Sia

"If you think this is trying hard wait till i start giving you gifts. This is flirting." Giveing Blaze finger guns with little squirts of water comeing out i step too the other side of Rider. " You guys got this! if you need help blow something up ill come running." Turning too Rider. "Is your first name Lady? Or Rider?"

West Point
"I prefer Raia." Rider mounts Chron and address Ghaul, Flame, and Blaze. "They are holed up in the mountain fortress. It's practically impenetrable by conventional means. The only path up into it is a steep climb with snipers and firebombs. It's impossible to warp in as they have a disruption field in place that prevents spatial anomalies. You could approach from air but they'd see you coming from miles away. Whatever you do don't harm the women and goats. Or let them get hurt. If you do deals off."

Rider pats the spot on the saddle behind her and smiles at Sia.
"Get on. I need a bathe."

Sia

Waving too the others i turn and salute Raia sticking my tongue out of the side of my mouth "Yes sir. I could use a dip myself, i dont suppose theres a river or lake nearby? Fair warning i didnt bring a bikini." Slipping onto the saddle behind her i wrap my arms around her waist and make myself comfortable snuggled up into her back.

LE TIME SKIP

Starting awake at a bump the dire wolf took too quickly i lift my head from Raias shoulder and look around, coming over the hill i see the top of a large Japanese-esk castle with a large circle of tents too one side. "Raia why do you have a camp when you've got a castle?" Spotting the drool on her shoulder guard i swipe it away and point the same direction too hide the movement. Several men all wearing the same colored clothes are walking in front of a woman in ornate sashes and skirts. "Im not particularly known for my fashion sense but theres no way thats a coincidence."

Lexianna –Rebel Camp-

My eyes flare golden, the only tell that he’s touched on my temper. He’s turned away but I won’t be dismissed. I’ve been called many a thing but to assume I do this for myself. When it’s cost me my soul and more on every encounter. He doesn’t know. He will.

“You speak to your young years presuming to know the reason behind my work. Rest assured it most certainly is not for my own gratification child, though it does bring me joy to see the smiles of people who had forgotten how."

I’m realizing now that these people need something different from many worlds I visit. They usually welcome my way of healing them-the people- before handling the problem. After all, the people are my reason and the ones suffering. These rebels however need the reverse and I do what’s needed. They want their problems fixed before they’ll welcome my help. If that’s their wish. Then I will protect their spark. I raise my voice to reach them.

“Brand me what you will I’m here to acknowledge and nurture that fire you have within. You all believed and hoped for miracles once. It’s time to remember the miracle of yourself. Look at what you’ve accomplished so far. You’ve made a positive change already. You all just need a final push. You were born into this world. So take it back. I’ll show you how.” I return attention to Karnariel.

Some people need help reconnecting to their humanity. Karnariel seems to have rejected his entirely for now. I have to fix that. Children often force another side out of us. Luckily I believe I have just the child for the job. I take Jalen from the safe place I’ve hid him all this time and cradle him in my arms. “Thank you for reaching a compromise with me about Lord Shadow. I’ll see about your sphere.” I come around to Karnariel and gently lay Jalen in his arms. I don’t give him the option of refusing.

“This child is under my care and though he’s perfectly safe with me, a battlefield is really no place for an infant. I’d like to reduce his exposure whenever possible so please do me the favor of looking after him while I reclaim the sphere for you.” I turn away to make my exit, but before I do I call over my shoulder. “His name is Jalen. He should stay asleep the entire time but if he does stir I suggest a lullaby. Oh, and Kar…” I lock my eyes with his. “You will not weaponize this child, I suggest you stop thinking about it.” With that I vanish.

Tip of South Point

I reappear in the eye of the storm and become one with it. I have a perfect vantage point from here. Not all the troops have made it on the ship yet so I’ll stay here among the storm until they’ve launched. I wouldn’t want to engage them and give them the advantage of calling in reinforcements from shore. If they’re out at sea it’ll give me more of a barrier. I stretch my influence out trying to locate the pirates Karnariel mentioned. I’ll need to make a move before they do so finding their position will tell me how long I can wait here in the unstable atmosphere. My eyes land on the sphere in a man’s hand. I watch him and wait.

