Meeting+in+the+Tea+Garden

Cho wandered through her tea garden in perfect contentment. It //was// a pretty piece of magic, she thought a trifle smugly, to have such verdant greenery here in the heart of her icy mountain home. Cho and her southern counterpart had labored on the spell for this garden and she was more than pleased with the result.

She walked past a sand garden where a few of her monks sat, deep in meditation while others raked the sand into waves that washed against the //Taihu// stones; limestone that had been worn away by the force of water over the years into fantastic lacy shapes.

The path that she trod was made of repeating patterns of different stones. White walls surrounded the garden, contrasting with the green tile roof and the red lacquerwork of the arches and doors. Etched into the arches were snippets of poetry reflecting on the beauty of nature. In the center of the garden was a jade green pond. Around its edges, willows wept long, leafy tears into the pool. //Koi// fish flashed and darted in the depths, while barred geese silently paddled on top of the water, gliding to and fro. A bridge arched from the path to a pagoda which floated like a lotus in the heart of the water.

Thus she had all five elements incorporated into the garden: rocks, the skeleton of the world; water, the lifeblood of the world; plants, the sustenance of the world; architecture, the protection of the world and literature; the heart of the world.

She walked across the bridge and into the pagoda, where she greeted her guests, Acasius and Simeon. She bowed to them and knelt, performing the traditional tea ceremony as a way of welcoming and honoring them. Her white hair was caught back in a loose bun at the nape of her neck, secured by two long enameled sticks. She wore a white robe, embroidered with silver and blue dragons and clouds. Every movement was purposeful as her long, elegant hands prepared the tea. She spoke no words during the ceremony, nor did her guests. At last, though, the tea was poured and the ritual was at an end. She placed a steaming cup of fragrant dragonwell tea in front of Simeon and another in front of Acasius. Lastly, she took one for herself and sat back against the cushions.

"Welcome, friends. Let us drink tea together and then let us speak our hearts freely to one another. Simeon and I have know each other for many years, Acasius, and yet, we both feel drawn to you for some reason. I have said before that you are a riddle and that you have a story to tell. Perhaps it is time to impart that story to us, for we both intuit that our fates are all entwined."

Acasius lifted the cup to his lips and sipped the wonderful blend his host had brewed. It had been some time since he could enjoy a moment like this. As he put the cup back onto the platter, he saw Cho smile at his satisfaction.

"A riddle." Acasius said with a small chuckle. "Perhaps one of the greatest I have ever known. I must make it clear that I am not normally one to simply trust another after a handshake. With this said, this seems to only strengthen the possibility of a connection between us." Acasius took a deep breath. "Now it is clear that I am not of this world. I'm a product of a place appropriately named the Void. From what I remember, it was just a small dark room with an endless hallway connected to it. How I came to be, whatever I may be, is still unclear. The process though, I remember that..."

Acasius' voice pitch raised just the slightest bit as he spoke the last sentence. The change was so minor, any normal being could never tell. However, Madame Cho's acute hearing picked up the change and she cocked her head as Acasius proceeded without hesitation.

"I was awake the entire time...floating in the liquid as I watched the others circle me as I slowly dissolved. I lost all sense of time... Me! Soon we merged together and later became one. A new body, new organs and blood, an entirely new person." Acasius hung his head. After a moment, he looked up, talking in his original tone. "It is I, Acasius, and I alone who controls this body. However, there are others. They whisper inside my head incessantly, such as the moment I was born into this world. I can only remember falling down and down, then waking up in a small cottage at the foot of the mountain..."

"My mountain," Cho said. Her words were not a question. She waved a dismissive hand at Acasius' look of surprise. "It was no great matter to deduce that. Indeed, it explains much. But please, do go on. How did you know to contact me, being a stranger in a strange land, as you were?"

"Upon awakening, I had noticed a parcel lying on the counter across from me. I would not have opened it if it wasn't for the three in my head noticing that name the parcel was addressed to was made up of parts of their names. Inside was the tattered book I mentioned in one of my letters, and a note on top of it. It told me that I should seek aid from the librarian atop the great mountain before me. To me, it sounded like a wonderful idea. Who could know more about this land than a librarian in a giant library?"

