A sizable plantation surrounds this archaic-looking house, hiding it's violet terraces and pillars amidst a sea of blue and red leaves. The fruits growing from the trees range from grapefruit sized to watermelon-sized, each in various shades of blue and green. This is the house where Mara-Kuru has been spending her long, long recovery period.
Wu Yuan
Yuan Orchards
Korliss's Keep
Other Side of the World
The Wretching Dragon
Mara-Kuru's Estate
Kaies Metsaf's Grave
Ludolf arrives to find, of course, no one home.
After swearing for a little while he begins laying out his tools anyway... might as well have them ready. It's far too cold outside to do this work there, but...
Many thoughts run through the medium's mind, some concerning the job ahead, many more concerning the part ahead that he will actually like, but of all of them, only one pertinent thought really slips through.
I should just call the whole thing off. At least I know what they're trying to do... I could tell Lashrael that they're going to try and fool her master that way, and I would be off the hook.
Felina narrows her eyes.
Fantastic. That can't possibly
get any worse. More information would be great, but it's never smart to get greedy, and she has to move on what she's got. She tries to step back to
Korliss's Keep.
Felina appears on the front porch and, as per usual, steps inside. "Mara?"
"Quiet, please," Ludolf's irritable voice calls from the front room, "I am trying to work here."
Mara lies quite nude upon a table in the front of her house, her body surrounded by an intricate, glimmering rune. Ludolf is quite busy ogling her... that is, working on the golem construction spell... and so he moves from place to place, stopping here and there, adjusting this, lighting that.
"Hello, my love. I'm sorry, but he was here and... I thought I would go ahead and do this."
Felina smiles and nods. "All right. I'll be around." She's blissfully oblivious, as far as is obvious. She heads into a sitting room. Mostly because she's out of sight. And...well...s
its. Once reappearing in the opposite study, that is. She folds her arms, closes her eyes, and sits back in the chair, still feeling quite a bit drained from the life energy transfer. Her senses, though, are on high alert, keeping a close lookout for any unidentified presences, astral or otherwise, and just waits.
The sounds from the front room are fairly understandable. Ludolf grunting and huffing and puffing as he movies around whilst trying not to knock over things, and Mara singing a song about pigeon migrations. After a while, if Felina is still listening, a discourse occurs between them.
"Hey, don't you," whack! "touch that! That's mine and so is the other one!" a-whack!
Felina snickers quietly. Someone's going to need another sixty bandages by the time this is through.
"Felina? Are you still here?" Mara's voice calls out in question from the front room. "Ludolf's all done, I'm decent again!"
"Yes, and even more or less awake." Felina yawns, stretches, and heads back out into the front room. She looks at the golem, and smiles a false smile. "I really do appreciate all the trouble. Having a vacant body to test the ether plane versions of mages' fevers will be more useful than I can easily say. A copy of mine just won't do, since I've already had the more serious one and am immune, but it really takes one about at this level to both show severe effects and not be drained to death." She hopes to all hell that Mara picks up on this and plays along.
Mara is quite preoccupied at the moment, dancing with her 'clone' in neat little circles all around the room. "I think we should get another one," she chirps to Felina, "this one is far too pretty to fill up with fevers!"
Ludolf, lumpy head and all, just nods. "Yes, well, what you do with it isn't my business. I'll expect payment in the form of fixing my book as soon as possible." He's already gathered his things, looking extremely irritable that he's still here. he's practically sweating, though whether that's from a previously nekkid Mara or not is anyone's guess.
Felina smirks a little, watching Mara. "Well, if it dies, then we can officially count the cure research flawed. Just a thought. My brother would not be pleased." She closes her eyes, raising a hand near face-level, and stands still for the better part of ten seconds, pinpointing things psychically. Palm closes, glows faintly. She looks over to Lord Ludolf. "The encryption's lifted. Please be kinder to my friends in the future, and won't resort to tactics like that. I do normally take 'no' for an answer. Usually." She looks back to Mara, done with him. "You'd better clothe it before taking it anywhere."
