Open [Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Three against One

[Fallon]

2nd Winter 516 AV
Midday
Referencing: Winter Global Plotlines. Please Read!

There was a particularly sickening sensation that rested upon Fallon's stomach. A knot that twisted and formed and resulted in the iron lump clumping in her throat. Her fingers gingerly reached out to grab upon the corner, curling it in her thumb and forefinger. Once, twice, thrice, there was an exhale when she continued to read it. For a moment there was a pause, another, sharper inhale.

No. I must have read it wrong. It must be a trick, The other hand pinched her brow and so she forced herself to look back down onto the notice. She had grabbed it and ripped it from the wall the moment she had seen the word repercussion. Of course, there was a few protested shouts at her, but nothing more than a glare was offered in return. With that she slunk across the way to a more quiet spot, daring to not yet return to her office and her fingers ever tentatively drumming upon the hilt of her kukri.

To say she suddenly felt seriously unarmed was an understatement. Not that she could exactly bring herself to fight either.

She persevered with her reading, taking a perch upon the fountain edge. Her brow furrowed, her lips twitching to the words. The beginning had been ominous enough as it was, and as she slowly begun to read through it did the chill travel down her spine. For a moment her eyes glanced upwards, flickering across the sky. She heard the confused sound of birds, the squawking and cries of things that should have moved on. She felt the air that refused to chill, the hanging damp that dared not step into the realm of winter.

"Shyke," she managed to hiss. The inspector pinched her brow. If it was not the city fighting amongst itself, the demands of the military then it was gods and their little games. She felt the Lykata upon the back of her hand nervously twitch, another deep inhale as she attempted to establish some kind of calm. How many Vantha did she know? What did she know of them? She knew them well enough, their friendly personalities and their attitudes whenever she and her mentor had ventured to Avanthal. But that was years ago, and while the basic principles still clung to her she felt their language grow heavy on her tongue.

It grated against her. Yet she remembered as she left where the sign once was, she could see the growing of hungry eyes and lips thirsting for gold. It was something she was beginning to see now as an easy tempter. It was the same feeling she got from when she fled Sunberth with the Scars. That baying for blood and running on pure instinct. The woman released another hiss, this time wordless but a symbol of the bubbling annoyance.

There had to be a reason for this. A reason for why Morwen had chosen to not come out. Everything had a reason. Her gaze gave another tentative glance down to her gloved hand, her lip twitching. Yes, she understood the danger of such when pointed out to her. Of the harm it would cause on a large global scale. But what could be of so much value to this Goddess to prevent her from engaging in an age old tradition. She wanted to understand, she needed to understand to create the bigger picture and work upon it. Then? Who knew what would happen or she would decide upon.

"Petching Hai, Eyris," She managed to finally peel her hand way from her brow then. Her chin tilted upwards, her words more in general than to anyone in particular, "You taught me wisdom, knowledge... but this... is it madness? Is there something I am missing? Something none of us know about? There is. I know there is. But..." Her fingers crumpled around the missive. Her voice dropped into a whisper, "I need to do something. Correct it. Somehow. Just... not like this."

[Raven Seer]

Raven had been leaning against the wall of a building, simply observing the crowd within the shadows of the building that she was leaning against. It was the people that interested her, not the fountain. Many went about their day, but most of them had a purpose. Either they were meeting with another or they were a guard patrolling and making sure that the citizens made sure to behave according to the law. The law, was a guideline, at least that was how Raven saw such a thing. However, she had noted that there was a different air about people and that there were less Vanthas roaming the street. The kelvic had read the missive, knew that there was a bounty upon their heads, it was a shame that those from her home city were going to be hunted and killed. However, she wouldn’t grieve for them, as they would go on to be born into a new body. At least that was what she believed.

Brown eyes lingered upon a woman whose fingers curled the corner of the missive and the bird noted that she had been standing there for quite some time. The stranger’s hand lifted to pinch her brow and Raven wondered if she was trying desperately to grasp the concept of the missive, that Morwen had abandoned her duties. It was a simple concept to grasp really, but a man hunt because of a Goddess’s actions was madness in its own right. Although, who was she to tell the people otherwise? There was a bounty on heads and the only thing that people truly saw from that missive, was the gold, they didn’t care about the rest of it. Didn’t truly care that a Goddess had abandoned her duties, it was just about the gold that they would receive once they had killed a follower or a Vantha.