Blaze

I’m nonplussed. I don’t like the idea of Sia being left alone, I don’t care how friendly or sexy the lady seemed. I growl my annoyance as I trudge over to the dead bodies scattered all over. Yes I have a gadget to deal with this, and usually I’d jump at the chance to show it off. But I have another faster way to deal with this mess right now. I open my mouth and barbeque the entire crop of dead bodies. Who said only dragons breathe fire?

I look back at Gaul and Flame. Now that Lady Love is gone I speak openly. “Alright climb aboard since apparently we have to do this the old fashioned, low tech- dare I say it- healthy way.”

I lean down and Flame hops on with no hesitation. “This is the pits. Of all the women who could ride me I’m stuck with a sister.” I should instate a new rule, no men or sisters on this train. In what world is Sia getting the babe the better deal? She’s already got Razz. At that I back up, I see exactly why she’d need Raia after dealing with that hunk of flesh. “Oh heads up.” I open my portal and drop Gaul’s axe out. I figure he’ll need it all too soon. The portal closes back up and I start for the mountain Lady Love mentioned.

“By the way you guys want to start thinking up a plan while we’re headed up?”

Blackout
West Point
Rider had enjoyed Sia's gently snoring. She's brutish and grating at times but sweet in her own way. And... that thing. The old one. But that is for later. Rider steers Chron into a rut. Sia wakes.
"I never liked walls. My husband kept me behind them for most my life. Once I tasted freedom I vowed to never sleep inside walls ever again." Rider doesn't like talking about those times. A life from long ago. Sia mentions the clothing of a group of people. A Lady and her Attendants. "Our society is ruled by women. But for a woman to raise her station she must rally women and other men to her. I am not truly a part of this government. Being Lord I am given special permissions. I can take as many Attendants as I want. I can marry all the husbands I want." Rider hops down from Chron and ushers Sia into her personal tent. A man dresses in embroidered garb rides up on a lizard the size of a horse. Without a word he begins helping Rider remove her leathers. As she undresses Rider continues explaining their class structure. "The three Matrons are the lawmaking class. They decide the laws of the land and are appointed by a majority vote from the Baroness class. A Matron will hold her position for ten years and they are elected from the Baroness class itself. They are given fifty Attendants who will serve them for life. The next tier of the matriarchy is the Baroness. A Baroness is a woman who has gathered at least nine women with the title of Lady to her court. A Baroness can have a total of twenty Attendants. A Lady in a Court Circle is considered a Mistress. Mistresses counsel and defend their Baroness. They may have ten attendants. A woman is given the title of Lady when she swears fealty to a Baroness. A Lady may have five Attendants." While explaining all this Rider donned jeweled clothing and has been walking with Sia through the camp and into the castle. They come to a bathhouse in the back and enter. Rider leads Sia into a large open bath. As they enter Rider removes the fine jewel encrusted finery given to her by the only man in the entire city wearing embroidered cloth. Rider begins scrubbing herself, still explaining the society.

"Men are an integral part of our society. Just because they can't have a title doesn't mean they are second class citizens. Men can employ themselves to women who will pay them for their servitude. As women are land holders they need men to work their lands, tend to their mounts and livestock, and defend their homes. These jobs are called Farmer, Rancher, and Guard. Should a man swear fealty to a titled woman and be accepted he becomes Attendant. Attendants wear the name of their Attendee as well as the house insignia of their Baroness on a surcoat. Attendants are not bound to their Attendee, however. Should any party be unhappy with their partnership the arrangement is ended, no questions asked. Think of Attendants as samurai. They serve their lord and work to bring honor to her as well as raise her up. In return she clothes, houses, and feeds her Attendant. Its really a system that balances trust and honor. In example some women will offer an Attendant to a woman of a higher class, with his consent of course, should she feel he is deserving of a life quality better than what she is currently able to give him. This, however, very rarely goes through as the bond between Entitled and Attendants can become very strong. Attendants who bounce around between women aren't held in high regard. A Husband is the highest rank a man can hold. Husbands manage the workers, tend to their wives estate, and lead their wives Attendants." Rider has finished scrubbing and rinses. She wraps a towel around herself and heads though the back towards a hotspring. As she settles into the waters she sighs contentedly enjoying the bliss of eased aches and tension.

