Exalted: Orgasmic Creation Discovery Style (Closed, please read and enjoy)

The Yellow River flowed for over three thousand miles in its main course, were its various tributaries included in that count, its length would become truly staggering. The great course had flowed this way, east to west, since this part of Creation was made real from the raw substance of possibility by the awesome and terrible will of the Primordials. Through the endless time of their rule, on it flowed, past the temple cities of the Dragon Kings where inhuman rulers offered blood to the nascent sun. It flowed when the gods grew weary of their slavery and the tyranny of the Primordials, rebellion stirring in their hearts. It flowed when the first Exalted drew her Second Breath and blazed with the glory of the sun when the Dragon Kings came to take her kin for sacrifice. The river flowed, often clogged with blood and bodies, through the war that followed with the Exalted taking up the cause of the gods against the Primordials. It flowed once not with water but with the pieces of boundaries and the lifeblood of the concept of perfect containment when Solar and Lunar Exalted together slew That Which Holds All In Itself, killing the constraining horizon which afterwards could be seen but was a barrier no more.

It flowed on when the war ended; the gods ascended to Yu-Shan, the surviving Primordials broken into the Yozis and imprisoned in the separate dimensional city that was the living body of their former king, and Creation was left to the Exalted and to humans. The First Age was a time of miracles and what was impossible became almost common, for doing the impossible was the purpose and nature of the Chosen of the Incarnae; particularly the chosen of the Unconquered Sun. Creation grew in culture, technology, all arts and crafts, and even in mass as the Exalted created solid existence out of the chaotic nothing/everything of the Wyld. Wonders terrible and righteous alike were made and the river itself halted now and then if needed by massive geomancy projects using magic dams and glyphs made by sorcerer-kings. The meagerest slave knew not hunger and cities flew on the wind or drifted atop the waves.

The river flowed when it all ended and The First Age crashed down in usurpation, Solar heroes gone mad murdered by friends and allies and their power locked away to make Creation more controllable by those who had planned the purge and who would rule from the starry shadows of Heaven. Billions died in what followed but on the river flowed, through the years of the Shogunate, the near culling of all life that was the Great Contagion, even as all was almost unmade by the legions of the Wyld, their defeat and the rise of the Scarlet Empress and all the many years of the Second Age, The Age of Sorrows.

That Age wears on and still the river flows through what was once The River Province, now The Scavenger Lands, home to hundreds of nations and wealth in water, in produce and food, in woods, in metals, in ruins, in the will of many peoples joined by the rivers and the desire for no rule but that of their choice.

One such nation rested on the banks of the great Yellow River and one if it's largest tributaries, the Rolling River. Young it was, just over five hundred years old, founded by refugees of many lands who were all under the protection of three gods and who claimed this land by chasing away a princess of death with a story. After she fled humiliated, the Three and their now joined people claimed the fertile, well-positioned land at the confluence of the rivers. With other spirit allies, a gleaming city of marble over granite was built in a year and a day. Now the city state of Great Forks is renowned throughout the Scavenger Lands and even beyond as a place of plenty, of learning, of the arts, of drugs, sex, and the enjoyment of life. The City of Temples holds hundreds of them and many gods walk it's streets and many mortals have semi-divine blood. There are probably as many bars, tea houses, amphitheatres, arenas, playhouses, and brothels as there are temples; giving the city another nickname, Decadence. A bastion of the good and bad of civilization in a savage world.

Though the people of Great Forks were safer, more educated, and more well off than most, they were not soft for they still lived in the Second Age and all was not well around or even in the City of Temples. It's agricultural and pharmalogical wealth was made on the backs of thousands of slaves, given rights and better treatment than most chattal, but lives in bondage all the same. That wealth brought envy and even allies looked at their riches and the lore and secrets of their universities with covetous eyes. Bandits and river pirates were a constant worry, growing bolder and striking closer each day. The nearby shadowland, long empty, has become the abode of The Walker In Darkness and none knew what he plotted in the necrotic tinged lands of his domain. The many entertainments brought wealthy patrons and tourists who had their own agendas and there were those who pushed the edge seeking to satisfy their debauchery. The city's military had been destroyed almost to a man a decade ago and the rebuilt force was green and weak. Mercenaries bolstered the nation but they too had their own plans and The Guild that controlled so many of them saw a way to make Great Forks completely its' own. If they could keep it weak and cut away what would strengthen it. The rivers flowed on but a time was coming when even that constant would be in as much danger as the city-state would soon be.

Beneath the surface of the Rolling River, far under the hulls of the many riverboats that carried goods and fished lay a secret of the First Age that had waited for the right kind of Exalt to reveal itself. That time had now come. Fifty feet below the waves the murky, dirty water suddenly became clear blue. The clean waters flowed around and over a structure that had no business at the bottom of any river; a small manor with an open courtyard surrounded by a brief garden of coral and a small forest of kelp that were just as wrong. Sustained by the captured and channeled essence it capped, the manse was a beautiful example of resplendent architecture and geomantic mastery. The stone building was rounded and polished like a river rock yet the current did not wear or scrape it away. The lines were dressed with inlay of black jade and a this strip of blue jade. No water entered its' windows or pressed on the doors and not one drop entered the manse save for what flowed in the pipes or from fixtures. The courtyard and the inside of the magical building were not wet but exactly as it sat on a hilltop rather than a river bottom.

In the courtyard, a young man moved with deadly grace through the katas of a fighting style if furious power and speed, of savage beauty. He'd been learning the style for years but the true might of it had only come to him in the last few weeks since he'd drawn his Second Breath and the glory of the sun infused him. Despite how cold the bottom of the river should be, he was dressed in very little. He wore no shirt and instead of trousers a loose pair of cloth shorts with a simple tie string and his feet were bare. A chain and amulet of a gleaming metal that shone like polished gold yet was far more was around his neck; the amulet was shaped like a disc with the bottom half empty and a peach colored almond shaped gem was set in it. His body was well toned and athletic; defined muscles moving under smooth creamy peach skin that had a faint sheen of sweat. He had a few scars before his Exaltation as his profession was a dangerous one but they were gone now, vanished in the surge of essence which had made his body more than human. His body was beautiful, naturally well shaped and well cared for. His ass drew many compliments and admiring looks from both genders. His manhood was contained by his shorts but the more vigorous and athletic moves threatened glimpses of it which attested to a considerable member. His body was clean of hair, mostly heredity but partly choice, only his head bearing a jaw length curtain of ash blond locks. His features were very handsome, slipping towards the pretty side, with clean and fine features that turned heads. They had an enthusiastic, energetic cast that made him seem younger than his 20 years. His lips were rosy and full, his teeth clean. The young man's eyes were, other than the lack of body hair, the only indicator that his parents were both God-Bloods. They irises were the green of finely cut and polished emerald and even had a gem-like quality.

His eyes had given his parents his name. Sagacious Emerald was his proper name, though he preferred to be called "Sage" as he felt it less ostentatious. Many in Great Forks also called him "Little Master," a nickname that had started when he began venturing with his own scavenger crew at the age of fourteen after a few years of accompanying his father's team. He had taken over the field side fully at sixteen and his family's wealth and renown in the city-state was due in part to his discoveries.

It had caused a stir when his scavenger team returned without him two months ago but bearing an incredible haul; the arms and armor of 25 Dragon-Blooded heroes of the First Age. Much of the armor needed repair but it was still a find of staggering value. The senior members told a story of a cunningly hidden small tomb protected by tricks and clever devices that the Little Master had solved with brilliance even for him and that within lay the artifacts they had returned with. But the tomb was not for the Dragon-Blooded; their gear was there as grave goods and tribute to the being that had slain them. A Solar Anathema, whose ashen remains were on a simple bier. No artifacts were with her ashes, as the writing indicated the gender if not the name of the clearly hastily made resting place, yet finding it seemed to touch him deeply. Then the dead came in the night, led by a ghost wearing a patchwork corpse; seeking the tomb's riches. Then the light of the setting sun had blazed up from Sage and he laid them low with power rarely seen since the end of the First Age. He sent the crew away with their booty to return back. What he was going to do, he gave no word of.

Sage returned alone a week after his team and instead of going to his family's manor, swam out into the Rolling River and dove beneath the surface. Whatever happened had driven him mad and led to a bad end, people said. Until he emerged from the river two days later, seeming to be the same as always. Few noticed the unusual fingerless gauntlets he wore now, though they were handsomely made, each bearing three golden bars lined up between the knuckle of each hand.

He had visited his parents briefly and then went away again, only returning last night. And this time not alone.

Sage let out a hard breath as he struck the final blow of the kata and held his stance for a few moments before relaxing and drawing up to stand normally. He closed his emerald eyes and tipped his head back. It felt good to work a few kinks out, clear his head. He'd had more of those dreams last night; fragments of memory of his previous exaltations. They were troubling for him. Deeply personal but also separate, he felt and watched them at the same time. And many of the fragments were unpleasant.

Sage took another breath and began to move through the kata again at half speed, growing slower as he went to cool down. Once his new and stunning, in many ways, companion was up, it would be time to get out into the city. He had plans for the day. Though he knew that fate laughed at the plans of even the Exalted.

Humming softly to herself, the dark-haired woman moved around the kitchen of the manor house, hands moving effortlessly as she prepared a light breakfast for two. Her hands were long and deft, skillfully whipping four of the eggs they'd bought after reaching the city the previous day before pouring them into the pan. In another pan, several slices of bacon sizzled, and there were pieces of bread toasting happily in the oven.

