Meeting Untara

Michael James Watson
Jurt opens the door and turns to walk to a long table filled with bottle, drunk and undrunk. smoking herbs, remnants of food and other clutter.
"Come on in. Let not be formal around here."
From the back of the room where the mattreses are on the floor comes a nearly naked woman in a loose silk gown the tye died colors of red, orange and yellow. Her hair is brown but streaked with yellow and orange, clearly dyed.
Her gaze is preditory, appraising, stoned. She carries a blue azcalan tequila bottle and flops in a chair at the table.
"So you are my husband's Rasak wife?"

Amber Bronkhorst
"Thanks, So Arlo left already?"
Seeing Untara walk to the table Alvah just stands still for a moment, calmly watching her. From head to toe. Measuring her up, and seeing if there are truly resemblances from the shared mother they have.
When Untara calls her Jurt his Rasak wife she lets out a short laugh and looks at Jurt.
"No, we just served in the same army. "
Alvah looks for another bottle of Azcalan Tequilla and sits down.
"I"m Alvah but you probably already heard that right?"

Michael James Watson
She nods, "yes, i know. Amber is bat country.. Its hrd not to hear things. And they call me crazy for listening...."

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah laughs and takes a big drink from the bottle
"heh, yes as is said the gossip and rumours are epic.. Well crazy is in the eye of the beholder really. And what do you do with what you hear. "
She looks at Jurt
"You doing better? did Rasak really take that much out of you or did Benedict add some more insult to injury for you?"

Michael James Watson
Untara laughs, "Injury to my man of clay? Impossible.. "
She chugs deeply. "What blade could cut such as he?"
Jurt rolls his eyes, "Insult.. though it makes sense in retrospect. The rings of compulsion never really goo away. They just have never used them outside of Rasak"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah looks at her hand where her ring was and nods
"ah yea.... that kind of annoyed me to.. but i have been assured by dad that it is never used so."
She smiles at Untara
"I do not know i feel not the need to try out blades on your man of clay to see what works. So far he has been of great help and patience. "
She then looks at Jurt and after another drink she ticks with her nails against the bottle thinking
"so what did you make of the blood in the barrel of wine?"

Michael James Watson
Jurt laughs, "Never used? THey why sink the hook? It might not be used on you but it may be used on me."
Uta listens, nodding.
Jurt says, "What blood?"
Uta smiles, walking up near Alvah, "So pretty, so young. Did the taste feel it iron? Did life fill you? It must be in you.. Its in my blood.. HAs the call of the knife reached you? So you wonder if the closer you get harder it will be to ignore the call of blood"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah shrugs to Jurt and grins
"well yeah but you are more interesting, i'm not that impressive."
Seeing Uta come closer Alvah sits up a bit more straight. Looking slightly worried.
"What are you talking about woman. How do you know what kind of blood that was in my wine?"
Alvah closes her eyes for a moment and sighs
"so it has something to do with..." and she gestures with her hand to Uta then to herself a couple of times
"Like being related and such? and nooo the blood did not do that much for me... was just a bit weirded out it was in there."

Michael James Watson
Uta moves around to fall indecorously on the piles of clothes. Jurt takes a bottle and walks over to a large armoire with many doors.
"Oh.... the blood will ring in your ears little one. It will fill you whether you like it or not.. They didn't put blood in Jurt's forging wine. Ask yourself why they put it in yours? Look at you.. Little Azcalan girl.. I can smell the sacrifice.. You've felt the knife.. THey held yo down and ripped it from your chest. Filled it with salve and agave oil to regrow it. Its been done to me.. To Aztilios so much he craved it. "
She drinks from the bottle..Looks over at Jurt, "No! Clayman, No!!! She came to me!!! Put it away or ill suckle Bertha before you."
Jurt walks over with a ruby heart and places it on the table. "Just keeping you less Crazy for a few moments. I won't do anything. Remember what you told Random?"
She laughs cackling. "Oh yes.. Good King Random.....so, Azcalan girl, you come to crazy Untara....What do you want with your half-sister?"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah looks a bit worried. She shrugs a bit looking at her bottle.
"I don't know why the blood. Noone knows my heritage except dad... Jurt, you and me...we kind of kept it on the down los since we don't want to give Random the idea i need protective custody."
Alvah her hand has gone to where her hearf is by the mention that it had been ripped out. Shuddering slightly.
Seeing the ruby heart she frowns looking at it.
Without taking her eyes off she speaks softly
"Well i am planning to go to Azcala. There is something there that needs to be recovered, i need as much info so i can get in and out without to much trouble. "
She then looks at Uta.
"And on my search for info, i found out we are half sisters."

