The Eye of Anubis: Book Six

[The Whistler]

"A pleasure, Miss." Otto offers the woman a small bow and a warm smile.
Funny how you get used to seeing nothing but the same twenty-odd people every day. Good to meet a new face or two every now and again...aside from demon princes and sense-sucking corpses. Do wonder what she's doing all the way out here, though...

...Ishaq Serpentbane--heh. Great stuff--bet it sounds pretty awesome yelled in front of an infantry charge. Guess if there's any place to pick up honorifics, Sebua's it...

[NeoTiamat]

Mrs. Roshna's, Kermanshah, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:45 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Pharazian: "How d'you do?" Lia says in a startlingly loud voice as she approaches the tailor lady's tent, and claps her hands together.

"I live." The Pharazian woman said simply in the same language, not even looking up from her hand-loom. In fairness though, it was a reasonably complicated procedure she was doing just then.

In a rather more reasonable volume, she continues: Pharazian: "The fact that we are not from around here is glaringly obvious, so let's skip past that. I was told that you are the person to go to if I want to buy fresh clothing. I am looking for something that allows me more freedom of movement and is better suited for the desert.

"I can do this, yes." Mrs. Roshna finally deigned to lift her head to look at the two newcomers. It occurred to Tomas and Lia that she might have been, if not beautiful, then certainly pretty in her younger days. But now... something was missing in that face. It just seemed tired.

"What are your sizes, milady, and I may come up with something that is like what the nomads wear. They are the people of the desert, their's is a kind of wisdom."

Incidentally, what's your little boy looking at so intently?"

The woman didn't look over to the child, merely shrugging. "Nouri does as he will do."

Meanwhile, the young boy continued to sit cross-legged, ignoring the two visitors and still staring off into some faraway realm. He was a dark-complexioned child, darker than his mother, and his brown eyes seemed to just gaze off. As you came closer, you realized he was humming under his breath.

[OOC: DC 15 Listen Check]

The Temple of Osiris, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:45 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Good morning," he said, "I am Kuzan of Varuna." The Rajian bowed slightly and then lowered his voice just a touch. "Could I have a brief word with you?"

The priest raised his tired face towards the Sri Rajian, and nodded once, slowly. His eyes were a grey color, somewhat dull, and utterly lacking in the mysterious motion that Samael's eyes possessed. Nevertheless, he was clad in the proper regalia of a Priest of Osiris, the green robe, with a short sceptre of office. Granted, the robe was faded and the golden paint was chipping off the sceptre, but nevertheless, he was a priest of Osiris.

Akiri
"If you must."

Kermanshah, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:45 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Pardon me, Effendi Mary, but I can't help but wonder what a young woman such as yourself, is doing here in Sebua. I would imagine that traveling by yourself here from your home of Mordent was a very dangerous voyage. Pardon my bluntness."

"HAH! You may say that, you may say that indeed. I didn't plan to be here, that is most certain. I should be in Kantora right now, not trapped in this miserable desert." The woman cast a rueful glance at Ishaq. "Pardon my bluntness."

"Still, ever heard of the Jackal's Ruse? It's some beknighted Mistway out in the middle of the ocean. Last thing you remember is that you're sailing along to wherever it is you're going, then woosh, the Mists, and next thing you know the ship's run aground ever so gently on a sandbar."

"A sandbar about six hundred miles across, Ezra curse it."

The woman reminded you of Lia, actually, just a bit. She had the same forthrightness, the same direct, and periodically jaundiced view of looking at the world. She said the last line with a kind of bitter humor.

"Well, there's apparently some monks near that sandbar who help travelers, so they gave me and the sailors some food, some directions, and we went off on our way." A bleak look entered Mary Collins' eyes. "The others didn't make it."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

OOC: Listen check: 26. I think your fleas just coughed!

Pharazian: "While I am sure the nomad's way is wise beyond my understanding, milady, I have certain ... requirements. These are my sizes ..." Lia replies, quickly rattling off a series of numbers. Pharazian: "I doubt I have grown any fatter or taller since my last fitting. Now, requirements! Specifically, I require divided riding skirts and sleeves that can be tightened or loosened as I see fit. A high collar, which I can fasten up to the chinline. Do you have any masks and veils for sale? And I desire cloth in muted colours; greys, light browns, those kinds of shades. Riding boots. Trousers. I am sick and tired of sitting side-saddle on a camel, you see."

