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Lucent paces about, Mercury and Luna shifting unnerved about him
Evil Marku The other Solars are waiting nervously far, far below Zahara's meeting room, outside the bounds of Cerin's sight, in the deepest guts of the Pyramid.
Evil Marku This particular room appears to have been a ceremonial funereal storage room, and organ jars line the walls.
Thirteen fingers his spear, listening intently at a cavernous echo chamber that carries the sounds of Zahara's meeting to him.
Lucent stops, batting Mercury away from him, "So, let us go over this again..."
Imrama chews the tip of his pipe, but does not smoke. "Yes, let us."
Thirteen "If you feel it necessary."
Lucent sighs, poking at the wall "Do you have anything better to do? Play Truth of Luna, maybe?"
Lucent "... sorry, that was uncalled for. I'm just nervous. Yes, I do feel it nessessary."
Thirteen "The room selected for the meeting was carefully chosen and carefully prepared. Its positioning within the greater manse is such that the flows of Essence within it can be diverted on command along the orichalcum filigrees and decorations that cover the outside walls."
Thirteen "In effect, it becomes a White Room."
Thirteen "Zahara and I spent the better part of this morning placing portions of Wei Dan's skeleton at appropriate points within the pyramid."
Thirteen "As a result, I will not be affected by the Essence-dampening capabilities of this room."
Thirteen "At the opportune moment, we will activate the room, and I will venture within and subdue Cerin and Markuran."
Thirteen "You will remain outside and on guard, seeking to convey the impression to any of Lai's observers who may be present that this plot was executed without Zahara's knowledge."
Lucent "That works. With the White Room dampening their Essence, it might not be too hard... but it is still Cerin and Markuran. Do take care, will you?" He nods, "And I promise, nothing will get in the White Room or leave the White Room while I stand on its gates."
Lucent There is a little light around his gem, sealing the promise.
Thirteen "I thank you for your concern, Lucent, but I did not fear Cerin with his Essence, and I will not fear him any more without it."
Lucent "I thought being an adult meant to know when to fear, Thirteen. You are not there yet either?"
Imrama removes the pipe from his mouth, and cuts a slow stroke through the air with it. "Do we know anything about who or what might try to challenge the line we'll be holding around that room?"
Thirteen "I fear that which I have not prepared for, Lucent."
Lucent "Hmmmm." Is all he says in response to 13, pacing about again, "No idea, on my side. But they are Infernals, beyond Lai. So if anything, it will not be the Lily. Demons, other Infernals... if we are lucky, Sarifen himself."
Thirteen "Yes. Our most likely adversary will be additional Infernals. Their capabilities will be somewhat unknown. Fortunately, we need only hold them off and escape."
Lucent "What about the escape plan? Blowing out the first wall we see through and jump on Imrama's ship? You can call your ship, right?"
Thirteen "I believe you have covered the finer points of said plan, yes."
Imrama "Anywhere, anytime. I have the advantage of a crew who are always at the ready."
Lucent "I wonder if one of us shouldn't stay behind and tell the Dragon Kings to rally if one of the Infernals decides to cause grief for them. It would not be good for your plan of making Ssithumi choose sides if we had a massacre on Rathess because of us." He nods, "I volunteer for that, as well."
Thirteen "As you wish, Lucent."
Imrama gives a startled, unhappy look at the idea of Lucent remaining behind while the rest of the Circle runs, but says nothing.
Imrama "I am still unclear on one point. Our plan is to subdue, abduct and escape with Markuran and Cerin, in such a way as to convince the Lily that we are acting against Zahara's wishes. What, then, is to become of Zahara if we withdraw under duress?"
Thirteen "What are you suggesting should occur? Should we be forced out, they will trust her all the more."
Imrama "I see then; she will be left in the hands of our enemies, protected by the fabrication that we have abandoned her. Which, in a sense, will be literally true."
Thirteen "If Lai wanted to seize her, he could have done so when we abandoned her at the diplomatic conference. He did no such thing."
