StormsAndHorses(Continued from New Deptford Introductions and Doings in New Deptford) Hikaru steps through the crowd, slowed a bit by an awkwardly placed foot or two by one of the bystanders, and out into the space between the crowd and the two women. He bows slightly and then says; "Good day ladies, I am Hikaru Saganami, scion of Hachiman. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" As Hikaru declares himself in front of Epona and Rosemary, there is a distant note of sound, from no definable direction, of the ringing of a sword striking a sword. Rosemary looks over the unexpected Japanese man while she rapidly assembles an answer. There's something about him - as if he's more in the foreground than everyone else. Which is even more true of Epona, now that she thinks of it. "I'm Rosemary Zelioni," she says. "And this is ... my mother, the goddess Epona." Hikaru bows once again as Rosemary states her name. Epona smoothly turns to face Hikaru. Hikaru bows, more deeply, to Epona. "Ah, I wondered when the Scions in the area would arrive." She offers a slight smile. "I see that you are as you say. As my daughter has said, I am Epona, Goddess of Horses and New Deptford is my Chancel." "I am honored to meet you both," Hikaru says. "My father sends his greetings, goddess." "I accept the greetings of your divine father," Epona replies. "And thank you for their tender." Hikaru bows once more. Around them, people are murmuring, the murmuring getting louder. Epona looks at Rosemary. "It would appear our desire to speak more at length and off of the street has become more urgent." She turns her eyes on Hikaru. "Surely the scion of Hachiman will wish to join us?" "I am at your service, Lady," Hikaru says. "May I ask where we will be going? And did I hear swords striking against each other?" "Swords?" Rosemary repeats. "Ah, yes," Epona says. "The sound, Rosemary, that we heard when he declared himself in front of us. One of the properties of my chancel is that when a scion declares herself for the first time in front of another, the resonance is audible. Since he is the son of a martial God, the sound of swords is what was heard. Were you to do the same, likely hoofbeats or a neighing would be heard." "I see," Rosemary replies, filing these details away under 'weird stuff that might or might not actually make sense one day.' Hikaru considers this for a moment, then nods his head. "Come. We'll take our leisure in one of the sitting rooms of the Hotel so that we may converse in private," she says, turning and walking toward the hotel entrance. Rosemary joins her. Hopefully she'll be able to send one of the hotel staff to get her shoes and purse. Hikaru falls into step behind the ladies as they turn towards the hotel. By the time Hikaru and Rosemary pass into the Hotel, and are approaching a salon on the first floor, one of the servants is, by design, accident, or simple obsequiousness, holding Rosemary's shoes, purse, and a wooden box awkwardly in his hands. "Very good work, Mr. Cumberbatch," Epona says to him. "See to refreshments for the three of us." He enters the salon, sets the items on a table rather than handing them to Rosemary directly, and skitters off nervously, closing the door. "There, now. Some surety of privacy until refreshments are brought." Epona takes a seat in one of the several Queen Anne chairs set in a semicircle and gestures for Hikaru and Rosemary to do the same. Hikaru waits until both ladies have taken a seat before sitting down himself. Rosemary retrieves her belongings, first, and on seating herself takes a moment to put the black statuette back into its box. "I sense you have a slightly longer appreciation for your nature, role and status than my daughter has," Epona says to Hikaru. "You will forgive us if any of her questions seem overly familiar to you. But might I ask how long has it been for you? Recounting your experience may be useful for Rosemary." "A matter of days." Hikaru shakes his head. "It's still new to me, what I ... what we are," he says indicating Rosemary. "Hachiman revealed himself as himself," here he smiles briefly, "to me in the Japanese Gardens in Seattle a couple of days ago. He told me somewhat of the Titans and the ... coalition amongst the deities to combat them." Epona gives a nod for Hikaru to continue. He leans back in his chair. "I know I still have much to learn, however." He smiles ruefully. "I just had a lesson in bartering and trade on this side of the ... non-mundane world." "I've only had about fifteen minutes to get used to it," Rosemary says, her posture suggesting tension. "And I haven't been in New Deptford for much longer than that." "Most of the Scions who are being seconded to this cause are going to be similarly short of experience," Epona says. "Although," she smiles at Rosemary, "perhaps not quite as short as you, daughter. It was part of the compromise that has allowed the Gods who have agreed to this project to second their children. "Acknowledged and active scions are a valuable human resource, if I might borrow the modern term," Epona says. "And thus their divine parents are reluctant to commit any, if any are even available. Aphrodite is one of the few exceptions. But then he is seeking full Godhood anyway. "And, Hikaru, this is a place that borders on both the mundane and non-mundane. We are not truly in the Mittelmarch, since New Deptford receives the same weather as the rest of Connecticut. You didn't give up any favors, did you?" she asks, clicking her tongue. "And I suspect you both have many questions," Epona adds. Hikaru nods but then returns to the