Lia turns to Tomas, nodding pleasantly. "I am just about to throw some of the basic lessons I was taught at finishing school out the window," she tells him.

[lostboy]

Khalil listens with a quirked eyebrow to the womans tale, it was certainly an odd one, but then nothign should be taken for granted in these lands.

His curiosity gettign the better of him at this story he steps out form behind Charles and addresses the woman. "Forgive my curiosity Milady but I am most curious about these monks you name, perhaps you could enlighten us as to their location from this fair oasis? Also most regrettably perhaps you may also tell us the fate of your brethren, did the power of the sun and sand take them or perhaps something else? You see we travel deeper into these amber wastes, and I am most keen to avoid unnecessery hazards."

[OOC: Knowledge:Local (Sebua) 27 Knowledge:Geography 9 To see if Khalil knows anything about this mistway or rumours of these monk dudes]

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan nodded and excused himself from Andre's presence, and then approached the priest. It seemed a bit odd how this man was so bored and tired looking, but Kuzan tacked it down to boredom from living in such a small town.

He reached into his shirt and pulled out the small brown ball.

[Akiri] "I have this Dikesha, but I don't know its meaning. I'm told priests of Osiris can read and perform these, perhaps you can help me figure it out?"

[NeoTiamat]

Mrs. Roshna's, Kermanshah, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:45 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"While I am sure the nomad's way is wise beyond my understanding, milady, I have certain ... requirements. These are my sizes ..." Lia replies, quickly rattling off a series of numbers. Pharazian: "I doubt I have grown any fatter or taller since my last fitting. Now, requirements! Specifically, I require divided riding skirts and sleeves that can be tightened or loosened as I see fit. A high collar, which I can fasten up to the chinline. Do you have any masks and veils for sale? And I desire cloth in muted colours; greys, light browns, those kinds of shades. Riding boots. Trousers. I am sick and tired of sitting side-saddle on a camel, you see."

"The sleeves and veils I may do whilst you wait, they are simple. The collar shall take a bit longer, but not too much longer." Roshna said slowly, somberly. "But the divided skirt... this shall take time. At the very least until the morrow."

The woman nodded to herself. "Yes, at least till the morrow. My price will be eigh coins of silver, Akiri make. More if you seek better materials than linen and leather."

The Temple of Osiris, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:45 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Hrm... A moment so that I may see better." The Priest of Osiris ushered Kuzan closer, to a window. "Let me see...."

[OOC: To be Continued via Side-RP]

Kermanshah, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:45 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Forgive my curiosity Milady but I am most curious about these monks you name, perhaps you could enlighten us as to their location from this fair oasis? Also most regrettably perhaps you may also tell us the fate of your brethren, did the power of the sun and sand take them or perhaps something else? You see we travel deeper into these amber wastes, and I am most keen to avoid unnecessery hazards."

"To be honest, I'm no navigator." Miss Collins answered. "They more or less told me to keep my face to the morning sun and angled a bit left, to the north I guess. So they're south-east of here, some weeks, I think."

"As for the rest of the sailors... some were taken by dehydration, some just couldn't take the sun. One man died when he got stung by a scorpion. A few just expired, I don't know why." Collins smiled grimly. "I didn't need much food or water, and I'm more stubborn than most people. So I managed to reach here."

[The Whistler]

Otto *tsked* quietly under his breath, his expression sympathetic. Tough to commiserate, in the truest sense of the word: all you've been through, it still probably hasn't been as bad as being the last person standing, in the middle of a wasteland you never meant to see. Still, nothing to say you can't feel *bad* for the girl...

"A sorry happening indeed, Miss Collins; I imagine little hardship is worse than what you have seen. Still, as M. Martel has said, we small group of fellow-travelers is at your service, Corelander and otherwise. Is there some manner in which we may be of assistance to you, in your difficulty?"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Pharazian: "Done and done," Lia agrees with a shrug. Pharazian: "Though if you accept Pharazian coin, I could pay you half up front. But if you insist on Akiri make, I shall go and find a money-changer. Is there one nearby?"

Giving the little boy, Nouri, a pensive look, Lia abruptly squats down near him. Pharazian: "Hey there, little man. You like to sing? Do you like stories, too? Have you ever heard the tale of Noontime Shade?"

