@Urk and @Imuri: Zhongyi regards Urk stonily, but consents to go with to the Gossamer Palace. Your journey there is uneventful, especially as most of the city is en route to the palace for the State Dinner.
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"Imuri-San." The Sera general bows stiffly. "It is fine weather to be walking, especially if visiting loved ones. The Empire is blessed, and we are blessed to be here." Her observation of courtly formalities is bare-bones, but it will serve. Zhongyi is not known for her manners.
While not known for her courtliness, Zhongyi is still the eldest daughter of one of the greatest noble houses in the empire, and as such her form and manners are impeccable as she bows to Nylmorh and says "Great Lord; this one, to her shame, must take leave of your august presence. I would see my sister's essence restored to her body, and I believe I have an idea where my search would begin. I hope you will all be able to meet her tonight." After the proper protocols of departure are observed, the contingent from House Sera leaves.
"These men and women of the 'New Kings', it appears, are actually members of an invading army called the Red Dragonflight." Zhongyi pulls a piece of cloth out of one man's pouch and shows it to Chu; on this little square of cloth is a crest that appears to be stylized draconic jaws, done in crimson. "They showed their true colors when the battle went ill, and attacked us. Luckily his majesty Nylmorh showed up to aid."
"Brother Monk, if this 'Swift' is the person I think he is, then you have nothing to fear. He is notoriously difficult to kill." She makes a face, then gestures for you all to follow her. "We have what we came for. Let us hasten back to the river, and then the surface."
Zhongyi holds Chu's inscrutable gaze a moment longer, then her samurai clear back to the perimeter as she swivels her head to look over at Wei. "'He', who, brother monk? Who is it you speak of?"
Zhongyi looks at the jar. Her mouth moves but no words come out, and for the briefest moment her eyes begin to mist up. Then, as quickly as the moment begins, the great Sera samurai-general clamps down and regains her focus and balance. She takes the jar and whispers once, softly; "Aki-Chan". She then bows to Chu. "I am unworthy of your forgiveness, Imperial advisor, but I beg it nonetheless. My actions bring shame on my house, and on my empire." The apology is breathtaking in its vulnerable sincerity. All of the Black Orchid Samurai present receive a lesson in humility from their General as she bows deeply before the Loyal Shadow, baring the back of her neck to him.
"The same force that sent the flood, sent us as well. Or should I say, the flood was sent to clear the way ahead of us." Zhongyi says in response to Kyras' questions. She walks ahead just a bit, the Loyal Shadow next to her. Suddenly she whirls on the imperial advisor, her obsidian eyes flashing; "Give. It. To. Me." she says to him in an ice-cold, measured hiss. Her samurai instinctively form up in a semi-circle four warriors deep around her, blocking you all from reaching them.
"Well, it's nice to see some of you have taken this opportunity to get to know one another better." Zhongyi sardonically remarks. She is walking out of the tunnel from whence the water and tunnel gougers alike came, and raising an eyebrow at the embracing Kyras and Azami as she does so. The corners of the typically humorless Sera's mouth turn almost imperceptibly upward in what could, conceivably, be called a smile. "Did we get what we came for? I have not seen any sign of the Plum Blossom aside from foot soldiers, although I hasten to add that we have met someone else whom you should all meet." She locks eyes with the soaked and bedraggled Tokine. "Especially you." she intones quietly. Shaking herself, she continues; "If you are done here, come with us." You see a large number of Black Orchid samurai standing behind Zhongyi, and behind them, different troops dressed in...blue?
"Go, my friends! We will hold off the attackers here at this bottleneck. They shall not follow you, this I swear on my House." With that, the brave general vaults into the air and lands on the river kraken, slicing it open with her katana and distracting it from your progress.
Zhongyi gives a pointed look at all of the plate-mail-clad soldiers with you and then raises an eyebrow; NOW what?.
"Envoy!" calls Zhongyi from off to one side. "What of these paintings? Why are they erased?" The elder Sera sister, sporting a couple of freshly-closed wounds on her petal-pale flesh, has stopped by a large swath of wall that appears to be in the process of being wiped out, as if by a paint remover, or slow magic. Centuries-old drawings destroyed with nary a care, or so it seems.
Zhongyi is calm and centered as she approaches one of the closed doors. She thumps on it, considering its size and composition. "Any ideas?" She asks. "I have never seen metal like this before..."
"The Black Orchid are a feint, but not a sacrifice. There are places where pitched battle will occur, and strength of numbers will be of great value."
Zhongyi's face becomes more ordered and neutral as Imuri speaks. At the end, both the Shoto and Sera nobles are gazing levelly at Kyras, almost expectantly.
Zhongyi's nostrils flare, but she maintains her icy cool. "The Black Orchid regiment is my will made manifest." She looks pointedly at the bag. "I'm listening."