Lucent "She is good at making people believe things she is not, Imrama, trust me on that. They will embrace her as an ally, then, not as an enemy, I am sure. She is too valuable for them not to."
Imrama shakes his head. "Of course, both of you are very right. I am simply made ill-at-ease that my comrade's freedom and life will rest on a lie. I understand that they are useful, but I prefer to put my stock in the truth - it may be less flexible, but that is, in and of itself, an asset."
Thirteen "It can indeed be advantageous to develop a reputation for honesty."
Evil Marku From far above, the painful conversation between the three Solars floats down.
Evil Marku The Solars listen in silence to the scene, until the words are spoken: "I think we've met our end of this agreement now. Cerin, let's go."
Colapso The sun orb in the coronal burns as he speaks. "Siram." Lucent whispers, the coronal whirling to life as he begins running out of the room! "I think that's our cue!"
Thirteen nods, takes a mirror from his pocket, and slides it carefully into a niche on the wall.
Imrama takes on a stern air, draws his guns and steps into the air just off the floor. He follows Lucent.
Thirteen The sunlight beams down through dusty and secret pinholes, and abruptly refracts and spreads into a rainbow prism contacting multiple points throughout the pyramid. Something changes...
Thirteen idly knocks a hole in the wall and leaps up his erstwhile listening point.
Lucent comes to the door of the meeting room, the Coronal expanding to all sides in a seven-fold defensive pattern, not even trying to listen to anything in the room. "Now, we do the worst possible thing for a Chosen can do. We wait."
Imrama "I disagree, Lucent. The worst possible thing a Chosen can do is fail, and I have no intention of indulging that vice today."
Imrama takes up a position beside Lucent. The air around him begins to twist and spin in a violent but tightly controlled pattern. His skin crackles with lightning and his eyes gain a distant glow.
Lucent "Neither do I." sunlight flares about him, grains of sand and the hot breath of summer winds dancing, fluttering his robes. "And I stand corrected."
Imrama Watching for any who might approach the door, Imrama chats with Lucent. "So, I have been thinking that, if our Circle should ever find the luxury of a moment's peace, we should arrange for an ecuminical convocation of sorts."
Thirteen ::Cerin is not deprived of his Essence.::
Thirteen ::Improvise.::
Lucent ::... I TOLD you do! Draw him out, then. We can't step in there without losing our essence!::
Birds knocks briefly before coming in. Today her face is carefully painted in parallel stripes of mud and ashes, white and black, like the slats of a fence.
Birds ::Oh no.::
Imrama ::Lucent is right, General. If Markuran can be secured, perhaps then we could disrupt the effect, and assist you?"
Thirteen ::Hold on.::
Lucent "That is a good idea, Imrama. I've thought that from day one, really, but most of our group seems to have a dim view of our Chosen peers. At least, I got to confraternize with the Netheos." He nods, trying to be calm while... nearly twitching as he draws his gaze from outside to the room behind him... "Birds..."
Birds drops her head into her hands in frustration, and then straightens up, facepaint streaked and marred, glowing with grey and golden fire. "Prepare yourself. Cerin is not to be taken lightly."
Lucent looks... dismayed that she has shown up now, sighing, the sand-carrying winds about him blowing colder. "No. But it is all of us here... all of us against him. We have a chance."
Evil Marku No sooner do the words leave Lucent's lips than a vicious bevy of Infernal Essence tear through the walls of the room, sending debris and stone down upon the Solars within.
Lucent wills the orb of the sun to spread on a great Dawn Castemark, keeping all the debris, and even the dust, away from himself and the others, trying not to lose Cerin in the dust!
Lucent joins all of them together, and sends them against the wall, to break it apart, and hopefully, break the geomancy that creates the White Room inside, allowing them all to go in!
Lucent is holding the multihued infinity of all Incarna on his hands, directing it against the wall... "Imrama? Some help on firepower would be appreciated."
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