The Scorpion and the Frog [Satu & co.]

[Tarot]

Timestamp: to be provided by Satu

"Why did you sting me?" the frog croaked in despair, "Now we'll both sink and die." "I can't help it," said the scorpion, "it's my nature." *** Ten days earlier, Satu and her party had crossed a man. He was big and somber, dressed in dull browns making up some kind of rough cloth with a simple hood that he had neglected to pull up despite the light rainfall. A single metal pin shaped like a sword broke the bleakness of his vests. He had hardly any lips or eyebrows, and most of his right cheek had been torn away by some hooked weapon years ago. He looked very tough, his eyes betraying a life made of steel and barbs. He was polite enough, however. He introduced himself as Videk of Nyka, and asked them about the conditions of the road ahead of him, in the direction from which the party had come. In turn, he told them about some minor hazards they might encounter further down the path. It had been an unremarkable exchange, though useful in its own way. They parted ways as amicably as a monk of Nyka ever could. It wasn't until a full day had passed that Satu understood the significance of that event. Soon before sleep, a strange restlessness took over her mind and she caught herself going through her possessions for no clear reason other than she felt she must do it, that it was terribly important for her to do so. And then, it dawned on her. Her pale fingers slid over the octagonal gem that the manifestation of Sagallius had generously bestowed on her that time, in front of her own grave. And the number, the shiny digit had changed. What had been a 'four' carved into the mysterious red stone was now a 'three'. Satu had met no-one else but the man known as Videk since the last time she'd checked the gem. Sagallius' explanation still rung between the Konti's ears. The Linkgem, a crude imitation of Cheva's far more graceful connections, was a measure of what he called 'degrees of separation' from her target - but then again, a puppet's strings were connections too. The Crone was zero. Those who knew her were one's. Those who knew the one's were two's, and so on. For Satu to be a three, Videk must be a two. He was close. Closer than any other lead Satu possessed at the time. Close enough to justify dropping everything else for this new, mad pursuit. At dawn, they were on the move once more, but the direction was inverted. While the monk was an experienced outdoorsman and survivalist with a two-day head start on them, Satu had skilled Kelvics by her side and she was able to pursue him despite the rain messing with the tracks. And the tracks ultimately led the lot of them to the walled city of Nyka itself, the jewel of Northern Sylira. The walls were old and pinkish, but still very solid. Nyka was walled on all four sides with the exception of the harbor, and even there, only a small part. 'Better safe than sorry' seemed to be the ruling mindset around here. Satu and her party could see fields to the North that citizens were working even now. It was dangerous and they knew it. This was nowhere near the level of security Syliras enjoyed. Dark forests lay mere miles from their location, and anything - anything - could have swarmed out of there with barely any advance warning. It had probably happened before... but people still had to eat. Robed figures walked among the fields, watching over the workforce with strange whips. They were there, these monks, ostensibly for protection, but they did not spare a casual lash of those whips every now and then if a citizen got too distracted from his work. Other monks, four of them, guarded the city gates to the South. They were large and heavily armed with helbards and swords and their robes seemed to be padded somehow, with armor hiding underneath the cloth. They were just as battle-scarred as Videk had been, and wore the same sword-shaped pin on their robes. There was something else, too. A normal person might not have noticed, but a Konti was a far cry from anything normal. Satu was even beyond that. And she sensed it, saw it in their Heart-colors, that they were nervous. Videk had been nervous behind his calm exterior, too, but she hadn't paid too much attention to it back then. Who wouldn't be a little edgy if they were to journey throughout Mizahar completely alone? These men, however, weren't used to being nervous. They lived life to the fullest, no regrets ever. Yet here they were on their toes, and wore the nervousness like shoes three sizes too small. "Halt!" said one of them as they approached. "Who are you and what brings you here?" He frowned, scanning the lot of them and trying to come up with any excuse to deny them entrance into the city.