South Point
Rebel Camp
Karnariel holds the baby gingerly. The baby coos softly well asleep. But Karnariel recognizes the dark skin and silvered hair. He swallows hard.
"Is this a baby Hand? It's not gonna stab me is it?" He calls after Lexianna but she is already gone. Karnariel rocks the baby softly. "Hey there little guy. You're not gonna stab me right?... right?" Jalen coos again almost as if in response.

In the Southern Ocean near the tip of South Point.
A pirate in the crows nest is watching the beach where Mystic Knights are loading the Marines into ships. He smiles and signals down to Smoke Hat. Smoke Hat nods in acknowledgement and orders the sails to be unfurled. As he gives the order for cannons to be loaded the storm changes. Someone has taken control of it. Someone other than him. He whistles to get the attention of the crows nest and signals with hand gestures to look for someone who is interfering with the storm. The crow's nest signals back confusion so Smoke Hat signals again slowly. The crow's nest nods slowly finally understanding. He scans the surrounding waters and strikes a green flare. Soon another flare is lit on a ship nearby. And another. And another. Until the swirling mists that had been hiding the twenty ships is colored a bright green. All ships reported no sign of an enemy. Smoke Hat scratches his beard. The crow's nest awaits a response. As Smoke Hat looks up to signal the Crow's Nest again he sees her. Lexianna. He signals the Crow's Nest to fire up the red flare and points at Lexianna high above them. The Crow's Nest fires the flare towards Lexianna and it flies right past her as the pirates below begin to fire their black powder rifles at her.

Sia

Takeing off my shoes and jumping into the center of the pool I float around on my back as rider explains. Swimming up too the edge next too her I rest my head on my arms facing out of the pool. "Well isn't that interesting... We were told the men here were slaves and needed too be freed, part of the reasons were here is too asses the situation, though if I'm honest that is secondary. I'm here too find Razz. If we're seperate too long it didn't turn out well for anyone. As for what you think I'm hideing, I've told you everything you've asked. I'm an not from this place, I'm looking for Razz and I am willing too pay or work for information that will help me find him. If there is more you would know, you'll have too ask more specific questions. "

Blackout
West Point
Rider muses. She sneaks quick glances at Sia as she splashes in the spring.
"I'm beginning to wonder if you are aware of it. But I don't want to talk about that. Tell me about you. Where you come from. About your family." Rider lets her towel loosen. "I want to know who Sia is. Who you are."

South Point
Rebel Camp
"No one has called you that in ages." A young girl says stepping from behind a shroud. "She is a lot like your mother."
"She's nothing like my mother. She's more like father if anything. Benevolent. Smotheringly so." Karnariel replies.
"You don't hate her, do you?" The girl replies.
"Tell me, what was it all for?" Karnariel says rocking Jalen. "Why did we spend the last ten years fighting? Everyone who died. Tell me it wasn't for nothing."
"..." The girls takes Jalen and cradles him. "...I can't say whether or not it was for nothing. But she's not wrong. Without you we'd have lost hope long ago. I'd have never made it out of the castle. We'd never have found ourselves in this place where we can receive that woman's miracles. I think at the very least that amounts to something. I think my sister would be proud."
Karnariel lies down on his bed. "Thank you, Princess."

Sia

Blinking in surprise, I fiddle for a ciggarette too cover my blush. What is this woman doing too me..."I'm from a city called Frostback. It's on the back of a giant turtle covered in ice. My mothers live there as well. That's where our house is but we travel a lot, Razz is needed all over and I make money by finding certain goods for certain people. Most of my people make there liveing from the sea, I'm a fisher by trade." Lighting the smoke I shake the pack twards her and raise my eyebrows.

Blaze

I pick Gaul up with my tail and plop him on my back in front of Flame. "So Gaul you look barbaric. I mean that in the best way possible. Why don't you infiltrate their camp? Take Flame with you, you could make it look like she's your prisoner, which will get you to wherever they're stashing the ladies. I'll be on tech support and cause some kind of mayhem as a diversion. You smuggles the ladies out to me, I'll carry them down and we'll book it out of there? Yes? No?"

Flame

I blink. It sounds like a good enough plan. I know my brother will be watching me like a hawk on whatever gadget he plans on using but the fact he doesn't insist being my escort in makes me smile. He's trusting me...that and I'll have the literal god of Fate with me but that's besides the point.

