Once more with feeling/Xytrisae/The Creation Chronicles
Xytrisae, The Azure River of Song and Sword
Strange things were happening in Creation. Xytrisae had been witness to most of them. Long ago had the oldest of Raksha learned how move among the Creation Born without frightening them. Long ago she had determined how to entreat with them and get what she needed basically. It truly was a tale to tell, a Princess reduced to a pauper among the foreign stable lands of Creation. Still it wasn’t all that bad. The Creation Born, once they get past the fact you aren’t going to drain their very life, are quite easy to get along with. She travelled the East, avoiding the Opal Court and their Raksha as they would make her life quite difficult.
Xytrisea was well known, or rather partially known, in the area, having sung and soothed those humans that needed it. The Hundred Kingdoms had been quite messed up after the Balorian Crusade destroyed what they could before they were made unreal, and when she had arrived it was pretty much all she could do was running and hiding. But after awhile she began to sing near their settlements. Xytrisae was well known in the Wyld for this, an alluring beautiful song that would ensnare and rend apart those would hear. But here in Creation she had learned to dull her edge, and so the Creation Born could listen and enjoy.
Creation though had been changing. The Dragon Blooded had taken control of the lands, their laws were absolute, or rather where they dared to tread. She had heard stories from other Raksha of the North were a Solar had appeared and destroyed a large portion of an entire house there. And then the Dead arrived, the atrophy they brought made her sick. But here in the Hundred Kingdoms she was safe, well for now, humans were almost as capricious as Raksha at times and there was no telling when a Wyld Hunt will hunt one down. In fact it was a Wyld hunt that had brought … him, even if he weren’t a part of a Wyld Hunt he somewhat smelled of one.
Xytrisae had been peacefully entertaining some children while distrustful at best adults made sure she didn’t take off with their children, near a village she had stopped at for the week. She held her harp, an exquisite crafted item that sang its tunes as well as her voice did, in her graceful slender hands, while fingers danced across the strings. Xytrisae leaned against a tree, letting her shimmering black hair tumble behind nearly beside her, while her red feathered wings draped over her shoulders like a fancily made cloak. Her serpentine tail wrapped about itself in a calm collection of coils, the tip of the tail swinging in time to the tune. Xytrisae’s eyes were closed as the music flowed from her harp and lips, and only the sun’s warm rays fell upon her. The peace and serenity of the day truly was a blessing of Creation. Well that was until a Solar cast his shadow over her and a feeling of uneasy grew in her 'Heart'.
He said nothing, he just watched, and Xytrisae played, only the tip of her scaled tail belaying any hint of her worry. He didn’t leave and yet the mothers that listened with her children seemed more relieved for his presence. It was some time before I stopped the sun was decending, ever worried that this imposing man would bring upon her destruction. But he didn’t and this surprised her, when all was said and done he graced with a few paltry coins and nodded his head, giving his compliments about the song and music and his name. Surely-Refulgent Anshu was his name and Xytrisae oddly wouldn’t forget him. It was months later or maybe a year when her contacts in the Wyld had informed her that the Solars, who had vanished long ago, were returning. A rather exciting prospect if not dampened by the loss of the Scarlet Empress. Without her, the Church of Balor could move and strike at Creation. Yes Strange things were happening, it almost seemed to her as if some greater force was propelling events, and this thought she liked less.
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Xytrisae was making her way south east when she fell astray a group of Dragonblood hunting for a Lunar. Of course it was her own poor luck that they believed her to be the Lunar and soon she was being chased. Chasing is fun, sometimes, but Xytrisae was sure after a good hour of being hounded, in the sharp wind and warm rain, that it was no longer fun. Of course they wanted nothing to do with her ability to bring them a few moments of enjoyment, music or otherwise, and so the sword, spears, and sorceries were pointed at her.
Eventually though the Raksha found herself darting into the dark opening of an old, old place, overgrown with trees and vines. It was dark inside but as she pressed herself against the finely crafted wall she felt the pulse of essence. Ah nice, she thought as she held herself against the wall trying to keep her body still. The moments passed and soon the sounds of pursuit faded away while the howl of the wind and weather seemed to grow. With a sigh of relief she decided to check out the building. What secrets did this dark place hold, what villains could she defeat. Still as she came to the Hearthroom she found herself with a moonsilver blade against her neck.
Xytrisae found to her dismay a rather unhappy Lunar, and her name sake blade, Silver Arc was there a reminder that to move would get her head removed. The Lunar’s name was Silveria Arc and she had retreated to this manse after having picked on the wrong Dragonblooded Merchant Prince. And now two runaway anathema to Creation were in the same room. The Lunars have hated the Raksha forever, and the Raksha found the Lunars to be quite unfair. Their forms were nearly as fluid as a Raksha’s only they could do their stuff in Creation while Xytrisae could not. And for hours these two beings sat. After awhile the pair relaxed, but only enough to watch each other. It was Xytrisae who broke the silence and pulled her harp from Elsewhere, and she began to play. For awhile Silveria watched the alluring Raksha and soon joined in with an exotic dance complete with the weapon that she drew her name from.
They did this for quite a bit of time, each impressed with the other. They talked then and learned from each other, though Xytrisae found the Lunar woman’s concepts odd and alien, she found someone who shared her desire to protect Creation. When finally the storm had blown over the pair went their separate ways, Silveria back to the East and River Nations and Xytrisae towards her Freehold.
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Her final encounter with a memorable Creation Born was with the imperialist child-woman, named Solitary Talon of the Veiled Silverhawk Lady. The initial meeting was like the others, a meeting and regard for one another. In this case. Xytrisae had been betrayed by a rival in her own Freehold and sworn to oath to harm any masters she was to be delivered to. Her delivery was in Great Fork, where her kind might not have been well liked but it was harder to determine if she were Raksha or some forest spirit. Her Mistress was a child-woman whose heart Xytrisae could feel a sliver of lonliness from, and a Solar to boot. Her name was Solitary Talon, a daughter of the impressive and admirable, if not hated Scarlet’ Empress’s descendants.
Still she was soon purchased and brought to an extravagant palace where pleasure seemed to common to the child-woman. Truly the humans had some rather peculiar ways to make their passions just that much more delightfully tasty. I was entertainment, or rather a peculiar one, everyone would gawk, laugh, poke fun, you name it they did it, but I only played the harp, sang, or told stories of the Wyld. It seemed for awhile that Xytrisae was making some progress in bringing some true joy to the child-woman, but then something happened that Xytrisae couldn’t forsee, nor could she avoid. Aesir, Xytrisae’s co-patriot in the defense of Creation, came to her in a non-form and what he told her made her blood run cold, if a Raksha could. The Church of Balor was marshalling forces, crushing opposition in the Wyld, the Templar’s preparing to clear out the Creation side Freeholds of threats. For a week, Xytrisae attempted to free herself from Solitary without telling her why. It wasn't she was being frugal with information, it was that she didn't want to bring fear to the Creation-Born. In the end Xytrisae told her, just enough to encourage a little urgency to her cause, and it was then with some regret that Solitary Talon let her Ornamental Raksha go.
Thankfully her Shining Melody Visage of Swords had been stationed nearby and the Waypoint Artifact Complex took her back into the Wyld, where she would meet with the leader of the Second Crusade. She admits as she approaches what could be her doom, that were it not for the Creation Born that she has encountered she might not have had the conviction and purpose that would place her on a course that will conflict with the Church of Balor. Xytrisae hopes as she travels that she can protect Creation this way, if not, she may have to find another way. Would be tragic if she would have to call upon the Exalted that hated the Raksha.
