A Tale of Investigations, Intrigue, and Irritating Princes

[Emeralis00]

Krhl'rhl nods to Kierra.

"As you may have noticed I tend not to fit the norms of my people. For one thing, I talk to much."

Living among Xaneth for nine years does that to you.

Hearing the other Xaneth, who had until now remained silent, Krh'rhl turned to face him.

This one, I must speak carefully too.

"I cannot speak much on the Wrongness. I can tell you, however, that it is not this prophecy the Xaneth here speak of, at least, not directly, but there was one other time the Dh'krr-ghrnnch felt such a Wrongness, when our two species first met."

Krh'rhl rumbles in thought.

"As to the solution I spoke of, I do not know. I was given aid in seeking the solution, and that aid led me to you. For what purpose, again, I do not know."

[Comatose]

What am I doing here? Sayuri asked herself for the hundredth time. The page had, after escorting her to the palace, promptly led her to a waiting area and abandoned her there. What did you expect? That the Prince would greet you himself? Sayuri shook her head. It had seemed so exciting, leaving the inn on whim to help solve an intriguing mystery. Now, however, she was having doubts. She had thought coming to the palace would make her feel special. Fool. The Prince has summoned anyone and everyone who even might be an aid in deciphering what the Ohnyrek could mean. She was a mathematician, not a historian or religious scholar. Sayuri had been summoned as a precaution, nothing more. What would my mother say? As she continued to wait, Sayuri began to wonder if she had been better dealing with irate customers.

I should leave. As the thought crossed her mind, but before she could rise, the doors opened, and three new comers entered, closely followed by the earth shell from the inn. Sayuri eyed them out of the corner of her eyes, not wanting to involve herself in anything before assessing the situation first. There was something familiar about the three who entered, and after a few moments of study, she realized they were the mercenaries from the inn. The Masran clued her in, though his skin, hair, and voice were different. No matter the illusion used, the extra length in his arms and legs was clearly recognizable. Following that discovery, it was easy to see the way the young noblewoman moved with the grace of a predator rather than that of a dancer, and to see the healer beneath his disguise. A noblewoman... interesting. Sayuri found herself wondering if they were mercenaries disguised as nobles, or the other way around.

Having discerned the identities of her companions led Sayuri to another thought. The three had obviously taken significant efforts to change their appearance, and achieved results that could only be the result of channeling. That meant at least one, if not all three, were powerful channelers. I wonder if the Prince will be deceived. Perhaps she could earn her way into his good graces by exposing the imposters. If they were supposed to be here, surely it would not matter what they looked like, but if they were intruders, the Prince would surely want to know. Who am I? Alexandre? The plan seemed like something her former colleague would think up. He had always been a schemer. Sayuri had gotten where she was on her own merit; why should she resort to trickery now?

I am sick of these intrigues! Not turning around, Sayuri channeled, creating a brilliant flash of the light in the center of the room, hoping to disrupt any light-based channeling within its radius.

[Emeralis00]

Krh'rhl felt the pull of leyt, centered around the other Xaneth. Unlike last time, He was ready.

Pulling in leyht as well, Krh'rhl channeled, scraping away at the stone walls, creating a thick cloud of sand.

The sand began spinning and cycling, thick enough to cloud sight, around the Xaneth even as the light flashed through the room.

Krh'rhl raises his cutting arms in a defensive posture, and a large bulge of stone brakes off his shoulder and hovers by his head.

"That was quite rude. Would you not say?"

[KChan]

Flash.

Kiki acted in a heartbeat, seizing the illusions she had already woven and reinforcing them with a surge of Leyht. The flash wasn't channeled in a particularly refined manner, so the illusions might have been alright anyway, but she wasn't about to take any chances.

At the same time, she sensed the Earthshell channel, and a cloud of sand wore itself from the palace walls and began flying about the room. Before she could act, Harran channeled from his spot next to her, shielding their group from the sand summoned by the miniature storm. Blessed Harran! It would have been miserable trying to get sand out of eyes and lungs.