[Nathan of the FoS]

"I alone am escaped to tell thee," Charles quotes, shaking his head in commiseration. "Mists, what a tragedy. What was your ship and your home port? And where were you bound when you met up with this..." Charles turns and gestures to the expanse of sand and the broiling sun, "...sandbar? We might be able to get word to someone there...one of our number is sending regular correspondence to her employers in Port-a-Lucine."

[NeoTiamat]

Mrs. Roshna's, Kermanshah, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:59 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Done and done," Lia agrees with a shrug. Pharazian: "Though if you accept Pharazian coin, I could pay you half up front. But if you insist on Akiri make, I shall go and find a money-changer. Is there one nearby?"

"I shall take Pharazian coin, if that is what you have, though the merchant Bahadur possesses Akiri coin for trade." Roshna said quietly, before returning to her weaving.

Giving the little boy, Nouri, a pensive look, Lia abruptly squats down near him. Pharazian: "Hey there, little man. You like to sing? Do you like stories, too? Have you ever heard the tale of Noontime Shade?"

"No miss. I just... sing sometimes." The child answered in Pharazian, shrugging his shoulders and ceasing his humming as Lia sat down by him. "Who's Noontime Shade? I've never heard of him."

The Temple of Osiris, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:59 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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It was as Kuzan and Javed of Osiris finished their little conversation that Andre smelled the faintest whiff of some. It wasn't very strong, certainly no wildfire (not that such things were more than a theoretical possibility in the Amber Wastes), but the slight scent of fire was unmistakeable.

It was recent, and it was coming from just outside the Temple of Osiris.

Kermanshah, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 9:59 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"A sorry happening indeed, Miss Collins....Is there some manner in which we may be of assistance to you, in your difficulty?"

"I'd been meaning to ask if you could take me with you to Phiraz, but if you're going deeper into this bedeviled sand, I guess that's a moot point." Miss Collins smiled bitterly. "I suppose I'll just have to stay here for the next few months until some caravan comes by to take me back."

"Ezra knows what I'll do for food in the meantime..." Mary added under her breath.

"Mists, what a tragedy. What was your ship and your home port? And where were you bound when you met up with this..." Charles turns and gestures to the expanse of sand and the broiling sun, "...sandbar? We might be able to get word to someone there...one of our number is sending regular correspondence to her employers in Port-a-Lucine."

"I'd been traveling from Mordentshire to visit Kantora aboard the good ship Inevitable." Mary answered softly. "I'd been going to visit my grandmother. She's Vaasi, you see, and was in her final illness. Now..."

"Do you really think you could do that?" Miss Collins' eyes lit up. "That would be.... truly wonderful. Thank you."

She stepped up and placed a soft, slightly waxy kiss upon Charles's cheek. "Thank you..." She murmurred again.

It was then that the wind picked up. A sudden squall or twister, perhaps, but in a few heartbeats the wind picked up speed to nearly a gale. It came rushing down the broad, unofficial avenue that ran down the center of Kermanshah, tearing at hair and clothing as it went. Such sudden breezes weren't completely unheard of in the desert.

That is, until it changed direction. Not a quarter-minute after it began, the wind suddenly shifted, beginning to blow in the complete opposite direction, nearly knocking the lot of you unbalanced, even as Mary stumbled to her knees. The wind seemed to circle around you, a predator watching its prey.

Then it was gone.

[OOC: Listen Check]

[yalenusveler]

"Does...anyone else smell that? Seems like smoke." Andre asked, turning to Kuzan with a look that quite clearly suggested this bore investigation, and moving carefully to make his leave of the temple, trying to feel when the temperature shifts in the air, though not like one could truly tell in Sebua.

A welcome arson. This is new. Ran through his head as he moved to check on this new development

[NeoTiamat]

The Temple of Osiris, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 23rd, 761, 10:03 AM; Day 98 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Does...anyone else smell that? Seems like smoke." Andre asked, turning to Kuzan with a look that quite clearly suggested this bore investigation, and moving carefully to make his leave of the temple, trying to feel when the temperature shifts in the air, though not like one could truly tell in Sebua.

A welcome arson. This is new. Ran through his head as he moved to check on this new development

Well, arson wasn't quite what you found when you rushed out of the church. Instead of some assortment of flammable rubbish and a local villager of the Dimitry Koroviev-variety standing with a torch, you found....

You weren't quite certain what you found, as a matter of fact.

