Shards of Suravani

[Luned]

Radasanth, Corone

Life almost felt normal again. Flint had left to some other unknown adventure, her injuries were gradually healing into scars that would fade with time, and routine was the norm once more. It almost felt like a dream… the kind of fleeting reverie that materializes while dozing, pleasant but brief, and always in mortal danger of the next harsh awakening.

The only current complication, post-traumatic stress aside, was Resolve. She and Luned had been joined at the hip for years, but after Luned returned from her ill-fated voyage to the main continent, she suddenly found herself unable to confide in her best friend about everything anymore. After all, Resolve was the most self-righteous person she'd ever met, even more so than whatever level of goodness the scribe thought she had in her before she became a murderer. How could Resolve possibly understand what happened in Salvar? And, selfishly, how could Luned expect to maintain their friendship if her crimes were brought out into the open?

Ettermire only made things worse. This time Luned didn't only return with emotional wounds, but physical ones. She couldn't hide those from Resolve, and the more her friend pried, the more she shied away. It would have been wrong to introduce her to that level of darkness, and Luned wasn't even sure if she was capable of articulating what happened. There were horrors that could never be expressed with words, and all she could do was hope in silence that Resolve would never come to know them.

And so the girls drifted apart, Resolve eventually giving up on visits altogether. The recently concluded Lornius Corporate Challenge only cemented the wedge between them.

It felt downright awful, but as fate would have it, they couldn't avoid each other forever. That morning, Luned received a parcel containing the copy of the Rough Guide to Fallien that she'd sought several months prior as a gift to Resolve, a notion to wish her well on the voyage to find her father and discover her heritage. At this point the exorcist was putting it off needlessly, likely because the thought of facing one's destiny was understandably intimidating; Luned had originally hoped the contents of this gift would serve as the last bit of inspiration to finally send her on her way.

Instead, after a casual skim, the scribe discovered a piece of information which implied that Resolve's procrastination was potentially causing her great harm. There was risk in the exorcist utilizing her inherited abilities without training, and to her horror, Luned genuinely feared for her life.

But how was she supposed to reconnect? Resolve was as stubborn as she was self-righteous, and there was the unfortunate concern that no matter how desperate Luned was to communicate, it couldn't happen without reciprocation.

Distraught and at a true loss, the scribe dove into her daily duties with an unhealthy level of dedication. Corners which hadn't seen a duster in years were cleaned of cobwebs, backlogged orders processed, correspondence caught up, and lastly, Luned was determined to finish reorganizing the disheveled regional sections of the library. It was a poor choice to take on such a task during public hours, but as she was desperate to keep busy until her brain produced a brilliant method to break the ice with her alienated friend, she would gladly suffer the pain of maneuvering patrons for the welcome distraction.

As the scribe mulled about her activity, she noticed a man perusing the Fallien shelf just down the aisle. "If you're looking for anything in particular, let me know, I can probably…" she trailed off, catching a better glimpse of his profile in closer proximity. She should've recognized that suit. "Oh. Hello, Rayse."

This coincidence was met with mixed emotions. The last time she'd seen him was upon the return trip from Salvar, a largely embarrassing event she'd have liked to forget, but she also couldn't forget that he'd saved her ass when she nearly ended up rotting in a prison there. That made this surprise delightfully awkward, and she offered him a sheepish but polite little smile. She appeared mostly the same as she did when they met, save the new scars that decorated her left cheek and neck; to him, she rather looked like she'd fought with a bear and gotten the worst of its claws. Apparently she hadn't stopped adventuring, no matter how terrible at it she seemed to be.

In spite of this, something clicked in her brain when she recognized the young man, and she realized that perhaps he was the answer to her problem. It was common enough to bump into shared acquaintances that she could pawn a message onto, but luckily for Luned (and perhaps unluckily for Rayse), he and Resolve had a rather unique meeting that left quite an impression on the exorcist. As a matter of fact, one of her last real conversations with her friend was about that very event, and the girl had asked her at least twice since if she'd seen him around. The answer had always been no, until now.

"How have you been?" she asked, reaching for small talk as she struggled with how to breach the subject. She saw the books he'd collected in his hands, obscure titles such as The Corrupt and the Pure and Shard of Suravani. The coincidence was becoming uncanny. "Researching Fallien?"

[Rayse Valentino]

Rayse looked her up and down like he was checking a cut of meat for irregularities, "What the hell happened to you?" The last time he saw her was in Salvar, but since then he's been keeping tabs on her to make sure she's available for any orders of ink or any forgeries that he needed. The only reason he was here however was due to Luned telling him of Bleddyn's extensive library of foreign lands.

Luned smiled weakly, "I went to Ettermire. Did you know they have mutants living in the sewers there? I didn't."

"What were you doing in Ettermire's sew- you know what? I don't care." Rayse had more important things to do than inquire into Luned's welfare. If it were a couple weeks ago, he may have shown some more concern. He walked away after his last comment, heading towards a shelf that contained some old dusty tomes about Fallien.

Luned's expression was unchanged, but inside of her she felt a bit miffed at Rayse's response. He wasn't the most approachable man unless he wanted something. Unfortunately, he was still her best lead on Resolve, so she followed him and politely asked if he had seen Resolve.

Rayse turned around, "She told you about me?" There was a different look in his eye. This question he was genuinely interested in, and the way he asked it told her that this was a difficult topic to broach. "What did she say?"

"She said you bumped into each other and she helped you with some consulting. She asked after you a couple times, I figured maybe she'd finally caught up with you."

"Consulting, huh? No, I haven't seen her." The answer seemed to satisfy him.

"Oh. Well… this might be a strange question, but would you mind bringing her something if you're going in that direction? You might be interested in it, too, considering that reading material you were looking at. It's really important that she sees part of it, but you could flip through it in case anything helps with whatever you're researching." She fished the small book out of her pocket and presented it to Rayse. Unlike the books he was carrying, this one was written in Common.

"Can she read Fallien?"

"No, but I could help if you need something translated." And there it was, her key to Rayse's cooperation. As a man who never left his debts unpaid, he acquiesced to the request and traded his books for hers.

Once he was out of the library, Rayse began flipping through the book. It had a few things he already knew, but the details about the tribes were foreign to him. The stubs on the sections Resolve was supposed to read were especially interesting. In any case, finding Resolve was easy as long as she was still in town. He reached into his traveling bag and pulled out an envelope. Inside of it were small scraps of silver paper that had a rough texture to them, and on each one was a number. Resolve's was number fourteen. He picked up the correct scrap of paper and held it between his thumb and forefinger. The paper started to tug in a particular direction like the arrow on a compass, and he followed the feeling.

[Resolve]

It was a normal day for Resolve, except instead of giving into her usual temptation to stroll by the library, she forced herself to stay in and do something utterly unrelated to drama amongst friends. On the side table she'd piled a borrowed library of terrible pulp novels, intent on a thrilling afternoon of reading until she inevitably got antsy and wandered off to the bar. As soon as she was comfortably sprawled on the couch under one of her lavishly embroidered throws from Fallien, settled in with some tea and a carefully chosen volume, a resounding knock at the entrance interrupted everything.

The girl might've been annoyed, but when she unlatched and pulled at the door, it opened inward to reveal a very unexpected person. "Rayse! What a surprise, how have you been? Better?" From her rather elaborate greeting, it was obvious she'd wanted to ask for quite some time. After all, the last time they met, she'd only experienced her single most disturbing exorcism yet thanks to him. To her concern, he appeared a bit worse for wear, dark circles under his eyes which hid under the shadow cast by his long fringe.

The man didn't seem to notice how astonished she was at his appearance as his face was practically in the book, absorbed in whatever he found there. "Yeah, sure, whatever. This… this is for you. From Luned."

Something about his greeting made her laugh and she stepped aside. "Oh. Is it really that good? Would you like to come in?"

"Alright." Rayse entered without looking and she closed the door behind him.

"So, what is it?" Resolve asked as he finally pried his attention away from the page to which he was glued.

Rayse seemed to have a suspicion of sorts, but he deflected the question and tossed it to her instead. As she caught the small, thin book, he answered, "You tell me."

"Hm. Help yourself to something, if you want," Resolve said as she looked over the worn cover, gesturing simultaneously to the back of the room. There was grassy-smelling tea brewing in a small kettle, her own mug next to her pile of books, as well as a vast array of alcoholic options stashed in the cabinet below; she was apparently a bit of a lush. The exorcist sat down on the couch, the deep violet of her sari contrasting with the vibrant blanket she'd thrown over it, her elbow propped on the back as she flipped through it. "Rough Guide to Fallien, eh?" As she did so, a dogeared page caught her eye and she opened to it. At first she seemed intrigued, but when she spoke again, she seemed rather unenthused. "It has information about my father's tribe. That's hard to find."

Meanwhile, Rayse didn't say much of anything. He found himself a clean glass from the rack and picked through the bottles, eventually choosing the remnants of some whiskey toward the back. He poured himself some and let her continue reading.

Resolve became so absorbed in the book that she didn't even notice as he sat down in the armchair across from her and nearly spooked herself when she glanced up and he was there, sipping his refreshment and waiting expectantly. Something in the text had concerned her, but she tried to cover for it by making conversation. "There's some pretty interesting stuff in there… which part were you reading?"

"The part about the crystals," he answered over the rim of his glass.

She nodded, eyes returned to the page, and her other hand drifted absentmindedly to something at her neck, her fingertips brushing the object hanging off the fine silver chain. "Interesting, isn't it? I mean, I knew about the crystals, but…" She pulled out the pendant, a fairly unassuming gemstone, and held it up to the light between her fingers. It was perfectly clear, but still she squinted at it, as if expecting a sign of the ominous corruption that the guide referenced. "I suppose that's the limit of a mere substitution."

Her guest lit a cigarette on the sly while she was preoccupied. "Do you know anything about this 'mind purification' stuff it talks about?"

"No… why?" She looked between the book and her crystal, brow creased as she puzzled over it.

Rayse sighed. "Forget about it, then."

Something in Resolve relented, and she finally looked back to him with a questioning expression. "Have you been there before? I suppose it's about time I finally go… I really have no excuse anymore, since Ags can get me there in a flash."

Rayse perked up –– after all, a teleporting fairy was big news to frequent fliers like himself. "What do you mean, 'in a flash'?"

She closed the book, interested in his sudden enthusiasm. "She does this nifty trick where she opens her door and you simply step out into any region in Althanas. No weeks of traveling, no sea sickness, nothing."

He leaned back again, considering the uncanny similarity to one Caden Law. "Sounds convenient… do you have an Exit Pass?"

It took a moment for Resolve to recognize the term. "An Exit… oh, one of those documents? No, I've never been. Sounds like you have, though."

And then he made an offer she couldn't refuse, though his request wasn't particularly difficult to fulfill. "I can get you one if you introduce me to this Ags person."

Resolve shrugged. "Yeah, sure. She's right downstairs, we can go right now if you'd like."

[Rayse Valentino]

Rayse didn't expect this wish-granter to be so close. In a sense he didn't need Resolve anymore, but there was no guarantee for anything she said until he saw it for himself. Then again, for some reason he found himself believing her. "Well, let's go get the Pass first."

Along the way, Rayse asked to see the book again, and Resolve obliged almost graciously. The text gave the exorcist pause, as if it was an omen of bad luck and she hoped to get rid of it as soon as possible. The contractor already figured out that Resolve was a member of the Ahketamika, a tribe that lives near Suravani's Oasis. What bothered Rayse was that this wasn't the first time he had read about a dark-skinned people with white designs on their skin. He read about it somewhere before, but he couldn't remember when. In any case, the page that Luned dog-eared contained the passage:



The Amaratna Crystal, as one of its functions, displays the amount of corruption within the soul of the Akhetamika. When completely free of corruption the crystal is blue, as corruption grows the crystal begins turning red. An Akhetamikan can travel within their soul any time to fight and release the corruption from within them, however, if for some reason they do not and the corruption becomes complete they will turn into monsters that will kill without thought or care. No Akhetamikan has ever survived corruption, save one: Ira of Shinkara.


There was also information about a purification rite for the mind, and it detailed being able to expel foreign mental influence. He wondered if this was related to the Amaratna crystal. Unfortunately the book only went into generalities, so to learn more Rayse had to travel to Astaka himself. Rayse put out his cigarette before they entered Bleddyn's library. He was tempted to light up another one right away, but he decided to wait.

As they stepped into the library and walked past the shelves, Resolve realized who they were here for. Before she could say anything, they were already staring at Luned, who was busy scribbling away on a piece of parchment with one of Rayse's books open.

"Any progress?" Rayse asked.

Luned finished translating a section and turned around in her chair, "Back so soon? I've only gotten a few passages and- Oh, hello Resolve." She flashed a smile.

"Hey, how have you been?" Resolve asked non-nonchalantly. She noticed Luned's wounds but figured that was a question for another time.

"Normal, surprisingly, thanks."

Rayse sensed some sort of tension between them, but it was none of his business, "Luned, I need you to make us a couple Exit Passes."

Resolve looked at Rayse and gestured with an open palm held upwards, "This is what you meant by getting an Exit Pass?" Rayse ignored the question and presented an expired Exit Pass to Luned for use in the forgery.

"They stopped giving them to foreigners a little while ago, even for me it might take weeks or months. Will you help?"

"No problem," Luned grinned. She was taking more pride in her work than the last time Rayse saw her. "I just need to gather my materials, but it shouldn't take long. What about the translations?"

"Just give me what you got so far. I'll get the rest straight from the horse's mouth."

Luned handed him the paper she was writing on. Rayse read something he didn't expect:



In the beginning, Suravani created the Moon and the Sun;
The Moon brought Darkness and Silence, the Sun brought Light and Sound;
Darkness brought the Zaileya's Path, Light brought the Attireyi's Path;
When Zaileya's Path crossed Attireyi's Path, the rest of the Pure Runes were born.

[Luned]

While Rayse read, Luned redirected her attention to the girl beside him. "So, you're finally going? Ags is taking you, I assume?"

Resolve nodded. "Last I checked, she had a drop off spot in the Outlander's Post."

"Do you have supplies?" the scribe pried, ready to volunteer anything she could offer.

"Yeah, in the past few months I've collected copies of the maps we practiced from, plus I have my mother's old tools. I'll probably check to see if they have anything updated when I get there, though." It was obvious that the pair had begun preparing for this journey some time ago. "Oh, could I borrow your Fallien dictionary?"

Perhaps a little too enthusiastic, Luned nodded. "We have spares, here –– keep it." She handed the one she'd been using to translate Rayse's books to the exorcist, who accepted it graciously.

"Thanks for the other book, by the way. I'll return it. It'll give me an excuse to drop by."

This notion seemed to accomplish an unspoken agreement between them, the first tentative step toward reconciliation, and Luned smiled. "Sure. When are you going?" She glanced to Rayse, dragging his attention away from the passage about runes.

"Tomorrow," Rayse confirmed.

Resolve quirked an eyebrow, glad to have some company for at least part of the voyage, though she wasn't sure what he had to do there. Apparently that book really was just that good.

"Well, stop by in the morning. I'll have the Exit Passes ready, and maybe some other things that can help," Luned said, and Rayse agreed that would be reasonable.

On their way out, Resolve couldn't help but ask. "What are you going to Fallien for?"

"Business."

His final-sounding answer didn't satisfy her curiosity at all, but she let it go.



The next day, when Rayse arrived at the building where Resolve lived, he discovered her on the second floor chatting with a much shorter, much curvier lady with inhumanly gold hair and mismatched eyes. The closet door to the left was open not to reveal storage, but a posh little parlor, and the individual he could assume was Ags stood in the threshold. "Is this your friend?" she chirped, bouncing on her heels.

