• View
• Edit
• History
• Print

< Ghost Of The Past | Sol Invictus Logs | Kai >

---

Zahara wends her way through the Labyrinth to Cerin's room and raps lightly on the door. "Cerin? Are you in there?"

<Cerin> "Yes love." he walks over and lets her in with a kiss, then steps back to let her in, clearing a chair of notes for her.

• Zahara smiles, kissing back, then accepts the chair.

<Cerin> "So, what can I do for you my love?" he smiles at her.

<Zahara> "What do you think of the new girl?"

<Cerin> "She is extraordinarily powerful for her age, skilled with the blade, and quick thinking. Honest too." He considers "I think she can benefit from our guidance as much as we will benefit from her aid."

<Zahara> "I don't trust her. She gained her power too quickly, too easily. It's just not right."

<Cerin> "It isnt entirely right, but she told me no lies when I asked her about her past."

<Zahara> "Perhaps you did not ask the right questions." she frowns a little and toys with one of the notes that previously resided on the chair. "She must have done SOMETHING to be as powerful as we, without so much as knowing how to use the first of her powers."

<Cerin> "I know there is something not-right about her, her essence is not quiet ...correct. But I do not think it was her. It could have been who she was however.."

<Zahara> "I want to know how she did it."

<Cerin> "I fully intend to find out, though so close to the storm, we do not want to drive her away."

<Zahara> "This close to the storm, it may even be more important, if we can replicate it."

<Zahara> "Besides, the storm itself might drive her away. She has no ties to our cause."

• Cerin nods "She has no ties, but we are the first of our kind she has met. She came back here even knowing about the foes we face."

<Zahara> "Hearing about a foe, and facing them, are two different stories."

<Cerin> "That's true, though the middle of battle does make it hard to retreat. Anyway, I do not think we should press her too hard, though if we can find out how she did it, that would be wonderful indeed."

• Zahara sighs, frowning, "Yes. Wonderful indeed."

<Cerin> "While we are on the subject...my sight is keen, as you know, though recently I've been missing the subtlties of things, especially when it comes to the finer traceries of essence, and this bothers me, given my dependance on such sight for certain things."

<Zahara> "Are you ill?"

• Cerin shakes his head "Not that I have noticed. It is just that the flows have a finer pattern than I can readily percieve."
• Zahara frowns slightly, "What can I do to help?"

<Cerin> "I'm not sure. Some kind of artifact to focus the flows somewhat, or to aid my mind in comprehending them?"

• Zahara ponders for a moment, "I read once about a tiara that enhanced sight, especially otherworldly sight."

<Cerin> "A tiara?" Cerin sounds curious, though slightly skeptical too.

<Zahara> "Mmhmm... it belonged to a woman." she raises a brow, "I'm sure it can be formed as some sort of crown instead. No diamonds required."

<Cerin> "I am not sure I'm a crown wearing person either my love. Crowns are so ...flashy." he smiles apologetically.

<Zahara> "Well what DO you want then? I could try to replace your eyes, but that would be risky."

<Cerin> "A simple circlet? I'm not so sure I want to loose my eyes. Even if they would be replaced."

• Zahara frowns a little, "Well it won't end up just being a gold band, you know. It will most likely require *some* intricacy"

<Cerin> "I know." he smiles "It still won't be so ostentacious as a crown."

• Zahara chuckles a little "Are you SURE you don't want a tiara? I have this lovely idea for filigree"

<Cerin> "Perhaps you should save it for your own forehead. I'll appreciate it more on there."

<Zahara> "Hmm, perhaps I shall. But if I keep going the way I have been, I'll have no essence left for other things."

• Cerin nods "That is a small concern of mine, but I think such a circlet will help me more than the essence. There is another thing I will be needing at some point, a set of things rather."

<Zahara> "What things?"

• Cerin briefly searchs on his desk then brings several sheets over to her. "These." The sheets detail a rather unusual and precise set of occult and essence handling tools.

<Zahara> "Hmmm very finely tuned. Used to manipulate essence?"

