The Silver Sphinx

 

“All things come in threes.

Once is serendipity, twice is coincidence, three times is typical.”

Rule of Three

 

 

Second Lady's Day of Leagueheim, 126 HR

Sarin stood at the long conference table in his office and waited for the Chosen whom he had summoned because of the mysterious parchment that Juliana had brought to Sigil that morning. He still did not like the fact that one of the Chosen was an Anarchist. He had let Erin and the others convince him that Sgillin had joined the Revolutionary League out of pure, clueless ignorance – even his own soldier Kiyoshi had judged it that way and confirmed it. But that was the only reason the half-elf wasn't sitting in a cell, and it didn't mean that he liked the situation any better. In the light of the bloody Prophecy, however, it was something he probably had to resign himself to, no matter how much it stuck in his craw, personally and philosophically. He hoped and prayed that this matter would not blow up in his face one day. Since these thoughts were quite unpleasant, he was grateful to be interrupted by a knock at the door. Well, at least the Chosen were on time.

When Naghûl, Kiyoshi, Jana and Sgillin entered and bowed in greeting, Sarin nodded. “The Lady's Grace. Please, take a seat.” He pointed to the long conference table where the Chosen had already been sitting when they had reported to him about Eliath.

Kiyoshi sat down far away from Sarin. If there was a reason for that, the other Chosen didn't seem to know it either, because they gave his soldier a confused look.

“Are you afraid I'll bite you, soldier?” the paladin asked in his direct manner.

“No, honorable factol Sarin-gensui,” Kiyoshi replied earnestly. “But as a simple soldier, it is not for me to sit so close to you.”

Ah yes, another one of Kamigawa's many conventions, Sarin thought to himself. Now he had to smile a little. “If officers were present here, you would be right. The operative word is were.” When Kiyoshi seemed undecided about how to react, he motioned to him to remain seated. “Never mind. Let's get straight to the point. You already know why I've summoned you here.”

Naghûl looked at him questioningly. ”To be honest ... Well, I'm guessing it's because of Lawshredder, maybe?”

Sarin was not expecting this answer and frowned doubtfully. “To be honest, it's about the parchment my wife mentioned to you yesterday. The one from the vision.”

“Oh yes, of course.” The tiefling cleared his throat in embarrassment. ”Forgive me, Factol, but we are also overwhelmed by the general situation, and sometimes one may be a little confused and forgetful. At least I am.”

Sarin couldn't help but raise a meaningful eyebrow. “It is very reassuring to know that the Chosen of the Prophecy are confused and forgetful.”

“Honorable Factol Sarin-gensui,” Kiyoshi came to the Sensate's aid. “I'm sure the honorable Naghûl-san was just making one of his hard-to-understand jokes.”

Naghûl grimaced and lowered his eyes, obviously ashamed of his little slip. However, Jana saved him from having to answer.

“Sometimes I feel as if we're all in the same boat in a storm”, she said. “In a bad, bad storm, just drifting somewhere.”

Sgillin looked at Jana a little doubtfully, but for once Sarin was able to understand the thoughts of the sorceress. “Not a bad description,” he agreed. “But it's no use. We're in it now and have to make the best of it. - All right, I was talking about the parchment that was found in the Archonites' fortress in Excelsior.”

Jana nodded. “And Kiyoshi is now supposed to try to read it.”

“Correct,” Sarin confirmed. “Lady Juliana will arrive here shortly, with said parchment.”

“Oh, really?” Naghûl sat up expectantly. He seemed genuinely excited about the prospect of meeting the former factol of the Harmonium, and there was a certain reverence mixed into his tone of voice.

Sarin nodded. “Yes, really. And just to be clear: I expect everyone in this room to behave appropriately.” He couldn't help but look at Jana.

The sorceress sat up a little straighter. “Sure, Factol!”

Naghûl eyed Jana, too. “Of course,” he explained. ”An appropriate greeting goes without saying.”

“Why are you looking at me?” the Athar growled, disgruntled.

Sarin nodded at the Sensate's words. ”Right. A proper greeting, address and appropriate behavior in conversation. I don't want to be embarrassed here.”

Jana folded her arms and put on an offended expression, but Sarin paid no further attention to her, as there was a knock at the door at this very moment. The factol stood up and took a deep breath, and the Chosen got up as well – all of them, as he was pleased to note.

