Now the team got closer to their task...Where was Xuan's mother? They were sent to this place to rescue the sanctioned research team, headed by an off shoot special ops division, that seemed as if more than one of their team was personally intertwined in the events of the strange disappearance and infliction upon the land.  Kirby's family was also involved and events here at the plantation seemed to be dire indeed. He was not willing to leave his grandfather and grandmother alone in their weakened conditions. Max and Orlando were able to offer support to Kirby.  It was here that the team decided to split up, to protect their base of operations at the Jhandi and strike out to find more information on their mission.

Currently...

     Aeviternus was searching out into the local fauna to see if he were able to gleam any clues, while his counterpart Xuan guarded a new foe for information.

      So thirsty...thought Tiengue. He was not in his hole, but he was captured.  These poor souls must have been his target, miraculous that they servive still.  The demon was no longer in him, he had control over his body and mind once again, if only for a moment, he would count his blessings.  Every moment was precious when he was in control.
     Water...he said, and the man gave him water. This stranger was attuned to water, and blessed by the warrior.  He is probably the guardian, and not of Dragon Clan or Demon Clan, he watches me like a cat to mouse, ready to pounce. He didn't know that he was a cat and I the mastiff. The chains, he felt their metal, and the weight holding them down...ordinary metal...shen should know better. If he is this stupid then the demon is close.
     "Mask is bad...who?" Tiengue rasped voice soft.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:53, Mon 07 Nov 2016.

Xuan tried to hide his surprise. The surprise was maybe the fact that the captive spoke, or possibly the foreign, childlike way in which he spoke. It could have just been the man's confusion that in turn confused Xuan. Either way, he did his level best to restrain his eyebrows from moving and his eyes narrowing. Give nothing away that you don't want your opponent to know or think. It was a strategy scored deep into Xuan's mind; that battles were fought just as much mentally as they were physically, and power should never be given away without first having full trust. This was a often a slow process, as Xuan had already expressed with Aeviternus. Only recently had he relented with the ancient boy.

"Who indeed," he mused aloud. "Can you be more specific with your question?"

Xuan replenished the water-sphere as he volleyed a question back. Someone of that size no doubt needed a barrel full, and his voice hinted at the necessity of it. But then, Xuan wasn't sure he wanted the giant recovering too quickly either. He would have to be discerning with the amount of water he shared.

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg # 3):

     Tiengue searched for the correct words; he was not accustomed to speaking and found it hard to articulate his thoughts. He wondered if this Shin spoke his dialect.  These people were in danger. It would be so much easier if they took over his mind. "No touch mask. It hurt bad. Who touch mask?" Tiengue said in broken toddler Chinese. He looked around swiveling his head side to side to see his surroundings. He was not in a cell or a prison, yet he tested his bonds lightly. It appeared that they had put a machine over him to give weight to the shackles of iron.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:39, Mon 10 Oct 2016.

Wondering if the parallel between woman and land correlated with the dichotomous vitality before him, Aeviternus pondered, there at the tips of branches cresting the tallest trees, if the answer might actually still lie directly within Eh-eh.  What did the sun and vibrancy at the literal top of the forest represent; her mind?  Her soul?  Were there layers to that which he could explore upon her locally or was the answer still out here in the expanse of the Kanhi Jahndi?  He watched the finch flutter off before looking back to the plantation where she rested, trying to decide if the bird had led him already to what he needed to see or if it had more tale to tell.  The look back towards the house was instinctive as he pushed his thoughts out into the air, asking her for further guidance.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:53, Tue 04 Oct 2016.

Xuan tensed slightly as the captive tested his confines. Was it enough? He was a big guy, and might be strong enough to cast aside a tractor if he was as strong as he looked. He searched halfheartedly for another tractor as he considered the man's reply, settling a hopeless glance on one of the vehicles nearby. Perhaps more water for the big man was not a good idea after all.

Letting the water sphere collapse, Xuan returned his attention to his big problem. "None have touched the mask, but it has been taken." He considered the poor speech of the man and rephrased. "Not touch mask. Safe."

He hoped it was safe at any rate. His words may have been as much to console himself as the man before him.

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:22, Sat 15 Oct 2016.

      Aeviternus was able to follow the small Finch, and it landed on a very small flower, chirping, the little bird waited for Aeviternus. He could tell the bird wanted him to find this spot. He looked around knowing that he had traveled miles farther following the bird. Keeping track of this little bird was not easy, it moved much faster than he would have hoped.
      He paused, looking at the bird and then at the flower. It was Althea he thought, his acolytes used these plants hundreds of years ago, during the Spanish inquisition. They hunted the Analectum in those years, using this plant was the only way he was able to find his hidden priests while he spirit walked. That had been a turning point for Aeviternus, he went underground after that bloody mess.  Many people died during that time. Yes, this was Althea, picking the flower his instincts told him to eat the flower. He bent down and picked the flower gently and placed it in his mouth chewing. It had no flavor at first, then tasted similar to no, it changed to a different taste, it was not settling on a flavor at all it seemed. Slowly a warm feeling crept over his body, a luscious vibration pulsed from his stomach. Aeviternus took the small moment to enjoy the pulse, but did not let it's effects alter his mood, he stood up from the plant and looked around. No finch, but he saw a fire in the distance. He blinked and stood outside a concealed campsite, with a fire dug into a small pit. The seen was empty as usual. He never saw human spirits unless he saw their bodies in the real world first. This was no different, but there was a fire.
     He found the bird sitting in the air, chirping softly. Aeviternus could not understand what he saw, then he heard whispered voices...
      "Yes little one I see you, thank you for visiting. Chirp chirp. Elizabeth, yes we are tracking them. We are close, chirp chirp, you don't say, are you sure, chirp chirp. I see, it is our duty. He is here? ah, then I will look, chirp chirp," the little bird hopped as if moving along an invisible branch moving side to side. Suddenly and remarkably, Aeviternus's sensed something, the smoky outline of a man with shining eyes appeared sitting by the campfire. The little finch was moving along his arm bouncing up to his shoulder. "I see him vaugely, brothers we are not alone."
       "What is here?" another whispered voice touched Aeviternus's ear. "Is it evil?" the voice asked accusingly.
       "I am not sure, there is darkness and death, but not maliciousness," the specter-like man said, he looked at the bird," Are you sure he, chirp chirp, yes Elizabeth. I will send for him."
       A bright flash and the man appeared shockingly, blewing dust in Aeviternus's face. Aeviternus found himself back in his body talking with Orlando.

His "own" words he'd just uttered reverberated as though coming to him from down a hallway as he rejoined the boy.

"...And you sound like a doddering old man."

This was the first time he'd separated himself so far from the body while leaving his host-mate in charge of it.  It was disconcerting to the old soul to return, not to where he'd left off, but with his back to an individual he was ostensibly speaking to and removed from the room he'd started in when embarking to the spirit plane.  He brought the body to a halt as he felt an unfamiliar struggle to do so, as if the legs wanted badly to continue on despite the command to cease their movement, almost like a mildly violent sneeze.

What are you doing?

What you asked.

I asked you for contol, to be vigilant for danger and to reach out to me if you felt at risk.  I sense the first item has already been disregarded.

Aeviternus stood still on the physical plane, his stance a tense and visibly defensive one as he made no more movement while the conversation continued within.

I was just trying to have a real conversation, for once.  He was being an asshole about it.

Our work is far from over and cooperation continues to be key.  If you stay on task, there will be no need for retaliation.

The boy made no rebuttal and full control was returned to Aeviternus.  Without turning around just yet, his stance loosened some and he turned his head to indicate he was still aware of Orlando's presence while waiting to see what the magician would make of it, the ancient soul wasn't fully apprised of all that had been transacted between them and needed to guage by Orlando's reaction for what was to come next.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:46, Sun 16 Oct 2016.

     Orlando froze in mid sentence when Aeviternus stopped so abruptly, for one he immediately went on high alert, he quickly looked around, then back to the man.  Orlando found himself scrutinizing this man's moves however so slight.  He didn't know his patron, well could he really call him that, Patron sounded so odd, founder, head numb-nuts, founder, shit starter, Ultimate Keeper.  It was a tough pill to swallow, but Aeviternus was, he now truly believed, the myth, no the man, that had really put all of this into motion. He was real and he knew next to nothing of him. So to say that his actions were odd was an understatement,  like trying to understand the motives of a serial killer from one session of psychiatric treatment, being a doctor fresh out of college...the analogy trailed off in his mind to absurdity.

     He refocused on Aeviternus..."ugh...Is something wrong?" Orlando asked knowing (slightly moving his head to see his face better) that he wouldn't get much of a response but asked none-the-less hoping to see some slight micro-expression.

      The image of the fire still  echoed in Aeviternus's mind. He realized for the first time, that someone had finally seen him in the spirit world, if only for a second.  The man looked  South or Central American, and he would send for him? Elizabeth some how had answered him, and had lead Aeviternus to this campfire. What was the connection?

The question reassured Aeviternus that whatever the conversation had included, Avery hadn't caused any real damage, only confusion.  Growing pains of testing new endeavors were to be expected.

Ace turned to face Orlando and the curiosity was all but gone, the weariness in his eyes had returned and the enduring calm was once more prevalent in his posture.  All signs of irritation were wiped away as Ace's expression softened into almost a smile, not completely shrouded under the hood.

"Nothing is wrong.  Let's take that walk, I need your help dissecting some information I just received."

     Orlando's mind itched with questions, specifically towards Aeviternus, but he had to put those to the side to listen to his account. Spirit walking or Astral Travel was a unique ability, one that he didn't possess, so he had to ask a couple of clarifying questions.
    "Explain to me the nature of your travel. I have read that you can go deeper into the spirit world, so deep that what you see has no resemblance to the real world. Do you think you could retrace your steps and find this campsite?" Orlando said still walking. "Also, the dust that sent you out of the spirit world is consistent with Native American Spirit Walking lore, so I doubt that you saw something that was trying to trick you. As far as Elizabeth helping you, that is possible, she could have crossed her spirit over to the spirit plane, which is why she remains unconscious here," Orlando paused, looking at Aeviternus, "But unfortunately, I have no clue as to who this person or shaman may be. Elizabeth is the head of Earl's and my order, and we were extremely secretive. I never mixed with anyone outside our circle. We didn't even talk about you, our sole purpose these last 10 years was hiding The Prose, and for all intensive purposes, I was retired."
     Orlando slowed his pace, he really couldn't hold it back, but he didn't really know what to say, after all if the wrong secret were overturned who knows what could happen with his team mate. "Look, I've," Orlando paused, trying to find the words to say.  He placed his hand gently on Aeviternus's arm, as if asking a friend to wait a moment. "I've seen and done crazy shit, but this is, you are, we are in pretty fuckin deep right now. I'm here to help a friend, and now help another friend, and as we go I'm finding this rabbit hole has no bottom. What just happened between us, has me inexplicably confused, almost like I am talking to someone else right now...his words trailed off as he regrouped his thoughts mid sentence, "What I've been trying to figure out, is how you just spirit walked and had a conversation with me at the same time. Nothing is impossible, but that seems impossible. I know you ARE Mr. Secrets, but I think a little faith in me is due. Be straight with me..." Orlando said candidly.

As they walked, Aeviternus listened carefully to all of Orlando's musings and questions as was his habit, often finding that allowing a conversation-mate to complete their thoughts led them to their own conclusions and most of the time that was preferable.  However these questions were genuine, the old soul could sense Orlando's sincere desire to understand. He slowed his pace dutifully as the magician did and even stopped as the hand was placed on his arm, meeting Orlando's inquisitve look with a smile and knowing nod.

"You're right.  You've earned at least that much."  He turned to keep walking once more, though kept the slow pace so that they could glance at each other as needed without worry of road hazards.  Aeviternus found that walking helped the brain move fluidly and appreciated the opportunity to engage in this ancient practice.  He breathed in looking for the right place to start and decided that the very beginning might help in this instance.

"The Anelectines were created to help me on a search that I seem destined to embark on until I've found the only other soul on the planet like mine.  In all sincerity, without the help of those like you, I would simply be a wandering spirit with no more purpose than those who haunt the place they were taken from the physical plane.  There are some things yet that I do not fully understand, such as why most spirits flee when I enter their plane, but I suspect most of the answers fall in the category of being something unnatural myself."  Aeviternus digressed into how he came to be in his current state, adding the details of who he knew his parents to be for Orlando.

OOC- Backgrounds thread has been updated to reveal the beginning of the Aeviternus timeline.  It is recommended to read that before continuing.  :)

"There are many events between then and now, and to tell them all would take... well, years.  I'll skip ahead so that the conversation you just had with me makes more sense."  He cleared his throat, it felt odd to gloss over so much history but time would allow for more to be revealed.  What Orlando needed was how it started and who he was talking to.  "The rite allows for my new host to select one of two choices for the soul that was born into the body.  You could call it the host spirit.  The choice is made by the parents; either the soul becomes dormant and simply an extension of my own or it is left separate to experience it's natural life beside me, witnessing and experiencing as I do and even at times," he cocked his head to provide Orlando an almost knowing, parental glance; "take action."  Returning his gaze back to the path before them, he paused to find the right way to continue.