Cho smiled and took another sip of tea. "Who indeed? Though you flatter me, my riddle. There are at least three others who know almost as much about this world as I do. Fortunately for me, my books fill in any gaps in my knowledge. And so, here you are with the hand of destiny heavy upon you. What aid can I render to you, True Seeker?

Acasius could hear the change in her tone. What he asked of her now, she would take as a solemn oath, binding both of them together. She was not merely a librarian, this much was certain. What exactly she was, though, was beyond him at the moment.

"I am not complete," Acasius stated. He was talking in a hushed voice, almost worried that one might overhear. "I have three human pasts swirling inside my head, clouding my vision. Imagine, three entirely different people's memories trying to compress into one. Try to comprehend that. I'm not one, not three, but four completely different people. I need to find Unity."

Acasius reached into his bag behind him and procured a map of the world. "I was born to this world for a reason and I'm determined to know why." He pointed to the northern and southern tips of the planet. "Here are the weakest points in the this world's spiritual barriers. Some call it the Rift. It is the bridge between dimensions and it is where one dreams. I believe there is a way to gain entry to the Rift, and beyond that, the gateway to the Void. If I am to learn what has happened to me, to //us//, then perhaps the area in inquiry is the best place to start."

Cho exchanged looks with Simeon and wordless agreement passed between them. "My dear friend and I wished to go South as well. You are newly come to this place, but even you, as a newcomer, have felt the imbalance of our planet." Cho sighed deeply, concern crossing her timeless face. "Rumors have reached my ears of fiery dragons and demons who terrify the Southern reaches. The South is without a...protector...at the moment, and so, we wish to investigate these whispers. We will aid you in your quest to find what you seek, but you must understand that I myself cannot leave this world. If you go into the Rift or the Void, I cannot follow you. Do you understand me?"

Acasius nodded in acknowledgement. "I understand. I wouldn't ask anything that you would be unwilling to do. Now, tell me how I can help you."

Cho shook her head slightly. "No, my friend. You misunderstand me. It is not that I am //unwilling// to leave this planet. Instead, I am //unable// to leave. It would be like," she paused for a moment, "like asking my mountain to leave, or the ocean. I am inextricably bound to this world. As to how you can help us...the most honest answer I can give you at the moment is I do not yet know. But I am old enough and wise enough to acknowledge that you //will// help us, somehow, during this adventure. I also would ask no more of you than that which you would be willing to perform. Does that suit?"

Simeon took in all that had been said. He thought it humorous that Acasius could stride in amongst Cho and himself, who ran thick as thieves (and had been known in the past to 'borrow' a trinket or two) and seem as if he had been there all along. "You will forgive my interruption, my dearest friends. However, Acasius, I hold no such boundaries as the lovely madam. You will find that I am not attached to this planet for ... reasons which our friend here, may be. I would gladly come with you on this Rift search, and I would gladly accompany you into this dreamscape. If you would have me that is." He took a deep gulp of his scorching tea, feeling no effects of the heat. "Though I would not be well equipped to leave right this moment. I still have a matter or two to discuss. Though before I get to those issues, I would like to make plans for our departure. Will it be just you and I who head off to the South, or will our lovely friend be accompanying us?"

Cho arched an eyebrow at her oldest friend. "But of course I will be accompanying you both! There is no telling what trouble you could get into were I not around. And I can hardly let you two go off and have all the adventure while I stay here! No, that would not do at all. If the two of you head into the Rift, there are other matters that I could attend to in the South, as a debt to a dear friend of mine. Besides, you will need me. And then, there is the matter of transportation..." she trailed off, smiling radiantly at the two men across from her.

"If my guess is right, then once we find this conduit, travel should be no problem," said Acasius. "As for this minute, transportation is only one of the issues. As Simeon stated, I'm not equipped for fending off demons. I had particular skills in my past lives, but I wasn't much of a fighter. I can barely remember who was smart and who was a ruffian. Besides, weapon or not, I'm not even sure I retained anything."

"Oh, my dear Acasius, //I// can provide the transportation for the first part of our trip," Cho laughed, as Simeon chuckled with her. There was a hidden message in her words, but Acasius did not understand it. Simeon clearly did, however. "If you like, I could try to speak to the others who reside within you. They may be able to provide some information about your...their...past. As to weaponry, well, books aren't the only thing I collect. When we go up to the Library, you can look around and see what suits you. We can also see if you retain any residual memories of how to handle those weapons. It should be a simple matter to test. But, my dear Simeon, what are the other issues which concern you?"