[Satu]

The Linkgem! It had given the monk away, Satu knew his secret now and her eyes burned fire-blue. But it was not enough, to simply know that Videk was a Two and that he knew a One... The Konti needed more. She needed tolearn who the One was. And if she were ever to find the Crone, the Konti had first to catch up to Vadek. So many steps to reach a simple goal. Satu’s shoulders straightened as a renewed sense of purpose filled her regal frame. This was why they traveled, to find this particular man who would lead them onward in their search for the Crone. It was all for Sagallius! She dared not speak his name yet to her companions. Could they be trusted with his great truth? Not yet… Though the Konti knew with certainty, her Heart would tell her when it was time to reveal all. “Find him for me!” She entreated the Kelvics, Mao and Zuzana, and never did she doubt they would do as she asked. Why would they not? And they lead the group to Nyka. Satu had heard stories of their Celestials, though less of the odd-seeming monks that resided there. The monks were strange to her, but for all their hardness of body and weapon, they were only men, men fraught with emotion that a HeartSeer could easily read. In the fields Satu silently watched the men with her eyes the color of the sea. And she observed as the lash fell upon the workers. Their toil meant nothing to the Konti, and the violence did not garner a response in her mind. These citizens of Nyka, appeared Weak, and so it was only fitting that they be led and lashed. Drainira had taught her this lesson. They were not worth her attentions, and she dismissed them easily. But then her HeartSense stirred. These monks were nervous, as Videk had been. Nervousness surrounded them, and kept them on edge. It was almost difficult to tell where the emotion left off in one man and began in the next. Satu looked around the countryside and to the trees, there was nothing amiss, no threat that she could see. These monks were as armed, and as scarred as Videk had been, they did not seem to be men that would be prone to bouts of jitters. They were fighting men after all. What could be the cause of this? Who did they fight? To her companions she murmured lowly as a monk approached them, “Something is not right… yet I can not see it what it is…” Looking back at the monks, Satu did not trust them. Too much they reminded her of the men in Sagallius’ vision. The kind of men that made Wars. The kind of men that fought. The kind of men that had torn the world apart. Sadness touched her eyes then to remember it, and the Konti let it show outwardly. Let this guard think her Weak or scared. It mattered not to her, for she knew her own strength. “Is it safe here? All the monks… Is there trouble?” she asked, her voice and words delicate as the moonlit tide as if she worried for their safety of her group. And then the Konti answered his question in her most pleasing voice, “My name is Satu, and these are my companions.” She did not look intimidating, only slightly wet, with her white hair stuck to her head and face. It was no matter to her, what was this little amount of water to a Konti? She stood tall as one of her race, and the light rain dotted her skin to leave a trail down her neck and arms, and washed her opalescent scales clean of the grime of the road. “We are here on pilgrimage... And also to see Monk Videk,” she added, smiling reassuringly as she noted the matching metal sword pin on his vest. She did not wish to use Videk’s name, but she had little choice. Once inside the city, they would be at a loss to find him among the populace. That was a chance she was not willing to take! The Konti couldn’t afford to lose him now, she was too close and he was her only link to the Crone.

[Arianni D'Sorn]

