LongLostDaughterLong Lost DaughterSwan precedes the Priestess, Alex, and the captive Acestes out of the room. Huttner and Cazaril follow soon after. Kolfa moves to stand behind Espérance's chair, next to Hugo, as Espérance's father, and the Duke, sit down. Vanyel stands in a corner, watchful, vigilant. It is the 'Mad Duke', however, who speaks first. "Richard and I had not planned to be gone from Riverside much longer in any event." he says. "It would be discomforting to go through the legal niceties needed to declare myself alive and well all over again. That's the worst part about these ventures." "Face it." Richard says. "You liked showing up at your funeral that one time." "I did." the Duke says, with a wink to Espérance. "But repeating the experience would be a bore?" guesses Espérance, with a slight smile. "Once is enough, twice is repeating myself." he replies. "And you know how little I think of that." The Duke says to Espérance. "That is certainly your reputation, Your Grace," Espérance replies. "And, given the adventures we've had since arriving here, I can also see why you came to Panaji. It certainly can't be described as dull." He only grins in response. "Now, though." Richard St. Vier says, turning to regard his daughter. "To answer your question, I've known for sure oh, about the time you gained your friend." Richard gestures his head toward Hugo. "That would have been when I was about ten," says Espérance. "Did ... she ... contact you then?" "She did" Richard says. "It was a brief visit, to be sure." Richard, her father says. "She told me some of who and what she really was. Not that I couldn't guess, from our duel when we first met, how special she was." He gives off a slight wistful sigh. "While your mother didn't say it explicitly, I guessed that she was not only pleased, but intended you to be born. She instructed me to make sure you were trained well in the sword, and to handle yourself in a Court. But mainly the former. Dara was very specific that you were trained that way." "Did you think Alec and I did those things merely out of his own amusement?" he asks, glancing toward his companion. "The thought had crossed my mind," Espérance says dryly. "The duel is the ultimate arbiter of truth. Where men's judgement may be called into question, the opinion of the sword always holds fast. I am glad your mother agrees with this, Espérance" The Duke replies. "The opinion of the sword," Espérance repeats thoughtfully. "It is, perhaps, infallible within its frame of reference ... but that is necessarily as slender and focused as the blade itself. You have been, in your day, Riverside's best sword ... but does that say anything about your character or judgment otherwise? Or mine, for that matter? Or ... my mother's?" "Within its frame of reference, it means that your judgement and character are beyond reproach." Richard says, firmly. "As far as your character and judgement beyond it, might I observe that your companions appear to not only be of good conduct, but also have a resonance with you." Hugo barks in agreement. Espérance's mouth twitches slightly at the thought that this description is also being applied to Swan, but she says nothing. "Surely,it was not one long combat with swords, the journey from Riverside to here." Richard continues. "To obtain the loyalty of such companions, and perhaps friends." Richard looks over at Vanyel before turning his regard to his daughter. "is to say that your judgement and character have been well formed. Your mother will find no fault in that." "One's character and judgement can be judged by the colour of one's friends..as well as the mettle of one's enemies." he adds. "Speaking of friends and enemies and family." Richard says. "I do have something for you, something that your mother asked to give me when you were ready." "She -- her message -- mentioned that," Espérance allows. "A token of some sort...?" "Oh, its even better than that." the Duke pipes up. "Or so Richard has been told." "Don't spoil it, Alec," Richard chides him gently. He reaches inside a pocket and withdraws a piece of jewelry, a bracelet mottled in silver and an unknown black metal. The charm is a square of silver interlaced with straight lines of the black metal. It might remind Espérance of a section of stone wall. She remembers seeing the design before--Huttner's, and therefore her mother's, House sigil, isn't it? It does appear to be similar to stuff she has seen before on Huttner, in colors as well as symbology. "I have been told it is more than a bracelet, in the hands of someone of your mother's family." he says, offering the item to her. Espérance takes the bracelet from his hand and inspects it more closely. The bracelet is cool to the touch, cooler than anything has a right to be in the humid, hot climate, even within this cavern complex. As she studies it, the silver portions of the bracelet start to flow around the black portions, rearranging themselves, and from somewhere, becoming heavier, and larger. In short order, the bracelet has become a poniard, the blade of the silver metal, the hilt of the black metal, except for the base of the hilt, where the black and silver wall symbol is engraved. A moment later, the poniard itself changes again, lengthening to become