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>>47114293

With one last jolt of pain – thoughts of something tearing and coming loose inside you once again flit through your mind – you climb down from the wagon and stare up at the Nameless Temple. A slow realisation passes through you, then, as you're looking up at your home – you weren't sure if you'd ever see this place, or the people within it, ever again. Now that you're back, you almost feel reluctant to step across the threshold, as if you'd wake up from this pleasant dream the instant you did so.

In the end, Aya – unburdened by the thoughts that you can't quite put into words – is the one to lead the way, striding fearlessly into the temple. Feeling vaguely foolish, you follow her inside. “So!” she calls back to you, “I know this isn't the first time I've been here, but how about giving me a tour?”

You seem to recall someone else showing her around once, you point out, after she and the Mentor had a somewhat heated “discussion”. Surely she hasn't forgotten the layout already?

“Uh, so I might have been a little out of it when I was being guided about,” Aya admits, a faint colour rising to her cheeks, “A little, you know, stunned. C'mon, you don't need to if you don't want to, but I thought it might be fun. I mean, you look like you want to give this place a once over as well, so where's the harm?”

Do you really look like that? Perhaps you've not yet accepted that, yes, you're really back. Even so, you can't let such things distract you from your duties... to the Mentor, yes, but also to your friends. To Howa. You've been gone a long time – it certainly feels that way, at least – and you need to catch up.

>Visit the Mentor first and pass along the latest news
>Find Koa and ask him about the apprentice situation
>Meet up with Howa. You deserve a little personal time
>Show Aya around
>Other

>>47114302
>Show Aya around
No harm. We have some time.

>>47114302
>>Show Aya around

>>47114302
>>Show Aya around
We should probably get her some lodgings too

Fine, you sigh heavily, you'll show her about if that's what she really wants. She'd better not be expecting a quick trip, though, not from a tired old man like you.

“C'mon chief, drop the act,” Aya replies smartly, “Stop pretending you're some old cripple. You weren't so slow and weary when you were pulling me out of, you know, a burning building. You've even had the chance to sleep since then!”

You were also stabbed in the stomach since then, you think darkly. That's the sort of thing that leaves a man feeling short of his best, and not even a good nap can help with it. Still, you force a kind of grim smile – the sort you might find carved into an ancient statue – and allow yourself to get carried along by her enthusiasm. If nothing else, she'll need to arrange lodgings, and that whole process will be easier with you there to smooth things over. Now, in these paranoid days, the temple wouldn't take the risk of admitting any random stranger. Sensible, but the fact that such precautions are required saddens you somewhat.

“Well, at least I don't need a lot of room for my belongings,” Aya's smile wilts slightly, “I guess I'll need to get some new clothes at some point. New everything, in fact...”

That's someone else's problem, you tell her quickly as you start walking in a direction picked more or less at random. Conveniently enough, it leads you into one of the living quarters, down a long row of small bedrooms. It wouldn't be proper to call this a tour, you think to yourself as you lead Aya along, not when you're just choosing the directions at random. Even your explanations are blunt and simple, offering the bare minimum of information.

“You know...” Aya begins as you're emerging back into the temple entrance, the corridor having led you in a long loop, “I've never another building quite like this one. It's not quite... natural.”

It's a building, you point out, they don't tend to be.

[1/2]

>>47114572
>It's a building, you point out, they don't tend to be.
Well, duh. God, I love Ira

>>47114572

“Get a load of this guy,” Aya chuckles, “You know what I mean. I don't know much about putting up a building, or even designing one, but this place doesn't seem like either of those applies. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was...”

As she tapers off, you consider what she is trying to say. It's something you never paid much attention to before now, but she might have a point. The corridors winding their way through the Nameless Temple don't seem to follow any kind of typical order or logical layout. Often, there will be sudden twists or turns, while the rooms will vary wildly in size and shape. The training rooms – or rather, the rooms that were converted into training rooms when the temple was first populated – are round chambers, while the dorms and bedrooms are all boxy, often with smaller rooms jammed onto the side. The whole thing, seen through this new perspective, seems...

“Grown,” Aya decides eventually, taking the word right out of your mouth, “Like it's something that grew out of control. I mean, no offence, but it's kinda... crazy. You've never felt that?”

You never thought about it until now, you admit, but... perhaps. It's not the first time there has been dark speculation about some aspect of the temple. The floor of the entrance chamber is covered with an intricate tile pattern that seems to defeat any attempt at following it.

“And you don't think that's... weird?” Aya asks, “I mean, I don't want to start a fight or anything – it's your home, I get that – but do you ever wonder...” But the question dies in her throat as Aya notices the small gathering of flowers resting against the wall. “What...” she begins.

A girl died there, you answer bluntly, losing the urge to play tour guide.

“Ira?” Aya asks, a note of concern in her voice, “Are you okay?”

>Excuse me, I need to speak with the Mentor
>I'm fine. Let's keep moving
>You were asking something, right?
>Other

>>47114293
Off to work, but wanted to stop by to say that this is one of the best quests on TG.

Thanks for keeping up the excellent work!

>>47114705
>>I'm fine. Let's keep moving

>>47114705
>I'm fine. Let's keep moving
>You were asking something, right?

Wasn't this temple mimic'd after the one in Makai? Pharos I think? It's construction was probably sorcery or god made.

>>47114705
>>I'm fine. Let's keep moving

>>47114739
Dude, they are still allowed on /tg/ until mods decide if the trail board sticks or not.

For now there is no point in splitting the archives on the off chance it fails.

If you start spamming you could get banned. Just ignore it for a few more weeks until the mods make their decision.

>>47114767
What this guy said, you can report the quest all you want and a mod can decide to move the quest if he feels like it. Or, he can ban your ass because you are reporting something they said was "okay untill it isn't".

The only one that can make a thread move is a mod, not you. Ignore the thread and move on.

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>>47114784
Look I'm not going to get drawn into an argument, this is the last post I'll respond to you, but think before you go on some crusade, for your own sake.

>>47114705
>I'm fine. Let's keep moving
>You were asking something, right?

>>47114705
>I'm fine. Let's keep moving
>You were asking something, right?

>Meet up with Howa. You deserve a little personal time, she deserves us, ooh yea oh man lets get that personal time. WOO BABY

>>47114821
The board works, it isn't perfect but it has been proven that the idea works.
It'll stay, unless whatever mod out there decide to can it which would raise a huge amount of shitpost.

Untill the trial period ends posting on /tg/ is allowed and not a bannable offence, it has been made clear that saying "get out" IS a bannable offence. People trying to police the board on their own are only pissing off the mods in doing something stupid

>>47114739
>You were asking something, right?

>>47114919
Just report the troll, don't feed it.

>>47114705
>If you want to know, it can wait until we find some friendly faces, maybe some good thing have happened regarding this. Until then:
>>You were asking something, right?

Fine, you tell her with a quick shake of your head, you're fine. Best to keep moving.

“I didn't say anything wrong, did I?” Aya presses, “I mean, I know some things might be... you know, forbidden or taboo, but I didn't think the building itself would be one of them. Hey look, I'll tell you what – how about I just keep my mouth shut from now on, okay?”

As much as some small part of your mind rejoices at the idea, you shake your head again. She was asking a question, you remind her as you begin walking again, what was it?