"Honestly, there is hardly anything these previous days that does not concern me. As you know far better than I, the guardian of the South has been missing for quite sometime. The South has been overrun by a red dragon who is claiming to be the new Guardian," Simeon stated.

Cho sniffed dismissively. "That dragon. Really. If you boys go haring off into the Rift, I may just have to do something about her myself. Guardian of the South, indeed," she muttered darkly.

"Though what concerns me personally is that I may have found a clue as to who I am," the two of them looked at him in a bit of surprise, Cho less so than Acasius. "Well, clearly, I am Simeon Ash. What I meant was that I believe I have found a link to my past. I am not only speaking of the past ten thousand years, but before that as well." Acasius had a quizzical look on his face when Simeon had said ten thousand. "Ah yes, that's right, my friend. You see, the oddest part about me is that well, I am immortal. Now, I trust that you are not too surprised by this for we have all seen our fair shares of oddities, especially over the past few days," Acasius nodded in agreement. "I do not have the capacity to die, or at least to stay dead. However, my greatest issue has always been //why// I am immortal. I have never been able to come to any understanding as to why I am this way. Nor have I recalled any memories beyond awakening in a field ten thousand years ago. I would like to know who I am, and I think I have found a clue to that after all these aeons."

"The writing in the cliff?" Cho asked.

"Indeed, Though I assume I shall learn more of it's meaning once I depart on the journey, that is, if you are willing to have my company?"

Acasius smiled and clapped a hand on Simeon's shoulder. "I shall be glad to have your company, Simeon. I shall aid you in your similar quest to find yourself in whatever way I can. One last favor, Madame," he said as he turned to Cho. "Being as knowledgeable as you are, perhaps you can explain this."

Acasius removed a small metal egg no bigger than the tea cups before them. It emitted a strange whirring sound, almost like gears spinning, but stopped as he put it on the table. It appeared to be made of a strange metal with even stranger designs. There were five indents on it; four in the left and one on the right.

"Hmmm," Cho made a sound deep in her throat, almost a low rumble. Then she cocked her head at Acasius. "Have you tried picking it up and putting your fingers in the indentations? See? Four here for your fingers and one for your thumb?"

"Yes, I have," Acasius replied. He took the metal oval back from Cho and placed his hand on it like before."When I do it though," //Click.// "It's almost like it's jammed." He ran his fingers over the design. It showed an archer, a mage, a scholar, a warrior, and a strange symbol between them. It looked like a tree with two triangles around it. One contained the roots of the tree, and the other was flipped, containing the branches and leaves. The shape it made was that of an hourglass. Below the symbol was an inscription that read, "//With roots above and branches below.//"

"If I am not much mistaken, and do correct me if I am wrong. I believe that is the depiction of the tree of life. It shows the ethereal connection of Heaven and Earth through the use of triangles, or three a very sacred number. It can also be an image of Heaven (the crown), Earth (the trunk), and Hell (the roots). All in all, that is a symbol of the connectivity of worlds in different dimensions, not necessarily the idea of a religious realm. Rather it can also depict a span of space and time between dimensions, or it could also represent the North and South where the borders are weakest. The only true question of this device is how it pertains to you, my young rift seeker, and what is needed in order to open it. In my opinion it would be as you had mentioned earlier, the unity of yourself," Simeon stated. "Though I may be wrong entirely. That is just my hypothesis as to the relevance of this device and yourself."

"You are completely correct, friend," Acasius agreed. "That much I discovered myself. Perhaps this could open the conduit itself, the bridge between worlds? Another opinion may be the tree is a chain connecting and bonding said dimensions together. The roots could be connecting this place, the branches to another and the trunk is our way across. Or even the branches could represent the Rift, the gateway to all dimensions, and could simply be a single strand in the fabric of the Multiverse. Another depiction of Unity or wholeness. The possibilities are endless. If there is one thing that is absolute, it is your idea that it reflects myself somehow. Each of these characters contain traits from my pasts. The scholar, the wizard, the ranger..."

