Summary:Lucent proposes a grand task for the young Solars to perform.
XP:L1
Tags:< Always a Concern | Sol Invictus Logs | A Suffusion of Orange >
Colapso Lucent waited for the Solars in one of the cascade's many balconies. The fruits over the table had been chosen for Nesula - - favorites of Kiriath and Markuran both. Lucent himself was wearing the robes of a Solar Hierophant, the very face of authority, of old authority, robes from the First Age whose history would be etched in the back of their minds.
Colapso Old Authority, World's Order, something to be followed.
Colapso But he was also breathtaking beautiful, appearing as young as any of them.
Colapso Young, almost a peer, but not, above. Someone to seek favor and attention from.
Colapso Twin impressions together with the fruits. Let it never be said Lucent Copper Haze did not know how to set the situation in his favor. He waited there for the Solar children, playing a sad melody of the First Age. Of Epic Deeds and Epic Sacrifice.
The group come, in a knot, Nesula leading the way, a relatively smug smile on her face; Swift Falcon, off to one side, doing his best impression of not being seen; Arathi, his current book held in one hand, fingers still holding the pages; and Verbena bringing up the rear.
Lucent waits until they have heard the melody, until it has touched their memories before placing it down and smiling at them. "Hello, Arathi, you look much better than last time I saw you. And it is a pleasure to finally meet all of you, Nesula, Swift Falcon."
"Hi, Lucent," says Nesula, and she snaps her fingers. Arathi and Swift Falcon, with reasonable enthusiasm, and Verbena, with a complete lack thereof, execute little formal bows to greet Lucent.
Lucent He nods to their bows, "You trained them well." He leaves weight in the compliment. "But you have no need to be so far back, Verbena. You helped me to build the cathedral, after all."
Verbena lets out an audible sigh of relief. "Good. I hate formality." She sits down.
Lucent "There was a formal reason for you to be in the back?" He cocks his head curiously.
"Nesula demoted me for refusing to practice the bows," she says, to which Nesula responds by sticking out her tongue.
Lucent grins. "Discipline is ALWAYS commendable!"
Lucent "At any rate, you may all follow Verbena and sit down now, I am certain you are curious about why I have called you all here."
Verbena rolls her eyes -- just slightly -- as the others seat themselves. "Of course," says Arathi.
Lucent "It appears we have a common objective. You wish to gather Solars... and we have discovered of Solars we know nothing of. When Ember of Glory, the Abyssal, met The Sun in a vision, The Sun showed him a vision of his children..." A vision that is shown to them to detail, the shards beyond the world, blackened below it, East and West... and... North.
"Hmmmm," says Nesula.
Lucent "The Sun gave him a vision of Solars to the far North, but we know nothing of them. That is a worrying prospect, as you know..." He looks at them, recognizing each their individual worth. "... what means for Solar power to exist unchecked. Powerful individuals we know nothing of... and that could, were they evil, undo everything we have worked for."
Arathi nods, smiling with enthusiasm for the tales of glory Lucent is weaving, while Swift Falcon sits, entirely silent.
Lucent "But we cannot pursue. It might take months in the northern expanses, and we have no months, you all know that. We spend as much time in a variety errands than we do here. But at the same time... there is no one we can send. For if those Solars are not benevolent, we would be sending our people to their doom. No one can fight a Solar..."
"...except a Solar," Nesula says.
Lucent "HmmmHmmm." He assents. "I have been told you are not ready. I do not believe that."
Lucent "And you made it your mission to gather the new Solars, Nesula, now you know where they are."
Lucent "Will you pursue this lead?"
"Of course," she says. "You don't have to ask me twice." She laughs.
Lucent laughs with her, pleased "And what about the rest of you?"
"I have research to do in the North anyway," Verbena says. Swift Falcon, speaking up for the first time, offers the first note of caution: "I have duties here, within the Sunlands," he says.
"I wish only to offer my aid where it will be useful," Arathi says, smiling again.
Lucent "Duties?" Lucent blinks. "Who has given you such duties?"
"Cerin," Swift Falcon says. "We have been talking."
Lucent nods, a little worried. "I will speak with him, and see wether the plans he has for you are compatible with it, if you wish?" He asks Falcon, curious. "But the rest of you... you make me glad. We must find our wayward breathren. Long-Awaited Spring will probably wish to speak with you before you go, about the nature of fights with beings of our power."
Nesula nods. "I'm sure he will."
Swift Falcon nods as well. "That would be good. I want to help, of course."
Lucent "Perfect!" He gets up, walking to the door opposite to the one that had come from, slinging the long flute over his shoulders. "It is a good thing you did, or the party would be for nothing, I suppose!" And then, Lucent opened the door, and fulgurant sunlight shone from it, touching all like sheer, almost orgasmic JOY!
"Whoa," Verbena says, only half-sarcastically.
Lucent Joy of the sunlands, joy of the sun, and as the light cleared they could see a party, filled with people they knew in Solaria, and a great flag 'All Hail the Questing Heroes!' held by one of the Sisters of the Empty Sand, living song flowing from the others to touch all in the room. "Enjoy yourselves, for next you will freeze your bones off."
< Always a Concern | Sol Invictus Logs | A Suffusion of Orange >