"Avery has an exceptionally strong spirit.  It's why I recommended the second option to his parents and am grateful they felt as I did.  Strong in spirit to me means more than 'passionate,' his will is allowing for new abilities and making my journey more effective.  In this case, it allowed me to take my sojourn to the spirit plane while he carried on the body's actions without my direct guidance.  Previously, as when your team first met me, when I disembark the body it must remain stationary and in a relaxed state.  With Avery, I can be two places at once, though his abilities are reduced without my control.  That said, his personality is the one you'll encounter in those instances."

Aeviternus wanted to answer Orlando's first volley of questions, as they might lead to answering his own, but he wanted to make sure he was providing the understanding that was asked of him.  He finished on a somber note; "It is considered the highest honor in the cabal to have a child that is selected for my journey.  There are so few ways to express my gratitude for their sacrifice aside from continuing my quest, that giving those who've chosen to come along for the ride an opprutnity to simply be seems like the smallest of offerings."

"Tiengue is it?" Now we're getting somewhere.

Xuan did his best not to show his relief that the chains held. He needed to remain confident and in control. There was no way to know if he could take this Tiengue alone, and he'd rather not try. He kept his tone level as he continued.

"That's a good start at building some kind of trust. Let's talk a little more and then we'll decide if you should be let go. Please understand, you were just trying to kill us all before this." He paused to let that sink in, then nodded as if it were understood. "We know very well that the mask is dangerous. But alive? How? And who are these masters you speak of?"

      Orlando removed his hand from Aeviternus's arm seconds into the conversation, he walked and listened taken aback from what he heard. He started to ask questions many times, but held his tongue. This was a rare moment when...secrets of the Earth he thought..these were secrets that he had been searching for himself, not specifically about Aeviternus, but his story or legends like it were in large part, the part of history that intrigued him to go into his field of study, to learn magic, to help his brother and sister, and father, and well, you didn't interrupt someone when they were giving you fucking Secrets of the Earth. So he shut his mouth and listened, mind blown, he listened.
     By the end he had so many questions, and now that Aeviternus had shared maybe he would be more open to answering them. Then a thought occured to him, a very bad thought. "Aeviternus, I have so many questions, umm... What is your quest?, why are you on this journey?, what are you trying to accomplish?, who knows about you?, how do  you choose your hosts?, how many people know this ritual and how many people are needed? why did your mother do this to you?, your parents knew Jesus, Jesus Christ-Jesus Christ?, how many cabals are there?, how many people know this ritual?, "Sharokina, my sister-in-law, was there during the ceremony or ritual that involved you and Aveeriee, and she is now dead. Someone tried to Kill my brother, or has been and Elizabeth, was there as well(i'm assuming), and she is almost dead, is someone trying to..."he stopped, looking into Aeviternus's eyes. His line of thinking eventually brought him to a very severe point. Someone was trying to end Aeviternus, why?

Aeviternus held Orlando's gaze as he trailed off, cocking his head slightly to one side as if to discern what the rest of the question might be.  While his expression didn't lend much, his tone told more of the empathy for the concern Orlando might be feeling.

"The Analecta Arcanum has always had enemies.  Most cabals do, I think;" he said with a little shrug and a half smirk as though the boy had returned, though no other signs were evident.  "Whatever has me wandering back and forth across this planet is likely to have similar interests in my own fate."  He knew he'd left out much that would make that sentence sensible, but the question had him distracted for a moment.  His Analectines were trained in the arts rigorously, specifically because of the inherent danger of their primary charge, however this family was bringing to stark clarity that the hunt may be getting closer.  A harbinger of doom that meant more than the deaths of innocents and those he cared for.

It could mean failure.

Aeviternus briefly lapsed into silence at this thought.  He had never been quite sure what the consequence of failure was, but since he'd encountered his first true sense of hopelessness on the moon it represented more than he'd ever previously considered.  Annihilation of life on Earth.  He wasn't sure if the dots would connect, but he suddenly found himself anxious to see if the secrets would align with the present reality and compelled to treat Orlando as though he were several ranks futher into the circle.

He stopped in his tracks and faced the mage fully, face turned up to the big man with a new intensity.  "On the moon... with your bother and Malcohm, I witnessed something that caused me genuine fear for life.  A gaping and approaching void, like a black hole but with intent, and the only thing I walked away from the experience with was a single word that I only know to be a name."

He spoke it with the hopes that it meant anything to Orlando; "Dhroga."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:07, Fri 04 Nov 2016.

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 19):

      ...."Dhroga, Now that's a curve ball." Orlando said with confusion.  He had never run across this name in all of his studies. It sounded Hindu, but Aeviternus came across the name on the moon, so maybe he wasn't from Earth.
     "Aeviternus, this word or name doesn't have any significance to me. How did you come across the name? Did Malcolm know of the name?" Orlando questioned. "If you came across this name and felt that it held so much dread, there couldn't be a coincidence, how does it involve you? I was going to ask if you knew who was trying to kill you. It seems as if someone is going to a lot of trouble to kill off all of the cabal that knows how to complete your ritual. Could Dhroga be this person?"

"Cao!" It wasn't the only expletive that came to mind. Xuan didn't even realise that even one had slipped past his lips, so intent on Tiengue as he was.

So many thoughts were flooding him that Xuan barely registered that he had flinched back a step, the staff appearing in his hand out of reflex, already glowing. Mention of the Demon Clan had already had him on edge, and then Tiengue's outburst caught him off guard. Had he escaped his bonds, Xuan would have easily been blindsided.

Wide eyed, he stared at the creature before him, wrestling an onslaught of thoughts and searching for insight. Part of him felt pity for his captive, wanted to help him. Surely, the thing must be afraid, if it would rather die than face capture by the demon clan. A darker, more afraid part wanted to grant his request and destroy him. Was the mask responsible for twisting him into what lay before him? Did that visage come from prolonged exposure to demon essence? Was he even a man at all? If so, how much demon was left behind? What could Xuan trust?

Taking a measured breath, Xuan fought for control of himself. There was no one else around. Swallowing his pride, he yelled out to anyone, "HEY!" and then to Tiengue, "STOP!" He hoped someone out there had heard him, just in case things escalated. He also hoped that Tiengue would stop before the tractor fell apart.

With effort and some trepidation, the staff disappeared, but Xuan allowed his Chi to spread, filling his body from head to toe as his skin began to glow. The Way was not to fight this, but flow with it. An avalanche would not be stopped by a barricade. The barricade would be buried under it for its effort. However, with enough Shui, it could be slowed and even course corrected if channeled appropriately. And if the avalanche continued to come, then Shui would do its best to overwhelm it.

His expression taking on that of concern and compassion, Xuan approached again, slowly and with his hands raised, placating.

"Tiengue," he said, loud enough to be heard over the crunching metal, but much more softly. Demons would not be gentle. They would not be gentle in the least. Therefore, Xuan would have to be. "Tiengue. Calm. Calm. Then I can help. Help." kneeling down to get closer to eye level, he held his hand out to Tiengue, within reach, doing his best not to take his eyes off of the big man's. Not looking at the crumbling tractor. Do not waver.

"Please."

His eyes drifted a little to one side as Aeviternus absorbed Orlando's response, processing the questions and possibiities.  He dove right back in on the last question.

"If the soul I seek has the potential to keep Dhroga at bay, yes it's possible that this entity is intent on my death.  What's more concerning is that if it is true, this being has the ability to operate on many levels, from planet swallowing to mechanations of people." Clarifying was probably in order.  "Your brother and I traveled to the moon with Malcohm to view a gate that could be used for them to return to Earth, the associated gate is here and powered by a man named Saul.  It was there, on the moon, that I saw what can only be described as a black hole anomaly (after some research), and Malcohm described it as 'Dhroga.'"

Wishing he'd pursued this subject while still on the ship with Malcohm, Aeviternus stopped there, again seeming absorbed in thought.  Malcohm's people, the scrolls, Elizabeth... it all seems connected.  Perhaps we can view the Prose and find something together.

Locking eyes with Orlando, he offered; "let's view the Prose of Moses, you and I, and see if we can-..." Aeviternus was cut short by Xuan's call, his head cranked to look in the direction it was heard from.  With one more glance at Orlando, he slapped the big man's shoulder once in invitation and turned to run full speed to the barn.  As he sprinted, he recalled what was placed in the barn and Lotus was in hand before he got there.

      "Oh Crap!"Orlando said realizing something bad was happening in the barn, and if Xuan was calling for help... Orlando feeling old, much to old to go off sprinting, couldn't let himself look old. He mustered his meaty thighs into movement and found that old familiar ache in his knee, you know that one that told you running was bad for you in the first place. Shut up, he told his knee and gave as much speed as he could chasing after Aeviternus.

Just then, Aeviternus raced into the barn, then Orlando, then Max, both older men, breathing slightly harder than normal. Tiengue looked at the men and tensed, maybe his captor wanted more to help give him pain.

The tractor was coming apart, and Tiengue was more than agitated. Xuan was in a comforting pose out of arms reach of the creature.

all roll an insight check, perception. And of course anything else you would like to add.

First on the scene, Aeviternus scanned the situation quickly for as much story as it would tell in an instant.  What he gathered caused him to shoot his arms out to both sides and backwards, a gesture to all those following to stop where they were, his palms facing behind him and imploring a halt to action.  Lotus remained in one hand but only to serve as a barrier extension.

Xuan knelt next to the abused like a spiritual savior reaching out to the sick and weary, offering solace and safety.  The being that took the team to bring down now pulled against likely all-too-familiar bindings, almost appearing to belong in chains it seemed so accustomed to them.  The scars were obvious, the deformities a kind the old soul had seen before and made him angry to think about.  The feral nature of the huge man would likely see any signs of hostlity as aimed at him so Aeviternus choked it back and focused his efforts on aiding Xuan in creating a quiet place of peace.  The evidence was clear; the scars were a tale of many rituals and dark experiments, the tattoos from a clan Xuan must know much more about than he, others that bore signs of a magical nature, the signs of torture- the kind that goes on for years- indicating this was a deeply wounded soul.

Yet there was John, offering the olive branch instead of the blade he was quite capable of employing.

When Aeviternus spoke, the words came from centuries of understanding and patience and were delivered in Chinese.  "We are not here to harm.  We are here to help."  Moving slowly, he returned the metal staff to his pack in a deliberate, if small, gesture to emphasize his statement.

In English he spoke very quietly to those closest to him.  _{"Xuan makes progress.  Let's back his play."}

"You could have it right, I can't read his mind. It is barred from me somehow. He looks like a cornered animal." Max said introspectively to the three of them.  He made no motion to move forward or breath really.

Relieved to see his friends arrive, Xuan made to hold a hand up to stop them from going on the aggressive, but saw that they were already aware of the situation. This group of men gave Xuan no shortage of reasons to marvel at their capability.

"We fight against Demons. And other evils." Xuan stayed crouched as he addressed the large man. "I think that maybe you are not evil. Just used by it. In which case it is in our best interest to protect you so that you cannot be used again. However, we will need a show of trust that you will not be violent. If you can remain calm, we can remove those chains. You must understand, we only bound you because you tried to kill us all, while wearing the mask. There are ways to heal the scars left by demons, but it will take time. In this way, we can help."

Xuan wasn't lying, not completely. There were indeed ways to heal demonic possession, as his own clan had done on occasion. However, he had not learned how to do it yet. He hoped, and was even confident, that maybe between all of them that they might be able to work something out.

Without changing position, Xuan shared a look with the group. His decision was made, and he hoped he was right. What he wasn't sure of was what to tell him about where he was from.

"Ok." Xuan began to unlock the chains. "I come from the mountains of Hubei, in China. But now I live in San Francisco, California. America." He pulled the last one open and dropped the chain unceremoniously next to him. It was a show of good faith. Xuan imagined he could feel the men behind him tense. He shared their concern but dared not show it.

"How about you? Where do you come from?"

And though he knew Tiengue didn't need it, Xuan stretched out a hand to him. A hand that looked like a small child's in comparison, Xuan noted with some trepidation.

Aeviternus thought about chiming in with his own origins but it barely made sense even to him, let alone that this didn't seem like the audience for qualifying each attempt with 'kind of, but not really."  Choosing instead to observe, one of his most natural states of being, Aeviternus folded his hands into his hoodie pockets and held his position until the conversation, circumstances or Xuan dictated otherwise.

     "Tiengue, is it? My friend you are in South America, how did you get here? And I don't mean running to this farm, how did you get from China to here, South America? Are you being hurt by your employers?" Max asked holding his hands out so that he could see them. Max marvelled at the creatures cultural context clues or the anomoly of the lack there of. It was almost as if this creature had been held hostage in captivity or enslaved...hmmm.

He has no idea where he is. Does he know anything?