• Cerin nods "More specifically the essence in wards and locks."

<Zahara> "Hmm they may also aid in inserting the Soulcages, if we're lucky." she toys with a blonde curl. "I think I could have at least one of them done by the end of the week, depending on how pure my materials are. Which do you want first?"

• Cerin considers "The circlet, please. The tools I wanted more for another venture into the realm."

<Zahara> "Juche again?"

• Cerin shakes his head "The Imperial City."

<Zahara> "are you planning to turn yourself in?" she asks dryly

<Cerin> "I considered that, but sneaking inside the Palace is probably safer."

• Zahara eyes him. "That's suicide, you know."
• Cerin shakes his head "Not if I'm very careful and very good. It would be useful to retrieve certain items from the Empress' chambers."

<Zahara> "And you ask for an artifact which will make you see better? You need one that will divorce you from sight."

<Cerin> "My armour does that already, and I am swiftly learning to channel essence in such patterns too. It is harder for me to gain the ability to comprehend the subtlties present in the wards."

• Zahara frowns and touches his shoulder lightly, "I know you are stealthy, but she probably has guards that see through such things. Or wards. What is in her chambers that is so important you would risk your life?"

<Cerin> "The keys I need to open the doors to the Imperial Manse."

<Zahara> "How will you get into the manse without them?"

<Cerin> "I was not being precise, sorry. The keys to control the Realm Defence Grid."

• Zahara just stares at Cerin.
• Cerin waits for her to speak.

<Zahara> "Are you completely insane?"

<Cerin> "That is what Ahina said, though she only heard about the Imperial City."

<Cerin> "I am not insane though my love. Getting there should be well within my capabilities. The Empress managed it when she was a young officer. And it will help us in this war and future wars."

<Zahara> "If you get yourself killed, I shall be VERY angry with you."

<Cerin> "I know my love. I do not wish to die. The wait while my spark returned would be almost intolerable. But it is not a foolish risk, I do not think. I would not squander my life."

<Zahara> "At least prove your skills outside the manse before you enter it."

<Cerin> "I am sure I will. The eclipse is not for many months anyway."

<Zahara> "What does the eclipse have to do with it?"

• Zahara rises from her chair and paces about the room

<Cerin> "The eclipse is when the Empress entered the Manse when she did. I think it is some additional security measure, that an unattuned user may not enter except on such days."

<Cerin> "It was very hard to find out any hard details on the venture at all though, she was quite ruthless in supressing the facts of her entry. That one is consistent accross all accounts however."

<Zahara> "maybe that was the one detail that didn't matter."

<Cerin> "Perhaps. It was one of 4 such details. And one of those suggests that she found or needed one of the seals, similar to the one I retrived from Ymir's body."

<Zahara> "I just wish I could go with you." she frowns.

<Cerin> "I am not good enough at stealth to hide both of us my love."

<Zahara> "That does not make it easier to send you into the lion's den alone."

• Cerin wraps his arms around her "I know, but I'm not sure waiting until the Realm is ours is the best time to gain control."
• Zahara sighs, "Perhaps.. we can get them to send their armies out while you are there."

<Cerin> "If I am caught, I'm not sure that the presence of the Legions or not would make a difference."

<Zahara> "Well it would make it easier to get you back out."

<Cerin> "There is a gate within, or very close to the city. If I cannot reach that before they catch me, I am not sure what you could do to save me."

<Zahara> "If you are seen, I recommend you surrender."

<Cerin> "Surender?" He looks at her curiously, not entirely sure what this will accomplish.

<Zahara> "Surrender. Bring no weapons, for you won't need them, and they will be taken from you if you surrender. Tell them nothing, or better yet, false information when they ask. And then at night, when you sleep, I will call you back to me."

<Cerin> "The only weapon of worth I carry that could be taken from me is the sword you made for me, and I can't fight so well with that anyway. Though of course that aspect of the spell would let you call me home, yes."

