Arriving in Veksvale with a pattern
Michael James Watson
There is a thunder like the wrath of gods and the fall of worlds. Through it Xolotl screams in rage. She awakes to a crystal blue sky with a few fluffy clouds. She feels no pain, but inhales cold crisp air. Something is strange about the ground and as she stands she looks around. Off to the west is the village she saw, the residents all looking at her in shock. Vek comes running looking freaked out to the limits. “By the teats of the unicorn, what have you done! ???????? “ Looking down she sees settling into its new home a rapidly filling Pattern of Amber. It solidifies to appear as the other patterns do except this one is imposed on solid rock in the middle of a field. Vek raisies his sign of the pattern staring in shock at the pattern just placed in his personal shadow.
Amber Bronkhorst
Looking confused around almost as if waking from a nightmare she checks herself. Her hands and fingers trailing over her face and body. With a big shock she checks on Cicero if he is doing well. Taking him out from under her jacket. When she realizes there are sounds around her she looks up only to see Vek come running she looks with big eyes full of shock. Tears already welling up again. The things she had seen to much for her and the release of the stress she had during the whole ordeal, she starts to cry and sits down again curling her knees up to her chest. She mutters softly "i'm sorry.... i'm so sorry. "
Michael James Watson
"You are at the center of a pattern. Will yourself over here to me."
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah looks up she tries to get back to the here and now in her mind. She nods. Standing up she takes in a deep breath and asks the pattern to bring her to Vek. Still cradling her dear friend Cicero. When she feels she is transported she opens her eyes again and looks up to Vek.
Michael James Watson
Vek catches her. Cicero rolls on the ground several times ,spasming.. a smoke comes from it howling in delight. The dufiro she saw Fisk pitch her to spreads its arms. "BY THE HIGH POWERS!!!! What glory! I've power to spare...My life path.." he turns and looks at alvah. "AVAXALA!!!! So grown!!! OH MY!! My dear a sweet friend!!!" He steps over and picks up the spasming Cicero. "No...no... all is well friend.. I know.. You feel like a dragon in the body of a snake.. I'll be back soon..." Looking up, it cocks his head, shninking to a small man, naked, but radiant. "I sense the logrus. KNow Chaos Lord that I shall hale thee down into the abyss if you attempt to hurt my bond companion or his Amberite companion! I am no weak warrior or fan dancer..draw your blade if blood you want!!!" Vek says," I was having some biscuits and gravy talking with Dowser about some water holes for the deep wood hamlets. Now i have a fucking Pattern in the town square, a semi-cousin fainting in my arms, and a Dufiro of Guard yelling at me.. I really lost control of today. I skipped coffee that's what it was. Difiro..I am Vek Hendrake, and this is woman in my arms is for all intensive purposes, my friend. I wouldnt dream of hurting Cicero.. NOW, you get the snake. I'll get the girl. That house over there with the purple flag is mine. lets go there and figure out what the hell is happening..."
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah shivering as her mind reels with what happened but feeling Vek near her she exhales slowly trying to calm her nerves. Seeing the smoke rise from Cicero she screams for a moment in terror that something still might have gotten Cicero and hurt him. Then seeing the dufiro release from her pet snake she just looks... baffled. Hearing them speak back and forth she tries to stand up herself again. "i'm fine, thank you Vek.. not fainting. just... " She bites her tongue as she feels her thoughts go wild. She then looks shocked up at Vek. "SHIT! i did something stupid... i stole a pattern. FUCK! he'll be so mad... but it is not bad... no it didn't want to be there. it asked to be anywhere else... " She looks back at the pattern and nods quickly "yeah it asked me... oh this is going to bite me in the ass. " Looking back up at Vek she looks with a guilty face. "so sorry about your shadow. i didn't know until it was to late sorry."
