Answering the call for aid from V'neef Papashan, the satrap of the Northern province of Kori, V'neef Momodi and her ward, V'neef Yuna, make their way northward. Unbeknownst to the two Dragonbloods, or to the crew of the ship bearing them North, a third Exalt stows away in their hold: the fledgling Lunar Ohm, pursuing the directive of her mentor to go see for herself how the Realm would deal with the situation in the province, and to learn and grow from the experience.

It is the final month of the Realm Year 767, and in just a few more weeks it will be the fifth anniversary of the Empress' disappearance. Finding a ship captain willing to take them to a far north port with winter so close took no small amount of persuasion -- and silver -- from Momodi, putting the Dragonblood in an uncharacteristic foul mood for most of the voyage. Rather than impose her disposition on others, Momodi sequestered herself in her cabin, leaving Yuna in nominal command, though in practice her household was a well-oiled machine and her steward, Nanamo, had things well in hand, allowing Yuna to instead focus on her studies in her own cabin.

The two Dragonbloods thus distracted, and Ohm busy being an inconspicuous moth in Yuna's cabin, none of the Exalted on board saw the tragedy coming in time to stop it.

Neither Yuna nor Ohm could see what had happened, only react as a thunderous groaning sound echoed thorough the ship, and a sharp motion tossed around everything in Yuna's cabin that wasn't firmly bolted to the hold, including the two Exalts. Indistinct shouting and a hubbub of activity could be heard across the ship even as Yuna and Ohm tried to reorient themselves, but then there was an even louder cracking sound, a flash of pain, followed immediately by darkness. Upon regaining consciousness a few moments later, the two Exalts found themselves tossed into icy water, with roaring winds disturbing the waves and a curtain of icy sleet restricting their ability to see much other than debris from the ship and flailing bodies all around them.
This message was last updated by the GM at 23:22, Thu 06 Aug 2020.

Ohm's minuscule body struck the water and was subsumed into it, the vast darkness of the ocean even greater against her tiny frame. Glittering silver motes trailed behind her as she sank, the scales of her wings marking her trail. She would have taken in a reflexive gulp of saltwater if her body had lungs (or, for that matter, a mouth). Kicking her six legs, the Lunar spun herself about in the water, righting her perspective as best she could, then released her grip on her moth-form. Silvery essence unspun around her body and then stretched outwards, expanding into her true shape. Red claws glittered dimly in the faint light of flames piercing the surface, white fur seeming almost luminous against the darkness.

Now larger, and with a body much better suited — though hardly ideal — to move through water, Ohm cast her gaze about, trying to spot anything beneath the water. She then turned upwards, paddling her limbs as she returned to the surface. A round, white-tuffed head breaking the waves, Ohm took in a deep breath of air, again scanning around herself for anything. Something or someone to grab hold of, or some hint as to the cause of the... whatever happened.

Yuna opened her eyes slowly, aching with a half-remembered flash of pain. As she gazed into the darkness of open water below and felt the freezing cold of the sea, she stiffened, abruptly realizing that, no, no, she certainly hadn't just fallen asleep in a particularly uncomfortable position at her desk.

The Dragon-Blood turned, frantic for a moment, seeking the surface before kicking herself up to break the water and take a deep breath. She looked around, seeking some sign of anyone she knew, what had happened, or some hint of shore. She almost instinctively began drawing on the essence of the world to try to call out to Momodi-- but the Dynast wouldn't be able to respond. "Momo-- My Lady! Nanamo!"

As Yuna flails her way above water and starts looking around to figure out what happened, or where the others are, she suddenly hears the voice of Momodi in her ears, as she had become used to during several of their training sessions. In a very controlled and calm voice, Momodi says:

"Yuna. Get to safety, I will take care of the crew."

The bobbing white-fluffed head vanished beneath the waves, then popped back up closer to the waterlogged brown-haired Dragon-Blood. A clawed hand reached up, tugging on Yuna's sleeve. "Hey," her fang-filled mouth opened, voice burbling as it was interrupted by the waves, "come with me."

Yuna kicked hard to keep her head above water, struggling with the tumultuous water, still trying to find anyone she recognized even as her eyes stung with seawater. Momodi's voice found her ear, carried clearly even over the howling wind. Yuna opened her mouth, making ready to reply, just as another wave washed over her, causing the young Exalt to gag and choke.

As she fought to regain her composure, something tugged at her sleeve and she turned clumsily in the water to regard a strange little feathery-haired creature. Still coughing, she nodded along, agreeing to accompany the strange being. A servitor of Momodi's? Or just some spirit that owed her a favor?

The "servitor", unaware of the assistance rendered by a distant mentor and claws hooked into the Terrestrial's waterlogged sleeve, led Yuna over to a nearby chunk of the ship. With a bit of assistive shoving, she coaxed the fresh-minted Dynast up onto the wood. With Yuna mostly out of the water — though now fully exposed to the sleet — and balanced on the cramped platform, Ohm vanished beneath the waves, only to reappear some distance away, a coil of loose rope clutched in her mouth. She paddled back over to Yuna's debris, occasionally vanishing beneath the surface with the swell of the waves. Finally she came to a stop, bobbing in the water next to Yuna. Two paws emerged from the water, each clutching one end of the rope and offering them up to Yuna. Her huge golden eyes stared upwards at the Terrestrial, waiting for her response.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:20, Fri 07 Aug 2020.

Yuna let the strange servitor lead her toward a somewhat sizeable piece of debris, though she still struggled against the push and pull of the chaotic seas. She did her best to pull herself up onto it, as directed, but the servitor ended up doing most of the work of shoving the young Dragon-Blood up onto the floating hunk of boat.

Yuna exhaled as she lay on it, shivering with the cold. The vapor from her breath was a little too dark to simply be a result of the chill-- there was a hint of smoke to it, a small show of frustration. The servitor reappeared again, offering her a bit of rope, and Yuna cast her gaze back over toward the ship and the other figures in the water. She winced. This was not her forte; for all she might be a Dragon-Blood, she was a scholar and a socialite.

She felt the stirrings of essence about her and she forced it down as best she could. Now would not be a good time to lose control. Momodi had said to focus on getting away and that she would handle the crew. Turning back to the servitor, Yuna nodded with just a hint of reluctance.

Ohm watched as the Terrestrial cast her gaze towards the other figures, dark blots on the surface of an already-inky ocean, and commiserated with her hesitation. It really was a shame, leaving so much delicious food abandoned to the sharks, but she had no way of knowing how far away they were from shore. Hauling meat the size of those sailors long-distance simply wasn't practical for her, and she doubted the weedy Exalt now perched atop flotsam would be able to off much physical assistance.

When Yuna nodded to her, Ohm turned away from the makeshift raft. Her paws splayed out, guiding the rope in a halo around her as she swam, stretching it out to its fullest extent. Thereby finding the midpoint, the Lunar took it in her mouth and, with all limbs freed, began to doggy-paddle her way Northward.

The Lunar's stroke was strong and confident, if a bit unrefined, the rope-pull giving her much easier leverage on her cargo. As the rope pulled taught, Yuna felt it almost try to leap out of her hands, the Lunar pulling her along at a steady pace. The speed was deliberate, by Ohm's standards, slow enough that she would not exhaust herself on what might be a very long swim. To Yuna, though, it probably felt like trying to hold back a very enthusiastic dog.

As Ohm swims further and further away from the ship, the sleet gradually changes into rain, then a drizzle, then finally stops. The swim is enough to maintain Ohm's body temperature even in the freezing water, but as soon as they're out of the rain Yuna finds herself splinting off a piece of the debris and setting it aflame to provide some measure of warmth. It is hard to keep track of time for either Exalt, but after what seems like hours of effort through the unchanging scenery of the sea, a black-sanded beach finally comes into view, the shore ringed with some sparse, wilted trees.

Ohm, thankful to finally have a target to swim towards less ephemeral than a conceptual pole in her mind, sped up on the last leg of her journey. She hit the sand, claws stirring the wet silt under the waves as she found her footing, then dragged herself and the flotsam up onto dry — well, dry-er — land. The sand, damp from waves and sleet, bunches up into mounds as she claws up it.