Small and unassuming, Arianni kept herself at the back of the party most of the time, doing her best to stay out of everyone's way. She had kept the thin frame that was the result of being forced to live in the wilds by herself for a season but her body was more hardy now, and better equipped for the rigors of travel. No longer was she the frail girl who had ran away from Mura, who would get winded at the slightest physical activity. While still not a physically fit as the others, Arianni did not slow the progress of her more experienced companions, though she would have gladly upped her pace had Satu asked it from her. The little mage had grown even more devoted to her friend, gaining new respect for the suvai fighter as she heard of her many adventures. As she regarded Satu, she could not help but find her childhood friend so much different than what she remembered her. Perhaps it was the amount of time they had spent apart, but the taller Konti seemed more focused now, more driven to the point that she appeared almost...obsessed. Or maybe the better word was possessed. But as Arianni considered it more, she began to realize that it could be the effect of finding one's Calling, for Satu certainly appeared as if she had found hers. Yes, that must be it. While her friend led their small party, Arianni spent most of her time beside Satu's lookalike, the strange, animated doll construct. She was amazed by it presence and wondered how her friend had gotten such a...a what? Companion? A thing? She wasn't sure what it was; it appeared so life-like, so real, so...Konti... and yet Satu had assured her that it was not. Had it not been for the crack that lined its face, Arianni would not have believed it. The thing was an extension of her friend's being, but it was not really her. Arianni could tell - it stayed quiet for the most part unless Satu ordered it to do something or another. It did not even reply to Arianni the few times she tried to engage it in conversation, thinking perhaps that Satu could hear her through it. It was because of this that Arianni always walked beside it - she enjoyed the silence. They were like two shadows of the more animated Konti that led them. Their chase of the monk they had met the previous day led them to the walled city of Nyka. The presence of so many strangers, from the farmers to the armed guards, had Arianni feeling uneasy, and she sidled closer to the animated Satu-doll. She hiked her loaded backpack up her shoulder, which made her appear even smaller, and kept her gaze on the ground, knowing how the malevolent red of one of her eyes made people feel uncomfortable. "I'm scared," she confessed to the doll in a whisper as the guards called them to a halt and Satu in turn replied to the man. Arianni was recalling her first encounter with humans in the city of Sunberth and she feared that coming into this city might bring about a similar experience.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny watched Satu, throughout the many days they had spent together he found himself watching her, shamelessly staring as if there was nothing strange about it. Why? He wasn't sure. When he was initially recruited by the Konti, he was fired up, drawn to her words, but he didn't know what to expect, and it didn't bother him then, but now he was thinking. No, he didn't regret following her, not yet, but he was so very curious now. She told him nothing, though he never asked. Perhaps he was to blame for her own blindness over everything that happened, but he wasn't even certain he wanted to know. He felt like everything he did, big or small, was for Satu, for some greater good. A great plan. A divine purpose. Aiding some great need. Ash'eny devoured such a feeling, it was exactly what he wanted since years and years before. He loved it, and was simply too afraid to find out the truth. A truth that might destroy this happiness he felt. But Ash'eny watched, always watched her. When she made an expression, the sudden shift in her face, he realized, perhaps before anyone, that whatever she saw in that strange stone meant something incredibly significant. Ash'eny didn't know what, but his assumptions were confirmed when the Kelvics were sent to tracking. Satu was vigorous in her new direction of finding the man they met not long ago. Videk, a man Ash'eny avoided. In fact, excluding Satu, he did his best to avoid everyone in the party. His hood was always over his head, he rarely separated his ass from the horse he bought for this very journey, and his arm would often grow sore and numb from holding that shield for so long. Even now, as the Kelvics ran off following trail and scent of the Nyka Monk, Ash'eny was on his unnamed horse, bouncing awkwardly as they moved. Ash'eny, for once, was not watching Satu as they moved (or even Satu's clone for that matter, which just creeped him out), but his eyes were watching the people, farmers toiling, digging at the ground for the sake of creating food. They looked so tired, worn down, and the whipping. Ash'eny stared at them with a strange sudden coldness as he watched one monk in particular beat a man with that coiled weapon. Ash'eny felt it was nothing compared to what he had experienced in Sunberth throughout his twenty plus years living there. He guaranteed to himself that they were at least promised food at the end of the day, probably even had a family to keep them warm at night. Still, he wouldn't wish that on anyone. And for a moment, Ash'eny wondered if Satu had some intention of liberating people here in Nyka, surely not with a party of five or six. "Must be nice to have a task to do that promises your safety." He whispered, mostly to himself. Once they had finally stopped moving, Ash'eny jumped off the horse, stumbling as the shield on his arm pounded painfully into his shin. Slowly he worked the weapon from his arm, and shifted to the other. It didn't matter which arm he used the shield with, either way he didn't know a single thing about it. After re-situating himself next to Satu, he smirked lightly, happy to feel the ground underneath him again, though his smile faded quickly. Satu was bothered, or at least saw something askew. Ash'eny had learned on the very day they met that she was rarely alerted by insignificant events. Ash'eny only nodded as he eyed the monk that was approaching. He looked like a monster with that rough and ruined face, Ash'eny felt his fingers twitch, prepared to grab at his weapon and swing wildly and with all his might. He would not talk, or even make a sound really, after the monk approached, but rather stood as tall as he could and just listened. Satu was in charge, and she had a way with words. If she needed the assistance of the rogue, she would let him know.

