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Reality Fault

Realms: Bough Logs

Eighth Movement, First Verse

The day seems to be winding down -- and Jareth and Wilmarth have both apparently turned in their sleep or briefly awoken, disappearing for a time from the Dreamtime to semi-wakefulness. Belisarius stretches. "Well," he says companionably, "For the time being, why don't I set you up with some rooms in town. TOmorrow morning we can meet again, and we can see what can be done about your, uhm, request. Not that I have much pull around here, but I can certainly help out somewhat."

Mikal tilts her head thoughtfully at the man, "I know you're mortal and don't need to sleep, any more than we do. Do you need privacy to talk to the town's leaders?"

Norris smiles, clapping the man on the shoulder. "You're friendly, and you might at least get us a sit down with folks."

Belisarius grins softly. "You're right, lovely Rabbit, I don't need sleep, but for something like this, I do like to take a walk and clear my head a bit. But, at that... if you want to talk more about it, I'm all ears. I don't think we should be digging around the foundations of the walls at dark anyway, no matter what the goal is."

He glances to Norris at the clap on his shoulder. "Well," he says wryly, "I'm flattered you think so much of me! But the town leaders, they're the one who lead the defense against the angels. That has some pull around here."

Norris spreads his hands. "No doubt. But you're our friend, the one we know...and a request from you, a native, would go father than our own. I have no doubt that you have more pull than you think. You certainly have it with us."

Mikal slugs back the rest of her beer and rises, shouldering her pack again and softly chirping a call to the little flock of gryphkits. They come winging down and cheerfully chirping as they circle once about the group -- several patrons swear startledly and duck -- then land with briskly beating wings on the heads and backpacks of Norris, Raph, and Mikal. She grins at Belisarius as they do so, "So you really meant it -- calling me pretty and all? You weren't just being politely reassuring? For that, sure! Let's go walkies and talk." She glances around, remembering the possible lotus seed upstairs as she adds more softly, "Never know what you'll run into around here." Her grin gets mischievous, "Maybe we'll meet an angel messenger, eh?"

Norris arches a brow, looking curiously at Mikal, and wondering what she's about.

Mikal wants to get out where it's quiet... and away from the rather, ahh... attentive off-duty airship crew!

Belisarius says to Norris, "Well, again, I'm flattered! But I also have a responsibility. Now, the foundation stone's not likely to make the walls come tumbling down by it's loss -- there's too many mortals here for that to happen -- but it pays to be careful. I'd rather my epithet not be 'Belisarious the Unwitting.'" He blinks to Mikal as the gryphkits flock down and land, chirping. "Of course you are! And the fact that you don't parade it around as if you demand such recognition from everyone makes it all the more beautiful." He finishes his beer, standing. "I hope not," he comments. "If an angelos angelos shows up, I doubt it will be pretty... for them. I dream to get away from the Waking."

Mikal tilts her head to glance over her shoulder at Belisarius, and grins, "Flatterer. Thanks. So, is there somewhere out by the walls that's quiet, where we can stroll for some night air?" She thinks a moment, then adds quietly, "That'd be awful hard on any angel that just wants to pass on a message from its masters, or who wished to change sides, no? Although..." she considers a bit, then shakes her head, "an angel that wished to leave their army wouldn't come here, true."

Norris shakes his head, remembering the bodies on the wall. "It is an ugly time." he admits, fascinated by his distaste for it. He hopes that means that Hephaestus is getting over his anger over what the angels did to his loved ones.

Mikal waits until they're outside the inn to curiously add to the mortal, "If you dream to get away from the Waking... wouldn't that mean it's worse there?"

Belisarius seems rather surprised at the confidence show by Mikal. "Are you certain we've met before, ma'am?" he quips. "Sure, we can walk outside the walls. And yeah, right now, Jericho is where most angels don't want to be. I get the impression they'd be more welcome at Uluru or Meru."

Norris grins at Belisarius. "Our Rabbit has grown. We all have." he says in explanation as he scritches Ferro's chin, eager to get out to the walls themselves...fascinated by what story they might have.