Zhongyi stops dead. She recognized the dueling stance, of course, but assumed that a Shoto was simply making his presence known, a situation that would be curious to her, but certainly acceptable. At the intimation of knowledge beyond what she herself possesses, though, her focus turns to the new visitor. She nods to Imuri and then walks carefully over to the Dragonborn to speak softly to him, though not so soft Azami cannot hear it. "Kyras-san. A word with you, please? In private." She gives Azami a look the ronin recognizes as apologetic. "We need not trouble your warrior-companion or the others with this." She nods to a space off to the side and waits to make sure Kyras is coming with.
@Imuri: Zhongyi gives you the briefest narrowing of her eyes in recognition, then goes about her business.
"Madame Curator." Zhongyi bows low, respectfully. "Clan Sera is here to aid in the rescue of...certain individuals." she casts a dubious eye at the silver-and-ivory clad westerners. "Who would these be...?"
At this point Zhongyi speaks only to Azami, barely taking note of Kyras. "I don't like whatever this is, but we cannot concern ourselves with happenstance at this time, not if we want any chance at success." She gives Azami a significant look, then motions her samurai forward towards the temple district.
"Hah!" Zhongyi's laugh is a short and uncomfortable bark, rusty from disuse. She is about to reply to Azami when she closes her mouth abruptly and angles her head to one side. "Do you hear that? What is that?" DC13 Perception, Kyras and Azami only: From all around you is a strange cacophony of banging, like wood on stone; BAM! BAM! creeeeakBAM! BAM BAMBAM! It sounds like many, many doors opening and closing. There is also the sound of many footsteps (besides, that is, your own and those of the samurai that currently follow you.)
Zhongyi gives Azami a strange sideways look, then nods, almost imperceptibly. She gives a low whistle, and the door behind her bursts open and a hundred samurai come rushing smoothly out, in perfect formation. They line up behind her and shout the clan name. "You are wiser than they give you credit for being, Ito-san. To go Under, one needs force, not stealth." The elder Sera sister falls in with the two of you. "What entrance were you planning to use?"
@Azami and @Kyras: There is a soft clacking sound, and Sera Zhongyi, deadlier of the Sera sisters, steps out of the front door of her city house. "Gaijin." she says, and her voice is not unkind. It is, in fact, rather ragged. "...you are descending under the city. I would accompany you." Her steely eyes give away nothing. DC26 Sense Motive: Her body language, however, and the skin around her eyes, suggests she has been awake for many hours, perhaps through the night, and her raw voice sounds like that of someone who has either been awake celebrating and singing, or crying.
Or, perhaps; both.
@Azami: Zhongyi strides up to you for the second time this evening, her steps still filled with power and purpose, even after all she has gone through. Her hard eyes bore unflinchingly into your own. "Ronin guard. Mambani. May your rest be untroubled this night. We will speak more later." Bizarrely, she clasps forearms with you in a completely unexpected gesture of warrior solidarity. Azami only:
As she pulls her hand away, the elder Sera slips something into your palm. It feels like a stone. Almost immediately, one of the palace guards turns to look at you. He stares for a moment, then slowly goes back to what he was doing. DC16 Perception, anyone except Azami:
Sera Zhongyi just slipped something into Azami's hand. You cannot see what it is, but you know she gave her something. Zhongyi bows shallowly and walks away. "Aki-chan! Beloved sister! Come! It is time for us to return home." She says clearly, her voice cutting across the room.
@Daisuke: Sera Zhongyi looks at you for a long, cold second.
In the end she simply nods, her eyes seeming to lance right through you, but not the web of deceit you have woven around yourself. "Very well. I hope the Hoshi have an answer for all of this. We will be conducting our own investigation, independent of the palace's" Daisuke Only:
As she speaks you feel a strange movement on your person. A quick and subtle search of your pockets reveals the source; as Curator Nagano is casting magic on the dragon statue in her hands, the jawbone you stole off the Erinyes is moving, as if trying to speak. Zhongyi abruptly steps away from you then and walks over to Azami.
"Very well, Ito-san. I trust you have already informed Madame Curator of this." The more martially capable of the two Sera sisters looks impassively at you and Kyras, then turn and approaches Daisuke. "What are you called, ronin? I was not aware the Hoshi had taken to hiring out." DC22 Sense Motive, Azami, Kyras and Daisuke only: Zhongyi is neither pleased nor displeased with any of what has been said in her presence. It is impossible to tell just what she's after, but she doesn't seem to be duplicitous. For the moment.
"I don't like the look of this. At all." Zhongyi turns to look at Azami. "You! Ronin, guard. Where do you stay this night? Where does the Dragonborn stay? What do the two of you call home?"
Zhongyi, whose broken leg is now fully healed, strides towards the dining hall. "Each of them had a ghostly ruby on a thick chain around their necks when they came into the room, but each one threw its ruby into the dining hall." She keeps her katana out as she advances. |