Moving outside, Tamrin and Aananda(with Ruji perched on her shoulder) see Ryo as he goes.. deeper into town!?
Moving outside, Tamrin and Aananda(with Ruji perched on her shoulder) see Ryo as he goes.. deeper into town!?
"Okay....I'm curious," Tam says as they go after Ryo.
Following Ryo is a bit tricky, since he seems to be able to slip through the thickest crowds. Finally, after almost 30 minutes of walking, he turns and dashes into a deserted alley...
Following Ryo is a bit tricky, since he seems to be able to slip through the thickest crowds. Finally, after almost 30 minutes of walking, he turns and dashes into a deserted alley...
Tam sighs, shaking his head.
"Why am I suddenly wishing I hadn't given him that Gate card back?" he asks as they pick up the pace and peek into the alley.
Aananda slows down so she can concentrate better, still going fast enough to keep up with Tam, she reaches out her senses to search for Ryo's life force.
Tam sighs, shaking his head.
"Why am I suddenly wishing I hadn't given him that Gate card back?" he asks as they pick up the pace and peek into the alley.
Ryo is standing about 30ft into the alley, tossing the bottle Keaton is in back and forth while his eyes are closed.
Aananda slows down so she can concentrate better, still going fast enough to keep up with Tam, she reaches out her senses to search for Ryo's life force.
Aananda senses something.. different. The life force she senses seems like Ryo's, but it isn't.
Tam sighs, shaking his head.
"Why am I suddenly wishing I hadn't given him that Gate card back?" he asks as they pick up the pace and peek into the alley.
Ryo is standing about 30ft into the alley, tossing the bottle Keaton is in back and forth while his eyes are closed.
Aananda slows down so she can concentrate better, still going fast enough to keep up with Tam, she reaches out her senses to search for Ryo's life force.Aananda senses something.. different. The life force she senses seems likes Ryo's but it's not.
"Tam," she whispers, "there's something off about Ryo. It's him, but not him. Sorry. I know it's vague, but that's the best I can do."
Tam bites his lip as he looks between Aananda and Ryo.
"Oh I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means..." he whispers back as he steps into the alley, ready for a surprise.
Tam bites his lip as he looks between Aananda and Ryo.
"Oh I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means..." he whispers back as he steps into the alley, ready for a surprise.
As if he had heard Tam, Ryo says "I'm not a vampire, if that's what you're thinking. But I am a Seer, which means I knew there several futures in which you would follow me."
He pulls a card from his cloak, and holds it up for them to see.
"The Doppelganger. It represents lying to oneself and split personalities. If drawn upside down, it means some one wants to be like you. I can also use it to make a physical double, albeit with a few easily detected mistakes."
He draws another card and shows it to them.
"The Illusion. A lie that is easy to believe. I used it to cover up the double's imperfections, and place my voice here."
Something fades away, and the truth of "Ryo's" words are revealed. The tattoo is backwards, and his left arm is the mechanical one. Then something fades again, and in his place stands a grayish humanoid form, with no distinct markings. It starts to grow smaller, as if folding in on itself.
"Don't be mad. I did say I wanted to handle this alone..."
The doppelganger dissappears completely, leaving no sign that it was ever there.
She sighed in frustration. "Now how are we supposed to find him? I've got pretty limited range on how far I can sense a unique individual."
The doppelganger dissappears completely, leaving no sign that it was ever there.
".....And this is one of the reasons I don't normally travel with tour groups," Tam grumbles loudly as he watches the effect disappear. He turns back to Aananda.
"Sorry Aananda...it looks like he's made up his mind on this. I can try some spells, but I don't think I'll be able to find him if he's intentionally trying to avoid detection."
The doppelganger dissappears completely, leaving no sign that it was ever there.".....And this is one of the reasons I don't normally travel with tour groups," Tam grumbles loudly as he watches the effect disappear. He turns back to Aananda.
"Sorry Aananda...it looks like he's made up his mind on this. I can try some spells, but I don't think I'll be able to find him if he's intentionally trying to avoid detection."
"Yeah. I really hope he didn't get in over his head on this one."
"Ummm, so I guess you can try the spells and then if that doesn't work, we head back and wait?"
The doppelganger dissappears completely, leaving no sign that it was ever there.".....And this is one of the reasons I don't normally travel with tour groups," Tam grumbles loudly as he watches the effect disappear. He turns back to Aananda.
"Sorry Aananda...it looks like he's made up his mind on this. I can try some spells, but I don't think I'll be able to find him if he's intentionally trying to avoid detection."
"Yeah. I really hope he didn't get in over his head on this one."
"Ummm, so I guess you can try the spells and then if that doesn't work, we head back and wait?"
"Alright. I can try a scrying spell, but I'm going to need some kind of still water and about an hour to prep and cast it. We may as well go back to the Juggling Dwarf to avoid any interruptions..."