Michael James Watson "There there... Lets get some coffee, maybe some heroin, in you to calm you down" He helps her walk to the home. It is filled with hand made tables and chairs, a bed, a seating area before a roaring fire. A slightly confused looking you man is in a chair and watches the group enter. "Ah..Vek, you seem busy....I should go.." Vek says," Please stay Dowser. I may need help. " The Dufiro, a giant glowing figure, enters with the snake, looking around and surprised to see the man," You are Dowser of Veksdale? an Avasa of Water. Correct?" He nods, "SO I am told." Vek snaps, "You two get aquainted.." He helps Alvah to the bed room area, sitting her on the bed. Pulling up a chair to sit he asks, "What happened? Tell me everything/"
Amber Bronkhorst Alvah watches the two Dufiro and tilts her head she immidiatly thinks about her own four little friends hoping they made it through and while Vek helps her to the bed room area she calls them softly jsut to check up on them . "Menos, Mayaan, Choros, SIndri? are you alright?" THen being sat on the bed she looks at Vek.. Forced now to think she closes her eyes and tries to find the beginning of this freaking wild ride.|
After a few deep breaths she nods. "Okey, i was in my personal shadow still but decided to talk to dad, i wanted to show him how far i've gotten and to just talk to him really. See if we could not fight. And actually the talk went really well at first and the middle part. WE talked about future plans and he had me almost convinced of just going back to study and dance. Then the subject changed. i learned something else about my past which pissed me off. ANd thinking back about it i just don't know why. i wasn't mad at dad i was just mad at everything the whole situation. " "But i digress. So i was yelling to dad that i was giving noone my fealty and that Amber side just wants to use me, and the Azcalan side just wants me dead... Oh right i had learned that there had been at least one assassination attempt on me when i was 6 where i destroyed a Masoja of Death and the power i used doing that basically destroyed me. So in comes Nur, and a Dufiro of Change to keep me together. and hense i have one blue eye... so not genetics." Alvah shakes her head for a moment to clear it she then continues tapping her finger as if following a beat. "So a bout of depression hitting me and just suicidal tendencies i went to freaking Zunala of all places because i had intel that the banner would be there that i wanted to steal to gain some favor over in Adagalasck. Spoiler alert, it is not there. So i went into my tactics i learend from Fisk as a thief. and it actually helped me think more straight. But since i was there i figured why not try and get something out of it. " She starts to talk a bit more animated with her hands now "Soooo blending in, getting a job. THen celebrations came and who other then XOlotl disguised as a high priest was picking up sacrifices from the plaza. Of course he spotted me but he gave me some tokens, a bead in my hair hishc would signify i couldn't be taken for sacrifice, and a string of beads sort of blessing the family they wouldn't be chosen for four spring celebrations. " "Now ofcourse me and my stupid ideas. went out to scout at night and who other then Xolotl waited for me so we talked, I should hae just left then and there, though thikning about it i'm sure he would have had a plan B and C if i didn't go with him. Either way. I agreed to the deal he wanted to show something and see my reaction. I thought little harm in it. Not concidering that he would let me walk into a place i couldn't trump or shadowwalk out of. " "Yes he has an evil underground lair. ANd he also has a sigil of Azcala there which he had build upon a broken pattern. In the end he wanted me to walk it. He needed someone with pattern and the sigil of Azcala to tame the pattern and Sigil and make them work together. " Alvah shifts a bit on the bed remembering the pain vividly "So in the end i walked it, the other optinos were soemthing i could not agree with. And during the walk i had so many visions. So.. so intense. More so then when i walked to pattern. And near the end i heard a voice, Anywhere but Azcala, Anywhere but Azcala.. anywhere but.... " Her voice trails off as she still hears the echos of the 'voice' in her head. "so yeah in the end it showed me you, wandering amongst the people here. And when i reached the center i was in so much pain and so afraid... i willed myself to here. And with that also the pattern. apparently" She looks up at Vek with big eyes... "So very long story short... I'm an impulsive idiot who did something stupid... got myself nearly killed and fucked up your shadow."
Michael James Watson
"You say you got a job? In Zunala? I wouldn't want to be who ever hired you. Xolotl is likely to be bloody furious. As for fucking up my shadow, ya, a big Pattern in the middle of a garden full of vegetables is really going to hit the food supply around here. I'll have to import. The people here know I am from off world so they expect strange visitors. Just so you know, the time rate here is 30 to 1 to 9. If there is anything you want to clean up in there I know a guy who can go do it. Its likely only been moments in Zunala. " Some locals come with a basket of fruit and vegetables, and a couple pitchers of cold mead. "Ok, I am going to call an expert. This is far above my pay grade. Ill be right back. Eat. Drink. The people here speak a mixture of french and thari. "
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah bites her llip hearing about thd food supply. That the family would be in troubld she figured. That scream of rage she heard when she left, which clearly ca.e from Xolotl. Alvah just sits and while Vek is away she calls her elemental friends to check on them.
Michael James Watson
the elementals seem delighted, and larger.
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah lets out a soft sigh of relief "Oh you are alright. Thank goodness! Well the one of life bound to me i can't check but 5 out of 6 being okey i concider that good odds. " She carresses the elements and smiles " i promise to play later but for now lets go back again. I just had to make sure you were okey. " Ash she says that she stands up and searches for where Cicero and his dufiro bond are.