Mara's eyes close for a second, and then she stands beside the golem, hands on her hips. The doll matches her stance.
"Well, if you insist." Together they tramp off to Mara's closet to rifle through the various outfits that the Sendiran has available.
Ludolf just snorts and heads for the door.
Felina sighs quietly and sits down on the couch, leaning back though concentrating on not falling asleep. She hopes that Ludolf bought the story. Maybe not, being an asshole doesn't make him an idiot. Doesn't matter, she'd given it a shot.
It isn't long before Mara returns with the golem, whose glassy stare indicates exactly how unfeeling and lifeless it really is. She's dressed it all in black, as she normally dresses herself, and attached some clip on earrings to its ears... physically, it's a good match.
"Here we go, right as rain." Mara smiles brightly. "It is too bad that we have no use for it now, my love."
"It looks great, Mara." Felina smiles when she opens her eyes, though there's something serious in them underneath it all.
The Sendiran blinks. "What's wrong, Felina? You look like you are having a bad day... I mean, more so than I know about. Or a cramp and a bad day."
"Nah...I'm okay. I just don't quite feel myself, I'm sure I'll be fine in a few minutes." The sentlin smiles, trying to look more sincere, and stands up.
"Oh!" Mara practically smacks her forehead all of a sudden. "Amilei told all about that fish woman. She's a bad woman and..." she blinks again. "You feel funny. What happened?"
Felina nods. "Korliss told me some. What did you find out about her?"
"That she is big and bad and strong," Mara is happy to report, "and then I left. Um... you didn't answer my question." Her head, as usual, tilts back and forth. "You don't have to answer."
Felina smirks. "You're getting better at catching me when I'm being an ass. It was just a moderate negative energy transfer, nothing unexplained, uncontolled, or potentially dangerous."
"That's good. I was a little concerned, my love." Mara runs both hands through her thick curls, sighing softly throughout. "I wish my father was really dead. Today was a bad enough day without him poking his nose into things. I guess I will really have to go see him, though, right?"
"At least through the golem, yes." Felina sighs. "I'm sorry it came to this, Mara-kuru. I wish it hadn't happened, too. But hey, you have my word that I'll be here to help through the very end."
Mara just smiles her serene smile, nods. She doesn't say how close the end really might be, but it is certainly on her mind.
"What do you think we should do now? There are so many avenues to cover, my love, and I don't know where to begin."
"I'm really not sure." Felina frowns a little. "Korliss thinks your father may have something big in the works, but I don't know how to investigate it. I keep track of the big names in metaphysics pretty well on the ether plane, but not so much here. I was thinking about trying for a more extended astrally-executed sweep of things, try to see as much as I can and check for disturbances."
"I keep thinking that I should just go and ask him." Mara sits down again, upon the table where she'd been lying a moment ago. "I mean... I could save us so much trouble if I just went. Maybe this is fate telling me that I should not be a coward any more, my love."
She quiets at that, leaning against a bookshelf. She takes the better part of a minute before speaking. "You have every reason to be frightened of your father, Mara," Felina observes quietly. "And I won't hold that against you in any way. But how you want to react to that is most certainly your decision."
"I was thinking about it while Ludolf was trying not to stare at me." Mara fidgets a bit, nervous, her eyes cast to the floor. It's plain that she's not entirely comfortable sharing this information with Felina. "But... here you are, getting ready to risk your life for me, again, while I sit with my thumb up my butt. It just should not be that way, my love, it shouldn't."
Felina tilts her head. Another pause. "What do you want to do?"
The sendiran's smile fades. "I want to go see him. Just me, since the letter only asked for me, right? That way he won't be suspicious."
Felina's smile fades a little, something like worry deep in her eyes. "You, Mara? Not the golem?"
"Doesn't Lashrael know about the golem? If we sent it now they would be watching for it." Mara glances at it. "It's just a doll. The ruse would not have held for long anyway."
Felina looks at the golem a bit, quiet. She finally closes her eyes, nods. Her brow is creased lightly. "If that's what you want to do, Mara-kuru...I won't stop you. I'll worry to all hell. But I won't stop you." She smiles just a little at her double. "You always have the first right to your own destiny and all."