Xuan assessed Tiengue's demeanor and judged that he may still feel threatened. As big as he was, he was still surrounded by 4 individuals, one of which at least had power. If it were Xuan in that position, he would be on edge as well. And who knew what kind of treatment he was used to? Casually, Xuan took seat cross-legged on the earth and cast a glance back at his companions that implored them to take a more passive stance.

"Cool Hand, do you think you can find some food for our new friend? It is likely that he is very hungry." He turned his attention back to the recently released. "As much as you can carry, I think."

"My friend speaks true," Xuan admitted to Tiengue. He saw no point in lying at this stage. "We are in South America, just North of the equator on the North Atlantic side. Can you remember anything about where you came from and how you got here?"

As Xuan looked back Aeviternus gave a quick nod, indicating he understood the lead to follow and went to the ground himself gently, sitting on his feet and retaining his curious posture.  Realizing he was counting on those behind him to take the cue, he stifled his tempation to look back upon them to confirm their understanding and instead focused his attention on the large creature's movements.  If this went awry, there was space between he and his partner that needed to be covered quickly whether by the chain of his weapon or whatever he could summon as quickly.

Aeviternus was banking on kindness prevailing.

    "I think it best if...,"Max began as Orlando elbowed him.

    "I'll give you a hand,"Orlando said wide eyed looking into Maxes eyes. He pushed Max around and pushed him out of the barn. You couldn't be sure if Max understood, sometimes he seemed a bit dense in social interaction.



     The three were alone...

      Hmmph, Tiengue exhaled long and slow. It seemed that his new captures were not going to let him leave, and yet they had unchained him. What did they want, Tiengue felt sorry for them in a way. He had tried to warn them to run, but they were stupid. Their fate was doomed, but they did have much power. They might have a chance, if they understood more. It seemed as if they wanted information.
      Tiengue  decided to try and speed this up. Tiengue spoke slow and deliberately. He had to use his limited vocabulary to find meaning to his thoughts. " You in danger, Demons come to kill family, kill land. Me slave to Demon clan," he showed his tattoos which to the laymen wouldn't mean squat, but to two individuals that had been enlightened to the ways of the world it meant he was property to one of the most dangerous Chinese Mafia groups, one of the most dangerous syndicated entities in the world, The Demon Clan.
     "Master make me hunt for new bad people," Tiengue pointed in the distance, his direction gave Avitenus a chill. He was pointing in the direction of his spirit walk, the direction he now felt pulled towards. "Bad people Demon clan," and Tiengue  wiped his face where the mask had been. "Bad people are want he," Tiengue pointed at Aviternus, "Masters want you," he pointed at Xuan. "Make deal with Masters."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:08, Mon 27 Feb 2017.

Having been a chased man for centuries, Aeviternus was no stranger to being a target and he almost chuckled out loud at the idea of being traded.  However a pang of realization shuddered through him, stiffening his spine as he considered this group and their abilities... if they really wanted to incapacitate him, they had a real chance.

Being traded didn't seem appealing.  Being used as bait was at least considerable.

Might as well see how much the clan talks in front of their slaves.  "What exactly do they want me for?"

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 39):

     " Aviternus is the Anti-Christ, and must be prepared for the reckoning, "Tiengue spoke in an other worldly tone. It was spoken by wrote. This was a phrase that he must have heard numerous times.

"'Anti-Christ' is a new one," Aeviternus remarked off-handedly.  He wasn't quite sure if this being was sent by the Demon Clan, or if his masters were some other group and it was the Clan that he was after.  The basic speech was hard to follow at times.

His tone changed slightly like a parent speaking in front of the children.  To Xuan he said, "I just returned from where he's indicating.  Whatever is out there is what's killing the land, I came back to discuss with you."

Picking his tone up once more he finished with, "Is the Demon Clan out there?" He pointed in the same direction as had already been indicated.

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 41):

"Both Demon clan, [from where I'm indicating]," as Tiengue again pointed out to the south, which was the direction of the deep jungle. He tried to pick up Aviternus's inflection.

The more Tiengue spoke, the more Xuan's mood darkened. In a small way, he was glad Aeviternus could keep him talking. Xuan was busy trying to process the information and understand what to do with it. The information alone set him on edge, and he trusted the big man as much as he trusted a feral cat.

Xuan cast his eyes to the South, following Tiengue's finger. Stiffening, he almost expected the Demon Clan to be standing there at the edge of the jungle. The contents in the pit of his stomach turned sour, begging to come back up as he tried to peel back the layers of the jungle with his eyes, imaging grotesque faces and forms hungrily stalking their prey – the family. Xuan and Aeviternus were just their chattel, or maybe a prize or trophy, for which the demons would be delighted to slaughter for. And Aeviternus being the Anti-Christ? That was disconcerting, coming from them.

They had not attacked in full yet, however. Why? Did their confidence ebb after Teingue's defeat? Was his attack a test or a ruse? An infiltration? His victimisation seemed genuine, but that could be programming. The Demon Clan were nothing if not completely despicable in their methods. It was their nature. It wasn't unheard of that someone might join the Demon Clan willingly, in search of power or just pure sick satisfaction. Even the unwilling could suffer an appropriate fear of retribution or maybe go through a sort of Stolkholm Syndrome, given enough time.

Xuan turned on Tiengue. "Would you go back?" It was harsher than intended. Gathering himself, he softened his tone. "If you go now, would you go back? Back to them?" He almost spat the word. Despite Xuan's attempt at a friendly demeanor, two things were palpable – his disgust for the Demon Clan, and that nothing short of honesty would be acceptable at this point. Xuan needed to know this first. Then he'd find out what he meant by "both".
This message was last edited by the player at 23:03, Fri 03 Mar 2017.

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg # 43):

     Tiengue looked down towards the dust and debri, clenching his fists and setting his jaw he looked back up at the Asian man. "Would you go back," he repeated with a slow and monotone inflection. He seemed to chew on the words, he knew what they meant, but he had never uterred the words before, nor did he feel comfortable explaining his thoughts. "Demon Clan own Tiengue, Demon Clan find Tiengue. [there is no escape]," Tiengue's last phrase was a constant reminder in his younger years, and still a constant thought embedded in his psyche. He would not go back on his own, but he would be forced to return no matter what.
     "Tiengue make escape, Demon Clan catch Tiengue,"he said in a deflated manner..."Tiengue make escape," he said more resolutely with his chin up looking in the Asian man's eyes. He pushed his chained hand towards Xuan pointing,"make escape."       

While Tiengue answered John's question, Aeviternus mulled over the prospect of not one but two Demon Clans to tangle with.  This being was sent from the Chinese installment; could they also be here to join or war with a South American faction?  Who was Aeviternus kidding; if there were two here, they were obviously teamming up.  It couldn't go any other way.

That complicates things.

"Do not fear this;" he spoke directly to Tiengue as his pupils and irises disappeared into pools of luminescent pearl energy.  "This is not to harm, it helps me see."

There were clues to reality that the spirit could reveal if one could view it directly.

Aviternus had visual contact with Tiengue, seeing his spirit was easy, decifering what he saw was another matter altogether. It seemed to Ace that he could see multiple forces working on Tiengue, his soul in the middle seemed pure, but layers of darkening outside influences seemed to be surrounding him, or his soul rather. It was almost as if his soul was in a state of torture while it was being syphoned.

Aeviternus spoke more to Xuan, but he felt it was important for Tiengue to hear.  His eyes stayed full of energy, his sight still on Tiengue's soul.

"At his core, he is pure.  There are multiple forces vying for control, acting upon the host spirit and insisting their will upon him.  He is strong indeed to have come this far after so much... effort... on their part to establish dominance."

There might be some merit in attempting to sever the connection locally, certainly their will would be ended with the death of whomever held the other end of the leash, but who knew what could happen between now and then or if that being were even on the continent.

"Possibly with Orlando's help and Tiengue's permission, I could rid him of their presence."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:59, Fri 10 Mar 2017.

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 47):

Tiengue turned towards Aeviternus, apparently doing the same thing, trying to see if he was telling the truth"...can make happen...you?"He said with trepidation in his voice, the you seemed to be added after a brief moment of thought. This happened to be the most Tiengue had spoken in years...combined, and they spoke the Han dialect of royalty.

"Why do?...Why do to Tiengue, why help?" Tiengue garbled out.

"Our fight is against evil. Against Demons, and their like. No matter their hold, you are not evil Tiengue." Or at least Aeviternus doesn't think so. Besides, one less warrior for them could only be a good thing. Xuan had spoken before he realized that he might be stepping on Aeviternus' toes. Offering a look of apology to the ancient boy, he added, "And maybe I can be of some help. My people have had experience in this sort of thing, though I admit I have little. I have Chi, and Chi is life, both good and bad, both harm and heal. Perhaps the healing part can help to burn away their presence. Though to this situation, I defer to you both."

Xuan looked back over to Tiengue, not without sympathy. "The real trap is your connection to them." Xuan motioned toward the jungle where Tiengue first indicated the Demon Clans. "You can shed those chains. We are not your enemies, but with our help, even if they do find you again, it will be much more difficult for them to take you."

Xuan held Tiengue's gaze long enough to let him know he meant it. Then he turned to Ace and asked, "So, what can we do?"

Aeviternus rose slowly to his feet and moved next to Xuan, repositioning himself back onto the ground without losing focus on Tiengue.  It hadn't occurred to him that the Chi Xuan wielded could be used for such a purpose, though now that it had been brought up and he'd seen what he had of what the man could do with that energy, he was not surprised.

To Xuan he said; "Sooner is probably better if we're going to make this effort and if you can help, I believe we should try.  Though what exactly your part in it would be, I can't say, however I might know more once I'm on the spirit plane and, moreover, I trust your instincts implicitly."

Then Aeviternus helped to try answering Tiengue's question.  "I believe it helps everybody except for the Demon Clan to release you, Tiengue.  Even if you were not to join our effort afterwards, you would be free and we would not need to fight you again."  His face still itched where the burns had healed from being nearly melted off scant hours ago.

At least here's hoping, anyway.

"I don't know if it will cause you pain nor exactly what we'll do to set you free, but to not attempt is to guarantee failure.  Are you willing to let us try?"

     Tiengue's eyes averted Aeviternus's when he noticed the huge platter of food Orlando brought it.

     "...Did I hear someone say exorcism?"Orlando said with humor.

The next morning...Aftermath of the Exorcism

The group had decided to split up, Kirby and Max had decided to stay behind to look after Kirby's Jandi, and to provide back up if needed.

Orlando began working on a plan with Kirby's grandfather Edmund in figuring out how to get Earl and Malcolm back to earth descreetly.

Edmund's group, (the Bostonian and Elsie) also stayed to offer support for Elizabeth and to Mission: Falling Star, which within hours was the new code name for the moon rescue.

That left Ace and John to move forward with their primary mission: Discovery and acquire if possible the lost expedition team, one of which included Xuan's mother, the former team member of Orlando.

Aeviternus stood in the doorway to Elizabeth's room in the wee hours of the morning. There were other connections that Aeviternus was discreetly pieceing together. He couldn't help the slow creep of dread as intangible connections were made...


45 years ago...

    Wind and rain pelted the country side manor as Aeviternus walked around his hosts study extinguishing the candles. The room was more traditional save for the one electric light in the room which hung over the door. Mr. Grey held two glasses and flicked off the light as the two men ended up close to the hearth, which was the only light now in the room. Aeviternus was youthful, in his 30's but his eyes were hard, so hard, Miss Grey flinched away when his gaze fell on her too long. A beautiful woman sat nervous primly dressed, with wild black hair, staring at the fire, afraid to talk out of turn or so one would think.
     "My Lord," Mr. Grey started, "Elizabeth is ready." Aeviternus again studied the woman, she was beautiful, and talented, and of his direct lineage. She was to perform his next rite of passage with her coven of Analecti. Her father and his father before him had been staunch loyalist to the cause, one of Aeviternus's most trusted. Would she be willing to give up the greatest sacrafice if he demanded it?
    "I'm not worried about her readiness Willford, she has quite a few more years to prepare and improve. I'm here because of the bethrothal to Jon Kanhai. I've done some digging, he will be leaving England soon, and taking Elizabeth with him?" Aeviternus said taking the glass from his host.
    "My Lord, her station will improve and provide.."
    Aeviternus waved him off, "I'm not concerned about her leaving, its where she is going. You are sending her out of my influence, into unfamiliar denizens." he smelled the wine... aresenic laced, almond bouquette. Aeviternus set the glass on the mantle and again looked at Elizabeth as she watched him intently. He wondered if she was placidly waiting to be addressed or holding back a fury. She is calm, this is good he noted.
    "She will be taken care of, nor is she in any danger by this coupling."
    "How can you be so sure?" Aeviternus said taking Willford's untouched glass, swirling it around, a salty residue slid slightly as he turned the glass, anfalax. Aeviternus smiled slightly tossing the glass into the fire. Aeviternus proferred the orginal wine goblet to Elizabeth. She took the glass and smelled it in turn, with deft hands pulled something out of her sleeve and stirred it in with her finger, then handed it to her father. He drank the wine down in one gulp.
   "Because my Lord the Kanhai family has special talents, and from what I have been assured young Jon Kanhai is exceptionally gifted. As is my daughter." Willford Grey stated.