Michael James Watson
As she starts to get to the door Vek returns after a few minutes with Random, Fiona, and Vance. Random goes straight to the mead. Vek tells the folks to bring lots more. Random says to Alvah, “Well, hello. Nice to see ya.. Howya been? Lovely piece of work out there. Fabulous.. Lets all sit. Vek, can you have your people keep us fed and drunk please? So, Fi, Vance, short of Dworkin you are my experts. What do we have out there?” Fi picks at the fruit, “We have a functioning shadow of the pattern. Its Wild at the moment but more excited and happy then dangerous. With your permission I'd like to walk it. Structurally its sound, on good hard stone. Magically, i'd say its beyond the Diaga one of course. Beyond the one in the Dramaturge. I have no idea how it got here. Alvah, you say Xolotl forced you to walk a Sigil of Azcala he inscribed on a Broken Pattern? That's insane on a lot of levels. Not your walking it but his trying to do it.” Vance says, “But it worked, sort of. Apparently in the end a broken pattern is stronger then a Sigil of Azcala. We have had antidotal evidence of it but this sounds like proof to me. It took a lot of explosive magic and pretty much destroying a shadow to bust my pattern loose. I wonder what this did to Zunala? Might be worth asking. Xozla can still go back to Azcala as far as he knows. Lets ask him to.” Random looks to Alvah, “Are you alright? No eyes hanging loose I see. Burned? Bones turning the pasta? Anything exotic and azcalan?”
Amber Bronkhorst
Looking at the people entering Alvah quickly steps back. She lets them all pass and listens to the exchange. After that she sits down again on the edge of the bed. She looks at Random "Hey, yeah, figured to take a souvenir with me out of Azcala. But i am fine. When i came here with the pattern i was completly healed." Her voice goes softer in the end and ahe crosses her arms in front of her. Fighting the memories. "As for what it did to Zunala nothing good i am sure at least Xolotl his pet project, this sigil combined with the pattern is damaged. I heard him scream... and it was one of great anger." Turning to Fiona she nods "Yes he had probably a long time ago made a aigil over the broken lattern he said he had studied it for a long time and made a way to bridge the broken pieces. He said it nearly killed him after that he wanted to have others walk it. But they all died. His theory was that the pattern and sigil even if they were interwoven, didn't work together and one od Amber blood was needed. And enter there me. I have a strong imprint of Azcala and walked the pattern of Amber. He was sure it would calm the sigil and pattern. At the end of the walk well crawl i could hear a whispering and screaming voice anywhere but Azcala... to late I realized what was happening. " Looking at Vance she looks with a pained look. "Sending anyone there now might be very dangerous. Xolotl angry is... well i suspect it is going to be bloody.. or he'll try and trump me he knows he can best me psyche wise and try and get revenge.. " Alvah shrugs lightly.
Michael James Watson
Random looks at Fi, "Priorities?" Fi nods, "She needs a good shield from Trump uses. I suggest Carly for a time. Or get her a Carly. I've never met Xolotl but he was in my Vision at the Oracle of Night, He is possibly their fourth or fifth?best practiconer. And probably as nasty a creature though the running for that is tough. " Random says, "4th or 5th? Who is better?" "Tonacat, Quetzal, Zictalas. I'm told Apenecatl and Cuilton were in that category as well but they are dead. Xolotl does a lot of their armies magical gear. A construction mage. Possibly their best. What inspired him to try mucking with a broken pattern is beyond me. Being so far from Amber I bet the broken pattern was significantly broken. i won't know till i walk it. If he is pissed, he could have a lot of punch." Random nods, "Alvah, i'm going to have your trump calls intercepted for awhile. My Trump secretary Carly will answer them. So for the time being, if you get a trump call it will be Carly asking if you want to answer the phone. You understand that without Carly in between you and Xolotl he might form a pretty strong stab at you whether you answer the trump or not? "
Amber Bronkhorst
Listening to Fiona she nods slowly. "Well what i heard, and i could of course be way off, Cihuacoa the wife of Tonacat isn't weak either. She was the one hiding my Azcalan imprint from everyone, like you Fiona, from Arlo, from the pattern basically." Hearing Random a soft smile "Thank you, yes i suspect Xolotl will not drop this quickly and will at least try something. I could not personally stop him from contacting me no. " As she recalls that she reaches fkr her hair and check for the bead even if it is not magical she wants it out of her hair.
Michael James Watson
"No, but if we grade these things she isn't in the top 10. Anyone in the top 100 can be dangerous. Cihuacoa has certain talents she is better at then the others. But there are others better at general combat magic including Zentalas, Cihalas. Xozla is more a warrior then a mage but he packs a punch. One of the daughters of Tezcatlipoca is supposed to be a tough warrior mage as well. Chicomecoatl is closer to the top then the bottom so if we insert non-family she is in the top 5 as well. You have dealt with Chicomecoatl some?"
