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Raullaur	Life goes on in the city, day by day, week by week, month by month. And between contracts, there is little enough for a merc group to do but train, take part-time contracts as guards or bouncers, and have fun in the city. In this case, the cun got a little too physical, and a couple of the young hotheads got in a brawl that left one lame with severed tendons, and another with a stab to the side. They're back now, in the infirmary building, but others are out doing tasks of the day: training, gear maintenance, cooking, sanitation. And out in front, overseeing things, as well as watching the streets near his compound, Raullaur sits and grumbles, claws out and flexing before retreating back into his paws.
Lin	Lin might or might not have heard about the brawl, but it has no bearing on why she i currently darting around the eastern quarters like a mouse. For she scampers from building to building, and asks people on the street just where Raullaur can be found. She's bubbling with enthusiasm and excitement in a very childish-seeming way like she has the best of news to deliver! And she's getting closer and closer quickly. It's not long until the lion-man himself could notice her enthused dash through the streets. "Aha! Here, that's gotta be him!" She bounds over in a hurry, only slowing upon reaching about fifteen feet and coming to a somewhat clumsy halt that requires dusting herself off.
Raullaur	Raullaur flicks his ears and stands up. The rest of the lions are closer to humanity in their look, while Raul is far more leonine. Tall and broad, and he looks curiously at the woman coming over. "Yes? Who be ye, and who be ye looking for?" The rumbling bass is almost purring, but the question is definitely there.
Lin	Clearly much younger than Raullaur, and entirely human in her appearance, the redhead who dashes up to stand and face him from five feet away still has to tilt her head up in order to look him in the eye. "Lin the artisan, and if you're Raullaur, then you!"
Raullaur	"Lin the artisan? Well, I am Raullaur," he says, the purring making his Ls and Rs vibrate and roll. "So you found me. But why are you looking for me?" He gestures to one of the chairs. "And have a seat. I'm still waiting for someone else to come."
Rishi	A voice like warm honey and a thick Firetongue accent says "Raul, your people are being just fine now, but... Oh! Hello, and who are you being?". When Lin turns around, she can see a strikingly beautiful southern woman clad in a leather cloak and little else. It does a very poor job of hiding either her curves or her muscles. She tilts her head to the side, making her dark hair cascade like a waterfall across her shoulders as she looks Lin over.
Lin	"Well... it's kind of a secret. Can't go blurting those out on the street..." Lin does seat herself though, so when Rishi approaches... she has a pretty good view, eyes sweeping upwards until they land a gaze into her eyes. "H-hello to you too!"
Raullaur	Raullaur is wearing cream-colored linens that do not hide, nor emphasize, his physique. His tial flicks behind, and when Rishi comes out he gives a smile. "Thank you. If you need /anything/ done, no matter how distasteful, they are /delighted/ to help." He chuckles slightly and stands, "And I do have some silver and jade if you wish payment." Lin's words get his eyebrows raised. "Kind of a secret?" he pauses a moment. "Interesting. Can always stand to learn more. If you do not mind my friend joining us--if you want to, Rishi, and hear about this first-hand instead of second or third--we can go to my office instead." He stands aup and stretches slightly.
Lin	"Uhhhh. Secret-secret... like, don't share it with anyone you don't trust with your life." Lin murmurs, not so sure about sharing it with Rishi, who she's heard very little about. She does stand up though, looking sideways over her shoulder at Rishi uncertainly...
Rishi	Rishi considers, then nods. "I shall be joining the two of you, yes." Her eyebrows go up at the comment about it being such a dangerous secret, and then she smiles. "Do not be worrying. I am knowing how to be keeping the secrets." and she winks at Lin.
Raullaur	"And I do trust her with my life," Raul says with a somber tone, then shakes his head. "All right, maybe those two who got hurt are not the most trustworthy--but I do not mistrust their hearts, only their skill." So he smiles courteously to Lin and Rishi in turn before snapping out a strange serious of words. Apparently his own tribe's tongue, and one of them lopes away. "There will be refreshment awaiting--meat and fruits, water and juice." And with that announcement he leads to his office. A room within one of the buildings that has maps but not books, and comfortable, but not ornate chairs. And once everyone is seated, he leans back and settles. "So, whyfor have you sought me out?"
Lin	Lin follows along, but it's only after Raullaur assures her about Rishi's trustworthiness that the tension she was showing there largely dissolves. As soon as the door's closed she takes a seat in one of the chairs. "Well... it has to do with the two of us being similarly gifted. I'm told because of it we should think about working together!"
Rishi	Rishi looks very satisfied with a plate of sliced fruit and is munching on it with pleasure. Her eyebrows go up when Lin says that she's "gifted" and her head tilts again, closely studying the other girl. "Gifted ...how? You are posessing the Blood of the Dragons? Or perhaps you were being the Chosen of one of the Gods being here in the city?"
Lin	"Well... rumor has it my dad has some of that blood, but not enough to have worked out." Lin answers with a shake of her head. And after saying that, her shoulders bunch up nervously and she inhales hard to settle those nerves fast, trying to maintain composure. "And it's not a god of this city."