Resolve appeared quite ready, dressed in her usual short-hemmed sari, but instead of boots she wore sandals, and a long, gauzy scarf was draped around her shoulders in anticipation of wind, sand, and sun. A wide-brimmed hat was pinned to the pack on her back, rather bulky as it contained a tent among other things, but it seemed not to weigh her down as she tossed him a smile. "Rayse, this is Princess Agnie."

He nodded and the dealings proceeded. Ags produced two pairs of tickets filled out with the departure date and relevant locations, and signed them in her signature swooping cursive. "On the house for being a perfectly lovely neighbor," she told Resolve as she handed off hers, her grin morphing into something a bit more mischievous when she turned to Rayse. "As for you, we can figure something out when you return."

As he signed, Rayse accepted the condition. He was good at settling debts. "Yeah, maybe we can do some business."

When he handed it back, Ags tore off their copies and distributed them, explaining that for the return trip (if they so desired one), they simply had to notify her in writing on the ticket and they would arrange a rendezvous.

Once all questions were answered and the travelers confirmed that they were, indeed, prepared, the fairy stepped back into her parlor and closed the door behind her with a cheery, "Have fun!"

Resolve glanced to Rayse, more than a little anxious, and then reached out to the doorknob. She twisted it, the simple mechanism unlatched, and as it creaked open, a draft of very dry, very hot air greeted them. "No turning back now," she said more to herself than him, and she stepped through the threshold.

The other side was one of the main streets near the docks of the Outlander's Post, a peculiar port town built into a great cliff. Even though she'd grown up on the ocean, the familiar scent of of salt wasn't comforting as absolutely everything else was so utterly foreign, even more so than what she'd observed in her single jaunt to Raiaera. "Damn," she muttered under her breath. This was it.

[Rayse Valentino]

Rayse was relieved when he was on the other side of the door, watching it close behind him. Last time he experienced this kind of magic was when he went through Lillian Sesthal's wormholes, which caused him to almost throw up from the nausea. The sky was clear for everything except the sun, which beamed down hot rays upon them. Resolve was looking around with interest, scanning down the long docks and then up the cliff face to the top of the outpost. Luckily for them, no one saw them come out of a boarded up shop, although Rayse wondered if any of them would care anyway. When it came to Outlander's Post, there were few things the inhabitants had not seen.

As far as his own appearance, it was nothing special. He was still wearing an unbuttoned black suit jacket, but under it was a white collared shirt slightly longer than what he usually wore. He had a white sash around his waist and wore loose white slacks that ended at brown desert boots. Around his head was a brown bandana that was wrapped so that it gave him a slightly-hooded appearance, with a flap of cloth trailing down the back of his head and falling on his shoulders. His hair peeked out from under the bandana.

While Resolve looked around expectantly, trying to get her bearings, Rayse already knew where he had to go. He was here once before, but only as a stopping point towards Irrakam as a passenger on a ship. He walked toward the cliff, and it was lined with walkways, cave entrances, and stairways carved from the cliff itself. Each level of the cliff had its own little streets which lead to shops and passages deeper into the post. There were a few people walking around here now, but it wasn't as bustling as Rayse remembered it. There were no ships in port currently, and it looked like several of the shops he remembered were covered in a white sheet, signifying that they were closed. The contractor wondered if this had to do with the Exit Pass situation, but it was of no real concern.

"Looks like this is where we part ways," Rayse saluted. "Thanks for the ride."

"Huh?" Resolve looked at him with bewilderment. "I thought you were coming with me."

For a moment, Rayse considered being alone with Resolve somewhere, but brushed off the notion. He wasn't one for companions, even if they were going to the same place. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two things with one hand: a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, and a pair of sunglasses which went over his eyes. He lit the cigarette off a fire conjured by his thumb with his back turned to her.

"I never said I would do that. Maybe we'll see each other again."

She had her Exit Pass, and he had his. His deal with her was done as far as he was concerned. He walked up the cliff's staircase to the first elevation of the post and walked into one of the caves. Strung together by a wire along the ceiling were little lamps with tiny runes in them that emitted a soft light. While Resolve came here with a sack of some sort, Rayse came with a backpack that contained some rations, a change of clothes, and some sheets. There were also around a dozen packs of cigarettes of his favorite brand as well. Inside the tunnels there were wooden doors along the walls with signs above them. Some of them claimed to sell goods, others were simply the names of those who dwelled inside. The kind of people he saw walking around were mostly members of the various tribes of Fallien and a fair number of dwarves. The only other places he visited with such large dwarf populations were Kachuck and Ettermire, and this place resembled Kachuck more than anywhere, especially since he found himself mired in Kachuck's mines on more than one occasion. With all the memories flooding into his mind, he wondered if he enjoyed traveling. Usually it was for business, but unlike the lie he told Resolve, there was nothing monetary for him to gain in Fallien this trip.

He stopped at a door with a sign above it that said Kraincobb's Travel Agency. Like many of the dwarven doors, he had to lower his head to walk through it. Inside there was a dwarf with a red, braided beard dusting a shelf of knick-knacks. This was a common stopping point for tourists from Scara Brae and Corone, although business had been slow lately. Besides the shelves and tables with various ornaments and counterfeit artifacts, the front counter had a little bell on it to alert the clerk for a new arrival. There was also a bell that rang when Rayse walked through the door. The dwarf looked up at him, at first skeptical that someone had actually come in without intending to steal something, and then exuberant.

"Ah, I remember ye!" he said joyously. "Good ol' Kraincobb never forgets a face! Rains, is it?"

Rayse took another drag off his cigarette, "Rayse. Rayse Valentino."

"Ah, of course of course!" He put down the duster and took off the apron. Rayse felt a glimmer of humor in the sight, but suppressed it. "Ye're looking for a Pass, ain'tcha? Oh..." He looked down at his feet. "Um, sorry ye came all this way, but I can't give ye them anymore."

"I know the situation. I don't need a Pass, but I do need a guide."

Kraincobb looked up, "Ah, ye have a Pass? Good, good- er, what did ye say? A guide?"

Rayse looked at one the shelves, which had a long map of Fallien propped up, "I'm heading to Astaka on foot." Rayse had taken note of the lack of ships at the harbor, and there was no telling when the next one would come in, and even then he would essentially have to commandeer it to get to where he wanted. He would rather save as much time as possible.

"Ah, I see... well, I'm sorry, but there's no guides at the moment." The dwarf looked at his feet again. "The few that we had are away right now..."

"Well, do you have any horses that know the path at least?"

The dwarf didn't even reply to the last question. Rayse rubbed his eyes for a few seconds and then remembered an annoying fact: Resolve knew how to get there.

[Resolve]

With a shrug, Resolve watched Rayse leave, and then she dug out a slip of paper with a bit of information written on it. Block lettering told her where to find a soul named Tarun, a highly recommended fellow who didn't just cater to the tourists like many of the deserted and abandoned shopfronts along the main drag. After all, there were a small number of trusted merchants who helped sustain Fallien's economy and were allowed the privilege of passage through the Outpost, and family was among them.

His outfit was settled just off the beaten path, the entrance in an alleyway behind a wholesaler of sharkskin. A strange looking, long-legged hound greeted her in the unmarked doorway and she scratched it behind the ears, the waist-high creature leaning its weight on her in reckless abandon. Resolve pushed her way through the curtain and into the little shop, walls lined with meticulously crafted maps kept securely under glass, the pieces of art riddled with minuscule details that must have been painted with brushes only a few hairs wide.

A middle-aged Fallien man sat at a desk in the back corner where he seemed to be absorbed in some paperwork. He greeted Resolve politely in what she assumed to be the local language, but she didn't understand. Resisting the temptation to fish out her dictionary, she spoke up. "Are you Tarun? I was hoping you could check a map for me," she said, setting her pack down on the floor and extracting the precisely folded paper. "I can pay, of course. A friend referred me here."

The fellow leaned back in his chair, his slightly rotund form swathed in a white Fallien-style robe. In one of his hands he had a pipe, unlit, but he chewed the mouthpiece out of habit. "What is your friend's name?" His common was heavily accented, but clear.

"Hyacinth Curie," Resolve cited.

Suddenly, polite switched to overt friendliness, and the short man rose to shake her hand with both of his. "Captain Curie? How is the old broad? Piece of work, that one," he grinned, perhaps a little more enthusiastically than the girl had expected.

"Uh, yeah," she laughed awkwardly. "She's my mother."

"You don't say," he said, his surprise genuine. "We've had some good times over the years, your mother and me. Said she made herself a family when she returned after a good decade away, but I didn't realize she started it here. Who's the lucky man?"

Seeing no reason to lie, Resolve shrugged.

"Ah," he nodded, crossing his arms. "Well, I'll do what I can to help. Let's see that map. You got your Exit Pass?"

The girl nodded and presented him with the atlas, her intended route and destination marked in pencil in the closeup of the relevant region, which he tsked as he unfolded. Apparently her care of the document wasn't up to his standards, but he said nothing as he sat down at his desk and examined it with a magnifying glass.

"Mass-produced Coronian garbage," Tarun grumbled under his breath, and from his use of common, Resolve knew he was passive aggressively shaming her. "Your mother sent you here with this?"

"No. I found it on my own. So, it's not usable? Could I purchase a new one?" She held her hands behind her back and ventured the question tentatively, like a scolded child.

The man sighed. "No, no, it's fine. But when you finally invest in a good one, don't crease it." He pulled out a fine-point fountain pen and began liberally editing the northeast corner of the island, beginning at the Outlander's Post and marking a path which would avoid the Oasis. "Take the main way from here, it isn't the most direct route but it'll keep you out of the desert for most of the trip and is busy enough that if you have problems, there should be locals around who won't be too shocked by the fact that you're a foreigner."

Resolve nodded, his plan thus far in sync with hers and Luned's.

"The hard part will be avoiding the Oasis. Astaka's due east from there, but that leg is nearly all desert. The best advice I can give is to see if you can hitchhike with a mining caravan going to the mountains –– they always stop through Astaka –– but if you must go alone, you know you're getting close when you start seeing vegetation. There will be grass and, eventually, a few trees," he explained. "The Akhetamika settled around the only significant source of good water in that area, it's fairly obvious you're near within a few miles' radius. It's nothing near as lush or civilized as the Oasis, but it'll be a nice break from the hot sand and the people are a bit friendlier. They should be fairly welcoming."

"Thanks," the exorcist replied, truly grateful for his expertise.

Tarun eyeballed her above the rim of the magnifying glass, then set it down. "As for you, they shouldn't give you much trouble at the border to the route since you could nearly pass as true Fallien, save the way you butchered that sari." She frowned, glancing down at herself, and he continued, pointing at her authoritatively with his pipe. "The less people along your way who don't realize you're not from here, the better, especially near the Oasis. A lot of outlanders go missing out there. Another word of advice: you can get out of almost any small talk with a polite nod," he demonstrated, the motion including his shoulders, "And a smile. They'll assume you're shy and leave you alone, though it may be difficult to avoid attention at times since you're marked as a shaman. You might wish to cover up a bit better to avoid people asking for help."

The girl frowned again. "But it's so hot."

He let out a boisterous laugh. "You're still on the coast, this is nothing compared to Astaka. I suggest you allow yourself to acclimate before you complain." Tarun leaned over, got a scrap of paper from a bin next to his desk, and began scratching a note on it. "I can't help much more than this, but a few doors down there is a place where you can get a change of clothing. Go for something plain, if you walk around in that red people will think you're wealthy and won't leave you alone. And here's the information of another old friend of your mother's, you should drop by when you pass through."




http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/707/screenshot20130210at342.png



By the time Rayse found her again, Resolve appeared much more demure with a cream-colored chiton layered on below a shawl that made her look quite at home there, her bright sari packed away. He was waiting casually against a cliffside building on the stair-ridden road that led to the customs office, enjoying a brief moment of shade in the direction he correctly assumed she'd be headed. She discovered him puffing on a cigarette.

"Don't tell me they wouldn't let you in," she said, stepping under the canopy with him.

"No. They're out of guides," he admitted, continuing his stare down the street as if people-watching.

Resolve took it as a sign of defeat and she grinned, crossing her arms as she leaned her shoulder against the building next to him. "So you need me," she teased. "Where you headed, anyway?"

Rayse suppressed a sigh. "Astaka."

"Well, I suppose that's fine," the girl caved, "And I'll even give you a deal. In lieu of a fee for my services and the pleasure of my wonderful company, I'll let you pay for the camel."

He glanced over to her. "Camel? Fallien has the best horses in the world, and you want one of those?"

"I've ridden fancy-ass horses in Raiaera, and now that I'm here in Fallien, I'm going to ride a gods-damned camel," she sassed. "A horse won't do us much good when we get to the real desert, anyhow."

The man begrudgingly agreed as he finished the last of his cigarette, and hence their reluctant fellowship was formed.

[Rayse Valentino]

As far as replacement guides went, Resolve wasn't exactly bad on the eyes. That's how Rayse saw the situation. Of course, that begged the question: Why not just use her as the guide in the first place? Maybe it was because of their brief exorcist experience, maybe it was because she knew who he was and that made him feel vulnerable, or maybe he just didn't trust someone that he knew nothing about. She was more casual than her partner in crime Luned, and he didn't know what she was really capable of. Uncertainty made him lose control of the situation, and control was his most prized possession.

"This looks like a good one," Resolve said. She looked back at him. "What do you think?"

They were staring at a camel that was chewing lazily on dried leaves. They were at the top of the outpost, above where all the tunnels converged. The walls around this pinnacle were the only way out unless some secret tunnel was used, but Rayse didn't know any of them. Unlike Kachuck, there was nothing of value in the ground. Nearby was a squatting native who was lacking shoes, a shirt, and basic hygiene. His eyes were obscured by a white headscarf and he spent most of his time scratching or picking his nose. The first time Rayse was in Fallien, he had no proof of his entry. He woke up in the sand in the middle of the day with nothing on him but the clothes on his back and most importantly, no Exit Pass. The natives giving him trouble was an understatement of his experiences with them.

"Sure," he said almost noncommittally. He was in for quite a walk, but traveling through the desert was more an exercise in boredom for him than endurance. Being a man made of fire, the sun did not affect him, and the coldness of night retreated from his form. All he could remember was being alone, sometimes not knowing what would come first, his death from thirst or finding the next village.

It was nothing compared to his recent ordeal in the planes beyond Althanas, one that he didn't wish to repeat.

With the camel carrying their supplies, they walked up to the gates that marked the exit to the post. The dwarves were entirely absent from this part of town, instead replaced by native spice traders and Jya's warriors to keep the peace. Rayse wondered if they finally annexed this place since the last time he was here, but it was unlikely. As they walked up to the warriors who guarded the gate, the contractor paused. Resolve kept walking and asked them to open it so she could pass, but they could tell something was off in her accent and looked at each other with grins. They wore white turbans with the symbol of the moon on them and red open jackets with no shirts underneath. They were equipped with spears and falchions tied to their belts.

With their own thick Fallien accents, they ridiculed her, "Who is this lost little bird? Come home to roost?"

The other one laughed, "Maybe she's bringin' her boyfriend back to the tribe! Too bad she's forgotten where she even comes from!" Resolve raised a brow. She didn't know Fallien, so their words were just as foreign as ever to her.

But Rayse understood.

One of them opened their hand and motioned for her to give them something, so she handed them her Exit Pass. They looked at it and whistled, since they hadn't seen one of these after Jya ordered the halt of their issuance. Resolve must be someone special to have one of these.

