[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/3tbQZFG.png[/img][/center][hr][hr][center][h2][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtQiVkoGu1w]♫[/url][/h2][/center][hr][hr][center][color=808080][i][b]Present:[/b] Yalen Castel [@pantothenic], Valerian Remi Leclere [@yoshua171], Maura Mercador [@Ti], Trypano Somia [@A Lowly Wretch], Ingrid Penderson [@dragonpiece], Niallus Saberhagen [@McKennaJ71], and Abdel Varga [@YummyYummy][/i][/color][/center][hr][hr]		[color=A9A9A9]They trickled back towards the capital, exhausted and heavy with new worries, new information, and new angles to consider. For those who had gone to Chuanwei, the divide between the guardians and the students was clear even if it wasn't a hostile one. Both spoke amongst themselves in low tones. Both tried to unpack what had taken place, from the ambush and the still-missing Mr. Xiang, to the fight against Lady Matsuhara, the appearance of the Progenitor, the tense standoff between the two groups, and the arrival of the Black Guard.

	Those who had scaled Bailong Shan were a good hour and a half ahead of them and, as they approached the city’s walls, they noticed that there were more guards by the gate than there had been earlier in the day, and all of the watchtowers and fires were lit. 

	Ingrid, anxious over the absence of Niallus, scanned the defensive measures, leaning in to Rikard to comment on them. [color=a187be]“It’s like they know. Like they’re prepared…”[/color] He trailed off and wrapped his arms around himself. It was the end of Rezain or the start of Somnes and it was cold. The breath of those around them came out in small whitish puffs that quickly dissipated in the breeze. Nervously, the boy’s eyes snapped to a nearby hillside overlooking the road and he thought that he saw a lone figure standing there, with eyes of glowing white, but he sensed no energy and shook his head slightly to clear it. Sure enough, it was nothing: just an overtired mind and an overactive imagination. He had nearly died today, after all, and made enough of a fool of himself.

	It was at that very moment that Niallus appeared, elsewhere. There was a flash of what they by now recognized as temporal magic and he stumbled out of a copse of brambles, rubbing at his neck, eyes darting about wildly, looking like an utter mess. He seemed to call out to someone, but Rikard couldn’t quite make out [i]who[/i].

	Captain Zhu’s credentials were enough to get them into the city, but it was a changed place. Guardsmen Peng, Wang, Chen, Hunag, Xie, Zhou, Zheng, and Zheng joined Dai and Captain Zhu, forming up around them. Indeed, as the Easterners were escorted through the city to the very foot of their accommodations, it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the increased security within Wanggang. Twelve-man squads patrolled the major roads in formation and occupied public squares. There were quartets at all intersections, and the barracks outside of the Forbidden Quarter were fully staffed. Lamps were lit, posts were manned, and sleek midsized junks quietly circled the harbour. This was a capital preparing for a revolution and the sense that they had stepped into a situation far too great for them pervaded. 

	Then, they stood outside of the inn’s doors and the strange earlier cold was all-but gone. Captain Zhu began barking out orders in Retanese and the members of his squad snapped to attention. More than one of the students was left with the impression of inward groaning and Ingrid, able to pick up some of what was being said, leaned in and told them why. [color=8882be]“He’s telling them they each need to file a report of the day’s activities.”[/color] She shook her head, [color=8882be]“I can’t say why for [i]sure[/i], but…”[/color] She trailed off. The captain was last of all, exchanging a meaningful glance with Yin and then the others. [color=0072bc]“I go back.”[/color] he said. [color=0072bc]“You no gaud. Be good.”[/color] With that, he spun on his heel and departed. Mr. Wei had come up and Yin was there. They exchanged rapid words and he took her aside. Before she was pulled away, she managed to mime eating to the group. She pointed up at where their rooms were and mimed bathing. It appeared that there was warm water in their tubs and that there would be food soon. Until then, they appeared to have free run of the place.

