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Amilar Ereyo	To say that Ereyo has been fidgeting nervously during the entire journey from Great Forks to the Hundred Kingdoms feels like a gross understatement. Rishi has never seen her in such a constant state of agitation before, ever since the Air aspect sent her Infallible Messenger with the meeting request to "Demon Dragon Tyrant" - and even more so since the reply came in, turning an idea into inescapable reality. Even now, after they have been barreling at high speed through the River Province for hours, the Dragon-Blooded's nerves only seem to have frayed more. It's not difficult to imagine how this entire endeavour would have turned into a desaster already without Rishi at her side. They reach the old battlefield by noon, but Ereyo doesn't direkt the dust devil past the overgrown war machines at its edge. Instead, she leads the twister to a gentle stop a little bit farther out, and dismounts with wobbly legs. She didn't bother to hide her flame guardian inside a lantern this time; the little fiery wisp slowly drifts beside her shoulder. After a quick glance at the bleak, overcast sky, she squints into the distance. "Do you see anything?", she asks, voice quavering.
Rishi	Rishi is quavering somewhat herself, though for different reasons. Still, she tries to project warm comfort, putting a reassuring hand on Ereyo's shoulder, as she looks around as well. "I am not doing the seeing of anyone yet..."
Tepet Makara	Somewhere in the same old battlefield she meet the supposed anathema, he simply waits in the center in his full monstrous glory. A hybrid of a man, a venom dragon which is a creature that reside mostly in the Southwest and a pterodactyl thanks to his azure wings. Although he could be mistaken as something else such as a Wyld mutant, his moonsilver tattoos and caste mark glows with the shine of the moon across his body. Strangely enough, he lacks the armor that Ereyo saw. He only wears hakama pants, usually part of a martial artist's attire. It is unknown why he didn't bring it with him even if the prince of the earth may turn this into a confrontation, but nevertheless he just sits there meditating under the full light of the moon but notices they arrived but raises his eyes at Ereyo's "exigent" companion as he didn't expect her at all. He grins with his fangs dripping with venom in amusement once they arrive
Amilar Ereyo	Unlike the Lunar, Ereyo isn't wearing anything remotely casual. She has actually donned armor. The light, foldable lamellar is clearly not meant for a heavy fighter on the front lines of battle, but it probably could withstand a blow or two. While the lamellae, lacquered a striking sky blue, are steel, not jade, they still display a very fine quality, expertly crafted to be as light as possible without sacrificing too much protection. The mons of Gens Amilar proudly gleams in stark white on the front and back. Underneath, Ereyo wears a long-sleeved padded jacket of a blue so dark it looks almost black. Of course, she has also brought her daiklave, though it remains undrawn yet. As she spots the dragon-creature, her eyes open wide, and all the color drains from her face. Instead of walking forward, she freezes in place. "I don't think I can do this, Rishi", she whispers, voice thick with despair. "This was a terrible idea."
Rishi	Rishi is wearing a silken robe, though, if anyone thinks to check, they'll find it thicker and nigh impossible to tear, so she has also prepared for this in her own way. Rishi puts a hand on Ereyo's back. "I am doing the thinking that you are needing to be doing this. If you are doing the running now, will you ever be able to do the stopping? I am being here and I am doing the believing in you." Rishi headtilts. "But, if you are doing the wishing, I could be doing the casting of the Water Sphere of Imperviousness. To be going the extra protection." Once they've approached the Lunar, Rishi bows, nervousness on her face. "Hello, I am being Rishi, Chosen of the Changing Waters. I am only being here to be ensuring that nothing is doing the getting out of the hand." She can but hope that he will not out her here.
Tepet Makara	"So she whose blood is blessed by the winds of Mela has arrived. I was surprised you didn't bring an entire shikari squad with you, only a companion that I don't recognized...and ahh an exigent of changing waters." Demon Dragon Tyrant coughs as he notices that Ereyo brought someone he totally didn't know before with her. He gets up from his meditation to properly introduces himself. "I am Demon Dragon Tyrant, I hope you accepted my gift. It is not a trap to draw you away from areas with a Wyld Hunt presence nor a deathly curse, just a message that I do not have malign intentions." Despite his monstrous voice, he introduces himself with a noble tone and a particular accent. "And about my friend that I summoned back to the world of the living....I granted him peace through an exorcism back to the cycle of incarnation" It seems that the hungry ghost he summoned was put to rest . "Now....what brings you to meet me here again? You can simply go on with your daily life and enjoying the wonders of Creation. Yet you return here to talk to an anathema your Immaculate text abhors."