Michael James Watson
Uta laughs, "Protective custody? You mean prison. The one he keeps locking me in and i keep escaping from. "
SHe stands, walks to a pile of clothes and pulls out a skirt and a top, all with bright colors.
"Information...I know why the blood..Benedict knows your heritage. Why do you think he wanted you at Rasak? Like my poor cockadoddle here.. " She walks over to sit at the table. Looking at the crystal heart, then Alvah. "You want to see what Tonacat can do to you? "

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah shrugs.
"Well yeah prison... but then wrapped in a bow. Wait you were there on your own decision right?"
Alvah then sighs
"Then dad must have told him i guess. How else would he know. "
Alvah then swallows.
"Well, i was more thinking in the line of preventing Tonacat to do things to me. How to avoid it "
She then nods to Jurt
"And he showed me things witb that smokey business."

Michael James Watson
"How else would Benedict know?!?" She laughs and laughs. Looks to Jurt.
Jurt says, "He sat the Oracle of Night" Uta points at Jurt then drinks again. Puts her chin on the table looking at him.
"Do it.." Looking to Alvah, her head on the side, "Tonacat has a ruby heart just like that from your body. Pulled and santcified. Every person of the blood, he gets one of theri hearts.. " Looking to Jurt. "DO IT!!!!"
Jurt picks up the heart, squeezes it. Untara screams in agony.. Jurt slaps the stone, and Uta falls to the ground as if hit. She looks up at Jurt, "do it..."
Jurt says, "No Uta, she doesn't.."
Uta said, "Not for her, man, for me.. Now.. do it.."
Jurt look away from Alvah, rubs the heart in a circular motion on the top. Uta writhes on the ground, emitting a moan then a shout of orgasm.
Jurt puts his hand over it and she goes to sleep, just barely says, "she...asked...for ...info..."
Jurt levitates her to the bed, a blanket sliding to cover her..
"My wife..."

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah nods looks at Uta then Jurt.
"Oh.. the oracle.. right"
Then seeing what the effect of the heart is on Uta. Alvah just looks wide eyed.
Until Jurt puts her to bed.
"I... well shit.... i didn't think that would be the effect."
Looking worried to Uta
"Will she be okey? "

Michael James Watson
"okay? She likes it. She taught me how to do this. She is a priestess of Azcala. In her youth she wielded the knife on the alter. She made the ruby hearts."
He walks and puts the heart away, walks back with a knife." There are lots of things that can be done with the hearts but nearly all of them require proximity. This is one of their sacrificing knives. Evil things. Ive seen horrors in Chaos.. Enough to be casual about them.. But this is monstrous. Somewhere along the line she decided to hate her parents, her grandparents. She ran away to shadow moments before Azcala was sealed off by the Courts of Chaos. The blood is powerful.. They do power magics with it. ITs a power of those with the sigil of Azcala. "

"The prison is by choice. But she takes furloughs. She will go back tomorrow.. When Azcala first was opened they sent puma and jaguar death cultists to Amber. Sacrificed people in the Alley's of Amber. They had powerful magics keeping Random and his sorcerors from finding them. Thats why he hired CHAD.. They have creative mages. Within a few years they started pinning dead cultists to the light polls and public buildings.. Azcala stopped sending Death Squads tio Amber but they still have them"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah looks back to Uta frowing
"Ofcourse she does.... "
Seeing the knife she looks at it but doesn't touch it.
"So why is this monstrous? For what it does with the sacrifing?"
Alvah takes another big drink from the bottle laying her chin on her pulled up knees.
"They send those tk get Uta back? "
Alvah looks down.
"It is good she escaped that place then. And i must say i am more cautious about going to Azcala. Just have to make it as quick as possible so noone really notices. "
Alvah sighs deep.
"This just sucks. Isn't there a way to retrieve my heart as well. Or shield myself from being affected by it?"