goddess' earlier question. "No, no favors," he says. "We haggled over the cost of a suit of clothing for the ball and trading U.S. dollars for currency that, I'm told, will be of value in other places like this and elsewhere. "Full godhood is a possibility then?" Hikaru asks. "So it appears," Rosemary answers, recalling the story about Epona that she just read. "But not easily or quickly, I think." "Nothing worthwhile is easy," Hikaru replies, while viewing his past in a new light. "Arete? What is that?" he asks. Rosemary waits for Epona's response, absently stroking the box in her hands. "Arete is the virtue of excellence," Epona says. "Doing deeds worthy of, or even exceeding, your potential. Growing into your role and transcending its limitations and boundaries, be it facing down an Oni and slaying it with your sword, writing a play that touches the minds of millions, or winning a footrace against a swift set of opponents. Doing great deeds grows your legend, and as your legend grows, so too, do you grow toward demigodhood, or full godhood. "The great deeds make your tread upon the world heavier, make your actions more potent, make you a more powerful myth. That is the accumulation of Arete." Hikaru nods his head, letting the goddess's explanation of Arete find its way and meaning in his soul. "The struggle against the titanspawn, as dangerous as it is, is an opportunity freighted with the possibilities to create your legend." She pauses significantly. "If we win." Hikaru looks up at Epona. "Oh, we'll win," he says calmly. "Even if it costs some of us our lives to do so, we'll win." Rosemary looks uncomfortable, and after a moment clears her throat. "What I'm not clear on," she says, "is how we're going to find these Titanspawn, and whether we know anything about their plans." "The Titanspawn are not a monolithic entity, Rosemary," Epona replies. "They are numerous, and possibly as riven with divisions and factions as the Goddesses and Gods themselves. We know their plans in the abstract: Find ways to access the prison in Tartarus where the Titans are bound, as well as the other places they are held, and undo the bonds, faster than the decay of time and Titans' own efforts. "As far as finding them, that is the easiest part," she continues. "As children of the Gods, beings of similar state, friends and foes, will be drawn to you. This may have already happened to you over the years." Rosemary shakes her head, denying any such experience. "I can tell you, however, that there are a few known nests, for lack of a better word, of Titanspawn that will provide a start. One lies in Memphis, and the scions in the center of the country are already gathering to investigate it. Another is somewhere in northern Mexico. A third, one I would like you and the other latecomers to my party to tackle, is in New York City. "Eventually," Epona adds, "the plan my brethren and sistren have is for the lot of you to meet and assemble in Las Vegas, at the same time your parents do. Such a gathering has not occurred in the mortal world for some time, and the potential for mischief and troubles are writ large. We will need your help to make sure that mischief does not occur." "... I have a job, you know," Rosemary says tensely, then stops, contemplating the scale contrast between possibly losing her job and possibly losing the world. "New York and then Vegas," Hikaru says, considering things. "Who else is coming then?" Looking at Rosemary, Hikaru asks, "What kind of job?" "I'm an attorney, working as a judge's law clerk for the state Superior Court." "Coming here?" Epona says to Hikaru. "I sent invitations to Bast and the Morrigan to send their scions here. Whether they will or not arrive on time is unclear." Bast, Hikaru recalls, was an Egyptian Goddess. The Egyptian pantheon, from remembered Wikipedia articles and popular stuff, is a confused and tangled mess. She was a lion goddess--until in many traditions that was subsumed by Sekhmet. She's been associated with the sun and the moon both. Often a goddess of the night, and doings in the night. The Morrigan is much more well known. Celtic goddess of sovereignty, and war. Bloody, bloody war. Epona turns her eyes on her daughter. "I grieve for the inconvenience your mortal life may suffer for this, daughter. Know that if the time of troubles were not upon us, I would not so suddenly upturn your life as I have. Fortune has favored you--for you have seen little of the trouble and chaos that plagues even those Scions who never meet their divine parents. I am afraid that time is at an end." Rosemary fingers the box some more, her dark eyes turned toward it. "I understand," she murmurs. "What else should we know or expect about being a Scion?" Hikaru asks. "Now that you've met your divine parent, you will notice that your proto-Godhood will emerge," Epona says, looking particularly at Rosemary. "You've always had the potential, waiting to be unlocked by meeting your divine parent. "And as Hikaru has shown us ..." she inclines her head in his direction, "meetings between Scions can be propitious, omen-filled, coincidental. It takes children of the likes of Hermes or Spider or Loki to hide their nature from the company of other Scions." Hikaru nods his head, then stops. "Wait, we'll be able to sense other Scions near us then?" he asks. "What about Titanspawn?" "Under the right circumstances, yes," she responds. "There are Scions who are more gifted in this sort of sensing than others, of course. But all Scions have at least a basic sense of beings of power near them. However, it takes the likes of a God to recognize