[Mao]

Traveling far from Cyphrus felt like her old life was suddenly springing to life once again. Mao kept close to Satu, always watchful, with a ferocity that rivaled the monsters that lingered in the dark. When they came upon the monk Videk, the Kelvic would often growl softly in her throat, but there was never anything she could do in her current state, as vulnerable as she was, and heavy with child. So she stood behind Satu, obedient, watchful, aware and cocked her head when the Konti asked of the two felines to trace the whereabouts of the monk. Mao did as she was told, although her days of remaining in her feline form was coming to a close. She would pad through the brush and linger over the scent of tracks, discerning those of Videk and ignoring the others, until at last they came upon the walled city of Nyka, a civilization Mao had never come across in all her time traveling the lands of Mizahar. The citizens working the fields stirred nothing in the kelvic, as she followed her bondmate and the rest of the party to the gates. Curiosity was brimming in the jaguar as she walked, observing the clothed monks guarding the posts, and the subsequent request Satu made. The name held no meaning to her, but what the Konti wished the kelvic only desired as well. Her nose lifted to the air, sniffing, trying to catch scent of the Monk Videk beyond those of the men that clouded it, like a weave. It would be trickier, much trickier once they were inside, to find where this target had gone. But for now, Mao kept her eyes trained on the men as she stood beside Satu, awaiting her next decision.

[Zuzana]

It had been strange for Zuzana the past seasons. Moving away from her home in Tabola, wandering the lands in search of something, anything to take her mind off of Shieka. The woman was in pieces, her bondmate had died, his scent vanished, he was gone. Zuzana did not leave the place of his death for several days, unable to accept Shieka's passing. Finally, the kelvic decided to move, to try to find someone or something to free her from the pain Shieka had left her with. During the young woman's travels, she happened up a strange looking woman, a Konti. Zuzana had never left her beloved Tabola and seeing this strange woman was quite a change. Perhaps it was curiosity, or maybe just blind faith, but the woman asked her to come alone, and so Zuzana did. The Kelvic did not bond to this woman, no, she simply needed guidance, and this Konti was providing it. Zuzana found herself in a group, another Konti, whom was too quiet for Zuzana to even fully realize her presence, a man, who seemed far more interested in Satu and her well being than anything else. There was a strange Satu copy, which Zuzana did not understand but accept and another facet of the group she would protect. Then there was Mao. Mao was another Kelvic, a beautiful one at that who had bonded to Satu. The woman was pregnant, it was clear she would be giving birth soon. While Zuzana did not like the idea of a power struggle, she decided it best to allow Mao to be the top cat. Zuzana felt it was important to protect Mao, not just because of the child she carried but because of the bond connected to Satu. It was a strange day when a man with a face that reminded Zuzana of rotten meat, came across their path and asked the group the conditions of the road ahead of him. The Kelvic smelled the air around him, she found she did not enjoy the scent. They continued on for a day before Satu came and told the two Kelvics “Find him for me!”. Zuzana did as requested and followed the scent, allowing Mao to take the head while Zuzana monitored the rear. It took the two a while, but soon enough they were upon Nyka. A strange place. A miserable place. People in the fields being whipped, Zuzana watched them silently. They must have done something wrong, and therefore they needed to be punished, Zuzana saw it as fair, she would expect nothing less. As the group descended upon the city, they were approached by another monk, asking them to stop, to tell him who they were and what was it that brings them there. Zuzana stopped, and looked over at Satu, surely she would answer for the group. The woman was clever, turning the question around, Zuzana would not have thought of that, she probably would have told him to bugger off. Monk Videk, the man from their travels. Zuzana tried to think of his importance, or any importance this journey held. It was important to Satu, and for now, that was all Zuzana needed to know. If so many people were committed to her aide, there must have been a good reason to be so devoted. So Zuzana remained to the edge of the group.