One of the two officers on guard stepped forward and announced the high-ranking visitor: “Her Magnificence Archbishop Juliana Spesinfracta, former factol of the Harmonium.”

The Chosen bowed low, and this time Jana also respected the Sigilian protocol. Then the officer stepped aside and Juliana entered. She was wearing an elegant white and gold dress and as always, her gray hair was pinned up and adorned with a diadem that indicated her rank as archbishop of the Archonites. The former factol always appeared aristocratic and awe-inspiring, but also calm and composed. When he saw her enter his office, Sarin felt a sense of relief that he couldn't put into words. After the shock of thinking he had lost her, after learning how horrible it felt to have her snatched away from him in this way, he realized more than ever how important she was to him. She couldn't know it at that moment, she didn't know how this very meeting had been on a razor's edge. He would tell her – would have to tell her, because he couldn't and wouldn't keep something like that from her. And she would reprimand him for risking so much for her. But not now, not at this moment. This moment belonged to him, the joy of still knowing her with him. So he walked over to her, and she nodded, smiling.

“Factol Sarin,” she greeted him.

He bent his knee before her, bowed his head and kissed her right hand - a very formal greeting that he didn't always give her, and only since she had become archbishop. It was his, Killeen's and Tonat's way of showing her the respect they felt for her, of showing her that she still had an influence over them that went far beyond her former factolship.

 

 

Juliana had obviously not expected this in the presence of others, as she appeared a little surprised. “I thank you this formal greeting, Sarin,” she said politely. “We both know you are under no obligation.”

He smiled warmly. ”If not to you, my lady, then to whom?”

“I feel honored.” She smiled back, and as he stood up, she opened her arms. “Sarin,” she said, now much less formal.

He gave her a short but warm embrace. “Juliana. I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you.”

“I'm happy, too.” She squeezed his hand and then looked at the Chosen. “Is that them?”

Sarin nodded and pointed from left to right while he introduced them: “Naghûl Ka'Tesh, Jana Wetter, Kiyoshi and Sgillin.”

All four bowed their heads as the archbishop greeted them, scrutinizing each of them briefly and intently, but not unfriendly. She did not yet know about Sgillin's faction affiliation. Sarin had not wanted to tell her anything that explosive in any other way than in private. However, he had told her that there were special and rather unorthodox circumstances associated with Sgillin so that she was not completely unaware of the situation.

Finally, she nodded and lifted the scroll case that she had been holding since entering. “Well then, we'll take a look at it, won't we?”

“I would love to.” Sarin pointed to the head of the long table, across from his own seat, and put the chair in place for her when she sat down.

Juliana took the parchment out of the case, laid it down in front of her and smoothed it out. ”Where are the other Chosen, if I may ask?”

“My wife sends her apologies,” Naghûl explained. “But her factol, Rhys, had summoned her to assist her with important mediation talks.”

“Lereia also sends her apologies,” Sgillin added. “She is still with Factol Ambar on the Ethereal Plane.”

Juliana nodded. “No one can object to the duties to one's own factol.”

She was already turning her gaze to Kiyoshi, but Sarin saw an opportunity that he didn't want to miss. “Before we look at the parchment, I have a question for Jana,” he said. “Jana, you had a vision a few months ago. You saw the factols Ambar, Erin, Terrance, Rhys and also me. You know which one I mean?”

“Yes, I ...” The sorceress cleared her throat. “All too well, factol.”

“The woman whose dress I kissed ...” He looked over at the archbishop. “Was it Juliana?”

His former factol eyed Jana inquiringly. Sarin had already told her about this vision, so she knew what he was talking about.

The sorceress looked at the archbishop for a moment and then shook her head. “No, I'm sure. The image was very clear. It was a different woman I saw in the vision.”

Juliana looked thoughtfully at Sarin. ”Very interesting. I don't like it, Sarin.”

He smiled. “I assure you of my undivided devotion, my lady.” At an admonitory glance from her, he became more serious again. “No, really, I don't like it either. Then we'll have to find out who the woman in the vision is. But that's not the topic right now. I just wanted to use the encounter with Jana to clarify this question. Now it's about the parchment.”

Juliana was about to turn to Kiyoshi, but she was interrupted again, this time by Jana – albeit rather indirectly. The sorceress suddenly turned pale, leaned on the tabletop with her elbows and tried to breathe in a controlled and even manner. Sarin wanted to ask her if she had another vision, but the room blurred before his eyes and dissolved into a dark spiral of smoke and mist. It felt similar to the time when Jana had taken him into one of her visions before. But back then, they had seen a conversation from the past between him, Killeen and Valiant. This time, a completely different picture presented itself ...