For on the side of the temple building, there was fire. A bright, orange-red flame covered several feet of the wall, but it wasn't destroying the wall. On the contrary, as you watched, the fire formed words, dripping letters of flame a foot high, some kind of bizarre mural.

• Beneath song,
  Beside life,
  When Death meets Birth

Below the flaming letters, the fire formed an elaborate sigil contained within an oval. For all that only Andre could actually read it, the sigil was instantly familiar to both. You had last seen it carved into the chest of a Barovian graverobber, and before that upon a note attached to a knife plunged into the heart of a Dementlieuse dockworker.

[yalenusveler]

Andre was all ready to shout about bucket brigades or some other such nonsense...till he came to a stop and saw the message. I..almost would've preferred an arsonist ran through his mind for a moment. He then sighed and spoke.

What he said was in Akiri " I'm almost surprised this has taken this long. I figure you're either nearby and hiding, or scrying..or I'm just talking to empty air like a sun addled fool. Either way, I assume we'll be seeing each other soon. Which is splendid, as we've got a great deal to discuss, assuming you don't try to kill us. "

Andre then sighed, and waited for a response, from Kuzan, from the air, or from the Anubite.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia promtly counts out four pieces of silver and offers them to the tailor. Pharazian: "Please consider this as a sign of good faith," she says, Pharazian: "With the rest of the sum to be paid upon delivery tomorrow."

Having paid half up front, Lia turns her attention fully to Nouri.
Pharazian: "Well, for starters," Lia says as she settles down, Pharazian: "Noontime Shade isn't a him, but a her. Noontime Shade is the littlest of all the shadows, the one who only comes out during the noontide.

Long, long ago, when things were simpler, all the day and night was divided into twenty-four Houses, and the sun travelled through each of them in turn. In each of the Houses of Day, there was a shadow to mark his passage. In each of the Houses of Night, the Sun was carried through secrets and darkness toward the dawn, while the Moon shone in his place.

But one day, there came a terrible outcry throughout all the Houses, because the Sun had stopped moving along his way! In the House of Noon, a witch girl had danced on the sands of the desert and called out to the Sun, offering him beer and a great cloak made of lion's hide if he would come down and stay a spell. Now the Sun itself it far, far too big to touch ground without burning the world, but Old Man Sun, who lives inside the Sun and guides it along its way, he could come down.

And come down he did, and the witch girl wrapped him in lion's hide set about with spells, so it would keep him on the ground, and she gave him strong beer to drink, and she danced for him on the sands until Old Man Sun became a little silly in the head. He would sing:
'I am Old Man Sun
I am a King
You bet your rum
And of this I sing.'
And because he was old and silly, he soon fell asleep. And the witch girl, who was clever and greedy, picked his pockets and left. For Old Man Sun carried all the gold of the Sun, an endless supply of it.

When Old Man Sun woke up, he had a bad head, but it was full of thoughts of more beer and more witch girls. He hadn't been on the ground for ages immemorial, not since he was young, and there hadn't been witch girls who danced for him, then. He liked being able to go wherever he wanted, instead of having to sail the set course, so he started wandering through the House of Noon and the Sun stayed in place.

And the Moon said: 'Whatever shall we do? Time is halted in its course! When will I get my chance to shine?' And the plants of the world said: 'What shall we do? If the sun just stays where it is, we'll dry up!' And the animals and the people said: 'What shall we do? Without plants, we shall surely die!'

But Old Man Sun ignored them all, he just wandered from witch girl to witch girl, made them serve him beer and dance for him, and he kept singing:
'I am Old Man Sun
I am the King
You bet your rum
And of this I sing.'
And because he was old, he would drool as he walked, and the witch girls stole his gold and used his saliva to make clay, and from that clay they baked monsters which would never die -- or hardly ever.

How the shadows angered and shouted: 'Come!' they said, 'Let's go to the House of Noon and drag that old fool back to his duty!' But when they got closer to the House of Noon, they got closer to the Sun, and they got shorter and shorter, until Old Man Sun was beyond their reach. 'It's no use,' they said, 'we'll never catch him. The world is doomed.' But Noontime Shade, the littlest of them all, said: 'I can do it. I can chase him back to the Sun.' Her sisters all laughed at her, but she ignored them and set to work.

