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<Birds-of-Trinity> A bolt from nowhere pierces Osprey's chest and he vanishes; the light of his anima rapidly subsides.

Gia lets out a sudden, startled yelp of concern as Osprey vanishes.

Arkadi 's head snaps to the point where Ossie was, then snaps around him, looking for the threat

<Birds-of-Trinity> The hooded man looks equally surprised, and he turns his head to try and see where the bolt came from. There is nothing to be seen there but a shower of dove-gray flower petals slowly falling to the ground.

Gia scoops up some of the flower petals, examining them quizzically. She's visibly upset.

<Gia> "This had better be tricks of the test," she manages in a surprisingly calm tone.

<Birds-of-Trinity> The figure doesn't reply, skidding away along the tops of the grasses

Malic runs after it, yelling at it to halt before he has to hurt it

Gia shakes her head for a moment before resuming chase of the figure.

Malic growls as he catches up to the darting figure and, careful not to hurt it TOO bad, punches it in the back of the head to bring its running to a halt

<Birds-of-Trinity> The figure collapses.

Malic turns it over roughly, putting a foot on its chest

Arkadi skids up behind Mal

<Arkadi> "...when did you learn how to punch?"

<Malic> "I've always been able to punch things."

<Birds-of-Trinity> The man coughs and twitches a bit, but it seems like he's unconscious.

<Arkadi> "Never very well."

Arkadi kneels down to check on the man...carefully...he's seen this trick a few times before

<Malic> "...shut up."

<Birds-of-Trinity> As Arkadi examines him, he realizes that the man is wearing an odd gauve veil over his mouth and chin. Lifting it up, he realizes that a mouth is painted on the gauze, and what's beneath is not a pretty picture. What was obviously once a smooth pane of flesh where this man's mouth should be has been marred with an asymmetrical tear that serves him as an orifice through which to breathe and eat.

<Arkadi> "Very pretty..."

<Arkadi> "Wish I could say this is the ugliest guy I've seen."

Gia wrinkles half her nose. "You guys deal with him. I've got something else to do."

Arkadi rummages on his person , pulls out some rope, and ties the mook's hands behind him...tightly

<Birds-of-Trinity> Through Gia's green-tinted vision, the man's fingers have distinctive markings; it seems as though he has been carrying weavings lately. But his fingers are free of a decated weaver's calluses.

<Birds-of-Trinity> Deeper-colored patterns overlay the whole landscape; networks of lines meet in hidden places like the crooks of trees and the undersides of stones.

<Gia> "I think this man has been burgling the Tapestry, as insane as that sounds."

<Malic> "How do you do that..."

<Birds-of-Trinity> (dedicated)

<Gia> "I have no idea. But let's find out what he did with them." She glows an emerald color now, everything she gazes upon taking a faint greenish hue.

<Arkadi> "Well, this guy sure ain't a pro at it...no calluses."

<Birds-of-Trinity> Footprints spring into sight, leading to the places Gia noticed before. It seems like he walked several circles around most of these spots before moving on.

<Gia> "These are the places where the Tapestries were somehow lifted."

<Malic> "How did Osprey disappear?"

<Birds-of-Trinity> At each point, there is a certain...wrongness...in the air. It seems too thin and crisp, and even the simplest motions are confusing and difficult where Destiny has been snared.

<Gia> "Fate was already stolen from the place that Osprey made his stand. I think perhaps the testing grounds could not stand so much Fate-tainted Essence where no Fate existed, and therefore shifted him somewhere else. It is my sincere hope we see him again soon."

Malic blinks "..if you say so, Gia. What about this thing?"

Arkadi kneels by the man, and slaps him gently in the face to wake him up

<Arkadi> "We play a little game of 20 questions."

<Gia> "This person?" Gia shrugs. "We tie it to a tree and wait for it to awake." Her face looks grim. "I'll enjoy a little chat with him."

<Birds-of-Trinity> After some sputtering and odd breathing, the man comes to.