     At that moment Aeviternus had marked Elizabeth as he loved to do. The stronger he could make his geneology the better, yes she might be called upon to make the biggest sacrafice that one could make, her child would be one of the best hosts he could hope for.

Present Day...

     He kissed Elizabeth's still unconcious forehead, and looked at the old man now before him slumped in the chair asleep. Jon, Kirby's grandfather, watched over her, ever by her side. He couldn't help the morose feeling, your protection still wasn't enough young man.

Ace and Jon left that morning early, before even the ranch hands had stirred.

A dark hulking figure waited out in the darkness along the road. It seemed the creature Tiengue still had a part to play.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:17, Mon 26 June 2017.

In the dim light before the sun crested the hills of Rock View that bordered the Madhya, Aeviternus watched Xuan's and his own breath form in front of them in the crisp morning air.  Their exit had been all but silent; the decisions had been made the previous night and there was nothing left but for the journey to begin.  He already trusted Xuan nigh implicitly, though that might not come out in conversation for some time, if ever.  They seemed to already have an understanding and this morning's ritual as they left the homestead was indicative of it, sparing no words, packing what was necessary and ready to leave simultaneously.  There weren't a lot of farewells bid to the group either, each man not much for sentiment in his own right and for his own reasons.  There was the job to be done and the mysteries to be solved in their own time, and that was enough.

As they walked, Aeviternus noted that Xuan made about as much sound in doing so as himself, which was to say virtually none.  The occasional crunch of a fallen fern leaf under a foot was all that signaled their travels as they made their way into the forests.  Light on his feet, a warrior, a scholar... a thinker; careful in both words and actions but never to the point of inaction or delay.  So far.  The old soul couldn't help sizing up his unlikely partner, in this case it was more than habit, it was interest.  The man was intriguing.

The prospect of waking Elizabeth was weighing on Aeviternus.  Nobody else had recognized him and why should they?  His features were an amalgamation of dozens, if not hundreds, of bloodlines and Avery was only loosely related, a distant cousin in the family.  But there was a good chance she'd note his eyes.  There were expressions and habits he'd carried through the millennia and tended to show through even the most dynamic and diverse hosts.  Yes, she'd likely remember the eyes.  And what then?  She'd made her choices, he'd understood and moved on.  Would she accept that?  He felt no bad blood but the heirarchy always twisted relationships, caused doubt despite his attempts to assuage.  Maybe he just wasn't skilled in putting people at ease.

That's a first.

Quiet or offer something useful, boy.

....

Aeviternus looked at Xuan, wondering how pieces would move if he started to go through the many stories, the varied connections.  Would the warrior's loyalty to his team propel him to divulge a version of everything that was said at first opportunity?  Would and should that matter?  Maybe they deserved the truth.  Maybe humanity did.  Ready though they may or may not be.  He once again focused on the path ahead.

"How did you get involved with this team, turtle?"  Aeviternus suddenly couldn't remember if it was turtle or tortoise that could be considered offensive to call somebody in Chinese culture, or if it was one and the same.  Surely John would understand he meant it as both an understanding and a compliment.

Would he?

"Hopefully it's clear I do not refer to you that way in a derogatory manner."

The tranquility of the cool dawn and the purity of the mission ahead placed Xuan's mood in good stead. His adolescent years in the mountains had acclimatised his body to the cold, and now he preferred it. It was one of the reasons San Francisco made for an acceptable residence in all the choices within the US. That, and the proximity to the ocean. And if he was being honest with himself, the city held a number of wonders and interests to explore and enjoy. For the first time, Xuan thought he might actually be missing the place.

The mission was only pure in the sense that it was a singular task, of which Xuan's destiny seemed tied to. Perhaps the only distraction was looking after the mammoth figure that accompanied Aeviternus and him. Tiengue would still need a close eye, though Xuan suspected that it wouldn't be until they were closer to their objective that complications may arise.

Aeviternus, on the other hand, proved to be a welcome companion. Most people felt uncomfortable in silence, speaking only for the need to fill the space in hopes of making a situation less awkward or unpleasant. The Old Youth displayed no inclination, confidently moving forward, competent in his role and trusting others to do the same. This was a skill learned in small communities where life or prosperity depended on each individual knowing their part. Xuan wondered if Aeviternus experienced such a life at some point. It also meant that Xuan had proven himself to be competent, or trusted. Or maybe he was reading it all wrong and he was just having some very interesting internal dialogue.

Either way, Xuan was content with him as a travel companion, even if he still left many secrets beneath his numerous surfaces. Time may divulge them, he figured, and that was fine. Xuan himself rarely let people know where they stood with him, a habit inherited from his father. He did, however, find himself trusting Aeviternus. He'd earned that. There was still an oddity about him though. He seemed young, in appearance, but very rarely acted so. In fact, his eyes were reminiscent of an old master of Xuan's, carrying a calm wisdom and, frankly, an arrogance of one who knows better than you due to their prolonged exposure to life. Xuan found it comforting. And occasionally unnerving.

"How did you get involved with this team, turtle?"

Xuan's surprise betrayed his facade. He wasn't sure if it was the break in reticence or the query itself that took him off-guard, but placidity was recovered almost immediately. He'd almost forgotten that the Ancient Boy knew about Chinese culture. Was that the youthful aspect or the ancient? Aeviternus spoke again before he could formulate a response, and Xuan halted to examine him.

"There is no insult greater, but for the turtle egg. I'm afraid this means one to one combat, hand to hand."

Xuan's shoulders rolled and his left heal shifted. Slowly he raised his right hand up to his face, loosely curled. Then he brushed his nose twice with his thumb and waited.

     Tiengue choked slightly "turtle?!", he couldn't believe the subordinate would insult his master in such a way.
Ah yes, they will fight now, this was a blood thirsty lot who couldn't keep from fighting amongst each other. Maybe he hadn't perceived the tension between the two, but now it unfolded.  Maybe he had made a poor choice in coming.

YESS!!

He's kidding.

DamniiIIIIT!!

Was he?  Honestly Aeviternus didn't have much evidence to support that conclusion.  He'd caught the subtle reaction from Tiengue, a Chinese native himself or certainly acclimated to their customs.  HE was definitely serious.

Aeviternus stopped walking and turned mostly towards Xuan.

"Truly?  You realize, if you won, you'd either be besting a child or a very old man.  And if you didn't, you'd be losing to one or the other.  Is that good for your honor?"  If not for the shadow of the hood, a creeping smile would be visible.

"Though some should certainly be redeemed for the most deft aversion to a question in the history of hiking."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:04, Sat 01 July 2017.

"Yyyes."

I'm confused. Must recover.

"I mean, no. I...I'm-"

Shhhhh.

Xuan lowered his hand and blinked. He called my bluff. He knows I'm joking. Ah. I see what's happening now.

A rare smile split Xuan's face and he admitted defeat with a nod.

"I have been bested. This battle of wits goes to you. Thank you for teaching this slow turtle, Sifu. You are right. There is no glory to be gained in shaming an old man or a boy. Or an old boy."

Xuan observed Tiengue's discomfort and decided it best to move on before the beast had second thoughts about accompanying them. He shrugged as if to say that they had better keep moving, then resumed pace.

"Too many times you hear an old man suggest what he could do if he were younger. The wisdom and knowledge of the ancient in the virility and potential of a youthful body... now, that is as formidable an opponent as any. So is that good for my honor?" An appraising glance was thrown at Aeviternus. "I'm not entirely sure I am ready to find out. As to how I was recruited to this cause, it feels so long ago I almost don't remember. I believe it started with my desire to find my mother. Though, I suppose that also means discovering who I am as well. She is my Western half, though I barely know her, having been raised by my father in China. So I moved to San Francisco and began my search. My father helped me to get in contact with Orlando, and... I have been part of this clan since."

Aeviternus resumed pace as Xuan did and when the question came about honor following the incredibly astute observation about the old soul's exact modus operandi, he turned his face to return a genuine smile to Xuan's appraising glance.  He listened as his initial question was answered and took a moment to absorb the information.  He had questions, as always, but first reciprocity.

"You discredit yourself.  There is nothing slow about you.  As anxious as Avery might be to test our skills against you, this old man is keenly aware that the young body is not ready and without the use of anything other than physique, I believe you to have the best of it."

Aeviternus went back to the origins story.  Xuan's connection to the group seemed to be based mostly in convenience, and with the warrior's abilities it was truly a mutually beneficial exchange.  There were still many missing puzzle pieces in this journey and Xuan's parents may turn out to be at least one of them.

"How does your father know Orlando?"  He paused and, thinking he'd rather avoid creating the perception of inquisitor, added the end game of his questions for the benefit of transparency.  "I become increasingly alarmed at the number of connections of both this group and its assignments.  I have identified some that I'm betting nobody else has just yet."

       Hungh... Tiengue turned his head to look at the grass sighing heavily. His thick forehead crunched down to meet his frown. They are both stupid, and Tiengue the worse for his choice. We have a stupid turtle and a befuddled child, I wonder if they would let me back in my cage?
Ah the grass has it right, "enjoy the sun" Tiengue said to the grass, "may the darkness stay away. "

Tiengue spared a slow glance to see if the two were done posturing...humph.

Aeviternus, at least the old man in him, had some humility it seemed. Xuan respected that. He wasn't altogether convinced he was right about Xuan's advantage, but then again he'd never had to share a body with someone else before either. The compliment was hard to take, however. All compliments made him uncomfortable.

Xuan did his best to ignore Tiengue and took a few moments before answering Ace. Was the big guy actually disappointed?

"My mother worked with Max and Orlando at a place called IONS, which, if I recall correctly, conducted research on the supernatural. My best guess is that my father knew those two by association with my mother. You are quicker than I am, or have the superior insight, because I have not pieced much of it together yet. In fact, it all seems so much more...complicated now. What do you know?"

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg # 60):

"Your thoughts are not entirely true warrior, be vigilant."The voice was heard but not by Xuan's ears. It came somewhere from within. He faintly realized that it was the voice of the water spirit.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:46, Mon 17 July 2017.

They appeared to have some time to go before closing in on their target, so Aeviternus settled in to the rhythmic gait of their hike and took a breath to tell a story.

"To better aid in understanding, I think it's best I start by going back a couple thousand years.  It will make more sense when you know how this began."

OOC- Please pause in this post to go read the next section of the Aeviternus history in the Background thread; "300 AD."

Aeviternus stared ahead for a few moments, deciding where to catch Xuan up to first.  When he began again, he wasn't sure if it was the right place to start and spoke quickly as if to make up for it.

"Kirby's kin are in my bloodline and, as a matter of fact, Kirby was to be a potential host for this generation.  His grandparents made some decisions that made that impossible, so Avery's kin were asked instead.  Elizabeth I chose specifically, she showed great potential and had she a son, he would have been chosen to host me.  She instead had a daughter and chose to have no more children, therefore my hopes moved towards the following generation, the Kirby you know.  To my knowledge, only the older Smiths are aware of this bloodline and to my observations, none of them recognize me.  The only one that would, really, would be Elizabeth.

On to the Tibbs'.  Orlando and his brother Earl are Analectines, a part of my order.  Earl's wife, may she rest, was a very high ranking member and was a part of the ceremony that bonded Avery and I.  Sharokina was hunted, followed by Earl and now Elizabeth, who led the ceremony, so there seems to be a conspiracy to destroy all of those that were involved.  Orlando's connections at IONS may turn out to be a signifcant part of this puzzle, as may your mother, but how is still unclear to me now.  However, whatever is keeping Elizabeth out of consciousness also seems to be holding your mother captive, if I'm reading this correctly."

He took another breath and added; "And I just don't have a lot of faith in coincidences."

It was a perennial minute before Xuan responded. Along with his spiritual passenger's words, he replayed the information silently and repeatedly in his mind, squinting against the chilled air that played gently with his unkempt hair. Aeviternus was right about the connections. It was bigger than Xuan originally gave it credit for, and the thoughts tornadoed in his mind. He was almost lost to it, but the frustration of missing those crucial points forced him back to the conversation, and he began to lay some of those pieces out aloud to release his mind from that endless circle.

"IONS. Analecti. Demons. The military. These keep circling my mental xuánzhuǎn cānzhuō. Am I correct in saying that our situation culminates into one overarching force at the root of it? If so, what is this force? It goes beyond Demons alone, but maybe incorporates them, uses them for its purpose. And yet, that would mean there is an equally powerful force bringing us together and guiding us on this path. But it all comes in little pieces, seemingly unconnected voices. To what end? What is this grand game we are playing? And are we the pawns, or the knights? And if your consciousness spans back that far, does that make you the bishop, or king?"

