The Eye of Anubis: Interlude

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan listened to the explanation quietly, and he quietly considered the meaning after it was spoken. Tomas's curious comment made him think along a different line. He wondered briefly if it meant that the expedition would cause death. And he wondered again if it meant a literal death or a symbolic one. In Sri Raji, they believed often in symbolic death and rebirth through Kali.

Lia shook him out of his reverie. And soon, his train of thought turned from, "Oh, I wonder how we're all going to die!" to "Oh no, now I know how we're all going to die!"

"All right," he actually said to Lia, glancing to the others she'd petitioned. He followed her outside, and then stopped to wait expectantly.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

As with Lia, Ulsaon thanks Madame Florica with a deep bow and exits the vardo. She tries to follow Lia into the mists. "Lia, are you there?" she calls ahead.

Lia seems to almost materialize out of the fog, and she nods to Ulsaon, but first looks at Kuzan.

"As promised," Lia's voice sighs at the Rajian cleric from the Mists around them, "this will not take long. I have a request and a suggestion. You recall how Cavendish used the Sound lance spell against us in Ravnika. I would like to ask you to pray for the Silence spell at least once a day; it should make the ultimate shield against the Sound lance and any other number of sonic-based spells, if used properly. And of course, you can use it so as not to have to hear my voice, if you wish so. I have nothing more to bother you with. Good day, priest."

Lia glances at Ulsaon and Charles, then moves on back to her cart without looking back at Kuzan.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Lia glances at Ulsaon and Charles, then moves on back to her cart without looking back at Kuzan.

Shrugging at Kuzan, Charles follows Lia for a short distance. "Is there anything else, m'selle?" he asks politely.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"You mentioned something before we left the Nisranci estate," Lia says, her voice oddly listless, "that suggested you are now also studying arcane magic. Ulsaon has already approached me for some tutoring, which I have provided and will continue to provide. And since I have already crossed that threshold, I wish to extend the offer of tutoring to you now. Included with this offer is the chance to copy spells from my own supply, which I have been able to add to significantly after the gift of Tarik's spare tome. Regardless whether you accept or not, I felt it was past time that we arcane spellcasters started working together more effectively. Strategies can be worked out to strengthen our position in the coming battles -- and there will be more battles, on that you can rely, just as I will rely on you for the diplomacy to avoid some of those battles. How say you two?"

[Nathan of the FoS]

"I think it an excellent idea," Charles says. "I have indeed been studying, mostly with Professor Pelletier, but his time is, of course, limited, and further so by his present ill health. I would be delighted for any instruction you would care to offer. My own tome of spells is, well, rather slight, but such as its contents are, they are open to you. And, valuable as diplomacy may be," here he bows to acknowledge the compliment, "strategy is at least equally so."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Pelletier has not approached the Rajian to cure his illness?" Lia asks, sounding just faintly surprised. "Perhaps someone should suggest to the cleric then to make an informal housecall as a gesture of goodwill. The professor is getting on in years, he should be more careful of his health, especially with a trained physician on call."

Lia shakes her head, then continues. "So we will be working together. Excellent. I suggest we start by comparing our arcane arsenals. If Ulsaon also agrees, then please gather your spellbooks and meet at my cart. We can unveil our spells to each other before the caravan moves again and see what we would like to share. We can talk strategies during the next trip, if it please you; rest time seems better reserved for scribing, to me."

During all of this, the listlessness has not left Lia's voice. And even up close, she seems wreathed in swirls of fog.

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan frowned. That was a little disconcerting and irritating. Admittedly, he hadn't been fair to Lia in his own thoughts just now. But the subtle barbs planted in the self-deprecating comments really irked him. Hadn't they just made some peace a few nights ago? He didn't really relish the idea of having to deal with another fight with Lia.

"You know," he called after her, not bothering to hide his mild irritation, "If you're trying to goad me into another fight, you're doing a good job. I could do without those kinds of remarks."

There was just no winning with that woman, it seemed.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia stops for a moment and looks back to Kuzan. Her entire posture betrays nothing but puzzlement.

"I do not know what you mean," her voice drifts to his ears on the Mists. "I am terribly annoying at times, I know it is so. It surprises me that you have not used Silence before to rid yourself of my voice. No insult was intended, and the request was sincere. We will meet Cavendish again, and it would be better to be prepared."

Having spoken, Lia moves on with Ulsaon and Charles.

[Kaitou Kage]

There really wasn't any winning with that woman. Kuzan scowled and considered retorting. But something made him think better of it. Instead, he kicked the ground and turned about on his heel, stalking through the Mists toward another part of the caravan.

[NeoTiamat]

The Vistani Caravan, The Misty Border
May? ??th, 761, ??:?? PM?; Day ?? of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Only a few minutes after the end of the tarokka reading, the the Vistani caravan came to a halt, the eternal, ever-shifting Mists fading from sight as suddenly as they had appeared. Soon, very soon, the unceasing grey Mist had disappeared, leaving only the Expedition and the Vistani on a hilly, stone-grey road, somewhere beneath the beating sun.

Aishe, Madame Florica's right hand, approached the Expedition. "We are here, but we may carry you no farther. The Laws of Diamabel are unkind to our folk, barely better than those of the Invidious One."

"The City of Phiraz lies in that direction, perhaps a week distant. You shall reach it without troubles." The Vistana pointed along the road, somewhere off in the distance. Suddenly, Aishe turned and bowed to the Expedition. "And thank you once more for returning our Dani, and the knowledge of Kemal's fate. I thank you, and so do all the Camolomescro."

"Perhaps we shall meet again, if the Mists so will."

And with that, the Vistani caravan departed, leaving you in the hot sun of Pharazia, far from anything you had ever known before. You had traveled through all of the Core, through Falkovnia, and Borca, and Barovia, and even arcane and eldritch Hazlan, but your journey was not even half done.

Onwards was Phiraz, and beyond it, the great desert of the Amber Wastes. Civilization and all you had known before was behind you, and only the certainty of danger, and the Horseman, lay ahead.

The adventure was just beginning....