a rapier not unlike the one she has trained to wield for her entire life. As the object changes shape, Espérance's grip on it almost instinctively changes to the appropriate one for each weapon. Along the flat of the blade near the hilt (which retains the symbol on the poniard) are a series of characters in some unknown alphabet to Espérance. "A Chaosian puzzle sword!" Kolfa says from behind Espérance. Espérance regards Kolfa thoughtfully, over her shoulder. "Can you read it?" she asks her newest henchwoman. "Real magic" The Duke says, eyes gleaming. "I've seen some strange fakirs and other would be practitioners on my journey with your father." he glances at Richard. "But that is real magic." "It seems that your mother intends for you to be armed as well as known." her father says. "How does it handle?" Espérance steps away from the others to a safe distance and makes some experimental passes with the rapier. This weapon seems to sing in her hand. With very little practice, Espérance is sure she could wield this as well as her primary sword, if she so wished. "It's a fine blade," she tells the elder St. Vier. "Good weight, good balance..." ""That's fits what your mother would leave for you" he says, a pleased tone unmistakable in his voice. Espérance looks at him. "What did she use, when she dueled you?" she asks. "She didn't use this blade." Richard replies. "It was from outward appearances an ordinary rapier. It had a similar color scheme, however, and some characters on the blade like this one." "Hm. I assume she took it with her when she ... left?" "Yes" Richard says. "After all, she defeated me. I would recognize it again, if I saw it, Espérance." "I was just wondering if the inscription was similar," says Espérance. "May I see it?" Vanyel, stirring from his quiet vigil in the corner, adds. Espérance looks at him a trifle askance. "I think I should learn considerably more about it before I let it out of my hands," she tells Vanyel. Kolfa moves forward. She narrows her eyes to read the elegant script. Espérance hears her catch her breath and widen her eyes. "Serpent's blood." she says softly. "My lady, according to the inscription this is Draconis Argentum, the Silver Dragon Blade. One of the Puissant Weapons of Chaos. Your mother has given you a great gift." Her eyes literally glow and her fingertips hover over the blade. "If Saxon knew that *this* is here, it would explain his obsession with you, Espérance." she adds softly. "Saxon?" Richard quietly enquires. "Member of a rival House, from what I understand," Espérance tells him, "and leader of a group that attacked us not long ago. He's dead," she adds calmly. Vanyel looks at Espérance's weapon with avarice in his eyes. Espérance returns him a level, assessing 'Don't try it' look before turning to Kolfa again. "What else do you know of the blade?" she asks the woman. "I think we would all like to know." The Duke prompts. Kolfa clears her throat, keenly aware of the pairs of eyes on her . She puts a thumb to her forehead, closes her eyes for a moment, exhales, and opens her eyes. "The Puissant Weapons of Chaos amongst the more potent heirlooms of various houses." she begins. "Draconis Argentum is the Silver Dragon Blade. Four of the Puissant Weapons are Dragon Blades, milady. The Blades belong to the four oldest Houses in Chaos: Hendrake, Helgram, Ambelrash, and, of course, Sawall. They are said to be able to take different forms at will, but always a piece of jewelry or a blade of some sort." "Legend states they have each within them the spirit of a child of the Serpent, one of the Chromatic Dragons, a willful binding to do the bidding of the One-eyed Lord." "Willful as in whose will?" Espérance inquires. "The will of the Serpent and the will of the child of course." she says. Espérance nods. Vanyel clears his throat in surprise. "I do not know how much of this is true, milady, but it is true that the Dragon Blades contain something of the Logrus within them." Kolfa finishes. "I wonder why your mother decided to hide such a weapon here *with* you." Richard says. "Up till now, it sounds more like she hid it with *you*," Espérance points out. "What did she tell you about it?" "I didn't know this was a weapon at all." Richard says. "I thought it was just a charm bracelet. That was the form..." He looks at Espérance and furrows his eyebrows."May I handle it?" Richard says. "I think I know where you are going with this." his companion says glancing at Espérance. "I believe that I do not wish to handle it at this time." Vanyel says dryly. Espérance smiles slightly. "You, I trust with it," she tells Richard St. Vier, and steps close enough to him that she can pass him the sword without pointing the blade at him. Richard steps forward slightly, taking the blade carefully from her. He steps back, to make some experimental passes with the blade just as his daughter did, when the blade changes, suddenly and drastically, back to its jewelry form. "I thought so," Richard says, holding it up. "It's keyed to you, or perhaps people related to your mother, or something. It will not be a blade for me." "I knew that's what you are thinking," the Duke says. "A sword only for you." "Things of Chaos can be twisty in their allegiances that way," Vanyel says. "It