The incline happens quick so I wrap my arms around Gaul. I lean my head against his shoulder, making myself comfortable for the long trek.

"So what do you think of the plan? Don't give my brother a big head about it if you've got an alternative idea that's fine too."

West Point Castle
Bathhouse Hot Springs
"Fishing huh? I'd never have guessed. The way you fight is better than most men." Rider takes a cigarette. Remarks about how different it is from what she's used to and lights it. "Tell me about these certain goods and certain people. Or actually. Tell me about your mother. What kind of woman gave birth to someone like you."

Li-Li
Fear grips me in a way I’ve never felt before. I have to stop existing as me in a sense. I start to wonder if this is what that wretched vessel felt and immediately push the thought aside. My lips and hands tremble and this time I can’t stop it. I was born to this but I didn’t really understand until this moment.
The First Lotus climbs the steps and lays her hand atop mine. Her gaze holds my own. “Don’t force yourself child. It has to be welcomed. This is something that has to be done without reservation. If you’re not ready it’s okay. You have time.”

I break her gaze and mutter, “Not much.” She straightens and I feel her eyes on me, assessing me.
I think things through carefully. Why shouldn’t I become more than this? Trapped in this pathetic excuse for power when I could have a real undeniable type of power that my uncle would have coveted. That brings something else to mind.

I turn quickly to Zaak, "Your power, it’s obviously a threat to me. Is there anyone else who possesses this…Umbra?” It bothers me even now as I look at him. It looks wrong. Unnatural. How strange…

Lexianna
I look down at the gentlemen now shooting at me. I was sure I’d be properly hidden here among the turmoil in the clouds. It was careless of me. I honestly wanted to avoid involvement with the pirates at all but perhaps it’s actually a stroke of good fortune, that is, if they’ll cooperate. There’s only one way to tell.

I descend in a swirl of heavy fog, the clouds dipping slightly with me. Their gunfire never touches me and I actually have to reach out with my power in order to stop the ricochet from injuring one of them.

When I’ve alighted on their ship I wave. “Hello, would you please stop firing? I’d like to avoid startling the troops over there and if you cause such a ruckus they are bound to notice.” I turn to who I assume is the captain. “I’m Lexianna by the way. Am I right in assuming you are here for the Command Sphere?”

I feel the other ships in the waters. They’ve brought quite a crew. I start an undercurrent that pushes the ships farther out. I don’t need them being sighted. I take a seat on the edge of the boat. “Might I ask why? What your plan is?” I cross my legs modestly at the ankles and fold my hands demurely in my lap.

Sia

Feeling my blush deepen i stand up in the pool steeling myself. "Im gonna need too get some stuff out of the way before we continue with this, please humor me love. First off Sia is a nickname, Razz cant pronounce my first name, my family calls me Shiokaze. Razz calls me Sia for short. I was hatched on Frostback too my mother NaNa 250k years ago, to me thats 25 cycles, I have 3 mothers, Nana, Yuria, and Kiori. Nana is the eldest and is the head of the city council on Frostback." Takeing a breath and swipeing my hair back i sit back down next too her. "Fishing and fighting are almost the same thing on Frostback, I fish with this." Waveing behind me Riptide clangs too the ground

Blackout
West-point Castle Springs
Rider can't process the word vomit that Sia spills on her. She juggles all the information in her mind. Two hundred fifty thousand years? Hatched? Three mothers? What about a father? A trident clangs to the floor snapping Rider out of her confusion. She knows Sia's real name now. Shiokaze. Sea Breeze. Or salt breeze. Rider looks at Sia. Shiokaze. It's in Sonnaan. Not many offworlders speak the regional dialect. Japanese it was called by another offworlder. Rider visibly jumps when the door to the springs opens and the man from her tent enters and speaks.
"Madam, I have prepared the upper room for the two of you. I have also had the chef prepare a tray of assorted sushi as well as the finest sake."
"Thank you Gin. We'll be up shortly." Rider says. Gin bows and leaves. Rider turns to Sia starts to address her but hesitates. "Shiokaze... we should go before the food spoils." Rider climbs up out of the pool letting her towel drop to the floor. With her towel gone her body is in plain sight. Only now there is a noticeable difference. There are horrible scars covering her body. The few scars on her face are small blemishes compared to the jagged and crisscrossed scar tissue on her back, abdomen, and upper thighs. As soon as she is through the door Gin is at her side.
"Madam." He says helping her with her robe.
"Gin?"
"It's nothing Madam. Nothing at all."