Mara slides off the table, making no show of shyness when she pounces Felina in one of the better displays of a flying tackle hug in the history of the act.
"You are so sweet to understand!" She grins a bit. "I want to tell Kaishen and Korliss first. They would worry if I just went."
"Erf..." Felina's taken down quite neatly, since she makes no dedicated effort not to be. She smiles, wanly, and hugs Mara. "Of course."
Mara spends the appropriate amount of time holding onto said hug, briefly thinking that Ludolf would give his left to eye to see them like that, before getting up and dusting herself off. "Well. No time like the present, right?"
"A fine motto." Felina glances over to the golem. "I guess we really can use that thing for research. Oh well."
"I don't think I would be comfortable with that, Felina," Mara observes, gazing at the limp doll. "If it is okay with you, I would much prefer we dispelled it."
Felina nods. "Fair enough." She looks to her double. "Might be better to wait until this is all over, just in case. I don't know what we might use it for outside of the original plan, but...you never know. Never hurts to have raw material to think on your feet. And if we don't use it this time, we can just dispell it."
Mara nods. "Okee. Let's go see Korliss again. I want to read that letter before we do anything at all." She takes a gentle hold of Felina's arm, tugging it a few times.
Felina nods, smiling just a little at Mara's insistance, and vanishes, the effect taking both Guardians along for the ride.
The next time Felina appears, she yawns. It's not entirely for show, not really...she is tired. But she gets the feeling that it's not going to be time to sleep tonight.
Mara pops up a second later, her energy signature oddly muted until a moment after she appears.
"So," she smiles her typical smile, "do you want to go right to bed? I have some very nice couches that make wonderful napping-posts. Or a regular bed. Or something."
Felina smiles at Mara, but hadn't failed to note the signature. "Wherever is most convenient for you, dear. I'm flexible by more than one definition."
The Sendiran just beams. "Me too! I am told that is one of my best traits." She trots across the room to her violet settee, gazing at it with a hint of approval in her eyes. "I think I will have this one. Wanna share?"
"Two would be preferrable, if that's okay." Felina tilts her head. "You know I'm so social and all, and I'll come up swinging with the right dream." Smirks a little.
"Oh, I know, but I thought you might like to cuddle. Well, the bedroom is upstairs and on the left. You can fix it up however you like it, my love!" Mara reaches up and blows a kiss to Felina, before curling up on the settee, apparently for the night. Her mindset is exceptionally tranquil, something of a rarity for Mara-Kuru, though that could easily be attributed to mending fences with her father.
At the top of the stairs a light burn on, revealing a nicely decorated bedroom on the right and a sauna on the left.
Felina isn't sure what to make of any of this, but just heads up the stairs for now. There's not much she can do on bare suspicion right now. At the top of the stairs, she turns left...and stops. Looks behind her, to the bedroom. Nice, Mara...don't you know your own home? She glances down the stairs once more, takes this as some confirmation for suspicion, and makes no more note of it for now, heading for the bedroom. No sleep for her tonight, that's for damned sure.
Downstairs, Mara seems to be soundly asleep. So soundly in fact that she doesn't even seem to be breathing.
It's quite some time before anything out of the norm happens. Certainly nothing that would trouble a sleeping person, anyway. After a while, though, a telepathic mind should be able to hear the faintest hints of subliminal interference, of warm fuzzy images of family and closeness between parents and children. Of gardens and cherry trees.
Felina's awake. But drifting, not as alert as she'd like, probably due to the life energy sacrifice. Her face softens a little, lying on the bed. She's not sure why her mind's drifting...home...but for the moment, she lets it. If only for a moment.
Light footsteps sound upon the stairs, and Mara's head peeks through the door a moment later. Her hair is all out of place, and she looks awfully tired... that in addition to the fact that her energy signature barely seems to exist.
"Felina, are you awake my love?"