	Some time later, but perhaps not that much, the second cohort of students made their way through Wanggang, escorted much more heavily than the first. The city’s security measures were all-encompassing and, with the last bit of daylight having long since faded from the sky, there was nobody about except for guards and those authorized to be. [color=DEB887]“Why doo they heve e coorfeew?”[/color] asked Kaureerah quietly and there was plenty of uneasy whispered conversation and eyes darting about. [color=DEB887]“Whaut een te deepest daurkest oocean heve wee gautten eento?”[/color]

	Then they were at the inn and exchanging goodbyes: formal and strained, but not entirely without warmth from Yawen, Ming, and Zihan. Captain Zhao inclined his head out of respect. With that, the guardians turned and marched away. They were gone and the great double doors opened. Yin and her father peered out. [color=f6989d]"Come!"[/color] the former whispered loudly, beckoning them inside. [color=f6989d]"Come in."[/color] Apparently, she had learned a few words of Avincian, just for them. 

	The inn was warm and safe and, despite the late hour, there was a large dinner sitting prepared in the courtyard. The group who had gone to the mountain was present, freshly bathed and clothed. They broke off what had seemed an absorbing conversation to rush over and greet the new arrivals. Yong was out and about as well, wearing one of his many Black Guard masks, and it was a bit unnerving to see that it almost matched the appearance of the large silent man who had stood before them mere hours earlier. Captain Zhu and his men, however, were not present. Ingrid explained that they had been called to the station to fill reports and that the full extent of it would have to be discussed over their very late dinner. 

	Abdel, Kaureerah, Maura, Yalen, and Xiulan were ushered to the table for some desperately-needed food, warmth, and rest, but Maura claimed - against the rumbling of her stomach - that she’d rather just rest. She headed off down the hall where the privies were before making for her room. After sitting and eating some duck, Abdel made the same claim a few minutes later. Xiulan shared that they had been invited to a dinner tomorrow, in the Forbidden Quarter, with the Twin Emperors. It was a great honour that many powerful lords waited an entire lifetime for and never received. There was even a specific set of ceremonial clothing that they were to wear. It would be tailored to fit each of them and delivered tomorrow morning to the inn. With that, she departed for bed as well, yawning grandly.

	Only Kaureerah and Yalen remained of the group that had gone to Chuanwei. The eeaiko ate heartily, big silver eyes flicking about, grip tight on her chopsticks, fumbling about. [color=DEB887]“Eye em nervoos,”[/color] she admitted. [color=DEB887]“Eye traust nauteng.”[/color] She shook her head and took a moment to chew. Swallowing, she continued. [color=DEB887]“Wee met te Blauck Gaurd et te veellege: too auf them. Eet seemed maur laike e treat then en eenvetaitoon.”[/color] Her eyes darted Yalen’s way. [color=DEB887]“Eye doon’t tenk wee cen refoose, taugh, end eet es naut laike wee cen hide. Yoo aull look deeferent fraum tese peepaul. Eye…”[/color] she snorted. [color=DEB887]“Naut even te seme speecies. Too soomaune skeeled, even my energee stents aut.”[/color] She looked significantly at the Somnian before she, too, now finished with her plate, stifled a yawn. She rose and excused herself. 

	Maura had been waiting outside with an increasing dearth of patience, joined first by Abdel, and then by Xiulan and finally Kaureerah. [color=DEB887]“Eye doo naut laike tet wee aur keepeng tees e seecret.”[/color] She was already walking out ahead, clearly bothered. [color=DEB887]“Wee shoold bee woorkeng toogeteer.”[/color] That said, she did not raise the issue further, and the quartet began making their way over. Gradually, she fell towards the back with Xiulan. [color=a2d39c]“I agree wiss you,”[/color] said the interpreter, leaning in, [color=a2d39c]“But you know Maura doesn’t.”[/color] She shook her head. [color=a2d39c]“She is ze good person. So is Ingrid, but zey can not to get along.”[/color] Her gaze drifted in the direction of the group’s self-appointed leader, up ahead. [color=a2d39c]“And if we tell ze Yalen and Rikar and Trypano, zen Ingrid will start become suspicious.”[/color]

	Kaureerah rolled her eyes. [color=DEB887]“Shee aulreedy weell. Enyaune weet a brain woold. Aul foor auf aus joost get oop end leeve e foow meenootes epeaurt.”[/color] She snorted. [color=DEB887]“Eye knoow shee ees e good persoon. Shee ees my frend, baut wee cennaut stend egainst te tweens end whautever else tey heve een stoor foor aus eef we aur sepaureted end cennaut woork toogeter.”[/color] She shook her head tightly, eyes scanning the night for more patrols and then finding Xiulan. [color=DEB887]“Tey weell eet aus elaive.”[/color]