[Tarot]

The strange feeling of tension rose even further, to the point that even the non-Konti began to sense it. There was more to it than just the monks, though; it was as if the uneasy feeling irradiated from the very city behind the four gatekeepers. Satu could faintly discern thin, lingering HeartColors in the gaps between the mighty stones that made up the thick walls of Nyka. Arianni simply felt a shiver run down her spine at the sight of the guardtowers dotting the walls. "There is no trouble here, or there wasn't... until you folks showed up en masse," the monk frowned, the corners of his mouth curving down. His colleague, a man with a deep scar running sideways all over his forehead, tapped the first man on the shoulder and pointed at the Satu-doll, the porcelain creature that was also scarred on the face. "That thing ain't human for sure," he spoke slowly, his tone going down half an octave. "Aye, that's witchwork if I have ever seen one," the first man agreed. It was making the guards as uneasy as some in Satu's own party were about the Doll. The creature gave them an emotionless glass stare, head tilting slightly. But then Satu mentioned Monk Videk. Like a river finally breaking through an old dam, the four monks bolted at the name; and this time they didn't just look uneasy, they actually drew their weapons. A small wall of naked swords and halberds shone in front of Satu's party. "Well, strangers, you'd be surprised to hear how fast you can wear out your welcome in Nyka," the first monk almost growled. "If you've come to see Videk the Traitor," and here another guard turned his head and spat on the ground, "you'll see him all right. Tomorrow, at the gallows where he belongs... and high treason doesn't make for a very pretty execution, if you catch my drift. Now, though, let's decide if you should join him on the dance floor." "First, he tries to murder the High Priest of Uphis," the second guard snarled at the party, "not two days later you lowlives conveniently show up at the gates. Coincidence? I think not. Even bad news won't travel that fast, right? Speak, and speak true if you value your lives." Maybe Satu had rushed this a little. The mark she wore was one of subtlety, one of careful planning and clever cogs moving in unison. And even if she herself forgot that, her opponent who possessed the same marks would not. Did the Crone knew about her mission? Maybe. Underestimating her would only lead Satu and her friends (pawns, said Drainira's memory buried deep between the folds of her conscious - 1725% easier to replace than she is) to their deaths. Asheny, Mao and Zuzana, farther away from the four guardians, easily spotted several more of these monks on the walls, interested in the commotion. Within a blink, they would have bows and crossbows trained on them. A confrontation was going to get ugly, very fast. The Nykans wanted answers and wanted them fast either way.

[Satu]

Colors in the walls! Colors between the stones! Satu had never experienced anything like it, and it made her uneasy, as did the large number of guards. The Konti pushed her own feeling down, and away. This was not Opportunity! And she was not the same Konti as then. Koa’s word from Falyndar came back to her then, Deception. It was perhaps a more important word now then ever before. These men were uneasy, and distrustful. And that made her uneasy and distrustful. The gamble with Videk’s name had not paid off, and had only led to deeper trouble. The time was now to lead suspicion away and elsewhere. “The puppet?” Satu asked, letting surprise fill her voice. “It is often mistaken for more, with its quality of make, and the talent of the user.” And Arianni, who stood the closest to the Golem was singled out. “Arianni is very talented at making it look lifelike, in other hands… it is nothing more than an oversized doll…” She smiled wistfully, as if thinking of those other incapable hands. And the damaged face. She willed the Golem to understand, and make her words seem true, like the doll was a controlled thing. “Our wish was not to startle you with it… “High treason! If Monk Videk is a traitor, he deserves his punishment. We have no desire to stand in the way of justice. Let him be dealt with,” Satu said evenly, holding her gaze upon the first Monk. She refused to show any sign of guilt, for what had she ever done to merit any in her short life? But the Konti wondered, if Videk were to be hung on the morrow, who had they seen upon the road? Surly his guards would not allow him to travel alone. Was it one of the Crone’s puppets? Or did another hold his place within a cell somewhere within the lively, colored walls. She did not know. Were they being led into a trap? “But how could this be?” she added innocently, her face pure, “A man was upon the road, and he warned of hazards along the way. I simply wanted to thank him. He said his name was Monk Videk, but I see now this could not be…”