"Were you brought together in unity and able to access all these skills, you would be formidable indeed, my riddle," Cho said. "I agree with the analysis, this represents you. Perhaps it is not jammed, per se, but is meant to be opened at a certain place or time. And speaking of time, of course the hourglass shape of the triangles is a symbol of time. But //roots above and branches below//...that is interesting. If the roots are above, I would suggest it must refer to the Rift or, possibly, the Void. Yes, I am afraid you must return there, even though it will almost certainly be dangerous." Cho sighed. "Oh, I wish I could go with you!"

“Let me take a closer look,” Cho said, holding out her hand. She examined the egg closely in the light and then sighed in frustration. "Bah!" she said, "This form is so limiting! Come with me, please." She led Acasius and Simeon out of the tea garden and into a larger open park-like area, still oddly green against the snow covered backdrop of the mountain. "Now, stand still," she said. The air shimmered brightly around her and then, where she had been, a magnificent dragon stood, almost 60 feet long and regarding Acasius with what could only be described as amusement. "Be not afraid," she rumbled, "for I am Chomolungma and I shall not harm thee."

She had a long, serpentine neck which ended in a lovely but still massive head, larger than either man, with a delicate frill mounted on the top like a crown. Her eyes were the same blue-green of Madame Cho's, but full of vast compassion and ancient wisdom. Enormous, bat-like wings spread from her back, waving slowly, and her tail twitched slightly. She was a thousand shades of white, from mist to snow, pearl to opal, moonlight to starglow. Next to her, the pristine snow of the mountain looked grey.

“Now, let me see that egg again, please,” she said. “Hmmm,” Chomolungma rumbled as she delicately clutched the egg in her talons. “Yes, just as I expected. This item is //aware//. It will open at a certain time for you, my riddle, but not here and not now. Be patient and all will be revealed.”

Acasius stood in awe, his mouth agape. He glanced over to Simeon who only smiled at the majestic beast. He knew both of them had been hiding something from him. This must be it.

"Chomolungma..." whispered Acasius. He stared in amazement, absorbing the raw beauty before him. "Yes...yes, now is not the right time. I can sense that much. However! We should get on the move. I fear it will take time to simply find a weapon for myself."

Simeon nodded. "Well, there's no time like the present."

"Indeed," Cho agreed, nudging playfully at Simeon with her head and almost knocking him over. "Actually, I have an idea about that, Acasius, if you will indulge me. My thought is that your body will choose weapons that you can use. However, you must let go of conscious thought and act only on instinct. I know that might be frightening to you, but I do not feel any of the...//others//...mean you any harm. In fact, I believe that they wish for integration as much as you do. They all offer certain strengths which you would be wise not to ignore. So, I propose that we go to my armory. Before we enter, I shall blindfold you, and help you to find a meditative trance. Once that is done, choose your weapons. It is as simple, and as complex, as that. Is this agreeable to you?"

"It is perfectly fine with me," Acasius reassured. "And I know they mean no harm. I've learned much about them and they have guided me in return. This meditating will only help our goal of wholeness."

"As for me," Simeon interjected. "I will be perfectly fine with picking my own weapons. And I do mean //my// own weapons." Simeon gave a Cheshire grin and began heading towards the direction of the armory.

There was a shimmer in the air next to Acasius and Madame Cho, in her human guise, was standing next to him once again. "You know that many creatures gathers caches to store against the coming time. My dear Simeon is much like that. He has little stores of weapons and armor all over our world." She held her hand out to him. "Now, come with me to the armory."

She tucked her arm in Acasius' and they walked through the tea garden in companionable silence. They soon entered the lamasery and were greeted by Dorje and his assistant, Pembe, both of whom bowed to Cho respectfully. "Ah, Dorje," she said, "just the person I needed to see. I will be leaving the Library for a little while. Before I go, I shall strengthen all the spells, but do keep an eye on it for me. These are troubled times, and I am concerned about the safety of certain precious volumes. Oh, and I also need you to make the flying harnesses ready."

Dorje bowed deeply, murmuring, "Of course, Most Holy," but Pembe protested. "Your Holiness, no! It is disrespectful that mortals should ride upon your back!"

Cho smiled kindly at Pembe. "My dear Pembe, I thank you for your concern for my reputation, but since it is, indeed, my back, I shall make the decisions as to whether it is disrespectful or not. In this case, I am aiding two True Seekers on a Quest. How can that be disrespectful?"