Gin leads Rider and Sia up to the top floor. The open door the balcony outside has an amazing view that looks eastward over the plains. Rider takes a drink as soon as she enters. Then another. And another. Her nerves are killing her. She curses internally and tries to calm herself. She tells herself that there is no reason to be worked up.
"I helped change the world. By Karna's Sun I shouldn't be this nervous." Rider whispers to herself before her facade is back up. She turns to Sia. "This Razz. The man you mention so often. Who is he to you? A friend? Lover? Husband?" Rider sits on a cushion by the open balcony door and uses the chopsticks set aside to eat a bite of sushi.

South Point
Pirate vessel.
The captain starts to speak but is interrupted.
"I'dzay 'at wha' we plant'do wi'h de ball is none yer c'ncern." A man steps out from the cabin. He is scrawny and sickly but his voice and presence are strong. He scratches his chin stubble and leans almost pretentiously against the cabin door, which he shut behind himself. His coat is much too large for someone of his build and aside from his boots and pants seems to be the only articles of clothing he's wearing. With his free hand he teases the grip of an ornate pistol tucked in the front of his pants. "Sea'olf 'ere is uh mas'er a' ocean storms. Not man c'take ih from 'im. Which ei'er means yer uh lowrud. A lowrud tha' we 'aven 'eard or seen'til na. Er, yer uh offworl'er. Ei'er weh. We on't ligh intrafearunce. Leaf."

Oasis
Great Tree
Zaak points to the Blackout where everyone is.
"There are obviously others who have Umbra. The problem is that Umbra can disguise itself as normal reality. The anomaly is difficult to pinpoint. But if you know how." Zaak places a hand on the roots of the Great Tree and the Umbra within him pulses softly. Blackouts begin appearing all over the Oasis at an alarming rate. "It's worse than I thought. There's millions of them. That inattentive child let this happen. I should have dealt with him sooner." Zaak grits his teeth and curses under his breath. "I should investigate them at once."

Sia

Following Raia up the stairs i chuckle at her whispered words. "You know i can hear you? Dont feel bad, Im nervous too, and i cant explain why. Normally wedve been too bed already... i thought it was something you were doing. Anyway, Razz is all of those things and more I cant really explain it all too you, I dont really understand it all and it might make your brain fall out of you ear. Suffice too say were two parts of a whole, when there is one there is the other, there is no other way." Eyeing the sushi i look too rider. "How did you know?" Picking up my cushion i set it next too riders and attempt too stab chunks with a chopstick.

Blackout
West Point Castle
Rider is flushed though it's unclear whether it's from the alcohol or embarrassment. She casts a quick sideways glance. Not human. But still very much a person. Rider downs a whole bottle of sake and Gin is there to replace it as soon as she sets it down. He also sets down three or four more. Along with a bottle of pedigreed wine. Just as quick and Gin came he's gone, retreated back behind the door.
"Someone told me sake and wine don't mix but it's all alcohol. I can catch a buzz but I've only been drunk once." Rider pours a glass of wine. Rider is quiet for a while. She sips the wine and sake "He must be a good man for you to chase him like this. But if you're doing this just because you think it'll get your comrades out of the deal then you're going to be disappointed. I'm not missing out on this chance to solve my problem without sacrificing my people. I'll set the standard for every ruler who comes after me. This land has been soaked in rivers of blood by those who came before. Women and men alike have suffered. Yet still... those motherless bastards want to go back. Back to the era of suffering. Back to... my husband's laws."

Sia

Sniffing the bottle of wine i pull out my flask and drip a few drops into it and wave away the puff of smoke that comes out. Takeing a swig of it i hand it back too Raia. "That should do the trick". Openly eyeing here up and down while i lick my lips i wispier into her ear. "I wasnt going too let you get away from me before we made out deal love. Im here for more than that. Now, I told you about Darling, tell me about your husband? it seems like a hard subject, im a good listener." Leaning my head on her shoulder i give up on the chopsticks and pop lumps of sushi into my mouth.

