Stairway to Heaven

The Lintha were gone. The fogbank cleared. There was no evidence of our battle anywhere except for the debris and slightly black blood in the water. The War Sharks took their leave. It was time to clean up. However, there was that question of where that large Essence Cannon was fired from.

We had consulted with Raging Snowstorm and apparently he's brought the refugees to the Island and he's encountered someone else he'd rather not talk about right now. I wonder why. Akira summoned him to the Arc and he moved stayed with me in the Prince. We traced the trajectories of the blast and despite the fog tracked it to an island in the middle of this archipelago. It was a rather large island, with a huge mountain. The charts said this was Kerekis, an old volcanic island and perhaps the highest point of old Okeanos.

We made landing near on the islands and Snowstorm went exploring while we supervised the cleaning up of the ships removing the traces of Lintha in it. Akira got bored and soon joined Snowstorm and they gained the top of the mountain not really discovering where the Essence Cannon came from. However, Nemo, the little god who serves as Akira's companion and comic relief spotted a Celestial Gate to Yu-Shan.

The rest of us made our way up there. We decided to make good on the vacation Naar apparently won from Plentimon. He happily informed us on the way up of his bet and his winnings. We decided on a plan to get ourselves inside and when we assembled we strode purposefully towards the Lions there as guided by Nemo.

We were quickly let in but apparently we had to be stamped by some officious looking Mandarin. If I thought bureaucrats in Creation were annoying I can imagine where they got their inspiration. After a rather annoying forehead stamping episode and an amusing Akira peeing on the minor god, we used a cloudcar to get to Plentimon's Palace, where it seems we were expected.

The majordomo immediately brought us to our rooms, which actually consisted of a large building with a casino each. The servant gods seemed to cater to our specific tastes. Naar already set up our appointments with the Celestial Monitors of the Seasons and Weather, or the Bureau of Seasons for short.

We set about some business and some entertainment. I decided to make inquiries in the form of courtesy calls to gods important to our interests in the West. The first to answer my request for an audience was Siakal. I met once more the War Sharks who assisted us in the bloodbath with the Lintha the day before. They seemed amenable for a repeat performance and the audience with Siakal seemed to say the same thing. The audience was blunt and short and it appears I still am in her favor. I hope we will be able to enlist aid in future conflicts with armies larger than ours. I'd put the entire Lintha race in her pool of black basalt for that. We aren't the unstoppable forces we were in the First Age. I believe we will need support.

Rudhira seems keen on our increasing our fleets but says our best resources are outside the West. She recommended some worshippers of the Unconquered Sun down south but I think it will have some political ramifications in Heaven. She also mentioned shipwrights from the East and to contact one Fuuma Raya, a Solar. Previously, I would have been overjoyed. But I have met Moray Darktide and it seems not all of us work towards compatible ends. However, I will still request Akira to send a message to her via her Infallible Messenger.

The majordomo has also recommended that I visit the so called "Solar Demense" or The Salient of the Unconquered Sun as it is marked on the maps. He also mentioned a group of formerly unemployed gods working for a Solar named Silk Midnight Princess somewhere in the East. Perhaps, we could set up our own group here. We'd have our offices and if I remember right each of our Exaltations has it's own apartments assigned.

I still have a pending meeting with Blue Crest Merchant and I find out that Naar and Snowstorm have arranged some sort of show and word has reached Tachi-kun, god of Exalted Combat. They're moving the betting and the fight to a place called the "Plaza" in front of the Jade Pleasure Dome. Snowstorm's opponent is supposed to be another Dawn Caste Solar of comparable power named Crimson Bladebearer. The bookeepers are starting to work double-time and the bets are coming in. Naar devised a way to charge for seats and to make a lot of money out of it. Maybe we can use that to fund some projects here in Yu-Shan.

One thing still bothers me. I wonder if there are any experts on the gates and someone who knows who fired an Essence Cannon from Kerekis.

I still believe that this side trip will be profitable.

A Victory?

As Naar Kalaman's band of Celestial (and Terrestrial) Exalts sailed back from the Archipelago of Exiles, where they picked up the remainder of the people they promised to take, Naar Kalaman opted to take a more auspicious route so as not to be seen by the mortals in the horizon. Indeed the Arc of First Light is already a wonder in itself, its orichalcum body shining against the Unconquered Sun's glare like gold, that it rarely escapes notice once seen.

Their little expedition home was hindered, however, as the crewmen spotted a massive wall of fog in the distance, moving slowly towards them. The unmistakable booming sounds of essence cannons rented the quiet air and immediately the crewmen of the Arc went into alert. Drifter checked the horizon along with the others and knew all too well, through a simple thought process, that this was no ordinary fog wall. It's a sunny day for goodness sake, and there isn't even a trace of thick clouds indicating a storm. What else could there be to this mystery?

"Eristrufa!"

Akira's voice rang in their special communication channel and immediately Drifter had his answer. Of course he had heard of these mystic demons haunting the West, and he knew all too well what manner of beings these demons accompany.

Lintha.