Amilar Ereyo	Rishi's hand on her back actually seems to help somewhat. It doesn't stop the Dragon's muscles from twitching, or her shakes, and it doesn't bring the violet back into her eyes to dissipate the storm-cloud darkness now filling them. But the gesture is enough to get her moving, at least. She trails a few steps behind Rishi, glad to let her friend speak the first few words. Her own lips form almost inaudible prayers to the Immaculate Dragons while the Exigent takes care of introductions. Despite her horror, Ereyo can't look away. The Lunar's monstrous appearance, his alien tattoos, the baleful silver mark on his brow - any of these alone would be enough to scatter a crowd, send an entire village running to the monks for help, and heroes reaching for their weapons. The Lookshyan doesn't reach for her weapon. After a nervous glance at the wisp, which, too doesn't seem to sense anything that would give it cause to erupt into a flaming sword, she finally steps forward, to stand at Rishi's side, and takes a few shaky breaths before facing the Lunar. She still looks poised to bolt at any given moment. The tension in her body is impossible to overlook. Only this time, she does not flee in terror, but stands her ground, albeit barely. Her voice has a scratchy quality to it when she finally speaks. "I want to know... why." Slowly, she opens the flap of her shoulder bag and reaches inside, making sure that he can see what she's doing - that this is not a trick, that she wants to show him something, not draw a hidden weapon. When her hand reemerges from the bag, it's Makara's gift - the rosary with Mela's icon - that she holds into the light. "You... owe me nothing. You know that I... I f-fear and despise y-y-your kind." She swallows, hard. It seems impossible to suppress the stuttering. "Why send m-m-me this? Why the a... apology?"
Rishi	Rishi looks relieved for a moment as her secret isn't given away, then proud that Ereyo steps up to ask the question, though she winces slightly at the question's wording, before looking at Ereyo. Can Rishi ever tell her the truth?
Tepet Makara	Although he wishes he could laugh at her prayers to the Immaculate Dragons, he doesn't even giggle or even stop her from saying such incantations to the five dragons. There is only the look of pity from his face as she's truly afraid of the Silver anathema. "You really want to know why I gave you that rosary? Simply that, an apology for scaring you away but there is also another reason but we shall get to that latter. It has something to do with my nemesis. The enemy I fight from within. That Tepet scion you meet." He says with a hint of resentment towards this particular dynast however his phrase regarding "the enemy I fight from within" is a little bit vague or nonsensical. "I do not wish to fight you for my kind has battled your kind for many generations. While your kind call us the anathema of silver, my kind calls you usurpers since according to our tales, your kind betrayed us while we were the god-kings besides those of the sun and slandered us as demons. But I find some of my kind no better for some wanted the deaths of all the princes of the earth. For example, a Lunar may try to kill an innocent outcaste even if he does not follow the Wyld Hunt. I do not even care who is right in this situation, but I am tired of the endless wars over and over" He says with a tired and frustrated expression regarding the eternal enmity between the chosen of silver and the elements. "I admit when you started chanting the Immaculate prayers against the anathema, you reminded me of myself when I was just a mortal soldier. Steadfast, follows the Thousand Correct Actions, obedient to the Immaculacy and abhor the anathema. There is however another truth you may wish to deny, for we did not choose to become like this"
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo's shaking subsides just a bit as she listens, ~really~ listens to the Lunar's words - his speech is not only heard, but absorbed and analyzed. An intense, deeply contemplative frown tiptoes onto her brow and shoves the terror aside, into a corner, where it sulks. Rishi should recognize that frown by now: This is her default expression when she finds herself facing an intellectual challenge, unexpectantly stumbling across hidden knowledge, or tries to connect the dots of a complex pattern of connected circumstances. "God-kings", she whispers, barely suppressing a shudder, then, almost inaudible: "Ursurpers?" After a few seconds of rapid blinking, her eyes follow the intricate lines of the creature's moonsilver tattoos, then back to his inhuman visage. She grips the prayer beads more tightly. Another quiet murmur: "The enemy I fight... from within." Then, her face lights up. Not with a smile, of course not; but with realisation. She talks faster than before, trying to beat the stutter by outracing it. "You fought in the Battle of Futile Blood. You told me how the demon took hold of you in the North. But you were not ~any~ mortal soldier, were you?" She paces a few steps to the left, then back to the right. "No, you didn't fight for the Tepet legions as a lowly conscript, or as janissary, am I right? Because you speak with a High Realm accent. You infiltrated their ranks." She stops pacing, still clutching the rosary, and narrows her eyes at the Lunar. "Who ~are~ you...?"