“That? Oh, that. I just wondered if you knew who built this place, or when. Like I said, I've never seen another place like this, anywhere in the land. I know I've not seen everything there is to see, but...” shrugging, Aya lowers her voice slightly, “It's just weird, you know?”

Having seen the things you've seen, and heard the things you've been told, it's not too difficult to guess who was the original builder of the Nameless Temple. The Mentor and the Seer, partners in crime, devoured a god here – it was that god, you suspect, that raised this temple. What's more, you've seen another building like this – the Pharos, lurking in the depths of dead Makai. The Mentor might know more... but how often does he share his bleak past with anyone?

Not that you can really blame him for that. If you had the same sins as him staining your conscience, you'd be secretive as well.

It is weird, you agree with a heavy sigh, but it's the only home you've got right now.

“Well,” Aya pauses, offering you that brittle smile that is – sadly – growing to be a familiar sight, “That's one thing you've got over me. I don't have a home at all.”

Not yet, you muse, but this place might become a home in time. That is, if she doesn't mind a weird home.

“Better than sleeping out in the forests,” the young reporter decides after a very short moment of thought, “I mean, at least it's got a roof, right?”

[1/2]

>>47114949

Despite attempts from both of you to lift the mood, the rest of the “tour” passes under a stubborn cloud. It seems amazing now, that you were once so eager to be back here. With the dubious benefit of Aya's perspective, the Nameless Temple has taken on something of a sinister air. Like spending your life looking at the roots of a tree, you think, only to realise that there were bones mixed about them. No matter what you try to think, you can never go back to seeing it the same way again.

With an unusually heavy heart, you finish the tour at the dining halls. Not very crowded, even considering the lower numbers of people within the temple, and it is that sparse population that immediately draws your eye to two fellow outcasts. Sharing a table apart from all others, Tawn and Soma eat their simple meals in complete silence, staring down at their food.

“Friends of yours?” Aya asks quietly, noticing your look, “Not to be rude or anything, but it doesn't look like they've got any other friends. I mean...”

You know what she means, you cut her off, they don't look like they belong here. Perhaps they don't, not in the eyes of everyone else at least.

>Take Aya and join them
>Excuse yourself and join them
>Leave them be for now
>Other

>>47114997
>Take Aya and join them

>>47114997
>>Take Aya and join them
PARTY IN THE HOUSE, THESE PEEPS ARE IRA'S BROS

>>47114997
>>Take Aya and join them

>>47114997
>Take Aya and join them

>>47114997
>Leave them be for now

>>47114997
>>Take Aya and join them

>>47114997
>Take Aya and join them

Maybe subtly remind some of the other people that everyone comes here a stranger, to find family as well as themselves.

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You wanted them to be welcome in the Nameless Temple, you think bitterly, and while they don't seem to have made any enemies yet...

Well, any truce that exists seems both unofficial and uneasy. Perhaps it is to be expected – Tawn is an Imperial agent, after all, and Soma vanished for some time under highly suspicious circumstances. Tawn willingly sided with the Emperor, the man – boy – that many here see as an enemy, while Soma joined the Seer, another enemy. Frankly, you're just surprised that the pair aren't trying to kill each other yet. No doubt there is an element of secrecy in whatever relationship they have. A perfectly normal relationship, then.

Nodding in their direction, you lead Aya across. If she's to stay here, she might as well start making connections among the other residents, and this is a good place to start. When you sit, Tawn only looks up for a moment, a brief moment, before turning his face away from you. In a way, you expected that kind of reaction – not rude, so much, but acutely aware of the mask covering his scarred face. No, it's not just self-consciousness, there's a touch of shame in there as well, shame for his darker deeds.

“Ira,” Tawn's voice is deliberately hushed, tightly controlled to stop it devolving into a slur, “You're back then.”

Finally back, you agree, you wondered if you ever would.

“Really?” Soma looks up at that, a faint worry flashing across her face, “Was there... trouble?”

Word of the attack on the capital, you realise, has not yet reached the Nameless Temple. That casts you as the bearer of bad news – a role that you seem to fall into quite naturally these days. With a grimace spreading across your face, an equal frown touching Aya's features, you tell the pair the long story of what happened. By the time you're finished, your bleak expression has spread to the others as well.

[1/2]

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>>47115263

“So...” Tawn hisses, half to himself, “They made their move.” He bows his head for a moment, both eyes fluttering closed as he draws in a long, shuddering breath. “I should have been there. I should have done my part to defend the Emperor.”

“You would have died,” Soma murmurs, “You can't... you're in no position to fight, Tawn. Not like this.”

First name basis, you think, already? You glance across at Aya, who offers the slightest of shrugs. Fellow travellers, that shrug seems to say, can grow uncommonly close. It's none of your business, of course, but still – an interesting thing to take note of. That, and the note of vague concern in Soma's voice as she gently scolds Tawn. She has a point, though – he's a cripple, not someone with a place on the front lines.

“Don't beat yourself up over it,” Aya replies, a sweet note in her voice setting off vague alarm bells in your mind, “There were plenty of soldiers there already. In fact, they had enough to send a few out and-”

So, you nearly shout, how are they settling in here?

“Everyone here is very...” Soma clears her throat awkwardly, “Polite.”

That's the optimistic version of it, at least.

[2/3]

>>47115382

“I don't care,” Tawn shakes his head bluntly, “I'm not here to make friends. Better I don't, perhaps – I should remain detached, if I am to focus on my... recovery. The Mentor has agreed to teach me the art of meditation once again, although he insists on treating me like an apprentice, one starting from nothing.”

Breathing exercises, you recall, for hours on end. Entire lessons spent on the proper way to breathe. Of course, the true point of the lesson is to teach patience and to calm a violent mind. You were never very good at that last part.

“Still, I wish I could go back to how things once were,” Soma sighs, “Calm. Relaxed. Natural, I suppose. I saw a few of my old friends, but they won't really talk to me.”

>I could have a word with them
>Give it time. Things are difficult at the moment
>Looks like you've been making new friends, though
>Can I ask you something? (Write in)
>Other

>>47115402
>Give it time. Things are difficult at the moment
>Looks like you've been making new friends, though
Life is changes constantly and seldom stands still. Trying to force things usually leads to heartache.

>>47115402
>Give it time. Things are difficult at the moment
>Looks like you've been making new friends, though
I assume this means her making friends with Tawn and not a subtle jab at joining the cult.

>>47115402
>>Give it time. Things are difficult at the moment

>>47115402
>>Give it time. Things are difficult at the moment
>I don't suppose anything unusual has happened here?

>>47115402
>Other
Being frank Tawn, I don't think being detatched from the people here will help your recovery. More like hinder it. It's a tough time right now, but try reaching out.

Give it time, you advise her, things are difficult at the moment. Once, it seemed like the temple would collapse entirely, turning on each other at the slightest sign of provocation. Compared with that, the cold shoulder isn't so bad.

“I heard a little about that, actually,” Soma says, “Something about a... duel?”

That, you grimace like a man biting into sour fruit, that was certainly a thing. Just a misunderstanding, you haste to add, one that ended without any loss of life. Old news, of course.

“A duellist, huh?” Aya asks, a faint glint of interest sparking through her eyes, “You'll have to introduce me. I've heard about duels – they sound so romantic! Say, chief...” her lips twist into a sly grin, “Have you won a duel for a lady's affections?”

“I heard that he bit someone's ear off once,” Tawn butts in before you can change the subject, “But that doesn't really count, does it?”