"Easy, easy," Kierra said, feeling immensely relieved that they were - for the most part, at least - alone in the room; for Nasir's sake especially, she couldn't afford for their illusions to be found out. "If I'm guessing correctly, you're irritated by Esteban's keeping you waiting, right? Try not to get too offended; if you let yourself get worked up now, you'll find him impossible to actually deal with. Besides, it's nothing personal. He's probably just asleep."

She was speaking, of course, of Esteban Javier Amancio Natanael, Crown Prince of Tolvera. As supposedly scholarly and adventurous the man was, he was also extremely fond of his parties and drink and dancing. She wouldn't be surprised, if she went up to his bedchamber right now, to find him still asleep despite the hour. Not that she would dream of doing that, of course. Esteban was also extremely fond of women, and she had no desire to send him any messages.

"I'm also pretty sure he won't appreciate coming in here to find his reception room destroyed," she pointed out. The entire room was covered in sand, except for the small spots that had been covered by Harran's shield, and bits of plaster littered the floor, having been pulled off the walls when Krh'hrl channeled the stone underneath into a sandstorm. "This place is a mess.

"As for your little display just now," she continued, "I'd appreciate it if you both didn't try that again." She turned her gaze to focus on the merchant woman. "I'm curious now, though: what interest could you possibly have in me or my companions?"

Bloody perfect, Kiki grumbled to herself. Nasir had just asked that great question, and now she had no idea if they would ever hear the answer.

[Comatose]

Suddenly, Sayuri felt the room fill with Leyht, and felt three bodies begin to channel. Interesting... I wonder... Her speculations were cut short as the room filled with sand. She felt the stuff scrape against her skin, cover her clothing, fill her nose and mouth, and burning her eyes. Once the flurry subsided, she found herself covered with the stuff. Just look where impulsiveness has gotten me this time. Mother would be so proud. After a few hacking coughs, Sayuri regained her composure. She had not been so humiliated since her last trip to the Leya! What had gotten into her?

Channeling again, Sayuri did her best to clean the sand from her hair, skin, and clothing. While she had become decently competent at cleaning with channeling, and often did her laundry that way when pressed for time or traveling, when she was finished, she still wasn't certain she had gotten it all. If my luck holds, the Prince will walk in right now.

When the noblewoman spoke, Sayuri did her best to swallow her temper and remain calm as she turned to face the group. She was pretty sure it was the earth shell who had channeled the sand, and she couldn't blame this woman for it. It was her own fault, channeling without any warning. What had she been thinking?

When the woman finished, Sayuri raised an eyebrow. In the Leya, it would have been a sharp rebuke, but here, she knew it was necessary to show how she was feeling. The woman meant to impress her by dropping the prince's name so casually. Did she really think Sayuri would believe some random noble would be on a first name basis with the crown prince of Tolvera? "I am interested in truth, milady," she said softly. "I like to know who I am dealing with, and do not appreciate being lied to, even visually."

[KChan]

So, she wanted truth. She had, Kiki guessed, recognized them from the inn, and probably considered her a fake as well. Ah well; the game would be up when Esteban came in and saw her there anyways, so she might as well come clean now.

She reached into the pouch on her belt and pulled out a golden medallion that rested comfortably in her palm. The Vhaskar family crest, set into the gold in the Highlands' trademark blue crystal, glowed with an inner light as she channeled through it, proving its authenticity. No crafter would be able to produce a working counterfeit, and no impostor could make the real thing work. She moved a little closer and held out the medallion so that the woman could see it clearly.

"I am Magistra Kierra Vhaskar, first daughter of Highlord Tierran of the Vhaskari Highlands. Is that truth enough for you?"

[Emeralis00]

The sand had gone slightly out of control.

Well, at least now I know what happens if I do that in an enclosed space.

Krh'rhl channels again. The sand slides across the floor, off the walls, out of people's hair, and out of the furniture. The sand then fuses itself into Krh'rhl's shell.

Turning to the old man who had put the shield up, "I am sorry. I was unaware of my Cloud Technique's power in enclosed spaces."

I seem to do a lot of apologizing of late.

Turning back to the Xaneth, who had caused the flash, "However, communication goes a longer way than a light show."