Michael James Watson
"The puma and jaguar? No.they had no idea she was here. May not still. No, they hate Amber want to destroy it and supplant it as the method of life in shadow."
He runs a finger over the blade, putting a tiny bit of blood on it.
"As for the knife. They are all connected. An ancient construct. The souls of every person or animal sacrificed is saved in the blade that took its life. The wielder can look in to those lives, experience their joys, passions, mostly their suffering. And the souls are aware. They dribble drops of power upwards among the priests.. They power spells with it lime Amberites do with the pattern. Eventually to a at gets the best powers from the blades.."
Jurt closes his eyes...."Tending sheep...the smell of mutton... a Jagri leaping to bite her, hold her down. Dragged to a farmsted.....a father watches his daughter sacrificed..she dies seeing Jagri grab him to be next. She was 9,_probably, when Untara sacrificed her..."
He opens his eyes. He looks to his wife Alvah's half sister

Amber Bronkhorst
"Yeah heard they want to destroy Amber. And to become a real place instead of a squiggle. Something with a sword."
She then listens to Jurt her face surprised.
"Damn. That is... " she shivers and takes another big drink.
"I am lucky dad took me away from there when he did. At least it couldn't influence me to much."

Michael James Watson
Jurt stands, walks near her, "no? Touch the blood on the blade. Its mine, I give you permission."

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah frowns and looks up to Jurt then hesitantly moves her hand towards the blade.
Biting her lip she hesitates but then just touches it. Not knowing what to expect.

Michael James Watson
She sees a vision of Jurt and a tall, strong white haired youth floating on rocks over a vast unknowable chasm. They seem to be fighting with thin laser lines, like laser pointers. He looses to the white haired youth Jurt wonder, " My duel with Merlin. I lost as usual..lost an ear"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah closes her eyes and watches the events. At the end she tries to shake the images off.
"Wow.. intense. That Chaos?"
She then sits back again pullin her knees up and drinking a long drink.
"But yeah i imagine stuff like that can affect me. Meant more that dad took me away soon enough from Azcala that their ways and upbringing didn't influence me."
She looks at Uta again.
"Though i do remember small things. Started to remember a few things right before Benedict took me to Rasak. "

Michael James Watson
"That's the Abyss. A giant endless scar between The Shadow Lands of Order and the Stuff of Chaos. Chaos is like an endless ocean of black oil, black water, and black smoke, dotted with islands of temporary order. Ways of Chaos, large and small, little pieces of universes that might exist for a second or an eternity. Creatures born and die in different forms. That's the land Despil, Meril, Maylon, Voya, Dara, and I all grew up in. "
"You remembered my famous duel with my brother Merlin, observed by good brother Despil, because my heart was sacrificed by Uta as part of what i thought was a sex game. Their clerics can remove a heart in a single cut, reaching into the chest and pulling it out. They channel life force then and if the heart is strong enough, they create a ruby heart, leaving most of the soul in the body long enough to maintain life till salves and oils can be placed in the wound to regrow the organ. If the life force is not strong enough, then the knife gets the coul, juices a bit of life force up the chain of its knives to one of the 12 master knives, and the body dies. Then they drain the blood for wine and cook the body for meat. Dry the bones for utencils. One thing i will say about tha Azcalans; they are not wasteful of their kills"
"You can see the event by touching the blood because a knife of the line of this knife was used to take your heart, and to sanctify you to the blood of Tonacat. Destroy one of the 12 knives, and that family loses a 12th of their power. Destroy them all, then they might as well be regular shadow dwellers. Their power is in the knives and the blood they take."
"At least thats what Uta told Me, Benedict, Bleys, Julian, Grard, Dalt, Fiona, and me. Of course she is batshit crazy, as you saw."