RIP! Resolve's eyes widened as the paper fell to pieces to the ground. It wasn't like one of those tickets they rip up when she entered a theater, right? She needed to keep one of those on her... right? The two militia men continued laughing until Rayse walked up to them and handed one his Pass. They had a momentarily look of surprise on their faces and then started cracking up again until one of them noticed a flame on the tip of the Pass. The one holding it watched the flame burn and extended his hand to get it away from his body, but then noticed a flame crawling up the side of his jacket. He dropped the spear in his other hand and slapped at the jacket to get rid of the fire, but it just caused it to spread to his hands. Within moments, his entire body was on fire, and he was in a panic, dropping to the ground while rolling around and screaming. The other guard pointed his spear at Rayse and thrust it into his side, watching the blade pass through the contractor's body, leaving flames where his body should be. He retracted the spear and now there was a flame on it as well that crawled down the length of it and caused him to throw it away. As he reached for his falchion, he realized that it was already on fire somehow, and the flames covered his body as well, doubling the number of screaming men.

"I trust everything is alright with my documentation?" Rayse asked casually, picking up the Pass that was dropped on the ground and blowing out the flame on it as if it was a candle. "You're not really on fire, you know. Not yet, at least." The guards realized that they weren't feeling any pain from the fire, and picked themselves up from the ground, staring at their burning hands in horror. The commotion was starting to attract some of the other militia men. "If your little friends get here before this gate is opened, I'll flip the switch that makes the fire really burn. What do you say, fellas? Am I good to go?"

The men nodded and quickly turned two wheels on opposite sides of the gate, causing the large stone doors to open for them. Rayse motioned for Resolve to bring the camel, and the gates closed again behind them. Just as Rayse promised, the fires immediately disappeared from their bodies. As the other warriors came to inspect the situation, the guards laughed nervously and made up some excuse.

Resolve was interestingly calm about what just happened, "What about the Pass? Don't I need it?"

Rayse shrugged, "The only pass you need is passing for a native. So, shall we get going?"

[Resolve]

Once they were on the road with some semblance of privacy, Resolve started in with the questions. Apparently she wasn't the type to remain silently impressed after such a showy display of power.

"So, what's with that fire stuff you pulled back there?" she asked as they meandered side by each down the wide, dirt road, camel ambling along behind them with its long legs and knobby knees.

"Hmm? I thought Luned told you."

The girl shrugged. "She vaguely mentioned it, but I'm curious how a person picks up tricks like that."

"Couldn't you recognize the… oh right, I keep forgetting you've never been here." Rayse really wasn't sure why he'd felt the need to show off like that at the gate and blamed it on some attempt to regain his masculinity after having to rely on Resolve.

"Recognize the what? You can still explain it."

Mum as always, Rayse decided to keep his answer simple. "Well, let's just say it's not something I can teach. It's just part of me, just like turning into a horrible monster is part of you."

Resolve pursed her lips, the reminder of her impending doom as a horrific monstrosity not particularly well received, but she was more disappointed in his disinterest in elaborating. He was a tough nut to crack and her competitive nature was sorely tempted to make a goal to get even just one straight answer out of him by the time they reached Astaka, but fortunately for him, she knew better than to make a game of his privacy. "So, what will you tell me about yourself? I can't imagine I learned everything interesting about you from Luned," she pried, hands clasped nonchalantly behind her back.

"The less you know about me, the better. If I were you, I would be worrying more about growing an extra set of teeth and gaining an appetite for human flesh." For now Rayse's deflections put him in "mysterious" territory, but it would likely take less than the course of the trip for that to turn aggravating.

"You know, I could dwell on that, or I could just concern myself over things I have more control over in the meantime, like dying of thirst and finding scorpions in my bed. Speaking of which…" she trailed off, reaching around into an outside pocket of her bag to extract the map, the note from Tarun folded inside it. "Tonight's stop will be in the quaint coastal town of Indore. Ever been there?"

"No." Rayse lit up another cigarette.

Her face stuck in the map as she reviewed the changes and notes her mother's friend had made, Resolve nodded. "Well, we're paying someone a visit."



For quite some time, the exorcist was thoroughly entertained simply by the scenery, and to Rayse's relief, she left the following conversations to less intrusive things. The route they followed through the first day was largely coastal, never far enough from the ocean that the hint of salt left the air, and they passed by great lengths of endless white beaches and numerous fishing villages, all studded with exotic trees and populated with brightly colored birds. Rayse had seen enough of the world at that point to be jaded by the spectacles, but he humored her with non-committal acknowledgement when she pointed out particularly amusing details. A few times on the road they crossed paths with other travelers, one a foreign merchant from Alerar who was eager to make small talk, but largely the passers-by were local tradespeople who either offered tense sidelong glances or avoided eye contact altogether.

The pair had come to an agreement that, since Rayse could understand Fallien and Resolve could not, he would handle any confrontations by playing the tourist. Resolve would linger in the background and, if the natives said anything of interest, he would repeat it to her in common to apprise her of the situation. They thought it a decent enough plan to manage potential issues, but fortunately it wasn't needed, as the first day passed surprisingly uneventfully.

[Resolve]

A bit worn but in otherwise decent spirits, they arrived at Indore just as the first blush of sunset crept toward them. The oppressive heat lightened just enough that Resolve's gait seemed renewed as they traversed the town, a faint breeze coming in off the water, and before they knew it, they had successfully navigated to the cove at the end of the long, twisting main street.

"Who is this person, again?" Rayse asked as the girl deduced the correct house from the handful of shack-like cottages that lined the outlet, all painted in garish colors which extended onto the floating docks. The horizon behind them was obscured by a low, skeletal forest of masts and rolled sails silhouetted against the changing sky.

"I don't know," Resolve said as she stopped them in front of the one painted a salmony pink. The front-facing windows were stained glass, undoubtedly a precious addition from Fallien's southern region, and depicted rolling waves. "Friend of my mom's, I guess. Her name's… Priya?" She squinted at the carefully printed note Tarun had given her to double check.

The man looked around, not quite sure what to make of this impromptu drop-in on someone who obviously wasn't expecting them. "I see."

"Well, come on." With a deep breath, Resolve strolled up to the main door, the surface painted a deep cobalt blue along with the trim, and she knocked.

There was a shuffling from inside and Rayse noticed a distorted figure peering at them through the colored glass. Before he could respond, it disappeared and scuffed up to the entrance. The door opened and in it stood a middle-aged Fallien woman, heavily wrinkled from too much sun in her youth, her thin form barely breaking five feet and clad in a tan sari. She looked up at them through round glasses with thick lenses, assessing them carefully. "Can I help you?" she asked in common.

"Sorry to bother you, is this Priya's home? Tarun sent us, from the Post," Resolve explained, giving her most charismatic smile. "This is Rayse, and I'm Resolve Curie. I hear you know my mom."

The woman gave Resolve a good look over, then brushed some graying hair from her face. "Heavens," she muttered. "She really did have fun in Astaka."

That wasn't quite the greeting Resolve had expected, but it wasn't particularly negative, so she kept on smiling. "So, how did you know each other?"

"Well, back when we were about your age, there was quite a social scene up that way. Mostly locals, plus the crews that would come through. Your mother made a point to come this way often. One time, before she got her own ship, she quit her job with a merchant so she could stay, then wandered off inland for a few months. None of us realized she'd brought home a souvenir." Resolve laughed, and the woman continued. "I suppose I should invite you in, shouldn't I?"

After tying the camel out front they entered the cottage which was, unfortunately, much smaller than it looked on the outside. "I don't entertain much," Priya admitted as she presented them with her space, the ceiling low enough that Rayse had to watch his head for hanging ornamentation. The main room was fairly deep but filled with enough clutter to effectively halve its size, the walls lined with textiles, woven tapestries of shells, and elaborately tied nets in floral patterns. Above the sitting area was a massive blue shark, preserved and wall-mounted by a taxidermist, its mouth open to reveal its several rows of razor sharp teeth.

"Are you a shark hunter?" Resolve asked, admiring it with morbid fascination.

"Until my eyesight failed, yes," Priya admitted as she busied herself in the kitchenette against the far wall. "Come away from the door, boy, and sit down." That order was to Rayse, who stood slightly stooped just inside the entryway, and though he didn't feel particularly compelled to obey orders from a shriveling little woman, the chair in the corner was more enticing than potentially bruising his skull. He sat. "I suppose you haven't eaten yet, have you? And I also suppose you came here hoping for a place to stay for the night," she went on, correct in all her assumptions.

Resolve unraveled the shawl from her shoulders and rubbed her neck sheepishly, her skin still hot to the touch from indirect sun. "We brought plenty of supplies, actually. If you'd be kind enough to let us borrow your yard––"

"Nonsense," the woman interrupted, and it appeared she was preparing some tea. "I have a guest room. Well, it's my son's room, but he's off for a few more weeks running spices." It wasn't difficult to figure out where she was gesturing vaguely over her shoulder as there were only two other rooms in the seaside cottage, and Rayse leaned forward to get a glimpse of it through the curtained doorway. It was even more cluttered than the living space, walls layered with tattered flags, pieces of sails, and wrinkled posters of arbitrary things from all around Althanas, and in the corner of the room with a rather frightening, shadowy visage stood a gigantic masthead of a startlingly busty siren.

In the midst of his inspection, the room filled with the eye-watering, smoky scent of pungent foreign spices, and Priya produced two bowls of a mysterious red stew from a pot on the stove. She handed them off to her guests, and from the wry grin on her face, perhaps she knew what punishment it was. "Now, let's all settle in and you can tell me what you're doing in Fallien," she said, sitting demurely on the settee next to Resolve and directly underneath her shark corpse conversation piece.

The exorcist stirred the stew for a moment, unable to hide her hesitance, and glanced up to Rayse, who was apparently finishing his cigarette before he even considered inspecting whatever Priya had forced into his hand. Resolve speculated there was some sort of fish and maybe seaweed, but she really had no idea. "We're on our way to Astaka. I'm going to meet my father, and Rayse here is on business," she explained, and then with a leap of faith, she tried a bite. Any doubt in anticipation of strange flavors flew out the window as it seared mercilessly through her sinuses.

As Priya looked away to Rayse, Resolve sent him a panicked expression, followed by a muffled cough that quickly turned into suppressed laughter as she covered her face with her free hand in embarrassment. "What line of business?" the elder woman inquired.

"Trader," he replied simply, and when Priya looked back to Resolve, he slid his bowl wordlessly onto the tiny side table next to him. Fortunately, the exorcist made a swift recovery and was prepared to participate in polite conversation again.

"You two will have to be very careful if you're headed that way," the woman laid in with the usual traveler's wisdom, but it took an unexpected direction. "Rumor has it, there's a new beast out there –– something supernatural –– that's been seen along this route. They haven't had trouble in the Oasis, but I hear Astaka's seen its fair share of them, and they're not telling their side of it. A bit strange, if you ask me."

[Rayse Valentino]

"A supernatural beast?" Resolve echoed Priya's words. "What do you mean?"

"My apologies dear," Priya said, shaking her head. "I only know what I heard from the travelers, and they didn't stay around to observe once they caught sight of it."

Resolve looked at Rayse, "Do you know anything about this?" Rayse was looking down at nothing in particular, seemingly unaware of the question. "Rayse... you there?"

Rayse looked up, "Hmm? Oh. There's a lot of supernatural stuff happening in Fallien, I wouldn't know what it was until I saw it." The exorcist puffed her lips a bit in disappointment, but she wasn't too concerned about the warning. It sounded more exciting than talking to Rayse.

The night went on with Priya reminiscing about Resolve's mother and stories of the desert. Various landmarks were put on Resolve's map and she learned a bit about the Festival of the Dead. Eventually they decided to go to bed, with Rayse telling Resolve to go on ahead while he went out for a walk. A couple hours later the exorcist stirred from her sleep and noticed that Rayse still wasn't back. Curiosity got the best of her and she snuck out to try to find him. This place was so small that all the one bar in town was closed, so he couldn't be in there. When she spotted him, he was down at the harbor, sitting at the end of the pier. She crept up closer and saw half-full glass of some dark liquid that she assumed was alcoholic. What surprised her was that he had two glasses with him, and he was holding the other one in his hand.

Rayse took another drag off his cigarette and then conjured a flame on his thumb, which he flicked far into the ocean. When the flame touched the water, there was a brief flash of light, but then it was gone. He stared up at the full moon and raised his glass before drinking it down.

He started talking out loud, "I drank yours too, I hope you don't mind." He took the other glass and drank from it as well, putting it down once it was empty. "You probably won't believe what I've been through just this year. I don't think I can even describe it, but needless to say it's nice to be back. I still wonder what the world would be like if it was you instead of me. Not that I give a shit about your notions of justice or whatever, just curiosity. I thought I would be different once I returned, but looks like nothing's changed. You said that people could change, but you're probably eating crow every time you look at me." He grinned, exhaling a long plume of smoke. "But hey, if it wasn't me, it would be someone else doing the dirty work. I bet they would be doing a much shittier job at it, too. People should be doing the things they're good at. I'm no exception."

He flicked another spark into the ocean. On this night around a decade ago, his best friend Vincent sacrificed his life to save him. Vincent had rather lofty dreams and wanted to help everybody, even though that others would think didn't deserve helping. The fact that he died and Rayse lived convinced him that there was no true justice in this world, and if someone gets killed then they're just unlucky. He thought he was here in Fallien to protect himself, to act out the common preservation instinct of every human being, but... what if there was more to it than that? He could let the world burn for all he cared, since he could likely survive in the planes. Maybe it was because this was his home. Maybe people who live here should have the freedom to decide whether their world burns or not.

The cigarette was plucked out of his mouth and dropped on the ground. After cracking his neck, he picked up the glasses and walked back up the pier. Resolve quickly shuffled from her position and made her way back to Priya's cottage and into bed before Rayse got back.

[Rayse Valentino]

"Don't be afraid to stop by again if you're in the area, dear," Priya smiled.

"Will do," Resolve replied.

They were all packed and ready for the next leg of the journey. It wouldn't be long now until they reached the oasis. As they left the fishing village, Resolve noticed that Rayse was in a better mood, although she couldn't readily admit that she was spying on him the night before. As they left the outskirts of the village, they started moving a bit more inland towards the mountains. The view of the ocean started to disappear from view, and now the mountains were more readily visible on the other side. The foothills of Zaileya offered sparse vegetation and a more sandy, drier ground. Resolve spent more of her time trying to navigate the flora and fauna, while Rayse memorized the guidebook he received from Luned. They didn't encounter any travelers, likely they were avoiding this route if Priya was right. Rayse looked a little more tired than Resolve expected, and she wondered if he slept at all last night.

As Resolve was looking around, she caught sight of something in the distance. She squinted her eyes to try to bring the image into focus, and couldn't tell whether the heat was causing it to move or it was actually approaching them.

"Hey Rayse, do you see that?" she asked.

The contractor glanced over in the general direction, "See what?" Then, he saw the shape and recognized it. "Looks like a wolf to me." There was something odd about the wolf. For one thing, it was a light blue color and it was glowing. Its outline was a slightly darker blue, and Rayse couldn't tell if it was even corporeal or just a mirage.

"Do you think it's what Priya warned us about?"

"Maybe, I don't see the big deal though."

That was when they noticed that they were judging the distance wrong on how far away the wolf was. They thought the trees and bushes were far behind it, but they were actually the same distance away. Once the wolf was within a few hundred meters, it broke into a sprint and its true size was made plain to them:

It was six feet tall and looked like it was made of light blue fire.

They could narrowly avoid its charge as it stampeded towards their position, running through the very spot they were standing in and leaving behind a trial of wispy blue flames. It turned and its glowing white eyes homed in on Rayse, who threw aside his backpack and took up a wide stance for easy dodging and discarded his sunglasses and bandana.

