< Finding Lost Love | Red Ice Logs | Into The Chamber >
One would imagine that an adventurous, if slightly thrill-crazy and impulsive, Fire Aspect might have a lot to ask the small, pale, mysterious and apparently immensely deadly Abyssal Exalted that only recently saved her life. But instead, the initial portion of their trip away from the scene of battle has been pretty quiet.
Strangely enough, it takes a horse purchased on the cheap (she has to get around somehow, and her legs are starting to finally ache a little) and a quick pint of ale to loosen her tongue. So, on some road to wherever the Abyss that Glory intends to take her, Jaom finally poses a question.
Jaom: "... how'd you get so pale, Glory? I can call you Glory, right?"
Glory: "It's a natural side-effect of the Black Exaltation. And Glory is fine."
- Jaom raises an eyebrow, and mouths 'Black Exaltation' a few times. "Man, whoever thought that title up wasn't feeling up to subtlety. But... yeah. Don't mind me, I only really know so much about ana---er. Deathknights."
- Glory nods. "I am entirely unsurprised."
Jaom: "Well, what can I say? I'm no scholar... sure, I love a good book when I can find it... but they're even more expensive here than back home. Meh... anyway. Uh... how'd you... well, get that Black Exaltation of yours? Birthright? Gift? Dumb luck?"
- Glory smiles, looking up at the sky. "A combination of the latter two, mostly. It's too powerful to pass through bloodlines."
- Jaom nods, slowly. "Heh... well. It's kinda funny. Half of me's telling me to turn tail and leave, but I've always been told that I was too headstrong to listen to reason most of the time, anyway. And... well, hells, I owe you a life, so what else can I do? I'm nothing if I don't repay my debts."
Glory: "Well, good. I appreciate your help."
- Jaom pauses to snicker. "'Help'. That's a good one. Still... what exactly are you up to, anyway? I heard something about others, but it all got lost when I calmed down after the fight."
- Glory smiles. It's an almost maternal look. "My Prince has instructed me to find.. well, what they are would mean nothing to you, but they're four important people central to the ongoing struggle."
Jaom: "Ongoing struggle. Sometime tells me that involved the little ambush I walked into. Anything with that sort involved's never any good."
Glory: "One of them was a Deathknight."
- Jaom oooohs. "So, some sort of internal thing going, too? Look, I'm really not surprised that even Deathknights bicker and fight each other for whatever reason. I see enough of it back in the Houses to just accept it as common practice."
- Glory frowns, shifting her bracers around. "We've had a break in our ranks recently. But our politics are uninteresting. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"
- Jaom snickers a little, but lets the matter go. Mostly. "Now I know you're good as dodging subjects. Well... it's pretty pointless to ask about your weapons there. I think I saw all I needed to see of them. But.... aside from service, what's in all this for you, hm?"
Glory: "We all have different reasons. Mine are.. personal."
Jaom: "Heh. Aren't all good reasons personal?"
- Jaom cracks a grin. "I never would've seen myself with what most people I've known would call 'the enemy', let alone while having a decent conversation. But you're not that bad. Pale, but not bad."
- Glory rolls out her shoulders, rubbing the bracers again. "That's kind of you to say."
Jaom: "Mind, that's gauged on what's been happening lately. But I imagine you'll get better. So long as you're not... well, just out-and-out burning towns and eating children, I can manage."
Glory: "I don't eat children. Often."
- Glory says this totally deadpan, looking straight ahead.
Jaom: ".... okay. Moving right along."
- Jaom turns her gaze to the road ahead as well.
- Glory glances over at Jaom and smiles a little before resuming her expressionless look. "Why are you here, anyway? Fame? Treasure? Adventure?"
- Jaom purses her lips for a second. "I've always had a dream of being some great, noble champion of Heseish. Of course, this was when I was a dumb, clumsy teen. Now I'm slightly smarter, a lot less clumsy and a bit wiser. It's... not just the adventure, but the... romance of it all, I guess. That whole air of wonder and danger and excitement. I just want to mean something to someone, one day. Maybe even have my own ballad."
- Glory smiles wistfully. "Ah, ballads."
Glory: "Maybe I'll sing it in battle one day, if you get a skilled composer."
- Jaom perks up a little. "Heh, really? Hey, that's be just the single most terrific thing that's happened to me in a long time! Definitely not bad at all."
Glory: "We of the Dusk are known as They Who Sing Forsaken Hymns. And since you're consorting with a Deathknight and, eventually, Synodics, I think your tale will qualify."
- Glory winces a little, expression sheepish. "It's not that great of a complement, I'm afraid."
- Jaom pauses at that last term. "... Synodics? And right now, I'll take what I can get, so it's alright."
Glory: "The Synodics are the people we're meeting up with. I'll explain their role to you later."
- Jaom can't help but nod the matter away for the time being. "Right... They Who Sing Forsaken Hymns. Mysterious... a bit heretical, too, but nowadays what isn't?"
Glory: "It's deliberate wordplay contrasting with Immaculate propaganda."
- Jaom opens her mouth... then closes it, not terribly in the mood to probably have another paradigm stepped all over. Instead, she just goes quiet and enjoys the scenery.
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