Rishi	Rishi watches Ereyo as she speaks and suddenly realizes that there's no anger there, just terror. Rishi smiles just a touch. Terror she can work with. And then their discussion proceeds down routes that might create problems for him later on. "Ah, perhaps it is not being the best to be doing the asking of such the personal questions...?"
Tepet Makara	"Yes I did. I was a graduate from a prestigious school in the Realm when I enlisted, but I came out as a draconic monster baptized in futile blood simply because I survived the aftermath. I aided with logistics and tactics but even with that, we still lost." He does not deny he's of high privilege in the Realm but does not confirm it although he doesn't care if she puts the puzzle together. He only gives a vague question regarding his identity. "I can be someone you met everyday. From a vendor, an acquaintance or some stranger you pass by." He only speaks in cryptic words waiting for the right moment to reveal it or not. He then shifts the subject to something else. "Thankfully you meet me instead of others of my kind that bear resentment against you like how some of the princes will slay an anathema right in front of them rather than negotiate. I do not hold hate for your kind besides jealousy that you can freely use your powers while we have to hide." "But if you really wish to know me, you shall regret it for not all truths are savory"
Amilar Ereyo	Rishi's words are not ignored, quite to the contrary: Ereyo shifts her stance towards her friend and gives her a long look, acknowledging the Exigent's attempt at shutting her down... only, it doesn't work. The firm determination in her eyes is unassailable. Her mind has latched on to this mystery, and nothing short of truly drastic measures is going to stop her from unearthing the truth she seeks now. After that glance at her friend - for reassurance, maybe - the Air aspect turns back towards Demon Dragon Tyrant, standing up straighter. Despite his implied threat, her terror is now eclipsed by something else: Eagerness. There's knowledge to be gained from this conversation, understanding of an entire part of the world she fears so much and yet knows so little about. She can no more stop herself from reaching for information, no matter the cost, than she could stop the sun from setting in the West. Ignorance, too, is Anathema - to her. Perhaps it's time for a few lighter words first. "I, too, do not wish for violence, despite my upbringing and identity", she assures the Lunar. But even as she says that, her frown intensifies. The dots are forming connections. The invisible patterns, hidden beneath clouds, reveal themselves. "You could be anyone, but you don't ~choose~ to be anyone", she mutters after her offering of mutual peace has been borne away on the wind. "I've heard your story before, only... it was a different part of it. It was a different man... or so I thought." Then, her anima stirs around her - while it remains invisible, lightning crackles across her body in a sharp burst, turning her eyes into gleaming white orbs for a moment before dissipating. Now she smiles, a sudden, deeply satisfied expression. It vanishes fast, and her eyes widen. "Tepet. Tepet... Makara."
Rishi	Rishi tenses, ready to intercede if the reveal of his true nature provokes him...or if Ereyo decides to commit to revealing said nature.