As they walked back to the Juggling Dwarf, Aananda seemed a bit distracted. Finally she burst out talking. She seemed pretty uncomforatble, but the words just kept coming like a flood.
"Tam, I don't want to tell you this because I'm ashamed of myself and I was afraid that you wouldn't like me anymore if you knew, but I guess I have to. That test I flunked that got me kicked out of the temple, it wasn't a practice thing. Except I'm kinda getting ahead of myself I guess. I haven't told you about Chan yet. He's my foster brother. When you're an orphan family is a little weird sometimes since it's not about who you're biologically related to. But Chan was my family. We were inseperable as kids. I was pretty sad when my brother decided that he didn't want to become a monk after all, but I understood. He needed a chance to go out and find what he really wanted to do. But I never wanted to leave the temple. Some of the Masters wished I would at times, but I was determined to stay. So I continued my training. I didn't hear from Chan for about two years, but that's not so unusual. One of the things about the temple is that you're supposed to be setting aside ties to the outside world. Chan knew that, and wouldn't have sent any messages since that would have gotten me in trouble. Sometimes the villages near the temple ask for help when they're being threatened by bandits or wild animals or another village looking to conquer them. The Masters decided that I had completed enough of my training to be allowed to go along with a group that was being sent out to defend one of those villages. It was...difficult. There were many of them, but I fought as I had been taught to do. In the confusion I became separated from my companions. I confronted one of the bandits that was attacking some of the villagers. Only the bandit turned out to be my brother. I.....I froze. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I should have done something. I should have tried to save them. But I just stood there. And he killed them. And the smile on his face while he did it....He enjoyed their suffering. I didn't even try to chase him. I just stood there. That's why the Masters sent me away."
Tam listens to Aananda's story as she tells it at an almost feverish pace. When she finishes, he pulls the skimmer over. He says nothing for a few moments, looking like he's trying to process all of the information she just gave him....
...
She bites her lip and looks nervously at her feet waiting for some sort of response from Tam.
She bites her lip and looks nervously at her feet waiting for some sort of response from Tam.
"Wow.........that sure explains why Ryo's conflict with his own brother seemed to hit a nerve with you."
"But, if I may point this out," Tam says as he turns to look at her, "you didn't hesitate this time - you made a plan and you stuck to it, and you helped saved the day. Keaton is out of commission, and nobody else lost their lives. I'm not saying it makes up for what happened before - I know you don't think that it does. But it does show that you learned from what happened and did what you had to do. I think your masters would be proud of that fact. They sent you out into the world, with hardly any experience in surviving day-to-day, and you've managed to not only do so, but help out an entire city in the process. That's a pretty good accomplishment, if you ask me."
He gets a confused look for a second, then smiles slightly.
"So why did you think I wouldn't like you anymore if you told me all of this?"
He gets a confused look for a second, then smiles slightly.
"So why did you think I wouldn't like you anymore if you told me all of this?"
She looks up, surprised. "Those people died, and it's my fault. I didn't even try to save them. That's not how a good person should act." In spite of her attempts to keep her emotions in check, a tear trickles down her cheek.
She looks up, surprised. "Those people died, and it's my fault. I didn't even try to save them. That's not how a good person should act." In spite of her attempts to keep her emotions in check, a tear trickles down her cheek.He gets a confused look for a second, then smiles slightly.
"So why did you think I wouldn't like you anymore if you told me all of this?"
"That's a fair point. But you can't always save everybody every time. I wish the multiverse worked that way, but it doesn't. What matters is that you tried. Even if you didn't succeed the first time, you did this time. That's how a good person acts," he says, glancing around frantically for a handkerchief. Finding none, and without much forethought or common sense, gently runs a finger along her cheek to catch the tear.
"And you are a good person, Aananda. You wouldn't be crying if you weren't, because you wouldn't give a hoot about anybody else but yourself."
Her pulse sped up as she tried to sort through a confusing mess of emotions; guilt, sadness, relief, and something else she didn't recognize. But at least he didn't think she was a bad person, even if she wasn't sure if she agreed with him.
"I don't think that I can forgive myself so easily. But I'm glad you don't hate me."
Her pulse sped up as she tried to sort through a confusing mess of emotions; guilt, sadness, relief, and something else she didn't recognize. But at least he didn't think she was a bad person, even if she wasn't sure if she agreed with him.
"I don't think that I can forgive myself so easily. But I'm glad you don't hate me."
"As hating you would require you inflicting that whole 'painful bodily harm' thing you swore not to visit upon my person, I don't think you have to worry about that," he says with a grin. "And the forgiveness will come, in time. I don't think that's something you can force or rush. Time heals all wounds, like they say."
"Don't beat yourself up too much on this (especially now that you have something to weigh against it), but don't keep it bottled up either. If you need to let it out, it's alright. And I won't tell anybody else unless you say otherwise. Okay?"