Felina's pulled from her musings, taking a moment to decide her answer. "Yeah." She opens her eyes and looks over to the figure in the doorframe. "You okay, Mara? You don't feel right." She's grateful to have her hand beside her sword. Not out of the ordinary, she usually sleeps with it by her side away from home. Certainly a habit the applicable nether plane dwellers know.
"I had a nightmare," the other Serinian whimpers, "can I sleep in here with you?"
Felina doesn't like this. Not at all. Mara had 'mispoken' on sleeping with her once, had suggested the same bed downstairs, and now has found a way to ignore that to ask again, more persuasively. "Sure, of course." She yawns, sits up, and sits on the dresser. "You can have the bed. I'm not as tired as I thought anyway. I'll be right here as long as you need it."
Mara smiles and hops into the bed, curling up with a yawn. "I didn't mean to make you give up your bed, my love." As she speaks, the subliminals increase in consistency and potency, though still remain beneath obvious levels. "I dreamed that you and daddy were fighting. It made me so sad..."
"I can see how it would." Felina leans on her hands, trying to push away thoughts of how things used to be but having more trouble than she should considering the circumstances. "I don't intend to fight your father if he's turned over a new leaf, Mara. Don't worry about it."
"He wanted me to talk to you about what he asked before," Mara glances up to Felina's eyes, uncurling just a bit. "I gave him my consent, my love. It was a small thing, but... I thought maybe it would make him happy if you did, too."
"I don't know if I can do that, Mara. The details of my construction are one of my father's most deeply kept secrets. Even I can only access a couple of pages of the book it's kept in."
Mara's face falls. "I see. I didn't know that, Fel." She yawns again. "Please think about it, though. I know it would mean so much to daddy if you did."
"I will. Get some sleep, hey?"
Mara nods, and curls up into a peaceful little ball of Serinian. Her energy signature remains where it was, though again, it almost looks as if she isn't breathing when she drops off.
Felina just watches Mara awhile, and finally dozes a bit where she sits. Whenever she ventures near her own dreamplane, it's to things as they were a decade ago. While she was still the kid.
The morning comes along without incident. Mara remains sleeping right where she is, and the strange subliminals have dissipated. By all rights, everything seems perfectly normal.
With the exception of the most minute, insistent yowling that echoes through the mental plane and sounds a hell of a lot like Mara-kuru.
"Ugh..." Felina wakes up still groggy. She hadn't slept but sparsely due to that strange, distressed sound. She looks at Mara a few moments, then slips off the dresser and walks quietly out of the room, unfolding her father's cloak and wrapping it over her shoulders. Her energy thus hidden, she vanishes and appears in the attic of Mara's house. She sits down, lays back, and lets her mind search, partially free of her body. She's looking for the source of that yowling. "Mara?"
It's faint, unbearably faint, but the most obvious point is that the sound's origin is not nearby, probably not even within the city walls. It is a truly pitiful noise, though, as close to a tortured wail as a living voice can ever come.
Down below, there is a knock at the front door. A pause, and Amilei steps into the front room to look around. "Mara?" she calls out in a curious voice. "Are you awake?"
A moment later, Mara appears at the top of the stairs. "Oh, good morning," she says, rubbing her eyes clear, "what's up?"
Amilei gazes upon Mara as if searching her. "Are you okay? I kept hearing your voice, all night long. I was worried."
Mara's expression changes, then. The smile disappears. "You heard my voice?"
Quite suddenly, the front door slams behind Amilei, who is startled nearly into falling over. Realization floods over her, filling her glowing eyes with dread and rage.
"Where's Mara?" she demands. Her fangs bare, her voice hisses at the Serinian.
Felina, since she hadn't completely isolated herself from her body, finds herself divided and, then, pulled from her search. She'd been getting closer, she'd felt it. But for now...still cloaked, she appears downstairs, but out of sight of the door. She listens quietly.
"If you heard her voice, you've heard too much," Mara growls. Vanishes, reappearing just behind Amilei with a swift backhand that sends the vampiress tumbling to the floor. She flips over and lunges, fangs bared and claws flashing, but Mara's speed is far superior to hers. The Serinian's hand claps around Amilei's throat, using her own momentum to sling her down to the floor. "You can die now."