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah nods "Some, we talked, briefly when i was at my mom her place with Vek." She nods her head to Vek as she says that. "But like i said I don't have extensive knowledge of their powers and their strengths only what i heard." Alvah then just stares at her feet while she lets then swing a bit "So king Random might i assume i am done kicking hornets nests? Or well this was just blatantly running in one. At least i released a broken pattern from Azcala sway. It clearly did not want to be there.." Her eyes go distant again as the visions return which she had seen. The torture, the sacrifing, Zictalas and Zentalas, her own past. She then stops her reeling thoughts at the vision of the two men arguing with the Azcsla beauty standing there. Her eyes go to Random. See if she recalles correctly the resemblance. She just stares at Random his face for a while.
Michael James Watson
Random chuckles, "I had thought you might kick hornet's nests not shoot a rabid elephant in the balls. Its a matter of scale. Still, this is a hell of a surprise. I suspect Azcala will protest but there isn't much of a court they can appeal to. Xozla is still on the Azcalan side but he is interested in getting a few stacks at my cad table. Vance, go talk to Xozla. I want to find out how things are in Zunala. Alvah, is there anyone you want us to find? You got a couple people out of Zitala. If Xozla can manage it shall I consider it an extra stack of chips?"
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah breaks her staring at Random as he talks. She can't help but chuckle. "Well the thing is. There is alot of bad blood between the family in Azcala. Xolotl dislikes Tonacat but as long as power flows and his own sigil/pattern project wasn't working fully he would stay loyal. Cihalas hates Xolotl. Zictalas and Zentalas are more disliked then revered. Though there is a common respect to those in Mictlan. And still they try and keep contact with eachother. So yeah all very messy. But most families are." She is then silent for a moment as she thinks. "Well if Xozla is going there. There is a family which helped me greatly, they took me in gave me a job. And for harboring me there is a big chance Xolotl will work out some frustration on them. The matron is called Abuela. A young woman i hung out with alot Saxga. If they want i would like them protected or tsken to a safer place. Or at least warned of the danger to come. It was my fault after all." She looks up at Fiona. "I know i cannot really ask for much but Xolotl informed me there is a bounty on my head, to be brought alive. One bounty from Cihalas and one from Xozla. I am curious if that is recent or if Xolotl just doesn't keep up with the news. Would be convenient to know if i have to put that on the list of how my Azcalan family shows their love." She turns up a sarcastic grin.
Michael James Watson
Vance says,"Abuela is an Azcalan term for grandmother. If you will think hard about her ill get an image and location."
Amber Bronkhorst
She looks at Vance with a slighy worried look. "Right, think hard about her i can try, so like last time right? Just focus really hard." When Vance says he is ready she will think of Abuela their booth they have on the plaza. But they will move. Though this shadow is faster.. she won't have moved yet. She goes back to the image of Abuela how she was firm and strict when they first met but she was kind giving her a fair chance to run off before celebratants were picked. Her mind goes to Xolotl disguised as high priest. The fear.. the underground lair. The nauseating torture happening there. Alvah shakes her head and tries to go back to Abuela and the booth. The hall of the lizard. Sweet Saxga. Now and then other snippets from her time there pass by her thoughts. She keeps trying to focus until Vance lets her know he has what he needs. When she opens her eyes again she says softly "You are not going there right. Just let Xozla know."
Michael James Watson
Vance says, "somethings run in the family." Vance looks at Random who nods, "Don't dawdle." Vance fades out like a living trump.
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah wants to protest but knows it is little use. Some things DO run in the family. She speaks soft. "Stay safe." She then looks at Random and Fiona. "So is the pattern now permanently here? And can it be tamed? And how did i manage to move it let alone repair it? My theory is because it really wanted to get away from there... it just used the oppertunity of me walking it." She then looks at Random again... "do we have distant Azcalan family? I had a vision of someone looking also a bit like you. And like Gerard... tho also a bit like Eric..." After she asked the last question Alvah takes out her trump decks starting to flick through them maybe she will recognize one of the people from her vision
Michael James Watson
Random say, "Well Vek, we have a problem. I am not wild about people having control over a pattern that doesn't have a guard or say, fealty to me. So.. You can think it over for a bit. I am going to arrange a guard but you and I have to come to an arrangement or i'm not just putting a guard her, i'm putting a legion here. Savey? " Vek nods, "I figured as much. I assume this is the conversation you had with Delwin over Talsgwir?" Random shakes his head, "No, that was Dworkin. He told me the patterns need guards but i'm frigging running out of family members i trust around them. And, while you have a nice quaint village here I need to know a bit about the world, beyond that you found it, stretched the time out pretty good and people can't get her except through trump. Or apparently if they bring a pattern with them."