Tepet Makara	His expression lightens up once the air aspect tries to understand that not all anathema are a threat. "Glad we came to an understanding. I'm tired of having to deal with the unending battles.....especially since I have a brother blessed with the dragon's blood." Although she may have realized his true identity his confirmation is rather slow. "I had to hide my true self for my loved ones and friends back at the Blessed Isle will scorn me. Sometimes I wonder why I posed as a dragon. Maybe it's from my idealized yet broken dreams of becoming a prince of the earth, maybe I lied to myself that I am still a pious soldier. I had the chance to leave my old life and to start a new, yet I still yearned to protect them from current turmoils" He says with conflict within his heart. "I see you've finally pieced it together. Yes, I'm none other than your fellow "prince of the earth" Makara." With a flash of silver light, he returns back to his "human form" but still retains his silver tattoos and his aspect marking is in fact reptilian scales behind his back, shrouded by his illusory essence. "There is also another reason why I gave you that rosary. It's for apologies for deceiving you" He says with guilt and sorrow
Amilar Ereyo	When the exhilerating rush of revelation fades away, Ereyo is left to deal with the reality of what she has uncovered. This part is far less pleasant, and it shows on her face. The transformation into what she thought was a fellow Dragon's face, aspect markings and all, seems to provoke something else - another suppressed memory, unexpectedly rushing forward, or perhaps the confirmation that she wasn't paranoid after all, that her fears are not exaggerated - that anyone could be a Lunar, no matter what her eyes and other senses tell her. Her terror looks poised to return in full force. Already, her body trembles, and she tenses, ready to run... run as fast and as far away as she can... But then she remembers something, and throws Rishi a quick glance, finding the reassuring presence of her friend still by her side. While that does little to stop her from shaking violently, she stands her ground and faces Makara once again. "Apologies", she echoes slowly. "For deceiving... me." A shudder. "You were the one who approached me first. You talked to me at length... about your assignments, your soldiers, your duties to House Cynis. Even about the Caul. Why? Dragons, why...?" She swallows, hard, to stop her voice from breaking away. "There was no reason for deception! You could have slunk away and ignored me, and I would have never even realized you existed. Why risk the possibility of exposing yourself? What do you ~want~...?" Her tone of voice is unsteady, unhinged, fluctuating between anger and despair.
Rishi	Rishi watches Ereyo's reaction, which seems a little too severe, even for someone terrified of Lunars. She shakes her head, it must have something to do with that thing lurking in her dreams. Maybe some reading as she transcribes those journals... Rishi shakes her head, then, not quite trusting herself to speak, lest she answer Ereyo's question, she simply puts a comforting hand on the other woman's shoulder.
Tepet Makara	"I would have simply ignored you yes and continued going on as a false prince of the earth, but you were in deep trauma from what happened when we here for the first time, not in my dragon's shape. I felt guilt just by incidentally causing you great sorrow thanks to you encountering me. I deeply regreted my decision in scaring you away for I seem to have reopened deep wounds I was unaware of. I would have comforted you in my other guise about the incident but all I could do is say encouraging words on not to be afraid of anathema." He sighs but he then asks questions regarding her fears of the Silver anathema. "This isn't the first time you've meet a Lunar haven't you? You seem to be fearful than usual for a prince of the earth. If you still hate me for this revelation, that's fine by me and go ahead to tell the Wyld Hunt of my true identity.....if you feel I deserve to feel their wrath." He sighs as he still doesn't know whether she still accepts the peace or not. Then he transfigures back into his monstrous form as his wings spread out to fly away. "It's your choice after all. But before you leave, if you wish to go after the lunar who inflicted this fear to you, I can help. But I doubt you'll accept"
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo flinches as he changes shapes again. It happens so fast - blink and you miss it. She seems to have a hard time getting used to this. If there is any way of getting use to it at all. The Lookshyan doesn't answer at first. Instead, she examines the prayer beads and the depiction of Mela, which she still hasn't let go of, trusting in Rishi's presence to take her eyes off the Lunar for once. Her friend receives a fleeting, but sincere smile in response to her reassuring gesture. "I... I don't think I hate you", Ereyo blurts out after she has thought this through. But her eyes are full of swirling colors as she looks up again at the monstrous creature. Full of doubt, of clashing emotions and obligations. "If you have meant me harm, you would have acted differently. Like... like that other Lunar." A deep, shuddering breath. "Your assessment is correct. I had an encounter with one of your kind before, and it almost killed me. To this day, it haunts me, in the most literal sense." Her lips form a thin line. "I will have to think about your offer, and what it entails. There's still a lot I don't know. But I will keep your secret... for now." Her words have a finality to them. Makara is not the only one readying himself to leave. Ereyo tucks the rosary back into her bag, after some hesitation - for a moment, it looks like she wants to toss it towards the Lunar instead. Then, she nods at Rishi. "We should leave. No one must hear of this."
Rishi	Rishi nods and giver Ereyo a brief hug, before readying herself to leave. "You were being most well there. I am knowing well just how much the terrifying this was being for you."