Now out in the desert, in the heart of the House of Noon, lives the youngest, prettiest and greediest of the witch girls, and she didn't know Old Man Sun and his endless gold had come to the ground yet. Noontime Shade slunk into her cave and whispered to her from the shadows about the old fool, who so loved beer and dancing girls, and had so much gold. The witch girl, who was clever, said: 'But how do I get it all? And what is in it for you?' And Noontime Shade, who was also clever, replied: 'I'll tell you if you let me ride on the bottom of your feet.'

Off they set, across the sand, until they found Old Man Sun. And the witch girl danced for him, and gave him strong beer, and Old Man Sun laughed foolishly and fell asleep. As Noontime Shade had told her, the witch girl used his lion's hide to wrap his bottomless wallet in it, and she dragged it off. When Old Man Sun woke up, he had a bad head and all his gold was gone. But that wasn't the worst of it! When he got up, a little voice sang to him:
'I'm on the sand
I'm under your feet
As long as you're on the ground
I can never be beat!'
No other shadow had been able to sneak up on him, but Noontime Shade had done it while he was besotted with the witch girl.

Now Old Man Sun stamped his feet and said bad words, but Noontime Shade just laughed at him, because he had to keep one foot on the ground at all times, or fall back into the sky. Now Old Man Sun tried to run away from her, but she was young and fast and stuck to his feet. And she kept singing her cold little songs, which made him deeply uncomfortable.

Old Man Sun went to the witch girls and demanded they make him shoes with thick soles, and a high chair to sit on. And because he was angry now, and wouldn't drink their beer, they became afraid and did as he said. But when Old Man Sun sat down with a sigh of relief, Noontime Shade sang:
'I'm under your soles
I'm under your seat
By no witch's trick
Will I ever be beat.'
And all the witch girls rolled on the ground with laughter, until Old Man Sun threw off the shoes and leaped out of the high chair, yelling and waving his arms.

Now Old Man Sun wandered into the deep desert, and there he climbed a mountain until he found a cave. But inside the cave was darkness, and Noontime Shade sang:
'I surround all of you
From your head to your feet
In my own place
I will never be beat.'
And Old Man Sun climbed up the mountain until he could see the Sun. But oh, still Noontime Shade sang:
'I'm here on the rocks
I'm under your feet
As long as you touch the world
I'll never be beat.'

And Old Man Sun hollered, and Old Man Sun cried. He offered Noontime Shade gold to leave him alone, but she just laughed; she knew he had none left. And Old Man Sun ran and ran into the heart of the desert, until his age caught up to him and he fell asleep. And as he slept, he had a terrible nightmare that a woman with skin the shade of pitch and teeth like a viper's danced for him on black sand, under the night sky, and then lay down to embrace him with arms like ice.

Then, when he woke up, that woman was right there underneath him, grappling his body and grinning at him with those evil teeth. And she sang:
'I'm all underneath you
From your head to your feet
As long as you touch the ground
I will never be beat.'

It was Noontime Shade, grown large and strong beneath him. And Old Man Sun gave a great cry of fear, he tore himself loose and leaped high up, up, up into the sky, until he fell back into the Sun. Beneath him, Noontime Shade shrank again and hid in all the little places; under rocks, beside grains of sand, under the bellies and feet of scorpions and camels and witch girls.

And the Sun sailed on, and all the world was happy. But when Noontime Shade boasted her victory, all the other shadows of the Houses of the Day were angry. They said: 'She let that old fool walk all over her and yet supported his feet! She lay down with him in the sand, the hussy! She wrapped him in her embrace in the cave, and made the witch girls laugh!' And they sent their armies to drag Noontime Shade out, so they could punish her, but they never caught her. She was under their feet, she was under the scorpions, the camels, besides the grains of sand.

Since that day, the Sun rides highest in the sky when it passes through the House of Noon, for Old Man Sun is still afraid of her cold touch and keeps a lookout so she can never sneak up on him again. And Noontime Shade hides all the time, but she is not unhappy. She just sings her little song:
'I'm on the world
I'm under your feet
As long as you are on the ground
I will never be beat.'"

Lia takes a small bow and chuckles. Pharazian: "How did you like it?" she asks.

[lostboy]

Khalil braces himself against the strange blast of wind, feelling it whip around him in fury. In confusion the desert guide looks aroudn as if searching for the source of the mysterious breeze.

[OOC: Listen 28]