The woman known formally as Transcendent Kana, former Archer-Captain of the army of Thorns, brushed her long black hair from her face as she watched the bacon critically for a moment. Cooking wasn't exactly her strong suit, but she could do an acceptable job of frying up eggs and bacon. Her violet eyes glimmered as she turned to face the window in the kitchen - every room of this place seemed to be as much window as possible, to maximize the view of the surrounding water.

Her pale skin was marred slightly by the dark circles under her startling eyes, evidence of the poor sleep she'd had the night before. And the night before that. And the one before that, and . . . well, pretty much every night since her life had been turned upside down. She still heard at night the screams of the people in the little no-name town, could still see the monstrosity that the Physician had built with its too many mouths and arms and rotting flesh and . . . Kana shuddered and blinked slowly, clearing her head from the memories.

She was lovely, however, even with the little lines of strain for little sleep on her face. High cheekbones, plump lips, and a pert nose gave her face the aspect of a courtesan, something compounded by the lush curves of breast and hip. Her long black hair hung back from her face, loose in a sheet down to the middle of her back, still slightly damp from her bath earlier. She wore an outfit that both emphasized her figure while disabusing them of the notion that she was anything resembling a joygirl, however. Clean, well-worn boots in black leather went to the middle of her calf, and snug black leather pants followed every curve of calf and hip the rest of the way up to her waist. A leather jacket the color of dried blood covered her upper body, the sleeves tight as they tapered to her wrists, the opening in front pressed open by the generous breasts, showing the curves. Over that she wore a piece of chain mail, styled almost like a halter dress, the length of a tunic, crafted of a shiningly beautiful golden metal. Belting in the tunic and defining her waist was a finely crafted and tooled belt of black leather, a sheathed short sword on one side, two shuriken a foot across made of that same golden metal on the other side.

With a smooth set of motions, she put the toast on two plates, the eggs and bacon on the toast, and laid a slice of cheese - the last of the cheese they'd brought as travel rations - and topped the sandwiches. There was a fine tray on the counter there, and she stacked the plates on it, followed by two mugs of cold fruit juice. She added a platter of raw meat to the tray and hefted it in both hands, heading out the door.

Before she reached where Sage was working through what she knew was the final set of katas he practiced in the morning, an eager set of footsteps made her smile. The lionhorse - a creature that was the size of a horse, with the fur and mane of a lion and a taste for raw meat - came over eagerly and nuzzled her shoulder, then eyed the tray. Kana laughed. "All right, Nirala, you got me." She walked over to a stone wall that was about waist-high on her and balanced the tray on one hand while she set the plate stacked with the meat onto it. "Breakfast for you, my friend," she said, ruffling her fingers lightly through the silky mane. The creature nuzzled her shoulder again, then licked its lips and started tearing into the provided meat.

As Kana moved forward again, Sage turned to watch her approach. A smile played over her face. "Good morning," she said cheerfully, gesturing with the tray. "I made breakfast, so if you're done, let's sit down and talk about what we're going to get done today."

Sage watched Kana approach with a half smile on his lips. Dreamweaver's ethereal ass, she looked amazing. It would be harder to imagine a more welcome sight in the morning than that incredible figure, that lovely face with such a sunny smile, walking towards you like that.

Well, okay, not that hard. Fewer clothes, not walking but in bed next to you...Sage shook his head and cleared it of just thoughts. Not a good line of thinking right now. The two of them barely knew one another. It wasn't necessarily wise to bring her here. The manse was his secret but she knew now and he'd even let her attune to it as well. It was hers as much as his and he'd known her ten days.

Granted it was the kind of meeting that tended to cement a relationship. He still wasn't sure if the undead were hunting her or him to begin with but they ended up being chased and being driven to one another. Probably by accident or perhaps fate. The instant they met, Sage had felt a connection click in his newly reinforced soul. He'd known her before, back when they were both someone else. They'd been allies at least, maybe more from some of his visions and dreams. They'd forgot together that night and triumphed, bathing the nighttime hills in the light of the rising and setting sun at once.

And now, here they were. And he still knew so little of her. Was it a mistake to trust her this way? Maybe. But it didn't feel like one. He only hoped it was true and the gods smiled on fools.

"Thank you. I've got to say, seeing you coming my way is a fine way to start a morning." Sage took up one of the plates and leaned back against a planter, taking a deep sniff of the offered breakfast. "This puts it over the top." He took a few bites and chewed with relish. The first meal after being on the road was always something special.

He started to speak after swallowing, "We can discuss it, of course, but I had a few plans. I should stop by home to check in and to introduce you. I want word to get out that you're part of our group so our people know to listen to you and help you if you need it." Taking a girl home to his parents; it had been a while. And never one that looked like her; as beautiful or as deadly. "After that, I've only one stop I really want to make. I want to stop by Joyous Gift's villa and see when she can fit us in. She's, well, she's a courtesan. But she's also a Demon-Blooded sorceress; I think we might be able to hire her to teach us a few things."

He knew he could use sorcery, at least the lowest level. Sage had just felt that change in him when he drew his Second Breath. He didn't know any spells yet though and while the universities could help, they'd also be watched more closely. Spending time with a courtesan was a much more innocent past time in its' own way.

"Ideally, I'd like to show you around a little. Great Forks is home to me but I know you've never been here. And it could serve as good base of operations for us until we figure out...well, anything, really." He shrugged, "But it would be good to have some of the lay of the land, meet some people, you know."

Her lips quirked when he said he wanted his parents to meet her. "It's been a long time since anyone wanted to take me home to mother," she quipped, biting into the sandwich. As he outlined the rest of his plan for the day, she nodded. "Makes sense - I'm sure she has a lot of skills that could be useful."

Thinking for a moment, she chewed. "If possible, I'd like to head to the marketplace as well, if that's possible. There are things I wound up leaving behind in Thorns that I'd like to replace if possible." She glanced at Nirala, the dangerous beast swallowing the last bit of meat. "And we'll need more provisions."

She finished the last of her breakfast, and downed a cup of the juice. "But aside from that, I'd be interested in seeing the city - I don't know a lot about Great Forks, and I'm eager to see it." She grinned, leaning against a pillar. "It certainly looked nice - a lot nicer than where I come from." The smile lessened, but she kept it. "Very lively. And even if Joyous Gift has nothing she can teach us, at least we can have some fun."


They strolled through one of the bazaars in Great Forks, drawing eyes from people who didn't recognize them, and greetings from those who recognized him. She already had a small satchel of items that were earmarked to replace her lost items tied at her waist. Kana looked at the stall of a merchant selling bows. "Hmmm. Maybe I'll stop back on the way. It would be good to have something to hunt with while we traveled," she murmured, the fingers of one hand stroking along the shaft of a lacquered longbow.

Giving the merchant a grin, she joined Sage, who had been drawn into conversation by a young lady selling goat's milk and cheese. The woman was pretty, and doing her level best to show off her assets. Kana walked up with a smile, placing a hand on the pretty young man's shoulder. "Sorry about that - let's go. We have to meet your parents soon."

Sage glanced back at Kana's words and touch,"Not at all. But you're right, we can come back another time or visit another market if need be." The girl he'd been talking to glared daggers at the busty Solar before assuming a resigned expression that became polite interest when Sage turned back.

The young Scavenger Lord paused a moment. The shop girl's manner had changed. Odd, they'd seemed to be hitting it off. "Just a round of this then, good lady."


The house and the rather small lot adjacent to it were outside of the bustling Temple District in the East Quarter of the city. As with the other areas there were places of business and entertainment but all were quieter than the rest of Great Forks. There were fewer people to be seen as well, and it was here that there was any significant amount of people wearing the uniform of the military; in the other districts the only official livery that was to be seen was that of the Enforcers.

This part of the city was usually the center of the members of the military and their families. It bore the emptiness of that day just over a decade ago when 100 soldiers returned home of the over 3000 that had been sent. There was a mournful tension in the district, as if the weight of both the loss and the vulnerability it created were a fog that hung in the air and never quite dispersed, no matter how it thinned.

Property had been cheap there, after the disastrous battle, which is why the house was there and why it had space for even a modest courtyard. And that had taken a great deal of fast talking to the Ministry of Residency. For all that it was not ostentatious but fairly plain, demonstrating the occupants' wealth through size and sophistication rather than ornamentation. Essence lights hung by the doors and in many rooms inside and it rose up three stories with a trio of towers at the north, southwest, and southeast that were higher still. The towers all had balconies that encircled them at the upper level, just below the pointed roofs. The main house had a pentagonal design that was geomantically auspicious but it was hardly a manse.

As they approached, one of the guards on the door saw them and waved, "Welcome back, Little Master. The Master and your mother are in the north tower with Whirling Quill. You're to join them at your leisure."

"Thank you, Orn." Sage noticed the older man, and the other guards as well, eyeing Kana with wary appreciation. He gestured, "This is Transcendent Kana. She's going to be working with me in my, ah, new pursuits. Pass word that she's to be given entrance at any time and treated as a crew boss."

The mercenaries looked impressed, in more ways than one. One of the older men with a sallow face and the look of a man who partied hard when not on duty laughed, "New bodyguard? You traded up, Little Master."

Sage's face went from casually friendly to grief stricken to regretful and settled on annoyed in the space of a few seconds. "A partner, Grili." He glanced back, "Come on in. Let's see how this goes." As he spoke, Orn nodded and the youngest of the guards opened the door and held it for them.