Knife of the Ocean suddenly landed beside them from the crow's nest and rallied the forces onboard the ship. With Raging Snowstorm's sudden absence, they were devoid of a military commander, and thus Naar Kalaman had to take up the reins and order the troops onboard the ship. Essence coalesced around them as the entire Arc of First Light became infused with Storm-Weather Essence. At once Drifter understood - a major battle will be underway. Sensing that his presence is better needed below, he immediately went to the engine rooms to tend to their massive Essence engine.

The Lintha forces swam into view as the Eristrufa cleared some of the fog for the battle to commence in favor of both sides - four heavily armed ships flanking a larger, more sinister ship that appeared to bear trace of the lost First Age - a seemingly intact battlecruiser that looks like a smaller version of the Arc of First Light. Drifter's senses tingled with excitement at the thought of running his craftsman fingers on the thing, but he knew it had to be won over first, and that's part and parcel of his problem!

Of course, with higher level Linthas come demons towing these massive warships, thus over the communication channel they shared Drifter knew that Knife had dived under and summoned Siakal's boon - her children's aid in the battle.

The rest of the battle was a wild ring to Drifter's senses, for he heard nothing but Naar Kalaman's commands that he synced with the engine's power. Sometimes they needed to boost the Essence engine to its limits so they can attain a particularly difficult maneuver and sometimes he had to divert power to one engine alone so they can perform a tricky steer. At the end of these commands and after Drifter's execution it normally entailed massive shock such as a powerful collision at first, then the ship rising in the air and landing roughly again, causing Drifter to tumble and get thrown around the deck.

Heck, he knew the expedition in the Wyld Waters in the past was worse, but again he felt like a salad being tossed around. All the while this happened Drifter also sensed severe trauma hitting the ship, like as if something - or some things - were ramming against its hull. He knew he'd have his work cut out for him once this is all over.

But it didn't stop there. To his horror, after the rest of the violent activities around the ship ended, a final, terrible shock hit the ship from the rear, causing one of their propellers to be jammed by something heavy and massive. The force destroyed part of the mechanisms and the Essence engine handling it went out of control and stopped.

Oh man, this isn't good, Drifter said to himself. Then he heard Naar Kalaman's voice, ordering him to join the battle at the deck. Drifter armed himself with his Gauntlets of Distant Claws and joined the throng of Lintha and Tiger Warriors battling on the deck. The wailing of souls in his armor greeted the Lintha unit he struck with doom as his Essence concentrated on his arms, raining deadly blows upon the main Lintha force.

Among the battlers Drifter noticed an inexperienced combatteer who resembled a winged mercenary, dishing out damage against the same Lintha unit that he is scourging. His curiosity was rewarded as the mysterious man lashed out a blow at the Linthas, the mark of the Night flashing on his forehead. It was another Exalt. However it came there, he'd know later.

As the Terrestrial Exalt leading the Lintha unit exhausted its essence and life just to bear a violent attack upon Naar Kalaman, only for the sly captain to dodge it skillfully, the battle grew from bad to worse. He rallied all Lintha forces to concentrate fire upon Naar Kalaman and to Drifter's horror the captain went down almost immediately. It was unfortunate that he cannot share the might of his anima banner against the crushing force of the Lintha now onboard and those on the ships adjacent to them, raining arrows consistently. Peleps Nuada took Captain Kalaman and shoved him inside the cabin, the rest of the unit fighting dearly to defend Naar from impending death. Drifter's blows, while it dealt damage to the Terrestrial Exalt leader of these Lintha, were not enough to divert his attention.

Then, to Drifter's eyes, everything suddenly seemed worthless.

The Terrestrial leader Exalt motioned for his demons, which immediately enshrouded the entire battlefield in fog once again, then in a flash of essence, he disappeared with his demons and his elite unit. The rest of the Lintha who remained started fleeing for their lives upon realizing their leader's sudden departure, some getting unfortunately seized by either Siakal's War Sharks or the rest of the Tiger Warriors.

*****

Now, as they reconvened on the ship some time after the battle, Naar Kalaman now resting in a cabin, heavily wounded, Drifter thought that everything was wasted. True, they had managed to seize the Lintha's First Age ship, and while it was a treasured find in itself, the Twilight was still beset with grief at the effort they put into the battle, only for it to end up so worthlessly. They may have won, but the favor was still in the enemy's.

He did not know whether it was their missing comrades who were to blame, but he realized that it was not theirs to bear. They did not seek for the Lintha for one thing - the Lintha found them, and they just stood their ground for as long as they can. Given time, the force can overwhelm them, but they chose to flee instead. Why?

His instinct as one of Creation's best thinkers kicked in. Of course, they will return. They will return, and bring a greater force and better armaments, probably more demons that their greater demon-tainted family members would commission, and when that time comes they will definitely face one of the greatest battles in Creation - a battle that will either annihilate another band of returning Exalts to this world, or a battle that will permanently scar once again one of the most ancient and most vile families that have withstood even the Primordial Wars.