Mikal grins silently at Belisarius, her long stride confident as she paces along, flanked by the powerful, lean raptor-wolf and with the huge young man walking relaxedly behind.

Belisarius says, almost but not quite wryly, "Beautiful Rabbit, I'll spare you the details, but let me only say that in the Waking I live in a little town called Phocaea." He looks to Norris. "apparently she has!" he says in a much more light tone. "Apparently you all have." He looks to the grinning raptor-wolf. "Including Wolf in some ways."

Raphael snorts lazily, his long, floating trot uninterrupted. Mikal tilts her head curiously though, as she glances up at Belisarius, "He has? How so? I mean, I know I'm less spooky now, but Wolf?" She doesn't ask about Phocaea, since she's been in enough eras and lives to know this could appear a veritable paradise for some of them.

Norris glances at Raph, and looks sad a moment. His growing was hard. But he seems well enough now, holding a front against pain and despair. Maybe there is some hope now, too, based on what they learned from Mimir.

Belisarius says, "It's hard to tell. He seems a bit more sure of himself, like... like he could pop out of that seeming at any moment and scamper off as any other mortal, but he's choosing not to for the moment."

Mikal laughs at that, running one hand through the heavy ruff. Her voice is affectionate, "He's full of surprises, our Wolf." She studies the raptor-wolf thoughtfully a moment, then nods slowly as she realizes: he's (perhaps unwittingly?) taken on a bit more of the seeming of his son, the Fenris Ulf. She thinks that's a nice memoriam. She rubs the pricked ears as she glances around to make sure they're alone, then back at Belisarius. Her voice is quiet, "So... what do you know of the lotus seed up in the loft of the inn, then?"

Norris blinks, his attention suddenly gotten. "What? There's a seed up in there? Serious?"

Belisarius does a double-take. "The what where? Is that what you saw up there?"

Mikal tilts her head thoughtfully again at Belisarius and smiles, "Didn't you know about it?" The big raptor-wolf drifts silently to behind the mortal, then casually sits, tongue lolling as he glances around warily.

Mikal nods once to Norris, "Serious," without taking her gaze off Belisarius.

Belisarious frowns, looking rather stricken. "No, I didn't! I knew that the town elders had secreted stores of weapons throughout the city in case they were needed, but... but not a lotus seed! That's... that's-that's-that's madness!"

Mikal raises her eyebrows in silent amusement as she nods once.

Norris purses his lips. "Well, not necessarily. Not unless you try to fiddle with the damn thing. ADmit I didn't get the full run down last time I saw one, but don't think it's bad to just have one around...not like you can knock it over and it will go off. The real danger is trying to use it without knowing how."

Mikal glances amusedly at Norris, "Bear, I doubt they have it here solely for decoration, y'know?"

Belisarius lets out a breath, looking around. "Even so, Bear... that's the problem. Bad enough they got a lotus seed. What in the world would they be wanting to use it for?"

Mikal grins at Belisarius, a slightly fey look in her feral eyes, "Want to go back and ask?"

Norris says, "They may have it only because it was uncovered, and they didn't want to get rid of it. At least if they know where it is, and make sure no one else does...just like at the Winter Castle."

Norris says, "It's not like they can just throw it away."

Mikal raises an amused eyebrow at Norris... then looks inquiringly back at Belisarius.

Norris says, "What? I'm just postulating there could be perfectly innocent reasons as to why they have one. Not everything has to be insidious, or massive stupidity."

Belisarius licks his lips, and glances at the city walls. "I know I'm going to regret this," he murmurs, then nods, "Yes. If there is one there, then we need to figure out what to do. I don't know that there's a safer place for them except out in the Deep Wyld."

Mikal sighs and smiles, "Bear, sweetie, if that were the case then they wouldn't be keeping it such a secret. They'd be having meetings on how to ship it to the aelfar, or they'd have sent someone like Bel here off to tell the aelfar to come get it."

Norris hmms. "Maybe we can convince them to let us take it off their hands, then."

Mikal nods cheerfully to Belisarius -- she's curious as to what's going to happen, and she doesn't think anything as exciting as an angel is going to turn up here tonight for them, "All right! Let's go then." She loops an arm through Belisarius' -- not only is it friendly, but he can't just slip off now -- and heads briskly back towards the inn.