Chastened, Pembe blushed and bowed. "As you wish, Most Holy."

She led Acasius through the lamasery and to a set of double doors, which were engraved with a battle scene. Pausing outside the closed door, her fingers moved swiftly, expertly touching pressure points on Acasius' wrists, neck and forehead. A cool tranquility washed over him, leaving him in a moment of perfect peace and quiet. "This is no magic," Cho's silvery voice whispered. "This is merely a skill that can be learned and practiced until perfected." She pulled a length of midnight blue silk from a pocket of her robes and tied it tightly around Acasius' eyes. "Come, Acasius. Walk in the mystery with me."

Acasius could feel a blast of chilly air on his skin as the door opened, and then Cho guided him into the room. "Now, my riddle, trust in me and let go. The weapons you are meant to wield will find their way to your hands."

Acasius did just that, he let go and felt the world drift away. He waltzed about the room never stopping, only changing pace from time to time. His hands wandered about, grazing a weapon rack. He let his fingers taste the steel of each blade, each more appealing than the last when a blunt and misshapen piece of metal came before him. He was clearly disgusted with such distasteful weaponry. Cho laughed as she watch him toss the mace to the ground.

Acasius continued on, his fingers walking about each spear, each axe, each sword that came before him. He stopped when he came to a wooden table in the middle. His hands danced on it, maneuvering past shards of metal and tools until one grasped the hilt of a dagger. It was lightweight and sturdy. //Perfect,//he thought. Cho began to reach out to him when she noticed that he kept going. His hands finally rested on a brilliantly carved piece of wood. Acasius reached up and took off his blindfold to behold a beautiful oak longbow. It was supple and bent to his will, but also strong and sturdy. He met Cho's eyes and nodded, signaling he was ready.

"Well chosen, my riddle," Cho said. "But //perhaps// I can improve upon that choice." She turned and walked to a wall set with pegs. Reaching up, she took down a bow that was so highly polished that it seemed to glow with an inner light. Intricate spirals and whorls were carved into the wood, the design dancing up and down the bowstave. Acasius' hands ached to hold the beautiful weapon. "This bow is made from yew heartwood and sapwood. You will find that nothing is stronger, more supple or more responsive than this. I have saved this bow for a very long time, looking for the proper owner. It //may// belong to you. Tell me what you think."

"It is...magnificent indeed," Acasius stuttered. He grabbed the bow, drew back the string and released. He could almost feel the power emanating from the vibrations. "It's fantastic, but something feels...wrong. Almost like it's missing something."

Cho smiled and handed him a quiver. "Perhaps this will help?"

Acasius grabbed an arrow out of the quiver and notched it on the string. He pulled back and fired it at a nearby target, hitting it with deadly force and accuracy. "Much better," he said. Although, it wasn't the full truth he spoke. He still felt that strange empty feeling as before, but he did not want to disappoint Cho as she held this bow with great pride.

Simeon sidled his way through the aisles and poked his head out from the corner of a rack of weaponry. "Not to intrude on this rather splendid search for the perfect weapon, but I was wondering; where in this armory is my Mithryl dagger? In fact, where are //my// stores? I trust you didn't pawn them off as some cheap trick, my dear dragon?" Simeon toyed with Cho, a joking smile on his lips. "Could you perchance tell me where you have moved them to?"

"A moment, please, old friend," Cho replied absently. Simeon knew her tone of old. She was in the midst of puzzling out a thorny problem. Her eyes narrowed as she examined Acasius closely. "My dear Acasius, honesty cannot offend me. If the bow is not your weapon," she shrugged, "so be it. I simply have not found the right owner yet. But humor me. Shoot the oak bow and see if there is any difference in feeling to you. That should be the final test. Choose the weapon that feels right to you."

Cho then turned to Simeon. "My dearest friend, why would I keep your treasures here amidst my repository? They belong to you, and you alone. No, I keep them with my most precious treasures. Come. We shall go to my //sanctum sanctorum// where you shall find your weapons." She led Simeon and Acasius through labyrinthine passages and corridors, deep into the heart of her mountain. Finally they reached a door which was deeply carved with runes. Cho placed one hand upon it and the door swung open. Inside the room were heavy tomes, scrolls, Simeon's weapons and other small items. The hum of magical forces was thick in the place. Cho gestured to the dagger. "There you are, old friend. Safe and sound."