"As hating you would require you inflicting that whole 'painful bodily harm' thing you swore not to visit upon my person, I don't think you have to worry about that," he says with a grin. "And the forgiveness will come, in time. I don't think that's something you can force or rush. Time heals all wounds, like they say."
"Don't beat yourself up too much on this (especially now that you have something to weigh against it), but don't keep it bottled up either. If you need to let it out, it's alright. And I won't tell anybody else unless you say otherwise. Okay?"
She snorted. "Don't be silly. I would never hurt you on purpose, Tam, no matter how you feel about me," she said indignantly.
"And thanks. It's not exactly something I want to go advertising from the rooftops. The Masters have probably hunted him down by now, but I hate not knowing for sure. When one of us goes...bad....it's usually pretty disastrous. There are things that can be done with the sort of training that happens at the temple that just should not ever be done. Part of me wonders if Chan is still out there somewhere, and what other horrible things he's doing if he is."
She snorted. "Don't be silly. I would never hurt you on purpose, Tam, no matter how you feel about me," she said indignantly.
"And thanks. It's not exactly something I want to go advertising from the rooftops. The Masters have probably hunted him down by now, but I hate not knowing for sure. When one of us goes...bad....it's usually pretty disastrous. There are things that can be done with the sort of training that happens at the temple that just should not ever be done. Part of me wonders if Chan is still out there somewhere, and what other horrible things he's doing if he is."
"Well...I was kind of hinting at having a good cry if you needed to, but I guess throwing some righteous indignation at me works as a good emotional 'vent' too," he replies, trying hard to keep a straight face for some reason. "But I asked for that - sorry." :)
"And I'm sure it's being taken care of. They sound like responsible folk there for the most part."
"Well...I was kind of hinting at having a good cry if you needed to, but I guess throwing some righteous indignation at me works as a good emotional 'vent' too," he replies, trying hard to keep a straight face for some reason. "But I asked for that - sorry." :)
"And I'm sure it's being taken care of. They sound like responsible folk there for the most part."
"Oh. I....don't cry much. Displays of emotion were discouraged at the temple. They were considered signs of attachment, and we were supposed to be setting those things aside. It's not so easy setting aside that many years of training."
"I'm sure you're right. The Masters knew about Chan, and even where he was. They can handle it," she said with an attempt at a smile.
"Well...I was kind of hinting at having a good cry if you needed to, but I guess throwing some righteous indignation at me works as a good emotional 'vent' too," he replies, trying hard to keep a straight face for some reason. "But I asked for that - sorry." :)
"And I'm sure it's being taken care of. They sound like responsible folk there for the most part."
"Oh. I....don't cry much. Displays of emotion were discouraged at the temple. They were considered signs of attachment, and we were supposed to be setting those things aside. It's not so easy setting aside that many years of training."
"I'm sure you're right. The Masters knew about Chan, and even where he was. They can handle it," she said with an attempt at a smile.
"Seems kinda hard to me to help people out if you have no attachment to anything or anybody, but I'm no wiseman either. A wise guy, frequently, but not a wiseman," he says with a grin. ;)
"Now 'The Good Reverend Sunwake' is going to stop all of his high-horse sermonizing, which you don't need," he says as he moves to start the skimmer back up. "I'm supposed to be listening anyway," he continues with a slight nod.
"Seems kinda hard to me to help people out if you have no attachment to anything or anybody, but I'm no wiseman either. A wise guy, frequently, but not a wiseman," he says with a grin. ;)
"Now 'The Good Reverend Sunwake' is going to stop all of his high-horse sermonizing, which you don't need," he says as he moves to start the skimmer back up. "I'm supposed to be listening anyway," he continues with a slight nod.
"It's...a little more complicated than that. We're supposed to follow the principles of the order. But excessive attachment is a distraction, something that can get in the way of helping people, something that can draw a monk into doing the wrong thing. I'm kinda the example for how that works," she said, sadly.
"Now wait a minute - does this Order specifically train its people in how to deal with family or fellow members going 'rogue' and doing bad things? Because unless they do, there would have been no way to do right by them in this situation you were in."
"Now wait a minute - does this Order specifically train its people in how to deal with family or fellow members going 'rogue' and doing bad things? Because unless they do, there would have been no way to do right by them in this situation you were in."
"We're taught that if a fellow monk chooses to walk the dark path, that they are as one already dead to us. I just....I couldn't do it. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. I still can't understand what happened to my brother that he would choose that."
"We're taught that if a fellow monk chooses to walk the dark path, that they are as one already dead to us. I just....I couldn't do it. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. I still can't understand what happened to my brother that he would choose that."
Tam seems to be given some pause by Aananda's answer. He shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts and quickly responds.
"I'm....sure your order is wondering the same thing, and will find out the truth of it when they apprehend him. Something like that needs to be explained, so it can hopefully not have as great a chance of happening again..."