Honor Kill:
I kept on the move for the entire night, never stopping for more than a few minutes. My largest problem at the moment lay in the inexact nature of the information at my disposal. Exalted as written was a badly flawed system, with countless loopholes that could be used to break the setting in half by anyone with even the slightest of time and knowledge. Now seeing as the world I was in seemed to be very much like the one described in the books, that meant that most of the worst offenders were probably not possible.
But this left the smaller and perhaps more esoteric problems. The first that came to mind was Infallible messenger; it could, in theory be used to perfectly track me unless I managed to get some mystical protections. Yet the fact that I hadn't been bombarded by cherubs and their sorcerous masters meant that it probably didn't work that way here. The only other explanation would be that the people here were drooling morons, something I doubted.
As the sun began to rise from the horizon, I finally descended from the towering forest of buildings that I had been leaping between, touching down in an empty alley with a only the softest of sounds.
I Fucking loved being superhuman.
Perhaps it was my slightly sleep deprived state but it took me a few moments to notice that something was wrong. The streets around me were abandoned, with no people in sight and all the buildings securely locked. I barely had time to swear before a strong wind carrying the faintest hint of Essence blew through the empty streets.
I reacted instantly, almost throwing myself into an alley and franticly beginning to think of a way to escape the coming storm. Jumping back into the air was foolish, had been foolish, it disconnected me from what was happening on the ground isolated me when I needed to blend in. Now I was stuck out in the open with the Wyld Hunt on the way.
A quick glance around revealed nothing, stone road and obsidian walls providing no comfort. All the doors around were closed and probably barred. Breaking into a building would only be counterproductive, raising noise and attention when I really didn't need it. A second look showed me a possible way, two stories up on a building on the other side of the street from where I was standing there was a single window open. For a second I wondered at it, it was the only open entrance within sight, before I forced myself to move towards it.
Even if it was a trap, it was the only place I could hide before the Dragon-Blooded arrived. A quick leap and I was balancing on the entrance to a darkened room, and with a last glance at the rapidly lightening sky, I stepped inside.
It was a small and cramped common area of what I assumed to be servant's quarters from the multitude of doorways leading into it. I moved quietly and glanced inside one of the entrances. Sure enough, a series of empty beds and small cupboards lined the room. quick glances showed similar layouts in most of the other rooms, all empty, with one door opening into a hall leading deeper into the building.
Thankfully, it seemed as if the Servants had already woken for the day and begun whatever tasks they had. But I don't think I could stay here for too long, someone was bound to come by at the most inopportune time. I froze.
The window!
I moved as fast as I could without making too much noise, almost running to the open window. A quick look outside showed me that it might be too late, five people and one large animal already gathered around where I had landed a short while ago. Hoping that they hadn't already seen, I carefully closed the window, keeping only the tiniest crack open to observe my pursuers.
It was a full circle of Dragonborn. Their leader seemed to be the wood aspect who, from the brown skin and green almost vine like hair, might actually be an elder. She was gesturing from her mount on what at first glance seemed to be an enormous lion. Then I spotted the hooves. It was a Simhata, a lion-horse, powerful creatures bred as mounts for the Exalted. She looked to be unarmed, In fact only one of the Dragon-Blooded was actually armed with a Daiklaive.
It was a massive Grand Daiklaive, and the woman wielding it was also armored in what I guessed to be Superheavy plate. While I couldn't say for sure, the her armor's and exposed hair's white color seemed to indicate an Air aspect.
The youngest in their group actually looked unarmored and unarmed, a man clad in blue robes with a soft smile on his face at something his leader was saying. I pegged him as either an martial artist or a Sorcerer and probably a water aspect, if only because of the clothes.
The fire aspect on the other hand was undoubtedly a sorcerer. Flanking him were two shifting figures made from fire, and in front of him was a single female form seemingly made from cloud. I think that the wind from earlier might have been that air elemental.
The last member of their group stood slightly apart- tensions in the group? - and was toying with a blue-green chakram and occasionally interjecting herself in the conversation.
I couldn't hear them from where I was standing, but it seemed as if they were talking about whatever the Elemental had said. For a few tense minutes they did nothing except talk, before backing away from the Fire aspect. As soon as they were outside some invisible radius, the Sorcer lit up with power. Fire erupted from his form, the Anima banner of a Terrestrial, his eyes lit with crimson light, and flickering runes seemed to form out of the flames around him.
I tensed.
Then the light faded, and in front of him a small floating creature appeared. Six wings supported a tiny body in the air, and as it approached it's summoner I recognized it as the manifestation of the Infallible Messenger spell. My musings from before came back with a vengeance, and I could feel my heart begin to speed up.
Then it accelerated, moving faster than I could track but away from me. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. It seemed that I was safe for now, but they knew I was in the district and seemed to have the city in lockdown. I really, really didn't want to stay in this damn place much longer.
"Just" six more days to go.
-
Ladies, gentlemen, and undetermined tentacled friends: our Heroes/Villains of this part of the story, please give them a big round of applause. Like always, feedback is ambrosia.