Raullaur	Raullaur hmms. "Gifted? I do not see you as a war-leader, or a fighter, though I have been wrong before. And if you are not chosen of a god of the city..." He licks his muzzle slightly "Do the Three know you are in the city? Because if not...it would be courteous to let them know, yes?"
Rishi	Rishi hrms quietly, looking at Lin with her head tilted. Lin almost feels like there's a tail twitching behind Rishi. But that would be absurd. Rishi is entirely human.
Lin	"Who do you suppose told me I should seek you out?" Lin answers, smiling a bit sheepishly. "Been working for them for months. Now they said I should seek you out. The time is right... something like that. I don't pretend to follow God-logic all the time." She then... frowns, and twists her lips this way and that, as her attention briefly switches to Rishi. Her eyes narrow slightly, but then she simply scratches at her chin thoughtfully again. "Ah screw it. Subtlety and I just don't get along..." Lin pulls out what seems to be a lump of some metallic ore, and holds it over the table. "So I'll just show you..." Rather suddenly, the half-filled golden circle mark of the Twilight Caste gleams into existence on her forehead and golden light gathers around her hands... well, all across her body, really, but mostly her hands as she squeezes, rolls, folds, and beats the lump several times. A well-controlled huff of golden flame bursts from her mouth to heat it further... in no time at all, she squeezes the forming metal in both hands and slams a rapidly-cooling knife blade into the table, point-down. It lacks a hilt, but it's otherwise...
Lin	... one of the finest blades either of the two has likely laid eyes open, even if it may be just ordinary steel, and lacking in embellishment. Superb measurements and a gleaming edge. Lin then drops black flakes and charred-looking material off to the side from her other clenched hand... the impurities of the material.
Raullaur	Raullaur's eyes widen. "Interesting. May I hold it?" He reaches out and grasps the blade by where it would be slid into the hilt, and even hot, he deems to be completely unphased. He pulls it out and makes a couple of experimental slashes and thrusts with it. Motions crisp and clean. Elemental. No flourishes, nothing fancy, but pure economy of motion. "This is...quite well made. Better than we have for ourselves..."
Rishi	"I see, I see. That is being a secret most worthy of keeping. Do not be the worried, I shall not be telling the peoples." When Lin next looks over at Rishi, she'll see the same woman as before ...but her "cloak" has spread into bat wings, a long fluffy tail swings behind her, her legs are didigrade with large clawed paws, she has a light coating of russet fur across her body, and long pointed ears. When she sees Lin looking, she winks at the other girl and an empty silver circle springs to life on her forehead. "I too have the secrets."
Lin	"Should wait until it cools--" Lin starts to say, only to fall silent when Raullaur just up and grabs it anyways to little ill effect. Her open mouth shuts a few moments later and she settles back into her chair. "Hm?" And of course, a glance over at Rishi means-- "HWAH?!" The redhead flails in shocked surprise and kicks at the ground as if trying to get up, and succeeds only in her chair tipping over backwards and sending her rolling backwards. She hops to her feet in no time. "S-so you do!"
Raullaur	Raullaur chcukles. "Perhaps I should but it is hard to harm me," Raullaur says, and then sets the unfinished knife down. Rishi gets a smile and an appraising look. "Very pretty, in all her forms," he says appraisingly with a grin before giving Lin a wink. "And yes, I am of the sun's rising, for war and conquest, for defending and ruling my people. For finding others to rehape the world."
Rishi	"So, you are being one of those who was chosen for being the Intellectual? Have you been studying the Sorcery? Or the Healing? What things are you having the skill of the making?" Rishi asks, giving the girl a pleasant grin, only slightly spoiled by the fangs. Rishi headtilts, looking at the knife. "If you are wanting, I could be asking my spider to be weaving you the handle of wrapped silk most quickly." "And I am being chosen by the One who is Many, also for being the Intellectual. And to be helping the people who are being in the need."
Lin	"Eheheh..." With that nervous laugh, Lin finishes standing up straight again and rights her chair. Her Caste Mark is still aglow, although the anima display's beginning to fade. "Haven't done much in the way of medical arts... no, haven't learned Sorcery... but I've yet to run into something I can't either make or learn to make in no time. Most comfortable working with metal and stone but once you've worked on enough things everything just kinda falls into place, you see how it's all similar and then just need a quick review of the basics to get started." This is NOT AT ALL how normal people learn such trades, of course... She glances left and right between the other Solar and Lunar in the room. "Well... I didn't expect to encounter one of Luna's Chosen today! Had only heard about Raullaur here... is this some kind of funny prank of fate...?"
Rishi	"The metal and stone? Hrm." Rishi stands, her caste mark guttering out, and steps over to the door. A quick opening, a look around, she grabs something, the door closes and she plunks a large rock on the table. "There! Now you can be making the handle." She gives Lin a rather cheeky grin.