[Comatose]

Sayuri's face remained blank, for even she was too disciplined a Leyari to blush in public. Inside, however, she felt herself cringe. She had obviously offended a very powerful person. Despite her embarrassment, Sayuri couldn't help but be irritated by the woman's contrary tone. Not even a Leyari child would have responded so brazenly, displaying their accomplishments or rank in such a way. Sayuri had to remind herself, yet again, that she was in a very different place than the one she had grown up in. It was funny, she had rejected her homeland, but the Leya continued to haunt her, like a vengeful spirit, forever preventing her from fitting in anywhere else. I must remember I am at fault as well. Had I performed that trick in the Leya, I could have been banished for life. It was a good thing for both of them then, that they were in Tolvera, and Cherry Valley was far away.

"My apologies then," Sayuri said flatly. "I did not mean to startle anyone. Forgive my foolishness." Finished, Sayuri returned to her seat.

[Emeralis00]

Seeing that Kierra had the situation handled, Krh'rhl set to repair the damage he caused.

Apparently, this Kierra is quite an important person. I wonder why she was staying at an inn.

Almost absentmindedly, Krh'rhl asks, "Does anyone know the composition of this?" Krh'rhl is indicating the plaster.

Drawing from the local leyline was beginning to be a strain so Krh'rhl switched to his personal Leyht store.

Small chunks of stone and sand began to fly from his shell back into the walls and floor.

[KChan]

Her proof given, Kiki stopped channeling and returned her crest to its place in her pouch; it was useful for proving her identity beyond a doubt, but she didn't like waving it around.

"Well, there's no harm done," Kiki said casually, returning to her own seat as well. "...Well. Except for the walls, I guess, but you didn't do that. I'd appreciate it if you just asked me from now on if you're curious about something, though; we Vhaskari are pretty straightforward, and it's much easier than the long way we just took. Though, to a Leyari, I probably seem more like a stampede than one who is merely straightforward." She couldn't help but smirk a little at that; she had the feeling the Leyari weren't the only people who would liken her to a stampede.

"Anyways. You have my name, but I still don't know yours. With whom do I have the comparative pleasure of waiting?"

"It's stucco," Harran told the Earthshell, picking up some of the remains of the substance and studying it more closely. "It contains sand, lime, and water, I believe, among other things. They apply it wet, then allow it to dry. It's rather popular in Tolveran architecture."

(EDIT: I know I said plaster in an earlier post, but I meant stucco. That was my mistake. Sorry!)

Edited September 21, 2011 by KChan
Didn't see Emer's post

[Comatose]

So, she's Vhaskari. Interesting. That explains her skill at channeling. Besides knowing they were home to a famous research facility, Sayuri knew next to nothing of the strange highlands. As she responded, Sayuri continued to face the door. "Maestra Sayuri Tenaho, Academ: Mastery of Mathematics with a Minor in Leyht Studies and Channeling," She rattled off her title indifferently, wanting nothing more than to be done with this group. Hadn't she been embarrassed enough? "And I am not Leyari."

[Emeralis00]

Stucco? Interesting. Unfortunately I can't repair it.

Krh'rhl gathered the Stucco from the floor, smashed it, then shoved it under the rug.

"If anyone asks what happened to the walls, tell them that the Earthshell was redecorating."

The line was delivered jokingly, attempting to relax the mood.

[borborygmus]

This Earthshell really did not seem to fit the norms of what Nasir had heard of his people. He was easily startled and shy, but he seemed more willing to communicate - indeed, almost to seek it out, even going so far as to joke. Nasir half-smiled as Krh'rhl tried to hide the evidence of his mistake under the rug, like a guilty child. It was not going to work, unfortunately. The walls already gave him away.

"Is there anything you do know, that you can share with us?" he asked, taking a seat near the Earthshell. "Solutions are easier when you know the problem. If you can tell me the story of the last time this happened..."

Edited September 30, 2011 by borborygmus

[Emeralis00]

Krh'rhl didn't like how the man got closer.

This is how they communicate unfortunately. They are social creatures and like to herd.

While uncomfortable, Krh'rhl remains where he is.

"There are a few things I could tell you, but first I need to ask you a question. How deep do Leylines go?"

I can't tell them the truth, but I can let them come to their own conclusions.