Belisarius is take by surprise when Mikal loops her arm around his, and leads him back in through the gates. At night there are a few guards walking the streets, but it is mostly quiet -- most people seem to be awake, in an ironic turn of phrase. The street around the public house is quiet, but the front door is locked.

Mikal murmurs quietly, "Wolf: back door?" The big raptor-wolf lopes silently around the building to check it out. She knocks politely at the door as Raphael does so.

Mikal figures if there's any sort of on-going meeting about the lotus seed, Raph will spot anyone trying to leave surreptitiously.

As Raphael finds the back door, and finds it as quiet as the front, the front door clacks as locks are opened, and a woman opens the door. "SOrry," she says apologetically, "the house is closed for the evening. Can I help you?"

Norris looks at Mikal curiously, unsure how to play this.

Mikal smiles sweetly, "Yes, ma'am, we'd like to speak to the innkeeper, please. There may be something left behind here which we'd like to retrieve." Apologetically she adds, "from earlier this evening, you know?"

Mikal extends her senses to see if anyone else is in the building. Somewhat to her surprise... there is no one else there. She adds calmly, "The innkeeper probably has it. Do you know where I can find him, ma'am?"

Mikal says, "If he's not here?"

The woman frowns a little. "He would? Er... if you say so, Miss. He's at a meeting of the town defense council at the city hall." If asked, she gives directions to the low, domed building in the center of the town.

Mikal smiles and cheerfully thanks the woman, then waves and wishes her a goodnight. After that she grins at the others, "Sounds like a winner of a meeting for us to attend, eh?" Just as she speaks, Raphael comes ghosting around the corner again, and the two of them head swiftly towards the city hall. "Come on, you guys!"

Belisarius blinks. "Are you sure...?" he asks, as he keeps up.

Norris follows in Mikal's wake. "Seems the best course of action. Better that they get the people in charge to willingly help out, then going like a thief in the night to take things." he says in answer to Belisarius.

Mikal smiles cheerfully up at the young man, "Nope! That's what we're going to find out, though. Like Bear says: best to find out the truth, yes?"

Belisarius looks a little unsure, but goes along.

The city hall is easy to find. It's also one of the few buildings that appear to be well-lit at this time of night, with torches and braziers. AT the front two burly guards stand before the doors.

Norris beams at the guards. "Good eve, you all. Hear there's a big old meeting. Mind if we pop in for a bit? We've got something to contribute."

Mikal pauses in the darkness for a moment, then smiles at her friends, "Well, we're searching for truth. Let's try the truth first, shall we?" She strides with brisk purpose towards the doors, as if she belongs, and as she goes she 'pulls' deific command about herself.

The guards exchange quizzical looks. "Closed meeting," one says, "but we'll get a councilor out here in a moment." He jerks his head to the other guard, who nods, and opens the door, calling to someone else inside.

Mikal snorts in amusement at Norris, then waves a hand at the doors and says commandingly, "We are expected. Open the doors, please."

Mikal slips adroitly in under the guard as he opens the door, and Raphael is hot on her heels.

Mikal murmurs an absent, "Thank you," as she does so.

Norris looks at the bemused, stunned guards, and just shrugs. "She's really impatient. Don't let it get to you. Woman like that, you do what she says." He tips his skull cap and tries to follow.

THe guards are not as adroit as they could be, and Mikal and Raph step boldly in before they can be stopped. "H-hey!" the first guard says, fumbling as he tries to grab for Mikal.

Inside, there is single rostrum, and surrounding it a number of smaller rooms or chambers. One of these has the door closed and someone stands in front of it, less a guard and more of someone just minding the door. At the commotion, she frowns, looking over. "What's this, now?" she says sharply. An older, wiry woman with a sharp gaze and sharper features, wearing the Mesopotamian clothing typical of Jericho. "This is a closed meeting!" she proclaims.

Mikal nods to the woman approvingly, "As well it should be, considering what we have to report." She glances behind her, adding impatiently, "Come along, men!" to Norris and Belisarius, then continuing her purposeful stride towards the inner doors.