<Arkadi> "Hello there."

Malic idly presses the Burning Wind against the creature's forehead.

<Birds-of-Trinity> "Rghhhkk."

<Arkadi> "...can you speak?"

<Gia> "You've been very bad. I suggest you give us advice on how to undo what you have done-- lest we be worse."

<Birds-of-Trinity> "...yes."

<Arkadi> "Okay, we'll start with the basics...who are you?"

<Birds-of-Trinity> "It is forbidden!" He gurgles like an excited child. "Forbidden!"

<Gia> "Well, maybe I'll just start re-creating Fate by reading it from your entrails. Does that sound good to you?"

Arkadi looks at the man

<Arkadi> "Look, she gets like this..."

<Arkadi> "Not quite right in the head, that girl...I once saw her slit a man's throat for whistling at her."

<Arkadi> "If you give me somethign to work with, I *might* be able to convince her to find...other entertainment."

<Birds-of-Trinity> The man blanches. "Take away the devil-lady. I will talk."

Gia grins ruthlessly. "I sincerely hope you will be more forthcoming than your small intestine would be." She stalks off.

<Arkadi> "Right then..."

<Arkadi> "Name, place of origin, and explanation..."

<Birds-of-Trinity> He explains that he no longer has a name, or remembers it. He is referred to by his masters as the "knife to cut clouds", but doesn't understand why. (continued)

<Birds-of-Trinity> Before his masters took him to the darkened prison, he was a perfectly sane, peacable citizen of Rathess. That was very long ago, he thinks.

<Birds-of-Trinity> Some strange compulsion - the masters' bidding? - has been leading him to places like this one, where he feels he must repeat a ritual that he saw in his dreams.

<Malic> "Who are your masters?"

Malic feels a stirring of pity in his heart for this poor creature. Then, remembering what it has been doing, ruthlessly stamps the pity out and pisses on it for good measure.

<Birds-of-Trinity> "There is one - he speaks for the others, who wait in shadow."

<Birds-of-Trinity> "The master that speaks is something...strange."

<Arkadi> "Describe him?"

<Birds-of-Trinity> "He makes the sound of bells when he walks, and his skin is cold and pale, like a statue's." (more)

<Birds-of-Trinity> "He smells like blood and ashes, and each time he comes to me he sings something that makes my heart quail."

<Malic> "Where does he come from?

<Birds-of-Trinity> "The first time he came, he took my mouth so I could not scream."

<Birds-of-Trinity> "The dark prison has many doors. Always he comes through a different door, and turns to a pile of sand after, to sink through the fissures in the floor."

<Arkadi> "...if he took your mouth, how can you talk?"

<Birds-of-Trinity> "After some time, he became bored with my silence. So he cut me a new one."

<Arkadi> "...charming."

<Arkadi> "and this master that speaks...do you know what he's called?"

<Birds-of-Trinity> He struggles at his ropes a bit. "He never uses his name. He is afraid that it will reveal too much at the heart of his power. But the other masters...the ones in shadow...sometimes they speak to HIM. They call him "Fifth Soul."

<Arkadi> "...oh, joy..."

<Birds-of-Trinity> In the distance rises the desert wind, the simoom that steals through tent flaps, carrying dust and sand.

<Arkadi> "And what does he ask you to do?"

<Birds-of-Trinity> He coughs a bit before trying to reply. It seems to be a sizeable strain for him.

<Arkadi> "Easy there, take it slow if you have to."

<Birds-of-Trinity> "He only tells me to go to these places, and I move in a kind of sleep when I am there."

<Birds-of-Trinity> "It is as if something controls by body."

<Arkadi> "Huh..."

Arkadi fixes the guy with a rather intense look, scrutinizing him

<Arkadi> "How old are you?"

Malic shakes his head and leaves Arkadi to interrogate the creature, moving to stand beside Gia. "What should we do? There might be more of these things. And if the Yozis are involved, this is a big problem"

Gia runs both her hands through her hair and scrunches her face. "I really don't think that this is part of the test."