Pyrrhic Victory

We had picked up the denizens of the Isle of Little Foxes and had gone out to check for the slavers that frequented the area. Apparently, we had no such luck. We decided to return to the Sru Vijaya via more circuitous route. After avoiding a few patrols, we directed the other ships to the Isle with Raging Snowstorm. We then proceeded to the Neck to investigate the disappearance of the Ocean Father's God-blooded son. Snowstorm promised to follow in the Velvet Glove.

Things did not go as planned.

En route to Solid Shell, we heard booming noises. They were the unmistakable sound of Essence Cannons... very large Essence Cannons. I leaped up to the crows nest with Akira on my shoulder as a parrot and looked in the direction of the sounds.

Steering towards the source of the cacophony, we spied a strange fog bank. It seemed to be moving away from the range of the Essence Cannons. Akira let out a squawk and in our minds her voice said one word: "Eristrufa"

These fog demons were common in the West but their behavior was quite... odd. It appears that they were being guided and covering something. And then it all clicked into place. Lintha.

I relayed my suspicions to Naar and Drifter. They responded by alerting the men in the ship and steering into the fog. The mortals soon started having hallucinations and Naar ordered them in. We heard battle chanting off in the distance. Drifter reduced speed.

Suddenly, the fog bank split. Revealed were five large Lintha ships and a seemingly intact First Age Indomitable Dawning Sun Battlecruiser. None of these seemed to be powered under sail. And the currents showing above hinted at what was underneath. We had a battle on our hands.

I gave a quick mental warning to Akira and Naar and quickly centered myself. I felt the Essence flowing through me as the magic of my Charms prepared my body for the coming trial. I then kicked off and made a swan dive towards the water. I felt rather than saw Akira take off from my shoulder and transform into her current favorite aquatic form. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flitting shape in the air which looked like it had wings.

I didn't think much of it as I split the water evenly with my dive. And then I saw them. Five huge infernal worms. The largest of which looked more like a behemoth than a worm.We were then joined by a unit of Lintha mutants. I decided we needed help.

I pulled out the prayer strip given to me and bit my finger. I rubbed the blood on it and said the prayer inscribed on the strip in Old Realm. The strip twitched. I released it.

The prayer strip dissolved into blood which spread around the water and temporarily fogged my vision. I swam out of the blood and with me were five enormous War Sharks.

The lead one spoke to me in Old Realm. "Knife of the Ocean?" it asked.

I nodded.

"Our prey?" it asked again.

I pointed in the direction of the Infernal Worms and the Lintha.

With a roar audible even underwater the Children of Siakal sped towards their prey. I snagged the dorsal fin of one of them to join in on the slaughter. I told Akira "I'll handle this!" and indeed she went back up the Arc.

The Sharks and I managed to drive off one of the Worms and kill the so-called Black Whaler, the behemoth that dragged the Battlecruiser. They also ate whole the underwater units of the Lintha.

However, the battle above was not going well as Drifter kept me updated using our mental links. They managed to beat back the main commander's unit but the Terrestrial himself was unharmed. Small units of archers and Auzhian wielding maniacs were focusing on Naar.

The flying thing I noticed happened to be another Exalt. He looked like a citizen of Coral and he helped beat back the Lintha. We'd deal with him later.

Peleps Nuada noticed that Naar was bleeding from a multitude of injuries. Drifter told me he shoved Naar in the cabin and took over the Tiger Warriors. I asked the lead War Shark to take me above and finish off the other worms.

Nuada was hard pressed and passed leadership of the unit to me when I arrived to help. We pushed back the other units and drove one overboard to their deaths in the maws of the War Sharks.

We managed to wound their leader while Akira managed to use sorcery to tie up their archers and seeing the tides of the battle turning, the Terrestrial used sorcery to escape.

We rounded up the rest of the Lintha that were not able to flee underwater. I asked Drifter and Akira to check on Naar and while they were away I sacrificed the remaining Lintha to Siakal.

The War Sharks were only too happy to oblidge carrying the offering to her - in little bloody pieces, I might add.

While Drifter and Akira tended to the wounded Naar, I sent some men to the other Battlecruiser and Nuada, despite his injuries went with them. It was smaller than the Arc of First Light but I will claim it for my own.

The other formerly flying Exalt was looking at me. I wonder what to do with him. I motioned him towards the cabins and the conference room.

Naar and Nuada heavily injured, Snowstorm not answering the mental summons, damage to the lower sections of the hull in the Arc, a powerful Terrestrial Sorcerer among the Lintha who likely will be returning to plaugue us, this mystererious Exalt, the Ocean Father's request, and this place... Kerekis, where the sounds of enormous Essence Cannons emanated from... we have our work cut out for us.

---- Notes -----
Drifter and I had completely forgotten about Kerekis. It's a huge volcano, albeit an extinct one. Stranger still, it seems the cannons fired from the area. Also, it seems in a straight line from Skullstone and Prodigal Lava Brother's Volcano.

Visiting Naar, I saw him asleep. His body was healing quickly but it would still be a while before he was at peak condition. Strangely enough, a small smile lit up his face. It was as if he won a bet and it was funny.