Amber Bronkhorst
"The Abyss, right i heard a bit about that from Vance. What a place to grow up in. "
Alvah then looks intently to Jurt and thinks for a moment
"Despil and you look alike but are so different."
Listening intently to the story she shudders
"So all the knives know all the souls ever sacrificed with one of them? Even mine?"
Alvah looks at the knife again.
"I am actually thankful for dad keeping me away from all that as long as he has. Giving me a shot on a normal enough youth. "
She looks up
"Wait destroy all the knifes and they lose their power? not bad to know impossible to do probably but interesting to know. "
"well not that crazy concidering what she went through. and i like her kind of crazy."
Alvah laugs and takes a bit drink
"make me feel less crazy."

Michael James Watson
"Vance told you about the Abyss? He would know. Idiot committed suicide, took his son along, by jumping into the Abyss. He then spent an eon in that timeless hell seeking a construct of power, gaining powers, fighting creatures and forces every step, till he found the shadow of the Pattern of Amber that resided there. He then ripped the frigging thing out of the ground and heaved it up and out, he, Vek, and a pregnant Voya. Dworkin had sanctified the ground at Vulsar to receive it, and they slammed the damned thing down. Brought some massive star ship on top of it to create an instant castle. Fools. It may be out of the Abyss but its tainted anyway.,.." Looking up, "Sorry, i ramble.." He takes a big chug of the blue tequila. "Azcalan Tequila.. I import it from a place called Heroch's. A cantina whorehouse in the Azcalan Sway. Close enough to get the real Azcalan Blue, not shadows of it. She drinks it like water. Be careful with it. Its in your blood too. You will grow too fond of it"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah leans her head on her knees and smiles
"oh don't worry about it i love listening to stories and ramblings. I can spend hours listening to Arlo, Vek kind of does the same thing. My father as well. "
Looking at her bottle she downs another big drink and exhales.
"Well haven't heard those details about Vance and what he did, heard he had been stranded there yeah. "
Looking at her bottle again she smiles.
"I like the taste, it has something soothing. Dad introduced me to it. It was the night when Benedict came and stabbed me in the chest. " she chuckles.
"NOthing like what the Azcalan people do ey. but yeah i started to remember my mother... " she looks to Uta
"our mother, some kind of pet i had and how i protected it from my mother. but that is about it. Think dad made sure i would not remember any sacrificing and such. "

Michael James Watson
JUrt laughs, "Pet? Like a furry jaguar but with a flatter face?"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah closes her eyes and tries to recall the image of the teddy bear like pet and nods
"well yeah you could describe it like that, i know i really loved that creature. My mother tried to hit it with a long belt or something but i stepped in between. "
Alvah opens her eyes again and grins a silly grin drinking deep from the bottle as long as there is still tequilla in there.
"But it is a very vague memory i was young, could remember it wrong. "

Michael James Watson
He says, "A Jagri. Uta had one. Semi-sentient warrior beasts.

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah nods
"ah well, if it is still alive it would be still there. And won't know me anyway."
She looks at her torn and messed up dress and remembers why she actually came here.
"Oh right.. i was here with Arlo.. he was going to explain something to me. jeesh. totally forgot."
Alvah laughs a laugh where pain and bitterness can be sensed in.
"Freaking mind blanking.." she mutters softly and angrily.