As soon as she is free of the waves — leaving Yuna's platform bobbing momentarily un-pulled — Ohm shakes off the saltwater. Limbs gripping the sand, her entire torso spins about, scattering a great shower of icy droplets about herself. Dense, fluffy fur still maintaining some amount of damp, she resumes the final, final leg of her journey as an offboard motor.

She doesn't drag the raftlike out of the ocean, only pulling until its bow dug into the shore. With her cargo not immediately seeking to float away, Ohm at long last lets the rope fall from her tired jaw. The Lunar wanders a few more steps inland before collapsing, all six limbs flopping about herself. Belly-up, the Lunar lets the cold settle into her for a moment, bare chest heaving.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 10:38, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

Yuna continued to lay on the makeshift raft for a moment after the servitor pulled it to stick somewhat unceremoniously out of the shore. She was still trying to push off the malaise of having abandoned Momodi, the Household, and the crew. Even if it had been on the other Exalt's order, even if she were all but incapable of helping... it stung at her, stoked a low flame of guilt that roiled insistently in her chest.

She pushed herself up, still holding the makeshift torch in one hand-- and still colder than she liked even with it-- and her eyes fell upon the being that had pulled her to shore, now lying panting on the shore. She wasn't quite like anything Yuna had seen or read about before, which was saying something. But did the servitor need warmth? Was she bothered by the cold?

Yuna stepped off the raft, stumbling a little, and moved toward the servitor. She planted the torch in the ground next to her and offered a brief nod before stepping away and toward a copse of trees. She was not any kind of outdoorswoman, but the trees didn't look particularly hearty and fire was, at least, well within her wheelhouse. The Dragon-Blood collected a respectable pile of branches, some broken off the trees and some collected from the ground, and returned to the servitor.

Kneeling down, Yuna did her best to arrange the branches into a semblance of what she believed a campfire should look like, leaving some of the branches aside for the moment. Holding out a hand to the firewood, she whispered a single word: "Hesiesh."

With a sudden rush of heat and light, fire burst from her fingertips, clinging to the branches and igniting a small campfire.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:31, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

Ohm's breathing subsides to a more normal rate, the Exalt remaining splayed out on her back as Yuna does her level best to attempt to gather firewood. An ear flickered when Yuna mutters something into the vaguely tent-shaped pile of kindling. Is that sorcery? A magic fire word? As the flames burst to life nearby, Ohm finally rolls back over crawling next to the first and curling up next to it. Her arms, legs, tails, and ears all fold down, the Exalt seeming to shrink into a round, soft loaf of Ohm-coloured bread. A grateful sigh wisps out of her mouth, the salt water beginning to evaporate off of her in a steady stream of steam.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:44, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

Yuna's gaze drifted back to the servitor as she crawled over to the fire and proceeded to flop back down beside it, resembling a cat of sorts and eliciting the faint hint of a smile from the Dragon-Blood. Nodding to herself and rubbing her hands together, feeling the warmth starting to work its way back into her a bit more-- though she wasn't sure if that was the fire or simply an effect of invoking Hesiesh's name-- she reoriented herself toward the sea.

Drawing lightly on the Essence of the air around them, Yuna spoke into the light breeze, though no sound was audible from her lips: "My Lady. We've made it to shore. I will meet you in Kori." She had to remind herself in that moment, for just a moment, to project confidence as the older Exalt had taught her. There was no question that she would find a way through to meet Momodi. There was no question that Momodi was alive.

Yuna sends the message to her mentor but, of course, she has no way of knowing if it has reached its recipient, unless Momodi decides to reply in kind -- a feat that might be impossible, given how in their training sessions the two Exalts had determined that this, in particular, was an area where the pupil surpassed the master, and that Yuna could send her wind-whispered words farther away than Momodi could.

Meanwhile, as Ohm finishes drying herself near the flames of the campfire, her ears draw her attention to the trees, specifically in the direction Yuna had taken the wood from. The unmistakable sound of weight on dry foliage, unexpectedly close, makes the Lunar drone out other sounds and pay attention. She can discern two sets of paw-steps, as a pair of some kind of four-legged predator, probably some kind of northern feline, make their way closer and closer to their makeshift camp.

As the pawsteps grow closer, Ohm rises out of her bun. Her fun fluffs out, hackles raising unconsciously at the approach of a predator. She doesn't quite go fully on the offensive, instead sitting up with her tails splayed out behind her, a dark silhouette against the fire. She presents the image of a fellow predator, aware of and unintimidated by their approach. Ohm waits for whatever these creatures may be to come out of the trees, or to back off of their own volition.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:38, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

A few moments after Ohm takes position, two snow leopards appear out of the trees, their body language clearly that of predators stalking prey. The two cats pause upon seeing Ohm, clearly having expected their quarry to be caught unawares; their intelligent eyes seem to take in the scene, giving the two Exalts on the beach the upper hand in taking the initiative, but the leopards do not seem inclined to leave them alone even if their ambush was foiled.

As the two leopards converge upon them, Ohm's hackles raise further. She rises into a crouch, moonsilver tattoos glinting in the firelight. Her eyes lock on the nearer of the two leopards, gold eyes flashing against gold as her intentions become clear. "I'll have your heart," she proclaims, rising to her feet. Her arms and tails spread out, making her still admittedly tiny-looking form seem larger than it is. She takes a step forward, digging a paw into the sand, daring the leopards to move first.

Yuna still watching the see, caught movement out of the corner of her eye as the servitor moved off. Frowning curiously, she turned to see what had caught the other girl's attention, only to stiffen as she laid eyes upon the two snow leopards that were approaching. She had not spent much time around wild animals, but there was a certain predatory saunter to them that she recognized from some of her old shop's higher-placed customers. ...And from Momodi, when the older Exalt was heading to the battlefield.

Quickly, Yuna scrambled to her feet, already forming a plan for how she might be able to avoid the fight. Regarding the leopards for a moment, Yuna centered herself, taking a deep, slow breath. Her eyes were steady on the creatures, gold flecks glittering with supernatural light as she gathered Essence to herself. "Leave," she said, breath exhaling with dark smoke.

The Essence in the air sparked and glimmered like embers as she focused her mind on a single name, breathed in one more time, and exhaled a roaring torrent of flame, cascading out toward the leopards but stopping short of licking their paws and singing their whiskers. There was a single, whispered word on that exhale. "Hesiesh."

The flames bathe the black sand in front of the leopards, reflecting off of their eyes and making them jump back with a hiss. Both cats seem to hesitate for a moment, but then turn tail and start skulking back into the sparse woods, apparently having decided that the two Exalts are more trouble than they are worth hunting.

As the flames erupt from the sand in front of her, Ohm tumbles backward, losing her composure at the sudden display of destructive power from her companion. She had not realised that the Dragon blooded was capable of anything so grand as that. Watching the snow leopards flee back into the forest, Ohm let them go, abandoning the sacred hunt within her mind. She remained sat on her behind, contemplating what to do next as the fire died down.

First things come first. Ohm rolled back onto all sixes, turning towards her companion. "Do you know where your destination is?"

Yuna watches closely as the leopards begin backing off, then completely scatter in the face of the flames. She exhales more deeply, posture deflating slightly though a proud grin found its way to the edges of her mouth. That had actually worked. She was getting better at all this, if only a little. The Exalt leaned back and let a light sense of triumph overcome the relief that she would not be pressing her martial prowess against some likely apex predators of the region.

Startling at the unexpected sound of a voice, Yuna turned to regard her companion. "So you can talk." She turned and regarded their surroundings for a moment. "I know where I was going, yes. But I don't know how to get there from here. ...Maybe I could try to calculate things based on estimates... But, no, I don't have enough frame of reference without a compass, a map, or any idea of how far we went in what direction... Maybe tonight, if the sky clears, I could try to figure out where we are compared to where we were and..." Yuna trailed off, tapping her finger against her forearm.

Shaking her head, the Dragon-Blood turned to regard the servitor. "Did Lady V'neef Momodi contract you to guard and guide me?" she asked.