Come on, you groan, even he knows about that? Before the three people before you – people who you might have considered friends, once – can devolve completely into laughter, you try to change the subject. Still, you announce, she seems to be making some new friends already. Soma, who your accusation was aimed at, immediately breaks down into a fit of coughing, her laughter snuffed out in an instant.

“Fellow travellers,” Tawn nods, a faint and furtive note in his voice, “You know how it is.” For the first time in what seems like a long time – since he was maimed, in fact – he seems happy. Genuinely happy, not caught up in the grips of a violent mania.

Fully aware that you risk shattering his moment of contentment, you speak frankly to the wounded man. You're not sure that detachment is what he needs right now, you argue, he should be getting involved with the others. It's going to be tough, but isolation won't help his recovery at all – he should be reaching out, making himself part of things. That goes for both of them, in fact.

[1/2]

>>47115699

“Well...” Soma offers, once she has recovered from her explosive fit of coughing, “It's early days yet, isn't it?”

Exactly so, you nod, but life is always changing. They might be happy to stand still now, but that won't always be possible. On the other hand, trying to force their way into the community here will only hurt them, and encourage the close knit apprentices to push back. Things need to develop naturally.

“Yes, I suppose you might be right,” Tawn reaches across with his left hand to touch his right arm, the lame limb strapped to his body with a length of dark silk. It has the air of an involuntary reaction, and he has to stop himself once he realises what he was doing. “What would you suggest, then? I don't particularly wish to impose myself on a group that hate... what I am.”

There are a great many shrines – minor things, really – in the surrounding area, you suggest, they should go with some apprentices and take part in their studies. You tried it once with a gang of sullen students, and it seemed to cheer them up somewhat.

“Ira,” Tawn asks gravely, “Did you just compare me to a sullen student?”

“Well, you ARE a student,” Some shoots, a small grin touching her lips. Aya, glancing across at you, rolls her eyes and gives a smile of her own.

Easy there, you interrupt, you wanted to ask them something. Has anything unusual happened here, anything you might not have heard about yet?

“We only got here this morning,” Soma replies, “But, ah, there was something. Apparently some soldiers arrived to take away a former member of the staff here. Something about...” she pauses awkwardly, “some kind of banned group. I didn't ask what it was.”

“Better not to speak of such things,” Tawn agrees, “You don't want to get involved with these people, Soma. Trust me.”

This time, you're the one who almost chokes.

[2/3]

>>47115863

“Well,” Aya remarks as you're leaving, having given your excuses and moved on, “They seem nice.”

Individually nice, you ask, or a nice couple?

“Both, I suppose,” the young reporter shrugs, “I'd spend more time with them, sure. Say, that woman, she had the looks of a machinist about her. Her fingers, did you see? Rough, worn – she knows her way about a few devices, I bet. If I ever get a printing press up and running, she might be able to help me with it. Ah, but I'd need to teach her how it works...”

It'll keep them both busy then, you reply simply, keep them out of trouble.

“I don't know, chief,” Aya winces slightly, “Last time I was allowed a printing press, I caused a little bit of trouble. Maybe you heard about it?”

It might have come to your attention, you nod as you play along, but that was the right kind of trouble. Or rather, it caused trouble for the kind of people that deserve a few problems.”

“Yeah,” Aya muses, “It was, wasn't it? That's why I can't stop now. But hey, anyway – I'll call the tour finished here. Consider yourself free, Ira, to do whatever you want. If you had, I don't know, official business to attend to, I don't mind killing time with the lovebirds.”

Perhaps you do have some other business, you admit.

>Visit the Mentor
>Find Howa
>Track down Koa
>Other

>>47115958
>Visit the Mentor

>>47115958
>Track down Koa
"I'm going to meet that duelist if you wanted an introduction,"

>>47115958
>Visit the mentor

No sense putting it off any longer.

>>47115958
>>Visit the Mentor

>>47115958
>Visit the Mentor
Ask about the warrior god

>Find Howa
Ask the same

You hate to admit it, but business comes first. You have matters to discuss with the Mentor, and the sooner you get that over with the better. When you're done there, you can find Howa and, well, catch up.

Wine will probably be involved.

Before you leave, however, you mention to Aya that you happen to know that duellist she heard mention of. One day, you offer, you'll introduce her to him.

“You'd better!” she chirps, “Oh, what's he like? No, don't tell me, I want to be surprised. I bet he's the tall, ruggedly handsome type...”

Leaving the poor girl to her delusions – Koa could be called many things, but rugged is not one of them – you excuse yourself and head to the Mentor's chambers. Once, walking this route would put your mind at ease with little more than a few steps. Now, you find yourself wondering what kind of bad news – or, worse, what kind of lies – the Mentor might have prepared for you. Will he even be glad to see you? While you might be an important – vital, even – part of the Nameless Temple, that doesn't mean he might welcome your company.

One tends to keep a weapon at a distance, after all.

Trading your heavy boots for a pair of loose sandals, you are shown into the Mentor's domain. Sand whispers beneath your feet as you approach the old man, his withered body twisted into the usual meditative pose. He looks lost to the world, head bowed and eyes closed. An act, of course – he looks you straight in the eye the moment you sit opposite him.

“You are wounded,” he says immediately, by way of greeting.

That's right, you admit, injured in a particularly bloody battle.

“Then, the war has begun?” the old man's voice is flat, devoid of feeling.

No, you reply, not yet. Then, shifting slightly, you begin to recount the story for the second time in one day. This time, though, you tell the Mentor everything – from the military's treachery to the unknown god writhing in the east.

[1/2]

>>47116264

“A god of warriors, one who drinks blood and gathers heads,” the Mentor sighs, “Yes, I know of it. No, perhaps it's better to say that I knew of it – some gods remain constant, a bulwark against the times, but others are more fluid. This, I fear, is one of the most changeable of them all.”

What is it, you ask, what does it want?

“It's nothing complicated,” the Mentor shakes his head sadly, “It is a god of war, pure and simple. All it wants is for men to spill blood. As long as there are two men in this land who seek to kill one another, it will never sleep. Perhaps it is only what men have made it. For a long time, it dropped out of sight, waiting patiently for the next conflict to start – as it inevitably would. Now, it seeks to teach the Seer's soldiers how the next generation of war will be waged. An advantage, I fear, that the Emperor would also seek.”

You hadn't thought of that. Would the Emperor really work with a god like that?

“The better question is, would he stand to gain an advantage by doing so?” the Mentor corrects you, “This dreadful serpent cares little for loyalty of alliances. As long as men seek to destroy one another...”

As long as the blood flows, you mutter darkly. Would he suggest, then, that the Emperor never learns of this god?

“That would be my suggestion,” the Mentor's head bobs in a sleepy nod, “It is rare that keeping secrets benefits the land, but this may be one of those rare cases. Whatever you choose to do, I advise caution.”

He would. Frowning down at the layer of fine sand that covers the floor, you consider the situation. There are other matters to discuss, of course, but where to start?

>Discuss an alliance with Ra
>Ask more about sorcery
>Ask about the Nameless Temple itself
>Mention Maab's experiments
>Other

>>47116412
>Discuss an alliance with Ra
>Mention Maab's experiments

>>47116412
>Discuss an alliance with Ra
>Ask more about sorcery
And ways to counter it now that Seer is openly using it.
>Other
Would killing this Serpent put it to sleep or is war so strong that it will just wake up in a few days?