      Tiengue soaked in the information almost tripping when he heard how old Aeviternus purported to be. Observing was something he was used to, listening.  He knew his language was that of a simpleton; being talked to was not his norm.  No most of the time anyway, mainly he was a silent passenger to the "dominants", those evil spirits that often took rides in his skin, pushing aside his mind so that they could control him.  He was a submissive slave, a vessel...a special vessel and an inconsequential gnat.  The demonic beings that took control of Tiengue thought him less than a slave and therefore almost never guarded their thoughts from him, why should they.
      It didn't occur to Tiengue to even use the information or to try and make sense of it until he overheard the two sharing. It dawned on him that he knew many things, knew many secrets, things that the evil creatures even hid from their human counterparts. It was during Xuan and Aeviternus' conversation, hearing how the men talked with one another that Tiengue made two very important decisions moving forward.  One, was that he needed to know more from these two Xuan and Aeviternus, so that he could start making sense of all of secrets he knew; and that the people that kept him were truely evil men. Seeing how these two talked and enjoyed each other's company, sharing, talking of family freely, and not hiding themselves, this was what it meant to be good. He had dared not believe the whisperers of such people, nor did he ever truly believe what he saw in his victims. He now understood that some people he had killed had been good people. He'd seen it, and not really understood it no matter how long he studied a potential victim.  Now he knew it was true. Good people did exist and he knew these two were good, not in their actions to free him from the demons, that could have been a ploy for them to gain advantage, not for how they protected what was theirs at the dwelling, that was natural. It was how they enjoyed each other on their walk in the sun. Teingue in forming these thoughts came to his second conclusion, he realized he should help these men.

Something drew his attention to Tiengue, Aeviternus stole a glance at the big man who continued to keep his own counsel and wondered at what must be going on in that huge head.  Tiengue seemed mostly content to take in the countryside as they walked and Aeviternus found himself curious if this had ever been possible for him before.  It didn't seem likely, considering their new knowledge of him, and it caused his own sense of gratitude to sparkle for a moment in their current surroundings and knowing that the forest they were headed to was dead or dying, plagued by evil.

"I cannot say with certainty that all roads lead back to one source when it comes to our troubles, but from my perspective I agree it appears as such.  My..." he paused mid-sentence because he still struggled to wrap his mind around it; "experience on the moon... lends itself to this hypothesis.  As to your thought that there may be an equally powerful force at work on our side, I hope you're right.  However I've seen plenty of instances where those who are attacked and oppressed simply find ways to join forces to defeat their enemy with no particular individual behind it all.  They do it for freedom and survival... as I think we are.  I've been the silent guiding force in many of these instances, but still just one piece of many on the game board.  No, I am no king."

He thought on that for a moment and felt compelled to add; "I seek no land or wealth, glory or justice.  Only knowledge.  Admittedly I cannot say I don't seek power, but that is only because of the well known belief of what knowledge is.  If what I know gets me closer to the end of my quest, then power so should it be considered."

If you blow any harder, you're going to windsail us back to the plantation and make us start over.

I'm explaining.

You're pontificating.

You're being critical.

You're being a sad sack.

_{...grumble...}

Whether there was more to hear or not, Aeviternus ceased speaking.  His shoulders lurched up and his head shook once to a side, almost in a spasm, then he returned back to his gait as though it was simply a chill down his spine.  As if to promote this appearance, he shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets.

The subtle movements from Aeviternus gave Xuan pause, curious as to whether those spasms were from some thought or just a tick. If it had something to do with the body sharing, he was glad he missed that boat. Control over himself was enough of a task, as much as giving up control to follow The Way. Xuan wondered if Aeviternus had ever learned and followed The Way, and what it must be like to have to then begin again due to a recent cohabitant.

"I was not suggesting a god as such. More of a... a driving force. Say there's an energy, and that energy requires balance. Like the Yin and Yang, chaos and order. When the balance of the universe tips, perhaps there is a driving force that pulls or pushes the opposition, all of which sings at a similar resonance, or frequency. There may well always be those seeking power and control, just like there will always be those that value freedom and survival. I think of this energy like water. Nourishing and gentle at times, unforgiving and destructive at other times. It has as much say over life and death as any god. But there is always a flow, and survival and freedom can happen when you learn to embrace that flow. I myself try to embrace that flow, not to be water itself, but to be a part of it."

Xuan cast a furtive look at his companions, somewhat chagrined and realizing that maybe he had said too much. If it had been a purposeful explanation, then there was nothing wrong with that, but Xuan had let his thoughts escape, the words coming out as fast as they entered his head. It was undisciplined and unlike him. It was an opening to vulnerability when he needed to be vigilant. They were soon to assault the Demon Clan, and here he was chattering away as if with his master in his private dojo. Xuan didn't even share most of his feelings with any of his close friends. And if knowledge was power to the Ancient Boy, Xuan had just gifted some of his own, complete with a ribbon and bow.

But is that so bad?

True, he did trust him now. Tiengue, not so much, and there was no doubt that he was listening to every word, even if he didn't have perfect understanding of those words. However, maybe it wasn't so bad to allow Aeviternus in.

"I think there is too much of the Master in you. I ramble like a naive student in your company. It's been some time since I have been caught off guard like that. I doubt I've spoken as much to my own father."

Aaand there you go again. Silence. Regain control. Divert the attention back. Xuan bared his teeth in a failed attempt at a smile while trying to pass his words off as humorous.

"Anyway, what is this end game of yours? Knowledge of what?"

Note to self. Do not play chess with this man.

Aeviternus, who'd been nodding along as Xuan opined on the shifting nature of the balance between growth and destruction in the universe, turned to the warrior just in time to catch the panther's fangs flashed in what passed for a smile from Xuan.  At first Ace just blinked, but from beneath the hood a smile of his own began to form in genuine mirth and for a moment, the lines in his face belied the youthful visage and told instead of venerable joviality.  An old man preferring to laugh together rather than commiserate.

Indeed, this was more words from Xuan than he'd heard altogether since they'd met.  Aeviternus, in an effort to curtail any potential embarrasment, offered; "In times where peace is minimal, we tend to make of what little appears as we can.  I think, were you and I to have the time and tea, we could fill many hours allowing our minds to flow like water."

He took another few steps in silence, and before deciding on the answer to Xuan's last question decided to add; "I also think your many moments of listening instead of talking has made you very perceptive.  Perception is wisdom."  Another pause.  "Speaking of..."

He turned his attention to their BFG in company.  "Tiengue, you as well are a being that exhibits this trait.  Are you able to tell us what you know from hunting us?  What did your masters know and take for granted that they imparted to you?"

Nobody talks like that and especially not this guy.  You need to dumb it down.

Even the boy had a wisdom of sorts.

"What do you know about us?  Can you tell us?"

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 67):

     The groups's conversation continued...slowly, Tiengue softly interrupting with strange questions when Xuan and Aeviternus began talking to each other..."How many hours in a day?...Where on Earth were they?...Where they are from, How do men travel long distance?...When do you stop to pray?..which was followed up with 'Who do you pray to? and Who do other people pray to?" These questions were asked more crudely by Tiengue of course, Xuan and Aeviternus were able to capture the gist of his questions.
     The oddity of his inquiries completely derailed the conversation Xuan and Aeviternus were having after a while, almost seemingly purposeful on Tiengue's part as he would only ask a question once they really got into their conversation. However, this caused both men to shift their thoughts, contemplating Tiengue's "situation." How long had he been in captivity, was it possible that this man was born into slavery, how could someone not know the answers to these common questions?
     Aeviternus now thoroughly intrigued by the new riddle called Tiengue, he first tried to place his language, it was the first step in understanding a man's background.  Having been in contact with Tiengue's soul gave Aeviternus an uncanny connection to the newcomer. Understanding the man was a marvelous benefit, if communicating in a language. However deciphering language based on one's personal knowledge versus a spiritual connection was a little different. Aeviternus's long experience and exposure to language all around the world made it easy most of the time, often a dialect or local of a person was harder to pin point. It made it much easier if Aeviternus had the personal experience as well.  He found in this situation, that it was much harder. At first, Aeviternus just simply understood Tiengue's language, that was the most useful skill of Aeviternus's ability, but this wasn't what he was after. He wanted to know what the language was. His first attempts at identification were no where close. This gave him pause, almost as if he had mentally thrown away flash cards. He realized that his language was much older, then realized, that it was dead, no, no longer spoken on Earth, well that wasn't entirely correct either. This was interesting indeed. Aeviternus realized after a few moments, that he hadn't heard this language spoken...ever. It's closest relative was Ancient Egyptian, which had died out around 200-300 A.D. Tiengue's language predated Ancient Egyptian, almost Latin to Italian in correlation.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:59, Sat 26 Aug 2017.

     Tiengue could tell that the men were studying him, but it wasn't threatening, it was curiosity.All that he had known was harsh treatment, when someone wanted knowledge about him, they just took it. Mental rape wasn't really a thought or a phrase for what Tiengue had experienced over the years, but it was the best description.
     It was a relief; Tiengue did not have to hide within himself, he could feel no onlooker, no one waiting to gleam secrets, no one to hurt him. Tiengue for the first time since he could remember stepped out of his mental shell, probing tentatively with the two men.
     In captivity he had rare moments to him self, able to feel, to think, to sleep, to string thoughts together. He had to hide himself, but not now, it seemed that he could be free. Too hard to imagine, Tiengue the wounded animal inside slowly stretched his mind to enter into this new world called Earth.
     "Tiengue from Eden," Tiengue eventually said to Aeviternus, "Aebyedoss province actually," he mumbled in his home tongue. "People on Earth call it Shangri-La, Asgaard, Mt. Olympus, Nirvanna, The Garden of Eden. I have heard other names. This place, people go there?" It was a question Tiengue asked with longing. To go home...
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:32, Mon 28 Aug 2017.

Xuan turned to Aeviternus, also interested in the answer that the Old Boy might have to the question Tiengue posed. Could there actually be such a place? Would it be so different from his own peoples' beliefs about the Bodhissatvas and the Jade Empire? Though he had never heard any evidence of mortals being able to enter the heavenly planes, his father had often eluded to the actuality of its existence. However, he couldn't imagine that these places could be one and the same. Shen and Bodhissatvas living next door to Greek gods and angels? It seemed even more implausible than mortal ascension. Then again, this group was in communication with an actual alien race, so what couldn't be possible at this point?

Truthfully, Xuan had been doing his best to pay attention to everything Tiengue was divulging, working with Ace to dig further and gain more insight into not only Tiengue's character but also his experience before and after uniquely being freed from Demon slavery. His heart, however, was still laboring over the boulder that Tiengue dropped in their laps about his mother and the Demon Clan's plans for him. There was a small part of him that expected something like that, but he was not prepared for it. He was rattled. Concern for his mother threatened to consume him. Concern, and a lava-like rage that bubbled into the exposed cracks of his discipline. His skin burned with it, heat radiating from his body as his Chi begged for release.

The barrage of questions that volleyed between them all helped to be the distraction Xuan needed to keep his composure. He didn't need his imagination about his mother's circumstances running wild. Seeking the water within, he used it to cool and soothe himself, reminding himself that there was no point to letting his judgement and logic get clouded. This was just part of the journey. And if he didn't get his emotions under control, it was possible that he could have an occurrence similar to one he'd had as a youth in training.

The crater that marred their temple on the Mountain was left as a reminder to Xuan of the damage that a lack of control could do.

His face inquisitive, if not unnaturally placid, beckoned Ace for an answer. Xuan needed to keep the conversation going in this direction to quell that boiling lava. "That's a good question Tiengue. What do you think Ace?"

"People certainly try..." Aeviternus found himself almost muttering.  He cleared his throat and continued.

"Here it's more of a hope than a destination.  I wouldn't be surprised at all to learn that it's real or that there are means to get to it.  Maybe not on this planet, but then again in my travels along it there seems to be evidence of pathways to many places that are accessible to those with different knoweldge than mine."  He thought about the moon and the gate he witnessed upon it while travelling with Malcohlm.  It still seemed strange enough to the old soul so as to cause him discomfort to talk about, still so surreal, so he left it out of his meandering theories.  Something had caught his ear, however.

"You say Garden of Eden.  Tell us more."  Truth could be lubricated by easing communication, he'd always found, and decided to add; "If you'd prefer to speak in your native tongue, I can translate to Xuan."

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 72):

Tiengue looked to Aeviternus with concern and speculation. He felt tentatively in his mind to see if were being "touched", but he felt nothing, which felt wonderful.  "How do you know my language?" he said in Abyssal.

There wasn't a creature alive that knew this language here on Earth.

Answering so Xuan would know the question, Aeviternus replied; "I know your language because once I have made contact with a soul, I can understand that soul no matter how it communicates.  I can't speak yours because I have no context and it doesn't sound like anything I've encountered in my travels, where usually I can speak the language as well by putting the pieces together from millions of interactions with people across history and the planet."

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 74):

    Tiengue looked sideways at Aeviternus, and lowered his head in thought for a moment. "Ancient One, do you know the lineage of your parents? Were they Judaen?"

"It's complicated."  The contemporary phrase fell out of his mouth like a sneeze.  Aeviternus wasn't even sure if it was he or Avery who had responded.