Ohm pulls her feet in, sitting a bit like a six-limbed, exceptionally fluffy dog. "I think I said something in the ocean, though. And also to the leopards." Her voice is high, perfectly pitched, and almost songlike in its clarity. Head tilted to the side, she considers the Terrestrial's question. "Mmm. That was that other elemental woman, right?" She seems unaware of the oddity of calling a Dragon-Blooded "elemental woman". No," she replies entirely unabashedly, lifting up a foot to scratch behind her ear and dislodge a little bit of the clinging salt, "I'm here for a different reason. M'pretty good at directions, though. We're still in the northeast, say. And I'm pretty sure," she lowers a foot, raising a hand to gesture towards the ocean, "that is still the White Sea."

The Lunar rises up, still on all sixes like an animal, and starts walking towards the forest. She pauses long enough to look back at Yuna. "You can come if you want. Going to find some food and shelter. Was going to eat those cats, but I won't now." She then turns back towards the trees, trotting into the shadows.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

As Ohm turns back to the forest, and before Yuna can respond, the Lunar Exalt once more hears the sounds of approaching creatures. In fact, with the two leopards having so recently departed their company, their gait was still fresh in Ohm's memory, and she could easily pinpoint that the selfsame creatures were returning. This time, however, they were accompanied by a two-legged gait that made no attempt to hide itself.

Ohm freezes, then wheels about, dashing back to Yuna's side. She circles around behind the Terrestrial's leg, like a cat fleeing to its owner. Casting her gaze up towards Yuna, the Lunar speaks in a hushed and hurried tone. "Human coming back with the cats. Say I'm with you." With that, she falls silent, locking her golden eyes forward. As she continues to gaze out at the forest, her moonsilver tattoos shimmer, and then grow faint, the dense, swirling, chaotic pattern fading into the near-black of her skin.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:29, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

Yuna froze as the 'servitor' denied being sent by Momodi or seemingly even knowing that was her name or that she was a Dynastic Dragon-Blood. She watched the strange creature-- what could she be, then? a demon? a fae?-- without moving to follow, uncertain as to the intent of the invitation. If this was an Anathema, then why save her from the sinking ship, why move as if she had intended to help fight off the leopards? To make use of Yuna later? But then why give the option for her to simply leave now? If what Yuna had seen of the creature's physical ability in the water was any indication of her general martial prowess, the Yuna certainly wouldn't stand much chance in a fight.

The creature-- the Anathema?-- was getting further away as Yuna hesitated. Momodi warned against that, the indecision. You had to be decisive, like breathing fire at the cats. But what about here, where she could get herself killed or maybe cause trouble for Momodi or--

The maybe-Anathema raced back to her and hid behind her like a shy child. Yuna blinked, half-turning, watching as the tattoos receded. "With the cats?" she asked somewhat gormlessly. This... well, it wasn't her strangest day since Exalting. Decisive. Right. A human with the cats. Maybe they'd know the way to Kori, if they were friendly. If they weren't or if this was a trick from the maybe-Anathema-- though she did not seem particularly skilled with guile-- then the Guardian should help her hold her own and... and she'd figure things out from there.

Turning back around once more, Yuna projected a sense of confidence, folding her hands in front of her as she waited for a sign of whoever was apparently approaching with the leopards. A little globe of flame hovered just behind her and off to the side.

A few moments later, the two leopards once more break through the trees, through now they are slinking forward with their heads down, still the impressive sight of a major predator but without any overt hostility. Between the two cats comes a person, heavily dressed in leathers and furs to the point that any defining features are indistinguishable beneath the clothes. The newcomer holds a bow, arrow nocked but undrawn, and surveys the two Exalts with wary eyes covered by thick glasses.

"What is this, now," the figure says in a high-pitched voice, seemingly unfazed by Ohm's appearance, "survivors from the shipwreck?"

Judging by their size and the pitch of their voice, the newcomer doesn't seem to be much older than a child.

The two leopards emerged once again, but Yuna kept her gaze focused on the figure between them who seemed to be... younger than the Dragon-Blood herself. But that wasn't saying much considering Momodi hardly looked a few years older but was more than twice Yuna's age. And there was, of course, also the maybe-Anathema behind her, who was similarly child-sized and child-sounding. And this apparent child seemed to command the leopards. So. At the very least, certainly not an ordinary child, if not something else entirely.

Yuna bowed a polite greeting to the child, just deep enough for an equal and no more, a great honor if this truly was a child. "Well met. I am V'neef Yuna." And that still felt odd to say, but confidence. Always confidence. The Exalt left enough of a pause for the stranger-- or the maybe-Anathema-- to supply their name if they chose, but not enough to imply she was waiting for it. "As you surmised, we've had a rather unfortunate incident at sea. I don't suppose you could point us in the direction of the nearest town?" They shouldn't know about the shipwreck, not with how far off it had occurred. But never ask obvious questions, don't give away that you're surprised, don't give up the advantage.

There's a noticeable moment of stillness from the fur-garbed hunter when Yuna says her name. It's hard to be sure due to the amount of clothes and the thick glasses obscuring their face, but it seems that the hunter's gaze turns to Ohm momentarily before settling back on Yuna. As the Dynast continues to talk diplomatically, however, the hunter puts away the bow, and one of their hands strays to scratch one of the leopards behind their neck.

Several moments of silence pass, and finally the hunter speaks. "You come to this land you call Kori to wage war." It is not a question. "My tribe cares not for those who live behind walls, and does not bother them. Yet we know the meaning of Realm justice, Dynast, and how cheap our lives are to one such as you. How easy it is to deal with possible nuisances, in the name of maintaining order."

The leopard purrs, and the hunter shifts their hand to scratch at the cat's jaw instead.

"We want no part of your war, Yuna-of-the-Realm. If I lead you to where you must go, will you speak for my tribe when your legions come for our blood?"

Yuna took note of the moment the stranger froze, but kept her own expression unchanged. Perhaps she shouldn't have revealed that she was a Dynast-- an outcaste, she didn't really belong among them, kind though the V'neefs had been-- but there were benefits to having that out no matter how this person felt about it. She listened as the stranger spoke, considering for a moment. Momodi would appreciate results with less loss. Yuna herself would prefer this ended as bloodlessly and swiftly as possible, if for no better reason than she had little and less place on a battlefield and she was still eager to prove her worth to Momodi and the V'neefs.

"I am here because, from what I have heard, there has been an increase of raids on the Satrapy," she began. Make not mention of Momodi, not unless she had to. No reason to give up that information if she didn't have to. "If it is your tribe, but you all wish for peace, I'm sure we can negotiate something amenable for both sides. I'd prefer to end this with as little loss of life as possible-- preferably none, in fact. If it's another tribe issuing attacks on the Realm's interests, then perhaps you could assist us in the signs that differentiate you? I am not familiar with this land yet, its customs and manners of dress and whatnot, so I will admit that I would not know how to mark the differences between your tribe and any others."

Dangerous to offer more promises, promises like the stranger was asking for, without a more solid understanding of what was going on here. She was still trying to figure out what the creature behind her was, let alone knowing what delicate political climate she might be walking into.

Ohm's eyes flash as she meets the cloaked hunter's gaze, the diminutive Exalt hunching lower behind Yuna. Though she gestures cowardice, her eyes are steadfast and unblinking, watching the stranger's motions with curiousity. That glance... they know more about Ohm than they let on to Yuna. The discretion is appreciated by the Lunar, though no less mysterious.

The hunter scoffs, shaking their head. "I said we do not bother those who live behind walls. Did you pretend not to hear it, or do you simply not believe my words?"

The hunter finally lets go of the leopard, turning fully to face the two Exalts.

"We are not in what you call the Blessed Isle anymore, girl. You are not on your high courts, with your fancy heraldry and your silks. Here there is no manner of dress other than that which keeps you warm and alive in the heart of winter."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:28, Sun 09 Aug 2020.

Yuna tilted her head at the stranger. 'Girl'. But all she said was, "What I am is unfamiliar with the particulars of the situation here. As I said, I am but newly arrived in these lands. You have said your people make no trouble for those within the cities. Very well. Shall I believe that I have been called here on false pretenses by the satrap? Or are there indeed other tribes?" Firm. Confident. She couldn't react to a scolding by being meek, she wasn't a simple scribe any more. "As I said, if your people desire peace, then I'm sure negotiations can be made."

