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Post by Admin on Sept 11, 2020 16:08:14 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg "The Maze could send you to many places, almost any location you could wish. Others less pure of heart may have managed to reach the centre then used the power for more selfish pursuits. Only you had the foresight to use the power to help your people.
"Now, it is hard to say how many gods live here; we come and go as we please. Some leave never to return, others die at the hands of mortals or other gods, and, on occasion, new gods arrive to live among us. I'm afraid to say that most of the gods follow their secret paths and may not be inclined to assist your people in their war. But the gods can sometimes surprise even me."
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Post by Katerina on Sept 11, 2020 20:03:34 GMT
"Oh I see. Do I need to try and persuade the Gods and Goddesses to help? I had sort of hoped that they would just have forgotten about us and my coming here would have reminded them." Katerina replies.
Nothing was quite as she expected. She starts tucking into the food delicately with all the manners she was taught. After all, she didn't want to offend the Goddess.
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Post by Eivor on Sept 12, 2020 9:02:21 GMT
"Well enough, and glad to be away from the cusp of oblivion," Eivor replies to Lord Chantris, before listening to Llewella's invitation.
Benny? I'm not sure he would be thrilled if I called him that!
"Uncle was not verbose it's true, but I have strayed enough already. I'll catch up with you later."
She bows again and rejoins Aunt Flora, curious as to when she will be told her task. Her guess that Flora had wanted the newcomer off her hands quickly had missed the mark, so what was going on here? Did her aunt really know Eshara or was she just being polite? Katerina seemed genuinely to be looking for help and it was fair to assume that she had been sent by someone of power. And yet what if that assumption was false, and it was not someone else but her own powers that got her here or that of the cloak she wore? She studies the girl wordlessly shifting around the permutations in her mind.
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Post by Admin on Sept 13, 2020 18:00:38 GMT
KAT:
"Hmmm, I doubt you will easily find willing allies among the gods. Maybe one or two of the more war-like aspects might be convinced of your needs but which ones shall I suggest?"
Flora is quiet for a moment, tapping her chin with a well-manicured finger while in thought. She speaks again as Eivor returns to the table.
"Ah! See the table over there? With the woman? You can't miss her - she's the one with green hair. The man she is talking to is a great general who has fought wars on many different and strange worlds. Speak with him, tell him of your need and the Mirror Maze."
Just then a woman's laugh cuts through the babble. The timbre of it reminds Kat of the woman in the mirror, and looking up, she sees the woman standing in a circle of half a dozen men and relating to them a story. They laugh appreciatively at all the right moments while she speaks.
EIVOR:
"Farewell and god luck on your quest," Llewella says.
The newcomer doesn't seem to be holding back any secrets, and in fact, she is acting too guileless. She could have been brought here, but why would they stick her in the Corridor of Mirrors? If she came by her talents then that Mirror Maze she mentioned must be a source of power. Shadow is enormous, but it still couldn't be a coincidence that the Pattern and Maze seem so similar.
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Post by Eivor on Sept 13, 2020 18:29:51 GMT
Eivor turns to Kat. "I will help you as soon as my duties allow. That man may be great general but he alone will not be the answer to your prayers."
Her attention is then drawn to the woman and her admirers. The shift in the focus of attention was notable.
Ah. So, a test of of sorts? Let's see how the dice land.
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Post by Katerina on Sept 13, 2020 20:18:16 GMT
Katerina looks over at the man who is supposedly a great General, studying his visage to try and determine the type of man he is. Then just as she was about to get up and go over the War Goddess returns and promises she will help soon.
"Thank you Goddess for your offer, I appreciate it." Then she hears the laugh and she turns to look. She points at the Goddess and declares.
"That was the Goddess who I saw in the mirror. She called herself Princess Fiona."
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Post by Admin on Sept 16, 2020 2:19:50 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg Flora half turns in her seat to look at Fiona. "Yes, that one is back in the castle," she says with eyes narrowed. "The deaths of the other gods has drawn her away from her usual distant sports-"Fiona laughs again in that high, glassy way of hers. "-and allowed her to continue them here."Flora's voice sounds of irritation. She shares a glance with Llewella and they both sigh. "It figures that she was there during your trip amid the mirrors; care to tell us what she was doing to you?"
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Post by Katerina on Sept 16, 2020 7:59:24 GMT
Katerina is surprised at the question.