Kana stayed mostly quiet while Sage talked with the guards on the house. They all had the bearing of men who knew what they were doing, and she even recognized the insignia of a mercenary company. So they did know what they were doing; that was good. She raised an eyebrow at the way Sage's face fell when the man teased him about trading up - he hadn't told her everything about when he had . . . changed, but she assumed that the grief and regret were based off of not having been able to save everyone.

She gave the men a small wave and smile as Sage started through the door. This house was also pretty impressive. Her family lived in something similar, though a bit smaller - a house this size would have been reserved for one of the weaker Deathknights or a powerful undead and their retinue. Her eyes took in the elegant, well-made furnishings and the steady glow of the Essence lamps. This place breathed wealth, both in jade and in power, subtly. She was already impressed.

They rounded a corner, going from what looked like a casual sitting room into a small room that was packed with an assortment of things that seemed wildly disparate. There were a half-dozen sets of jade armor in various states of repair, a mysterious machine in one corner that seemed to be giving off a soft glow the gentle sound of chimes every few moments; a table was covered with assorted pieces of old jewelry, some of them in pieces waiting to be reassembled, as well as at least one pair - that she could see - of smashfists and a pair of jade God-kicking boots, one of which was missing the heel and part of the back, cleanly cut off with a razor-edge. There were sundry papers - mostly hand-drawn schematics and notes - pasted to the wall, as well as a few partial documents made on paper-thin sheets of assorted metals. In the middle of this controlled chaos, a large man with hair the color of fertile earth was working with some fine tools on a small orb that had been cracked open along its equator.

The man glanced up, then back down, and then looked up again, his eyes wide - eyes the same color as Sage's. "Well," he said mildly, "I didn't think we'd see you back this soon, boy." He stood and Kana was astonished at how large he was - the man stood fully six feet and eight inches, and broad through chest and shoulder. His skin was a lighter brown than his hair, which he wore to his chin like his son, and he looked to be about forty. His lips curved into a smile as he walked over and embraced the younger man. "Always glad to see you come back, Sage."

When he pulled back, he looked over at Kana with interest. "Think I'd recognize such a pretty young lady," he said, holding out a hand. "I'm Fortune Sounding Malachite - you can call me Mal."

The eighteen-year-old took his hand without hesitation, shaking it firmly. "Transcendent Kana, sir. You can call me Kana." Her eyes went to Sage, questioning silently how much she should tell his father.

The older man grinned, looking back and forth between the two of them. "Oh, there's a secret?" He winked, and asked teasingly, "Am I going to be a grandfather? It seems awfully sudden, but Gracie'll be thrilled, I'm sure."

A delicate alto voice rang through the room from the other doorway as a woman who could only be Sage's mother stepped in. "What will I be thrilled over? Because I'm less than thrilled that you haven't gotten those invoices . . . ." She trailed off as Mal stepped aside to let her see the two younger people at the door. "Oh, oh Sage," she breathed, one hand going to her mouth. Her sky-blue eyes were wide and she moved quickly - almost supernaturally so - across the room to embrace him. Her silver hair - the exact color of starlight on clouds - flowed down her back in a lightly waving sheet, and skin was so pale as to be almost translucent. She pulled back, the soft green robe she wore rustling softly as she did. She studied him for a moment, her delicate features serious before relaxing into a smile. "Darling, I'm so glad you're back! I've got a few things I'd love you to look over before you hare off again."

Sage couldn't help but smile, even as he wondered if she meant to use this to keep him there longer. "Of course, Mom. I"ll take a look but it'll have to be quick. We've got a few other places to go today. For what it's worth though, I'm not planning on leaving town for the next few weeks."

"Well, that's something, at least." His mother arched a single eyebrow artfully, "Darling, manners?"

He shook his head ruefully, "I'm sorry." The young scavenger half turned to Kana, "My mother, Argent Grace. She's the head of the research end of our operation. Mom, this is Transcendent Kana."

Argent Grace's eyes were speculative and reservedly friendly as she looked over the younger woman. Not that she looked much older than Kana despite being more than twenty years her senior. "A pleasure." She shook Kana's hand, noting that it was soft but strong, very faint harder spots that indicated frequent weapons use. "I hope my son hasn't been a trial, Transcendent Kana. Ah, you two are...?"

Sage flushed and then shrugged, "Companions and friends, Mom, or so I hope. We've now known each other long."

"That's a pity," Mal opined, "You two would make great looking grand children."

Sage's expression soured briefly and he flushed a bit deeper. His father wasn't wrong. And he didn't mind the idea of making children with Kana one bit. She was remarkable, a rare woman even if she wasn't an Exalt. "I don't think that's in the office soon, Dad. She's like me." Both of his parents faces turned serious then. "We met being chased by the dead not a hundred miles from here. We fought them and in the process, we sort of revealed ourselves to one another." He didn't mention that as soon as they'd met, he felt a shock of recognition and a dozen flashes of his previous self's memories had flooded over him of who she had been and their partnership so long ago.

Mal nodded slowly, "I see."

"I know this is your house and the business is yours...but I want her welcome here at any time and access to our offices and contacts. She's with me and like me...in a way no one else is anymore." There was a firm note in his voice that seemed to surprise his parents. It was a request but a very strong one; one that it was clear was not meant to be denied.

To his surprise, Argent Grace laughed, "So serious! Relax, Darling. Your friend is welcome. Especially if she saved your life already."

"Well, I wouldn't say that exactly."

His mother had moved on, sweeping up next to Kana, "The two of you must join us for lunch at least. Mal, dear, why don't you show Sage those pieces I wanted him to look at while I show Kana around a bit?"

The mountain of a man nodded, "All right. Come on, boy. Your team brought a few puzzles back with them for us to solve."

Sage looked at Kana and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Despite knowing that his parents were separating them for tactical reasons as well, wanting to get a better read on their situation. "I'll do what I can." He walked after his father as the older man left the room. They walked down a hallway for a minute or so in silence before the Twilight Caste looked up at his sire, "Divide and conquer, Dad? Really? You know you taught me this one."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't work." Mal shrugged, "And we really do want your opinion on these pieces. But, son, do you know what you're doing? Letting someone you barely know get so close to you right away..."

"I know. But I also know, well, I feel like it's right." Sage shook his head, "I trust her. And I need to trust her. We've all heard stories of the Anathema returning-"

"Don't call yourself that," Mal growled.

"-but she's the only one I've met. We'll need each other to survive, must less try to accomplish any of our goals," Sage went on, ignoring the comment but feeling pleased at it nonetheless. "And she's...she's amazing. You should see her fight. It's incredible. Agile and powerful and just...natural. You know you're looking at someone doing exactly what they're meant to and it is magnificent."

"...You're taken with her." It wasn't a question.

Sage sighed, "I...am, a little. Getting more as it goes along. She's beautiful. And Dayshield's Glory, but what a body! But her spirit seems just as lovely. She's bright and cheery, even given where she came from, even being what we are and what that means...our whole lives changing so suddenly, she still shines. I...I like her. I like her a lot, and I know I don't even really know her yet. But I want to."

As the two men left, Kana looked a little nervously at the older woman. Argent Grace had clearly wanted to talk with her alone, and she had no idea . . . well, she maybe had some idea why. "It's very kind of you," she said, proud that her voice didn't waver, "to show me around."

The silver-haired woman smiled, her eyes sharp. "It's nothing, dear. Now," she laced one of her arms through one of Kana's, "let's walk and talk, hm? Nice little chat and stroll before lunch." Grace gestured with one hand. "This is Mal's research room and sort of mess." She looked around fondly at it. "I'm sorry the first room you got to see was this one - it's certainly not representative of the whole house."

"It's quite all right, my own father has a room similar - though most of what's scattered around it is papers."

Grace gently guided Kana out the way she'd entered. "Really? What does he do? This is the family's den, here, sort of where we do the academic research." They entered a space where the wall were covered in bookshelves, three well-loved leather chairs arranged around a long table.

"Oh, he's a Deputy Minister of Culture." Kana looked around, catching a glimpse of some titles that piqued her interest.

Argent Grace nodded. "Of course! What's his name, I might know him. Here in town, or in one of the other Confederation cities?" They passed from the little library into a courtyard filled with light and plants.

"Oh, no." Kana blinked in the sunlight, then turned her face to the sky for a moment with a small smile. "No, in Thorns. That's where my whole family lives."

Grace's steps stuttered for a moment, but she kept moving, a warm smile on her face despite the concern in her eyes. "Thorns? You're quite a ways from home." Another worry struck, and she asked hesitantly, "Did you meet Sage there? I didn't think he had gone that far."

Kana gave her a wry look from the corner of her eye. "No, I was out on an escort when . . . things happened. Most of my squad was killed, and I . . . well, for obvious reasons I couldn't go back. So I ran this way, and Sage and I met up about," she placed a finger on her chin as she thought, "five days ride from here."

There was a pause as Grace took in the information, then nodded. "I know he'd said, but sometimes, my son likes to make things sound not quite as bad, so we don't worry." She gave Kana a small smile, more friendly now. "He's quite a troublemaker, I certainly hope he doesn't give you too much trouble. And he's so friendly, I worry sometimes that he'll come off wrong."

The dark-haired girl shook her head. "No, he's been perfectly nice - and very much a gentleman." She wouldn't have minded, really, if he hadn't been, but it was good that she didn't have to lie to his mother about that. "And I'm sure we'll get along fine. It feels like . . . like we've been traveling together much longer than a week and a half."