The hunter shakes their head again. "Of course there are other tribes, girl, and other forces at work in here. They are who you are here to wage war with, at least at first. But I know how the Realm works, I know how easy it is for your people to do genocide in the name of establishing order."

She steps back a few feet, turning towards the trees.

"I will repeat my terms. Will you promise to safeguard my tribe to the best of your ability, if I lead you to where you need to be?"

Yuna tried to keep her expression smooth and neither to rankle nor shrink down at the way the stranger referred to her. As the stranger made their offer one more time, the Dragon-Blood glanced back toward the maybe-Anathema behind her, still not sure what to make of her. Was this a set up of some sort between the two of them or simply a truly odd coincidence? Yuna turned back to the stranger.

"I have two conditions. The first is that my agreement hinges upon your tribe upholding the neutrality that you've said, unless first provoked. And the second is that I will need a name for your tribe, a way to know them from the others; otherwise, any agreement on my part is worthless, anyway." Yuna watched the stranger as they faced the trees. "If that is agreeable, then I will promise to do what I can to make sure your tribe is safe if you will help me to reach the city."

"Always the stipulations and conditions with you Dynasts. Very well. I will take you to your precious city, but we cannot make it there before nightfall. Follow me, and I will take you to my tribe's camp instead."

Without waiting for a reply, the hunter starts walking into the woods, the leopards meekly following behind.

Yuna only smiled and dipped her head in acknowledgement of the stranger's acceptance of her additional terms, watching as they began walking off and withholding the way she wanted to let her shoulders slump and breathe a long breath out. She was certain Momodi would see things the same way she did, that there was hardly any sense to full-scale slaughter... and hopefully she wouldn't find Yuna presumptuous for having struck this bargain.

She started forward, little globe of fire trailing close behind. She glanced back only once at the maybe-Anathema, uncertain if the stranger's invitation had extended to her and not sure if it would be better if it did or did not.

Ohm either does not notice or does not care about the ambiguity of the wildling's  offer, following along behind Yuna like a particularly humanoid dog. She also does not look up at the Terrestrial, the only reaction to Yuna's backwards glance a twitch of her large, pointed ears. Her six clawed limbs make an odd pattern of footprints in the wet sand, transitioning into an inscrutable pattern on the leave-covered soil. Her footfalls make noticeably less sound than Yuna's — even when not trying to hide, her instincts guide her to choose her steps. Her golden eyes stay locked on the ground ahead, picking her path out ahead of time. Partly thanks to that, partly due to her low-slung frame, she scrambles lithely over the various roots and irregularities in their path without so much as a stumble.

The hunter leads the two Exalts through the trees, silent. Twisted and naked trees slowly give way to a boreal forest, mainly of pine trees, boughs heavy with snow. At some point the two leopards slink into the woods, disappearing from view, and still the hunter remains silent. Eventually the sound of voices becomes clear through the forest noises, and the group breaks out of the woods into a large clearing filled with people.

Several heavy, fur-lined tents are set around campfires, and heavily-dressed tribesmen go about doing chores and preparing for the night. A few dozen people can be seen around the clearing, and amidst them a number of seemingly tame leopards, full grown ones lazing about beside tents or with their paws hanging from low-hanging tree branches, while younger kittens could be seen playing around amidst themselves or with tribesmen children. Unlike their guide, most of the tribesmen in sight did not have their faces covered, and the Exalts could see they seemed to be normal men and women with the pale complexions common to the North, their faces sometimes painted with elaborate tribal tattoos.

Some of the tribesmen call out greetings to the Exalts' guide, who waves back and sometimes makes strange, quick hand gestures, but otherwise keeps leading the two newcomers to a tent at the center of the camp. There, their guide stops before a wrinkled woman smoking a pipe and stirring a pot brimming with some sort of soup. As the group approaches, the hunter again performs a series of quick hand gestures, seemingly communicating without the need for words. They then nod, and take their leave of the group.

The old woman smiles to the two Exalted,

"Welcome, friends, to the campfire of the Bao. My name is Snow Lily, and I was chosen by these fools to be what you would call their chief. Will you join me for supper?"

She motions to a tree trunk set sideways beside the fire, similar to the one she herself is sitting on, clearly inviting the Exalts to sit down.

As they emerged into the campsite, Yuna had to school her curiosity so as not to stare openly. Mostly at the tattoos. Might they be some form of script or symbology? And, if so, what might the different patterns mean? But there wasn't enough time to study them in the brief glances she made toward various members of the tribe. More than enough time, however, to notice that none of them were nearly so covered as their guide. Their guide who knew things they shouldn't. So very likely not human, then, but what might they be instead?

In much the same way as she had glanced surreptitiously at the tribepeoples' tattoos, Yuna watched the quick series of hand gestures the guide made with a similar fascination that she kept somewhat poorly concealed. Or quite poorly concealed as her eyes glued to the quick series of motions, each subtle turn of the hand and sharper movements of the wrist. Almost instinctively, curiosity getting far the better of her, Yuna breathed in and felt the Essence of this place suffuse her, sharpening her understanding and feeding her curiosity.

The guide left without much in the way of a good-bye, though Yuna offered a nod of thanks and farewell.

Looking back to Snow Lily, Yuna smiled and offered a respectful bow. "I would be honored to join you, ma'am," she said, gaze wandering only briefly to her fluffy companion, wondering if she was expected to speak for her or no. Probably not; they were together by happenstance and Yuna still didn't know anything about her, much less what to make of her. The Dragon-Blood took the offered seat.

"Is there anything I might assist you with in preparing supper?" she asked, forcing her still-rampant curiosity down in the name of being polite, ears still keying in to the particular dialects of Skytongue being used around the camp.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:04, Tue 11 Aug 2020.

As Yuna pays attention to the hand gestures done by their guide -- and, in fact, done by other members of the tribe among themselves, as this seems to be a secondary form of communication for them -- the meaning behind each sweep and turn gradually become clear, to the point where Yuna is confident she would be able to mimic the gestures and communicate using them as well. Recalling what their guide had said to those who hailed them, they were simple messages of greeting and an explanation that the newcomers were being taken to the chief.

The message their guide left for the chief, however, was far more complex. The hunter reported that they were dangerous, but not aggressive, and succinctly relayed a summary of their exchange with Yuna, including the promises made. Lastly, the hunter apologized and said they needed some time to think; Yuna couldn't catch the last of the message because their guide had already been turning and their hand were out of her sight by that point.

Ohm follows Yuna who follows the stranger into the camp. The setting is familiar to her, if a bit dimly so. She'd spent some months in similar places, the hidden warcamps and hunting posts of a Lunar dominion. She glances about herself as they venture towards its heart, noting the swirling tattoos that adorn many of its residents. She is notably less subtle about this observation than is Yuna, and dismisses the hand gestures entirely as "spiderpaw hand-wiggling".

Invited to sit, Ohm rather halfway crawls onto the log, her forelimbs curling up on each other atop it and her chin nestling down into her fur. She watches the chief with those huge eyes of hers, curious though not confrontational. A leopard watching a bear from a tree. She remains silent, still playing the part of quiet companion.

"No, dear, you're guests here."

The old lady picks up three wooden bowls from the ground, and uses a similarly wooden ladle to fill them up with soup from the pot. She passes one bowl to Yuna, then looks inquisitively at Ohm, wordlessly asking her if she would join in, before handing out wooden spoons and starting in on the food herself. The soup turns out to be a thick broth full of taste, with several large chunks of vegetables and some kind of meat.

"I hope that child didn't give you too hard a time." The chief looks in the direction the hunter had gone, a sad smile on her face. "Y'mithra is not very fond of the Realm, you see, and when you feel so strongly about something it can color your perceptions and actions even when it by rights shouldn't."

Ohm obligingly shifts her paws, making a spot on the log between them exactly big enough to store a bowl. When one is deposited into the cavity, her limbs close around the wooden offering like a spider enwrapping its prey in legs. The bowl having vanished into a mound of porcelain fur, there is nowhere for Snow Lily to place the spoon, until the elder eventually sets it atop the Lunar's head, where it remains nestled in fluff until further notice. The diminutive fuzzball offers an appreciative burble, followed by a muffled staccato slurp as the now-hidden bowl's contents are presumably inhaled into her gullet. As she consumes, Ohm's eyes peak over the crest of her fuzzy forearms, watching what she expects to be yet more negotiations, the complexities of which she will not understand but will nevertheless try and commit to memory.