This woman, however seemed to be taking it rather serious, or at least, seemed to be rather angry about the missive. Her eyes followed the stranger as she moved to sit on the edge of the fountain, missive in hand. Why had she ripped it off the wall? It probably would have been better if she had just simply left it there, instead she began to seemingly talk to herself and the kelvic pushed off of the wall to move closer towards the stranger who held the missive. Pale hands lifted to slowly push the hood of her cloak off of her head so then when she approached the woman she didn’t appear too threatening. ”I like to talk to the sky too, but normally it’s darker than right now. However, I generally talk to shadows more often than not.”

A soft smirk found its way to her lips as she moved to sit down upon the lip of the fountain near to the woman and angled her head briefly towards the missive before she looked away towards the crowd. ”Gods and Goddesses have their secrets, even I would love to know the secrets that they hide, including Morwen's. I would love to know what Morwen is hiding. Rather curious no? If only Akajia would whisper to me just as to what secret Morwen is hiding. Whisper to me the secret behind Morwen's actions.” Slowly, Raven moved to cross her hands upon her lap as she chuckled softly. ”It is a shame though, that those from the city that I was born in, will die if they step outside of Avanthal. The Vantha and Morwen’s followers should seriously consider going back home. Are you considering about killing one of Morwen’s followers in order to collect the bounty that now rests upon their head? Or… Is there something else about this missive that has you so… Moved?”

She angled her head then to view the woman’s form beside her to see if there was perhaps something that she had missed. However, there was also interest upon her face interest in such behaviour. The woman would of course be lying if she said that she also didn’t have an ulterior motive. She was new to Zeltiva and although she had a small cottage here, she didn’t exactly have contacts. People to draw upon whenever she needed to glean information unintentionally from someone. Although, in this case most people would consider this to be friend making. Whether it would turn into a proper friendship, who knew, for now it was rather superficial.

OOCI Hope that it was ok that I jumped into this.

[Fallon]

It was at that moment that Fallon began to feel the rush of stupidity seep in. A cool, cold sensation of simply being caught lagging, to not know and be left stumbling. She felt the note within her grasp, that unwelcoming realisation sinking into her core as she faltered. What if there was no logical answer? What if there was no reason beyond selfish whim?

Such thoughts did not dwell long, the approach of the stranger - for that was indeed what she was - made her stop. Where once there was a crease of the brow upon the face of the inspector, the look of wanting to know and understand the situation - instead rippled in the mask of neutrality. It shifted with the small inhale, a faint judder in her throat as she calmed the nerves. How much had this stranger heard? She realised that it would be safe to presume she had heard all, but make no prying questions as to how much exactly.

This stranger did nothing to assist her thoughts either. Point and poking holes in a foundation she was - at least that was what the immediate thoughts believed. It took another sharp, steeling twist of the mind to drag everything into perspective. A blink, she studied the considerably pale frame - hunting and picking out blemishes upon the surface. Traits to remember, to hold onto and solidify to a character. She also noticed with the small, almost luring, words that already she was on the offensive. Not in the manner of war, but in the manner of intelligence.

In a strange sense it was beautiful, her skin itching to the prospect of a battle of wits - but she swallowed such a notion. For now.

"If only a many a thing. If only the deities would descend and preach to us all? Tell us their true way and lead us on to their desired, perfect world," her hand relaxed around the missive, the other flicking in gesture as if to shoo away the thought, "But, they do not - and despite all our questions and curiosities I believe none of us will ever receive a true answer. At least, not one that us mere mortals would understand." It was at that moment that Fallon smoothed out the crumpled missive, giving it one last look over before neatly folding it, "Of course, that is on the presumption it is indeed a secret. It could merely be the case that such knowledge has yet to actually reach us oh so far in the south."

Fallon released a small snort then, finding her words and quickly moving on - it was a subject she was indeed pivoting around. One she would not so openly answer to a stranger, "You make it sound as if they are so readily available to go home? Who, given the circumstances, would rightly give passage to the Vantha on one of their ships? Who would guide them through the wilderness to the north? To stand and support would only earn wrath of such foes? Surely one would have to descend into madness to do such."

Her voice purred, lips curling up into a wolfish smile. A crux of a question and one that she was not about to rightly answer, "Does what I plan to do affect you, stranger? Do you think, regardless of what I desire I would answer so forthright? I know not what side of this you lie upon, and to throw my hat into either would prove most disadvantageous." She gave a short nod then, her fingers giving a telling drum upon the kukri hilt, "View me as one who wishes to learn more and build upon the picture first. Then, perhaps, who knows."