 

A large fortress in a hellish environment ... a crimson sky, a swollen, red sun, a rugged landscape ... He seemed to be flying towards the fortress. It was cleft as if a mighty lightning bolt had struck it, built on either side of an enormous chasm. As he approached, he realized that it was populated by fiends ... tanar'ri. He flew through one of the windows, rushed through long corridors ... fast and faster ... and deeper ... from the towers to the lower floors into the depths, into corridors that must lie far beneath the fortress ... Then he paused ... he floated inside a large room ... a kind of vault, decorated with fiendish ornaments. In the center a large, ornate stone block ... a coffin? The lid opened, slid to the side ... Something shimmered inside ... A sword, a katana with a very bright blade. The blade didn't look like metal ...

 

When he woke up again, Juliana was standing beside him, holding his head in both hands. Yes, just like the last time. Jana had shared a vision and he had been unconscious for its duration. When the archbishop gently released him, he shook his head dizzily and looked from the worried Juliana to Jana. “By all the hells, that was you again, right?”

“Now really.” Despite her concern, Juliana gave him a reproachful look because of his curse.

He cleared his throat apologetically. “Sorry, my lady.” He noticed Sgillins grin out of the corner of his eye, and he couldn't even blame him. It was certainly amusing to see that even the factol of the Harmonium was not beyond an occasional reprimand.

“This city is depraving you,” Juliana sighed, then she went back to her chair and looked inquiringly at Jana.

The sorceress, still startled, looked at Sarin. “I can't ... suppress it, Factol,” she murmured.

A glance at Naghûl, who was rubbing his temples, told the paladin that he had apparently also experienced the vision. “Have you been in Broken Reach too?” the tiefling asked the group.

“Broken Reach?“ Jana frowned. “Is that the name of this ... castle?”

Sarin sighed deeply. “Yes, Broken Reach ... definitely.”

“A fortress, split as if by lightning,” Naghûl described it to the others who obviously hadn't seen the vision. “In a hellish environment, inhabited by demons. Yes, that must have been Broken Reach.”

“There was a sword or something,“ Jana added. “Inside that ... coffin.”

“It was a katana,” Sarin explained.

“A katana?” Juliana listened attentively.

Naghûl nodded. “Yes, and I got the impression that the blade wasn't made of metal.”

The archbishop's expression grew even more serious. “This weapon ... Did it look like this?” She spread a painted piece of canvas on the table, which had previously been hidden beneath the old parchment. It showed a katana with a silver-blue handle and a very light blade, surrounded by pale pink blossoms.

Sarin leaned forward to get a better look at the picture. It looked exactly like the sword in Jana's vision ... “Yes, definitely,” he murmured, shaking his head. “Can you explain what this sword is all about, my lady?”

Juliana pushed the picture a little further to the center of the table so that everyone present could see it well. ”We found this picture - and two others – together with the text written on the parchment here. They are pieces from a larger painting, but I don't know if they are from the same one. In any case, they were cut out of the canvas of a larger picture and enclosed with this text. Our alchemists suspect that the parchment and canvas pieces are about the same age. The katana I just showed you is one of these three pictures. These are the other two ...”

She placed two more pieces of canvas on the table. One of the pictures showed a double-bladed sword made of mat gray metal with a dark handle, the other a slender black blade with thorns on the cross-guard. A red gem sat in the pommel. While Sarin was still studying the pictures intently, Naghûl shrugged a little helplessly.

“I don't know much about weapons,” he admitted. “One looks like a double-bladed sword, the other like a kind of long dagger or slender short sword. Is that possible?”

“The shape and ornamentation of the third remind me a little of the aesthetics of the drow,” Sarin explained. ”But that's just a first impression; it could, of course, also be a completely different culture behind it.”

“I can't make sense of it,” Sgillin said, at a loss.

Naghûl turned to Juliana. “Magnificence, do you know more about it?”

The archbishop shook her head regretfully. “Killeen and I speculated about it for a while, but we couldn't come to any conclusion. The mysterious text on the parchment made me think that it could have something to do with the Ring Prophecy, so I wanted to keep it under lock and key.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Sarin indicated a bow and then turned to the others. ”In the Harmonium, apart from my wife and me, only my adjutant Amariel, my two legates and Lady Juliana know about the matter.”