• Zahara nods. "Then you agree, Surrender is your best option should you be discovered. If for some reason the spell fails, we will find another way to retrieve you."
• Cerin nods. The idea does not sit entirely well with him. "I know."
• Zahara stops pacing for the moment to wrap her arms around him, "I cannot lose you. Not now."
• Cerin wraps his arms around her "I can't lose you either. It is a risk I think I have to take though."

<Zahara> "I hope you find what you are looking for."

• Cerin smiles "I will, somewhere."
• Cerin kisses her softly "Thank you for supporting me."
• Zahara chuckles a bit, "It's not like I could really prevent you, you know."

<Cerin> "It would be much harder without you though." Perhaps so much so I couldn't contemplate it.

<Zahara> "I am barely helping at all."

<Cerin> "But your help is important. With out the tools you made, I'd have to invest my time developing new charms and techniques. That would be difficult."

• Zahara ponders for a minute, "Hmmm it would be interesting if I could create a poison that would simulate your death, but instead send you into a deep sleep. To any but the most skilled eye, you would appear as dead."

<Cerin> "That could work. I suspect they would try to burn my body on my death though. I'm not sure they'd want my hungry ghost haunting their city."

<Zahara> "This is most likely true, however it would take some time for them to get that far, I would hope."

• Cerin nods "Hopefully. It will be interesting if you can make such a venom. I am sure it would have other uses."

<Zahara> "But first, your tools."

<Cerin> "First, the circlet if you please. Unless you think we will need the tools for channelcage work."

<Zahara> "The tools, I think, will make all successive artifacts easier. I think I will try to make two sets."

• Cerin nods "There is that. And I imagine when you have the design completed, it will not be too hard to duplicate."
• Zahara nods in return, "And these diagrams you made should help immensely as well. I'll have to research that tiara before I can create one."
• Cerin smiles "I try not to bring idea's to you with no idea of how to carry them through."

<Zahara> "Well, would you like to help me make them?"

<Cerin> "I'm not sure how much use I can be, but if you think I can help, of course."

<Zahara> "You can keep an eye on the essence flows, and make sure they're doing what they should."

• Cerin nods "Of course I will do that."

<Zahara> "Or, you could research the Dragon Tear Tiara. It's in one of two books, I think. I don't recall which."

<Cerin> "If the books are within your library, that won't take me more than a few hours."

• Zahara nods, "They are, and that would save me the trouble of looking them up, so I can concentrate on the actual manufacture. That would be lovely of you, dear."

<Cerin> "I will see you in your workshop in a few hours then."

• Zahara heads off to her workshop
• Cerin heads down to the library, after tidying some of the piles of the notes. The passage isnt that hard to find, the library easily giving up its secrets to him, and soon he joins Zahara in the workshop.
• Cerin hands the book to her, the relavent chapter bookmarked.
• Zahara looks up, having already gotten off to a good start on the tools, a pile of esoteric ingredients surround her. "Ah, thank you. That was quick."

<Cerin> "I'm finding myself increasingly at home in libraries."

• Zahara rewards himw ith a quick kiss, "What do you think, so far? This is from the first tool."
• Cerin returns the kiss, then studies the tool infront of him, feeding it essence and watching the patterns it generates. He frowns softly.

<Zahara> "What's wrong?

<Cerin> "It's not quite doing what I hoped it should. The flows are a little slower than I envisaged."

• Zahara frowns a little, "Where is it slowing down?"
• Cerin points to a small arangement of gems that catch the essence in a slight loop as they focus it
• Zahara focuses on that point and then nods, "I used the wrong one. It should have been Amethyst there." She pries the gem out of its socket, and replaces it with the proper gem from a small pile of various gems in various cuts. She tries two different cuts before it flows properly.
• Cerin nods "That works as it should now."
• Cerin works with Zahara, refining the designs, ensuring that the tools work as they should, that threads of essence are not too thick or too thin, and that any flows that they produce are steady and easy to control.

---

Tags: (:tags Kai's Exaltation, Imperial City, Imperial Manse, Realm Defense Grid, The Eclipse:)

< Ghost Of The Past | Sol Invictus Logs | Kai >