He spat out his cigarette, "Why do I have to deal with this shit?" The wolf charged again and Rayse pointed his right index finger at it, curling in all his other fingers except for the thumb, which rested atop the ring on the extended finger. His thumb pressed down on the ring and a blue flame appeared hovering in front of the tip of the index finger. Then he rubbed the ring with his thumb which triggered the enchantment, amplifying the flame and shooting it out toward the wolf. The fiery bullet exploded on contact with the wolf, creating a yellow explosion of fire. From out of it the wolf continued charging completely unfazed by the blast, and Rayse had no choice but to dodge out of the way again.

Oh fuck me, fire doesn't work on fire, does it?

[Resolve]

When the beast focused on Rayse first, it gave the exorcist a precious moment to assess the situation. She watched in terror and awe as the creature of flame tore after the man in a blur of blue, staggering back as she prayed the camel wouldn't spook and take off, but unable to bring herself to check.

Why hadn't she felt it approach? Animals often flew under her radar, but this was no typical desert fauna –– at least she sure as hell hoped it wasn't –– and, from its mythical appearance, she couldn't help but wonder what it was. Its astral presence was like nothing she'd ever felt, it was as if someone had dropped it right on top of them…

And then it clicked. Resolve hadn't read the Rough Guide cover to cover like Rayse, but she did catch the bits on the beasts and supernaturals, and that explained everything. It was a summons.

As exciting as such a realization was, this novel encounter sucked for two reasons: it meant someone was unhappy they were there, and she had no idea how to get rid of it. The book had mentioned a safe word, but she wasn't from Fallien. She didn't know it. She couldn't even begin to guess.

The contractor dodged the massive wolf and Resolve picked up a hefty rock the size of her hand, then chucked it against its fiery hide. It crackled strangely against the blue flame, haloed in pale sparks as it deflected and fell sizzling to the dusty earth. "Hey! Over here!"

Her measly attempt to grab its attention was ineffective and it stalked an uncomfortably close orbit around Rayse, who was currently puzzling just how to approach this confrontation if his pyrokinetic tricks yielded no results. He assumed he could continue dodging fine enough, but that wouldn't help him get rid of the damn thing.

Resolve cursed and, in her upheld hands, an exceptionally long spear materialized out of thin air. Made from her personal stores of energy, it appeared to be crafted out of no more than an ethereal fog, but as she charged after the wolf in a flurry of loose, cream-colored fabric, the oversized point of the pole arm passed through the alleged tendons of the creature's hind leg with frightening ease, as if it was made of real metal. The attack elicited a horrific wail and the wolf took off, nearly taking the weapon with it, but she reabsorbed the energy before she lost grip and the animal shied away to lament its unexpected injury.

With room to breathe, Rayse looked to his traveling companion with muted suspicion. For some reason the reveal of this ability didn't surprise him, but he'd never seen her use it before. Something about that troubled him, and before he could figure out why, she was shouting at him. "Move! I've got it!" He didn't have time to react before the creature was upon them again, its gait hindered by its wounded leg but no less intimidating as its fiery bulk careened toward them. Resolve stepped aside and that motion drew it away, as she had proven she was pointier than the male human and therefore a priority for mauling.

As it charged, the girl conjured an orb of raw, crackling energy, which she sent straight into the beast's jaw. The blunt force had some effect so she threw more, but as she staggered back to avoid its path, she tripped on the trailing end of her chiton and fell hard on her back.

Rayse was on his way to help as the gigantic wolf leapt upon her, but instead of the exorcist meeting an inconveniently timed demise, the creature seemed to hover above her for a moment before the blue flames dispersed into the air, as if suddenly out of fuel. Resolve was left on the ground, slightly singed but otherwise unharmed, holding the ghost of a gnarly, scimitar-like long sword where the heart of the creature must have been. The exaggerated weapon disappeared just like the beast it had slain and she remained prone on the ground for a long moment as she took a couple slow, deliberate breaths to calm the rush of adrenaline.

Satisfied she wasn't incapacitated, the man turned his attention to the landscape. From the vast emptiness of the endlessly flat terrain he assumed this type of wolf didn't necessarily hunt in packs, but for some reason there was very little comfort in that deduction.

"Fucking dress," the girl groaned, and Rayse looked back down to find her sawing over a foot of cloth off the bottom hem of what had once been a fashionable chiton. Resolve was using a smart little pair of shears conjured just like the weapons and, as she snipped the last threads, they vanished. Pleased with the utilitarian transformation which oddly suited her in a charming desert warrior sort of way, she stood and brushed off the dust, spare length of charred cloth in hand. "Well that was stupid," she grumbled, catching Rayse knelt down as if he was picking something off the ground, but when he noticed she was looking, he got back up.

[Rayse Valentino]

As the last of the blue flame wisps disappeared, Rayse stopped what he was doing and got back up. There was no reason for him to show his magicide knife to Resolve, who just displayed a proficiency for some sort of magic. He had never seen before the type of materialization that she performed. I don't think she was lying about runes... maybe this is something her tribe can do. While Resolve was suspicious as ever with the contractor's actions, her attention was redirected when she realized their camel was nowhere to be seen. They both looked down at the tracks and followed them to the horizon, where the faint image of a stampeding camel could be seen.

"Of all the goddess-damned luck!" Rayse spat. "I had a dozen packs on that thing!"

"Packs?" Resolve paused. "...You mean of cigarettes?! That's what you're concerned about? What about food, water, clothes?! We have to go after it!"

They both took off toward the camel, but the camel had already started running up the mountains and disappeared in the twists and turns of the canyon.

"I had no idea camels could run so fast," Rayse said, his breathing hoarse. Luckily, his bag had fallen off the camel which had his canteen of water, and Resolve had reacquired her essentials, but the supplies for the trip were gone. Rayse was more concerned with having to ration his smokes than dying of hunger.

Resolve sighed, "I guess we'll just have to deal with it until we get to Astaka." She followed the geographic markers that she studied back to the beaten path that they were following. They were lucky that it wasn't windy today or the path would've been obscured. When they were back on the trail, she remarked, "That thing was summoned by the Esseker or Deklan tribe."

Rayse remembered reading about it, "Why did it attack us?"

"I don't know. It went after you first, maybe because you're a foreigner."

"I got a Pass though, and we're still pretty far from the oasis. Something doesn't seem right, I mean why was it all the way out here anyway? It looked like it was just wandering around."

"Maybe it was summoned for some other reason and the shaman forgot about it, or didn't care to unsummon it. Either way, I guess that was what the warning was all about."

Rayse shrugged, his hand twitching from the desire to reach into his pocket for another cigarette. Now that he knew he had a limited supply, he couldn't just smoke them in succession anymore. He was somewhat bothered by the ordeal, since most travelers here were natives, it didn't make sense for the wolf to attack them. Either way, it was none of his concern.

[Muir]

"Muir," a feminine voice called out, and something jabbed the young man in the shoulder. He flinched, groaned, and dozed off again. "Muir!" More jabs, shouting, and a pitcher of water later, the young man sat up with some choice words for his assailant.

"What?" Muir grumbled as he wiped wet hair out of his face, the deep red strands sticking to his deeply tanned, freckled skin. The shadows under his eyes only increased the effectiveness of his glare as his gaze fell on the offender: Suri, the petite, under-appreciated housekeeper. She had one of the most difficult duties in his entire network of drug-running employees, simply because she had the honor of being his wake-up call.

Accustomed to difficult starts, she wasn't fazed by his rudeness and cut to the chase. "They caught someone burglarizing the storehouse and brought her here."

With a melodramatic sigh, he caved. "Fine, just… give me a minute. Ugh."

Muir wasn't exactly having the best luck lately. Gasper was a week late in returning from a run to Alerar with some particularly precious cargo, his contacts in the spice fields had mentioned another buyer who was attempting to close in on his territory, and this morning he was forced to get up early to deal with some thief who was apparently important enough to wake him before his usual hour, which was never before noon. This particular inconvenience seemed to be the greatest crime of all, and he was vocal in his protests.

"Fuck mornings," he grumbled as he staggered around his room on the third floor of his narrow Irrakam townhouse, the beauty of the pale golds and roses of the sky just outside his open balcony wholly unappreciated by his aching head. "Fuck Gasper for not being here to deal with this shit," he continued as he found his pillbox and knocked back a couple dry. "Fuck you," he told the girl who'd woken him, "And fuck the fucking cock sucker downstairs. Fine, let's go."

Grouchy, disheveled, and clad in a silk smoking jacket tied lazily around his waist, he stumbled down the stairs after his energetic employee. Things weren't looking good for this burglar, whoever it was.

Two broad-shouldered men stood waiting in the front parlor, a much smaller figure wedged between them. She wore dark brown trousers that hung baggy on her small build, sandaled toes peeking out under the long-cut cloth. A tan, long-sleeved tunic tied off her waist with a white, ornately embroidered sash, and a similarly crafted scarf and veil obscured her hair and face. Two pale green eyes, reminiscent of sea foam, peered out at Muir as he arrived in all his bright-eyed and bushy-tailed glory, wide as they awaited sentencing.

"So, what did she take?" Muir asked, glancing between the security professionals.

"Nothing by the time we caught her," the man to the left replied, a stouter fellow with an angry brow. "But she was looking for something, alright."

Muir's deep green gaze finally fell on the subject in question, her thin frame quaking in anticipation. "So, what were you after?"

She didn't answer, only stared.

Already thin patience wore out completely and Muir groaned in exasperation. "I repeat myself: what the flying fuck were you doing in my storehouse?"

No answer again, and with a nod from their employer, the guards relieved the offender from her face-obscuring garments. Beneath the layers of cloth was Fallien native if there ever was one, but sharp white marks drew elaborate designs across her cheeks and down her chin, and her long, braided hair was similarly stark and unexpected. Still she stared with those strange eyes, as if the disgruntled man before her was an alien.

When her peculiar markings were revealed, however, something softened in Muir's expression, frustration giving way to tiredness. She reminded him of Resolve and that was likely the only thing that kept her from the compassionless sentence on the tip of his tongue, which he bit it back. "You're from Astaka?" he asked, probing almost irrelevantly.

The woman shook her head, finally offering an answer.

"Not Astaka? Hmm. Somewhere nearby? No?" Muir puzzled over her origins, as if it was more important than the product he may have lost to her sticky fingers. "Then where?"

"Zaileya," came her timid response.

This answer was intriguing enough to earn more of Muir's interest; no one lived in the mountains, the last tribe was rumored to have died out centuries ago. But, then again, that's all they were: rumors. "What's your name, little lady?"

"Azadeh."

[Rayse Valentino]

"So Azadeh, maybe you can help me out here. I don't get little rats like you in here every day, in fact I commend your bravery, or stupidity, whatever you call it. You haven't actually stolen anything, but you were trespassing. If you give me a good enough reason for why you're here, maybe I'll take it easy on you."

One of the guards was surprised, "Muir?!"

"You can leave now, I can handle this." The intruder and Muir were soon alone, and he could see her eyes sneak over to various corners of the storehouse for an exit. "Sorry about all that, I just don't want to lose face for what I'm about to ask: If you tell me your problem you can have what you came here for." The girl was surprised, the light from upstairs reflecting in her inquisitive eyes back to Muir. She put her hands up to her mouth, folding one over the other and pressing down on her lips in thought. She seemed to be looking for the right word to say. It could be all an act for all Muir knew, but it was a damn good one.

"Jya," she said simply. "See Jya."

Muir's eyebrows raised up high and his mouth was slightly agape, but then he lowered one brow, "You want to see the Jya? What for?" She shook her head. "Can't tell me, huh? Well, what did you want from here?"

"Rope," she answered while making climbing motions with her hands. That's when Muir noticed that her hands had the same bandages as natives from Astaka, but while all of them had white bandages around their hands, she had skin-colored ones, almost blending in with her complexion. There was no bandage on her forehead however. The next word she had an especially hard time enunciating, "Turrniss. Rune turrniss."

Muir was fairly proficient at the Fallien language, but even this word threw him for a loop. "Wait." He remembered that a feature of rune-crafting was rune turning. It was a process that temporarily amplified runic abilities. Turnings were small stones that were crushed on top of the rune markings in order to activate the effect. Turniss... it sounded like a relic from older versions of the language. Maybe she was from an isolated tribe in the mountains. More importantly, "Those are some strange items to steal. I assume you came here without any money. Why rope and rune turnings?"

"See Jya," she repeated. That's when Muir realized- she was going to sneak into Jya's keep! But why? If she was a representative of one of the tribal leaders, she could seek an audience through official means. Then again, they would have to know her tribe existed.

He had to confess that he was interested.

[Muir]

"This would be a lot fucking easier if Gasper was here," Muir sighed as he adjusted the veil over his face. He and Azadeh stood in his room, supplies strewn about the floor and various surfaces: rope, more rope, a handful of turnings they'd scrounged up, remnants of their dinner, and the contents of Muir's mobile laboratory were set up on a wide, low table, with which he'd concocted something for their defense. After all, he wasn't going to risk both sneaking into the Jya's fortress and killing any of her guard –– he wasn't a complete idiot, though the fact he kept this plot secret from his employees downstairs spoke volumes concerning the insanity of the current plan. Getting himself caught there was reason enough for capital punishment, as an outlander. But he'd gathered enough information from Azadeh that she at least seemed somewhat prepared for such a mission, and thanks to a fresh supply of vadha'manikkali, Muir now boasted an array of sharp objects ready to safely incapacitate any obstacles.

"Gasper?" Azadeh said, waiting patiently as Muir dressed for the occasion. She stood by the open door which led onto the narrow balcony, the first cool breezes of night air fluttering the sheer curtains around her. The woman seemed to understand modern language much easier than she could speak it. Muir empathized with that; he'd gone through a similar phase while learning the local tongue himself, years and years ago.

"Business partner," he clarified. His clothing mirrored Azadeh's somewhat, doing a much better job of obscuring his foreign skin tone better than his usual ensemble. That was important in case the anti-sensory rune Azadeh had to offer failed to offer adequate covering inside the keep. Next to her, with his light build and moderate height, he might almost pass for a woman. This didn't particularly bother him; if anything, it'd help if the shit hit the fan.

Azadeh mouthed his words as if the motion aided in her understanding, and she nodded. She'd been strangely patient all day, standing by as Muir arranged for the few things they needed and caught up on sleep. There hadn't been much talking; conversation was a chore, anyhow, but Muir's interest was piqued enough for him to take a leap of faith. After all, that's what he was best at, and without Gasper around to ground him he was prone to find one way or another to quench his need for thrill-seeking. It was obvious the young man had been waiting for an excuse to see this forbidden place for quite a while, and the opportunity had finally presented itself. Save her bumbling nature, likely only due to the isolation of her upbringing and the language barrier, Azadeh had come to Irrakam well-prepared. Not many carried runes as commodities, yet she easily presented one for their mission. He would have to find out what else she had up her sleeve.

"I know you won't tell me why you need to see the Jya," Muir began, finally pleased with his appearance. The black cloth draped elegantly, hiding his hands and feet, only a narrow strip of deeply tanned skin visible where his brilliant green eyes peered out. In the shadowy evening light, this would be easy to miss. "But will you tell me if you have special abilities? I have a friend with markings like you," he said, reaching up to gesture the lines down her cheeks and chin. "She sees spirits, can access other planes, shit like that. Can you?"

The complex vocabulary in this inquiry caused Azadeh to freeze up. After she deciphered what she could, she gave him a half-answer. "Friend from Astaka?" It seemed she remembered his first assumption when they met much earlier that day.