>>47116412
>Discuss an alliance with Ra
>Ask more about sorcery
We need a counter since Seer is using it openly
>Ask about the Nameless Temple itself
Aya brought up a few things......

>>47116412
>Discuss an alliance with Ra
>Ask more about sorcery
>Ask about the Nameless Temple itself

>>47116412
>>Discuss an alliance with Ra
>>Ask more about sorcery
>>Ask about the Nameless Temple itself
>>Mention Maab's experiments
ALL OF IT

>>47116412
In addition to everything else people are asking.
>Other
"Can I ask you something? You and Seer were killing Gods for a long time. What stopped you two? Who did you kill that made you abandon sorcery and become the 'Mentor'?"

In the interests of furthering cooperation between the Emperor and the Nameless Temple, you begin, you suggested the idea of an official alliance to Ra. He would take the role of liaison, ensuring that the flow of information between the two sides was fair and even. It was an idea that Ra himself was only too happy to endorse – in part, you admit, because of what he stood to gain from such an alliance – and you feel it would be of great benefit to both sides.

“I will always encourage extending the hand of friendship,” the Mentor nods approvingly, the idea seemingly pleasing him, “But I feel the need to clarify one point. What information were you suggesting that we share with the Emperor.”

Considering recent events, you say evenly, you believe that the Emperor should have knowledge of sorcery. Purely, you begin, so he would-

“No,” the Mentor shakes his head simply, “Let those arts be forgotten.”

That's no longer an option, you tell him sadly, the Seer – or, perhaps, some possible student of his – is using sorcery openly. Under such circumstances, you see an exchange of knowledge as the lesser of two evils. If the Emperor can better counter sorcery – even if that counter is just to send in the professionals – it could save lives, cut short battles that might otherwise turn into massacres. Covering up history won't help to secure the future.

The Mentor is silent for a long time as he considers the issue, good sense warring against the sick guilt – if he is human enough to feel such things – that churns within him. “If the Seer has lowered himself to such crimes,” the old man decides bitterly, “We have little choice. I will NOT use sorcery, not unless the survival of the land itself depends on it, but...”

Can he counter it then, you ask, can he cancel the Seer's magic?

[1/3]

>>47116709

“I could,” the Mentor nods, “But without very specific abilities, you will be unable to. Yet, these abilities might be within your grasp – there is a town to the west, once a great store of forbidden lore.”

You've never heard of such a thing.

“Forbidden lore, Ira,” the Mentor repeats, “Lost, and almost entirely forgotten. The answers you seek may perhaps be found there.”

One more thing to add to your list, then. The alliance, you ask, do you have his blessing?

“Out of necessity, I agree,” the Mentor pauses, and a very human flash of shame passes across his face, “But... do not say how we have learned so much of sorcery. Let them think that we have ancient tomes and scrolls, not... a living sorcerer. I fear it would make us an enemy of the land, should that information find its way into the public mind.”

Ra has his own share of secrets, you figure, so why not let the Mentor keep a few of his? As long as the alliance works without full disclosure, the Mentor can keep his true identity a secret.

“Thank you, Ira,” the Mentor nods gratefully, “If I had know that such negotiations came so naturally to you, I would have used your talents long ago.”

Used them, you think with a faint anger, like a weapon.

“I understand we have a new resident,” the old man smoothly changes the subject, perhaps after sensing some of the dark thoughts flicking through your mind. “The reporter,” he adds, “Wasn't it?”

She has nowhere else to go, you stress, and you promised to look out for her.

“Calm, Ira,” the Mentor hushes you, “She is welcome here, as anyone in need is welcome. I can only hope she comes to feel at home here.”

That... might take some time, you admit, she raised some interesting questions about the Nameless Temple itself. She seemed to find the layout unusual, you explain, as if it was grown rather than built. Is that true, you ask, is that how this temple came to be?

[2/3]

>>47116891

“Not grown, no,” the Mentor shakes his head, “But plucked from a dream. Created by the whims of a god, this temple was wished into being. It took its own shape, one that draws upon the designs of men. But, like everything the gods take from men, they twist it into their own image.”

And the god responsible for creating the temple, you begin, was it the one that he...

“Destroyed?” the Mentor finishes for you, “Yes. This temple is the grave of the god that I – along with my old student, the man calling himself the Seer – destroyed.”

That crime, you ask delicately, what was so special about it? They were sorcerers, surely they had devoured gods before. What was it about this one that made them change their ways?

“You are mistaken, Ira,” the Mentor shakes his head, “Until then, we had never killed a god. We stole, yes, and perhaps we even crippled some of the divines, but we had never possessed the power to kill. Then, we found it – the god of the Nameless Temple.” He closes his eyes for a long time, long enough that you start to prompt him. “The firstborn,” the Mentor announces suddenly, “A failed experiment, a god created by the gods. Easy prey,” Those last two words are pronounced with such violent hate – self-hate – that you flinch back a little.

The gods tried to create another god, you repeat, is that what he's saying?

“For all their powers, the gods of old could not manage such a feat. It was born crippled, blind and nearly mindless. Nearly – but not quite. It was a thing that deserved mercy, pity...” he scowls, the expression rare upon his face, “And we broke it, consuming it to fuel our lust for power. When we realised what we had become...”

He renounced sorcery, you finish, and became the Mentor.

“That's right,” the old man nods, “In hope of redemption that I may never earn.”

[3/4]

>>47117091

He spoke of an experiment, you murmur after what could have been a long time, but that isn't the only experiment that you know of. Maab, in Garuna, has been doing her own research into magic. Research, you add, with her own daughter as the focus of these tests. Slowly, stumbling over details that you are unsure or uncertain of, you explain what Maab told you. The Mentor does not react for a moment, as if he cannot quite understand her science – or his own feelings on the subject.

“She is using my teachings for good?” he asks eventually, “It sounds as though Miura has been a good student. I would have been proud to teach her, if she is as you have told me.”

Then, you ask in confusion, he's fine with it?

“For as long as Maab uses these teachings for the good of the land, I cannot bring myself to wish ill of her,” the Mentor shrugs slightly, “But I will keep my eye on her, be assured of that. If she takes these teachings down a darker path... we shall have to do something about it.”

You'd be happy to, you agree. A stiffness in you crossed legs, then, suggests that it is time to leave. As you rise, the Mentor stops you.

“I understand that you've just arrived,” he says carefully, “But there are some Writs that I have to offer you. A task in the Dragon's Head – likely to be peaceful, I believe – and one in Volie.”

Voile, you repeat, you've never heard of it.

“But you have,” the Mentor smiles slightly, “For it used to contain a great deal of forbidden lore.”

Of course it did.

>I must rest for now, I'm afraid
>Tell me more about the Dragon's Head Writ
>Tell me more about the Voile Writ
>I had some questions for you... (Write in)
>Other

Sorry for the long post everyone!

>>47117195
>>Tell me more about the Dragon's Head Writ
>>Tell me more about the Voile Writ
Lay em on me. They are both to the west so we might be able to knock both of them out.

>>47117195
>Tell me more about the Voile Writ

>>47117195
>Tell me more about the Dragon's Head Writ
>Tell me more about the Voile Writ
>I had some questions for you... (Write in)
Would it be possible to heal up this gut wound?

>>47117195
>I must rest for now, I'm afraid.