Michael James Watson
"Ah yes. Arlo mentioned that. Stupid dangerous practice. It's common among certain schools of sorcery. There are types of magic that are hard to learn if one has become hidebound by another scholarship. It's also done to help someone really go native. "
"The rationale is that no matter how much you study at place or practice you will never know it like a native. To do it a sorcerer has a support group with Great practitioner of the spells. The scholar lays open his power and protections, and has his powers, memories, everything of their life aside. The senior practitioner over sees a series of shadow walks.
"These walkers find the exact type of world the scholar wants. Digging deeper they find a reasonable duplicate of the scholar. Shaving shadow finer, they find a world the duplicate has just died as a child. The scholar is then shape changed to the identical appearance of the child. The shapechage is linked to change to simulate aging. A switch is made. The scholar-child grows up a native.
Then over time triggering information is lightly dribbled out. After 20,25,30 years of that the spell snaps. The scholar is in the realm with all the other active advantages. He can leave or stay in that life as he eishes.
I've never done it
But Arlo has; 0many times. He is a fan. It never interested me. The scholar risks a lot. Loss of memory or power.

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah listens intently then looks at Jurt she snarls
"that is toying with people their lives... look i get it if someone is bored, but seriously.... out of studying natives.. assholes."
She wants to take another drink but notices her bottle is empty and sighs a weary sigh.
"well damn" She looks up at Jurt and places the bottel down
"Remember that guy i talked about Merrill, who i thought dad had made disappeared because he was suddenly gone after a year of loads of fun relationship.. Well that guy is a prince and just got knighted by king Random and is now serving on Gerards flagship and he did that mind blinking thing... "
Alvah looks actually genuinly sad
"So that was that with him... i was just a fun year in ages of study for that ass. "

Michael James Watson
JUrt nods, bring up a glass and pouring the blue tequila in a glass rather then drinking from the bottle, pulls up a urala cigar, pushing them over to you and doing the same for himself. Lighting the cigar, the colorful smoke scents the air.
"When i am around her i forget my manners and drink form the bottle.. Lets remind ourselves.. Arlo has justifications for the practice and they are reasonable. The thing to remember is that the man you know was the product of his environment. As honest or dishonest as that environment made him. When his memory returned, who knows what his values were or his reasons were. When you see him again, you'll find out."
" In the mean time... find out who he is here. A prince of Acadia? I've never been there. Despite being so close to Amber, even on the same world, they are not a frequent presence in Amber. There is a area called Little Acadia near the theater district. couple of streets. Lots of markets and restaurants. They are mostly vegetarians. They make great wine. I may have a few cases around but it tends to be a bit high brow. On a level with Bayle's. They are nature oriented. Lots of food magic. They have a tiny royal family. king, a couple brother of the king. maybe 5 kids among them all. "

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah takes the glass and smiles she looks at the cigar and lights it. Always in for new vices.
"Yeah i know i shouldn't jump to conclusions. It was just a shock and i got frustrated. " she gets a bit of a color on her face and quickly drinks from the glass
"you know i waited for him. after him there was noone else.. seriously how sad is that. But then again i didn't know he was from around here, and i didn't know i was from around here. And now relationships seem so... so.. trivial you know. Well yeah ofcourse you know... you are old.. well older."
Alvah leans back smokes the cigar and plays with the smoke.
"But you are right. Though chances are i will not really see him soon. He goes away this morning with Gerard. " she shrugs
"but ey waited so long. "

Michael James Watson
"So...he is with Gerard? Gerard who is in the trump deck?"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah laughs a slight tipsy laugh
"i am not going to trump Gerard for a love lost in shadow. who turns out to be a prince... who might have totally forgotten me. Like som sort of fairytale disney movie.... " she looks up
"though i have an animal companion.... but i can't sing for shit. and i am from a royal family from both sides."
Alvah just starts to laugh and then cry and laugh. she nuzzles her head in her lap
"and if that doesn't work out... do you know nice single guys?"

Michael James Watson
He laughs, "Nice? That's hilarious.. Settle for respectable. Though, you spent quite an exhausting looking tryst with probably the only nice guy who comes in here. He calls himself Shaver in here. As good example of an unlikely person to have underworld name as I can imagine. Not quite as bad as when Bleys comes here as Redbeard or when Flora comes here as Nightinggale, but close. Hey, at least he isn't related to you! He would be who i recommend. Of couirse i saw Big Bertha looking your backside over. Be careful about the drinks she serves you. "

Amber Bronkhorst
"Eyyyy what is hilarious about nice... but yeah respectable is okey to... Uta married you right?" she grins to Jurt
"All i know is Andorian, Borg, but one of the good borg. and if i am in luck he serves under my brother. But he seemed nice... and weirdly enough respectful for a place like this.....and thoughtfull and funny... and ... wait! you were watching?"
Alvah groans.
She then waves a frustrated hand next to her inhales deeply from the smoke and shoves the glass to Jurt.
"more please? and wait..... i have to be careful for big Bertha? right.. i'll try and remember."