Blackout
West Point Castle
"Ha, I'm glad."
Rider smiles and chuckles softly. Letting her own head rest against Sia's she takes a sip of the spiked wine. It burns like smokey whiskey but keeps the sweetness of the wine while adding something she can't quite place. It also is very strong. Rider takes a deeper drink and feels herself slip into the haze of inebriation.
"I was born Raia Mitsubachi daughter of a small clan of wolf riders. And I was considered to a beauty unmatched by any other in the land. You see in the old society a woman's worth was measured by her beauty and fertility. I was blessed in both regards. My marriage made my father a rich man. I was to be married to Jiro Kusagiri, the Great Liberator. He was a master rider and commanded the largest force of wold riders in the world. I was happy. Until..." Rider takes a drink and swallows hard. "I produced no heirs. All my children were far too early or stillborn. We tried for years until my body was unable to handle the stress. My shame. My failure as a woman. My husband in his frustration began to beat me. And the beatings grew worse and worse. Until my body came to look like this. I almost died on several occasions. I prayed to every god I knew for salvation. To give me a body capable of bearing children so he would be satisfied with me. But they never answered. One night I struck him back. And he beat me until I lost consciousness. As punishment he gave me to his riders for their pleasure. After that I took the beatings quietly."

Rider has pain in her eyes. The weight of that time sits heavily on her soul. But then her demeanor changes, if only just.
"The Father came to me. Time stopped and the world stood still. He appeared out of a darkness so heavy it threatened to crush me if I stared into it too long. The Father offered me the chance to change the world. To rise above what I knew myself to be. I turned him down. I thought, in the back of my mind, that the gods were testing me. I thought they had heard my prayers and wanted to see if I was truly worthy. So I refused and went back to my husband. But, while cleaning his tent, I found a journal. His journal. Everything I suffered was because of him. He had written that it was unfair for such a beauty to exist. That no man was worthy of me. And that he wanted to ruin me for no better reason than affirm his power in this world. I couldn't carry a healthy child to birth because he would poison me. He beat me and scarred my body so I was no longer beautiful. He humiliated me to break my spirit. The father returned. He sensed my change and came to offer his power to me again. And this time I agreed." Rider drinks again her face flushed from the alcohol.

"That night I waited for him and his most trusted men to return from a hunt. I took command over their wolves and in doing so stripped them of their manhood. You see, back then, for a man to be considered a man he had to have a mount. The bigger and more ferocious your mount the more a man you were. To steal another riders mount was the gravest of insults. I fed my husbands riders to their mounts and called on an old and ancient being from legend." Rider smiles at Sia. "Karna created the stars. But before he sparked the fires of life the world was already a vast and cold ocean. Long before any other gods there where two wolves. One wolf's howl created space and dimensions everywhere it went. The other wolf's howl marked the beginning of time. They were the two beings that The Creator brought into existence before all others. However, the spatial wolf grew ill. No one knows how or why but the Wolf of Space died of this illness. Space began to collapse. So the Wolf of Time took up its brothers voice and mixed it with his own. By doing this he merged the two powers together. Space would grow so long as time continued to march forward." Rider smiles with a melancholy and almost bitter expression.

"All I had wanted was to be loved. That is all I wanted of my husband. But he couldn't love anything but himself." Rider takes another drink. "They say that strong women are all gentle deep within their hearts. But I think it's the same for everyone. Take away the stigma of weakness and expectations of strength that we put on ourselves and suddenly it's a kinder more gentle world. We are kinder and more gentle people. Or maybe I'm just drunk."

Sia

I reach for her hand and interlock our fingers as she speaks. "Please tell me that man is dead and gone...no one deserves too be treated that way, how you dealt with his men is almost poetic, you know the father is my enemy now right? He took Razz and im going too get him back. One way or the other. Does that bother you?"

Gaul remains silent for quite some time before finally acquiescing to Blaze’s plan. He had spent his silence trying to come up with a plan that would simultaneously save them time and keep their risk to a minimum, which left him missing the Eyes of Wyrd more than ever.

“I really want to leave this place. I want to be at home, in the snow, hunting.” He pauses briefly, then continues, “I’m here now, though, and I’ve sworn to save a comrade. So let’s go win over a lord of this gods-forsaken realm.”