Yuna accepted the bowl and spoon from Snow Lily with a grateful bow of her head, waiting for the elder to begin before setting in herself, half-recalling lessons about the dangers of dining with Dynasts and moreover recalling her typical polite meekness-- which she was supposed to have abandoned. Old habits. But it was that politeness that was all that kept her from veritably attacking the stew as Yuna had not realized quite how hungry she was.

"Oh, no, not at all," Yuna assured Snow Lily. "If anything, they were quite helpful to bring us here... though I believe their leopards had originally intended to make a meal of us." There was a sincerity to the light-heartedness, though also a slightly nervous note... and another part of the Exalt's mind that was tucking away the information for later. Emotions, positive or negative, were a powerful force when properly pushed.

Yuna cast a brief, sidelong glance at the other member of the dinner. She was... much cuter for something the Dragon-Blood half-thought could be an Anathema than was comfortable. And fluffy. She was so fluffy. But it would not be acceptable to pet her fellow guest's head. Especially if she was an Anathema. That would be entirely inappropriate.

Yuna cleared her throat, eyes pulling back to Snow Lily. "Y'mithra had mentioned trouble brewing between the Realm and your people here, possibly as the result of actions by other tribes? Could you tell more about the situation here?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:50, Thu 13 Aug 2020.

Snow Lily laughs at the leopard comment, "Well, you can't fault predators for being predators, can you? Thankfully, however, you showed yourself to be a bigger predator, and scared them away without hurting them. My thanks for that, by the way. I fear our meeting would have gone very differently otherwise."

The chief's expression takes on a sad cast when Yuna brings up the brewing troubles. "Oh, yes. Not all of those who live in the wilds are content to leave the cityfolk to their walls. Many look upon them -- upon you -- and see weakness, and opportunity. Others still have grudges, or an agenda against your Realm. Especially with the recent withdrawals of troops, many have grown bold, as I am sure you are aware."

Snow Lily slurps from her bowl, taking a moment to think. "As for the Bao, we've had skirmishes with the people of Kori in the past, mostly when misunderstandings happened. More often we've traded, or left each other well alone. We have no desire to make the future any different."

Yuna smiled in reply to Snow Lily's laugh, tried not to let her nerves show as scaring the leopards off had been just about all she'd really been able to confidently do. Combat was not her strong suit and there was only so much the Guardian could do. Though there was also her... new companion? The Exalt resisted the urge to look over to her. She'd been gearing up to fight the leopards, it had seemed.

She nodded slowly, considering the elder's words on the tribes out here. She hid a wince as Snow Lily slurped her stew. "Y'mithra had mentioned some of that as well. I would be more than willing to speak on your behalf with that in mind, though I imagine any negotiations would take some time. And a more detailed knowledge of the situation..." Yuna trailed off, clearly thinking. "Perhaps not right away, but it would almost certainly be a good idea to elect a liaison of sorts to represent the Bao and handle some of the communications-- someone with more experience among your people than me and more authority to speak for them. Though, that will likely require some groundwork be laid to facilitate."

It was difficult to promise much when she couldn't be sure what the details of the situation would be once she arrived in Kori. There were too many factors she was not familiar with.

Snow Lily smiles, but shakes her head, putting the wooden bowl -- now empty -- aside.

"That is a tad bit more than we want, or would be comfortable with, actually. If any of us had any desire to live behind walls, or to be subject to your 'civilized' lifestyles, we wouldn't be out here in the wilds. Besides, we know how Realm politics work... and we have no desire to be drawn into its conflicts. We merely wish to stand apart, as we have until now."

Yuna frowned at Snow Lily's words, still working on her own bowl of stew. "I confess that I'm not sure that will be possible," the Exalt said, still considering. "It will all hinge on the particulars of the situation, of course, but at the very least... I don't know your people very well, their habits, their manners, their way of dress, and so forth. I can provide some general guidance and I'm sure that you could offer me some small education on the matter across the remainder of the day, but not nearly enough to truly familiarize myself.

"Without that, I won't be able to as effectively speak on behalf of your people. I simply don't know them that well. Furthermore, I can't speak to your customs or smooth potential misunderstandings; I can't explain where to avoid and on and on. I can pass along your neutrality on the matter and lack of ill intent and offer my opposition on any matter that would entail animosity toward the Bao-- and that will carry some weight." Still strange to know that was true. Low Yuna might be among the hierarchy of the Realm, she still carried the V'neef name now and, so long as Momodi agreed with her, all the weight of her mentor's approval. "But a more permanent, more invested and integrated representative will likely serve you much better than I. And, indeed, would aid me in helping cement your situation as noncombatants."

The Dragon-Blood set her empty bowl down on the log beside her and shook her head. "I am, perhaps, planning too far ahead or too thoroughly for a relatively small and undeveloped problem, but Y'mithra had implied that they expected the situation to develop into a genocide, so I am assuming that it would be best to plan a somewhat more in-depth campaign. Or, at least, to set the stage for one as necessary."

Ohm's paws unfurl from the bowl, now licked profoundly clean of the soup. Her maw opens, sharp teeth clamping down carefully on the wooden rim and lifting the bowl off the log. Her arms straighten, pulling Ohm's legs up after them, and she skitters along the log towards Yuna. A forelimb stretches out, still slow and gentle, claws grasping the handle of Yuna's bowl and lifting it away, before Ohm's head slowly lowers down, placing one bowl into another with an astonishing amount of care, and setting the spoon gently atop the pile. Two hands then grip Yuna's bowl — this time using the midlimbs that sprout from her back — lifting it up. Ohm gives Yuna an inscrutable glance, then turns away, skittering down the other side of the log and across the beaten-down dirt.

Circling the fire, the Exalt sets the bowls down in roughly the place Snow Lily had taken them from. Returning her limbs to the ground, Ohm sits, eyes cast up towards the old woman, the spoon still balancing atop the fluffy summit of her head.

Snow Lily sighs, bringing a hand to the bridge of her nose, massaging it as if she had a headache.

"It seems like we will not be able to escape dealing with the Realm, no matter how strongly we might wish otherwise."

The sound of Ohm putting down the bowls makes the chief open her eyes again, and she laughs at the display. She takes the spoon from the Lunar's head, and hesitates, seemingly on the cusp of patting her head before deciding otherwise. She shakes her head, a smile still on her lips.

"Now your story, I'd be curious to hear. But enough discussion for tonight. I need to bring your proposition to the rest of the tribe, and make a decision with them. Rest for tonight, and tomorrow we will fulfill Y'mithra's part of the bargain and take you two to Jianta."

Snow Lily gets up, patting some stray snow from her furs. "You can use my tent for tonight. It will surely lack the comforts you are used to, but it is the best we can do." She pauses, looking at the pot of stew for a moment. "There might be some commotion as others come to get food, but they will not bother you otherwise if you remain inside."

Ohm's huge yellow eyes look a bit disappointed when the spoon is removed and nothing more is forthcoming. Nevertheless, she turns away from Snow Lily and trots back to the log, crawls back atop it, and then curls up. Her many limbs come together, creating a uniform ball of fluff, looking as if a particularly large, plush mushroom has sprouted from the wood. The faintest sound of slow breathing, muffled by her fur, can be heard if one places an ear close.

Yuna gave a sympathetic sort of grimace as Snow Lily seemed less than thrilled at the idea of entering into Realm politics, memories stirring of her own frantic studies to try to get up to speed after she had taken her Second Breath. She glanced sidelong at her fluffy companion as Snow Lily removed the spoon and the maybe-Anathema returned to the log once more, still utterly unsure what to make of her. Yuna would certainly love to know that story as well.

The Dragon-Blood bowed her head to Snow Lily. "Use of your tent is more than gracious. You have my gratitude." Yuna hid a faint hint of wry amusement at the thought that this would be not the worst place she'd slept. Though it would be one of the coldest. "That said, if I could make one request? After you've had a chance to discuss things with the rest of your tribe, if they are amenable, could I spend some time observing them? Perhaps speak to a couple, if they are not unwilling?" Observation and conversation were merely another form of study and she would need some degree of expertise here to maneuver this all properly when she got to Jianta.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:57, Mon 17 Aug 2020.