Recovering, he expounded some.  "I do and I don't, they are and they aren't.  You could say my father was Judean at one point and then was among the first Christians... quite literally... but he also serves to be one of the first anti-Christians of history.  My mother may have been Judaen, but it wasn't spoken of, not to me anyway."  He ruminated for a bit as was often the case when his deep history came up.  "I suppose the most direct answer to your question is: I'm not sure."

He looked over at Tiengue as they walked with that last summary.  He added; "I'm happy to answer your questions in return, but we're coming back to the Garden of Eden."  He made sure his smile was audible if not visible in the promise.

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 76):

     "Don't worry old one, I'm not keeping secrets, I could give a fuck at this point. I merely marvel at your ability to speak my tongue. To my ears it sounds perfect, from my home. This is not an ability that is common even among my people or Earth's. Only the Elders and Royalty had this ability. The Judaens are the direct ancestors of Royalty, it would be in their blood. This is why I ask. I'm not a scholar, so I don't know as much as many, but probably more than anyone here." He again looked down in thought.
      "I am or was a soldier during the SAW, as we called it. The Second Apocalyptic War of Eden. I have been a prisoner of war for a little over 60 years here on Earth." He flexed his hands open and close, turning them over, seeming to look at them for the first time in quite a while.
     "Eden, is the AO, the Prime world, the birth of life, cradle of life, Seed of Souls, there's too many names to list. It is the birth place of this world, Earth is from Eden, it was created and then sent out to where it is currently traveling during this phase. The "garden" is an extension of home, Earth was made in the direct image of Eden, many were not, but here was just like home. A garden just like home. Every place on Earth is a wonderful creation in Eden's image. So technically I was born here in a colony,  but we pulled out, back to Eden when the war broke out. We were lucky, many of our people did not make it. Later during the war I was captured during a rather intense battle, a war criminal they said. A few years later I was sent back here, to be used like a stud animal to breed and to kill."
      He spoke so plainly, so matter of fact, it was truth to him, raving as it sounded, he said it in a retelling state as if he were reminiscing in the past.

Aeviternus, marvelling at the information pouring out of Tiengue, looked to Xuan to see what his reaction might be and remembered he was supposed to be translating.  So unique was this situation that he hadn't realized he had started speaking Abyssal when answering Tiengue's question about his parents' lineage.  Xuan was a patient man and was likely to be simply waiting for his turn to hear and understand, making Aeviternus that much more self-conscious about leaving him out for a few beats.

He repeated all that had been said in the strange language, translating it to Chinese for Xuan to capture all of the nuance Tiengue had expressed.  An obvious question arose in the old soul's consciousness but decided the answer might come out organically.  Now that Xuan was caught up, he may have questions of his own.

xuan wasn't sure if what Tiengue was saying could be believed. He understood that other cultures had their own beliefs, but it sounded a lot like Christianity than a plausible world truth. He spoke Chinese at it would be easier for him to communicate his thoughts.

"How do we know that what you're saying is accurate? It isn't unheard of for victims of demons to come out brainwashed. If we are to believe what you are saying, you are possibly immortal, or you at least age incredibly slow, and you come from a place only Shen or Angels come from. What does that make you? What does that say about other cultural beliefs? Am I now to believe that there is no heavenly plane where the Jade Emperor resides? And what exactly is this war, the SAW?"

There was unintended heat in his words, Xuan's mind still trying to cast out thoughts of his mother. Not just heat, but genuine curiosity as well. What was the connection between Tiengue's disclosure and Xuan's own beliefs? He tried to read Ace's face to see how he was taking this information, but he was likely to glean nothing from him. His poker face was, admittedly, better than Xuan's.

     "Great! I should have kept my mouth shut," Tiengue grumbled under his breath. How am I going to explain time and space to them, they still think its linear, well at least they know the planets not flat anymore. "My appologies, I'm not a scientist and I don't fully understand the concept of time myself, but I am not immortal, I'm only...he looked up in thought, probably close to 140 years old. When I was hear first, never mind, that won't make sense. When we pulled back through the כְּנִיסָה ...the word didn't translate to Aeviternus, it was a confusing garble that gave him the vague idea of a hole through a hole, where space touches "innerspace," the space between space to allow travel through space. This hit Aeviternus all at once, mentally reeling he tried to follow Tiengue's conversation.
     Tiengue paused, then spoke clearly,"When our army retreated home time did not affect me as it does here on Earth, only a few years had lapsed on Eden, but about 8,000 years had lapsed when I was brought back. Time is difficult to understand. Just know that the distance between our worlds makes the time relationship different. That's enough, I don't want to mislead you. I'm not Immortal, far from it. I do age slower than humans that are on Earth now, it wasn't always so.  Humans and Royalty used to age slower as well. It was common upon a time for men to live 500, 600, even 800 years before passing the barrier. What is the average age of cellular mortality now?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:30, Sun 10 Sept 2017.

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg # 79):

     To Xuan, "Pardon me, I'm not talking about Earths' cultural beliefs, I'm talking about truth. You mentioned the Jade Emperor and shen and angels. They are real, but do you know what they really are? Ask him, he has seen the spirit world, he can tell you many things," Tiengue said pointing towards Aeviternus.
     "The problem is the War. The SAW has effected many worlds, Earth's growth and development for starters. Earth's lack of connection to Eden and knowledge is not to be understated, lack of magical flow, not to mention Eden's first attempts at inhabiting and cultivating this planet massively back fired, but I'm not a historian. Tell me does your planet have any legends of "Titans, giants, gods, or dragons? Any writings or should I say how many that describe how the universe was created?"

Nodding to Aeviternus to acknowledge the translation, Xuan released a sigh of frustration. Or maybe it was resignation. So much new information was being hurled his way that he felt as if he'd benefit from a flow chart in order to fully grasp it all.

"Yes, there are legends of all of those things, and writings to accompany those legends and... well, maybe I cannot use the word myths to describe them anymore. If I come to accept this information as true, that is. Although, I have seen a Titan now, so, there is that. It's not that I think you're lying. I just... It's difficult to accept new truths. I'm sure you can understand. There are probably many for you, becoming free after so long under Demon possession and affliction."

"So then, Ace, he says you can tell me what Shen and Angels and the like really are."

"He's wrong," Aeviternus said flatly.  The claim had sent him back again, pouring over history to see what there was to glean from it so as to compare it to the incredible claims Tiengue was making here and now.  The truth of it was that his mother had done a more than satisfactory job of protecting her boy, and that meant seeing frustratingly little.

Aeviternus cleared his throat, it seeming to suddenly occur to him that his answer would seem both curt and insufficient.  "Not wrong about seeing things, but what I have has been through a heavy veil designed to keep me invisible as much as danger at bay."  He slowed his pace and began to inspect the area more closely, he continued talking as he looked.

"I have spent much time in the spirit world, but I have seen little.  Even less that could be considered evidence to what Tiengue refers, though that does not mean I don't believe him.  I've seen enough to keep an open mind."  He paused from his inspection to look straight at Xuan.  "It pains me to not be able to answer your question."

Looking back to a particular set of ferns and trees, even more unknown occurred to him.  "The reference to how old mortals used to live sounds like the days of Noah and Moses.  Even there I am not much help as my journey took me from them early.  I couldn't even confirm that information though I can tell you, Tiengue, that humans nowadays don't tend to make it to a century."

Seeming to come to a conclusion with his scans, he changed the subject out of necessity.  "Do either of you have means of travelling that are considerably faster than on foot?  Where we go from here will take some time at our current pace, now that I'm here with my physical body it's easier to see just how far I'd gone on the spirit plane."

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 67):

Momentarily Xuan felt, quite literally, out of his element. And yet, beneath his feet the motion of the earth was reminiscent of riding an ocean wave, not unlike the movement of water but still solid rock. The jolt into motion made it clear that Xuan was not attuned to earth, however.

Bracing himself, Xuan immediately and reactively activated his chakras. As his skin once again emanated a faint golden glow, his Chi locked in to position within his abdomen. The warmth cascaded throughout his body as the Chi first settled at point near his sacrum, connecting his nervous system and muscular control for superior balance. Then it traveled up to a point just above, near the navel, his core. Not unlike adrenaline, this point sent a message with the pulse of the Chi to all of Xuan's muscles, empowering the sinew. His skin tingled as it stretched over the growth, reaching out sensitively to his physical surroundings to inform his body of the appropriate reactions to remain centered.

Xuan smiled in spite of himself. He'd known of some masters in his clan with an affinity for earth, but never had he seen this much control over it, let alone have the chance to be moved by it like this. As he settled into a surfer-like stance, Xuan mused on Poseidon's control over both water and earth. Would this have been within his power? Regardless, if he didn't fall off, Xuan imagined he might enjoy the ride.

Not particularly a fan of flight, Aeviternus could nonetheless at least not complain at the lack of technology to do so.  As they were lifted in the air he found his balance easily, the leather soles separating his feet from the dais bending easily to allow for purchase and Avery's natural sense of balance from years of tumbling and gymnastics taking over.

At first.

But with glances around to take in the surroundings, the deficit of attention while Aeviternus let the body's reflexes take over almost cost him dearly, one knee heading the wrong direction as Tiengue's craft sailed them over the woodlands.  Were it not for his initial caution and resulting success in gaining a balanced stance, Aeviterus may have found himself once again plummeting to the Earth only this time without a team of people waiting to catch him.

He focused again on simply staying on the rock, and thereafter only timidly allowed himself to watch the landscape, finding a more consistent balance between the two.

     Aeviternus caught a glimpse first, it was the finch, or it looked like it at least.  John noticed too, there was a very small bird flying almost out of sight dancing in between the branches trying to keep pace. It seemed to be trying to get their attention.

"Tiengue!"  Aeviternus recognized the bird immediately, his guide while making this journey on the spirit plane.  He wondered if touching the driver would lead to something drastic, like starting a fight or bringing the trip to a screeching halt and send him on a trip he'd only narrowly missed already.  He gave it a moment but decided perhaps a call to action might be more efficient.

"Tiengue, stop!"

At first the small bird barely registered on Xuan's radar, only another animal amongst the trees. Except there were no other animals, and this one was...what? Following them? Before he had a chance to make sense of it, Aeviternus had cried out. Was this bird important? Or was there something else out there that Xuan's eyes had missed?

"What is it?" he called out, and braced himself just in case Tiengue decided to listen and bring them all to an abrupt halt.

In reply to Seeker of Truth (msg # 88):

Tiengue's eyes were a dark charcoal brown as he opened them and quickly rumbled the flying dirt carpet to a halt.  He looked around confused for a moment. "What is problem?" He did not seem to notice the bird.

     The small finch stopped on a vine and peered at the group. It flew from branch to branch quickly darting to and fro, all the while it stayed focused on the group.

"Good to see you again," Ace said directly to the finch.  "Where to this time, friend?"

"I didn't realise that animal charming was one of your abilities. Demons are no friends of nature. Is it warning us?"

"_{She's a guide,}" was the quiet reply.  The pronoun usage was based on his continued presumption of who this bird represented.

      Ace made connection easily and realized with affirmation that the finch was Kirby's grandmother Elizabeth. It seemed that she wasn't completely comatose back at the Jahndi, but her mind was not fully here either. Communication was simple as if Ace were communicating with a true animal spirit. The finch beckoned them to follow her.
     Ace began to recognize some of the foliage and minor locales. The bird was tracing back through his spirit walk.  Ace began to understand where they were heading, it was to a specific spot in the jungle, something or someone was waiting. Ace realized he didn't need Elizabeth to guide him any further, she had already done so. He felt the urge to run.

Avery couldn't stop himself from clapping Tiengue on one shoulder.  "Set us down!"  His body hummed with the urge to move on its own again.  He cast a gleaming eye at Xuan that belied the usual professorial approach to communication as was his custom.  "I know where we are."  Aeviternus put up a playful finger to his lips, apparently indicating a need for quiet and barely waited for the ground to get close enough before bounding off and moving into the forest at a jog.  He spared one quick look over his shoulder to make sure his companions followed but didn't break pace.

Despite his curiosity, Xuan didn't hesitate to give silent chase in the wake of the ancient boy. The bird had maybe warned him of something, and Xuan had to assume that they were now in enemy territory, with no idea of how much resistance they might encounter. They would just have to be attentive. And stealthy.

It was good to be using his own feet again, not that riding a rock wave wasn't enjoyable. Breathing steadily to calm the surge of adrenaline, Xuan stepped quickly but lightly and prepared to lock his chi in where needed.

     The finch flitted and the two nimble warriors flirted the trees and vines.  Jogging at a simple lope, the two men passed by with not much of a sound.


Aeviternus followed the finch till night approached, retracing his steps manually through the jungle.  No spacial skips, no flashes forward, no bending the mind, it was an arduous jog staying quiet. Each bend, each trail passed, each distinct copse of trees urged Aeviternus forward, he could feel his destination getting closer.

The wind picked up through the tops of the trees which created an audible slushing sound. Diurnal animals began retreating into their sleeping spots for the night, The jungle began to buzz and hum with a different kind of life.