Argent Grace gave Kana a look that said that she heard more than what was being said. They'd strolled through the courtyard and a room that looked like a formal dining room, and emerged into a long room with high ceilings that was clearly a formal sitting room. "You're probably right. I'm glad you seem to have a level head - too many young ladies would be more than willing to take advantage of a trusting, gentle soul like Sage."

Well, she might like to do that, but she wasn't sure that telling his mother that she wasn't in the market for a relationship, but a fast fling would be pretty good would help matters. "Yes, well, there really hasn't been time for anything even remotely like that, regardless." Shit. That was not what she'd meant to say.

The two woman walked out into an outdoor dining area, and Argent Grace let her arm free and sat down at one of the seats at the table. A small smile played over her lips, and she tipped her head to one side. "I suppose that's fair - young people can be quite impulsive, and I'm just glad you've had a chance to get to know each other before diving into anything . . . unwise." Her smile broadened as the two men entered the dining area. "There you are. Come and sit down, darlings, and we'll have lunch."

Mal nodded, his face serious and slightly disturbed. He trusted his son and loved him dearly but what he'd just seen had unnerved him. He'd taken Sage to see the objects that might need more involved repair or whose purpose they just weren't sure of. The boy had looked over them for a few minutes and then told him and the other savants present what needed to be done to fix each one and what the unidentified ones were. He'd even shown them how to open them for work or activation. It was uncanny. It was impossible. He and the others had stared at Sage as the youth had set the last one of the artifacts down, shrugged, and given them a sheepish smile. He didn't seem aware of the faintly glinting golden symbol on his forehead.

That knowledge...and the certainty of it...such power.

Sage grinned at his mother and his fellow Solar, "I hope you two are getting along. You'll be pleased, Mom, I think you'll get every one of those operating again. One or two will never be what they once were but enough to sell."

Argent Grace blinked. "You're...done with that? Already?" Her voice was grateful but there was an edge of astonishment to it. That should have taken days, even weeks of research. They'd been at it themselves, not all the time admittedly, since his former scavenger crew had brought the haul back. "Oh. Well, thank you, darling. That will speed things along with the buyers. We've already got several interested parties."

"Not surprised," he sat down in a seat; leaning back and stretching his legs out. "But I didn't come visit to talk business. You guys were making it happen long before I came around." And they'd have to do it without him now. Sure, he could show up and help sometimes but overall...he had a feeling his time had to be spent on something bigger than the family business. Even if the family business was uncovering the remnants of the First Age and trying to bring a little bit of it back. "Besides, we don't want to bore Kana talking about artifact markets and selling points, blah, blah."

"You talking about her or you being bored?" Mal shook his head as he sat himself. "You never did care for the business part of the business."

Argent Grace was smiling bemusedly, "I blame myself. I never should have let you start taking him along on missions."

Sage shrugged, "You thought it'd keep me out of trouble. And get me out of town until things cooled off a little."

Mal looked over at Kana, "He'd caused a fuss and ended up insulting another wealthy family in town. Dramatically public enough that no one would shut up about it." The older man laughed, "They even sent men to the House of Learning after him."

"Their bad luck that they busted in on the martial arts class," Sage said with a shrug and a wicked smile.

A few servants arrived to set down plates and cutlery and then the meal itself. It was good fare; what was clearly the remnants of a pork roast from the previous evening sliced into cutlets and submerged in a rich broth with cut up vegetables and thick noodles. There was also a tray of a loaf of bread fresh from that morning with butter, a creamy goat cheese seasoned with herbs, and apricot preserves. A chilled bottle of wine was brought as was a small jug of cider. The jug was set next to Sage with an indulgent smile by a servant who looked barely a year or two older than he was. "Your cider as usual, Little Master."

"Thank you, Viri." He acknowledged with a smile, "How's your mother?"

"Pleased as a rice god on a feast day, Little Master," the servant girl answered. "Your causing all manner of gossip and rumor again and that's got all the neighborhood worthies coming by to hear what she has to say, what with me working here and all. She likes being an "authority" on the current hot gossip." There was a twinkle in her eye, "You coming by with a lovely and mysterious young girl will send her over the moon. She'll be milking it for weeks."

Sage blushed a bit but laughed. Argent Grace smiled and nodded, "Thank you, all, but we'll not need you until the meal's done." The servants nodded, no bows or gestures of subservience, and withdrew. "Shall we?"

Lunch had been pleasant, if a little awkward. Kana hadn't spent a lot of time eating with a family, let alone someone else's family, but her manners were excellent, even if her answers to their questions frequently left Sage's parents with more questions than before. When the last bit of food had been eaten, they all leaned back in their chairs contentedly. After a moment in the pleasant silence and warmth of the courtyard, Kana stretched a bit. "As lovely as this is, Sage did have one more stop he wanted to make today."

"Oh?" Argent Grace looked at him questioningly. "Going to see some of your friends, darling?"

A faint flush spread across his cheeks. "Actually, we're going to see about getting some education." He grinned at his parents, maybe a little sheepish. "I'm pretty sure I can do sorcery now, but I don't know any spells. There's only one way to learn, you know?"

Mal nodded. "Makes sense. Make sure the instructor is, you know, all right with things."

Sage smiled. "I'll be sure."


Joyous Gift's villa was expansive, not far from being a palace. High windows, shining stone, luxurious furnishings, even a small fountain styled like a waterfall in the corner of the guest parlor. Sage and Kana waited patiently, listening to the soothing babble of the water and eying the room with interest. "So," she said, peering at the delicate fish in the pond beneath the water. "How long do you think we'll be waiting until we see when she'll see us?"

He shrugged, following her gaze to the fish. "I would think we could get on the list pretty fast, so I'm not sure why we're waiting." A thought occurred to him, and he blinked. "It seems impossible, but maybe today? That's the only reason I could see that we'd be waiting."

A husky alto voice came from the doorway. "I'd heard you were smart, Sagacious Emerald. I'm pleased to see it was true." Both of them looked up to see a woman standing in the doorway, more lovely than any they had ever seen.

She was almost as tall as a man, with curves that made the head spin, draped in a gown that shimmered in the low light in tones of silver and green. Her hair fell over one shoulder in a cascade of sunset-colored curls shot through with strands of pure gold and woven through with strands of actual pearls; her eyes were a bright, almost luminous green, delicately almond-shaped, with a lush fringe of lashes around them. Her nose was Romanesque, almost too strong for her face, but the plump, firm shape of her mouth balanced it so that it looked in perfect proportion. The cosmetics on her face were lightly but expertly applied, enhancing the beauty she already possessed into something unearthly. "I am Joyous Gift," she murmured, sweeping into the room and revealing an expanse of alabaster leg that ran from ankle to thigh, a dainty string of brass bells around one ankle making music as she moved. "I am also very honored to have you both here. It is an honor to have two Chosen of the Unconquered Sun in my humble home." She sank into a chair, hands on the arms of it as though a queen on her throne, and smiled. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Sage took a few moments to compose himself before speaking. Joyous Gift's presence was a surprise for one but it was more the sensual power of her that made him feel he should be sure of his wits. She was beautiful, yes, but he'd seen many beautiful women and men in his life. He wasn't sure she was more beautiful than Kana, for example, at least at base. But how she was dressed and made up, how she carried herself, she radiated beauty and sensuality. Her mere act of walking into the room and sitting in the chair made his body ache for her.

He gave a shallow bow, "I"m surprised to hear you use those terms but far more so to actually have the privilege of being in your company. I'd given it two weeks to a month at the earliest."

Her smile sent a shiver down both young people's backs; it was an easy, charming thing that promised delights from her lush lips. "You'd be right normally, Sagacious Emerald. But in truth, I'd hoped to have one of your family as a client for some time. That wouldn't have gotten you to see me alone though; when I heard it was you, well. The city is full of stories and rumors and I had to see for myself. How surprising to find not just you but this lovely girl are both Solar Exalted. I never thought I'd see one, let alone two."

Before he could speak again, she leaned back in the chair and her legs shifted; her gown slipping enough to show a teasing expanse of perfect leg. "So tell me, pretty boy and luscious girl, what was brought you to me? I have a feeling it's not the usual reasons."

"Tragically, perhaps," Sage answered. He still wanted to know how she knew what they were and where she'd learned about Solars. He knew practically nothing and he was one! He just had flashes of memory and the scraps that had survived the Shogunate and the Contagion. "First let me introduce my companion, Transcendent Kana."

Joyous Gift inclined her head, "You're quite stunning, Transcendent Kana. With a little instruction, you could be a successful courtesan yourself."

"Funny you mention instruction," he broke in, "that's exactly why we wanted to see you."

"Oh?" Her brilliant eyes sparkled with what seemed to be genuine amusement. "There are many things I could teach you, both of you, about yourselves. I've done it for so many."

He had to take another moment after that. The images that his mind supplied after those words were...well. "I don't doubt you could expand our, ah, boundaries extensively. But that's not what I mean." The agile young man took a few steps closer to the chair, "There are many rumors about you as well, Joyous Gift, and I'm not going to go into any but one. That you are a sorcerer of no small skill."

"Well." The magnificent woman leaned back fully in the chair and the expression of pleasant surprise was artful. How much of it was real? "Well, I did not expect that. You wish to become sorcerers as well...and you would have me be your master?"

Oh, now that line of thought was...not now. "Yes and no. My Second Breath came with initiation into Terrestrial Circle Sorcery; I know the principles and I see the world in a different way than I did before. But I know no spells and I don't want a record of what I've sought out as there would be at the House of Learning."

"I see." She looked at Kana. There was no way to "see" if someone was a sorcerer. "And her?"