Raullaur	"There are a number of us within the city, and we have met each other. So meeting one, you'll meet more as we introduce you to friends," Raul says. There is just a touch of his own essence, his caste mark glimmering. "As for fate? Perhaps we are bound by it. Perhaps we shape it. Surely, though, power attracts power, so it is natural that we should end up meeting."
Rishi	"I am supposing that is being possible...Oh! Yes, once we are finishing the portal ritual, there should be the proper alignment of the sun and moon to be finishing the ritual that you and Bright were wanting. I will be needing some of your hair and your blood before then, to be properly attuning the sachets." She playfully raises one hand to show her claws. "I can be taking it now if you are liking or it can be later."
Lin	"M-more? Why didn't-- ugh. I'm gonna have to change all of my plans then..." Lin starts rubbing the sides of her heads as this is clearly BIG NEWS to her. "Operating alone and keeping it discrete's hard enough right now..." Apparently getting lost in her thoughts means she only hears some of what Rishi was saying. She glances over at the Lunar, seeing the claws... and just sort of stares a bit nervously.
Raullaur	"A little later, I think. That can be done once this discussion is over." Raullaur nods to Rishi and gives a leonine grin (my, what big teeth you have!) "For now, though..." He looks back to Lin and nods. "There are those we trust here to know who we are. What we are. What we want. You may ewll have more help than you need in keeping things...low and quiet."
Rishi	Rishi gives the other girl a sympathetic look. "Yes, it is being most troublesome, but I am meeting many of the fine people because of it. Look at it as being the chance to be gaining the allies." At the blank look, Rishi gestures at the large rock on the table. "I admit, I was finding your display of the craft most impressive. I thought you might be able to be making the nice handle from the stone?" Rishi gives the other girl another kind look. "Also, if you are ever just wanting to be talking or to be learning the medcine or the Sorcery, I am being around. And if I am needing the things made, I shall be doing the contacting of you." She headtilts again. "Would you be finding the demon silk useful?"
Lin	"A hilt made from stone?" Lin's voice is light and uncertain. She again scratches at her chin. "That would be a first. Stone's awfully heavy... that'll have balance implications unless I..." She starts mumbling ideas while leaning over the table to examine the stone in question... but then looks over her shoulder at Rishi in disbelief. "Demon silk? Is it like silksteel fibers? That could be useful for all kinds of things. Did you have something in mind? Protective clothing? Some kind of tool...?"
Raullaur	"Core of stone around the metal? Then leather, wire, or something around the stone for grip?" Raul ponders a moment, "For a stone hilt, go into making the piece knowing that material. Besides, it doesn't have to look flashy or special...as long as it can be /used/ well.
Rishi	Rishi smiles, clapping her hands. "That is sounding like the yes." and then she says something complex in Old Realm. Off to the side, webs and words start weaving together from nothing until a large spider the size of a small dog appears and chitters at you. Rishi says "No, no nothing of the complicated just now." she turns to Lin "Though, if you are wanting the nice outfit, he is being the most skilled tailor.". she turns back to the spider. "Just be making two of the bolts of the silk for her for now. The first of your softest silk, the second of your toughest." she turns back to Lin and smiles. "That will be enough of the silk so that you can be doing the testing and the experimenting, yes?"
Lin	A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN NORMAL SPIDER APPEARING is enough to make Lin take a step backwards and shiver, even though her eyes are wide in a mixture of amazement and simple hints of... well, deeply unsettled, she is. Almost fearful. She masters that with a few quick breaths though, steadying herself and instead shifting to calmly observing. "Ah...ah..." But with Rishi treating it so calmly, she relaxes. "Oh, yes, that'd be excellent! But what do you have in mind long-term...?"
Raullaur	A slight hint of a growl, though Raullaur seems mostly calm, still, and his tail slowls from lashing back to stillness. "I suppose it isn't any more...startlig than conjuring arms and armor from light when I need them," and then he chuckles slightly. "I'm finding your craftsmanship impeccable, but for hundreds of mercs,...it would take a huge amount of power to get silk clothes for all of us, yes? And hard to replace?"
Rishi	Rishi blinks, headtilting. "Nothing in particular. The Demon Silk was simply being what I was having to my hands right of the now. If it is being the useful to you, then I can be getting more of it simply." the spider chitters. "Though it is better if he is having the time to be recovering, yes." Rishi huffs. "It is being most durable and should not be needing the replacing much of the often. But, unless Lin is having the good idea, I would be needing to do much of the summoning if she was wanting to make the silk clothes for the entire army."
Lin	"Well I.. hadn't considered a material like this being available. And I haven't even learned what kind of force we're outfitting and what sort of gear they need. Light and strong material like this has a TON of uses... but so does good 'ol steel." Lin answers, turning her gaze from Rishi and then over to Raullaur, who's the one actually leading the forces that'll be using the stuff.
Raullaur	"Figure out the new materials," Raullaur suggests. "Once you know more what all is available, /then/ we can get together to figure things out. For now, we are doing well with wood and steel, leather and linen. And even the best equipmento nly take you so far...but once you know how to use them, the better arms and armor make much of a difference." He nods to Rishi, "ANd thank you, as always, for everything."