"Yes, of course dear. It's good to see that you'll stick to your words of learning about us, and I am sure some of them are curious about our visitors as well."

The rest of the evening goes by without problems; some of the tribesmen indeed don't mind talking to Yuna, and none of them particularly stand out, either. All in all, the Bao seem to be a pacific tribe of hunter-gatherers, the only oddity being their uncommon connection to the leopards lazing around the camp; they are probably blessed by a leopard god or other similar entity, though they wisely kept quiet about it and, if so, it has not shown itself to Yuna's senses either. Hard to think they would keep up with Immaculate practices in the wilderness, after all. Many seem curious about Ohm as well, though none directly ask Yuna about her strange companion, nor approach the Lunar directly. During all this, Y'mithra is nowhere to be seen.

After a while, Yuna retires to the chief's tent, which reveals itself to be surprisingly warm. There are several personal items scattered around, though not in a disorganized fashion, which Yuna does not pry into. She falls asleep in a surprisingly comfortable bedroll, while her companion seems content to remain outside; or so it seemed at first...

As the camp fades into the relative inactivity of night — still and silent, save for the handful of tribemembers who keep watch, wary eyes staring out into the darkness — Ohm's fuzzy ball stirs and unfurls, stretching out across the log. After a slow yawn, she descends from the log, trodding across the ground to slip into Snow Lily's tent. Her ruby claws pick their way across the floor, attempting not to disturb anything noisesome, before reaching the bedroll from which comes Yuna's clear breathing. Ohm's tiny body slips into the opening, disappearing into the warm darkness and curling up once more into a ball. With warmth and company, she falls again into sleep, her warm, thick fur nestled against Yuna's side.

Yuna awoke slowly, comfortably warm and lazily content. She felt something nestled into her back and unthinkingly rolled over to wrap an arm around her companion, but found them... surprisingly fluffy. Not human...? A dog, then. Yuna had never owned a pet.

The Exalt's eyes shot open and she shoved herself back and away from the bedroll and the unexpected company therein. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, one arm wrapped around her side. The Guardian floated as a flickering orb beside her, unperturbed as ever by anything that was not a direct attack. Yuna regarded the maybe-Anathema with surprise that was swiftly shifting to anger, heart still racing in her chest. "Sweet Danaa'd." Her breath came with faint wisps of smoke. "What in the Hell was that about?" she said, usual cool temporarily lost with her alarm.

Ohm's fur proves itself as exceptional soft as it had looked when Yuna pushes herself away. The Dynast's fingers sink deep into the plush, before eventually hitting on Ohm's significantly-less-yielding main form. With Yuna's hurry to push away, she pushes the smaller Exalt's body up. It tilts onto its side, then away, toppling onto what is... probably Ohm's back. The fur shifts as Ohm curls up a little tighter within the bedroll, now absent Yuna's warmth, a quiet groan of protest escaping the mound. She otherwise offers up no reaction.

Yuna regarded the maybe-Anathema, form half-covered by blankets, as she leaned very lightly against the wall of the tent and waited for her heartbeat to slow and the sense of panic to pass. She set about straightening her clothing a little, smoothing her collar and running her fingers through her hair, trying to make herself more presentable. The Guardian was still at her side, but the magic would be expiring soon and would need to be renewed. Ideally, she'd be able to find somewhere more private to shape the spell, but she might not find anywhere so private as this.

Casting a final glance over at the maybe-Anathema, Yuna took a breath and steadied herself, calling the Guardian to float just above her hand. Gently, she guided it toward her chest, eyes still closed and concentrating, essence beginning to stir. As she pressed the Guardian closer, she stifled a wince; fire didn't burn any more, but this wasn't ordinary flame. She pushed the Guardian to her breast and then through, into her heart, felt the searing burn of it there as agony and as a pure thrill that thrummed all through her veins.

Yuna held onto both feelings as she traced her fingers through the air, leading the little specs of essence, guiding them and augmenting them with her own power as she left little blazing sigils floating before her. As she finished, she tapped her forefinger once against the center and the symbols blazed brighter as the sword began to emerge once more, hilt-first, from Yuna's chest, taking on the form of an ornate saber and stopping once just past the guard.

Exhaling once again for the first time since the ritual had begun, the Exalt took hold of the sword's hilt and drew it forth with a flourish, eyes opening and glowing with fiery Essence.

And then it was done. The sigil went out, the essence settled, and Yuna closed her first fully around the Guardian, collapsing it back into its orb form. It floated back once more to linger at her side.

Wiping away a small trickle of sweat at her brow, Yuna stood and brushed herself off, taking one final moment to check her appearance before stepping out of the tent.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Mon 17 Aug 2020.

Yuna steps out of the tent to a hustle of activity, with some of the tribesmen folding up their tents while others cleared out campfires and generally went about their daily duties in preparation of moving on to a new spot, as the Bao were a roaming tribe. A few moments after Yuna steps out, she is approached by Snow Lily, who now has Y'mithra beside her.

"Good morning, Yuna. After the tribe's deliberation last night, it was decided that Y'mithra will be the one to accompany you to Jianta and act as the Bao's ambassador."

The chief does not seem happy about that decision, but Y'mithra is as inscrutable as they were the previous day.

"This deal was of my own making," the hunter says, "it is only fair that this unintended cost be borne by me and none other."

The hunter's posture is stiff, as if they expect Yuna to object.

Yuna offered Snow Lily a smile and a nod of greeting and the same to Y'mithra. That one, she was certain, did not like her. But you never let on for such things. Not to 'kill them with kindness' as the saying went, but to remain inscrutable, so that they never knew when and if they got to you, so you had a better chance of getting to them.

The Dragon-Blood blinked at the news of who she would be working with, but her expression betrayed little of her thoughts as she turned to Y'mithra. Stiff, obviously displeased and obviously expecting to have to fight for their place. There would be a lot to teach them. Almost as much as Momodi had needed to teach her, Yuna thought wryly. To Y'mithra, she simply bowed, lower than she had the day before and with more respect. Appropriate for one foreign dignitary to another. "It will be my honor to work with you, Y'mithra of the Bao. I am certain there is much we have to teach each other."

Yuna straightened and offered them another smile, an invitation to friendlier relations going forward. So very much to teach them of the Realm and its politics, of which she was no expert by any stretch, and so little time to do it. Easier if they could at least get along for it.

The hunter seems surprised at the apparent lack of the objection they had been expecting, but then simply gives a nod in response to Yuna's words.

"We should move out and start trekking towards Jianta. It is not far, but we will still need to leave early and keep a brisk pace if we want to make it to the city gates by nightfall."

At this point Yuna notices that Y'mithra is carrying quite a few more things on their person than the previous day, though the assorted bags and pouches blend well with the heavy furs the hunter wears. Beside their feet there is also a larger bag, presumably containing what little personal effects they would be taking to Jianta. Y'mithra hands Yuna a pouch with some trail rations inside.

"For breakfast. We'll make a stop halfway through the journey for a heartier meal. Your companion...?"

Y'mithra looks towards the tent, but otherwise trails off, leaving it unclear what they meant by bringing up Ohm.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:06, Tue 18 Aug 2020.

Some time after Yuna has left the tent — taking her lovely warmth with her — Ohm finally stirs to wakefulness. She unfurls herself from the blankets, stretching her body out and shaking her bedroll-compressed fur back into its natural, bouncy shape. She does not immediately head out to join Yuna, who is doubtless preparing for her departure by now. Instead, the Lunar exhales, releasing the tiny ball of silvery essence she'd held bound within her body. As the energy unfurls, so too do the tattoos, spiralling silver lines in a pattern that never seems to intersect. When the lines reach her fur, they seem to vanish, though they are still there — a glittering pattern of larger stripes in her fur that only appears when the light hits them just right.