"Kana isn't initiated but knows the power and worth of sorcery. She'd like to learn." Sage raised an eyebrow, "You must admit, a pair of young people, one of them wealthy, spending time with a famous courtesan..."

"Wouldn't attract any suspicion at all, and you'd be able to gain power in secret. Not only smart but clever; the two don't always go together. What an interesting boy you are." She tapped a finger against her chin and looked the two of them over. "I am open to the idea. I have never taught anyone anything but sex and loss, sometimes love, occasionally cunning and the character of this savage world. To be a teacher like this and of beings like yourselves...it pleases me." She sat up straight and smiled, "But my services, all of them, are not cheap."

In the end, she haggled and held out for less than he'd expected. A high sum of jade and silver to be true but most of what she wanted was their favor and for them to be indebted to her. He almost got the sense she was getting a perverse satisfaction that she, a demonic half blood, would be a respected teacher of the chosen of the Incarnae.

"One last thing," she said as she rose from her chair, "while you are here as my students, I will expect you to obey me." Her eyes were hungry as she looked at them both and again he wondered how much of it was art and how much truth. "I may ask you to perform certain...services for me. You may refuse me twice, should what I ask be too distasteful for you, but after that second time, our arrangement is over. Agreed?"

Sage looked over at Kana and then nodded, holding out his hand, "Done."

Joyous Gift took his hand and shook it, her eyes bright. There was a difference to her than when she'd entered before. There had been a minor sense of something like ennui that seemed gone now. The idea of teaching them seemed to have fired her imagination, caught her interest. "You will not regret, either of you. I will be the kind of teacher I wish I could have had but that does not mean it will be easy, or I will always be kind."

Sage nodded. Her hand felt...very nice in his own. Best not to think too much about that. "We're eager to begin. Well, I am." He inclined his head, "Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow, my students. You may go."

A servant appeared smoothly and led the two of them back out of the sumptuous villa. Once outside, Sage looked over at Kana, "I'm sorry if I kind of took over the negotiations there. We can always call if off if you feel we made a bad deal."

As the two turned to head back towards the markets, a voice called out, "Sagacious Emerald, Transcendent Kana!" The two looked to see a young girl, barely into her teens, wearing the livery of The Three jogging up the road towards them. She had a bag slung over one shoulder, "If you will wait a moment, I bear a message and a summons from The Three." She reached into her bag and pulled out a sealed letter. "Dayshield herself has asked for you to present yourselves at the Palace of the Three at your earliest convenience. She is expecting you at sunset at the latest."

They walked out of the villa, and Kana smiled at Sage. "No, no, I think you did fine." She shrugged, memorizing the location of this place. "I'm not that great at negotiating - military life doesn't leave a lot of room for it, so I'm glad you took over." She looked up and down the street and pointed. "Can we go to that one? I think I see a stall selling fresh fruit."

As the two turned to head that way, a voice called out, "Sagacious Emerald, Transcendent Kana!" The two looked to see a young girl, barely into her teens, wearing the livery of The Three jogging up the road towards them. She had a bag slung over one shoulder, "If you will wait a moment, I bear a message and a summons from The Three." She reached into her bag and pulled out a sealed letter. "Dayshield herself has asked for you to present yourselves at the Palace of the Three at your earliest convenience. She is expecting you at sunset at the latest."

Kana looked up at the sky, and sighed. "I guess we had better go. It's already past noon." She smiled at the messenger. "Thank you very much, miss. We'll be there as quickly as possible." The girl saluted sharply and headed on her way as Kana turned to Sage. "I hope you know how to get here, because I have literally no idea where to go."


They entered the central palace of The Three, walking up to the majordomo who sat at a desk with a large stack of papers on it. "Good day, sir," Kana said with a winning smile. "We have been asked to meet Dayshield here with all haste." She presented the opened letter.

The man behind the desk looked at it, then up at the two of them. "Very well, thank you." He whistled, and a young boy ran up wearing livery. "Mishuu, go to Dayshield and tell her that her guests are in the second solarium." The boy nodded and ran off into the depths of the palace. "Please," the man said, "if you would be so kind as to follow me."

He lead them into a small room with two large windows, a sturdy table, and three wooden chairs, all very well made if plain. Kana sat down, looking briefly out one of the windows to see what was out there. It looked out on a simple courtyard, a few trees and flowers around a stone table with a carved stone gateway set on it. She looked out for a few moments, then laughed softly. "I thought so."

At Sage's questioning look, Kana pointed. "The gateway set, it's got a game in progress. Whoever's playing is using the Autumn Leaves gambit."

The door opened, and a woman walked in with a pleased smile. "I certainly am, at least for that game." Her face was lovely in a classically beautiful sense, with dark hair that fell in waves to the small of her back. The armor she wore was clearly made for both appearance and functionality, fitting like it was made for her, as it probably was, in iron and lacquered red and blue so that it shone like silver and gems. A shield was strapped to her back, a sword belted at her hip, and in one hand a packet of papers. "Well-spotted, Transcendent Kana."

The other two stood and bowed, Kana giving the woman a smile as she straightened. "Thank you, my lady. It's good to know that time in the army didn't all go to waste."

"Hardly." Looking at both of them, she smiled broadly. "I am Dayshield, though I suspect Sagacious Emerald at least may have seen me before." She went and sat on the other side of the table, setting her papers down on it as she did. "Thank you for your haste, and for coming at all, I'm sure you're both quite busy." She shuffled the papers around and pulled out a particular sheet. "I have . . . well, sort of an offer for you both. There's something that I would ask of you, on behalf of Great Forks."

He'd seen her before, many times. Of the three gods who ruled Great Forks, Shield of a Different Day was the one most likely to walk among the city's people materialized and publicly. Lord Talespinner was probably in and among them more but he was usually in disguise and also just as often away from the city and its' lands. Dreamweaver was the one most often in contact with the city's people but in their dreams, usually forgotten as soon as a person woke. But Dayshield could be seen in the streets many days, speaking to her people, judging the safety of the city, offering the comforting reminder of her presence and her protection. Given their fragile military, it was a welcome reminder.

She appeared then as she did now; a beautiful human woman clad in armor that was both practical and lovely. Her eyes were a steely gray that welcomed even as it warned. Her armor was made to be used and hid her well but it still hinted at the pleasing curves that every soldier dreamed of coming home to.

She and Kana looked a bit alike, really. Well, it was more that they were both dark haired beauties and Kana was more buxom but anyone who appreciated the female form would be very pleased at being in a room with both. Not like that, of course.

But he had to remember, they both did, that she was not a human woman. She was a god; a spirit being that was inhuman and immortal. There were many gods that lived in Great Forks or visited it regularly so he was used to dealing with such beings but it was always something that gave him pause. They were shockingly human a great deal of the time but they were not and could react in ways that could be very dangerous if one forgot just what one was dealing with.

"Lady Dayshield, it would be poor return of your protection were a son of your city to be slow in response to your summons. And who could be when it would mean the blessing of your presence?"

The goddess arched an eyebrow slightly but her eyes were amused. "I wasn't told a silver tongue was one of your talents."

He couldn't help but grin, "I dabble."

"It is not for that that I called you here, though it may serve you well in what I would ask." Dayshield stepped around behind her desk and slid the paper she'd pulled out of her packet across it. "Something has reached us that is troubling. Pirates have been preying upon our vessels a bit heavily of late."

Sage frowned and took up the paper, looking at it as he spoke. "That is troubling but hardly uncommon. River pirates have been around...likely since the rivers have, I imagine." This report though...troubling was the right word. "This...this is wrong."

She nodded, "It is." The raven tressed deity looked at Kana, "Several of our merchant ships have been attacked recently and seized or left adrift. That in itself is unusual."

Sage didn't know how much Kana knew about such matters, so he hoped he wasn't being an ass. "On the sea, seizing a ship is advantageous and can make you a lot as a prize but on the river, it's harder to get to a port where the ship is unknown and sell it. Seizing cargo and prisoners is the way they normally operate. Pirates would sink a vessel if things got out of hand or to make a statement but it's bad business. A ship that's been sunk can't get filled back up with cargo and be raided again."

"Worst of all is that the ships left adrift have had no one aboard." Dayshield's grey eyes stayed on Kana as she spoke. The war goddess had her own suspicions and wondered if the girl would see any of the things in this that she did. "No one. There were also no bodies. If the pirates were taking the crew as slaves, they would leave the dead. And if their goal was outright slaughter, there would be more signs of it. But living and dead alike are gone from these dead vessels."

She gave a pause, "The vessels attacked were primarily carrying drugs." That was no surprise; drugs were Great Forks' biggest industry and business. "But not recreational ones. Medical and thaumateurgical shipments appear to be being targeted by this band. While valuable, they don't tend to have nearly the same market as the more frivolous substances."

Sage's frown had deepened. "Lady Dayshield, this statement about the divination...is this true?"

"Yes." Her eyes flicked briefly to him but again went back to Kana. "Given the nature of many of our citizens and the knowledge of the House of Learning," her voice had an edge of pride to it. Though a martial deity, Dayshield was proud of all of her city and her brand of warfare was a part of a more civilized age past, "we have many sorcerers and thaumaturges in our service. We had a few of them try to use astrology to see if they could learn anything. And the results were almost nothing. All we know is that the band were once mortal men but now have something behind them. The stars could tell us nothing of what that power may be. There was no more than that."