Simeon darted over to the cache like a small child eager for his playthings. He picked up a long dagger with a deadly sharp blade that had the slightest blue tinge. "Ah here it is. You know I made this one myself. It took me ten years to get the runes proper. You see I had it forged under dragon fire as you may recall. I know you were unhappy that I should choose a western dragon, but I brought the point up that you yourself couldn't breathe fire. At any rate I meant no slight in that. I just wanted this dagger to be perfect," He panted for breath. He placed the dagger in a light sheath and strapped it around his waist. He hefted up a great sword, and then placed it back amongst the shelves feeling that it wasn't adequate. Rummaging through the stores he slowly pulled out a single silvery orb that was about the size of his fist. A deep grin on his face, he began to laugh heartily and happily. "So this is where it is! I thought that they were all gone! Every last one of them. Who would have thought that I had left it here?! Well I suppose it is the safest place."

Cho rolled her eyes. "You could have just asked me, you know."

"Pardon me, Simeon," Acasius interrupted. "What exactly are you talking about? What is that orb?"

"Ahh yes my friend. I apologize for indulging in my eccentricities, without first providing an explanation of this miraculous device. I would surmise that it was designed in a similar mechanism to that of your egg, but of course with different purposes. Madame, I presume you know what this is?" Simeon looked slightly intrigued.

"But of course, my dearest of friends, though I do think you should explain," Cho stated.

"Certainly, I was just hoping you hadn't forgotten. This is known as a Polyform Orb. There used to be hundreds of them ranging in different purposes. You will understand that they predate the common era by around 8,000 years. Why during my second eon they had just been invented. However back to the purpose of this special device. The Polyform Orbs were created by a genius inventor by the name of Quinton Selaris, Quint to his friends. Now Quint had invented many things but the most powerful thing he invented was the Polyform Orbs. They appear as a simple silvery orb with no etchings, markings, or any other indication aside from size. You see these orbs, when given a command have the ability to transform into just about anything of a certain like. Now that is all depending on the size of the orb," Simeon paused and hefted the orb in his hand. "Now this one is designed to become any weapon of the user's choosing. For instance if I say the word in Gendali which means Bow it will turn into a bow, I must provide the arrows, but given the beauty of this device that is hardly a cost. Now, watch. //Gial.//" The orb seemed to melt around Simeon's hand. The silvery liquid poured and bubbled around him, but never touched the floor. After a moment of intense movement the silvery liquid was no longer silvery nor a liquid, instead it appeared as a brown solid bow that seemed to be wrought of yew. "Behold the miracle invention of Quint! Now I simply need to say '//Varde'// and it will turn back to normal." As he said that the bow turned once more into a silver orb. "Now I can do this with any range of weapons and the orb will respond. As I said previously though I will have to supply the ammunition." Simeon smiled in satisfaction. "Though as for Quint's society, the Gendals, they were all destroyed due to a volcanic eruption that left the entire civilization buried in one hundred feet of molten rock. Sadly Quint and his little inventions went along with it. I was able to save a few, for I had bought them and had stored them in my caches around the globe. Over the years though I have lost nearly all of them due to disaster or their destruction, in fact this may be the last one. Though I do presume that there are five more in one of my Southern stores. Though what is unpleasant to recall, is that I was in that eruption. Do you know what it's like having to swim through lava, constantly dying and coming back to life? It isn't pretty I tell you! However, that is the story of the Polyform Orbs." Simeon smiled, looking at his young friend.

"I told her not to build the city that close to the volcano," Cho murmured, sighing slightly. "Twas a pity when it was destroyed. They were very advanced and melded technology with magic, much like your egg or that pocket-watch you carry, Acasius," Cho mentioned offhandedly.

Acasius reached into his pocket and pulled out an onyx watch by its long chain. He had forgotten about it, let alone realized it had some sort of power. He pressed the the fob and the watch sprung open revealing a beautiful sapphire clockface. The hands and numbers were each made of onyx while the sapphire face was transparent enough to see the gears on the other side. However, the arms and gears stood stoic and unmoving. He glanced up at the two others only to see everything was white and his friends were frozen where they stood. A shimmering figure stood between them.