We ARE still wounded, after all, and Howa has a jug of wine with our name on it. The writs can wait until tomorrow.

>>47117282
I mean we aren't leaving today, maybe not even tomorrow, just getting the information for the writs right now.

>>47117195
>Tell me more about the Dragon's Head Writ
>Tell me more about the Voile Writ
>I had some questions for you... (Write in)
Would it be possible to heal up this gut wound?

Fine then, you sigh, you'd like to hear more about these Writs. Both of them, you add, why not?

“The Dragon's Head, firstly,” the Mentor begins, a slight distaste entering his voice, “This isn't precisely an official Writ. The matter, I believe, is not with Lapis but with the priesthood. They require a neutral party, a priest that does not belong to their order. The request was vague – deliberately so, perhaps – but it seemed to suggest that the matter was one of training, or testing, a novice. I could understand if you did not wish to take on this request, but... perhaps you'd like some more experience as a teacher? In either case, I anticipate relatively low risk. You might even find it relaxing.”

Because you've had such good experiences of being a teacher so far. Still, you consider it carefully. Didn't Ishida want you to look for some old books and maps in the Dragon's Head? In either case, what was the request from Voile?

“That is, perhaps, even harder to explain,” the Mentor frowns a little in confusion, “The Writ has filled in by someone with, shall we say, a dubious skill with letters. As best I can tell, there seems to be a problem with their children. Something seems to be preying upon them, although I cannot be sure of the specifics, whether this is literal or not. You would need to get the full details from someone at the settlement itself.”

A store of ancient and forbidden lore, you think with vague amusement, surrounded by illiterate peasants. A perfect sign of the times. Thanking the Mentor for the information, you ask one last question. Would it be possible, you ask, for him to heal this gut wound?

“Of course,” the Mentor sounds a little surprised, as if he had forgotten all about it, “But it will hurt.”

Of course it will.

[1/2]

>>47117514

Grimacing, you raise your tunic and unwind the bandages – now dirty and frayed – that covered the knot of scar tissue. The Mentor studies it for a moment, slowly flexing his long fingers.

“And you say Miura did this?” he asks, in a strangely curious voice, “Just by holding your hand?”

She said that you did it yourself, you explain, she just told your body not to die. You couldn't say for sure just how accurate that was, but...

“Shh,” the old man hushes you as he lays both palms – the skin cool and dry, like ancient parchment – upon your stomach. Closing your eyes and preparing for the worst, he sends a jolt of intense magic stabbing through you.

In a way, it doesn't feel that different from being stabbed in the first place. Then the magic begins to take effect, and you feel a strange loosening within you, like your insides were being stirred by a giant spoon. Not a particularly pleasant feeling, needless to say.

“It is done,” the Mentor says a moment later, “The poor girl really had no idea what she was doing. It was...” he pauses out of sensitivity, but you nod for him to continue. “It was like your insides were tied in a large knot,” the Mentor explains, “Not dangerous, but crude.”

It sure felt that way. Thanking the Mentor for his healing, you bow and prepare to leave. As you're at the door, he calls out to you.

“Ira, if you wish to travel to Voile, I suggest speaking to Howa about it,” he informs you, “She took an interest in the subject when it first arose. Whatever our archives have on the place, she'll be able to tell you.”

A warm smile touches your lips then. That's the Howa you know – all too eager to dive into her work. Now though, you tell the Mentor, you must rest.

>Find Howa
>Return to your room to sleep
>Track down someone else (Write in)
>Other

>>47117548
>Find Howa

>>47117548
>>Find Howa

File: maxresdefault.jpg (279 KB, 1920x1080)

279 KB JPG

>>47117548
>Find Howa

>Voile.
Why did it take me two posts to catch it.

>>47117548
>>Find Howa

>>47117548
>Find Howa

As if there was any other choice.

File: Howa.png (763 KB, 650x885)

763 KB PNG

Well, now it's official business – so you've GOT to find Howa. You'll ask her about Voile, of course, but that might not be the first thing on your list. It'll be nice to hear her voice again, even if she's just recounting the achingly boring history of some tiny settlement out west. With a few cups of wine in you, even that would be poetry.

“I believe she has retired for the night,” the Mentor adds before you leave, “So she won't be in the archives. Any additional research will need to wait until morning, I'm afraid.”

That's fine, you decide, you weren't really that interested in research. Still smiling warmly – funny how just thinking about her can do that, these days – you leave and enter the winding corridors. Like the knot that just removed from your insides, some wicked voice in the back of your mind whispers, like the tumorous guts of some vast beast. That dampens down your good mood somewhat, but you don't allow yourself to dwell on it. Not when you've got more important things to think about.

When you make your way to Howa's quarters, however, you find yourself unusually tired. It's as though the Mentor's healing left you more exhausted than normal, as if Miura's version of the healing needed to be repaired as well. Maybe, you decide, you'll take it easy tomorrow. No point in pushing yourself too early. Knocking lightly at the door, you immediately hear Howa's voice inviting you in.

She sits on the edge of her bed, reading a thin book – a modern thing, it looks like, and very crudely made. “Ira...” she sighs, your name coming from her lips as a low purr, “I thought you might never come back. I had... a feeling.”

As you cross the room and sit by her side, you don't tell her about the injury. There's no good way to break that kind of news to a loved one.

[1/2]

>>47117847

As you sit on the bed, your back against the stone wall, Howa rises to get wine and a pair of cups. It's a perfectly natural decision, one that you don't even need to talk about. As she rattles clay pots and bottles together in the distance, you glance down at the book she left. No title, you notice, nothing at all on the worn leather cover. Strange. You're about to reach for it when she returns.

“So,” she begins as she hands you a cup of dark wine, “How was the capital?” You prepare to answer that – for the third time today – but then she notices the look on your face and cuts you off. “It was bad,” she asks, “Wasn't it?”

Pretty damn bad, you tell her with a sigh.

“That's all you need to say,” Howa frowns, sitting at your side and leaning her head on your shoulder, “We all owe you so much, you know. I'm here, and you're out there. I only wish there was a way I could help – really help, I mean.” Her voice is odd, a curious mix of remorse and whimsical desire colouring it. As if she had some idea in mind, some scheme that you might be involved in. One of her old games perhaps, those little excuses she used to come up with to “borrow” a moment of your time.

You should have realised sooner - but then, you always were a fool when it came to these things

>Ask her about Voile
>Mention the nameless book
>Talk about the new arrivals at the Nameless Temple
>Discuss some other matter... (Write in)
>Other

>>47117871
>Mention the nameless book

>>47117871
>Mention the nameless book

>>47117871
>Ask her about Voile
>Mention the nameless book

>>47117871
>Mention the nameless book
>Talk about the new arrivals at the Nameless Temple
"Your favorite reporter is going to be staying at the Temple for the near future. She's had a rough time recently so I'd appreciate it if you could help her out from time to time if she needs it. Maybe you can even be friends."

>>47117974
Nooooo, if Howa gets jealous she'll turn Aya's life into hell on earth.

>>47118001
She has no reason to be jealous now. She's got the Ira.

Also I don't think she is petty enough to do that to Aya after what Aya's been through,

As you take a sip of that dark wine, the colour of it reminds you of that nameless book. The worn leather binding it was nearly the exact same shade of red, close to black in this faltering light. What was that, you ask quietly, that she was reading?