<Malic> "No, I don't think it is."

<Malic> "Where did our dog go anyway?"

<Gia> "Damned if I know."

<Birds-of-Trinity> "I don't know. I only know that I have spent more time in the darkness than any person ever should."

<Malic> "Well, can't you just find out where the dog is?"

<Gia> "He ran off."

Arkadi nods

<Arkadi> "Right..."

Arkadi sighs

<Arkadi> "Now, run down the details of this little ritual."

<Birds-of-Trinity> The man kicks at a stone by his feet. "See this stone? I can sense, with the part of my mind that is not me, that that is a place where I could perform the ritual."

<Birds-of-Trinity> "Place the stone in my hands."

<Arkadi> "...just want to warn you, if you try anything...I *will* have to take you out."

Arkadi plunks the stone in the man's hands...then takes a few steps back, his hand resting on his sword

<Birds-of-Trinity> The man rolls the stone over in his hands, and awkwardly rubs it in what seems to be a prescribed, practiced pattern. His eyes glaze over as he repeats a blasphemous chant, in which the diverse parentage of certain Incernae features as the topic.

<Birds-of-Trinity> There is an uncomfortable sound that all the Sidereals recognize as a strange of Destiny snapping.

<Arkadi> "Okay, that's enough."

Arkadi takes a mental note of the chant

<Malic> "Well, Gia, we've been left by our guide and uncovered a plot to destroy destiny once again. What ever shall we do? Go back to the Lunars and say "Oh, sorry, something came up. We'll take the trials after we have Creation. Bye!"

<Malic> "Go to Heaven and say "Sorry, we can't save the world, we have to go on Lunar Trials, bye!"

<Gia> "I'm not quite sure we're capable of GOING anywhere."

<Malic> "Run away and cower? Do everything? Save the world AND somehow find out what our REAL trial is? Assume this IS our trial and the Lunars are insane?"

<Arkadi> "Now comes the inevitable question...just what are we going to *do* with you?"

<Malic> "Hesieh's flaming bloody wang. This is insane. We're surrounded by people who want to destroy the world. Every week, something new! The world's collapsing and no one cares. Mela's white frozen ass! Mela's melting ass being raped by Hesiesh's flaming wang! I hate this job. I want to not care. Does Talmuz care? Does Raksi?"

<Gia> "Let's take this one crisis at a time. It doesn't matter if others care, as long as WE do."

<Malic> "It DOES matter. Its THEIR fault. They have the power of ages and they WASTE it. What is Ma-Ha-Suchi doing? Planning a war that will destroy Creation. Leviathan? Sleeping. Kejak? Scheming pointlessly. Raksi, who has the most sorcerous knowledge of anyone alive? NOTHING."

<Malic> "They sit around watching the world shatter and they dont care so long as they get theirs first."

<Birds-of-Trinity> The prisoner sits in silence as the Sidereals bicker.

Arkadi scowls

Arkadi cuts loose with a loud whistle

<Arkadi> "HEY! Crisis NOW! Bitch *later*!'

<Gia> "You shouldn't speak that way without Kejak. If it hadn't been for his scheming, Creation would be destroyed three times over already."

<Arkadi> "Oh, for Jylis's sake..."

Arkadi looks at the nameless one 'You're lucky you work solo.'

<Malic> "Are you sure? Hmm? What if they'd fixed the Solars? Or if we let them survive long enough to do some GOOD before killing them. And the Dragon-Blooded... Arkadi you don't need us. You're doing fine interogating him. We should probably kill him though, put him out of his misery."

Arkadi mutters curses

Arkadi looks at the man "Do you want to die?"

<Malic> "He doesn't get a choice, you know. Because we can't let him wander around undoing fate."

<Malic> "It just makes you feel better if he says yes."

Arkadi pointedly ignores Malic right now

Gia nods in quiet assent with Malic.