Juliana now pointed to the mysterious parchment. “This text seems to be written in three stanzas. At least there are three paragraphs. Since the text was found together with the pictures, one could assume that it is possibly about these three swords.”

“I have a terrible presentiment,” Sgillin murmured, grimacing.

“Really?” The archbishop raised an eyebrow. “What do you fear?”

“That we will probably need these swords ...” the half-elf replied. ”And that we will have to search them, honorable archbishop.”

She nodded. “Indeed, an obvious assumption.”

“It's unfortunate that one of the swords is hidden in the depths of Broken Reach, of all places,” Sarin interjected with a sigh.

Sgillin frowned thoughtfully. “Perhaps we should consult a higher authority on this matter beforehand.”

Juliana immediately understood what he was talking about. ”Ah ... the Envoy.”

“Yes.” The half-elf nodded. “And maybe Jana will be able to get visions from the other two pictures that will tell us where the depicted swords are.”

“That would be of great help, of course,” Sarin said. “In the hope that the other two swords may be more accessible.”

“Maybe there's a sign I can use,” Naghûl added.

The paladin nodded. “Yes, we have a few options. - All right, then ... the parchment.” He looked at Kiyoshi. “Although I'm not sure if I want to know ... You should read it to us.”

The young soldier straightened immediately. ”Very well, honorable Factol Sarin-gensui.”

Juliana pushed the parchment with the mysterious text over to Kiyoshi. It was written in dark blue ink, in three paragraphs. In the first paragraph, one word was highlighted in black ink, in the second paragraph, one word was written in gray ink, and in the third paragraph, one word was highlighted in a very light, silvery-white ink.

“It is indeed the Old Tongue,” Kiyoshi confirmed, glancing at the document.

Juliana's expression brightened. ”You mean you understand it? Well, then please read it aloud.”

The young man nodded, gently pulled the parchment towards him and began to read. Sarin unconsciously held his breath as Kiyoshi revealed the content of the mysterious text:

 

“Destined to seize all life, in sorrow's keep,

It calls from death soul-blossoms fair,

To forge new life, from slumber deep,

Then slashes them with rage beyond compare.

When pale sparks finally fade in gloom,

It bears within a dark and endless yearning.

Yet rises up again, defying doom,

To claim the final bloom, forever burning.

 

Wild Styx, now you are overcome,

Your night dissolves in morning's gleam.

Subdued are now the trials, struggles done,

Empty the cup you offered as a dream.

So breaks the swirling whirl of thought,

That you with vengeance sought to overthrow,

Painfully free from chains you wrought,

And memory alone, we shall now know.

 

Though at your peak, your heart did lie,

Bleeding, where ashen flowers grew,

Your prayer of hope will never die.

In your soul, the light will shine anew.

As if you fly, but rising you don't feel,

When heaven's banners all around you sway.

As if you plunge, but falling you don't feel,

When all life's spirits drift away.”

 

When Kiyoshi had finished, a deep silence fell over the room. The words sounded significant, disturbing and auspicious at the same time. And on top of that, apparently no one could make sense of them, as Sarin could see from the questioning and overwhelmed expressions on the faces of the others. He couldn't exclude himself.

“Remarkable, soldier,” he turned to Kiyoshi. “Thank you. But what ... do we do with it now? Does anyone see a connection to the Ring Prophecy?”

“Not at first glance, Factol ...” Naghûl replied.

Sgillin shook his head. ”Me neither.”

The paladin stood up, went to his desk to get a quill and parchment, and then handed both to Kiyoshi. “Please write it down for us,” he said. “So that those who do not speak the Old Tongue can read it in the future.”

The young man complied with the request and put the verses on paper, still slowly and a little awkwardly. Sarin nodded to himself. Amariel had mentioned that he was proficient in the complex characters of his home world Kamigawa, but not in the alphabet of Planar Common. He had only learned it in the last few weeks.

While writing the words, an idea seemed to occur to Kiyoshi. He interrupted himself and looked up. “Could memory, hope and sorrow be the names of the three swords? These three words in the text, written in a different type of ink, have the same colors as the blades: black for sorrow, gray for memory and white for hope.”

Sarin nodded. “It's common in many cultures for swords to be given names. Yes, that would also fit in with the pictures.”