“This? This might just be the most popular book in Tenngaru at the moment,” Howa remarks, her voice edged with a bitter humour, “Take a look, see for yourself.”

Curious now, you take the slim volume and flick through it at random. Someone must have read this well, for the pages are tattered and the print is starting to fade. A few pages in, and you realise what it is. Printed in miniscule letters are recipes for crude explosives, for poisons and the makings of rifle cartridges. Other pages have tactics, descriptions of ambushes and assassinations. Most of the book is devoted to simple propaganda – raging polemics aimed at the Emperor and all his sins.

“I found it among Shiki's belongings,” Howa explains, “It looks mass-produced, doesn't it? I suppose we should thank the Seer, in a way – he seems very determined to fight illiteracy among the people.”

The bastard, you mutter as she takes the book back – before you can rip the damn thing in half, perhaps. You know exactly how that must have found its way here, that bastard Saku. If he wasn't already dead...

“I've read it, cover to cover,” Howa adds, “It's strange – it's not quite what I'd expect. It's not specific about any one cause. Anyone who hates the Emperor could find something within it to rile them up. If I didn't know any better, I might suspect he was getting desperate for new recruits.”

Desperate enough to use sorcery, you consider, along with all other methods of propaganda. You're not optimistic enough to believe that the Seer is close to defeat, but this might suggest that the tide was turning against him. You certainly hope so.

[1/3]

>>47118209

Sighing angrily, you drink until your nerves have settled once more. Then, with a clear head – not clear, exactly, but calm – you ask Howa about Voile. You might be heading out there soon, you mention, and the Mentor suggested you ask her about it.

“I know the place,” Howa confirms, her voice carefully neutral, “There's not a lot of specific information in the archives, not the interesting details at least, but I did learn a few things that caught my attention. The library there, for example – it's been burned, more than once.”

Burned, you repeat, is she saying it was destroyed?

“Exactly. The books – scrolls, whatever – were captured and destroyed on several occasions,” her eyes twinkle with scholarly excitement, “And yet, the library always seems to fill up again, given time. Doesn't it make you wonder why?”

It does, you nod, so why does it happen?

“I have no idea!” Howa smiles brightly, the mystery luring her in, “But my, I would love to find out...”

Well, you reply slowly, you said that you might be heading out there soon. You might look into this mater while you're there. Is that all she learned?

“That depends,” Howa sips her wine, leaving a red crescent painted onto her upper lip. Leaning across, you kiss it off and leave her smiling. “Thank you, Ira,” she remarks, “So... do you want a history lesson?”

Not really, you admit.

“Then no,” she shakes her head, “I wasn't able to find anything else.”

Well then, you remark, has she had a chance to speak with the newest arrivals at the temple?

“Changing the subject?” Howa raises an eyebrow, “Ah, never mind. I had a chance to speak with Tawn, briefly. He seems... different. He really was badly injured, wasn't he? I never thought it might change him quite so much. But then...” she looks down at her own legs, one rigid and inflexible, “I should know what he's going through.”

[2/3]

>>47118374

She hasn't seen Soma then, you ask quickly, has she?

“Hmm, one of the missing apprentices?” Howa frowns slightly, “From what I hear, she ran away to the capital with her brother. Some rebellious nonsense, chasing money and excitement. He's still there, she says. Anyway, that's what her “fellow apprentices” are saying. I don't really believe her, but...” a shrug, “Let her tell her story. There's no harm in it.”

Those weren't the only new arrivals though, you point out, there's one more.

“Really?” Howa glances across at you, “Another one of your waifs and strays, Ira? I never thought you'd be the type to get so many obedient followers. Who is it this time?”

A reporter, you tease, her favourite reporter in fact. You can't help but laugh a little at Howa's reaction, watching as a look of cool, calculating amusement enters her eyes. A confident look, that of a general facing a weakened army.

“Doesn't know her way around a library, that one,” she simply remarks, a thin smile touching her lips.

Not when she's been given wrong directions, you think. She's lost her home and her livelihood lately, you tell Howa sternly, and she needed your help. She needs everyone's help, so you'd appreciate it if Howa can rise above whatever problems she might have with the poor girl. It's not an unreasonable request, you add, but if she can't manage it...

“Oh, fine then,” Howa pokes her tongue out at you, a girlish gesture, “Since you asked so nicely. I'll do my part to help her settle in. But never mind her, I want to ask you something – you're heading to Voile, right?”

Like you said, you repeat, you might be going at some-

“I want to come with you,” Howa interrupts, “Please. I know it'll be hard, but I think I can manage the ride down. We can share a horse, can't we?”

This... is not what you expected.

>Why?
>I'd be happy to have you there
>It's too dangerous for you, I'm sorry
>Other

>>47118484
>I'd be happy to have you there
>I did promise to bring Koa on my next writ though.

>>47118484
>>I'd be happy to have you there
"Want to check out the knowledge yourself huh? That's fine but remember that something is preying on the children there so it can't be a holiday."

>>47118484
>I'd be happy to have you there

>>47118484
>>I'd be happy to have you there
Might have to make a stop at Dragons Head as well. Also probably going to bring Koa, promised and all.

>>47118484
>>I'd be happy to have you there
But Koa will come as well

Might be good to make another field trip with the apprentice, at least to Dragon's Head. Give them some more of that Wanderer experience

You'd be happy to have her there, you answer with a lingering confusion, but you did promise to take Koa along on your next Writ.

“Well, I'm not stopping him from from coming,” Howa insists, “I'm not asking you to take me out on a romantic holiday – although if you were to do so, I certainly wouldn't refuse,” she gives you a suggestive smile, dropping the heaviest hint you've ever heard. “No, this is all business. I know that,” the smile drops away, “I know that this is a risk, but it's important. Not just to me, but to the temple.”

The knowledge kept there, you guess, she wants to see it for herself.

“That's right,” Howa nods, “There might be valuable materials there, and we cannot allow them to languish away in obscurity. Even with this... recreation miracle, this knowledge needs to be kept safe. That means keeping it here. Now, as for why I'm coming along...” A pause here, as Howa discretely clears her throat, “Well, no offence Ira, but you might not know what to look for. I've been studying this sort of thing for, well, for quite some time. I told you, I wanted a way to help – this is it, this is my chance to do my part. Don't take that away from me, Ira, please.”

You've already said, you hush her, you'd be happy to have her along. There's just one condition.

“Oh?” Howa smiles softly, the slight edge of desperate energy that had been slipping into her voice vanishing like mist, “And what's that?”

You might need to make a stop at the Dragon's Head, you tell her, since it's on the way. Is that something she's able to deal with?

“I'd be happy to go there with you,” Howa nods gracefully, before laughing lightly, “I hear it's lovely this time of year.”

Well, you reply drily, it can't be any worse than the last time you were there. The poison gas and bullets didn't really agree with you.

>I'll be continuing the thread for a little longer, but I need to take a short break. Next post soon!

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>>47118779

Morning finds you and Howa striding into the dining hall, not quite arm in arm but close enough. It draws a few eyes, and you're certain that some of the apprentices will have a few laughs about it later – look at the old people having fun! - but you don't really care. It won't be particularly vicious gossip in either case – with Howa taking on some teaching duties in addition to her role in the archive, it pays for the students to stay on her good side.

You spot Koa eating at one of the tables and nod towards his, guiding Howa to his table. If you'll be heading out, you want to make sure that Koa is ready – and willing – to go with you. As you're sitting, helping Howa to lower herself down, you spot Tawn and Soma arriving. Together.