is fortunate that it did not poison or otherwise harm you." "This is true, milady," Kolfa says. "Although it would have been a poor gift for you if it had killed your father years ago." Richard chuckles, and offers the bracelet back to Espérance. She takes it and slips it experimentally on her wrist. Vanyel leans forward to watch. Although the bracelet seems a bit large at first, in a matter of moments, the bracelet shrinks to fit snugly on her wrist. "Draconis Argentum appears to find favor with you, lady," Kolfa says. "I never thought you were much for jewelry," Richard says wryly. "The Duke and I may have trained you too well to more sanguinary arts." The Duke chuckles. Espérance smiles slightly, her expression bordering on the predatory. "A weapon that can hide in plain sight? I think that's worth a slight change in personal style." "She has a point, Richard," The Duke says. She slips the bracelet back off her wrist, while envisioning it morphing back into a sword. Now that Espérance has more control and direct manipulation over the weapon, the transformation from bracelet to sword is disturbingly fast and facile. The sword hilt fit perfectly into her hand as it changed. "Its attuned to you," Vanyel comments from the corner. "I suspect that the remainder of your long journey to the Courts will be filled with learning more about it." Richard steps toward Espérance. "If you are committed to meeting your mother, I do hope you will at least find your way back here someday." he says with a smile. Hugo gives off a bark of approval. "Count on it," Espérance tells him. "And if you see Katherine before I do, you can tell her so." Espérance's mention of the Duchess hints that it is her childhood home she means to return to, not necessarily Panaji. "Oh, i think we're ready for a trip back to Riverside" The Duke says. "As I said before, I don't really want to be declared dead again. It's so *done*." "Even if we never got to see what brought us here," Richard says, in a disappointed tone. "I don't suppose even with you and your companions as their friends that we can break the tabu on men seeing this design of power they have. It was stories of that which brought the two of us here." "I thought it was the food," the Duke adds with a grin. "The food is certainly worth coming for," Espérance allows. "But I suppose it couldn't hurt to ask the Hari, once they're done in there." She casts a glance at the door. "The worst she can do is say no." "Not true." The Duke says. "She might try that Briar Rose enchantment on your father and myself. I'd hate to think what she'd ask you to do in order to free us again." "I do wonder at the length of this process." Richard says, glancing toward the door. "Perhaps it is a more complicated matter than we thought." At this point, Vanyel, after a glance at the door, swears under his breath. Espérance doesn't understand the words or even the language, but the tone and demeanor are unmistakable. "What?" she asks him, willing the enchanted sword into her hand once more. "I can feel that design from here, even if I am not permitted to see it" Vanyel says, his growl muted but still unmistakable. "Like the Pattern in Amber and no doubt the Logrus, the broken Pattern here responds to stimuli." "If I am right, that gun toting friend of ours has decided to walk the Mandala, consequences be dam*ed" Kolfa gives off a gasp of surprise. "Is that bad?" the Duke says. "It could be *fatal*" Vanyel says, turning toward Espérance. "And if Alex tries it, and fails, I suspect your two Chaosian friends will pull down this mountain in response. The only way their response would be worse is if *you* tried it." "Fear of her mother?" Richard asks "Fear of Lady Dara, yes" Vanyel says with a tone of disgust. "I have no intention of trying it," Espérance assures them, then does a double-take. "Wait, what? How could either of them *walk* on that thing? It's on a *wall*!" "That would make it difficult" Richard says. "Are you expected to climb the wall?" "Probably not," Vanyel says. "I suspect the Mandala has its own rules, once you decide to walk it. Designs of power often do. And walking on a design that is on a wall is hardly the strangest initiation I have ever heard of." Vanyel then smiles "Perhaps, Espérance, you should ask your new sworn servant what the Logrus of Chaos is supposed to be like, for purposes of comparison." "Maybe later," Espérance says shortly. "Right now, I think I should find out what's happening in there." She wills Draconis Argentum back into a bracelet; her usual sword still hangs in its scabbard at her belt. And so it easily and quickly changes back to its (his? her?) bracelet form. She glances quickly around, then says, "Kolfa, you're female -- come with me." "Yes, Lady!" The exclamation in her voice is a compound of response to her command as well as the realization of the import of Espérance's words. Then she heads for the door, and the hallway outside that leads to the chamber of the Mandala. Kolfa follows neatly behind her and into the hallway. "Be careful!" comes the shout of her father as she heads down the hallway. Down and down the hall, Espérance and Kolfa finally find themselves at the door. Preternaturally, the Hari opens the door just as they reach it... Backlinks |