Now Jana leaned forward a little to examine the pictures more closely. “On the first one, there are pale pink blossoms, surrounding the katana. Would you interpret it that way too?” She looked around questioningly.

“I actually wanted to say something about the symbolism of cherry blossoms,” Kiyoshi confirmed. ”In my home world, there is a festival called Hanami. It marks the beginning of spring and is celebrated every year when the cherry trees are in full bloom. In Kamigawa, we have a proverb: hana yori dango, which means I'd rather have dumplings than flowers, indicating a preference for the practical over the purely aesthetic. But for Hanami, big festivals are celebrated, work stops and it is a celebration of joy.”

“And hope?“ Sarin asked.

“Yes, also hope,” the young soldier confirmed. “The cherry blossom stands for perfect beauty and a dignified death. A truly honorable goal. Every samurai wishes to die a dignified death once. In this respect, it can also be seen as a symbol of hope.”

“Your prayer of hope will never die ...” Naghûl murmured, glancing at the old text. ”Then the last verse could refer to the katana.”

While everyone else was speculating and exchanging guesses, Juliana had been conspicuously quiet. Sarin watched as she drummed her fingers on the table top and murmured softly to herself. “Sorrow, memory, hope ...” Then she looked up as if she had suddenly remembered something. “Yes, that's it! I knew it sounded all too familiar.” When everyone turned to look at her, she pointed at the three pictures. “I remember. The swords. There is a very old legend about the three mystical swords Sorrow, Memory and Hope. As a celestial mystic, I have studied many such things. The legend says that the three weapons are somehow connected and form a whole. They are said to be very powerful, but their exact properties are only partially mentioned and I don't remember exactly. It was a while ago. It is also said that each of the three blades chooses its bearer.”

Sgillin's expression brightened at these words. “So we don't have to worry about any of the swords falling into the wrong hands, honorable archbishop?”

“That would be nice,” Juliana replied seriously. ”However, anyone can store the weapons. But only one person can wield them. And the old text that I know says something else that is interesting for us: that a so-called Seeker Stone belongs to each sword. It can be inserted into the sword, but it can also exist separately from it. If it is not applied to its sword, it points the way to the weapon, even across planes. The stones are the Sorrow Stone, the Memory Stone and the Hope Stone.”

Sgillin's gaze wandered to Naghûl. “Who is the Seeker here in our group?”

“I don't have any stones,” the tiefling remarked, raising his hands in defense.

“But you found the Keeper with a certain symbol,” Sarin interjected.

Naghûl sighed somewhat resignedly. “Yes, Factol, but that was more of a coincidence. I don't know yet how to consciously find the symbols.”

The paladin frowned questioningly. “You mean you don't have a symbol that matches the stones?”

“I had a symbol for the Keeper that resembled a twisted stick figure,” the Sensate replied. “I don't even see the connection between the symbol and the Keeper!”

Although his desperation seemed quite genuine, the whole situation made Sarin smile a little. “I see. It's probably not that easy, after all.”

“Unfortunately not,“ Naghûl replied. “And I'm not good at poetry riddles anyway.” He glared at the parchment.

“In no form may a complex prophecy be bequeathed more effectively than in lyrical guise,” Juliana replied regally.

Sarin couldn't suppress an ill-humored grumble. “I would prefer a form that tells us exactly what to do.”

“I agree with you, honorable Factol,” Sgillin said, but Juliana shot him a reproving glance.

“Sarin.” There was a not unfamiliar rebuke in her voice. “You know very well that prophecies don't work that way.”

“No, I don't!” Despite his great respect for the archbishop, he could not refrain from the following, quite upset words. ”Because I've never had to deal with such ominous texts and mysterious lore! That's pretty stupid, we should just be told what the Chosen are expected to do. Or me ... The Lady's Knight! Great. What am I supposed to do with that?”

While the Chosen looked at him sympathetically and emphasized his words with firm nods, Juliana scrutinized him with raised eyebrows. Her look made it more than clear that he had let himself get carried away. If there hadn't been other people in the room, his former factol would have had something to say about his little outburst, of that he was sure. So he bowed his head apologetically. “I beg your pardon, my lady, my temper got the better of me.” He sighed deeply and leaned back. “But I still find it exhausting.”

Kiyoshi did him the favor of raising his hand before Juliana could reprimand him once more. “Yes, soldier,” he said immediately, unable to suppress a hint of exhaustion in his voice.