[KChan]

"I see. I'm sorry if I offended you," Kiki told the not-Leyari woman. She paused, then, unsure what to say next. It was then that the Earthshell attempted to brush the stucco under the rug - literally - and then answered Nasir's question with a question of his own.

One that Kiki was capable of answering, luckily enough.

"That's a tricky question," she said thoughtfully. "The Highlands are the only place - that I know of, at least - with sufficient access to subterranean environments for such research. So far, our findings indicate that in the Highlands at least, subterranean ley lines can run surprisingly deep. Unfortunately, though, we haven't yet been able to determine just how 'deep' that actually is. Measuring ley lines is tricky business, even with the Magisterium's resources aiding us. Why do you ask?"

[Emeralis00]

"Leylines that exist on the surface have..." Krh'rhl struggles to translate a word, "...Taproot lines. These Taproot lines can give a general indication of the overall flow of Leyht. In recent years, there has been an overall negative feel to the flow of Leyht, this has, for various reasons I can't tell you, an ameliorating effect on my species."

That should be enough to satisfy why I asked the question.

"I can't provide much more information than this, I am really just a cartographer who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, you did ask another question."

Krh'rhl pauses for a moment, "As I said, the first time our species met was the last time my species felt these effects. I beleive you call the representative of your species at that meeting Xan?"

The large amount of speaking seems to tire Krh'rhl, he says no more.

Edited October 2, 2011 by Emeralis00

[KChan]

"Xan. The Xan. The father of Xanethi channeling. You're saying something like this was originally the reason your people contacted ours?" Kiki asked. Everyone in Alteiryn knew the story of Xan and the Earthshell's warning, or at least so far as Kiki knew. And though the Vhaskari didn't deify Xan like some in Alteiryn did, they did venerate him as the man who brought channeling to humankind on Alteiryn. If this had some connection with Xan...

"So this happened once before. What can you tell us about that? Was it resolved once, only to come back now? Do you know how, or why?"

[Emeralis00]

"I was not made at the time, but we had been monitoring humankind and your struggles with the Ohnyrek, and we where surprised at how fast your species had advanced in between our checks. However, your advancement soon left your control and we entreated Xan and his students to grow in wisdom as well as power. The warning was unheeded."

Inwardly Krh'rhl sighs. This should be common knowledge among them. They should have studied their mistakes and taught them to their children, so that their species would not repeat it.

"The most direct result would have been the death of two nodes. I truly do not know more. On my way here the townspeople spoke of a prophecy. Can you explain?"

Edited October 3, 2011 by Emeralis00

[KChan]

"That's the same story all Xanethi know," Kierra said with a sigh. How disappointing. "I was hoping you had more to tell me from the side of your people." She leaned back against the wall, and Harran picked up on the story.

"That prophecy is what we're here to investigate," he explained, but as he related the story of the dead Ohnyrek, his voice faded from Kiki's awareness. She was already deep in thought, eyes closed. She wanted to try something. She didn't dare delve deeply here, with all these strangers around, but just skimming the surface shouldn't hurt.

She had noticed an increasing familiarity with the Leyht within herself lately. It was strange, and unexpected, and nothing she had ever read could explain it. But it was useful. And comforting. It was to that familiarity that she turned now, reaching out as if to an old friend.

If there was something wrong with the Leyht, she wanted to find out if she could sense it.

[Kuri Shardweaver]

In the darkness of her own thoughts, eyes turned inward from the world around her, the Leyht blossomed before Kierra. Like a vast lake of pure, crystalline water, the node of Tolvera was breathtakingly luminous, threatening to overwhelm her were she to grow careless. Its surface, if it could be called as such, rippled at the faintest of probings from her mind, scintillating waves extending far beyond her perception. A warm unlike any other radiated from the core of illumination deep below, suffusing her consciousness with a sense of security and comfort.

It would be easy to surrender to the sensation, like the soothing aura of a loved one's embrace, and drift along the pool of energy. But something drew her attention, something unfamiliar in this state so much a home to her. Had Kierra not specifically been searching for anomalies, it would likely have been missed, and even now it was hard to perceive.

A barest of flickers in the corner of her mind's eye, so far below the surface..

A speck, a marring. A gap of blackest void in the flawless flow of Lehyt that should decidedly not be there.