Aeviternus and Xuan both saw a small plume of smoke off in the distance, the size a campfire would make. They were not alone out here deep in the jungle. It was at this realization that they noticed Tiengue was gone. Neither man could remember seeing him at all during the jog.

"Hold on!" Tapping Ace on the arm mid-run, Xuan half whispered to him as he slowed to a halt and ducked into a thick section of brush for good measure. It wouldn't do to be seen out in the open with no momentum toward an escape.

"Where's Tiengue? I don't see him." Did we lose him? Did he fall back or move forward? Have we been lured right into a trap? Did Teingue betray us? Xuan felt ashamed almost immediately after the thought. Why would he do that? It was he and Ace that pushed to come this way, and it was Ace's bird friend that helped to guide at this point. Still, Xuan was feeling ill at ease. So close to their target, there was little to no possibility for backup. And he didn't really know what power or hold the Demons had someone like Tiengue, only recently freed from their influence. Surely if he was called back, it would be out of pure compulsion, and not by his own choice.

He shook his head as if to brush that thought aside for better ones. What they needed was a plan, and more information, before moving again. It was time to see how well he and Aeviternus could work together, a strategy to proceed with. Had they come too far to turn back?
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Thu 19 Apr 2018.

The tap on the arm served the imperative purpose of waking Aeviternus from his reverie.  The ancient soul paid the gesture forward and did the equivalent of a firm grab on the arm of Avery who had been controlling the legs, following the desire to move.  Avery recognized the gesture and stepped back without resistance, familiar with the lesson.  No apology was necessary, no contrition required, simply an exchange of acknowledgement that had been practiced before.  It meant harmony and it was how they survived.

Ace ceased his forward movement instantly at the touch and the verbal prompt.  Before he answered he motioned for a large cropping of tree roots for them to station behind and as the two crouched, he scanned quickly around as Xuan was doing in answer to his question.  Aeviternus looked back to Xuan and caught the head shake.  The warrior was in doubt, though of what the old soul only had guesses for and he wondered if the fragile trust that was forming was already at risk.  Avery needed to take control now and then, it was imperative to the bond which lent to their survival, but was this time a poor choice?  From the shadows of the hood he watched Xuan's eyes and recognized the keen resolve to accomplish a goal, the doubt melting as quickly as it had appeared.  Perhaps a conversation for another day, now was the time for strategy.

Not knowing what the hearing capabilities of whomever occupied where they were headed, he chose to speak in gestures.  He considered the disappearance of Tiengue, remembered the initial fight with the being who seemed to be able to completely alter his form to local elements.  The flight on the earth surfboard added even more credence to the possibility that Tiengue had followed them in a manner which utilized that ability.  Aeviternus answered Xuan by pointing with two fingers to Xuan's eyes then gesturing all around them and ended with pushing his hands out as if he were grasping a very large set of shoulders.  He then pointed the same two fingers at his own eyes, which subsequently began to glow a familiar pearl white color, and finished by gesturing towards the area they were headed with the campfire.

No stranger to basic hand signals, Xuan recognised the importance of silence at this point and the necessity to scout the immediate area while Aeviternus performed a different sort of scouting. That man gave an entirely different meaning to 'soul searching'. Among any immediate threats, he was meant to keep a lookout for Tiengue. At least, he hoped that's what the ancient boy meant. He nodded anyway. If nothing else, Xuan wouldn't give him any more cause for worry just yet.

Lighting up his Inner Eye, Xuan's eyes took on a golden glow, almost in reply to Aeviternus' pearly whites, and began his search, casting glances between bush and leaf, trunk and limb. He moved cautiously around to gain new vantage points, hoping to catch any movement or traces of Chi. It would take a few moments for his Inner Eye to open all the way, so he started very slow, always keeping Ace within view.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:11, Sat 21 Apr 2018.

The bear looked surprised, as it sat in a playful manner. But when Aeviternus directed his gaze at him the bear took on a much more serious demeanor.

Peace, came his instinctive first offer to the bear spirit, his hands even physically going up where his body resided, his spirit doing the equivalent on that plane.  Aevitnerus divided his attention briefly between the terror he knew Avery felt and his own awe at this new experience.  Truly even the ancient soul felt real fear battling against his curiosity.  What he knew of bears in the physical world inspired him to stand his ground, be tall but not threatening, it wouldn't do any good to run at this point anyway.  However this was a massive spirit and seemed very old, perhaps that meant communication was possible.  He certainly hoped so.

He conjured a visual of Elizabeth in her bed, her family around her in their worry, taking care of her in her illness and pushed it towards the giant being.  Next followed an image of the finch leading them out here along with his travels to this campsite previously with the span of dying land in between.

We're here to help.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:53, Sun 22 Apr 2018.

The moisture of the jungle gave Xuan an idea. It was one that involved unfamiliar territory for him however. Prior to contact with Poseidon himself, Xuan only ever worked with water while he was in it, and almost always submerged. Now that his team was down to two, Xuan felt that any help was welcome. Treat water like a friend. It was how Poseidon suggested to utilise this new gift. He'd done it once, in a way, and it was time to try again.

Halting his advance, Xuan considered what to do next. Uncertain of what he was doing, he reached out with his hands, palms up, as he reached out from somewhere within himself. First he tried to connect with the water, to feel all of it around him as if it was an extension of himself. If he was successful with that, he imagined he'd be able to push forward with each molecule he could possibly hold, forcing them outward. Assuming his idea had any validity, he'd be able to form a visual of his immediate surroundings without physically going further out himself.

OK Water, can you help me out? Let's be as one.

Aeviternus was able to see behind the bear now, as his attention was now on the playful finch. Aeviternus saw three non-descript souls sitting in a ever shifting campsite.  The site did not show anything human, just glowing souls.

A water shockwave blasted forth and gave Xuan a three degree visual of the surrounding area. He tried to interpret all of the life and interpret movements in the area, it was a little overwhelming at first.  Xuan focused on large bodies first.

Relieved, Aeviternus slowly exhaled only now realizing he'd been holding his breath.  Not wanting to break whatever line of communication he'd built with these beings he didn't bother to look around for Xuan, in case sight line somehow held it together.  He opted instead to quote Lao Tze in an effort to let Xuan know what his plan was, speaking softly and in Chinese.

"Rúguǒ nǐ bù gǎibiàn fāngxiàng, nǐ kěnéng huì zài nǐ qiánwǎng dì dìfāng jiéshù."  If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.

Xuan's face scrunched up in mild confusion as he turned slightly toward Aeviternus. So focused on his own actions, the words were almost lost on him. Before he could ask 'what', understanding dawned on him and he nodded, unaware of if Ace could see him or not. If he diverted too much of his attention, he was afraid that he might lose his new sight of the campfire and the men near it. Xuan would need that clarity if he were to approach, which he had immediate plans to do.

As if to himself, he mumbled, "Tōngguò guǎnlǐ jiǎndān lái yùcè kùnnán." Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy.

In truth he was hoping that this was the easy part. If nothing else, it was at least a little more straight-forward. Now came the harder part – determine the level of threat. He wouldn't want to pounce on innocent campers, as unlikely as that was here.

Steadying his breathing, Xuan began to creep forward so he could catch some of the conversation, if there was any. Just in case they weren't divulging any evil plans, however, he opened his inner eye. If there was negative Chi, Xuan was likely to see it. And if they were Demons, they would certainly have negative Chi.

     Ace watched the finch and bear closely, his immediate dread quickly subsiding.  The finch bounced on the playful belly of the bear as it rolled to and fro. It was a playful action as if two animal friends had reunited.
     Time wasn't really felt here, you could feel that it was a "thing" but not as much here, as if time were a whisper echoing. So the thought of the bird having a playful minute seemed to puff away as it ended. The bear sat back up and they were closer to the fire, in the blink of an eye, the movement was like a shift from here to there, or maybe they were there the whole time and now Aeviternus could "see" his surroundings.
     The finch flew to Aeviternus and hopped on his shoulder playful and bouncy, then jumped from shoulder to shoulder, with a beckoning whistle it flew from his shoulder to a man sitting on a log by a blue flame rounded and dug into the ground.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

     Xuan breathed in and created the stirring of his chi, the fire of life's energy. Directing it to his 3rd eye. The world became more, as if only part of it could be seen before. What he now saw was intoxicating, blurred images of soul energy wavered amongst the trees and plant life. There was a world that over laid the "normal" world, they were connected, but invisible to the human eye. His 3rd eye allowed Xuan to cut through the barrier imposed on human kind.
     Xuan moved closer for a better vantage point. Here he was able to see 3 men congregated around a campfire, two seated, and on in a tree.  The man in the tree was part animal...cat...panther...more than either combined. Then he caught the fire with its changing lights and protective energy. Xuan some how new that the fire would keep negative energies away from this area, and that was comforting to him. It helped to assuade some of his apprehension. Xuan quickly scanned the entire area, now realizing something, this part of the jungle was thriving, growing, and didn't show the signs of death as the other parts of the forest.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The finch flew from Aeviternus's shoulder and flew to a man sitting by the fire, he spoke in a loud audible voice,"Hello Elizabeth...you have brought friends?...good...Osa...she says to be good, they are warriors and have no sense of humor...yes Elizabeth...they are welcomed into my fire!""

Stay here.

Avery instinctively removed Lotus from his pack but dropped it into a non-combative placement along his hip, keeping the anchor in place without brandishing for a battle.

Not for the first time, Aeviternus mused to himself how improved his spirit travel would be if he could bring Avery, soul and flesh, with him into the spirit plane.  He might not be as fast at covering great distances, but certainly the convenience of moving them together could aid in any number of efforts, combat not the least of them.  This would require some time and contemplation, but Avery's control over bio-electricity might reveal some shortcuts to what might otherwise take a seance to complete.

Aeviternus returned to the immediate concerns.  He took the spirit version of a deep breath and moved towards the bear and the finch.  His approach was of unfettered curiosity and he moved into the group looking for the path that took him as little through the middle as possible, finding an unassuming position next to the fire to sit at.  When it seemed appropriate, he offered; "I am pleased to know that my guess this was Elizabeth was correct."

"I know my English isn't perfect, but I'm pretty sure I'd prefer to sit next to the fire rather than into it. If that's an option."

Xuan understood he was taking a risk, approaching as he did, speaking with little apprehension. However he had already been given away somehow, perhaps by his own poor traipsing through the brush. Also, this place and these people seemed to be quite the opposite to the demonic nature he was preparing for. He doubted he'd get such a reception if discovered by demons first. These circumstances were curious indeed.

Without closing his Inner Eye, Xuan approached confidently, albeit somewhat guarded. Ace was still out there, probably keeping a watchful eye, and even if he couldn't see Xuan, he'd hear him. This sure was a lot of trust that Xuan had to yield, and that may have been the most uncomfortable part of the situation.

His connection with Aeviternus more internal than he understood, Avery knew he didn't need to watch in order to know where the old soul was.  He always felt it.  And though his curiosity regarding what was taking place was requiring every ounce of control he could muster to follow the directive he was given, there was something else that wouldn't stop tugging at his brain.

He looked around the forest to see if he could catch a glimpse of their large, unearthly companion.

     "Our guests are here," the older man said to no one in particular.  He stood looking in the direction of the Xuan's voice. He was a well built man in his fifties, with white hair tied back into braids. His face was kind, and his smile broke it made his face crack into dozens of sun dried wrinkles. "We also have food to share if you're hungry. Elizabeth? would you let your friend know that he is welcome at our fire?"
     There was no Elizabeth or woman that anyone could see, other than Aeviternus, who could see the finch fly back to him happily chirping.


Tiengue was no where to be seen.

You can approach, we are welcomed.

Avery moved into the clearing in the physical world and found a comfortable position to lower himself into.

I can't see Tiengue.

Aeviternus sensed the trepidation in the statement.  He glanced around himself to the reaches of the spirit plane he was able while he waited patiently for his hosts to kick off whatever they had planned.

Elizabeth is the bird? Or is that just coincidence?

Xuan had heard of a student within his own caste that could merge with the consciousness of animals, or at least had a certain empathy with them, and he had even seen evidence of it once or twice as a child. A bird sitting on a shoulder or a panda that would wander too close to the temple and wave. He wondered if that was the case with this bird and Elizabeth. However, the student had disappeared suddenly at some point, and there were a number of rumors as to why. Some said the Demon Clan coveted his power, wishing to use it for themselves, and so abducted the boy. Others said that he died to one of his own animals, a case of an overextension of his skills where either a misfire or backfire caused the vengeful beast to retaliate with extreme aggression. The last, which Xuan had chosen to believe, was that the boy got lost within one of the animals, casting aside his human existence and allowing his body to perish as he lived on within that creature. Maybe none of it was true. Perhaps the boy simply fell off of a ledge and was swallowed up by the wilderness or snow. It was not unheard of for such a thing to occur, especially when one would neglect their training or instructions. Without supervision and discipline, The Mountain could be a very dangerous place.