"Now is not the time for this. Give me the watch and the egg."

Acasius felt an icy chill move down his spine when the figure spoke. "Who are you? Why should I give these to you?"

"Surely you remember me?" The shimmering man's eyes never strayed from Acasius' hand as he talked. "I lent you that book after all."

Acasius heard the emphasis on the word lent. His free hand reached to his new dagger. "You're lying."

The man stepped forward out of the light. He was wearing a long green coat and held a strange device in his hand. He pointed the barrel toward Acasius.

"I said //give it to me!//"

Acasius leapt forward, slicing his right thigh. He turned around and put his boot on the man's back and pushed him forward.

"Good day," Acasius said in a voice lower than his own. He closed the watch and the man disappeared. Color flooded back into the room and the other were moving once more.

Cho looked around suspiciously, her blue green eyes wide. "Acasius? Did time just...//stop//? And who was here with you? I smell someone...//other//."

Simeon, a little more paranoid than Cho, tweaked his head to the left, "What the hell just happened? What was that? Who...what? Time is...ahhh." Simeon sat down slowly.

"Rest, my friend," Acasius said. "Indeed, time stood still and assure you it is likely to happen again." He looked at the watch in his hand. "This damned thing... Yes there was another man here. I, well, Consilium met his once before. He is dressed in a long, dark green cloak and isn't one for conversation. It's a mystery how he appeared, but I fear we will cross paths again. He was after the egg."

"I have a feeling you are going to get us into a lot of trouble, my riddle," Cho said, smiling slightly. She held up a hand to forestall Acasius' apology. "No, friend, that was actually a compliment. I quite enjoy getting into trouble every now and again, and it has been far too long. However, I do not like the fact that a stranger was in my //sanctum//. No one comes here except by my express invitation. I fear that I shall have to strengthen the spells on this place," she shrugged, "but I was going to do that anyway, so no harm done." //I hope//, she thought to herself.

"If you like trouble so much, why were you angry with me when we took over Talatia? I didn't mean to kill the emperor, he just happened to sit on the chair meant for the chancellor. I didn't expect the explosion to happen half that fast!" Simeon pleaded.

Cho arched an eyebrow at Simeon. "I said I enjoyed trouble, not //treason,// dear friend. You will recall we were working //for// the Emperor at the time. Fortunately, the Empress was a forgiving and foresighted woman...of course, she would be, as she was my daughter."

"Alright fine, but the plan to kill the chancellor, may I remind you was //your// idea. He had been planning a treason for the past decade, mine was accidental. It was fortunate however that your daughter had married her husband out of the need for a treaty, not love, and that the marriage was a young one. Otherwise, I would have felt twice as bad as I did. Ah, she was a good girl, as //most// of your children have been. Not to say that mine have been any better, you will remember Grey Fang? Why, he had the idea to usurp me. //Me!// I am immortal! Ah well, it is best not to dwell on the past. Though it seems that all things we have are the past. Where did I put that elven jerkin?" Simeon began to search through his stores once more.

Cho closed her eyes briefly, lips moving silently as she mentally reviewed the catalog of items in her //sanctum//. "Top shelf, third pile from the right, second item down," she said.

Simeon looked where Cho had said and sure enough he found it. Amazed he said, "Do you forget anything?!"

She paused a moment, seriously considering Simeon's question. "Not if it has been properly cataloged," she replied.

She moved to a stand which held a slender, curved-bladed sword which seemed to radiate light. Under it was an enameled sheath, decorated with etchings of dragons. She placed the //katana// in the sheath, slinging it over her back. She tucked two //sai// into her //obi// waist sash and stowed several //shuriken// in various pockets in her robe. That done, she turned to Simeon and Acasius. "Are you finished here? I have much to do tonight if we are to leave tomorrow. It will take me several hours to reinforce the spells, and I must do it in dragon from, as I cannot perform magic in this human form. Something about the translation, I think. If you would like to return to the lamasery, I shall meet you in the park at first light." She paused. "And Acasius? Dress warmly. Simeon, you might want to try to explain what dragon-flight feels like to our new friend here." She smiled broadly, eyes sparkling with amusement.