Before his Second Breath, that would have been strange to Sage but not as disturbing as it was now. His knowledge had deepened as had his understanding and connecting the knowledge he already possessed. "So whatever is backing them is outside Fate."

"Just so, Sagacious Emerald." Dayshield shook her head, "The Fair Folk. The Dead. The Yozi. For this kind of reading, one of those powers must be involved." She walked around the front of the desk to stand between the two young Exalts. "We have many skilled agents and many that have some power; God Bloods, a few Terrestrial Exalted, but this trouble may be beyond any of them. The three dark powers that this could be never knew any greater foe than those like you. I fear that only you may be able to face this properly."

A chill passed along Kana's nerves as she listened to Dayshield talk. This had the potential to be very, very bad for the city if left unchecked; it was small wonder that The Three had thought to look to them. "It is unlikely to be the Fair Folk - I don't recall there being a Wyld zone near here. But it is still worth looking into." She plucked the paper from Sage's fingers where it had been all but forgotten and looked it over. "I don't have a great deal of experience with demons, but the dead . . . this is the sort of thing they would do."

She looked up at the god, her eyes unusually serious. "It's entirely possible that this whole thing is an elaborate set-up. How long has it been since the increase in attack and these mysterious ghost-ships started appearing?"

"About two months." Dayshield nodded. "It may be. A Solar Exaltation sends ripples that creatures - not just sorcerers - can read."

Kana's eyes scanned the page again. "And we," she murmured, "are not outside Fate's sight." Something about that phrasing chilled her again, though she couldn't put a finger on why. "Well. I certainly won't speak for Sage, but I'm more than willing to take this on. If whoever is behind this expected to catch your city out, and be able to waltz off with goods and men and maybe take revenge on anyone here," a small, wicked smile played over her lips, "I'll be happy to disappoint them."

The whole thing, to her, felt very much like something that one of the Deathlords would come up with - well, one of the deathknights, really. They'd be tasked with something like disrupting the city's trade, and use cat's paws and mysterious happenings to draw out the people who were most likely to resist. Remove them, in whatever way was fitting, and turn them to the service of their Lord. And when the city was weakened and restive, send in an army of the dead. It was easy to play the long game when your enemies were mortal, and your servants could always be renewed at their expense.

But a feeling wasn't evidence. Wasn't enough to lay the blame on any one group of beings. They'd find it, though. This would be a good chance to really sort of stretch their legs, so to speak, and see what the two of them would be capable of.


They'd been sent on their way with a pile of papers to study on the attacks, and had stopped in the marketplace to grab items for dinner. They had both worked on cooking dinner, and ate in pleasant company in the same courtyard Sage had practiced in that morning, while Nirala lay nearby, trying to convince them to hand over some of their dinner.

The manse was large enough to give them each their own room, so after passing time chatting about the city and what else they might want to see, the two adjourned to their own rooms. Kana had been stretched out on the bed, reading over the papers they had received from Dayshield, trying to pinpoint what about this whole thing was giving her such a strange feeling. After an hour of nothing, she gave up, setting the papers on a nearby table and snugging the blanket up to her chin as she willed off the Essence lights. Within moments, she was asleep.

The charnel smell was everywhere, and everywhere she looked were the dead or dying. People she knew, people she liked, people she had never seen before in her life, were in agony, arms stretched towards her in supplication. Or worse, already dead, eyes glazed and unseeing, limbs and torsos torn and shattered.

The creature still rampaged, those too-many arms and legs tearing and crashing and rending even as the countless mouths bellowed and gnashed and dripped ichor and spat bones. Kana was kneeling, stunned at the carnage. Whatever the Physician had given them to escort, it was as deadly as he could have hoped, and had thrown its guards off as soon as they'd entered the little town. The beast advanced on a mother who had thrown herself in front of her two small children, its arms stretching out hungrily, and something inside Kana started to burn and she moved forward and . . . . stumbled and fell forward, her arm breaking beneath her with a sickening crunch and she could hear the woman screaming and the children crying and the teeth gnashing and . . . .

"NO!" She sat bolt upright in bed, the air around her glowing with the light of sunrise that she had unthinkingly called forth. Her breathing was hard and heavy, and she trembled a little. Just a dream, just the same dream. The woman and her children were safe, if without a husband and father now, but they were safely settled in a town as far from Thorns as the jade she'd had on her could get them. And the beast was dead.

Without even thinking too much about it, she get out of bed and shrugged into a thin robe, the light around her dimming as the terror faded. She tied the robe around her waist and padded out of the room and down the hall, only hesitating a moment before knocking on Sage's door. "It's Kana, can I come in?"

Sage set down the last of the pages he'd taken from the dossier they had been provided by Dayshield; a lot on the boats, their crews, their cargos, the last sighting of them, and then the discovery or utter disappearance of them. He'd read over them several times now and come to a number of hypotheses but nothing concrete. A Deathlord or one of their pawns, one of these deathknights he'd heard about, was a very likely suspect. He'd have to ask Kana more about that; she was from Thorns and had hinted some knowledge of deathknights but she hadn't offered any details and he hadn't pursued it yet. It seemed to be a sensitive subject.

However, it was not the only possible answer. Any number of sorcerers could use the components and the crews as part of a massive working, though there was no clear pattern to the ingredients that would indicate a purpose of such a thing. Whatever it was would be massive; unprecedented by anything else in the Second Age. Of course, it might not be anything so dire either. There were more mundane occult explanations...which was a strange sentence even in his own head. This could just be a bunch of pirates given artifacts and weapons in order to provide raw materials to someone else who wanted cat's paws. An undead army or components for necrotic war machines. The reagents and medicines wouldn't mean much to the Fair Folk but they could prey on the crew's will and dreams and then trade the sol drained husks to the Guild as slaves...and the medicines. Entirely possible; the Guild was known to do such things before. But why do so at the expense of Great Forks? The Guild profited immensely from both the drug trade and from selling slaves to the city. An attempt to make them more dependent on the Guild's mercenaries? Also entirely possible.

He stood up from the desk in his room he'd claimed for his own. It was clearly the master bedroom and it was, perhaps, a sign of ego that he'd chosen it. The space was significant but it was sparsely furnished with a desk, a ridiculously comfortable chair, a very large bed that could easily hold five people, and Essence lights set in the walls. The outer wall was also transparent but only from the inside; allowing a view of the blue water outside dimly lit by the outer lights of the manse though those were low now as it was night.

The lean and agile young man had been about to go to sleep before deciding to look over the papers one more time. He wore nothing save the loose shorts he'd worn that morning and the hearthstone amulet. He had used the manse's bath to clean himself and his skin shone. Sage looked out at the flowing water, listening to it as well. The sound of the water was a constant in much of the manse; almost like rain but not quite. "Not getting anywhere else tonight," he murmured. "Good day; a little strange but good."

He turned back to head to the bed when he heard the knock and Kana's voice. Sage blinked; that was a surprise, though hardly unwelcome. "Of course, come in, please."

The door slid open at her touch and Sage blinked again. His eyes widened slightly and his lips parted as his mouth fell slightly open. Kana was wearing one of the thin cotton robes he'd bought to stock the manse after first discovering it...or more accurately remembering it after his Exaltation. The thin, light garment caressed and clung to her ample curves in a way that would make Joyous Gift proud. It was parted slightly in the front by her large breasts to offer up a breath catching glimpse of cleavage and luscious titflesh. Her hair was down and slightly damp and the way her chest was heaving indicated some sort of strain or exertion...and also made her look staggeringly sexier.

Sage gaped for a few moments. Though he hadn't known Kana long, he had become fond of her quickly and was attracted to her as soon as they met. Of course, she was gorgeous and had a marvelous figure but the more time they'd spent together, her spirit had won him over as well. He'd entertained a few fantasies of her coming to his room before but acknowledged them for what they were. "Kana...you look stunning. I'm sorry, I'm sure that's not what you came here for." The martial artist and scholar cleared his throat, "Is everything all right?"

She shrugged as she closed the door behind her. "I had a bad dream, that's all." A sad little smile played over her face. "Sounds sort of silly when you say it like that, I suppose. But I was hoping you might be awake - I don't know that I'll be able to sleep again for a while."

She finally got a good look at him and how he was dressed, and her brain rerouted some of its power to thoughts beside the dream she'd just had. All that smooth skin, still slightly damp from his bath, just his hearthstone and those loose shorts that seemed to just barely catch at his hips, teasing at the idea that they might tumble down. Her mouth went dry, and she shook her head a little. "Sorry, sorry, I just . . . got distracted."

Clearing her throat, Kana sank down into a chair, tugging her legs up against her chest. "I don't know what you may have had a chance to look at, but the documents that we got don't seem to offer much in the way of clues. Plenty of possibilities." She was quiet for a moment, thinking. Her eyes seemed to head to Sage's body whenever she wasn't keeping her mind on them, traveling over his well-muscled chest and shoulders. "Yes, a lot of . . . possibilities."

She licked her lips and stood up, making a decision. "Look, Sage . . . I don't want to be alone tonight. So I was wondering if I could, um, maybe stay with you?" Her fingers toyed with the end of the sash, looking younger than her eighteen years for a moment. Those vivid eyes were vibrant in her pale face, looking straight at him as she spoke even as her cheeks flushed. "It doesn't have to be anything, uh, sexual unless you want to, too." Kana hunched her shoulders around herself. "I just . . . I'm interested in you, and I thought you might be, and that, well, we might be able to pass the time with something pleasant."