Norris is unfortunately, much easier to grab. On the other hand...he's much easier to grab. Because he's a big muscled beast.

THe woman's eyes narrow, and the guards rush forward to block the doors. "What is the nature of your report," she asks, folding her arms as she stands in front of the door, seemingly immovable.

Mikal tilts her head at the woman and folds her arms as well. She's taking her time, so Belisarius and Norris have time to join her -- and so Raphael can trot silently away to check for other doors into the room they seek to enter. Mikal's voice is almost gentle, "If you wish to hear, you should come into the room with us. Now... open the doors, please." She reaches out with her mind to convince the woman.

The woman looks like she's going to argue, briefly. But then she seems to reconsider; her hard-lined face softens a little. "Well," she says, "the council did get its start as a bunch of rather raggedy mortals getting together to do something. All right, come on. -But I do warn you, I hope this isn't wasting the council's time.

Norris comes right up behind Mikal, when it's clear the guard isn't going to try to stop him.

Mikal raises an amused eyebrow, conviction in her voice, "I sincerely doubt they'll feel their time has been wasted."

Norris blinks. "Raggedy?" he mouths. He looks himself over, seeming hurt. He doesn't look that raggedy!

Raphael comes trotting back right on cue, and flops into a seated position next to Mikal, scratching vigorously at a non-existent flea.

The woman glances over her shoulder, pausing at the door. "Well," she says, "they'll be the judge of that, won't they?" She opens the door. Immediately voices come from the open doorway, voices that are stilled as they realize the door is open. "Councilors," the woman says almost formally, "someone is here with business for the council."

Belisarius is looking like his days in Jericho are numbered, looking a little empained but still coming along.

Mikal strides smoothly in, head high with confidence. Norris and Raphael know her well enough to tell: she's manifesting quite a bit of Inanna just now.

Norris squeezes Belisarius's shoulder. "It'll be all right. You'll see."

Mikal says, "Good evening, councilors; thank you for seeing us. It is our understanding you are aware of the angelic defeat at the hands of the Rakshasa and their allies. As members of those allies, who also wish to see the angelic forces permanently, ahh... neutralized... we are here to ask for your assistance in two matters." She continues striding through the hall until she's up on the podium, so they can all see her. "First, we are on quest for an item which will assist in stopping the heavenly forces: the foundation stone of the walls of your fair city. Second, we are exceedingly curious as to your plans for your lotus seed.""

The council is not what one would expect; it seems to be made up of a dozen men and women in equal measure from every walk of life and economic class in the city. While they aren't 'raggedy,' they do cover a broad spectrum. The main thing that links them all is likely that they were the ones who organized the first defenses against the angels. The publican is there, looking, somehow, barely surprised to see Mikal et al there; only one appears to be armored and armed.

There is a moment of silence. A man in rather worn coarse robes leans forward; is is dark-skinned compared to the others, with short, fine black hair. "Esther," he says sonorously to the woman who opened the door. "Won't you come in and close the door?" As the woman does so, he says to Mikal. "Before we engage in dialogue, it would help us to know who it is whom we are dealing with. You understand, that we are not in the habit of speaking everything we know to comparative strangers. This would not be a free city if we did so."

Mikal nods calmly, "Of course. I am Rabbit, and I shot the arrow which struck Uriel. My companions who were present with the Rakshasa are Bear and Wolf," she waves a hand towards them, adding, "you know Belisarius, I'm sure. He was kind enough, as a local, to guide us here." She sees no reason to implicate the mortal in whatever furor her announcements may cause.

There is an immediate murmur throughout the room. "That's quite the claim," the man says. "One we cannot simply take at face value, you understand. What can you offer as proof?"

Mikal grins at the man, her stormy-gray eyes lighting up with a possibly dangerous enthusiasm as she unslings her bow and starts to string it, "What would you accept?"

Norris looks at Mikal. "You could show them the bow." To the councilors, he adds, "It's a really good bow."

Norris looks at Raph. "Maybe we should start calling you 'Squirrel', just to really confuse people."