<Birds-of-Trinity> The man stares at Arkadi for a long, tense moment. Occasionally his mouth moves, but he cannot bring himself to reply, not to choose either option.

Arkadi scowls "I see."

<Malic> "Have you learned all you can?"

<Malic> "Because, like I said, he has to die."

<Gia> "I think he wants to.. But perhaps 'the person who is not him' does not allow him to say so."

<Arkadi> "Do you know at all why you were sent herE?"

Arkadi reviews everything in his head

<Birds-of-Trinity> "No. Please...."

<Birds-of-Trinity> "I don't know any more."

Arkadi nods

Arkadi sighs and draws his blade

<Arkadi> "I want you to know that all of this goes against everything I've been taught..."

Gia watches impassively.

Arkadi gently places his blade against the man's neck...

<Arkadi> "I hope you find peace in your next life."

<Birds-of-Trinity> The man shivers a little at the cold metal's touch.

Arkadi reaches back...and cleaves the man's head from his shoulders in one smooth stroke

<Birds-of-Trinity> The body twitches a bit and slumps into the dirt.

Arkadi flicks the blood from his blade, then re-sheathes it

Gia lets out an almost-imperceptible sigh.

<Arkadi> "I'm going for a walk."

Malic puts a hand on Arkadi's shoulder. "Arkadi, you didnt have to do it."

<Malic> "I would have."

Gia nods. "We should figure out how the hell to get out of here."

Arkadi shakes it off "Leave me be."

Arkadi fumbles for a cigartee and lights up, a little more frantically than usual

<Malic> "Arkadi, you cant always imprison people. Or let them go. I didnt mean to make you do something you object to so much."

Arkadi pays no attention to Malic...

<Arkadi> "I think we came from this direction."

Malic sighs at Arkadi. "I don't like going back. They aren't likely to accept excuses."

<Arkadi> "You got a better idea?"

<Gia> "I'd say this was a trial. Whether or not it was the one they liked doesn't really matter." Gia scans the horizon. "I don't like to leave without Osprey, though."

<Gia> (liked=intended)

<Arkadi> "He'll be fine."

Gia does not look convinced.

<Gia> "All right, we'll go. But if he's not with the Lunars, I'm coming back to find him."

<Malic> "I'll look too, Gia. We won't lose another Sidereal."

Gia nods, obviously trying not to seem troubled.

<Gia> "Anyway, let's get out of here." Me starts moving towards the path Arkadi gestured towards.

<Gia> (me=Gia)

Malic moves along as well, after using the Burning Wind to set fire to the body.

<Birds-of-Trinity> The gray area recedes in the distance.

Birds-of-Trinity is now known as willows

<willows> ----------

<willows> So soon the Circle arrived at a small tent camp they hadn't noticed before - what with having to chase the dog. Here, several silver-tattooed people awaited them.

Arkadi has been rather more quiet than ususal along the trip, answering anything in short, one-sentence responses.

Malic has since given up on trying to make Arkadi feel better and gone back to glaring silently at the Red's back. At the camp, Malic approaches the Lunars. "We're back."

<Gia> "Has Merciful Osprey returned here?"

<willows> The largest of them, a man whose tattoos look like rows of heavy, beaded desert lizard scales, shakes his head.

Gia raises her eyebrows.

<willows> "Tell us of your trial."

Arkadi 's eyes seem to almost BLAZE at scale-boy

<Gia> "Everything was black and white, no color. Osprey brought color to part of the landscape before getting shot with a bolt of light and disappearing. Oh, and you know, Primordial plot to destroy fate. But we've got that covered."

Malic makes a disgusted sound in his throat. "Sextes bloody Jylis's nine fungus-filled boils. We loose the yozi-damned blue to a hole in fate, find someone tearing the world apart, find out the doom-sucking Yozis are trying to destroy the world, AGAIN, and now that probably wasnt even the trial."