Sage shook his head, "Nothing silly about it. Since I exalted, I've had some insane dreams and even the ones that weren't nightmares could be...unsettling." He gave her a rueful smile, "Given where you came from...I bet you've got plenty of bad things to dream about. But I don't mind staying up and talking a while; you're wonderful company. And I mean, what man wouldn't be happy with you coming to him in the night? Even just to talk."

"So was there anything particular in mind? I've been reading over these a few more times and...Kana?" She didn't seem to quite be paying attention. She was looking at him but her gaze was...well, it was focused, but moving around and over him and-oh. Oh.

All right, that made him feel about a thousand feet tall. She was looking at him like that? Sage blushed a bit but also couldn't help but smile.

She seemed to notice it and apologized before moving over to sit down in the chair. The dark haired warrior woman pulled her legs up against her chest, quite a feat in his opinion. Her movement to that position gave him a brief flash of her bare legs; smooth, supple, strong, freshly shaved, beautiful legs.

Kana spoke again but seemed to still be distracted. He was reminded that she was actually two years younger than he was. Barely a woman at all, hardly more than a girl. She looked so young and so vulnerable then. Gods, how hard this must be for her. She'd had to leave her whole life behind. She had no idea if her family was safe or well and no way to find out. He felt a sudden desire to smooth her hair back from her face, embrace her, and tell her it would be all right.

The way she kept looking at him made him not trust himself to do so. He'd want to kiss her. And once he had...it may not be welcome. Though the way she kept looking at him with warm, hungry eyes made him wonder. And feel even more want for her.

Before he could say anything more or consider further, Kana stood up abruptly. The motion made her breasts jiggle delightfully in her robe but it was her eyes that caught his and held them. His eyes grew wide and his lips parted again in surprise. She...well. He hadn't thought that she had been; that his growing interest was one sided. Perhaps she just hid it better. Or perhaps this was a trick, part of his mind warned.

If it was, so be it. She'd chosen a good one. He couldn't resist her and wouldn't refuse her.

Sage closed the distance between them with a few quick steps and placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing gently to make her unhunch and stand straight. "Kana, it would be a fantasy come true if you stayed with me tonight. And any night you wish." He lifted his right hand to caress her cheek and then her jawline. "I'll admit I've felt desire for you since we met and after traveling together, it's become more than that." Not love, at least not yet, but interest was a good word for it. "To hear you're interested in me, Talespinner knows it's something I didn't expect but am very happy to hear."

The leanly muscled young man leaned in then and pressed his lips to hers in a light, soft touch. It wasn't quite a kiss; more a question, asking permission. Then as no rebuff came, he kissed her for real. Her lips were so soft and warm in a way that made him ache. His kiss was happy and hungry, eager and vivid, full of honest affection and just as honest lust.

He broke that first kiss and looked at her for a few moments; his eyes bright and welcoming. Then he stepped into her and pressed their bodies together as he captured her lips in another deep, enthusiastic kiss. His arms moved to hold her, hands resting on her hips just above the pert globes of her ass cheeks. He could feel her generous breasts pillowing and mashing against him and moaned softly into her lips when the part of her robe allowed their skin to touch. "So warm and so soft, but hard beneath," he whispered against her mouth, "You're glorious, truly transcendent, you know that, don't you?"

With a soft sigh, Kana lifted her arms and laced them around his neck. Oh, this felt good. Wondrously so, warm and smooth and downright delicious as their lips met again and again. His hands were warm against her waist, the skin where her robe parted pressing against his almost burning hot. As he pulled back slightly, she smiled at his words. "I'm more pleased that you think so than anything else." She kissed him again, her tongue slipping into his mouth delicately, flirting with his own, fingers twining in his silken hair.

This was so much different from the feelings she'd had previously, the heat of passion and the warmth of affection. There was the excitement, the hint of nerves, but nothing like the almost-fear, the anticipation of pleasure so strong it became pain, that she was used to. She could also have counted on both hands how many times the Tactician had kissed her, which may have accounted for part of the difference. But Sage wouldn't hurt her, and his mouth tasted sweet, like a sun-ripened fruit she couldn't quite name. After a few moments, her hands started to slip down and around over his shoulders and chest, fingers stroking his skin. It was her turn to pull back, looking at him from under her lashes. "You feel magnificent, you know. Warm and smooth and firm, so incredible."

Almost reluctantly, she pulled farther back, her hands slipping from his skin to the sash holding her robe closed. "It suddenly got . . . quite warm in here," she said, untying the sash and letting the thin robe fall open, sliding off her shoulders. "That's better, I think." Beneath it, she wore nothing, her nude body pale and flawless in the light.

Kana smiled at him, pushing her hair over her shoulders to display her breasts at their firm, rounded ideal. She moved back toward him, breathing deeply as their bodies pressed together again. He felt so warm, so right against her! She kissed him again, her hands sliding down this time to hook into the waist of his shorts. "You look very hot as well, maybe we should take these off," she teased, brushing her lips against his lightly, even as her hips pressed against his for a moment, feeling the bulge that was growing there with delight. "Mmmm, that . . . gods, if it's as good as it feels, I really should take these off for you."

She slipped the shorts down - really all she had to do was start the process and they slid to the floor on their own. "Oh, Sage," she breathed, looking down to see his cock as it emerged. Proud and strong and thick, she could barely take her eyes off it. "You're genuinely amazing. So strong, so handsome," she breathed. Her eyes went back to his face, one hand caressing his cheek. "I can't wait to feel you."

There was a slight, very slight, hesitance in her touch and in her lips initially. As though she feared a rebuke or even a blow. Something to note for later but clearly she had not always been with loving partners. Someone had hurt her before in play and she almost seemed to expect it. He felt a fierce surge in his chest then; the spark of protectiveness that her earlier shy seeking for comfort had enkindled flared brilliantly at the thought of someone doing such a thing. Sage felt an urge to protect her and to find whoever had thought to do that to her and inflict a just retribution.

Gods, if she was an infiltrator she was a master. She had him. He hoped she didn't know it, even if it was all honest, but she had him in the palm of her hands now.

But her hesitation was gone in nearly the same instant he detected it and that caused a stirring of satisfaction in his chest. She felt comfortable with him, safe, trusting. What a compliment, even silent as it was!

He wished he could have kept an image of that moment when the robe fell off of her body and to the floor somehow; something to treasure for all of his life. He would never forget it, certainly, but by all the gods, how sensual and sultry she was in those moments. Sage made no effort to hide his ogling her young, curvaceous form; particularly when she pushed her hair back and those enormous tits he'd admired for their entire acquaintance were fully bared to his sight. "Dayshield's sweet tits," he vaguely heard himself mutter. An appropriate oath though he doubted that the deity's could compare.

But she had closed the distance between them before he could get more than that one glimpse. Oh, but he didn't care. Pressed against him they felt as good as they had looked. She seized the initiative this time; kissing him and letting her hands explore his body. They were strong and soft but for the rough spots that told the tale of her training and skill. Her voice was warm, soft, and sensual in a way he hadn't imagined she could be. He went stock still at the feeling of her fingers hooking and loosening his lone garment and then sending it to the floor.

He let out a soft groan as the fabric rustled and rubbed over his prong while it fell. But that was nothing compared to her breathy words or the honest and heartfelt hunger in her eyes. Sage felt himself flushing but smiled all the same, "If you can't wait, then don't."

He kissed her again and reached out for her. One hand caressed her right thigh and slid back to cup her ass, the other took hold of her left wrist and started to move her hand to his dick. She grinned and pushed his hand away to reach out on her own. "Ahh, Kana," he gasped as her strong, skilled fingers ran over and then took firm hold of his member. Sage chewed his lower lip as she pumped him slowly, pausing every few moments to move her hand over and around him, tactily exploring his member.

He moved both hands to her ass now; squeezing, massaging, kneading her plush cheeks. "Your breasts are works of art," he said softly, "I bet few people can look away from them to admire this ass. Such a shame! You feel amazing, Kana."

Their lips met again, long and sweet. When they parted, he smiled and shifted his grip on her legs. Her eyes blinked in surprise and then she let out a laugh as he grunted and hefted her up to lift her off the ground and tilt her against him. Sage carried her to the bed and then bent to lay her down atop it. He brushed his lips over her neck, pressing them more firmly against her jawline before finally kissing her again. "Not that I minded standing but I like the idea of you in my bed so much, I couldn't wait."

Kana blushed a little, giving him a shy smile. "I'm very glad to be here." Her hands reached out to caress him, traveling over his skin with something akin to wonder. He felt so warm, so strong. He had picked her up as though she weighed almost nothing! Sitting up on her elbows she kissed him again, pressing her forehead against his for a moment. "Sage, I want . . . . I want you, so much."

He kissed her back, sliding his hands down her sides to her hips. Her hips raised up a little, letting his hands slide underneath and cup her ass. It also pressed her more firmly against him. Kana wrapped her arms around him as his fingers massaged the round globes of her ass; she kissed him over and over, drowning herself in the feeling and taste of him. It felt so warm and wonderful, and his hands seemed to know where and how to touch her, the combination of his kisses and his touch both calming her nerves and building another type of tension in her.

She licked her lips, running her fingers through his hair. "Please," she whispered, "I want more." One of her legs hooked over his, tugging his hips closer, moaning a little at the feel of his cock pressing against her. Kana pressed her lips to his neck, drawing her teeth over the sensitive skin there. "Sage, gods, you feel so amazing." Her back arched, pillowing her breasts against him. "I want . . . I want to do everything to you," she murmured.