"Yes. The warriors from Astaka look like you. I can't help but wonder if you share their weird-ass powers, too. You know, talking with dead people?"

Another pause. It quickly became obvious that Azadeh was having difficulty with this level of language. Either that, or she was skirting around his question by playing dumb.

Muir sighed, then turned to rummage through some papers on a shelf. He extracted a banged up map and a pencil. "Never mind. I do want something in return for my help, though. A favor."

Those words, she did understand. Azadeh looked to him with those strange sea foam eyes and awaited the bargain.

"Where are you from? Mark it on the map. You said you're from Zaileya. Show me where." He held the map up for her with a book for a hard surface, offering the pencil for her to take.

She looked to the map, to him, and to the map again. There was pensiveness, but not as if she'd forgotten her origins; it was more like she was about to divulge a juicy secret. After some thought, however, she gave in, and with an X she designated a location in the mountains not far from Astaka.

There were two reasons for this clarification: first, it served as Muir's last confirmation of her identity and that the risk was worth taking, even if simply for something interesting to do; second, he planned to visit. Not necessarily anytime soon, but as a young entrepreneur, he wondered how he could capitalize on being one of the few contacts that tribe had with the outside world. Obviously there were issues to consider, such as the fact that they might not want visitors to begin with, but he'd let Gasper figure that all out when he returned. He just had a hunch this would pan out into something bigger, and who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

[Rayse Valentino]

Low water, no food, and a lumpy traveling bag used as a pillow were all that Rayse had left. The heat took its toll on Resolve, who had already exhausted her remaining water, and they decided to take a couple hours to rest when the sun was completely gone. After settling at a golden tree with a potent canopy, knife-shaped leaves, and a tall upright trunk, Rayse laid back and peered over the breadth of the landscape, the bushes and collections of large rocks, the sandy ground and wispy trees. He fought an urge to reach into his pocket and light one of his remaining cigarettes... Oh, what the hell. He lasted until sunset, one now wouldn't be the worst thing. Resolve was fast asleep, apparently not used to this type of travel despite her heritage. Rayse knew what it was like to wander the deserts, not knowing if he would die of thirst or from the creatures that resided within the sand dunes.

He fished out a cigarette and snapped his fingers, lighting it with a flame on the end of his thumb. The glow of the moon washed away much of the darkness, but it was still a dark, rocky plain out there. The desert night was cold to many, but to Rayse it felt like home. It was another sleepless night for him, a feature of his life back from the planes that didn't seem to go away. As brought his cigarette closer to his mouth, he suddenly felt a great gust of wind. His hair was blown around in every direction, but the sensation was clear: Something just went over me!

Dropping the cigarette, he quickly got up and noticed a cracking sound behind him. Slightly above where he was sitting, the trunk of the tree was... sliding. He heard the tear, the cracking of wood and splintering of branches, and most of the tree fell backwards and collapsed onto the desert. It looked like it was sliced through in several places. Did something fly by and cut up the tree, so fast that Rayse didn't even notice?

Resolve was already on her feet, disheveled hair and a wild look in her eyes, "What's going on?!"

The contractor's eyes scanned the area, but he couldn't see well enough in the darkness. He ran out a few steps from the camp then felt a strange sensation in his waist. He looked down and it had turned to fire, an instinctual response to the damage he would have taken if the blade that passed through him. His body reformed itself immediately, and now Rayse was panicked. Something was flying around and attacking them. He snapped the fingers on both his hands and a flame spread around his body, growing and burning until he looked like he was on fire. The area around him was lit up immediately, and he could see the next attack, because it was coming from his front.

With arms outstretched, it looked like it had bat wings. Its skin was like charcoal; blackened and burnt looking. It had empty sockets for eyes, but Rayse could not see much else of its face. It glided across the empty lands, its body contorted to offer as little air resistance as possible. Blades stuck out of it from every part of its body, and while it seemed to have a general humanoid shape, its legs looked like they were flapping in the wind, and its body had a spherical shape. Before Rayse knew it, the creature was already upon him, gliding through his body and leaving flames in its wake. If Rayse was anyone else, he would have been dead. He was used to using his own body as bait, and as the monster passed through him, he noticed a massive, circular hole in its chest, so large that he saw the ground through it.

He immediately flipped through his mental outline of the guide, but Resolve beat him to it, "It's a Devadi!"

[Resolve]

Resolve wasn't usually one to wake quickly or enthusiastically, but impending death did the job better than any mug of tea or cold shower. She watched with wide eyes as the devadi cleared through Rayse, put two and two together as the flames kept him whole, and staggered back to avoid the creature's hide of innumerable sharp protrusions as it swept up to circle above. In spite of the dim moonlight, its vicious form glinted menacingly, and then it disappeared against the starry sky for a brief moment. "Where did––?!"

"The book," Rayse said with urgency, "what did it say about them?"

A hint of deeper darkness crawled across the starry ceiling above them as if a spider in wait, and then it dove once more. Again, it aimed for Rayse. Suddenly manic, Resolve dashed over to him, grabbing him by the shoulder and shoving him down toward the dry earth. He reluctantly complied. "What––?"

"Get down!" Resolve hissed, turning to face the approaching demon. It spread its wings upon conclusion of its descent and made to bisect the girl through the waist, but with a crackle of crafted energy she fell back and collapsed under it. As the devadi flew over her, the brusk movement swept her hair into her eyes, and she jabbed blindly upward with a saber of energy. Something sliced through one raised knee, a hard scrape against her forearm, and with a hollow keen, the creature dissipated into a dark mist.

Even if she'd vanquished the devadi, something settled heavy and hard over her chest and she gasped, conjured weapon disappearing as she grasped at the invisible blade wedged in her breast. The girl groaned, rolling onto her side, and she only abandoned the theatrics when she realized Rayse was standing over her.

With his hands stuffed firmly in his pockets to keep them from drifting toward his dwindling supply of cigarettes, he stared down at her from under his mess of dark hair. "You're bleeding," he observed.

Resolve hadn't checked, but she could feel the burn of the beast's incisions through her skin and wasn't particularly motivated to deal with it. "Yes," she sighed, "I noticed. And I'm tired, and hungry, and oh gods, I could drain an entire lake, I'm so thirsty."

After a moment of silence, he sighed, too. "We're almost to the Oasis, right?"

She stared up at him as she uncoiled from herself, brow furrowed. "You can't be serious. The horse breeders are notorious for slaughtering outlanders, and the summons––"

"Well," he shrugged, looking out on the desolate landscape. With the mountains in the distance, all seemed so very flat and hopeless, but on the opposite horizon grew noticeably more trees and brush. They were telltale signs of water, if he'd ever seen them. "Sure, something might happen there, but we'll definitely die if we lay down here and quit." His glance back down at her was as sharp as his jab. "Walking without the sun could be preferable, anyhow."

"Not that we could possibly sleep now, anyway," she gave in, pulling herself off the ground and dusting off her dress. "Fine. Let's go."

[Rayse Valentino]

That was twice now that she dealt with the supernatural. I just didn't get the chance... I could've taken care of those things. Maybe? Damn it. Now I owe her even more on top of everything else!

It wasn't long before Resolve started coughing, whether from her wound or from the dehydration. She was already out of water, while Rayse still had half a canteen.

He got her attention and threw her his canteen, "Here."

She looked at him a bit puzzled, and wondered, "What about you?"

"The sun doesn't bother me, it looks like we'll be there by morning anyway."

"I see. Thanks then... What are you doing?" Her question came when she saw Rayse discarding his coat and pulling his shirt off. He was looking it over intently.

"I figure we'll fare better if nobody knows I'm a foreigner." He ripped up the shirt and wrapped it around his head to form a veil and turban, so that only his eyes were visible. "There." Resolve grinned slightly from the appearance of the shirtless, headscarfed Rayse. He put his coat back on and then pressed onward.

By the time the sun was up, they were firmly in green territory. Short stone houses could be seen to their right, and in the distance they could see tents on their left. The Astakans likely had the tents, as Tarun marked the trade posts on the map so Resolve could avoid them. While the big body of water tempted them, they doubted it would go over well if they just dunked their heads into it. They started walking towards the tents. Halfway there, they spotted a man on a horse circling them. Wearing a white turban and robe, his black beard giving him a somber expression, his suspicions bothered the two but they ignored it for the moment. After observing them for a minute, he galloped up to them.

"Well well," he said. "Don't think I've ever seen you two before." He glared at Resolve. "You look quite hurt, girl. Maybe you should come back with me to have that treated."

Resolve furrowed a brow and was about to say something when Rayse stepped in, "We're Astakans heading back to camp. She'll get treated there."

"Astakans? You came from the mountains, but with no horse or camel? Strange, that."

"We were collecting herbs when a summons scared our camel away."

The man laughed, "A summons! What a tall tale you weave. Come now, I think your lady friend should come with me, she could risk an infection."

"It was a wolf, the kind of summon you usually see out of your tribe. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Are you accusing me, young man? I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe you Astakans love foreigners so much that even the summons think you're one of them." Rayse stopped and balled up his fists, giving the man the glare of his lifetime. "Fine then. Go back to your filthy people." He rode away, leaving Resolve with her jaw dropped.

"How did you do that?" she asked. Rayse didn't answer. "I mean, you were speaking Common to him, and he was replying in Fallien, and he didn't think you were a foreigner?! No, that can't be right, are you using some sort of magic? Was it the same with the guards the other day?"

Rayse didn't know how to answer that, and he felt that Resolve wouldn't exactly let up on this, "It's an ability someone gave me. Everything I say can be understood by people in their native language, and everything I hear is in mine. The person who granted it to me is dead, and I don't know where they got it from." He hoped the half-truth would suffice.

"Wow." She tilted her head. "That's incredible!"

Rayse shrugged and started walking again. He couldn't exactly tell her that it was something given to all residents of a different world by an immortal, massive god of death.

[Resolve]

"That would've been convenient to know about earlier," Resolve heckled him as they walked. "Do you have any other talents I should know about? There's the fire thing, language magic, abs of steel…" He glanced at her sidelong and she offered a coy little shrug. "Got anything else up your sleeve?"

"Yeah, I can mix about two hundred different drinks. And I can sing Salvar's national anthem backwards," he said.

She rolled her eyes before focusing on the city of tents up ahead. They'd miraculously navigated to the closest trading post with little trouble, and if they were lucky, one of those campsites contained foreigner-friendly locals. Each cluster, nestled within the shock of green of the desert oasis, had its own bit of character, either in the dyed coverings of the tents or flags to alert other visitors of what types of trade they offered. Camels and horses stood amongst the makeshift village, just as numerous as people.

The girl stopped for a moment to dig the guide out of the sorry remainder of her pack. Hoisting it back on her shoulder, she flipped open the book, skimming until she found the section with information on the various tribes. Some listings bore symbols and notes on color, emblems which defined them. Astaka's characteristic dye was indigo, harkening such themes as 'night' and 'mystery' to echo their supernatural influence. Resolve's nose wrinkled as she skimmed, wondering just how much of a tourist trap that place really was.

"Our lucky day," she said quietly, elbowing her companion and gesturing toward some tents some ways away. "I think that's them. Come on."

Their campsite had been situated at the far end of the line of traders, bearing no flags or any other distinctive mark other than the rich blue-violet awnings. As the traveling duo approached, it became apparent that they were actually in the process of packing up, camels loaded with many different supplies they likely didn't have access to out in the harsher part of the desert. Two men and one woman worked steadily as they secured bundles to their small fleet of beasts, not noticing the approaching figures until Resolve cleared her throat.

One shirtless man, dark hair streaked with deep henna red, gave them a queer look. "Can I help you?" he asked in Fallien.

"You're from Astaka?" Rayse replied.

"Of course," the man said, continuing to busy himself with the packing. "And yourself?"

Rayse nodded to Resolve in confirmation, and with a deep breath, she stepped up to the man. "Do you speak Trade?"

All three of the traders halted in their tracks, staring at her with wide eyes. "Are you stupid?" he hissed, checking behind them as if someone might have heard. "No outlanders allowed at the… ugh," he sighed, ushering them into the large tent. "Come inside before someone notices."

The interior had mostly been packed already, giving the spacious tent a feeling similar to a cavern. It was shadowy in there and, though only by a scant few degrees, cooler. "We're trying to get to Astaka, or at least I am," Resolve explained, keeping her voice low. "But a summons spooked our camel, we lost it and most of our supplies. We're out of water, too."

The man ran a hand through his tight curls, offering an exasperated sigh. As he did so, the tall woman slipped into the tent behind them, immediately pawing at the white marks on Resolve's arm. "They're real," she said, as if having expected them to be painted on. "Who are your parents, girl?"

"My mother is Coronian," Resolve explained, looking between them. "My father was–– is?–– Astakan. She said his name was Adel."

The two locals looked to each other with an odd expression before the men stepped to the entrance, drawing aside the cloth to call to their last colleague. "Cirrus!"

After a moment, the second man entered, looking between the strange group questioningly.

"It looks like you have a little sister," the woman said, pulling him in to introduce them. "What is your name, girl?"

"Resolve," she said, eyes wide as she took in her apparent half-sibling. He wasn't much taller than her with similarly light bone structure, but his skin was considerably deeper walnut from spending his life in the harsh Fallien sun. He bore none of the white marks. "Cirrus?" she asked tentatively, offering her hand in typical Coronian greeting.

He stared at her, his expression more accusing than one of shock. "She could be lying," he said so she couldn't understand, tossing a similarly skeptical glance to her peculiar cohort. Sensing the tension, Rayse caught the attention of the first man and they faded into the background.

"Why would she do that?" the woman swatted him, switching the conversation back to heavily accented Tradespeak. "Let your father decide. But from those marks, I would put my money on it."

"I came to Fallien to meet him," Resolve said, uncharacteristically meek. "Could we travel with you?"

The woman shook her head, long braids tousled over her shoulders. "He is at Irrakam," she said apologetically. "Gone to see the Jya. We do not expect him back for many days, it takes time to arrange audience. But it is not a long travel if you make it to the strait."

Somehow, this prospect seemed to lighten Resolve's mood. "Is it? I have a good friend there who I'd like to see, as well," she said, glancing to Rayse. He looked over from his conversation with the other man. "Weren't you headed to Astaka, though?"

He shrugged. "Plans have changed."

The girl smiled, looking back to the woman. Cirrus had stepped back, glowering. Apparently surprise siblings were not a popular thing, and Resolve conceded that she couldn't blame him. A detour to Irrakam sounded more delightful by the moment: she could visit Muir, see the famous city, and hunt down her father one-on-one. She'd come to Fallien hoping for a chance to train her supernatural talents properly, curbing the fears that the guide had instilled in her, and now she feared Cirrus might spoil it before she'd even begun. She could only hope Adel would be more welcoming than his offspring.

"We can give you supplies if you bring us some things from the city," the woman proposed, reciprocating the hopeful smile. "My name is Champa, this is Faraz. We will explain how to find Adel for when you get there. First, let's get you some water."

[Rayse Valentino]

Resupplied, the duo set off on the short trip to the harbor. Rayse took off his head covering and put it in his traveling bag, his face dry from wearing it so long. Resolve was a bit tired due to not getting a full night's sleep, but Rayse looked absolutely haggard. The Astakans only had a few cigars for him, so he was smoking them to stay awake. Champa marked the path on the map, allowing them to hastily avoid the dangerous parts of the Oasis. It wasn't hard to secure passage at the docks, as most of the ships passing through were heading to Irrakam anyway.

It was high noon now without a cloud in the sky, and the two found themselves on a fishing boat returning from a trip. The smell of the ocean was still strong, and the deck was covered with big nets filled with fish. The few men that were on the boat gave Resolve some sideways glances, but they didn't seem to be too concerned with her.

