, that's not right. he was jostled by a red-faced man with blonde hair, who'd been...not red-faced at the beginning of the bout.

Unlike many of the International "Guests" from the press, Saul attended in the "General Admission" section.

He wrote again:

"I haven't seen anything quite like this-even during Farmina's purge of their Communists four years ago. Most bouts here were fairly well-matched, but the Therassi/Gelt fight was so one-sided, and the crowd's reaction so enthusiastic, It is a wonder that nobody has been killed in the stands! As I sit here, writing this for you all, a man is screaming Therassi's name less than five feet away. His eyes are bulging, the veins in his forehead are pushed out from the strain of his shouting. Yet, I can not understand the enthusiasm.
Such a mismatch in a sporting event is not worthy of such adulation-it would be like cheering on a grown man, beating a child in the street..."

The crowds cheers rolled like thunder through the inner stadium as Kolte searched for Xander. Then he heard the announcer declare the match over, and the winner's name, though it was a bit too muffled for Kolte to hear the name. He decided to head back to the locker room, his business with Xander would have to wait until after his final match. He did not know who would face him, he only hoped it was Jason.

Finally returning to the locker room, Kolte observed a behemoth of a man standing off to the side, and Jason and his 'friend' off to the other. He approached them, trying not to draw the attention of the large man who might be his next opponent.

"Jason, I see you've made it past your first match, I do hope we end up facing each other."

"Perhaps Kolte. I wonder who will be up next, me and you, you and Therassi or me and Therassi." Jason replied

"Yes, one can only speculate." Kolte said, patiently awaiting the announcement of who would be fighting next. His thoughts drifting toward Xander, he wondered what could have gone wrong to steer his former master down the path he was currently taking. Was it something the elf had said? No, Sigrun seemed to be an honorable being, Kolte didn't think him capable of such an act. What, then, had happened. He could only wonder until after the fights, when he would confront Xander, and hopefully bring him back to the light.

"This is too much" MBC declared firmly and stood, spreading his wings. Quickly he concentrated and with one fore claw extended sketched a symbol in the air. Michiko felt a sweep of wind gust about her. "There that will keep you safe from too much of what swirls about here. And thank you for the ice cream Michiko. Come on Smug, you can pass insults just as welll from Shal's shoulder as here."

With a sharp crack of wings the batwinged Flapcat leapt skywards, with Smug taking one last lick before following his cousin towards the clouds. His elegantly patterned fur gleamed in the late afternoon light as Michiko followed his flight with her eyes, using him as her guide to spotting the Lady of Cats Keep. She waved up at the older woman and recieved a raised hand in return.

********************************************

Perigrine listen quietly to Jason and Kolte speak. She was still studing the Jedi, as she had heard him termed, -though she had thought they were only fictional characters in a series of holo movies that Race was obsessed with- in the rough brown robes. They didn't match the way he fought. The core of it was elegant, refined circles that spoke of a style that was long founded and balanced.

And his sword, termed a light saber- a set length laser from the looks of it at a distance. A dangerous weapon for training with, there being no flat or spine of the blade to offer 'bated' blows with. And she suspected, a vast disadvantge to one used to wielding such, if they were forced to use a conventional blade. There were hundreds of moves they, because of the weapons limitations, would never conveive of making.

"Do you think there's something to know?" Christine asked pointedly. "One typically doesn't pry into the Commander's private affairs unless one has a desire to travel to Vastiva in July. Besides, it's not as if any women other than his mother or his daughter can get anywhere near the man. Even if one did, forget charming him - he's immune. If you're male, well..." The senator trailed off. Some issues didn't require public statement to be understood.Akina giggled a little before answering. Incidentally, she got the feeling that a good amount of women in Krioval were mildly frustrated by the prevalent male homosexuality in the nation... Just for a second, she wondered if DA's landsquids would make for a successful export product to Krioval.

Brushing this thoughts aside, she nodded her head, a little. "Well, actually, yes. I would think that major issues like cutting traffic are relevant enough to inform more people than just, well, oneself. But nevermind."

Incidentally, she wouldn't have minded Vastiva in july. A colder climate was pretty much what DA had, anyway. Granted, not as cold as antarctica, but...

And tourism to North-West Antarctica had been considerably common, before the civil war. Granted, so was stealing their trees in its Sisgardian territory, to keep DA's woodchipping sector alive... The tree museums alone weren't sufficient to do that.

Both Christine and Krodan had brushed off Akina's earlier "cataclysm" comment in favor of her statement in favor of food. They were both hungry, and after a night without sleep, energy was already running low between them. "Should be done soon, I'd guess," Krodan offered, gesturing to the sun, which was moving ever further westward. "Sundown's the Festival, after all.""Well, that's decided, then." Akina answered, nodding. "The bird will continue with his consumption of gamma radiation-"

"HEY!"

"- Shut it. And we, well-"

"I have a name, you know. Götz?"

"-... Anything exotic in mind? Oh, exotic and quantitative sufficient. Has to be enough to keep us alive for another day, heh."

"... Bah."

Hummm. Wonder where our Heroes-in-homeless-clothing are. Slicing throats? Wouldn't put it past them...

Sigrun nodded in agreement. If Michiko was still pissed at him, she'd only turn it on him ten-fold.

"Then we wait." he replied simply, keeping his eyes on the empress.

Michiko's smile faded as she saw who was with Shalamar. Part of her knew she shouldn't be angry with Sigrun, her friend had only meant to keep her safe, but it was as much anger at herself as anger at him. She shouldn't have kept chasing after Valkai. 'Yes, It was wonderful in his arms, but you can't force some one to be interested in you or to love you, so stop thinking about it' Michiko chided herself as the anger towards Sigrun drained away, leaving behind it a vague, dull sadness. That was something she was used to hiding and did so with ease.

She looked to see who were the next contestants, then checked her jeweled bracer for the time. Breakfast had been many hours ago, and she really hadn't had any lunch. The sun was stretching long shadows over the crowd and she was happy for the cool that those brought

~Due to the "Conception" that this planet was starting to go under, those from Draconic Order had their vacation cut short. In about an hour those from Draconic Order were hurried back into the transport that brought them here and given clearance to leave... They would just have to find another destination to relax in.~

Xander knew that he couldn't wait around in the shadows until Kolte found him, so he decided to return to his seat next to Akina. After making sure his hood was completly obscuring his face, he turned and began walking down the hallway, his arms hanging loosely at his side. His cloak was billowing slightly with the speed of his gait, but not enough to expose him as he made his way through the shadows. His thoughts turned to the events of seven years ago, to the murder of Kolte's beloved Julina, and cold fury coursed its way through his veins. He had been betrayed, abandoned, and forgotten. He had not allowed them to walk away unpunished then, and he would not allow Kolte to leave this place without setting him free from the emotionless prison he had sealed himself away in now...