"Doing to me? Nothing that I am aware of or felt. Mostly she seemed to be having fun at another God's expense. Prince Delwin he was called. He wanted me to join him, but it contradicted what another God had told me so I was unsure. Was I wrong to refuse him?" She asks.
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Post by Eivor on Sept 16, 2020 12:52:16 GMT
Sports? Fiona might as well be standing atop the corpses of her siblings while she laughs.
Eivor keeps her eyes trained on Kat even though her mind is elsewhere. She did not trust her face to betray her irritation.
"Skepticism is the wisest course," Eivor advises before turning back to her aunt Flora.
"I don't think I'm wearing the right sort of armor for these social exchanges. Perhaps you could indicate what is required of me from Benedict, or allow me to find something more in keeping with the occasion."
A dark shroud and scythe, perhaps.
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Post by Admin on Sept 17, 2020 20:20:55 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg "Delwin, eh? He is a sly one for sure. If he's up to some sort of scheme maybe you would have been better served to have thrown in with him rather than be on the outside. I don't suppose he told you what he was about?"Flora turns to Eivor. "It is a strange thing. Kat, you should listen to this as it may be of interest to you too. On the night of the King and Queen's deaths there was another series of events that may have been related to it or coincidental to it. A number of guards were killed at the top and bottom of the stairway down to the caverns below the castle. The persons involved seem to have wanted access to the Pattern. No trace of them were found so we can assume they died in the attempt or succeeded in reaching the centre and traveled off somewhere. Your cousin Dorian had followed them down for reasons unknown to us. He has also vanished.
"It was a man and woman who first made their way down, killing the guards they encountered on the way. The woman is unknown to us but the man, Coy he named himself, was part of a diplomatic delegation from Deiga. As you can imagine, this has resulted in a straining of relations between our kingdoms and threatens the Golden Circle treaty. Adding to the problem is the status of Coy himself; the other delegates spoke highly of him and told tales of his actions in their city, the trip by ship to Amber and then in the castle but when we contacted the rulers of Deiga they have no record of the man as a diplomat or member of their court.
"Benedict has tasked you to go to Deiga and poke around to find out more about this Coy person. We have retained the good ship Antelope for you to use. She sails on the high tide which is four hours from now. Plenty of time for you to become reacquainted with the castle and the servants will inform you when it is time to go."She has a sudden flash of inspiration. "Why not bring Kat with you? Show her something of how the gods operate amongst the small folk of shadow?
"Don't worry about your home, Katerina, we gods will need a few days to decide on our course of action."
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Post by Katerina on Sept 17, 2020 21:05:51 GMT
"Going with Prince Delwin would have contradicted another God. So if I go and help the Warrior Goddess Eivor, the Gods will deliberate on helping my people. Please, I don't mind assisting you here but I need to make sure my people are safe." Katerina replies earnestly.
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Post by Eivor on Sept 18, 2020 7:54:04 GMT
A manhunt? Benedict knows me better than I thought.
Eivor nods. "Very well. Are the other Deigan delegates still here? I would like to speak to them if time allows before we set sail."
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Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2020 3:01:06 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg "The gods move at their own speed, little one. The truth is that few if any will be inclined to help a world that can't help its self. Still, I can advocate for you but such discussions take time and in the end will probably require your sacrifice of something you value above all else. Assisting the gods in their quests will help them look on you with favour." Flora explains to Kat. "Things followed the usual protocol, Eivor, once this Coy person was identified as the killer the rest of his delegation was expelled from Amber and sent back to Deiga. You'll have to go there to find out any information."
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Post by Eivor on Sept 20, 2020 7:13:16 GMT
"Perhaps the protocol needs review," Eivor grumbles. "Presumably whoever handled the expulsions has the names, contact details of the other delegates?"
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Post by Katerina on Sept 20, 2020 10:41:53 GMT
Katerina has no choice but to aceed to the wishes of the Goddess.
"I will do what I must to earn the right for the Gods and Goddesses to interceed for my people, but it cannot wait forever. My people are under seige and I must do what I can to help as soon as I can. I had hoped that they would undersand their plight and help straight away, but alas our people have forgotten the ways of the Gods and have lost our connection to your ways."
"These people who murdered a God must be very powerful people to do that. I think we will need to be subtle. Do you know what these people look like; perhaps you have captured an image of them in a glass that we could use?"
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