While the waves hit the boat and made it sway to and fro, Rayse felt something fall out of his pants pocket. He picked it up and realized it was a small booklet that Luned had given him. Flipping through it, his eyes widened at the word written within. He walked inside the center cabin and sat down at the only table, looking inside and yawning.

It's a description of the Pure Runes with pictures and symbols associated with them...



Hello Rayse,

I've translated the book you gave me. These runes are interesting, they're ancient and hold immense power. You're not thinking of becoming a god, are you? Unfortunately for you, it's almost impossible to bind them to anyone. I'm looking into their history and it appears that the Jya holds the Pure Rune of the Moon. Anyway, write me back if you need anything.


Rayse remembered that anything written into the book appears on the papers of its sister book with Luned. She probably wrote this a little while ago, and Rayse had forgotten to check. He looked over the information, pressing his finger over the drawings. If there's anything strong enough, it would be these things....

As he looked through the pages, a long yawn escaped his lips. He already ran out of cigars, and his eyes were struggling to stay open. He leaned in and squinted.

Pure Rune of Protection... Is this what I'm looking for? No, that's too vague, it could be physical protection. What about... this one.... ?

Rayse's head was buried in the book, and for the first time in several days, he fell asleep.

[Rayse Valentino]

"Is that all?" she asked, her jagged voice piercing Rayse's eardrums. He was on the black stone, covered in blood and barely able to move. He tried to lift his body off the ground but his strength gave out. "You people continue to amuse me with you unwillingness to give up." Rayse couldn't see her dark figure, obscured by the dim light of the nearly-eclipsed red orb in the sky.

"I... told you..." Rayse stammered out, coughing between breaths. "I don't know how to get there! If I did, I wouldn't stick around in this shithole!"

In a voice so soft that Rayse almost forgot his situation, she said, "There is one thing in common all you Althanians have: The ability to go back. Every one I've ever known has a found a way, like cranial rats scurrying back into their hole." She walked up to Rayse and kicked him over to his back and put a heel on his head. "You are no different. You will find a way. The moment you lose control, we will meet again."

The darkness faded, and Rayse found himself in a sea of multi-colored flames. A voice called out for him, but he could barely hear it. The flames swirled around and then drained in his head, the overwhelming feeling causing him to scream.

Rayse opened his eyes, his body covered in sweat and his eyes barely staying open.

Resolve was above him with a raised brow, "We're here... Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rayse replied, closing Luned's book and getting up.

They stepped outside and Rayse shielded his eyes from the light. It was still early afternoon, and they were at the base of the island, the waves gently lapping at the beach beyond the pier they were on. Further up the beach, a staircase lead up to the great wall that surrounded the city.

Resolve looked at him, "I'm going to meet with a friend." She paused, unsure of why she was about to ask the next question. Maybe she wanted to know more about why Rayse came here. "You want to come with?"

I shouldn't, I have to follow up on this Pure Rune business. But...

"Sure."

[Resolve]

"He is sleeping," Suri explained apologetically, her small frame centered in the entryway. "May I take a message?"

"Nah, that's fine," Resolve slipped in narrowly around the housekeeper, gleefully ignoring her protests. "I'll wake him up!"

Suri staggered back, bewildered, and glanced up to Rayse, who remained on the dusty doorstep. He shrugged. "You wouldn't happen to have a cigarette on you, would you?"

She shook her head.

A short moment later, shouting resounded from the upstairs quarters, an angry male voice cursing in multiple languages. Such continued for a long moment, then digressed into a shriek of surprise, followed by much laughter. The ruckus didn't faze Suri and Rayse wondered for a brief moment what exactly he'd gotten himself into. He recognized the lingering odor of pungent smoke which wafted out into the street from the open doorway, or at least that it definitely wasn't tobacco. Resolve apparently kept interesting choice of company.

Minutes passed, then the exorcist and her curious friend ambled down the stairs to find Rayse waiting in the parlor. Suri had delivered a tray of iced tea with lemon, a rather extravagant refreshment for a couple strangers who'd invited themselves in, and had gone off in search of tobacco.

Muir greeted his guest with surprising mirth. "Welcome to Irrakam," Muir offered Rayse a freckled grin as he shook his hand, red hair mussed from sleep and clad only in his loosely tied smoking jacket. Muir liked to keep it classy, especially when it came to first impressions. "Rez tells me you helped my big sister out of a mess. Any friend of Lune's is a friend of mine. That's the best fucking tea right there, sit your asses down and have some," he commanded, then went about pouring them all a glass.

"Luned and Muir are the closest I've had to siblings until now," Resolve explained, accepting some tea and dropping onto one of the luxuriously upholstered sofas. For what was obviously a drug den, at least it was clean, though that was to Suri's credit and not its owner. "We're hoping to stay for a few days, is that alright? Or at least I would, while I look for my father. I heard he's in town. Rayse is here on his own business."

The young man sat down next to her, draping himself across her shoulders. "I've been waiting for you to pay a fucking visit for years," he said, perhaps with a bit of accusation. "Of course you can stay. Shit, stay a whole month, I don't care. Suri'll fix up some rooms and I'll show you both a good time. Now, tell me, Rayse," he redirected his attention, glancing over to his new acquaintance. "What's your poison?"

[Rayse Valentino]

Rayse sat down and sipped the tea, and although he wasn't a fan, maybe the fact he had nothing but stale water for the past few days made the tea refreshing.

"It depends on if you got the good stuff," Rayse said, standing up and walking up to the bar. There was a long counter, and while many of the drinks were on the shelves and under the counter, there was a series of liquor cabinets with glass windows. "You mind?"

Muir waved, "Go ahead." He reached into his pocket and tossed a set of keys at Rayse. "The bronze key."

Rayse hopped the bar, unlocking the cabinet and eyeing the bottles. It was a surprisingly valuable assortment considering how far they were from the mainland. Rare Salvic spirits, rich Coronian ales, and a few bottles of Kachuckian whiskey.

He grabbed a bottle of Old Quarter vodka from Knife's Edge, something which aroused Muir's interest, and poured some of it into a glass with ice. Then came the lime juice, which mixed with the vodka and nearly filled up the glass. Using a spoon, he stirred the mixture

He grabbed a bottle of Old Quarter vodka from Knife's Edge, something which aroused Muir's interest, and poured a some of it into a metal shaking cup. Using a long metal spoon, he poured some water and ice into a tall glass and stirred the ice around for a bit, and then put some of the ice from the glass into a smaller cocktail glass and stirred it as well, before emptying the cubes back into the larger glass. Grabbing a bottle of Salvic gin, he poured a small amount into the shaking cup, and then poured some lime juice into there as well. Using the ice cubes that had been soaking in the vodka glass, he put them into the shaking cup as well, closed it up, and shook it vigorously for a few seconds before emptying it into the cocktail glass. The end result was a yellow-green liquid. He put down all the utensils and took a sip, grinning from the taste.

It's been so long since I've tasted a proper gimlet.

While all this was going on, Rayse failed to notice that Resolve was now in front of him, on one of the stools on the other side of the bar.

"Fancy," she said. "Any reason you went through all that to mix a few drinks?"

Rayse smiled, "If you stir the ice in water, it gives me dilution and a softer taste on the final result. It's good to ice up every glass you'll be using to prepare for the drink so it stays nice and cool. Sudden temperature changes are no good. It's a simple drink, but it doesn't take much to make it a little better."

"You looked like one of those fancy cocktail makers, you used to do that?"

"Back when I was starting out, they'd put me on bartending duty for the crime bosses in Knife's Edge. It was quite a nerve-racking experience for most people, because screwing up a drink could mean your head. I never screw up a drink."

"Could you make one for me?"

"Sure," he said, before conversing with Suri for some ingredients.

When he had all the things he needed, he iced up the shaker and the glass for the drink. He put a couple pieces of lime, orange, and pineapple into a separate glass and crushed them a bit with a spoon. He poured some Coronian cherry liquor and cherry wine into the shaker. He put in a couple more liquors for texture and finished it off with Kachuckian whiskey. With all the drinks in the shaker, he closed it with the glass with the crushed up fruit, shook it up for a few seconds, and then poured the final mixture into the glass that he iced up earlier. He added a few more pieces of fruit to the top and put a straw on it.

"It's called Dorovan Redbeard's Cobbler, named after the Kachuckian dwarf who invented it." He bowed. "Enjoy, Madame."

[Resolve]

As Resolve sipped her exotic cocktail, she stared at the bartender a bit oddly. Seeing Rayse act nearly –– dare she admit –– personable was a bit disorienting, though she couldn't really complain. Apparently bringing him to Muir's place had been a good idea, as the aloof man seemed more in his element in a drug den than the desert. Who'd have thought?

Muir settled in at the bar as well, unwilling to be left out. He ran a hand along the carefully polished wood in admiration; like everything else in his extravagant home, the bar had been carefully constructed and stocked, and there was nothing he liked more than to share his success. "Fancy, indeed," he observed, taking the glass from Resolve for a sip, then a gratuitous gulp. "That's fucking fantastic."

Rayse already knew that, of course, but he obliged a nod of acknowledgement anyhow.

"So, what do you think of Irrakam? Quite a place, eh?" Muir leaned against the counter on an elbow to face his guests and would've polished off the drink in seconds if Resolve didn't steal it back.

"We haven't really seen it yet," she sighed with a little shrug. "We had a bit of a rough time on the road, so we beelined here in hopes of finally catching up on rest. It's nice to be in a city again, though. Fallien's landscape makes me feel especially agoraphobic, especially after the stress of the Oasis…"

That admittance shocked the gaiety from Muir's face and he leaned in, concerned. "You went to the Oasis? Are you fucking stupid? Even I barely get away with going there, and I'm as close to blending in as an outlander can possibly get."

Resolve shrugged again. "We had no choice. I told you, it got rough. We ran into a summons, devadi… lost our supplies, ran out of water…"

"Shit, Rez," Muir berated her. "You should've told me you were coming, I would've helped you out. Gone to meet you, even."

Helplessly, the girl frowned. "It was sort of a last minute decision. But… we can talk about that later. I'd really like to see Irrakam," she turned the mood, smiling again. "Do you think you could show us around?"

The young man couldn't have possibly said no. With a bright, toothy grin, he offered each of his guests a glance which bore a nigh concerning level of mischief. "Gods, yes. Do you have any idea how much I've been looking forward to this?"

[Rayse Valentino]

As Suri cleaned up the bar and Resolve recounted events, Rayse's eyelids felt heavy. Alcohol wasn't exactly the best idea of keeping him up.

"What about you, Rayse?" Muir turned to him. "Let's go have some fun."

Shit, I don't have time for this. At any moment, I could fall asleep again and lose control... and then everything...

He imagined the world awash in flames. the sky itself tearing asunder for a shower of fireballs.

He shook his head, "Thanks for the offer, but I really must be heading off. I've kept my clients waiting long enough."

Muir was catching on to Rayse's behavior and grinned, "That's really too bad. Turns out I'm fresh out of tobacco, but I know where you can get the best smoke in town. Hell, with all the twists and turns of the city, I'm sure I could get you to where you need to go much faster."

Where I need to go...

His hand moved slowly to his traveling bag with Luned's book, and then pulled back, "Get me a cup of the strongest coffee you got, and you got a deal."

Irrakam was a clustered city. Its square, stone buildings huddled together as if for warmth, and they glowed orange in the waning light of the sun. Among them rose up great steeples and domes with intricate patterns. As they walked, the sides of the small streets featured all manner of product from the local tribes, from exquisite glass sculptures to assorted herbs and oils. There was a pungent smell of bouillon in the air from the food carts, mixed with the odor of oil and dirt. Muir avoided the crowds deftly, always finding an alley to pass through unhindered.

Having finally found a place that rendered relief for Rayse's craving, he took a drag on a fresh cigarette, "I take it you know me, Muir."

Muir smiled, "I know of you. I gotta admit, you're not quite what I expected."

"You're not a client of mine, that's why."

"Maybe we should change that. I've seen The Company around these parts, I figured it was only a matter of time before they expanded their trading empire to here. How about this, after your business here why not come back to my place and we can talk shop?" Muir extended a hand.

Rayse took it, "I hope you know what you're getting into."

They soon arrived at a building with red carpets draped over the windows, but besides that it looked no different than anywhere else.

"Madame Cloister," Muir announced. "Best rune-crafter in Outlander's Quarter, or so I've heard."

Rayse remembered talking to the man named Faraz, asking about runes and ways to rid himself of a curse. Astaka was inaccessible at this time, but this may have been the better idea, "Thanks for the help." He turned to Muir and took another drag off his cigarette. He paused for a moment, and then said, "We'll talk again tonight."

The red-haired man smiled, "You looked through me right there, didn't you? It's not me you're looking forward to talking to, is it?" Rayse blinked, and Muir shook his head. "Never mind, never mind."

Inside, more carpets draped the walls and floor, and Rayse knew to leave his shoes by the door. The smell of incense filled the air, and the dim glow of candles brought light to the small reception room. There were no others besides him and a clerk in silk robes, who smiled patiently as the contractor made his way to her.

Rayse was asked if he had made an appointment, and his answer was dropping a handful of red gemstones on the table. "This is my appointment." The clerk's eyes widened and she got up, moved the curtains and disappeared into the darkness. When she returned, she guided Rayse beyond the curtains, up a steep staircase and into a smaller room.

The light was even dimmer here than before, everything was red. It nearly gave him a sickening sensation, but he put it away and sat down cross-legged. "Looks like my message made it in time."

"You must be Mr. Rayse," said an older, but still sensuous voice from the darkness. A woman with her hair tied back in a bun stepped out, her robes dragging along the ground behind her. "A missive from Radasanth, a high-paying customer. You have traveled far just to hear some words from an old woman."

Rayse grinned, "At least Fallien people still have a sense of humor." He had meant to come here later in the week, but the situation changed. The gemstones he set down were worth several thousand crowns at market value, and that was barely enough to bump up his appointment. "Let's cut to the chase, do you know why I'm here?"

Madame Cloister set her hands upon the table, where a large rectangular dish of sand lay. She lightly put her hands in the sand, and it began to move on its own. One of her hands had a special blue pattern on the back of it that looked somewhat like a cloud. When she removed them, they formed a swirling shape like a whirlpool. "I possess the Rune of Divine Insight, a rare rune that lets me delve deep into another mind to find their purpose. It is dangerous to come to me with all your secrets exposed, Mr. Rayse, but it seems you have little choice." Rayse furrowed his brow and sighed. "I was once a candidate for Jya. There were many like me, young maidens trained in the ways of Jya, all of us looking in the mirror and seeing the divine role granted upon us. But among the many, only one could be chosen by the Pure Rune. The rest of us were leftovers, left to find our own meaning in the world.

It is difficult to live in the shadow of fate, yourself included. You seek a rune that could solve all your problems."

"Does such a thing exist?" Rayse asked. "Can all my problems be solved with a magic rock?"

"There is nothing the runes can't do, but what you seek... may not be possible to acquire."

"As long as it exists, that's all I need to know."

[Resolve]

The shock of ice jolted Resolve from her dreamless doze and she blinked awake to a familiar redhead leaning over her, a grin of mischief plastered across his thin lips. He pressed a glass to her cheek, condensation dripping down her chin and onto her chest where it shook her with a shiver. Whatever liquor laced that drink, it was a strong one, and its citrus vapor stung her nose.

“What time is it?” the exorcist groaned, blurred shapes easing into focus as she glanced around the parlor. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep on the chaise, but she supposed that was simply what happened after stressful and restless travels. A plush pillow with a cool, satin cover had been carefully slipped under her head, and she wondered absentmindedly if Suri had put it there. And, not for the first time, she realized just how gross she felt after her mishap of a journey. A hand through her tangled hair yielded no less than half a desert of sand. “Ugh.”