Next, Ohm focuses the thrumming energy of her body, pulling it inwards... and her form along with it. Her already-tiny frame shrinks, diminishing away even as it shifts. Her limbs narrow, fur proceeding up them to cover her torso. Her eyes grow even larger and bulge out, vision shattering into a thousand images. Two tufts of her hair jut outwards, forming into long, feathered antenna. The fur on her back flares out, then knits together into four elegant, delicately-woven wings. Within moments, she is barely larger than a fingernail, a silken white moth wit golden compound eyes and a particularly thick, jagged covering of fur, both details that would likely be impossible for a human to notice. Her whole body shimmers in those faint silver lines, even harder to see now that all of her is of one colour.

Shaking her newly-remade body, Ohm sets off across the suddenly vast bedroll. For such a tiny creature, she makes alarmingly good time, skittering across the skins and then down onto the earthen floor. From there, she makes towards the nearest edge of the tent. It isn't anywhere near the opening, but that is an arbitrary distinction to her by now. Reaching the wall, pressed tightly to the earth, she nevertheless wriggles her tiny body in, dislodging the skin and burrowing her way through. It would be a feat well beyond the strength of any normal moth, but she is very much not a normal moth.

Eventually, Ohm breaches the other side, emerging into the titanic clamour of human life within the camp as it is being collapsed around her. Not particularly wanting to wait around to be stepped on, for all that it would be entirely survivable, she unfurls her wings, silvery details flashing in the sunlight, and hurls herself skyward. She leaps, an inch or more into the air. As she reached the apex, her wings pound downwards, fold, lift up, extend, and then pound again, lifting her up into the air and away from the cacophony. In seconds, she has escaped into the open sky, near-invisible from below save for the occasional glint of faint silver light.

From her newly-elevated perch, Ohm spies Yuna, the hunter who'd lead the cats, and the village elder. She pitches her wings, turning about so she can fly towards them. The little moth circles in the skies above, coming down low enough to listen to rest of the conversation, if for no other reason than they might mention directions. A useful tidbit in the even they both got eaten by a mammoth en route.

Yuna dipped her head in deferral to Y'mithra's expertise so far as getting to Jianta-- and, indeed, getting anywhere-- from the Bao's camp. She accepted the pouch of rations the hunter offered to them, hiding her disappointment. After the stew from last night, Yuna had very much been looking forward to breakfast. No helping it, though. "Thank you" was all she said however, offering Y'mithra a smile.

The Exalt turned back toward the tent, following Y'mithra's gaze. "Ah... Companion is... perhaps a strong word. One-time rescuer is more apt; she aided me in surviving the shipwreck and I had thought she might have been sent by one of my actual companions, but..." Yuna shrugged. She elected not to name the girl as a possible Anathema; she couldn't be certain and she had saved her life. "Either way, I'm not certain as to where she was headed. I'd say I should wish her farewell before we depart, but I'd rather not wake her." And she didn't know what the girl wanted or if she would continue to follow.

"I... see. Well, in that case, we can leave her to the chief and the rest of the tribe to deal with." Y'mithra looks at Snow Lily, who nods.  "Very well, then. Let us be off."

With matters settled, Y'mithra and Yuna say their goodbyes and start out onto the woods, with Ohm following after in her moth form. The trek is arduous, Y'mithra maintaining a brisk pace, but not something a Dynast cannot keep up with, even one such as Yuna. The pair stops around midday for a meal, which consists of some smoked meat and dried fruits that Y'mithra takes out of her pack; an improvement upon their breakfast, but still not near the previous day's stew. As they continued their journey, Yuna notices that Y'mithra seems surprised -- and slightly impressed -- that Yuna can keep up the pace without any complaints, but otherwise remains silent and aloof, resisting any attempts at conversation with one-word answers or grunts.

Eventually, the pair breaks out of the woods and, in the distance, Yuna catches the first glimpse of Jianta. The walled city is built on the slope of a mountain, with a smaller, also walled settlement also visible in the shores of the White Sea; judging distances, it seems like a one hour ride to go from the city proper to its harbor offshoot. Past the walls, Yuna can see the buildings on the higher levels of the slope, as well as several tall spires jutting out of the ground, the waning sun casting intricate shadows over them.

"Welcome to Jianta, City of Spires," Y'mithra mutters under her breath, clear distaste in her voice.

The pair approaches the gates of the city. A paved, well-maintained road leads from it to the harbor settlement, and a trickle of people are passing by under the watchful eye of several guards. Having come from the woods, however, Yuna and Y'mithra are clearly noticeable, and as they approach to shouting distance a group of guards moves to intercept them. They do not seem hostile, but they are wary and attentive; three guards in well-maintained breastplate armor, carrying swords at their hips and holding spears, with the bearing of actual military training, and an older officer similarly garbed. A quick glance tells Yuna that the other guards at the gate are similarly well-equipped, unusually so for mere guard duty, which perhaps speaks to the recent raiding troubles.

"Halt!" The officer in the group that intercepted the pair says when they get close enough, though neither his posture nor his tone is aggressive. "Name yourselves, and state your business in Jianta."

Ohm's tiny white form alights upon the wall of the great mountain city, a pale spec against the grey. Her golden eyes stare down at the shuffle of soldiers approaching her Dynastic travelling companion, waiting for this petty altercation to resolve itself. Alien as she is to cities, the Lunar has opted to follow Yuna to her destination first, and go seeking a disguise second.

Yuna had to work to keep pace with Y'mithra as they trekked through the unfamiliar terrain, though it proved rather easier than she was accustomed to. A perk of being Exalted, perhaps. Or perhaps she was simply better able to save her breath given that her new traveling companion was entirely unwilling to entertain any kind of conversation.

Whatever her guide's distaste, however, Yuna brightened noticeably and considerably at the sight of Jianta. She was almost there. And Momodi and the others should be there as well. She didn't let herself append 'if they survived' to that; Momodi was far stronger than her and she would have been able to find a way to get them all out safe. She found herself almost beginning to press ahead of her guide as they hit the last leg of their journey.

As they approached the city, the Dragon-Blood lit the lantern at her waist and made a brief gesture to send the Guardian into it. She frowned slightly as the guard called for them to halt, a part of her aware that a true House-raised Dynast should be offended to have a commoner ordering them about, but the request was not unreasonable and she was fairly certain that Momodi would accommodate such a request within reason. Still, she kept her hands clasped before her and she met the guard's eye steadily with an unconcerned smile, as if she were quite sure of herself and of how he would react to her, fully confident he would be assisting her in just a moment.

"Hail and well met, sir. I am V'neef Yuna, summoned as part of V'neef Momodi's entourage to the Satrapy by V'neef Papashan to assist with Kori's recent troubles. I'm afraid misadventure has seen me separated from my party, but my guide here, Ambassador Y'mithra, has been kind enough to aid me in finding my way once more," she said, gesturing to Y'mithra. "I trust you and yours will show her every courtesy you would show me. Now, both myself and the Ambassador have business in the city-- reuniting with Lady Momodi, if she has already arrived, and paying respect to the Satrap if she has not."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:26, Wed 19 Aug 2020.

The guards' eyes widen as Yuna introduces herself, and the officer quickly salutes, "My lady Yuna, allow me to welcome you to Jianta. Lady Momodi told us to expect your arrival by way of the Southern Gate, but I did not expect you to come out of the woods with a companion. I apologize if I have given offence." The officer seems visibly confused about Y'mithra being called "Ambassador", not to mention the way of their garb, but chooses not to comment further on the subject.

"If it please you, we have a carriage ready to take you and your guest to the Alabaster Seat."

The Alabaster Seat, Yuna recalls, is the name given to the queen's palace, the ruling seat of power in Kori. It is also were the Satrap has taken residence.

"None at all, sir. What sort of guard would you be if you did not guard your post, after all?" she told him, smile widening just a hair, a hint of humor and faint indulgence. The first was genuine, the second feigned. She was no longer of a social class with him and she wasn't supposed to let anyone forget it, least of all herself. She offered no explanation for Y'mithra's title. "And it would please me very much to take that carriage. You have my thanks."

Taking just a short moment to gather the power that hummed through the air, just subtle enough not to be a constant press on her awareness, Yuna whispered to the wind, mouth barely moving and voice utterly inaudible: "My Lady, I hope you're well. I've arrived in the city. I apologize for the delay, but I do have an ambassador of sorts with me for one of the local tribes."