“Forgive me, honorable Factol Sarin-gensui,” the young man said. “Venerable Archbishop Spesinfracta Juliana-sama. But in my ignorance, I have a question for each of you.”

“I yield precedence to Lady Juliana,” Sarin explained, indicating a bow in her direction.

“Venerable Archbishop Spesinfracta Juliana-sama,” Kiyoshi repeated the complicated form of address. ”Is it known who can wield the blades?”

“No, that is not known,” Juliana explained regretfully. “It is only said that the bearer must be someone who, in some way, agrees with the principle for which the weapon stands. And there is a hint that I didn't understand at the time, but which is now becoming clearer: In each cycle, there are three chosen bearers ...”

Sarin raised his eyebrows in surprise. “In each cycle?”

Juliana nodded. “Yes. This would suggest that the weapons already existed in the last cycle – or even longer.”

“Then they would be incredibly old,” Jana said in amazement.

“Indeed,” the archbishop replied seriously.

Sarin nodded thoughtfully and then looked at Kiyoshi. ”You also had a question for me?”

“Yes,” the young man answered. “I wanted to ask, honorable Factol Sarin-gensui, if I should read this poem in the Old Tongue. Perhaps in a safe place? Or just one verse of it?”

“In the hope of triggering something?”

Kiyoshi nodded. “Maybe a vision or a hint about a Seeker Stones.”

“Hm.“ Sarin thought for a moment. “Why not? It would be worth a try. We had agreed that you should possibly explore and use your gifts more.”

“Where should I go?” the young soldier wanted to know immediately.

“Just a moment, please.” Naghûl sat up, alerted. “Well, the first and last verses end with death. The second verse is about the river Styx, whose waters can erase all memories. I would like to speak out against this attempt.”

Although it surprised Sarin that the Sensate, who was so eager for new experiences, was the one to raise this objection, he could still understand it. The tiefling might not be wrong with his concerns.

“Kiyoshi,” the paladin said after a moment's thought. “In the cases where words in the Old Tongue triggered something ... Were you reading something or was it more like a form of magic?”

Kiyoshi bowed his head apologetically. “Please excuse my ignorance, honorable Factol Sarin-gensui, but I am no wizard.”

Sarin tried to explain it differently. “What I mean is, did you concentrate on the words beforehand? Or feel something special about them? Was it different than a normal reading?”

The young man thought for a moment before answering. ”Yes. I concentrated on the word and it soared inside me as if it wanted to be spoken.”

“It came to you a little as if by itself?” Juliana followed up.

Kiyoshi nodded. “You could describe it that way, venerable Archbishop Spesinfracta Juliana-sama.”

“Like a sorcerer or warlock,” Naghûl stated. ”Like Jana or me. Intuitively. At least that's how I understand it.”

“When you were here in my office for the first time,” Sarin said, “and you read the part of the Prophecy, nothing happened ... No wait, Jana fainted and had her first vision. But was there a connection?”

“Indeed, honorable Factol Sarin-gensui,” Kiyoshi replied. ”But a connection could never be proven.”

“Perhaps we should choose a sentence that doesn't sound so dangerous,” the paladin suggested. “And try this one first.”

“I don't know if it would work with a sentence taken out of context.” Kiyoshi nodded. “It would be like reading only one line of a haiku. A good experiment.”

“Experiment ... exactly.” Sarin sighed deeply. ”What am I doing?”

At that moment, the muffled voices of the guards could be heard outside the door. It sounded somehow agitated and disorderly – a sound he was more accustomed to hearing from his private quarters when his children were romping. But not from the hallway outside his office. A third voice said something, a little louder and more forceful. Then there was silence, followed by the sound of two glaives being firmly placed on the stone floor, and the soft clanking of armor as if someone braced. The door opened and Sarin had to catch his breath. A celestial entered, stately built, with a flawless, fair complexion, golden hair and bright sapphire eyes. His impressive white wings were plated and he wore Empyrean-style armor. There was something thoroughly noble and majestic about his posture. He possessed the undeniable beauty of the heavens, and it was hard not to notice or admire it. Something intimidating and powerful radiated from him, but there was also a certain coldness that, as always, cut Sarin to the heart.