Muir shrugged, grabbing her hand by the wrist and forcing the glass into it. “Does it matter? It’s us time,” he grinned some more, slithering onto the cushion alongside her.

Resolve glared toward the window, the sky glowing the dim violet of nigh-twilight between heavy curtains. “It’s gotten late,” she bemoaned. “I wanted to see Irrakam, to find my dad––”

“None of that tonight,” her friend shushed her. “We’ll go in the morning. For now, we catch up on all the things I miss with you and Luned all the way in gods-forsaken Radasanth.” The nature of his influence was likely more selfish than anything, but she didn’t have the energy or willpower left to question his reasoning.

“Fine,” Resolve relented, then finally stole a sip from the mysterious beverage. Her eyes widened. “This is good.”

The young man leaned against her. “I know,” he sighed, finishing the last of his own. “So, how’d you score Mister Tall, Dark, and Sketchy? I didn’t peg you as one to hang around with infamous criminals,” Muir teased. “You’ve always been so fucking self-righteous, even worse than my sister.”

That earned him a healthy dose of side-eye. “If I judged people that hard, I certainly wouldn’t be here with you, now would I?” Resolve’s rhetorical question went unanswered, yet appreciated with an understanding nod. “As I said, he helped Luned once when she really needed it. I think that counts for something.”

“Does it?” Such a prospect inspired a quirked, freckled eyebrow. “Sometimes I get the feeling that I’m missing out on everything, staying here. Maybe it’s about time I paid a visit home.”

“She’d like that,” Resolve concurred through a sip of gold-green liquid. “We all would.”

The exorcist snared her friend in a brief moment of wistful eye contact, quickly broken by the reentry of his servant. Suri stood as a glimmer in the doorway, a stack of precisely folded linen and silk in her hands. “It is ready.”

Resolve glanced up. “What?”

“The bath,” the woman answered.

“Oh gods, yes,” Resolve sighed in relief, downing the rest of her drink before abandoning the glass and prying herself out from under where Muir had planted himself. By the direction of Suri’s gesture, she strode down the hallway, a dark passage studded with light from the connected rooms. Cool, clay tiles gave way to stone where she discovered a room filled with steam, and she threw herself into its embrace with enthusiasm. One wall opened into a small courtyard, pillars guiding flowering vines into a veil that offered some semblance of privacy, and the bath of pale gray stone occupied the corner against the house. Some fallen petals studded the surface of the hot water and it smelled something heavenly, like Resolve imagined the Jya’s garden might.

The girl peeled away the tattered remains of her chiton and left it unceremoniously on the floor as she climbed in, submerging herself wholly as long as her lungs would allow.

Doubts washed away with the dirt.

[Rayse Valentino]

The door to Muir’s place opened once more, Suri letting in an exhausted-looking Rayse. The energy from the coffee had run out, and the contractor wasn’t sure it even worked anymore on him. Muir noticed his entrance and raised a brow, knowing that Rayse was tired from the trip, but didn’t know the extent of it until now.

Muir pressed his palms together and smiled, “Welcome back, sunshine. There’s a room upstairs for you, looks like you could use it.”

“Can’t,” said Rayse a bit too curtly than he imagined he would. “I have something to discuss with you. In private.” Muir shot a glance at Suri, who nodded and left to go check on Resolve. “Do me this one thing and we’re in business, I promise.”

“Like I said, Rayse, any friend of Luned’s is a friend of mine. What is it?” Muir watched as Rayse paused, the man’s eyelids visibly growing heavy, and then explained that he needed to infiltrate Jya’s Keep. “The fuck, again?!”

“What do you mean again?”

“You wouldn’t happen to know an Azadeh, would you?” Rayse shook his head. “Fucking kid broke into one of my warehouses, said she needed the Jya. It’s been quiet since, so either she succeeded undetected, or… didn’t go where I expected. Either way…”

“Good,” Rayse interrupted. “So you’ve done the legwork already. I want to be in there before the sun comes up.”

Muir scratched his neck with an exasperated sigh. “Rayse, I’m a smart man. I don’t ask questions. But gods, I really, really want to.”

“If I’m successful and come back, I’ll tell you everything.”

Muir sighed again, “All right. I’ll need to get my shit together. How about you get some rest in the meantime?”

“I would rather not. Do you have anything strong in here that will keep me up?”

Muir was hesitant to offer it, but there was a drug in Fallien known just as well for its energy as the immense crash when it wore out. “You’ll have a time limit with this, Rayse. It can really fuck you up if you’re not careful. I’ll have Suri get you some and dig out my map of The Keep. Now sit your ass down before you pass out or something.”

Resolve had half a mind to stay in that bath forever, but Suri convinced her otherwise when she arrived with luxurious silks in hand. Left in privacy, she dried and donned a borrowed robe in sumptuous golds and reds, focusing on the pattern until two low voices arose from the hallway nearby. They switched quickly between Tradespeak and Fallieni, so it took her a long moment to realize what they were discussing.

“He’s going to the Keep?” the girl interrupted, stepping through the door as she secured the sash around her waist. “Why?”

Muir shrugged as Suri returned to the parlor. He reached into the breast of his own robe to extract a tiny, slender container in engraved sterling, and tapped out a miniscule pill which he popped into his mouth and swallowed absentmindedly. “I’ll be back down in a bit,” he said, then ascended the other stairs.

Resolve followed shortly after Suri, entering the room just as the woman delivered… something. After Suri left, Resolve walked up to the counter and took a stool next to him. He looked like he was smoking a freshly rolled cigarette.

“I see you’re back,” she said. Judging by how Rayse had reacted to her prying into his business before, she didn’t broach the topic of the Keep. The whole time she was with him, she felt as though something was bothering him, something more than just business.

Before she could ask about his night on the town, he said, “Worried about meeting your father?”

She opened her mouth to form a response, but paused. It must have been written all over her face. “It isn’t worry as much as it’s… uncertainty. It’s not like I could hate him when my mother never told him about me. I just really can’t imagine what kind of person he must be. What are your parents like?”

“My mother died when I was two,” Rayse said between drags off the cigarette, which was giving off strange yellow fumes. “My father was a typical noble bastard. I barely knew who he was.” The contractor felt his senses heighten while he was smoking, his eyelids losing the weight that was on them for days. Whatever this was, it was far more effective than coffee.

“What do you mean? Was he never home?” Resolve leaned against the bar top, propping her head on her hand. She vaguely noticed the upright shift in Rayse’s posture, but found her mind preoccupied as she tried to recall what she’d learned about his family the first time they met. Sometimes she had to remind herself that the Rayse she’d gotten to know wasn’t this one; they had different histories.

“The opposite: I was never home. Sent me away to boarding school as soon as I knew how to talk. Then I enrolled directly into military academy. Haven’t seen him since, probably died leading the crown’s army in the war.”

Resolve noticed that Rayse was a bit more… revealing at the moment. The sudden change in demeanor was curious, maybe she could get more out of him right now. Unconsciously, she leaned in ever so slightly.

“I never figured you for a military man. Let me guess: You didn’t stay in the army?”

The yellow fumes were beginning to color his vision. The room distorted around him slightly, like the heat rising in a desert. He couldn’t help cracking a smile. He stood up, reached down behind the counter, and pulled out a bottle of scotch he remembered was there.

“Damn straight. I’ll be damned if I’m ever serving the fucking crown.” He took a swig off the scotch. “Their idea of order is bullshit, it’s nothing but slavery. The people owe the crown nothing, they’re just too stupid to realize it.”

Resolve blinked. The Rayse she’d met in that other life had seemed so dedicated to his duty and cared so deeply for his family. His detachment hit her harder than it probably should have –– she blamed the exhaustion of their travels –– and a small frown crept across her lips. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

The young man read her sudden sullenness as connected to the topic at hand; after all, he hadn’t been there when she went to find him in that dark version of Knife’s Edge. “One way or another, it will all come crashing down eventually.”

At about this time, Muir came back down, rubbing his eyes with one hand, “Come on Rayse, let’s get this shit over with.”

Rayse put down the bottle, smiled, saluted Resolve, and joined Muir heading for the exit.

[Rayse Valentino]

Resolve made this post but can't reach her computer for a while.

In Muir and Rayse’s second absence, Resolve fell asleep again. This time, she didn’t wake until morning, when Suri roused her with a gentle shake. “Miss,” the woman insisted, “you must rise.”

The girl groaned, apparently just as much a morning person as Muir. “It’s early,” she grumbled as she burrowed deeper into the pillows and sheets. This time, she’d made it up to the bedroom they’d prepared for her, and to pry herself away from this real bed seemed counterintuitive after their rough journey.

“I went to the Keep this morning,” Suri explained. “Something has happened in Astaka. Your father rides today, you will miss him if––”

Resolve blinked, looking up at her. “You… you found him?”

Suri nodded and offered a fresh set of clothing. “But he is leaving soon. I will help you catch him.”

“What about Muir?” Resolve asked, finally pulling herself up. “Is he back? We were going to…”

“Resolve,” Suri addressed her matter-of-factly. “Muir is asleep and will be for some time. He will catch up with you later if that is what you wish. For now, you have important things to do, yes?”

The girl nodded and accepted the offering, then watched as Suri slipped back out into the hallway. What was this woman to Muir, anyhow? At first Resolve had assumed her to be a servant, but she began to realize just how involved she was in everything –– if anything, it seemed like she ran more of the business than he did. She would have to ask.

For now, Resolve occupied herself with shaking off the fog of sleep. The clothes Suri had left her were from Muir’s wardrobe again, no doubt, but that suited her just fine. The satin-lined vest felt cool against her skin and extended all the way to her knees, tailored from a luscious, sunrise-hued brocade that flared out at her waist. It fit loose in the shoulders and middle, but she solved some of that issue by leaving the top buttons open and cinching it in with the sash. She found the billowy, knee-length trousers underneath a bit tight in the hips, but there wasn’t much she could do about the fact that she was built a bit more generously than Muir in that department.

After an indulgent breakfast of exotic fruits and warm bread, Suri presented her with a new pack of traveling supplies. “Wear it across your chest this way,” the elder woman instructed with her hands, and Resolve slung it over her shoulder. “That is how locals travel; no one should bother you if you look this way. When you visit again, we will teach you better Fallieni. For now, we go to the Keep.”

Resolve left Muir a gracious little note, and then the pair were off. The sun had only been up for an hour or so, but its heat already seared Resolve’s skin, and she kept to the swiftly slimming shadows as she followed Suri through the streets. They walked quickly, so she missed much of the scenery, but still she found herself occasionally pausing to admire an exemplary piece of Irakkam’s architecture or some sort of delightful and foreign fashion. The exorcist couldn’t help but wonder how different she would have turned out if she grew up in this world, instead.

“Keep quiet,” Suri instructed her as they approached a fortified extension of the Keep’s compound; the roof of the palace itself just barely peeked up over the rooftops, and Resolve resisted the urge to ogle. She waited patiently as the woman engaged with the guard at this gate’s entry, and the only word Resolve recognized sounded like Astaka. The soldiers glanced to her, appraised her appearance without ceremony, and nodded them in.

Inside, they discovered a garden befitting of royalty, as well as a cluster of houses and stables. Suri explained the situation softly in trade; while this area wasn’t part of the Keep itself, she didn’t want to risk unwanted attention. “This is where guests of the Jya stay. Your father is there,” she nodded toward a bungalow that drowned in golden forsythia. “Good luck, Miss Curie.”

Something cemented Resolve’s feet to the ground where she stood. “You could walk me to the door,” she added nonchalantly.

“Not possible,” Suri smiled. “This is your moment. See you again, yes?” She offered a strange little salute, then turned to leave.

Resolve watched her go, her heart caught in her throat. What if he wasn’t in there? What if…?

No, the girl stopped herself. I’ve been working toward this how long, now? Just a few more steps.

She took one, then another, and soon she found herself at the doorway. It bore some characters on it that she didn’t recognize, perhaps designating a building number, and a brass knocker in the shape of some flower she’d never seen before. She grasped it and tapped it thrice with a gentle touch unlike herself.

Inside, something rustled, and then she heard footsteps approach the door. She could feel the person’s presence inside, unfamiliar and unsettling. She wanted to leave.

Before she could, the door opened, and inside stood a man just slightly taller than herself. His sun-darkened skin was riddled with designs like hers, but many more of them, tangles of vaguely floral emblems betraying his years of experience even more than the white streaks in his long, dark hair. His eyes were pale and clear and very blue, just like hers, and they stared back with fleeting confusion.

He asked her something tentative in Fallieni, and it took her a moment to find her words.

“Ah, sorry, I don’t speak…” Resolve trailed off. “Is your name Adel?”

“Yes,” Adel nodded, even more confused than before. “Can I help you?”

The girl hesitated. “Do you remember a woman named Hyacinth Curie?”

He blinked. “Now that’s a walk down memory lane,” he said, then laughed with a shake of his head. “Has she finally decided to call on me? Only sat on that offer for a good twenty years...”

“N-not exactly,” Resolve sympathy laughed, arms crossed defensively. “She’s my mother.”

Adel paused, gave the girl a critical glance-over, and a grin stole away the worry that had previously clouded his features. He let out a boisterous laugh and wrapped Resolve in a bone-crushing embrace, nearly stealing her off her feet. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, so she endured in anxious silence. “I can’t believe it!” he said as he finally relented. “Well, I suppose I can –– we had some good times together, me and that mother of yours –– but not to have said anything all this time,” Adel sighed, perhaps a bit sadly. “If only…”

“I heard that you’re going back to Astaka this morning,” Resolve interjected, despite her nerves. “Could… I go with you?”

The smile he gave in return held the warmth of several suns, and the girl felt reassured that she had made the right choice.

[Rayse Valentino]

“Well, here we are, and like I told you, there it is,” said Muir, pointing at the metal grate in front of them. They were standing in the sewers of Irrakam, just before where the walls would start to Jya’s Keep above ground. They were treading carefully on one of the small paths on either side of the river of muck, Muir covering his nose with a cloth the whole time. The stone walls that made up the sewers looked ancient, but still had a luster as torches reflected the light off the water. “How can you deal with this smell, anyway?”

Rayse shrugged as a small flame orbited his body, “I burn it away before it gets to me.”

“Okay, now you’re just fucking with me.” Muir turned his hand and raised his palm. “This thing is enchanted with a rune of protection. Nobody’s busting through.” He closed his palm into a fist.

“No need,” said Rayse, walking past Muir toward the gate, and passing through as if it wasn’t there, his body dispersing into flames for each part of him that touched the barrier, then reforming on the other side bit by bit. “See?”

“Well I’ll be damned. So, you’re coming back, right? I don’t want a repeat of my previous client.”

“Have some cigars and good booze waiting for me.”

After traveling through the sewers, Rayse climbed a nearby ladder as per Muir’s instruction, and found himself in garden. Clouds obscured the moon, giving him the cover of darkness. He remembered the guard patterns and waited for each one to pass before moving on, abusing the gaps in their surveillance to simply walk toward the Chamber of Echoes. Since he was so close, he had a good view of Jya’s Keep, which looked like the combination of a castle and a church. Spires with bulbous tips grew from the base, and a large dome-shaped ceiling spread across its framework. The only bigger religious structure he had ever seen was Saint Denebriel’s Cathedral, and the thought made him resent Jya and Fallien in general. They were responsible for much of his suffering in the past, and yet it paled in comparison to the fate he expected if he did nothing.