Mikal's feral grin flashes at Norris for a moment -- then she looks back at the councilor as she pulls an arrow from her gorytus. She doesn't nock it, though she does raise the bow as if she's pointing it at the councilor. Raphael growls in quiet warning at Mikal, looking worried, and she laughs, "Not shooting anyone, big brother! But he did ask for proof."

Norris says, "Should I get out an apple? You could put it on my head...or maybe I should just throw it, and you could shoot it in mid arc."

Mikal specifically does not call on Papaios to do anything. Since she is, however, trying to impress and intimidate, she does not look at Norris when he makes his rather flippant comment.

There is a murmur of consternation amongst the councilors, though the one she is pointing Papaios at seems quite solid in his convictions, and does not move. "And what are you attempting to prove?" he asks mildly.

Mikal says, "You asked for proof. Don't you know what you want proven? Or do you already believe me? If that's the case, let's get on with the discussion."

Norris clears his throat. "Rabbit, I think what the councilor is suggesting is that there isn't no real way for us to prove we are who we say we are, short of shooting Uriel again. It's not like we carry around..." He trails off. "Wait, didn't the Winter Caste give us identifying papers at one point, back when they sent us on that first mission that brought us here?"

The man considers, then straightens. "Very well," he says. "Speak to us of the battle. How you came to shoot Uriel and drive him from the field of battle."

Mikal nods, relieved they've finally made up their minds. Even better: storytelling she's good at! As she tucks the bow and arrow neatly away she describes the layout of the field of battle, the initial assault, the attempt at treachery, she and her group intercepting just in time to keep the force walls up, then exiting the tent and spotting Uriel commanding the battle with arrogantly confident closeness... and her shooting him.

She seems to have the audience in her hand; they hang on every word, especially when she uses her Heart Shaping to impress them. The man in the humble robes is not quite impassive, but he is the least emotive of the group as he listens. The others chorus in with mixtures of interest, amazement, and surprise.

When Mikal is finished, the man remains looking at her for several moments. He turns his head slightly to one side, then to the other; an attentive person will notice that the councilors he looks at both nod once, subtly. He looks back to Mikal. "Well, now," he says, smiling quietly. "I think we can accept your story. It is a pleasure and an honor to greet the mortal heroes of Mount Meru."

Mikal nods courteously, "Thank you. Will you help us, then?"

Norris was rather caught up in the story himself...that was a hell of a battle.

The councilors all mostly seem to readily agree, and the man nods. "We will, yes. You asked two things: The foundation stone, and about the lotus seed. Let us address the first: We will give you our foundation stone, but we must ask for you to craft a replacement." His eye goes to Norris. "You, Sir, have the look of a craftsman about you, and from what we have heard you are a skilled one. If you were to make a replacement foundation stone, then we will let you have the one that is here now."

Mikal looks pleased, beaming at Norris.

Norris opens his mouth, blinks, and then nods. "You got it." he says confidently. Thank goodness that he's got the help of Hephaestus, though, as Norris hasn't ever done much stone crafting...

Mikal smiles interestedly at the councilors.

The man nods. "Excellent. Thank you." He sits back, folding his arms. "And now, arguably, the issue that is of more concern. THe lotus seed." The publican looks distinctly uncomfortable.

Mikal sits down on the edge of the dais, swinging her booted small feet slightly as she grins at the publican, then glances inquiringly at the councilor.

The man's tone remains the same. "THere has been considerable debate as to what to do with it, once we discovered it and it was brought it. It is not the sort of weapon one can use easilly even if one knows how to use it. Put simply, even a trebuchet cannot throw it far enough without destroying the trebuchet.. and its crew... and the city the trebuchet is in.

"At the same time, we believed that an archangel might come. WE did not know what it would take to destroy such a being. Of course, even if we learned how to use the seed, using it against an attacking archangel would result in the destruction of Jericho. You see the source of the debate."

Mikal nods silently, considering carefully. Finally she pulls her bow and murmurs, "Papaios, you eat awen. Can you eat a lotus seed?"