Sage's breath came out of him in a ragged stream as Kana writhed under and against him. Her glorious curves were in his hands and mashed to his body in rapturous lust. His hands, so used to handling rare and precious objects, did so once again as he fondled and squeezed her luscious ass cheeks. Those magnificent breasts were a marvel pressing and rubbing against him. And Dreamweaver's ethereal ass, the way her fingers ran through his hair and her legs tugged and urged him on into her made it all that much more erotic and madly sweet. The hot, scorching, hungry words that poured from her made him ache to do just what his body wanted to do. To drive his cock home into her tight slick wetness and fuck them both to passionate bliss.

He almost did. He shifted forward enough to feel his head grace her snatch; her fluids glazing the bulbous knob. They groaned out together and she twisted sinuously under him; physically begging him to enter her. Gods, he was tempted. But he was a son of Great Forks and his city had a reputation...well, many reputations but he was most focused on that for decadence and sensual delight.

He was also a man who studied. At all times, even now, he was studying Kana. She wanted him to fuck her, yes, but she also wanted more. Did she feel she couldn't ask? Was it part of that hesitation, that fear she'd showed earlier?

Those two things together made his decision for him. Sage smiled, "Everything, my beautiful friend and lover, well. Then we shall be here for long years and pass them all in bliss. Alas, we shall have to spread it out a little. But I am more than willing to do this and more each night until we satisfy your wish."

He kissed her and ground his rod against her mound, but angled to avoid entering her, just teasing them both. Sage moved the hand on the same side of the leg about his down from her ass to caress the elegant shape and then pull it away and off of him. She whined and his smile grew slightly, "Soon."

Sage kissed her hard and moved his hands to her shoulders to pull him off and press her down off of him and onto the bed. His lips moved to her neck, kissing along and down the artery that pulsed with life and drawing more whimpers from her. He crawled down her heavenly body, hands running over her legs as he gently pushed them apart. His hungry lips spend a minute on each of her godly breasts, tongue and lips worshiping her curves and supping on the rosy nipples.

He tore himself away with effort. He slid down her again, looking up at her through the valley of her tits until he was between her legs. Sage gazed down at her sex. She shaved too, is seemed, her lips bare and beautiful. Her petals glistened with her arousal and were slightly parted and puffy in anticipation. "Perfect," he breathed.

Then he bowed his head and kissed her flower; long, lovingly, with hungry passion. He ran his tongue up, over, and down her slid. Sage felt her quiver and bend and his lips bent in a smile even as he began to feast in earnest on her snatch. His hands caressed and stroked her thighs. His tongue pushed past her labia and tasted her inner folds. He hummed happily into her pussy and began to lick her in earnest; fast, full, pressing hard yet not painfully. Sage drank her and devoured her cunt like a starving man.

Her hands clenched in the sheets as he started to feast on her pussy, looking down at his bead between her legs. "Ahh, Sage! Your mouth feels . . . mmm, gods, incredible." Kana had only had a few people ever do this for her, and every time she was stunned by the sensation, how different it was from being fucked, or from having someone use their hands. His tongue was warm and wet and so alive against her, his lips sucking and sliding over her lips as though he would drink every drop.

Kana was wriggling on the bed, her hips bucking as much as they could with Sage's hand restraining her from grinding her hips too firmly against him. One finger slipped inside of her, and that pushed her over the edge. Her cry of pleasure came from deep in her soul somewhere, soaked in delight as she crested the wave of pleasure that he had been pushing her towards. When she came down from the high, or started to, at least, he was still lapping eagerly at her pussy, his finger pumping in and out of her body, curling slightly to hit the sweet spot inside even as his tongue rasped over the tight, throbbing nub of her clit.

"Sage! Sage, I've never . . . fuck, this is so incredible!" Her voice rose into another inarticulate cry of pleasure, body trembling under his ministrations. The world seemed to fade into a haze of physical delight. As she caught her breath, she looked down, meeting his eyes with an exhausted smile. "That was . . . Unconquered Sun, that was damned amazing." It felt like her body was glowing, melting. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this good, this at peace and still wanting. One hand stroked his hair gently, just making the connection and feeling the silken texture of it. "I . . . don't even know how you did that, making me cum so fast!"

He raised his head at her touch, pressing against the fingers sliding through his hair. The smile on her face was like a small sunrise in and of itself and her eyes seemed to glow as she looked down at him. Sage's lips and chin were slick with her juices, glistening faintly. Her tremendous breasts heaved as she pulled in deep lungfuls of air to refill what she'd screamed out in her pleasure.

He'd done that to her, for her. Now that was something for a man to be proud of.

Sage licked his lips and gave her a charming grin, "Practice, my dear Kana, and a great love of the taste of a woman. And you have a very fine taste, indeed." Her cheeks flushed but he thought he saw pride there as well. "Want to know for yourself?"

He lunged up and over her, drawing a squeal and a laugh, though there was also a sliver of a second where he felt her hesitate as if seeing if this was an attack. But then he was pressed to her and their lips met. She cooed and sighed; her lips parting and his tongue slipping into her. They kissed again and again, Kana cleaning his face of the dregs of her enjoyment.

Sage held her tightly then, moving to speak softly, but speak it was, he did not mean to whisper. This was no secret and nothing he was afraid to say. "I know not your past or your lovers, but I am not them. We are together here, and I want us that way. If you want something, ask for it. Or otherwise signal, for I am not a man to take my pleasure from a lover before they are sated or without full approval."

He drew back and half sat up, looking down at her. He raised an eyebrow and gave her another roguish grin. "I could feast on your glory all night and be quite happy. But I get the feeling you may wish for something else...and I may as well."

She blushed a little at his words. Kana hadn't thought it would be obvious that she was . . . hesitant to ask. Not that she had never asked, or that she had never gotten what she asked for from her last lover, but . . . without being told to beg, or being told she was over someone else, or even few occasions that he had told her she was in charge, doing anything except what he wanted was a bad idea. But he was right - Sage wasn't the type of person to take what he wanted without knowing the other person wanted it, or to leave someone wanting and do as he pleased.

Her eyes looked into his, her arms wrapping around him for a moment, returning his embrace tightly. "I do wish for something else," she said in the same tone he had used. Not a whisper, for this was not shameful. "I want to feel you inside me, I want to have you fill me, fuck me, give me your cock and your pleasure - and my pleasure." Kana smiled at him, then kissed him lightly.

He was so sweet, so caring! They pulled out of the kiss and she moved her head to nip his neck gently. "Please, Sage, I want you to make love to me."

What? That wasn't what she'd meant to say. She didn't want love right now, didn't want the emotional tangle of love, certainly not with someone she hadn't known for even two weeks! Fuck. She wanted him, wanted to feel him. Best not to think about the other right now, when he was so close and -

"Ahhh!" her back arched as he thrust forward into her, plunging that cock into her and spreading her. Gods, that felt so good! So full, so wonderful, and he wasn't even all the way in yet! Her fingers clenched on his shoulders. "Gods, Sage! You feel . . . fuck, you feel so amazing!"

Her eyes, those unusually colored and uniquely vivid orbs that were like violet glass lit by a candle, met his and held his gaze. He saw her words in those deep eyes as much as he heard them; words that stirred his blood and made his manhood throb. Asking him for what they both wanted in terms both sinful and sweet, all the more holy for the combination.

They kissed; a quick, light kiss as if to seal a mutual pledge. He was prepared to answer her in speech and action when she ducked his head to nip his neck and brush her lips over the skin. "Please, Sage, I want you to make love to me."

Sage gasped softly and felt a jolt of surprise. That was...that was amazing if unexpected. When she'd started this, she'd said she was doing this because she wouldn't sleep, didn't want to be alone, wanted to pass the time pleasantly. Love play, certainly, but love making...they were close but not quite the same.

His eyes and smile softened. She'd had sex before, perhaps even more than one lover, but had anyone ever made love to her? Maybe he would be the first. How about that?

Part of him wondered if her asking meant something more than it seemed. A deeper connection, the start of a feeling between them that was more than just friendly affection mingling with desire? Or maybe it was just what it was; a request to be intimate with passion and heartfelt compassion, to delight and bask in one another rather than simply giving and taking pleasure.

He'd think about it later. Right now, "As if I could ever deny such a thing, since I wanted it myself."

Sage wasn't sure she'd heard him; she seemed distracted...perhaps she thought she'd overstepped? No matter.

The strong and lean young man shifted his hips and kissed her neck tenderly, moving up slowly to where her neck and jaw met. He shifted his hips and felt the head of his cock brush against her petals. Gods, as if designed to find and fill her; amazing! Then he slid forward and his breath hitched as he entered her. "Oh, Kana, oh, beauty," he groaned.

Her cries made him grin anew and the way her body wriggled was a wicked delight in itself. He shivered as he slowly drive forward; his thickness stretching her pink perfection wide and sinking deeply into her core. Sage loomed over her; his eyes hot and gleaming with passion but with something else besides. It was not love quite and yet it was not unlike it. "Likely I will never see the fables glorious of Yu-Shan but this is heaven enough for me."

And it was true. Her sex was wet and snug and seemed to pull him; almost like a velvet hand stroking and clutching at his rod with greedy need. Sage gently filled her to the hilt; his balls brushing against her smooth skin. He held there for a blissful eternity of a few seconds and then began to withdraw with agonizingly sweet slowness. He began a steady rhythm of full, long, deep strokes to build them up together, to fully enjoy her body and in the hope that she would enjoy his. "So right and so sweet, my dear friend, my newest, purest lover. If only all our nights could pass this way?"