Michael James Watson
Jurt looks more like his old wicked self, and pours..a double...
"If you are in luck? Ah, Whisper, that wasn't some andorian gunnery sergeant. Shave is Candle Hyle. He was Vance's first mate on the Shadowwalker, the flag ship of Star Fleet. He is its captain now. As well he is an Admiral and number 4 or 5 under Vance, Benedict, Agrom and Vander, which makes him the highest ranking non-amberite in the fleet. He comes here because Andorians like it rough and there are rules about that at Vulsara. He holds a broken pattern at least to be able to shadowwalk. His nic is Shaver because he is one of a dozen people in the fleet able to Shadow Shave; control a starship at warp while shifting shadow.. He is probably Vance's best friend."

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah takes the glass and after hearing the story she downs it in one go.
Throwing up her arms
"seeee even that doesn't work. Altho we can meet here, cause you know what happens here stays here.... right... and it was loads of fun. and he is kind of hot. "
She looks at her empty glass adn sighs
"i need to stop drinking, Spatchi and i are probably going to run tomorrow and can't miss a step when doing hte elites run. Would be so painful."
She turns her glass upside down on the table. She then looks intensly at Jurt.
"this to is not leaving here right? Oh i hope Shaver doesn't babble about this."
Alvah burries her face in her hands.
she then turns with one hand her glass upright again and shoves it towards Jurt.
"maybe one more for the road?"

Michael James Watson
"Shaver is discrete. Has to be in his case."

Amber Bronkhorst
"He has to be because of his position you mean?"
She then looks meaningful to her glass.

Michael James Watson
" Semantics. Depends on your point of view. He has made friends and enemies. Its one of the things Vance approves of; networking. SOme of those people here might not like who they are doing business with. Even in Amber itself."

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah blinks
"Right. Well at least i'll be able to see him here. "
She grins wide.
Alvah then stands up slowly. Holding the table with her hand for balance.
"Thank you for the drinks. But i really have to go. Got to walk home!"
Alvah then laughs.
"Home is a big word..... castle. Ny room in the castle. "

Michael James Watson
Jurt smiles, produces a card. "Don't tell anyone. This goes to my room. ITs on the same floor. They don't like us making trumps that bypass security. But, I did.."
He nads the card over, "I don't use the room much. Just water the plant if you use the card and don't bother any anumals you find there. My companion tends to throw parties for the castle animals"

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah stumbles over and nods.
"Thank you. Saves a trip. Yeah we are sort of neighbors. "
She turns looking at the sleeping Uta and grins.
"I'll tell Cicero he should keep an eye on that. I'm sure he loves parties. "
Taking the card she then says...
"Oh talking of Cicero my dufiro infested friend... would it ever be possible to meet the one who put a dufiro in him? That dufrie...analat? Person? "

Michael James Watson
Jurt says, "The Dufrieanalat? Sure, Swell guy. Good luck with that."
he says, "Actually, a step in that direction would be to talk to Fort. Fortunadus Enright. He is with CHAD. He is local, and doesn't mind being found. "

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah laughs.
"Luck, hmm i usually am. " she grins her sheepishly drunken smile
"I'll try talk to Fort, fine, first sleep."
She looks at the trump trying to focus to go through.

Michael James Watson
Stepping into his room it is clean, almost immaculate. Spartanly decorated. A plant in the corner thrives in spite of its neglect.

Amber Bronkhorst
Alvah stumbles to the door to go to her own room.
If she manages she will reach her bed and just drop on there not bothering with clothing or covers.
She crashes hopefully for some sleep.