Norris steeples his fingers. "While I feel I can speak for my companions, that none of us wish you to be subjugated by the angels, we do posess more information than you on the matter of the Architect's forces. They are, to be honest, likely far less concerned with Jericho now than they once were. There is evidence that some of the old gods are rising, and standing up to the angelic forces, even encouraging a cease fire. We have seen this with our own eyes. And the very idea of using a lotus seed to attack an archangel might have consequences even worse than destroying all you hold dear. This is not a door you want to open. I humbly submit, then, that you should consider giving it to us, that we might have it sent back to the Winter Castle, where one of its number is already stored, to remove this temptation. There is no need for any of you to make that ultimate sacrifice."

About half the councilors -- not the man who's been speaking to Mikal -- take in a single breath, then are on their feet, complaining loudly that Mikal can't do that. Then the other half are on their feet -- again not counting the man -- shouting back at the others, that what else are they going to do? The man, meanwhile, studies Mikal.

{I cannot,] Papaios says. [A lotus seed is made from a form of awen that i cannot absorb safely.]

Mikal nods to the bow, then tucks it away. After that she leans back on her hands, idly swinging her feet and watching the councilors. She's faintly bemused at how easy they are to rile up; as far as she's concerned, they're proving Norris's point for him.

Mikal grins and winks at the councilor who'd been speaking to her. She knows Inanna would gladly accept that one at Her temple.

The man does not immediately respond, though he does not to Mikal and Norris. He clears his throat, and even as the arguing is dying down, his voice is clear: "I think we are missing one thing that Bear has said...."

Mikal smiles at that, her voice mild, "They're also missing the answer to my query."

As the councilors settle down, grumbling, the man says, "Of course they are, Rabbit. Because that answer does not matter to them as much as what it implies: That they may not be as in control of things as they like, or as they are.

"Now. We have had this discussion before, but I will note that Bear, a complete stranger to Jericho, makes excellent points: Were we to use the lotus seed to destroy an archangel, even in an act of desperation, consider that many of our people may not wish to die in flame -- or whatever a lotus seed unleashes -- rather than live under an angel's foot."

His tone drops a little. "Of more import is his statement that the old gods are returning, and that, I think, is of greater concern to our town, considering what is carved on the stone beside our gate, than how we shall attempt to immolate ourselves. I propose that we send an envoy forthwith to the Winter Palace, that they may take this weapon off our hands and put it to use against the Aqal."

Mikal considers for a moment, then grins quietly to herself. To the councilor she says, "Why not simply send it to them? If you wrap it up securely, you don't necessarily have to advertise what it is, after all. I suspect Captain Wilmarth could be convinced to take it." She pauses, adding curiously, "How'd you get your hands on a lotus seed, anyway? And what is your... your apparent concern with the old gods? Do you wish to stay, er..." she grins again, "god-free, so to speak?"

Norris seems relieved. He remembers what he saw when he touched the seed, and of the test with Oppenheimer. "Not a good sort of death at all." he murmurs very quietly.

The councilors have quieted down into a grumbly sort of quiet. The man in armor and sword says, "When we were first arming ourselves against the angels, a party seeking weapons returned with it. They said that they had heard rumors of a weapons cache, and sought it out."

Another councilor says, "We debated if that was truly the case, but even when inconsistences were seen in their story, they were adamant in their description of those events. Nevertheless, it was moot; we had a lotus seed, no matter how we had come by it."

"As for being 'god free,'" the senior councilor says, "it may not be for us to decide, but for the people of Jericho. We do know that we've had more than quite enough of at least one god in particular. Of that there is no debate.

"We will consider sending it directly to the Winter Palace without a messenger prior. It may be safest that way, and we've little doubt they'd accept it anyway."

Mikal nods silently, considering for a few moments. The group has what it needs promised to it; that's good. The lotus seed will be moved to a safer place -- also good. If she can hasten things along, though... hmm. "Thank you, councilors; we'll depart now." She hops to her feet, following her companions to the door. She pauses there, then grins over her shoulder at the group of worried people, "The only thing I'll say regarding the lotus seed, before leaving, is this: are you all familiar with the story of the Trojan Horse?" With that she quietly closes the door behind her.

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