Session 22

[Bynw]

20:27 <~bynw> |------------------------------------------------
20:27 <~bynw> |          Session 22 - Imperial Dreams
20:27 <~bynw> |------------------------------------------------
20:27 <~bynw> |
20:27 <~bynw> | As Hemmelhold travels the skies above the world
20:27 <~bynw> | toward an undesclosed destination and meeting
20:27 <~bynw> | with others. Maylda, Alianna, and Alderic are
20:27 <~bynw> | to be given a tour of the city.
20:27 <~bynw> |
20:27 <~bynw> | Before this can even begin an alarm is raised
20:27 <~bynw> | that the city is being scryed by a powerful
20:27 <~bynw> | magical force which sends its leaders into a
20:27 <~bynw> | frightful panic.
20:27 <~bynw> |
20:27 <~bynw> | The course of the floating city is abruptly
20:27 <~bynw> | changed as is its altitude, as the city decends
20:27 <~bynw> | closer to the mountains they were once high
20:27 <~bynw> | above.
20:27 <~bynw> |------------------------------------------------
20:29 <~bynw> ::officer talking to Audric Schear:: "The scry appears to be a locator. Since we moved, they will have to do it again."
20:30 < Alianna> "Can you trace it back to its source?"
20:30 <~bynw> ::officer:: "If it lasts long enough we might be able to do that"
20:31  * Alianna nods.
20:33 <~bynw> ::Audric:: "I would be happier if the scry attempt simply failed." ::turns to another officer:: "Issue the order to take us to the nearest valley"
20:33 <~bynw> ::the officer nods and quickly turns on his heals leaving the chamber as Audric glances out the window towards Chadwick's tower::
20:33 < Alderic> "You don't want to know who it is? What they want?"
20:35 <~bynw> ::Audric:: "I can tell you who it is not."
20:35 < Alderic> "I think we both have a guess who it is."
20:36 < Alderic> "And what he wants..." ::Looks out the window to Chadwicks tower::
20:36 <~bynw> ::Audric:: "I would be happy to rid myself of that thing. It is what our scryer is focusing on.:
20:43 < Alderic> "Where are we dropping it?"
20:44 <~bynw> *outside of the windows, the mountains have grown larger as the city moves between them light a giant creature of the air, floating between the peaks*
20:45 <~bynw> ::Audric:: "Unfortunately not an option right now. I want to get paid."
20:46 < Alderic> "Paid?"
20:48 <~bynw> "Yes paid" ::he says:: "If you cannot do something, you hire others who can do it. Even if you go along to assist them."
20:49 < Alianna> "Who's your employer?"
20:51 <~bynw> ::Audric pauses in thought for a moment:: "A friend of my grandfather"
20:53 <~bynw> ::the other officer returns:: "We should be at the valley within 10 minutes Sire."
20:54 < Alderic> ::sneers:: "Do you have anything useful to us to say or do plan on hedging every question until we reach our destination?
20:55 <~bynw> ::Audric looks at Alderic:: "That friend is your grandfather. Temere."
20:56 <~bynw> ::turning back to the officer:: "Land us."
20:58 < Alderic> ::Waves Audric off:: "Thank you for the straight answer. I've lost my interest in your tour and the verbal fencing match. Thank you for saving us Master Audric and for your hospitality." ::Turns away from the man, back to him he gazes out the window watching the terrain as it passes beneath them::
20:58 <~bynw> *the city has stopped moving on the horizontal plane and begins to slowly decend straight down*
21:00 <~bynw> *with a slight jolt knocking some chairs over and some dishes crashing to the floor the city comes to a rest*
21:01  * Alianna makes an odd face as if fighting nausea.
21:02 < Alderic> ::Turns to Alianna and smiles:: "Shall we go find what we're doing here?"
21:03  * Alianna smiles back.  "Clues would be nice, yes."
21:04 <~bynw> ::Audric:: "I would suggest not leaving the city. But you are free to go anywhere you wish"
21:04 < Alderic> ::Turns to Audric, impaitence plain on his face:: "Why?"
21:04  * Alianna rolls her eyes at Alderic's impatience.
21:06 <~bynw> "Because you would be outside of the protection of the city. There is not much out there in the mountain forests of Brennashar anyway. Trees, wild animals, we are are a weeks ride from the nearest village."