Even at night, the Keep’s white walls shined across the various mazes of shrubbery and statues that represented legendary figures of Fallien’s past. Gold lined the the corners, and the extravagance belied the humble nature of Jya herself. The contractor navigated the puzzling hedge patterns, using his memory as his guide.

Soon, Rayse approached a building adorned by curved pillars, its stone doors tall and sturdy. It had the same dome-shaped ceiling as the Keep, but it was much shorter. There were no windows, and a couple of sentries were posted at its entrance. Rayse did not want to cause a commotion, so he picked a rock off the ground and chucked it into a nearby bush. The sentries were startled and looked in the direction of the sound, giving Rayse the precious few seconds he needed to turn his body into a wisp of flame and slide under the crack in the door, his body returning to its natural shape on the other side.

It was pitch black inside, so Rayse ignited his hand, looking back at the door to make sure the guards were not alerted. A high-pitched whistle could be heard throughout the building, and he felt an unnatural breeze brush against his body. The contractor blinked, momentarily doubting that he was in the right place. The inside of the chamber was mostly featureless, except parts of the walls were carved out and circular pedestals were in the gaps. In front of the pedestals were sheets of glass that covered the width of the gaps. Above him, the night sky was in view as the dome above was entirely made of glass. Was he in a museum? Were these exhibits? It all seemed very basic, and the security was so light. He walked up to one of the pedestals and observed what it contained, raising a brow at what he saw.

A rock.

Of course, it was a very pretty green rock, but a rock nonetheless. He looked down and noticed writing carved into the stone in front of it. He didn’t recognize the language, but then remembered Luned’s book, fishing it out of his bag and looking up the symbols.

“Pure Rune… of… Earth?” He looked up from the pages. ”This is a Pure Rune?!” He couldn’t believe it. This rock had the power to change the world? No, he knew better than that. It wasn’t the rock itself, but the rune inscribed upon it. After getting his own runic power, he knew what runes were capable of… but considering how these runes were described, he expected something more. He looked up any relevant details about the rune, and while much of it was hearsay, they say its previous bearer was responsible for sinking Fallien’s sister island. Sister island? Rayse had never heard of such a thing. He couldn’t tell fact from fiction with this guide.

He moved on, knowing that it wasn’t the rune he was looking for. Since these runes had the unique property of choosing who they bound themselves to, intruders could generally not make use of their power, unless they had an extraordinarily strong destiny. Rayse figured that the fate of the world was a fairly good incentive for the Pure Runes to help him, but he had to find the right one.

After exhausting the room of possibilities, he moved onto the next one, all of them similar in layout; containing nothing more than a couple of prominently displayed Pure runes. They felt like a collection more than anything. As he walked, the whistling sound grew louder, and the breeze grew into a gust. He couldn’t figure out what it was, so he headed towards it, and found himself in a room with something that nearly made his heart stop: A portal. Like a tear in reality, wind poured out of the portal, filling the chamber with its strength. Rayse had nothing but bad experiences with these ethereal doorways, but he fought the urge to vomit up all the alcohol he drank earlier.

Behind the portal was a pile of shattered glass on the ground, and a pedestal that lacked its Pure Rune adornment. Rayse carefully walked around the portal and matched the symbols on it with its likeness in Luned’s book. He swallowed hard when he read the translation, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

“Pure Rune… Of The Planes…”

He backed up, bumping into the pedestal, causing it to fall sharply onto the floor. The sound reverberated throughout the building, and Rayse heard the big stone doors opening in the distance. The guards were alerted now, and all that was between him and them was this… portal. It couldn’t have been here the whole time… was it recent? Maybe it didn’t go to another plane, because from what he knew of portals, they were temporarily; they required a key; they were difficult to open from Althanas. Then again, the types of doors that wizards used to navigate Althanas were similar to this one. If so, it was safe to go through. It was night on the other side, although the clouds were gone. He stepped closer and looked through, and saw the stars above him. Below, it was too dark to see, but the land was very flat and uniform. Was it a desert? He couldn’t make anything out unless he stepped through.

The guards were running towards him, getting closer to his chamber. He needed to rationalize, to find a reason to go through the portal. So far, aside from escape, he had one theory: Whoever took the Pure Rune created this portal. Of course, that meant that they somehow got it to bind to them, which Rayse heard was nigh impossible. However, if Rayse believed it for a moment, then it meant that the previous intruder used this portal to return from wherever they came from.

This person… could they have found a way to bind Pure Runes?

The thought intrigued him, and if he ever found the rune he was searching for, then he wouldn’t need destiny to apply it. The thought changed his options considerably. He was now compelled to go through the portal.

Gritting his teeth, he jumped through without further hesitation, and on the other side was… nothing. To be more accurate, there was a whole lot of nothing rapidly approaching him from below. Shit! I’m falling! Turns out that the portal lead to a patch of sky far from the ground. Why was it so far up? A mistake? To deter pursuit? It didn’t matter; he had to act fast. Crossing his arms, he accelerated his descent, a scowl splayed across his face. Right as he reached the ground, his body turned to fire, splashing into the ground as if someone overturned a tub of water. The flames immediately spread from the focal point, curving upwards into the sky and threatening to disperse altogether, until they suddenly retracted back to the impact point, spiralling around each other and condensing into a human figure. The reds and yellows of the flames slowly turned into the color of skin and clothes, reforming the contractor as he was before the impact.

His breath was hoarse, and right as he reformed, he dropped to one knee, sweat pouring down his face. He felt no pain, no stress in his body from the action, but still a wave of exhaustion washed over him, his eyes struggling to stay open. Was Muir’s concoction starting to run out? He looked forward and noticed another portal, as if on cue. It stood there inviting, laughing at his pitiful efforts. His gaze scanned the area quickly, but there was nothing around but the crunching of cold sand beneath his feet and his own heartbeat. Knowing that he was running out of time, he barreled through the portal, but this time he was expected. Immediately after running through, several spears were pointed at him. Many people who, oddly enough, reminded him of Resolve in their appearance, stood menacingly in front of him.

After a bout of coughing, Rayse tried to explain, “I’m not with Jya! I’m… looking for…” He nearly lost his balance, an intense sleepiness passing through his body. They were more shocked by his ability to mimic their natural language than angry at this point, but nonetheless the spears stayed in the air. His vision was so blurry that he couldn’t see anything past the spearheads; he had no idea where he was. “I need… The Pure Rune… Of The Mind… It’s… It’s… Impor-”

The ground rushed up to meet his face.

To be continued in Echoes of Suravani.

[Philomel]

Thread Title: The Gnarled Roots of Osiris (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?29522-The-Gnarled-Roots-of-Osiris&p=255009#post255009)
Judgment Type: Full Rubric
Participants: Rayse, Resolve, Luned and Muir

Please PM me if you would like any more commentary on any further topics.
Many apologies for this being so late. Discretion is given for everyone here for such a great thread.



Plot: 21/30

Story- 9/10

I am writing this section together as it you write seamlessly together, and make the story as one. Other commentary in this section will be noted apart.

All: From the outset you definitely hold the audience for a sense of adventure. When Rayse’s second post adds some extracts from the book your character is reading sets the right amount of interest for what is about to happen. As you continue the thrill gets stronger, and overall you write it all extremely well, at least in terms of each of your own characters, and for the rest also. There is enough depth within the story to not let the reader get bored, and you keep bringing in pieces of tension to keep the reader going. Though the weight of the story is carried by Resolve and Rayse, you all share your part in creating the beginning middle and end, and really I cannot find much fault. I found myself enthralled at the fight with the wolf, and intrigued at the introduction of Muir. When it gets to the points of minor flirtation between Resolve and Rayse it is realistic and magical, and you end highly wonderfully at a cliff-hanger after the discovery of the pure rune. What was really good was the note that there would be a second part.

Setting- 6/10

Rayse: Action and story is definitely your focus for the main part of the piece. Apart from some minor mentions to the desert and the island I did not see much in the way of a detailed and constructed setting. Your last post does have some guaranteed tokens of highlight in terms of setting, but in general there definitely could be more of an opening impact.
Resolve: In your first post there is a sweetness to the imagining of Resolve walking down the road to the bookshop that you spring to mind well. You carry on well, but in general there is a similar sense to Rayse here, that the action of the thread becomes more important than any scene. This is not to say that what you mention of setting is not good - it is simply that there was limited use of it, and things such as sensory experiences can be added to bring the scene to life more.
Luned: Opening the entire thread you have a rather important job to do in ‘setting the scene’. I, as the reader, found myself transported and could sit with a visual image of the bookshop, which is a great sign of good setting. What would have been nice was to see some more description as to maybe the smell of books, and some other minor details, but mainly very good.
Muir: Your first post (post 17) grasps the reader’s mind with a good description of a room in chaos. It lays out the feeling of the post well and the scene, moving in slightly also with Muir’s casual tone and easy mood.

Pacing- 7/10

Rayse: Your pacing is steady and bold, and fits with the rise of tension. You write at the same pace as Resolve, which is a key ingredient for writing a story together, especially when writing each other’s characters. Perhaps there could have been a minor amount more of faster pacing when it came to the fight with the wolf and other intensive moments, but overall very good.
Resolve: Please see Rayse’s comments here; more or less you wrote well together, and kept at the right pacing.
Luned: There was a smoothness to how you wrote, weaving your own story and setting the scene in a steady manner, with good sized sentences and intelligent word choice.
Muir: Your pacing in a way was key, because it needed to fit in with Rayse and Resolve’s right in the centre of the plot. You did this well, however, harmoniously easing in.



Character: 21/30

For this section I will be making comments on how you deal with your own characters solely. If you would like some commentary on how you have portrayed others, please PM me and I will be glad to help.

Communication- 7/10

Rayse: With a continuous regard and repetition to the “pass” you do not let your reader forget what your characters are doing. In regards to the consistency there is a good amount of it within your communication, flowing from beginning to end, building up the image of Rayse. There was a good balance also in conjunction with action and persona that is always good to see. Really I can’t actually find anything at fault to say here.
Resolve: In regards to this you have a good grasp of reaction when it comes to communication. There could be some more balance to it in comparison to action, which seems to be what you concentrate most on, but the majority of it is in keeping with character and shows not only kindness, but strength (cite, post 19).
Luned: Though you do not concentrate on communication, one can definitely gain the idea that from the little there is of Luned’s character. She does have a sweetness about her and a great concern for others that comes out in her voice. Perhaps more would be good, especially in the first post, but this is not strictly necessary.
Muir: There is a definite feistiness to Muir that shows well from the outset. For a man who wears a “silk jacket” and has some grasp of power there is a clear portrayal of someone who is relaxed and knows his own mind. With expressions like, “I repeat myself: what the flying fuck were you doing in my storehouse?” (post 15) you give a good strong picture well.

Action-7/10

Rayse: Reactions are somewhat key to your success here. At times of turmoil, you have your character react extremely realistically to his character and the reality of the situation, (“breathing hoarse,” post 14). What other aspects you have build up a steady picture also of someone who can fight and is strong-willed yet also seems to have a soft streak within him.
Resolve: Actions are strong and defined, which perhaps are a bit on the strange side for such a gentle character as Resolve (though this does not mean to say she does not have her strong side). They were definitely in keeping with the character you build, though at some points maybe there could be a more defined approached to some of your actions - eg. think of how they will affect more than just direct things, however overall very well done.
Luned: Actions are all small and subtle here, fitting in with character and the overall feel of the piece at the start. With “the scribe dove into her daily duties with an unhealthy level of dedication” in post 1 there is the idea of fast-paced obsession. Perhaps there could be more defined powerful actions that lead to more effective issues, however overall well done.
Muir: Action is an interesting topic in regards to your character. It seems you do stick to the personality that you portray through stylistic choice, tone and communication, with how he is dressed and small hints of vanity such as “pleased with his appearance” in post 16. You do subtility well here, somethings that is invariably done well. Perhaps just a neatening of precision of actions could help, as in consider to what purpose they are leading to, might help, but else very good.

Persona- 7/10

Rayse: I am pleased and glad to see that there is a massive amount of persona within your piece, and not just in internal thought. You cleverly weave it into actions and small other details that help bring your character to life. Perhaps you could have focused more on it during the more flirty scenes between him and Resolve, but this is only a minor thing.
Resolve: Caution and knowledge is definitely there in a lot of character’s actions. You do have enough of smaller sentences that add to persona, and have a small amount of internal thought. There could perhaps be more of this, in regards with her and where she is - her homeland - and even with Rayse, however there is a definite feeling through your writing.
Luned: One can definitely grasp hints of Luned’s personality with the back thought in regards to Resolve, who is later introduced, which is really good. Very powerful in general here, though perhaps you could use some direct internal thought.
Muir: There are definitely sparks of a personality in this piece that one gets from Muir’s actions, minor and major, and in them is a small amount of Persona in recognition to his feelings. What could have helped here a lot is some evidence of internal thought, perhaps when he sees someone in his warehouse, for instance - what is he thinking then?



Prose: 23/30

Mechanics- 9/10

Rayse: There were no definite spelling mistakes etc, in majority you were well versed here. In terms of paragraphing you could have some lines on their own (such as the last: ““I need… The Pure Rune… Of The Mind… It’s… It’s… Impor-” instead of within the paragraph beforehand, post 31).
Resolve: Very similar to everyone here there are no clear spelling mistakes or major punctuation here. One thing I did notice however, is when you merge your speech in with a paragraph, with action sentences surrounding. Now this is not strictly a rule, but it can help aesthetically, and when it is in the middle of a paragraph it can cause harm in clarity.
Luned: Overall, all good, as above.
Muir: Well done, as above. Bigger paragraphs perhaps do help in large areas of description but they could be thinned down slightly.

Clarity- 8/10

Rayse: There were not many issues regarding clarity, overall I felt as if I understood everything perfectly. This, however was after a couple of times when I did have to read back. As in mechanics, there could be a few larger paragraphs split up by your good yourself, to add tension etc, and to make things clearer certainly.
Resolve: Please see above in ‘mechanics’ for a slight suggestion on paragraphing. Otherwise, very clear, except in concern to nearing the third page, you can lose your focus in times of heightened tension, but a very quick read over can help this in future and it is only a very minor detail.
Luned: I felt myself knowing exactly where I was at the beginning in the story, and everything slid into place with your pieces.
Muir: In general, as above with your writing comrades, however the large chunky paragraphs could definitely be cut down a bit. Try shifting some of the focus in them towards description and action, then build.

Technique- 6/10

Rayse: When describing you do have a good grasp of general effect (cite here, the last paragraph of post 18) with regards to colour and movement. More adjectives though would gain a greater grasp of situtations and you could definitely have a look at things like metaphors. There is a great opportunity in this thread to have a continuous metaphor (in regards to his emotions to getting his quest) which you miss out on.
Resolve: Very similar to Rayse, please refer to above commentary with regards to your own.
Luned: With small hints of description such as, “a peculiar port town built into a great cliff” in post 21 you do build up a good picture of the scene. Inclusion however of similies etc could help to lift your writing somewhat, but you definitely have a good base here.
Muir: There is not much in the way of description that you have, but your writing in general is very good. Setting is in evidence, but you definitely could consider in future bringing in linguistic techniques and more use of complex adjective groups.



Wildcard: 7/10

For story … and adventure and the general flow of the story, many many points!!!



Final Score: 72/100


Rayse Valentino (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?4242-Rayse-Valentino) receives:


3450 EXP!
250 GP!

Congratulations!

Resolve (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?16124-Resolve) receives:


1550 EXP!
200 GP!

Congratulations!

Muir (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?16791-Muir) receives:


220 EXP!
40 GP!

Congratulations!

Luned (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25179-Shards-of-Suravani) receives:


320 EXP!
40 GP!

Congratulations!