an unclaimed Scion, who has not yet unlocked her power. "And just as the doings of Scions entangle each other, so do the doings of Titanspawn," she adds. "Even without explicitly hunting them." Hikaru nods his head. "And they can sense us ... Scions, that is, as well?" "It would be nice if they couldn't," Rosemary says, in the tone of one who expects be disappointed. There is a knock at the door. "Enter," Epona calls. Mr. Cumberbatch wheels in a cart, as shiny as the silver trays upon it, parking it in front of the group. In short order, he produces a pot of tea and some square butter cookies as well. Epona nods for him to pour a cup of tea for each of them before he makes a hasty exit. "Now, where were we? Oh, yes, Titanspawn and Scions. They can sense, in a general way, the presence of real beings in their vicinity, just as you can," Epona says. "It takes special skill for them to know you as a daughter of Bast or a son of Hermes, however. Unless you make it obvious. "And even that mostly applies to the greater children, of course. Your average grimlock, goblin, or cryptid won't know you from human." "So they'll sense were something special but not who we are then," Hikaru says. "And the lessers won't know us at all. We can use this then to our advantage." "Yes," she says. "Is there some kind of, of bestiary that would tell us what a 'cryptid' and the rest are?" Rosemary asks. Hikaru raises his tea cup in salute to Rosemary. "A book of Lore would be what you would want, daughter," Epona replies with a nod. "Such things are not widely printed but do exist. I had hoped that a daughter of Athena would be joining your band, but I have heard rumors that she has been ... indisposed. She would have been certain to have one. "Obtaining such a book from another source would be wise," she continues. "Isidora Rai, one of Brahma's Scions, might be the most approachable. She's a documentary filmmaker in Philadelphia." The name is familiar to Rosemary; she saw one of her films, involving the fight for justice for a young man whose poor legal representation and questionable police tactics during his arrest landed him in prison. Familiarity with the name aside, the thought of a trip to Philadelphia does not please her. "Does this Isidora know what she is?" Hikaru asks. "Or will we have a lot of explaining to do?" "She knows very well what she is," Epona says briskly. "And once you are brought into proximity with her, there will be little doubt, on any score, that any of you are anything less than what you are. "The Ball is to start soon," Epona says. "I do wonder if any more of our invited guests will show up. And perhaps both of you might me time to, what is that word used these days..." she closes her eyes for a second. "Process. Unless you do have more questions?" "Process, yes," Rosemary murmurs. Hikaru shakes his head. "I have no more questions at this time," he says. "But perhaps I do need some time to process everything, and prepare for the Ball." Rosemary looks at her still-unshod feet. "Preparation, definitely." "Very well," Epona says. "I will retire, allow you time to talk, enjoy the refreshments, or perhaps stay apart." She looks in the direction of an open doorway. "I will see if there are more guests. I've expected more than just Hachiman's son to come to my call," she says with a frown. She glances at Rosemary. "And perhaps see to your companion. He may be disconcerted by this point." With that, Epona leaves the room. Hikaru rises to his feet as Epona begins to leave, making a slight bow as she departs. He turns to Rosemary. "Companion?" Rosemary frowns after Epona. "The other person who was invited. He's a colleague in the Horse Guard." Looking at Hikaru, she adds, "I'm a member of the Governor's Horse Guard, First Company. We're a small auxiliary National Guard unit, do parades, search and rescue, that sort of thing. "It's the oldest continuously active cavalry unit in the U.S., founded in 1788," she finishes with pride. Hikaru nods his head. "Do you command it then?" he asks. "Will you have trouble getting away if we are called upon to go 'Titanspawn' hunting?" "Hah!" Rosemary says. "No, I'm way too young to be in command. I just finished law school. No, it's my regular job that I'll have trouble getting away from. The Horse Guard is a part-time thing." Hikaru nods again. "Is your unit a ceremonial one then?" he asks. "Do you have any actual combat training, if I may ask?" he adds politely. "Some. We have a week-long training camp every August, and we're technically a civil defense unit. But I can't imagine what it would take for us to actually be called up for combat." She shrugs. "Horse cavalry isn't really useful for military purposes these days. Normal military purposes, anyway. What about you?" "Not military training;" Hikaru replies. "But I've been in and out of dojos most of my life" "Well," Rosemary says, almost whimsically, "I guess as long as we're not doing a war with multiple armored divisions and air support, we can hope my training and yours will do." "Some shooters might be good to find, at that," Hikaru replies. "Most mythologies I've heard of have some sort of flying creatures in them." She gets up and retrieves her shoes from the table. "I've got to wash my feet and try to think all this through," she says, giving Hikaru a cordial nod. "See you later, I guess." Hikaru stands up while setting his tea cup down on the table. "Hai, yes," he says. "I should be going as well. Hopefully the tailor has delivered my suit by now or is on his way." (Continued in Scion in Waiting (Rosemary) and If the Suit Fits (Hikaru).) |