The tip of Felina's sword sets lightly on "Mara's" shoulder, against her neck. "You first."
"I knew you really didn't love me," Mara pouts, letting loose of Amilei's throat. "I guess you figured me out, though." 'Mara' vanishes, appearing just behind Felina with the same backhand attack that she had used upon Amilei a second ago.
Felina's torso goes one way, the arms another...she tries to grab the wrist and use the other feline's movement against her, a knee going up as she tries to bring Mara's head down.
The impact is sure, and the sound of 'Mara's' nose breaking is obvious, but no blood issues from the wound. Mara flips up and over, using Felina's grip on her wrist for leverage, apparently unhurt by the attack, and kicks towards Felina's head with both feet.
"Felina, she is not alive, she has no pulse!" Amilei warns through her mind's voice.
"At least that makes this next bit easier." Felina grabs Culheru's hilt to just in front of her face, narrowing her eyes, and an energy attack bursts from the guard. If it doesn't completely turn the corpse, the kick's hitting her full force.
Far from turning the corpse, the attack actually blows away one of "Mara's" legs, leaving the other to plant firmly against the side of Felina's head. The yellowish glow surrounding the wound begins to knit and reform the leg almost instantly, though it's not an immediate process.
Felina's slammed backwards, mind reeling for only a moment. Eyes narrow again, and another energy attack blows out the door, as she doesn't want to take time to see whether it's locked or sealed or open. "Amilei. Get out of here confirm to your dad or Kaishen or whoever you find first that Mara's not okay." She plants her foot and springs towards the construct, blade swinging for her torso.
Amilei, who is no fool, bolts as soon as the command is uttered.
The construct, meanwhile, leaps with all the strength in its one whole leg, swinging that leg up and over the expected path of Culheru, in hopes of striking Felina in almost the same spot as before. The fighting style of this Mara is completely different from that of the Mara that Felina faced in the courtyard; it is less flashy and a great deal more brutal, a very linear style without a great deal of spinning or turning. It would seem to operate primarily as a close quarters style, whereas Mara-kuru always liked to dash in and out to significant distance.
It catches Felina as before, though somewhat more glancing. Her own attack fails. The ether Guardian feels and ignores the blood trickling down the side of her head for now, watching the other construct with rapt attention. "What is it you're after, copy?"
"Your secrets," answers the Mara, "I thought you would figure it out sooner, actually. Look around you, Felina. Do you see any golems lying around here?"
"None lying. Why are you so intent on my father's secrets when you created Mara yourself?" She's kicking herself right now for not being her usual busybody self.
"What he did differently is of paramount importance to me. We both made mistakes in the creation of our children, and where I failed, he must have succeeded, and vice versa." The golem blinks just once. "I asked you kindly. I offered my services. In the end you left me no choice but to take you."
"You asked something I couldn't rightfully give. Now where's Mara?" Her hands are remaining on her sword, mind racing. There are a number of places this situation may go...all with a good number of pros and cons.
The golem's eyes narrow, it's signature still essentially blank.
"Dead."
Felina's eyes narrow as well. "You're lying. I'd have felt that."
"Good girl. So the link between the two of you is strong as I'd hoped." The golem nods. "I'll tell you what. I will take you to her. Conscious or otherwise.
"And then what, praytell?"
"You shouldn't bother yourself with the inconsequential." The golem's fist rises, the flesh blackening with sorcerous energies. "I won't ask you politely again. Either come with me, or fight."
Felina doesn't speak, just readies her sword.
"So be it."
The golem flings forth her darkened fist, launching bolt after needle-like bolt of black energy in Felina's direction.
She vanishes, appearing just inches behind the golem's back, in the air, sword stabbing for back of its neck. Spinal column's one of her best bets, piercing its heart may not help.
The sword finds it's mark without a hitch. The golem's eyes darken, the life gone out of its body.
"Well done, Felina," it's voice chimes through the air. The body of the golem darkens then, a flood of energy rising from the center of its being as its energy signature becomes painfully obvious. That it is going to explode with black magic is a sure bet.