[Arianni D'Sorn]

Arianni would have preferred to keep silent and just be part of the background, speaking before strangers was not her forte after all, and being around so many people only made her uncomfortable. But she knew trouble when she saw it, and she knew without doubt that her friend Satu - all of them in fact, for simple association with the other Konti - was in trouble. And this she could not abide by, her love and devotion to the suvai fighter too great that it overrode her usual instincts. She moved her small frame in between the other members of their party, to hide the Satu doll from further scrutiny, as well as to stand beside her fellow Konti. She seemed meek and frail compared to the others. "My-my friend speaks true," she spoke, her voice soft and lilting, as if she were having second thoughts about speaking. "I-I have the gift of...of reading the truth in words from the-the Mother, and what you say about the-the Monk Videk, rings true as well. We...have not met him but for a couple...a couple of days ago, when he t-t-told us of what we might run across in our path. Cer-certainly we did not know of his...of his crimes before that." It was the most amount of words Arianni had ever spoken to a stranger and she finished with a stutter at the end of it. The whole time she was speaking she had kept her gaze downcast, avoiding staring at the guards with her mismatched eyes. She did not want to give them any more reasons to think them as witches or some sort with their strange appearances. In truth, she found it difficult to meet another's eyes anyway. Still, she hoped the guards would see reason from her words, though she was not confident of her delivery. But she was prepared to prove to them her ability to see the truth in words if they doubted her and Satu's sincerity. OOCI assumed the guard was telling the truth.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny felt a smile curl up across his face as he listened to the monk. His voice held a tone of uneasiness, it was painfully obvious that there was something bothering him. It was like a dog that was frightened and cornered. It was scared, but if you pushed your chances, it would tear you apart. "Human? Petch no it's not human. My horse isn't human either. In fact, I happen to be the only damn human here." The smirk remained for several moments before fading from full force into a subtle confident stare-down. He made no motion for the mace at his side nor the dagger under his cloak, yet his hands were itching to grasp them. Ash'eny found himself inching closer to his horse as he noticed those monks on the wall. They were armed heavily with bows, crossbows, and probably enough arrows to cover every square inch of Ash'eny. No, that wasn't a pleasant thought. The horse, unbeknown to it, was action as a meat shield, should these paranoid defenders of Nyka prove to be more violent than chickenshyke. "Coincidence, yes. Since Videk is unavailable, Satu, perhaps we should seek out this priest? I assume this person has knowledge of something, perhaps knowledge that Videk didn't want exposed." It was a shot in the dark really, but Ash'eny thought it sounded fairly strong. If this priest had knowledge, or even a reason to have been killed, then they could one way or another learn much about Videk. If not, then this person might be their key to finding this man Satu so desperately sought out. Ash'eny glanced back at Arianna, who seemed genuinely uncomfortable speaking out. It was the most Ash'eny could claim to have ever heard her speak as well. Still, Sato spoked about her being a puppeteer, which Ash'eny knew by now wasn't true. Satu was the one pulling the strings on that... thing. Arianna, however, was talking about her Konti powers. He looked back to the Monks. "She's young and intimidated, but she is very talented with puppets."