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah looks up from looking through her trumps keeping those aside that seem tk fit the ones in her vision. "I am again sorry Vek. I had no clue this would happen. Didn't know a broken pattern could be fixed by just walking it." Alvah laughs a bit pained with a playful look on her face. "Maybe i should stick with a smaller present next time." She now realises her bracelet is gone and looks a bit disappointed. Going back to sift through the trump images she then says softly "And i support your theory Vek. No coffee in the morning and the day just derails... "
Michael James Watson
Vek looks at Alvah and smilesm winks, turns to Random, "Well, your majesty, I may need my lawyer. " He withdraws his trumps, concentrates, and Mandor steps through..."
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah lays her cards down looking at Vek then Mandor. She pours herself a drink. Then looking at Mandor and with a questioning looks she gestures to the glasses if she should pour him one as well.
Michael James Watson
Random sighs. "Well, if you are going to call your lawyer I better call my army. Moment." Mandor laughs,"don't worry majesty, I didn't come to beat you at poker again. I have a lot of free time since you sent Fiona to Regor." Fiona and mandor briefly hug and kiss. "Now Vek, can we take a look at this thing?" Vek, Mandor, and Random step out side. Fiona says, "they are all busy, how are you? Do you mind trying something for me, a couple things actually?
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah listens to the exchange between Random Mandor and Vek. She drinks a bit. Then looking up at Fiona she shrugs. "I am fine." She says shortly not really knowing if she is. But this would be the safest answer. "Sure i am willing to try some things. What were you thinking about? And is it a danger of being volatile? If so maybe we should go outside."
Michael James Watson
Fi says, "my goodness I hope not. First, without concentrating, can you sense the pattern near by? It should feel like a slight tugg the disappears if you look toward the pattern. "
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah frowns she then puts her glass and trumps down. Sitting up she closes her eyes and intentionally turns away from where the pattern is to sense if she feels what Fiona describes.
Michael James Watson
She feels a slight breeze of a tug. If she hadn't been told to look she might not have noticed. Fi nods."I can feel it too. OK, first raise you pattern, then after I examine it raise the sigil"
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah looks at Fiona and nods quietly she raises the pattern. She by now had gotten familiar with it. After Fiona says she is done Alvah will then raise the sigil.
Michael James Watson
she nods."the next time you walk a sigil it may hurt. Be with someone safe Your Pattern Imprint is Wild. Not a surprise. I miss my Wild imprint so before I leave I plan to walk this one. The tug you feel is affinity to the pattern. Wherever you are you can think on that tug. Now I think it will tell you the direction here. In time you'll be able to distinguish different patterns. They each have a differant...taste for lack of a better term. Rebma taste a bit like fish. Thelusia tastes toe like oak smoke. This one to me tastes like Habanero. You may think of them in different ways but that's how I differentiate them. Also..the next pattern you walk, except this one for now, will erase you Wild imprint. :
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah nods slowly hearing what she says. "Big chance i won't be back in Azcala soon so i am not to worried of walking the sigil again soon. That this pattern tastes like habanero is not weird.. it has been in Azcala for quite some time... and everything there is habanero.." She says that with a slight grin "But what is the big difference of having a wild pattern imprint or a normal one? And is this going to carry any other consequences for the pattern, this shadow or me that it is repaired and moved? Other then we already spoke about ofcourse.
Michael James Watson
"The Wild imprint has a bit more thump. Good for attack spells, bad for defense spells but the difference is small. Let me show you something just in case. Most pattern holders never channel raw power. Raise your sign and watch." Once alvah raises hers Fiona raises hers visibly. Alvah sees how Fiona focuses her mind and her image emits a thin force tendril. It goes out 10' and stops. "I don't want yo destroy Veks house but apply all your concentration as I do some exercises with raw force." She watches Fiona make the tendrils as wide as her sign. Makes the force snap out. Makes it wave as if it was running over something. "Find a fast shadow you can fuck up and practice using raw force. Just to be safe. If you like I'll come too. We'll make a day of it"
Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah smiles seeing that. She conciders trying it here but concidering what she already did to Vek his place she nods to the suggestion of practicing somewhere else "That sounds great. Would love to learn that. And some instruction might not be bad." She looks at Fiona with a playful smile "Don't tell my dad but i think i am going to do what he suggested... maybe after this i need to sit my ass down and study more. And the promise of dance at the university makes it more attractive." She drinks the mead slowly. "When do you have time?"