	[color=a2d39c]“I… do not feel good about zis,”[/color] Xiulan admitted, [color=a2d39c]“I should be ze translator for the whole group, whezer zey are need me or not. She was risk her life to save me, zough. I can’t to let her go wiss just you. Maybe she would get hurt.”[/color]

	Then, Abdel held up a hand and the other three skidded to a stop. An energy sweep revealed a patrol of Blues mere moments before they appeared around a corner, a dozen of them in rigidly-drilled formation, weapons at the ready, marching down a midsized road. 

	Under Kaureerah’s veil of shadows, they slunk into a pair of alcoves and waited it out. In fact, it became a regular occurrence as they neared their destination: the city was a veritable fortress, swarming with armed men loyal to the Twins, and it was… cold. Maura pulled her shawl tight. Kaureerah risked generating some more heat and Xiulan sheltered beside her. Then, finally, they were there. It was an older area of the port district, mostly low-value warehousing and a bit dilapidated: right out of some tale of criminals and clandestine meetings. The guardians that had seemed ever-present elsewhere were nowhere to be found here. 

	Instead, there was a single man, half sitting, half leaning against a bollard, rubbing his hands together for warmth and hugging himself. The surface of the water was beginning to crystallize but, at their approach, he uncrossed both his arms and his legs and strode forward. He wore a mask, but he was not Mr. Bao. Long white hair spilled from the opening of his hood, framing a familiar porcelain visage. He was tall and, for some reason, gave them the impression of being an Easterner. He came to a stop and there were four of him. Each held out a hand to one of the students. [color=696969]“A fine evening to you,”[/color] he said with a cultured Kerreman accent. [color=696969]“My name is Ash, and we need to speak.”[/color]

[hr][hr][center][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdPhKXfbPSk]♫[/url][/center][hr][hr]
	To say that suspicion abounded back at the inn was an understatement. Kaureerah’s departing words had seemed a cue of sorts and Yalen and Niallus had both sensed energies outside. If four were their companions, engaged in something covert, then there were two others as well. They had been sensed, in brief, as if they were trying to remain hidden: [i]monstrous[/i] energies. [color=a187be]“So…”[/color] said Rikard, popping a sugary little doughball into his mouth, [color=a187be]“I guess we just uhh… go to bed, start thinking about how we’ll introduce ourselves tomorrow?”[/color] He all-but rolled his eyes. 

	Then, Yong sneezed, lifting his mask up part way to wipe at his mouth. Yin tossed a shawl over her shoulders and Mr. Wei stoked the fire. The youngest of the remaining students swirled his cup about and then leaned over to peer into Yalen’s. The surface of the water was starting to crystallize. Their breath was coming out in frosty little clouds. The priest perked up and cast about. [color=f6989d]“Yong,”[/color] Yin was saying, [color=f6989d]“过来。过来。去你的房间。” (Come here, come here. Go to your room.)[/color] The boy, who’d eagerly been showing Ingrid what one of his action figures did, started to protest, but there was no mistaking the very real note of worry in her voice. The innkeeper nodded at the students and scampered back towards the kitchen with Yong. Yin started behind with the others close to her own age and they could feel a subtle draw of magic from her direction.

	For a moment, Rikard was certain he’d sensed something more: a third presence, distinct from the fleeting ones Yalen and Niallus had warned about. Ingrid was on her feet too, radiating warmth for those around her. Trypano had synthesized something like antifreeze within her bloodstream. [color=a187be]“This cold…”[/color] decided the youngest of their group, trailing off for a moment, [color=a187be]“It’s not natural.”[/color]

	Two more tense minutes passed. Further sweeps were done. Their four other members had clearly left the building. Then, the unholy cold followed them and was gone. Glances were exchanged. Ingrid was the first to speak. [color=8882be]“Did it just…”[/color] She left the rest unsaid: obvious. Yalen was tracking the dip on thermal energy and he nodded. [color=fd5e53]“It did. It’s following them.”[/color] Then, it was Rikard’s turn. [color=a187be]“So should we um…”[/color]

	[color=crimson]“Follow them,”[/color] Trypano cut in, heaving a much put upon sigh. 