Felina's eyes widen. She doesn't know what the magnitude of the explosion will be...she uses the connection the sword's forming to transport them both into the abyss above the planet, away from Wu Yuan, jerks her sword free with a telekinetic shove a bare instant after the original energy rise, and tries to vanish herself.
Over the skies of Wu Yuan, the sun blacks out for a few seconds. The shock wave from the golem's destruction rumbles homes in the city, though actual damage is quite limited. It's certain that Felina would have taken a blow from it, but the blast had been too slow to completely strike her.
Ow...ow...fucking...ow... Felina, again in Mara-kuru's living room, takes a few moments to tear a sling from her double's drapery for a thoroughly crushed right forearm. She's lucky she'd gotten off that easily. DAMN that was a powerful energy surge, for a throwaway attack. He hadn't even been trying to kill her. That's disturbing. She winces when she ties up the arm, not bothering with setting it for now. And to think I questioned all that ambidexterity training way back when. She sheaths the sword with her left hand and quickly vanishes for Korliss's Keep, worried.
Cleaning up here is nothing but an excuse to be alone and think, of course, but that's understood and it's one Felina has no hesitation to exploit. She looks over the door with bland eyes and raises a palm towards it after what seems entirely too much contemplation so that it begins to knit together.
The house ends up back in pristine order before long at all. At the moment there's nothing going on in the city that isn't normal, save for the activities of the few affected denizens.
And so Felina's left with nothing to do. Except brood. And that's really not all that healthy. She doesn't want to leave in case this really isn't over. But she doesn't know that it's not. Sighs again, finally gets up and wanders out the door, bound for the Yuan Orchards.
Felina can hardly believe she's here with who she is when she returns...but she is. And sucking it up and dealing, apparently. Especially since Radivishe Moorn may very well to be able to help if that's his intention, and she has no reason other than a simple hatred of the creature that it's not. She lets out her breath slowly as she closes the door, trying to level off her own biases and concentrate on the task at hand. "Ahmin Rei-ono," she starts finally, "has been absent for some time. Years...as it turns out, what seemed to be him for an undefined amount of time was a homonoculus. He planned his reemergence to coincide with the reading of Kaies's will, so that everyone--especially me, since I'm here least often--would be present. He sent letters to town leaders including the behemoth Thran and the vampire Korliss detailing demands that included having both Mara-kuru--my double, her sister Saea, and me all show up at his citadel, 'in good health.'"
She leans against the arm of the couch, folding her arms as she speaks and putting a good deal into not looking as tired and stressed as she feels. "After a messy chain of events including a number of hostages and some torture including both vampires, the behemoth, Saea, and Mara-kuru, he has a detailed knowledge of both my construction and my double's. He believes that Tel-tiono would have been correct where he was incorrect, and vice-versa, and that by combining both physiologies, he can create a perfect construct. Kaishen tracked down reports that in his time removed from this world, Ahmin Rei-ono had been largely obsessed with constructs and homonoculi, making them a chief study. Also something about his children having suffered for lack of a mother figure, and him vowing to rectify that. And then you showed up."
Radivishe Moorn listens intently to all this. He smiles brightly at the mention of Felina having a double... he'd met his own double, and would largely have preferred to have not, but perhaps this will be different.
"The quick solution is to kill him, obviously. But as you say he is the double of your hermetic father, that may prove to be a challenge. Possibly." The sorcerer glances along the newly fixed-up house, looking horridly out of place. "What a boorish place. I will tell you, that this construct business rarely turns out well for the creator. Having done so myself, of course. If his will lies in creating a 'perfect' construct, then the quickest, and most delightful, way of dealing with him is to turn said construct against him. Do you think?"
"Certainly possible if he leaves it enough free will to rebel without years of development...I can say from experience that having an inlaid personality trait is pretty damned persuasive, especially very young."
"I haven't met a mind that I couldn't crack, not yet." Radivishe Moorn yawns, making a show of covering his mouth. "I'm sure that rat I met in the street will convey news promptly to master's ear. We can expect retribution, if he isn't a complete fool. Though I doubt that said retribution will necessarily target me directly, based upon your summation. Thoughts?"