As Xuan approached the fire, he was encouraged by the presence of Ace. Except, uncharacteristically, the Ancient Boy's attention was darting to and fro. Xuan puzzled over what he might have missed, or hadn't considered in the first place. It was a reminder, at any rate, not to let his guard down completely, no matter how good the circumstances seemed.

With a nod and small bow to the older man, Xuan introduced himself.

"Thank you, and no thank you to the food. I am not hungry. My name is Xuan. Forgive our intrusion, but we were not expecting to encounter... well, you." Xuan sat and motioned to their surroundings as he looked around. "Or even all of this. Apologies if this is rude, but we would love an explanation as to our 'chance' meeting."

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg # 118):

     "Hello Xuan, my name is John, and this is my brother Osa, and our sister Clarice," he motions in the direction behind Xuan's head to the left. Xuan casually looks, and sees a black panther hiding in the tree just above head level. "And this lovely creature you've already met, this is Elizabeth Smith. No chance encounter at all Xuan, Elizabeth has been trying to get your group to us for some time. She tells me that you are trying to help her and John Kae, and...huh...oh yes and her grandson Kirby."
     The bird begins to make a whole bunch of noise, "Ooh, and that she is thankful for your help exorcising the foul creature who had kept her captive. And I am sorry Elizabeth, that I could not come to help you. My apologies...chirp tweet...yes I know you know...chirp chirp tweet...I am here to help now."

Aeviternus moved to sit next to Avery, though nobody on the physical plane would see it.  It wasn't something they'd had an opportunity to do yet and it felt good, like two partners joining in camaraderie instead of a symbiotic joined consciousness, or super-galactic omnipresent oneness, as Avery liked to joke.  Avery even moved his head as though to look at Aeviternus as the ancient spirit lowered himself to the ground once more, appearing to those on the physical plane to either look at nothing or the next person in line.

The conversation started, Aeviternus took his usual role of silent observer for the first few rounds as was his custom and therefore the opportunity to try a new form of communication.  They were still missing one of their party and the old soul was pretty sure he'd spotted him.  He lowered a hand to the ground and, his fingers buried in the lush boskage, focused his attention on calling out, calmly, to Tiengue.  His intent was to send his message through the earth they sat upon, teeming as it was with life so starkly contrasted to the dying woods they'd traversed to get here, he thought the message might go swiftly and effectively to one so connected to nature.

Let them know about our friend.

Avery spoke with brevity.  "We have one more joining us, we're calling him now."

Xuan nodded to awkwardly to each of introduced, and then glanced inquisitively at Ace as he spoke, as if to ask 'really?'. He tried not to let the others on to his curiosity, instead diverting the attention back to their host.

"You said you were here to help. Forgive me for being blunt but, with all respect, who are you? I mean in relation to the Smiths, and what is it that you can do to help? Apart from shapeshifting."

     "Great band, but they never asked me to play with them," the big man named Osa said in retort.
     The older man looked at his brother as if to say that wasn't helpful. "We are friends of John-Kae and Elizabeth. She asked us here to help with this problem," he waved his hands in an outward gesture as if he were referring to the jungle, "but when Aeviternus showed up, she asked me to help in a different way. And here we are waiting on you to get here."

Aeviternus and Avery spoke in unison.

"What way would that be?"

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 123):

     The light of the fire made the older man's skin glow and it seemed as if moths danced about in unison. John poked the fire a bit, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly as if he were listening to a little birdie.
     He turned towards Avery, fire a light in his eyes. "You are very important to Elizabeth, she tells me that you hold the weight of the world on your shoulders, and in order to fight back the darkness you will need to be freed. I see no soul in you, not necessarily bad, sometimes I send my soul out for a stroll. It is helpful, walking a mile in someone else's shoes," he chuckled to himself, "but you are blinded to what you could see and do." "I can't find your soul either, which happens from time to time, in special cases...souls could be trapped, or held prisoner, or traveling far away, but I know you are here, my friend Elizabeth can see you.  You must have a special bond with her...mmm hmm...he nodded to the finch...someone has placed a very powerful protection on you, even though it has protected you, it has hindered you and will now keep you from learning the truths you seek."

     "I can remove this protection if you desire," John said warily.

Aeviternus rejoined Avery at once seeing clearly there was no longer a need for presence on both planes.  There would be other times to practice the manipulation of their travel anyway.  Immediately Ace's tones took on the more eloquent and professorial etiquette standard to the old soul.

"You are the second to offer this in the last couple weeks."  He absently pointed to the sky as though that indicated where they might find the other miracle worker.  "While my mother had the best of intentions, and obviously effective means, for protecting me in this state it has become increasingly clear to me in the same time period that it is time to shed them."  His eyes moved to Elizabeth the Finch in curiosity, wondering if he was imagining a similar maternal nature from the woman's soul as from his mother's.

"I have been warned of the dangers at length.  I am as prepared to face them as I think I shall ever be.  Yes, I desire to remove the protection."

"Hold on."

Xuan hesitated. He exchanged glances between Ace and the others, a little unsure of why. He'd been listening intently, although more confusion had grown even as the conversation progressed. There was nothing threatening about this situation, and yet Xuan found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

There had been a lot of changes recently. He'd only really just begun to trust Aeviternus recently, and while he hadn't completely understood what he was, he could accept him as he was. However what they were talking about sounded a lot like yet another change, and  potentially at a most inauspicious time and place.

"Ace, what do we truly know about them? You have existed for, what, thousands of years? If there is a protection on you, why remove it? Or, at least, why now? I understand that this may not entirely be my place to intervene, but..." Xuan trailed off, not sure exactly how to finish, or even if he should. Was it not his place to intervene. There and then, who else did Aeviternus have but Xuan? He was well aware that he may have offended every one present, but he didn't care. There was plenty at stake, and these new people, no matter how good they seemed, had no stake to his trust yet. Aeviternus, and their mission, were his priority. He would have to hope that Ace would understand that his concern came from a caring and honest place, even if he wasn't willing to say it.

He searched under the hood for any clue as to what the ancient boy was thinking or feeling, then resolve set in.

"Are you sure?"

      John spoke immediately,"It's good your friend shows caution...he paused...I'm curious, who has talked to you about the protection on you? And more importantly, who said they could remove it?"

      It was at the end of that question that the black panther leaped through the trees, jumping from limb to limb to land in a low hanging branch hanging directly in front of the new comers on the other side of the fire. The light fully illuminated the cat, and it was now that Xuan and Ace could see a grayish muzzle, and grey flecking around the eyes. It settled its head looking into Ace. It lazily pawed to the side of the branch and produced a limp furred animal and began eating.
      Osa breathed out finally, which the group only now realized that he had been holding his breath. Looking relieved he leaned forward picking at something that he pulled out of the fire on a stick. Again he held up the spitted meat to Xuan and Ace. It looked to be some sort of roasted lizard.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:49, Mon 03 Sept 2018.

The lizard offering brought Aeviternus a memory from Egypt, a cabal member with a fancy for the flesh of reptiles who, despite his penchant, would always offer to his camp-mates before taking a bite of his own gourmet meal.  To his delight, he was often rebuffed by all but the ancient one who had eaten far worse in the years leading to it.  With a glassy look in his eyes and a smile, Ace tore a part of the animal from the spit and chewed a bite while he brought himself back to the present question.  Compared to the unnamed gruel on the spaceship, this was at least familiar in texture and taste.

"A being named Malcohm," Ace said once his mouth was empty again.  "A generous and magnificent individual.  He spoke mostly in warnings of what he wasn't sure of, fairly, and only speculated what I could expect if he were to remove it.  He said if he were to lift it from me, I would learn of the True Danger this world faces and the forces that are entwined, and undeniably apparent was that they would learn of me."

With this he looked at Xuan.  "No," he answered the question outright that had been delayed by their host.  "I am most definitely not sure."  In this moment he trusted the warrior who might not know just then how much he'd communicated with his succinct question, and the warmth in his voice came unbidden.  Aeviternus had already learned much of the behavior intrinsic to the man, this showing of concern was not common but moreover to somebody who was otherwise, but for show in battle, a stranger.  Though much can be learned of a being from battle.  Perhaps they spoke more than two languages in common.

"You have the right to intervene and I respect your hesitation, even understand it.  For me the answer is in your question; I have existed for thousands of years without relief, without achieving my goal.  That is reason enough to remove the protection.  If not now, when?  If not them,..." he gestured to John, Osa, the panther and the finch in a sweeping gesture; "Who?"  Aeviternus looked once more around the group before bringing his gaze back to his companion.  "Do you not have sight beyond sight?  Can you see in them what I see?"

Xuan had almost forgotten about Malcolm. Maybe not forgotten, but rather pushed aside any thought of him and his kin. The single focus of the hunt for the demon clan was more his speed, but those opportunities appeared in shorter supply as of late.

Xuan took in a slow breath of unease, and released resignation. He appreciated the straightforward truth Aeviternus offered, and it granted some small shame for his own frequent reticence. Had he omitted anything important? Perhaps in the future he would try to be a little more forthcoming with personal information, if asked.

"No." He answered Ace plainly, neither upset nor anxious. "Though perhaps I hadn't tried hard enough."

His gaze moved through their surroundings and over the others, though without using his Inner Eye, before coming back to rest on Aeviternus. Xuan should have been more unsettled than he was. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant. "In times like this, when so much is happening, has happened, and happenings to come, it is good to have a moment to meditate. In that, I could gain some clarity, or at least some peace of mind. Part of me thinks you should wait. This is the philosopher. The warrior in me wants you to take action, bare your skin free of armor and face your demons head on, with honor. There is usually a place in the middle where warrior meets philosopher, and I haven't seen it yet. I believe this middle is the Tao."

Xuan stopped and thought momentarily. "Perhaps that is exactly it. Twice you have had this offer. Two paths of water converging downstream, urging you along. The other way is up. Upstream is arduous, and down is treacherous, but it makes sense not to battle against the current, which may be what you have been doing for so long now. 'Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Do not resist them - that only creates sorrow.'" Xuan chuckled slightly and clapped the Ancient Boy on the shoulder. "I just thought of another one of Lao Tzu's sayings. 'You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor.' I almost wonder if he had you in mind when he said it. Anyway, I have said more than enough. I support your decision either way, for it will be the right one for now."

"Had me in mind?"  A twinkle shown in the ancient boy's eye.   "I convinced him to write it."  That eye winked just before he bowed his head graciously to Xuan and turned back to their host.

"I choose to battle the current no longer.  If you have the means, I am ready to shed my mother's gift."

     John's look of worry was replaced with a wary resignation. He moved over to Aeviternus, walking past Osa and stealing a piece of his meat as he passed. John placed his hand on Aeviternus's head and closed his eyes. "Elizabeth has told me that this magic was used long ago, in a time before men, a time of spirit travelers, where the soul was bound only by blood and must be removed by blood, and not that of the host. I have performed this ritual of protection to the spirit walkers of my people until they were full brothers, but I have never removed it. They have shed it like the skin of a snake once they have outgrown it. Your protection is much stronger."
     He opened his eyes looked down into the old soul. "This will be very difficult...If I were to place this protection on you, I would need only myself and a loved one of yours. It seems as if your mother used a very big group to place this protection, and we will need a big one to remove it. Seven people, including a being of your blood...a relative. I count six here, we need one more, and Elizabeth cannot help in this matter unfortunately."
      There are a few things that I must gather, how long will you need to gather your final and most important participant?"

"As ready as I am for this step in my journey, the decision to take this action now is not mine alone."  Aeviternus looked at Xuan.  "If you're willing to pause our pursuit of the Demon Clan for as long as this ritual takes, perhaps Tiengue can get us back to the homestead much faster.  To our benefit, I have a blood relative there."

Anticipating the question, he offered; "Kirby."

Xuan gave Ace a look that implied the question, 'really?' though he didn't vocalise the thought. It was something his students at the university often did, even though it was obvious Xuan wasn't joking. His short time in his position as lecturer at the university must have had more of an influence on him than he gave it credit for. The thought itself wasn't just about Aeviternus's relationship to Kirby. That certainly wasn't coincidence, but it still came as a small shock.

Xuan wanted to go on, to chase after the Demon Clan. That drive was strong, but it was possible that he was letting his feelings be the wind to that sail. Was time really pressing on this? Xuan didn't actually know how close they were to their destination, so it might not be that great of a deviation anyway. But what if they were close? Could they take them by surprise, wash them away like the flood from a broken dam? Xuan never felt more ready to face them, or more determined. He had never been stronger. He could finally make an impact, land a devastating blow to leave them hurting, and make them pay for their evil, at least on this side of the world. It might have been right around the next hill or copse.

These musings were folly. They were the rumblings of an angry child and were not fit to influence, nor lay any claim to Xuan's path. Besides, he realised, maybe for the first time, that the friendship he made was more important than his immature desires and selfish goals. Events had led them here, after all, to this opportunity of Ace's. Even if the rapids changed course quickly, it was best not to fight the current. It was time to lean in to it and hold on.

"Let's do it."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:10, Fri 12 Oct 2018.