Not that they're making a show of it. If anything, they seem to deliberately keep a distance from each other, although the occasional glances they cast in each other's ways is suggestive enough. Well, you remark, he's certainly getting involved in the community. With Howa's laughter – and clear and twinkling as crystal – in your ear, you sit.

“I heard you were back,” Koa says, by way of greeting, “I was a little busy yesterday, actually, so...”

“You finished that book, then?” Howa asks, before glancing your way, “Studying. I thought young Koa here could do with a bit of education. Swinging that sword around won't get you very far in life,” she tells the boy, “No matter what Ira here might have told you.”

“I read it,” Koa nods, his voice grave, “Cover to cover.”

Well then, you butt in, how about a little field experience?

“Yeah?” the young apprentice snaps to attention, his tone changing in an instant, “You really remembered, huh? So, it's a Writ, right? Where are we going?”

>To the Dragon's Head
>To Voile
>The Dragon's Head, then Voile
>Other

>>47119112
>The Dragon's Head, then Voile

>>47119112
>The Dragon's Head, then Voile

>>47119112
>The Dragon's Head, then Voile
Pack food.

>>47119112
>>To the Dragon's Head

First to the Dragon's Head, you tell Koa, and then along to Voile. It'll be busy, you warn him, so you don't want to hear any complaints. It's about time he learned another aspect to the Wanderering life – drudgery, boredom and suffering.

“Uh...” Koa blinks, “What?”

You're kidding, you wave away his surprise, but there is a lot of travelling involved. Pack a lunch, you suggest, possibly several. Then, adopting a more serious expression, you give him a rundown of what little you know. The Dragon's Head Writ seems to involve training a young novice, or possibly evaluating his performance – and, as an added bit of “fun”, dealing with that arrogant bastard of a high priest. Then to Voile, where something seems to be preying on the local children.

“Is that...” the young apprentice looks between you and Howa, “Literal?”

You have no idea, you reply with a shrug, maybe. The Wandering life isn't always pretty. But then, you add as you think back, it won't be the first time he's been involved in serious matters.

“Odan's Harbour, right?” Koa nods, “I've not forgotten. Sometimes, you know, I still dream about that cave. All those bones...”

“He sounds like a real veteran,” Howa tells you with a wink, “You've not made it in this job until you've got a few scars, mental or...”

Or physical, you finish for her. So, is he ready to go?

“Whenever you are,” Koa nods eagerly, “I mean, I'm not doing anything, so...”

>Start your journey
>You've got some other business to attend to before leaving... (Write in)
>Other

>>47119301
>Wish Soma, Tawn, and Aya the best at the Temple, and then be off.

>>47119301
>>Start your journey
On the way tell them about also looking out for maps of Garuna's catacombs while in Dragon's Head. If they ask why tell them upfront, we can trust these two probably the most out of everyone.

>>47119301
>You've got some other business to attend to before leaving...
Put Aya and/or Sanae to find all there is in the Nameless Temple's library about that war god, his followers, the island they inhabit etc.

>>47119301
>>47119343
>>47119380
this

You'll get moving soon, you tell Koa, but you have to say goodbye to a few people first. That aside, you also wanted to ask Sanae to do a little research for you. Normally, you'd ask Howa, but...

“I wanted to have a few words with young Sanae as well,” Howa adds, a trace of ice in her voice, “She'll be in charge of the archives while I'm away, and I want to make sure she knows the rules. She'll forget them within a matter of hours, I'm sure, but I've got to do what I can.”

“Poor Sanae,” Koa whispers. You just shrug.

First, though, you've got a few people within this very hall that you wanted to speak with. Leading Howa by the arm this time – in case she needed support, of course – you approach their table, empty save for the two of them, and make your greetings.

“Back in action, I see,” Tawn comments, a mingled note of jealousy and respect in his voice, “It's almost enough to make me feel sorry for the bastards. Oh, but you were right about one thing – there's a group of apprentices heading out to a shrine later today, one devoted to a god called... Ah, I forget.”

“Hyacinth,” Soma adds, “She sounds nice, doesn't she? Like a delicate flower.”

A convenient coughing fit covers up your burst of incredulous laughter.

“You'll be careful, won't you?” Soma adds, looking at you strangely, “The roads are dangerous these days.”

You think of the Seer's book, a short section on woodland ambushes. Very dangerous, you agree, so she should be careful as well.

“I'm always careful,” the former cultist assures you, her eyes cool and controlled.

Offering the pair another round of goodbyes, you finally let Howa drag you off to the archives, her urge to rant at Sanae growing too great to be contained. When you arrive, however, trouble is already in the air.

[1/2]

>>47119629

Aya moves quickly, but not quick enough to take her feet off Howa's desk before you fully enter the archive. For whatever reason, she had been sitting at the head desk, leaning back on the chair's back legs. It's only blind luck that stops her from toppling backwards completely as she flounders. Closing your eyes, you prepare for open warfare.

“So,” Howa remarks simply, lurching forwards a few steps and straightening up the papers that covered her desk, “You seem to be making yourself at home.”

“Yeah, see, I'm here to help,” Aya points out, forcing a smile as sweat begins to bead on her forehead, “Your assistance was going around asking for anyone with experience in this sort of thing, and I sorta know my way around a library, so...”

“But this is an archive,” Howa corrects the reporter, her voice a perfectly polite song, “So you'll have to leave.”

“She needs help,” Aya insists, steadying herself and holding her ground, “Not to imply that you didn't teach her properly or anything, but she's a little bit hopeless. At least this way you've got someone covering the front desk while she's off reading somewhere.”

“Covering the front desk in footprints, I see,” Howa points out, allowing a touch of hostility to enter her voice.

To think, you were worried about a war from outside the Nameless Temple. How wrong you were.

>Howa, I told you to play nice
>Aya, this isn't your territory
>Ladies, please. This is hardly dignified
>Watch in silence
>Other

>>47119747
>Watch in silence
popcorn.gif

>>47119747
>>Watch in silence
Tell Koa to take notes

>>47119747
>Watch in silence
>Motion for Koa to flee while he still can

>>47119747
>Watch in silence
Naw man

>>47119747
>Flee
>Dig underground shelter
>Live there for a few years

>>47119747
>"Ladies, please. This is hardly dignified."
>Regret saying that immediately afterward
>Suffer the fallout
>Wonder where the hell Koa and Sanae got that popcorn

>>47119747
>>Watch in silence
NAW. NO SPELL CARD WE HAVE CAN STOP THIS.

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>>47119747
>Watch in silence

You've already thrown yourself into battle once this week, and you ended up with a hunting knife buried in your guts. You've been known to take risks, but you're not suicidal. Taking a deliberate step backwards, you glance back to Koa. Watch and learn, you murmur to the boy, take notes even.

“Shouldn't we do something?” he whispers to you, “Anything?”

Fine, you retort, go ahead.

“Uh...” Koa shuffles his feet together, “Maybe you're right.”

You're definitely right. If he's not going to learn from this, you suggest, he should flee while he has the chance. With that, you return your attention to the pair of women, wincing against the barely contained fury of their imminent battle. Well, maybe not – an exaggeration perhaps, but it doesn't feel that way.

“I don't see any footprints here,” Aya insists, a note of stiff formality armouring her voice, “Any dirt that was here is your fault, not mine.”