"He seemed to be an impatient sort...ready to move things along as quickly as possible. He got the information this morning, and may well be busy creating a construct right now."
The Dumen sits up from where he had been reclining, and settles his ever-smooth chin upon his fist. "Then what do you say we steal it?"
Felina looks over, surprised, then away after she meets his eyes a moment, as though remembering who he is. She's quiet a few moments. "Reckless at the very best." Looks back his way with a wry, humorless smile. "If you have any bright ideas on possible 'how's,' I'll lead."
"You can still command your barrier, correct?" The sorcerer's eyes shine with delight. "You could easily make a few quick jumps between here, there, and Moren Aiga, if you remember the way. What is left of it is essentially impregnable."
Felina nods. "Jumping the planes isn't quite instant, but it will only be a delay of a few extra seconds either way."
"I held a goddess there. Surely a mere construct can be held. Bent. Shaped to our will, and then sent back." Moorn smirks. "Unless I decide to keep it."
Felina's quiet for a few moments at that.She can't lose sight of the fact that another construct would, like her, be just another person, with all the same rights. Conditioning something to be a weapon isn't something that she can condone, and kidnapping isn't exactly up her alley, either. But...god knows Ahmin Rei-ono's been so kind to his current children. Like Radivishe Moorn would be much better? Of course, she'd hopefully have some say, too...if not, could bother Kaishen to help her get that. She lets out her breath slowly, closing her eyes. "There will be a time constraint," she notes finally. "From what Kaishen's told me, this is a real pet project...Rei-ono knows every inch of what this construct is supposed to look like, used a number of models in designing that. He'll be pissed if it's gone, and if he has all my father's perception...I wouldn't count on him not being able to find Moren Aiga before long at all. One jump to the ether plane and he'd track it down almost immediately, I'm sure of it."
The sorcerer listens intently, nodding his head now and again, as if he's actually paying attention. It shocks him, even, to an extent.
"I don't doubt that he could find it. But breaching it is an entirely different story. I wouldn't be entirely opposed to simply sealing him there, either, and letting the trawlers have their way with him. But I want this construct, and I will have it. I simply think that you could benefit from it as well."
That sounds more like the Moorn she knows and loves. Well, except the last part. "I can't say I'm entirely comfortable with thinking of an advanced construct as a commodity to be passed around. In either case...what benefit did you mean, precisely?"
The sorcerer holds up one hand, as if in vow. "You and I both know that powerful men with self-serving mindsets must be eliminated."
Felina smiles wryly at that. "So do you want to run this by Kaishen first? He may be able to give some insight on possible tricks and traps to watch for. Is his father and all."
"Is it really necessary? Ah... nevermind. I'm sure it isn't, which makes it that much more appealing." Moorn gets to his feet, eyes set firmly upon Felina's. "Show me the way, then."
Kaishen's energy signature resonates strongly near Mara's and Saea's, back at The Wretching Dragon.
She has trouble meeting his eyes, and turns to the door fairly quickly, heading for the inn.
Felina yawns when she next returns to the house, with Mara-kuru's permission. With everything at least to enough completetion to take a break for a little while...she'll sleep soundly, she hopes. She undresses ad creates a nightgown identical to the one she always wears and unbinds her hair, setting the tie on the nightstand as she sits on the offered bed, combs out her hair a bit with her fingers, and finally gets to settle securely between the covers. And really relax for once. She curls up and falls asleep without trouble.
For a long time. The better part of fifteen hours, actually, and she needed every minute. She yawns, stretching and looking out the window into what's by now nighttime. Her mood's dimmed a little...her sleep had been disturbed by what she's fairly sure were premonition dreams, vague ones. Something with the Derrias...well. Hopefully it won't be anything that can't be handled. She knows now that she has a few allies among their ranks. So for now...it's still a good day. She gets cleaned up thoroughly, more so than the blood-polishing of yesterday, and, feeling well rested and well-scrubbed, dresses to go look for her brother in the yuan orchards.
Stumble!