[KChan]

Kiki's eyes snapped open.

She had recoiled from the Leyht out of sheer instinct, fleeing the blackness she sensed there. But just like the dark spot that remains after glimpsing the sun, that darkness continued to haunt her. What under the Leyht was that? This was beyond troubling. But then, she couldn't do anything about it here. Not here, not out in the open; any further study would have to wait until later. But, if nothing else, she wanted desperately not to be alone right now.

"Akhi," she said softly in her still accented Masran, doing her best to maintain a calm outer expression. "Something is wrong."

[Emeralis00]

Krh'rhl had noticed Kierra doing something with the nearest node, but his senses only registered a brief fluttering at the surface of the ley-lines. The man had finished his explanation and Krh'rhl replied, "thank you. That does explain why I was brought here."

Krh'rhl notices Kierra opening her eyes and whispering something in a language he doesnt know.

However, because the woman says nothing else, Krh'rhl says nothing.

I wonder what she is doing. I will have to ask later.

[Comatose]

Though she was thankful for the end of her awkward exchange with the mercenaries or dignataries or whatever they were, Sayuri continued to study them, and dissect what she could of thier conversation with the Earth Shell. Now that she seemed to have made up with the Kierra, who was obviously the leader of the group, the others seemed content to leave Sayuri in peace, seemingly forgetting she was even there. She had to admit, the group certainly was interesting, and the Earthshell's explanation of Leyht were enough to spark her curiousity.

It all comes back to Xan and his enlightened she thought. Once again, Sayuri cursed the limited education of her childhood. In her channeling classes, many of the materials had to do with Xan and his followers, however most assumed the reader had a basic knowledge of the history of channeling, and Sayuri had been forced to catch up on her own. She envied the Vhaskari girl her easy understanding of ley lines and knowledge of Xanethi history. Perhaps I was hasty in provoking her thought Sayuri. The Vhaskari Highlands were at the forefront of Leht research. Whether she was a princess or not, Kierra would obviously be a valuable resource. Remember Alexandre. You can stand on your own. Your own mind is all the help you need. Though the mantra was familiar, somehow it failed to comfort her.

Sayuri caught the quick murmured exchange between Kierra and the tall mercenary, but could not understand what was said. Though the accent was atrocious, it sounded something like Masran. Sayuri brought back her mental image of how the man had looked at the inn. Though his height and length of limb were still not accounted for, his darker skin color had definitely fit the profile of the Masran people. A Masran and a Vhaskari travelling together... however did they meet up? Whatever Kierra had said, her voice and expression both showed extreme concern, though she was trying to stay calm.

She had no way of finding out what they were saying, and somehow she doubted they would voluntarily tell her, but something the earthshell said before had piqued Sayuri's interest.

"Excuse me," she said, slowly rejoining the group. "I couldn't help but over hear. You spoke of two nodes being destroyed. Do you think such a thing could happen again?"

[Emeralis00]

The other person in the corner, who had been quiet spoke up.

Krh'rhl considered the question.

She can't know. There is no way for her to know. Why did she ask the question?

Krh'rhl speaks, "Possibly. As I do not know the exact cause of the burned out nodes, I am unable to find environments where the situation is similar. It took me many years to gather what I have already told you, starting from absolutely no information other than there is a problem."

I cannot tell anyone about the Harmonies.

[borborygmus]

Nasir was alert to all of the others in the room - he, at least, had not forgotten that Sayuri was there, and was watching her for any sign of a threat even more closely than he watched the Earthshell, although he did not appear to be paying her any special notice. Yet his attention was also on Kiki, as she closed her eyes, her face evening out into an expression of quiet peace. Someone else might have thought that she was simply making an overt display of boredom, but Nasir knew that Kiki was doing something.

When her eyes snapped open, he knew before she said anything that something was very wrong. Attuned as he was to her emotions, he could read the traces of upset and alarm in her face. At that moment, everything else faded into nonimportance; he was peripherally aware of what they were saying, but it was shoved aside. "What is wrong, akhayyatun?" he answered in his own language, his voice calm and reassuring. Nasir reached out his hand to rest it lightly on her shoulder. "What did you feel?"