21:12  * Alianna nods.
21:13 < Alderic> "You know who is after that tower?"
21:14 < Alianna> "Who, me? Hell no."
21:16 < Alderic> ::Looks to Audric:: "No...you."
21:17 < Alderic> "Did your employer tell you that?"
21:17 <~bynw> "As I was saying before." ::Audric says:: "I know who it is not. It is not the Grand Master of the Anadari or any member of the Anadari Council. It is not your father. And it is not Einar."
21:18 <~bynw> "And all of them have only one thing in common. Which means it is whoever, controls the Uthani Matrix. Leopold's name has been given."
21:26 <~bynw> "While you stay in the city. You will not be scryed by him or anyone."
21:34 < Alderic> ::frustration apparent in his voice and manner, he is non-the-less polite:: "Thank you again Master Audric we appreciate your hospitality. My travelling compatriot was interested in a tour of the city, I wouldn't want to hold us up."
21:38 <~bynw> ::Audric:: "What is it that you want? You are quite aggitated." ::Audric says to Alderic:: "The ladies can have the tour if they wish."
21:38  * Alianna snickers at being called a lady.
21:44 < Alderic> ::Raises an eyebrow at Audric:: "My father has often commented on your warm hospitality Master Audric, I can see you both have the same insufferable habit of holding onto to information like it is gold and priding yourself on answering questions with riddles. I suffer it from you about as well as I do from him as you'll notice I am here and he is, I care not where. You've made it quite clear you are in charge here Master
21:44 < Alderic>  Audric as well as taking pains to make a point of showing your primary modivation is mercenary in nature. Whatever do you think could be vexing me?" ::Looks to Audric with a stoic face born of long practice in the courts::
21:48 <~bynw> "You are not your father. And I am not the same man he talks about. That was a lifetime ago. Age tends to change one's disposition as does being reborn from death."
21:50 <~bynw> "I also show great hospitality to the Anadari. So they leave me alone most of the time. I have never trusted the Order or it's Houses" ::he says glancing at Maylda to see her reaction::
21:51 <~bynw> ::she gasps a moment and covers her mouth::
21:52 <~bynw> ::Audric turns back to Alderic:: "In fact that one is Truth-Reading me know" ::Audric's Shields visibly flare, a bright metalic green shade::
21:53 < Alderic> "Change is the only inevitability in the universe Master Audric. But it is up to the man the course of that change. So don't hide your manners behind your age. You are as you choose to be, not as your past makes you. And trust is earned, not given...on both sides. Perhaps she is only reacting in kind to you, hmm?"
21:54 < Alderic> ::Again the stoic face to Audric::
21:57 <~bynw> "So again young Gibran. What is it that you want? I know what I want and that tower is the price for it. So I shall deliver it."
22:02 < Alderic> "Do you? Do you know what you want Master Audric? Because you have nothing that Leopold will not take from you if he returns to power. You stand alone and will make an easy meal for his ambition once he finds you. You think he will take pity on you for delivering Chadwick because yo where paid?"
22:05 < Alderic> ::After a pause, he looks in Audric's eyes and speaks::"Infuriating when someone evades your every simple question isn't Master Audric?"
22:07 <~bynw> "I am not alone. I have allies. Your grandfather is one of them as is Ibly of Einar. And your father is one of the few Anadari who have earned some trust as well. So I assure you I am not alone at all. And Leopold cannot find me or anyone here."
22:10 < Alderic> "Such good friends that they must pay you for your help? And who do you think just scryed you?"
22:12  * Alianna looks a little annoyed at this discourse.
22:13 <~bynw> "Pay isn't really the right term. Tit for tat. A favor for a favor. Between myself and your grandfather alone. And I know it was Leopold because only a Matrix could scry us in the air like that. Unless it was the full complement of the Order of Spectral Magicians from the lowest apprentice all the way to the King himself."
22:14 < Alderic> ::Catches Alianna's look and sighs he seems to deflate a bit. He again looks out the window at the forest beyond:: "I don't know what I want Master Audric. That is why I am here. To find my answers."
22:15 < Alderic> "You will give me none of them it seems. So let us move to the tour, yes?"
22:17 <~bynw> "This way" ::he says with gesture::