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Cerin "Greetings, Markuran," he inclines his head a little.
Markuran looks at Cerin a little sideways himself, as if looking out through new eyes. "You look different," he says.
Lucent "It is a pleasure to finally meet my predecessor in the new Perfect Circle. Hello, Markuran the Bear." Lucent gives a grave bow.
zahara crosses her arms over her stomach and turns away from him, staring instead at the wreckage of her ship.
Markuran looks at Lucent with what one might take as sadness. "I am not the Bear any longer," he says, and shrugs his shoulders. As he does so, those looking at him see that in the way that it shifts and undulates that the fur on his back is not actually fur at all, but thick black feathers. "I am Markuran the Raven."
Markuran There's no doubt about it for Zahara: her ship is pretty busted.
Cerin raises an eyebrow at Markuran's comment about him.
zahara regards it bleakly, her eyes unfocused.
Lucent assents. Raven it is.
Markuran "You are Lucent," he says, turning to the still-living Zenith. "Have you done what you are called upon to do by the Sun?"
Lucent "I have protected my comrades. I have fought for the Sun. I have saved the world." He nods, closing his eyes momentarily. "Your loss is still felt by your compatriots, however. I can do the duty of the sun, but not of a lost friend, Markuran the Raven."
Lucent steals a glance at Varanim when he speaks of protecting his comrades, however.
Markuran "Death comes to everyone," he says, sounding oddly philosophical. "If you have done all that, then... that is good."
Lucent "I did. And you? What is the purpose of the Shadeborn? What is your calling?"
Markuran "We will guide the dead, care for the spiritual planes, and enforce justice," he says. "It's a lesser calling than tha Sun's," he says with a dark look upon his face, "but one that has been neglected for much too long."
Cerin nods in agreement. Such things were important. "How many of you are there?"
Lucent "Now it is even more urgent. But you are of paramount importance here, because you have seen it before. This world is taken, sieged, by those who already believe they rule it. You will be hunted, and they will wish your demise. You must wrestle the Underworld from the hands of the Thirteen."
Markuran "We know how big a task we have," he says. "We would not have been reborn otherwise." He looks over the Solars who are gathered there, and tilts his head again, just slightly. "Zahara?"
zahara does not react to his voice, and aside from the way her dress and hair drift slowly in the air currents, she could be a statue.
Cerin "My love?" he is suddenly by her side, one arm around her.
zahara Her eyes flicker up to meet his, though they don't...precisely meet them. Her words are soft, toneless. "I am fine. Go, talk to them. Learn. We have achieved something great today."
Cerin is radianting concern through the unity they share. "You do not seem fine," he murmurs in her ear. "The first airship you made was not proof against a raging Incarna. It appears you have room for improving the design," he says so softly only she can hear. "The triumph today was yours as well."
Markuran looks at the two of them with a distant expression for a moment, and then puts his hands behind his back. "Our work lies along different paths," he says. "So I should be going, about... now." He pauses, though, to look at the ruined ship, and at the gathered Solars. "...good job."
Lucent "You forgot to speak of your numbers, Markuran." He stops, then remembers something. "Oh, yes. We have reorganized the Exalted Deliberative. Although the Shadeborn were never part of the institution, they were part of the full might of the Exalted Host, and thus have a place in it. You should send a delegation to Meru, as soon as you organize."
zahara smiles slightly. "Oh yes, I have lost my airship and resurrected people that I much preferred dead and gone. A fantastic triumph."
Markuran "Someone else will have to handle that, Lucent," he says, and laughs. "I'm not a diplomat."
Lucent "So I am told."
Cerin "You can build another airship, my love. One that will no doubt be better than that one."
zahara "It's not the ship."
Lucent turns to Piercing Ivory, "Would you do so? You WILL be welcomed."
Cerin "I know," he said softly. ::I would kill him, if you but asked.::
PiercingIvory "Someone will come," he says.
zahara ::I need time.::
Lucent "Yes, but knowing who will give us time to prepare. And you cannot accomplish your task alone."
Cerin kisses her cheek softly.
PiercingIvory Markuran walks back into the standing stones, and the other three walk over to follow him, leaving only Piercing Ivory standing outside. "I'm sure you'll hear from us again soon," he says. "But we have a few things of our own to get used to before we deal with yours."
zahara takes his hand and squeezes it. "Thank you."
Lucent smiles to them and waves them away, "Just hope you are on our side when the time comes."
Lucent "And good luck."
zahara glances back at the shadeborn standing in the stones, and looks away again.
There is an eerie silence as the last of the Shadeborn steps back inside the standing stones and fades away -- and the Solars are left standing alone, under the new, cool blue light of the revived Pluto.
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