	[color=a187be]“I uh… I think there might’ve been someone following the follower,”[/color] Rikard warned, scratching at the back of his head. [color=a187be]“Guys, we are [i]well[/i] out of our depth. Anyone else sense it?”[/color]

	[b]“Sense what? That we’re out of our depth?”[/b] It was Niallus, and the younger boy rolled his eyes. The older one cracked a grim smirk. [b]“No, you’re not wrong. I sensed it too.”[/b] The question was now a simple one: to follow, or not to follow?

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	Some miles away, Valerian Remi Leclere faced no such dilemma. He had trekked back the remaining mile or so to the ogauraq camp once his unwelcome shadows were gone, fists clenched in helpless… he wasn’t sure what, but it was a negative emotion, to say the least. Following that, he drank with the ogauraq, spoke - after a fashion - with them, laughed, and supped. There was a grim sort of camaraderie about the group. They had all volunteered for this with no guarantee of safe return, leaving loved ones far north, for such were their convictions. They joked openly of death and how they would meet it. Perhaps it was their encounter with members of the Black Guard that had affected them so. It had made matters real and serious in a way that they had perhaps not been before, but the giants were brave people. It seemed that they were open as well, and ready to listen to anyone who might give them the best deal, but the majority - at least tentatively - backed Wu Long, who Vel had met at the onset of this crazy day. 

	The fire burned low, down to coals and embers and, one by one, they trudged off to sleep. Last up was Dragon Smirk, who yawned, rose, and paused beside Vel, raking some of the coals. He managed a tired smile and lay a massive hand on the younger boy’s shoulder for a long moment. Then, with images of ‘bed’ and ‘sleep’ and ‘luck’ dancing in the thought-space between them, he made his way to his tent for the night.

	Left alone beneath the vast, vibrant canopy of stars, Vel kept company with his thoughts. Smoke curled into the air: a wispy grey ribbon, gradually ebbing as he tinkered carefully with his twin mana colonies, balancing them after a day of strenuous activity. Finally, he, too, picked himself up and made his way to a tent. Curling up in a comically oversized bedroll, he soon found sleep. 

[hr][center][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPjr8DRgYZU]♫[/url][/center][hr]
	He was awake. The Perrenchman did not know why, but he was awake. Twisting back and forth, he blinked tiredly and reached out with his senses. Something rippled and it reminded him of… [color=#D3844B][i]Jocasta?[/i][/color] He shook his head and sat bolt upright, amid a series of massive mounds made up of sleeping ogauraq. It was not Jocasta, though. The energy signature that appeared was something [i]very[/i] different, and then there were more!

	It was barely a second before the first shouts began to ring out. Those around him bolted from their covers. Outside there was fire and noise and… a truly [i]gargantuan[/i] surge of power. Vel could feel his manas recoil at the sheer strength of it. He stumbled outside and something streaked by, blinding and golden. Smoke rose everywhere and, from the middle of it, a woman with eyes that glowed like embers - like that other monster’s who had ambushed them earlier. She hummed a little tune and floated above the nascent carnage as White Knights poured through her portal. The golden streak absolutely hammered into Early Bird and he died on impact, his thoughts and stories evaporating with him, ripped from Vel’s head with the final image of a scream and darkness and the feeling of existential fear. A tall, rangy Retanese yasoi stood there, decked out in gold, with a great golden beard, moustache, and mane of wild, violent hair. An aura surrounded him and flames burned in the background, where more ogauraq were now emerging to fight. Dragon Smirk was sent sprawling by a kinetic shove. Lumbering Ox ripped a man in two and let out an earthshaking roar. The yasoi’s grin was toothy, though: twitchy and deranged. [color=gold]“Me, eyes on!”[/color] he commanded. [color=gold]“Oohoohoo, aha! Fight me, you’ll do.”[/color] One of the ogauraq who Vel did not know tried to attack from the side with an arcane lance. It was effortlessly deflected with but a fist and punched through the would-be attacker’s shoulder. The monkey-man tilted his head to one side and his canines: they were [i]wicked[/i] and sharp! [color=gold]“You’ll do,”[/color] He insisted, kicking a tent pole in the air, end over end, [color=gold]“or die, you will.”[/color] He leapt, caught it in midair, and bolted at Vel.[/color]

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