“Doubtful,” Howa reaches out and very pointedly runs her finger along the polished wood, “You see this? This is called clean, girl, and it might be the first time you ever see it.”

“I suppose you must have a lot of time to keep this place clean,” the younger woman replies, holding her ground with admirable resolve, “Since there doesn't seem to be any real work to do.”

“Peddling scandal rags must be very hard work indeed,” Howa sneers, “Especially the part where you try to convince yourself that you have any worth.”

This, you think, is getting serious. Howa shouldn't have brought the newspaper into it – insulting Aya's parents, you reckon, would have been the safer option. Your guess seems to be a right one, as a dangerous light enters Aya's eyes. Even Howa seems to notice, almost taking a step backwards. Here it comes, you mutter, the real fight.

[1/2]

>>47120096
>Fine, you retort, go ahead.
Ira...

>>47120096
...I'm starting to think being suicidal and stepping in would've been far less painful.

>>47120263
what is this, a thumbnail for ants?

>>47120096
We fucked up.

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>>47120096

>>47120096

“Hey Aya, I found this-” the voice breaks the tension, like a needle spearing a bubble. Sanae emerges from within the archive rows holding a book aloft. The poor girl has no idea what she has just walked into. Both Howa and Aya snap their heads around to glare at her.

“You!” they both shout, causing the harried girl to back off so fast that she almost falls over.

“How could you leave me in charge of this place?” Aya yelps, “I didn't know! I couldn't have known!”

“How could you have left her in charge of this place?” Howa accuses, “You should have known better!”

It was funny before – you knew that both of them could take what the other was going to dish out – but now the joke is over. Sanae is like a rabbit, thrown between a pair of wolves. Stepping forwards, you clear your throat to draw their ire onto you. Ladies please, you announce, this is hardly dignified.

You immediately regret your decision. With four angry eyes – and Sanae's panicked pair – locked onto you, your options are fairly limited. In fact, you only have one option left to you:

Keep moving forwards.

Sanae, you begin, you need her to do some research. It might be a difficult task, so you want Aya to lend her a hand. You need them to dig up everything they can on a serpent of the east, a nameless king of war. The god of the Black Rock, you add. Can they do that for you?

“Research? Yes, I can do that, we can do that,” Sanae nods quickly, “Having help will make it a lot easier, so...”

“And it'll keep me out of trouble,” Aya joins in the desperate nodding, “So you don't need to worry about me messing the place up.”

“Hmm...” Howa's eyes – alive with a new humour – flick briefly to you before resuming their steely gaze. Now she's just playing with Aya, like a cat playing with a mouse. “Well, I suppose you can't do that much harm,” she admits, “I'll allow it.”

Everyone present seems to relax a little. Just a little.

[2/3]

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>>47120237

>>47120327
Unfortunately, that would have to involve samefagging.

>>47120319

“You know, Ira,” Howa remarks as you're escorting her to the stables, “I think I like her. That girl has more backbone than I first thought.”

After you stepped in to defuse the situation, the tension rapidly bled away. Soon, Aya had found some utterly vital work to do elsewhere, and Howa had been able to beat Sanae around the head with a copy of the rules. Leaving the beleaguered pair behind, you left to get ready for the journey west.

Aya is tough, you agree. Utterly blind to danger, perhaps, but pretty tough. That jibe about her newspaper was over the line, though – especially after what happened in the captial.

“Yes, perhaps,” Howa admits, allowing a faint note of embarrassment to creep into her voice, “I did get a little carried away, perhaps. Ah, but it's only because I care so much about the archives. You understand, don't you?”

Maybe not, you reply with a vague shrug, maybe it's a woman thing.

“I don't think I understood that at all,” Koa – ashen faced and still trembling – adds.

Some things, you tell him, are beyond the comprehension of mortal men. At least it'll give him something to think about on the long ride.

“Now I'll definitely have nightmares,” he mutters bleakly.

>I think that's a safe place to end the thread. Next thread on Sunday, and I'll lurk for a while in case of any questions!

>>47120373
Thanks for running, Moloch.

How bad did we fuck up, there?

>>47120373
Thanks for running Moloch.

>>47120373
>“Now I'll definitely have nightmares,” he mutters bleakly.

HAHAHa wow. Funny. Only thing better was if we introduced him as the duelist to Aya.

>>47120432
It's yet ahead.

>>47120373
Thanks for running!

Now I finally can fall asleep

>>47120421

Ah, it wasn't really something we could fuck up. They wouldn't have pulled pistols on each other or anything if we spoke out of turn. It was mainly just a bit of "fun" to end on!

>>47120432

I realised that not long after posting the last section, actually. Plenty of time to open that can of worms later!

>>47120373
Thanks for the run man, have a good weekend.

You gonna see Civil War?

>>47120489
Your definition of fun is pretty Dwarf Fortressy.

>>47120558

I don't know yet, but I'd like to. Going to see a movie is a pretty big time commitment for me, so I need to plan these things out far in advance. I won't let it get in the way of things here though!

>>47120570

At least nobody died!

>>47120489
So how hyped is Howa? How worried is Koa that she is coming with? Does that library have a way for her to regrow her leg, or make a better prosthetic?

>>47120655

Getting the chance to get out and about for a bit? Hype levels are currently pushing maximum. Dangerously high, in fact! Her interest in the library is entirely honest, however - knowledge should be collected, not just preserved.
Although the library does have info on exactly the kind of "forbidden" art that might help Ira. A nice bonus
Koa is a little concerned for her, as well as fairly confused about her reasons for coming along. If things do go wrong, she'll be in quite a lot of danger, after all!

>>47120763
So will Howa let out a Squee when she sees it? I find the mental image funny.

>>47120885

Assuming the library isn't a miserable, burned out shitpit when we arrive? I think she'll be very pleased indeed. Pleased enough to squeal, well maybe not - she likes to keep a very dignified front, Howa. In public, as a representative of the Nameless Temple, that is!

>>47120974
What if she though it was just her and Ira?

>>47121025

If she believed she was alone or with Ira alone? I could see her being a lot more free with her emotions, yes.
The "thought" part of that worries me a little. I hope you're not thinking of making her look like a fool in front of anyone!

>>47121100
I was thinking she'd forget about Koa desu.

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>>47121122

She'll probably stop noticing Koa when I write a scene and inevitably forget that Koa is supposed to be in it as well.

>>47121183
Will you being willing to accept responsibility when we point it out? Also how likely is it for Howa to initiate something when she believes Koa is out of earshot?

>>47121218

I rely on people keeping me honest, so I'll be perfectly happy to accept responsibility if I make a mistake. Here's hoping I don't, though!
Howa initiating something? I could see her clinging very tightly to Ira and getting very excited at the prospect of old books. That might be the closest thing to an outburst of emotion.

>>47121285
Will this be a sibling goddess to the one in Tenn? The Amelia expy?

>>47121363

The god at Voile, do you mean? If so, that's more likely to be an expy of Carnby
You were expecting some cute goddess? Too bad, it's me, absent mined professor!

>>47121441
Will there be a Titania, head of his divine librarian servants?

>>47121469

Unfortunately not! References aside though, I have the god prepared for Voile already, even if we won't head there straight away. It pays to be prepared!

>>47121363
>The Amelia expy?

Nah that's Ira and Howa's kid.

Furyo and Bishop temper are similar