<Gia> "Do you know where Osprey is?"

<willows> The man looks puzzled. "The Merciful Osprey was your fourth companion, correct?"

<Malic> "The one that isnt here, yes. That'd be not him."

Malic guestures vaguely at blank air."

<willows> "Hm. The antelope's bride said something regarding that one. I am certain she has the situation well in hand."

<Arkadi> "We followed a dog into an area that had become black and white. The laws of nature were torn to shreds, and there was a man who'd essentially been tortured into serving the yozis causing it."

<Gia> "The antelope's bride? Can I speak to her?"

<Arkadi> "We captured the man, I interrogated him about the anture of what he did, who he served and who he was...and then, I killed him."

<willows> He fingers a complicated inlay set into the blue sphere he is holding, and nods. "I think you have passed your trial, hatchlings. Yes, you may see the maiden."

Arkadi grits his teeth

<willows> As if on cue, the Maiden of the Shelf appears, looking dressed for battle in red-jade armor.

<willows> At the mention of killing the man, several faces darken in sympathy. It is clear that Arkadi didn't want to do this.

Gia looks at the Maiden.

<willows> The Maiden leans against a dry tree, trying to look nonchalant.

<10:01> <Gia> "Please, do you know the whereabouts of our circlemate?"

<10:03> <willows> She makes an odd gesture with her hands, which seems to say, "There isn't time to explain. You must return to the Perfect Lotus as quickly as you can. Do not let them know that you are doing this." In words, she replies, "Tamuz tells me that he returned to the oasis."

<10:03> Gia bows respectfully. "Thank you for your time."

<10:03> <willows> More gestures dripping with meaning: "Please, do not get killed."

Malic looks confused.

<willows> "You're very welcome, sister, brothers."

<Malic> "Right. Um."

Arkadi is in foul enough a mood that anyone who tries will regret ever having been born

<willows> The Maiden saunters off.

Malic looks blank and follows Gia.

Malic makes his metallic-sounding whistle that calls Forge.

<willows> Forge appears presently.

Gia returns and bows to Tamuz. "Apparently our brother has already returned to the oasis; he deserves some time off, anyway." She smiles. "I am afraid that business calls us away, however. Thank you for the honor of allowing us to participate in these time-honored trials."

<willows> The assembled Lunars nod gravely. Apparently they are acquainted with the odd habits of the Chosen of the stars.

Malic waves! "Bye now!"

<Malic> "Forge?"

<willows> "Master?"

Gia interrupts. "I need Forge to do me a favor."

<Malic> "...alright."

<Gia> Once away from the Lunars, Gia whispers in the Furnace Rhino's ear. "I desperately need you to get in contact with the Daimyo of Masks. I will owe her a great favor if she can get something to me which can hide at least one of us from the eyes of Fate."

<Gia> Her eyes are serious. "Let her know I am more than prepared to offer a favor equal to such great kindness."

<willows> The rhino snorts in assent. "I'm sure she will be happy to oblige."

Gia sighs with relief. "Please move with haste. Just, ah, drop us off first?"

<Malic> "Come on Arkadi, time to let the giant metal rhino god give us a ride home."

Arkadi sort of...peels himself from the background and goes along with them

Gia sighs heavily. "Let's just hope Shalrina doesn't want me to switch bodies with a hunted Solar."

<willows> The rhino opens a gate to the city of gods and sets off in his human shape.

<Malic> "You two should let Mercury find you a friend like Forge. He's so damn helpful!"

Arkadi sort of grunts assent

<Gia> "My suggestion is go to my manse, drink heavily, and await word from my friend." Gia looks pale. "I'm not sure we should go.. anywhere else.. until we're properly prepared."

<Malic> "Sounds fine. Especially drinking heavily. Arkadi seems to need a few."

Gia gestures to the Dragon Boat dock. "After you."

Malic hops in and takes the tiller, waiting on Ark and Gia

Arkadi climbs aboard

Gia follows.

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