"Ambassador?" Yuna asked, turning to Y'mithra, more an invitation that a request for an opinion, waiting for confirmation before beginning to step forward.

The officer relaxes at Yuna's response, and guides her to the carriage after a few curt orders to the guards. Y'mithra sinmply nods to Yuna, following after her and remaining as inscrutable as ever; the hunter's heavy garb definitively making it hard to know what they are thinking since it obscures their facial expressions, but good odds that it was not anything good given their previously clear distaste for the Realm and Jianta in particular. The officer apologizes for not being able to accompany Yuna to the Alabaster Seat, saying he couldn't leave his duties, and bids them farewell. Meanwhile Ohm spies the carriage and starts flying after it.

On the journey to the Seat, Yuna spies a bit of the daily life of Jianta through the windows of the carriage, in a sense. City of Spires it may be called, and indeed there are several dotting the skyline in the city, but more interesting than them are the frequent underground gates that Yuna sees, some closed down, some open as people emerged onto the surface or went underground in their daily business. Yuna had read that a large part of the city was built underground, and it was clear that navigating the city by foot was mostly done through those passages, as she saw very few pedestrians above-ground other than those immediately leaving or entering a building, even though the city was bustling with activity this close to Calibration.

Eventually the carriage makes its way towards the mountain, and arrives at great granite gates carved into the face of the mountain itself. Rising from the mountainside atop it a massive marble spire rises into the sky, and guards in more elaborate garb stand at the ready. The granite gates are large enough for the carriage to drive through, but it stops a few paces away instead, allowing Yuna and Y'mithra to disembark. As they do, they are approached by Momodi, who had clearly received Yuna's message.

"I had no doubts you would find your way here, cousin."

Momodi has an easy smile as she says this and approaches Yuna, giving her an unexpected hug. She squeezes the younger Exalt a bit too hard, betraying that she might not have felt as confident as her words otherwise indicated.

Yuna turned as Momodi addressed her and approached them, just beginning to offer the other Dragon-Blood a bow before being enveloped in a hug. Yuna hesitated for a moment, knowing this wasn't proper and a dozen potential implications from any onlookers running through her head, before the tension eased out of her and she wrapped her arms around Momodi as well. She held Momodi tightly, though not with quite the same almost-painful force as her mentor held her.

"I... apologize for my tardiness, my lady. Are Nanamo and the others all right?" There was a note of genuine concern, pulling back slightly to look around for some sign of Momodi's household.

Momodi also pulls back, giving a tired smile. Taking a good look at her, Yuna can see that she actually seems tired, perhaps the most tired Yuna has ever seen her.

"Yes. They're resting for now, inside the Alabaster Seat. Come, I'll take you to your quarter that you might freshen up and so that we can... discuss some things."

She says the last casting a glance towards Y'mithra, who remains as stoic as ever.

The granite doors open into a huge hall with several connecting passages, with servants and administrative personnel bustling through it to and fro their duties. Momodi takes Yuna and Y'mithra down one of those halls, already seemingly knowing her way around the place. As they walk, unwittingly trailed by a sparkling moth, Momodi tells Yuna how most of the household survived, though the same could not be said of the ship's crew. There is a note of genuine sadness in her voice as she explains how she had to prioritize saving her people before she could see to the sailors, but also the conviction that she had done the right thing.

As Yuna walks through the halls of the "palace" -- which, as far as she can see, are all set into the mountain -- she notices that several ornamental crystals line the walls and furniture, glowing in several shades of the elemental colors with a brilliant, unwavering intensity. She had noticed some of them in the city as well, but here they seemed to be everywhere she looked.

Eventually the group reaches a stairway an ascend into a part of the complex that seems dedicated to guest housing. Momodi stops briefly in front of the door of what she says to be Yuna's quarters to explain how her own rooms are just down the hall, and how the houshold's quarters can be found across the hall from them; they had all been quartered close to each other per her own request. The group then enters Yuna's waiting room, which boasts a massive window -- they've clearly ascended the spire, through they are still very close to ground level.

Momodi heads to one of the many chairs set around the room, turning to Yuna and motioning to Y'mithra. "I think I'm owned an explanation, here." Her tone is not unkind, and Yuna can sense that she means about more than just the newcomer.

Yuna listened attentively as Momodi relayed what had happened at the shipwreck after she'd ordered the younger Exalt to leave. She winced to hear the fate of most of the sailors, once again feeling the stirring of her element in her chest, but trying to force it down. Still. If she were more powerful, more competent, Momodi wouldn't have had to send her away and she would have been able to assist.

They enter Yuna's new quarters and she offers a quick look around, letting her shoulders relax-- though she quickly tenses again as Momodi asks for an explanation, feeling somewhat guilty though she had tried not to do anything outside of her authority. "Yes, my lady. After you gave your order, I came across a rather... odd sort of person in the water." Yuna rattled off a brief description of her previous companion. "At first, I assumed she might be a servitor of yours, but she told me this was not the case. ...And, I confess, I did not press further to her origins; she may, perhaps, have been some form of spirit or so forth native to the area?"

"Either way she helped me to get to the store, where we met Y'mithra." She nodded to fur-clad hunter, then gave a summary of the events at the Bao camp, including the promise she had made. Concluding, she said, "So, Y'mithra is here to act as something of an ambassador for the Bao tribe, as they wish no ill will upon Kori and would like to remain outside of any ensuing hostilities between the satrapy and the other tribes." She looked again to Momodi as she finished, faintly nervous for whether or not the other Exalt would approve.

As the two women enter the massive structure, a moth quiet flutters in after them. In pursues them in irregular pattern, flitting across the ceiling and occasionally landing upon a wall. This continues until they reach the spire, and Momodi says which of the rooms belong to Yuna. The place she intends to return to now known, and not wanting to spend more time flitting about the head of a Dynast than necessary, she elects to make herself scarce... in as direct a path as possible.

A soft dtoonk comes from the window, loud enough that someone sat next to it might notice, or perhaps an Exalted within the room. A moth, having slammed itself vainly into the window, flutters itself to a rest upon the glass. After a moment to shake off the shock of the impact, it lifts off again, silvery-white wings glittering as they catch the sunlight, then slams into the pane again — and again bouncing off. It repeats this several times, its tiny body bounding fruitlessly across the hard, smooth surface, before fluttering down to land upon the windowsill, thoroughly stunned by its repeated concussions.

The impacts do not particularly bother Ohm, but the feigned injury is a tried and true technique to get a window opened. A good-natured someone nearby — like a certain foreign-sourced Dynast — couldn't help themselves but push open a gap to let the poor, dazed, helpless insect escape. Certainly less suspicious than a moth somehow pushing open a window under its own power.

"Interesting," Momodi says as Yuna explains about Ohm. "It seems there is more going on here than we were led to believe, and that creature might have indeed been a local spirit or god. Either way, they did help you out of the shipwreck, so we should be grateful for that."

At around that time Yuna notices the moth bumping into the window, and gets up to momentarily open it, letting in an icy breeze and letting the poor insect out, before continuing with her tale, explaining about Y'mithra and the Bao.

"I see." Momodi turns to Y'mithra, "For one I am also happy to solve matters peacefully when possible. Having access to your tribe's knowledge of the area and the other tribes might prove invaluable to solving the matters here as swiftly as possible."

"Actually, it is my tribe's desire to remain apart from the Realm. We wish to continue our life undisturbed." Y'mithra responds tersely.

"That might not be possible. This is a Realm satrapy. These lands are under our jurisdiction. Trust me when I say that I do prefer to solve issues without bloodshed... but I will not tolerate an independent party inside our borders, no matter how many assurances you give of your neutrality." Momodi pauses, looking at Y'mithra with a frown. "Rest assured that your tribe will be allowed to maintain as much of its lifestyle as possible. But your presence here already shows that you cannot remain as apart as you want. We will require something in return if your tribe is allowed to remain roaming our countryside. You are, of course, allowed to move out of Kori if you do not like those terms."

Y'mithra hesitates, then nods. "I understand."

"Good." Momodi turns back to Yuna. "You should relax, take a bath. Now that you are here, we can hold a formal meeting with Papashan to understand more of the situation. I'll get Y'mithra suitable quarters in the meantime."