"Valiant ...” The paladin rose in disbelief.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sgillin spirit away the papers and pictures on the table with a quick, skilled swipe. In the small corner of his mind that was not occupied with Valiant's surprising arrival, he thanked the half-elf for his presence of mind. The others had also stood up, Naghûl bowed courtly, while Juliana looked at Valiant, no less surprised but also with disapproval.

The Grand Inquisitor walked to the center of the room, rather casually than energetically. “Sarin, my friend ...” A smile appeared on his lips, hard to believe it couldn't be meant seriously.

The factol regained his composure. “Lord Valiant. I wasn't expecting you for another two weeks.”

“You weren't expecting me for another two weeks?” The angel put both hands on his chest and sighed, feigning consternation. ”But Sarin, is that any way to greet an old friend?”

A small wrinkle formed between the paladin's brows. Calling him an old friend was always one of the surest ways for Valiant to send his blood pressure soaring. Stirring up a past that was irretrievably lost, without Sarin even knowing why. He shot him a correspondingly dark look. “Since you know me so well, as you always say, you know that I hate unannounced visits, hm?”

Valiant laughed, and his voice sounded full and pleasant as always. “Oh yes, how could I forget.” Then he looked at Lady Juliana and turned to her. “My lady, you are also present.” He bowed low, spreading his wings to the sides. “My deepest veneration.”

Juliana inclined her head slightly, but her gaze remained icy. “Lord Valiant ... It's been a while.”

“Far too long ...” he replied, now more serious, and looked around the office slowly.

Kiyoshi stood like a statue, while Naghûl, Sgillin and Jana were clearly uncomfortable. They obviously felt rather out of place, which Sarin couldn't blame them for.

He folded his arms. “I would have given you a proper reception ... if you had kept to your own schedule.”

The Grand Inquisitor waved it off jovially. “You may still hold your reception. I just thought since I had managed all of my affairs on Ortho, I could stop by a little earlier and surprise my old comrade Sarin.” Before the factol could say anything, he looked at Naghûl. “I didn't know you had visitors.”

“It's not so much a visit as a meeting,” Sarin replied curtly. “Which you can tell from the fact that it's taking place in my office.”

“Yea, yea, I thought so.”

It was hard not to take Valiant's smile as condescending. And yet, despite everything that had happened, Sarin felt this strange fascination he was emanating. As was the case with immortal, powerful beings, whether angels, fiends, dragons or the like. There was something about them that was hard to ignore, and once again Sarin knew exactly where Valiant's great success came from.

The Grand Inquisitor now looked at Kiyoshi. “One of your soldiers, Sarin?”

“Yes,” the paladin replied curtly.

Valiant scrutinized the young man. ”What is your name, soldier?”

Kiyoshi kept a straight face and stood at attention in an almost exaggeratedly perfect posture. “Soldier of Second Rank Kiyoshi, S12-15928-Ko832, honorable member of the Octade for Inner Harmony, Grand Inquisitor Lord Valiant-sama.”

“Kiyoshi.“ The angel nodded and then smiled. “I know it's a nice title. But Lord Valiant is enough.” Next, he looked at Sgillin.

“Valiant ...” Sarin tried hard to keep his voice calm. “Seriously, what do you want?”

Valiant's gaze lingered briefly on Sgillin and Jana before he turned back to the paladin with a smile. “You know, Sarin, despite all our past – and perhaps also present – differences, there is one thing I have always appreciated about you: your openness. Your straightforwardness. That was probably one of the traits that Lady Juliana appreciated so much about you, too. Therefore, I will be just as open with you.”

“By all means,” Sarin replied tersely.

Juliana stared at the Grand Inquisitor as if her eyes had turned into shards of ice, but Valiant didn't seem to mind and continued in the same friendly manner. ”My presence here in Sigil is not a courtesy visit. I'm sure you've already guessed that. I will not only stay for two or three days, but perhaps a little longer.”

Yes, he had indeed had a vague premonition in that respect. And nothing could have been more inconvenient. “Your responsibility in the Octade is Inner Harmony.” Sarin took a deep breath to calm his voice. ”To be honest, I don't quite understand how Sigil could fit into this domain.”

“Oh, there are a few points that come into play,” the Grand Inquisitor replied patronizingly. “But we don't have to discuss that here and now.”

Now Juliana joined the conversation for the first time. “And what do you mean when you say you're staying longer, Lord Valiant?”

“I don't know yet,” the celestial replied. “It all depends on how my task here develops and whether what I see satisfies me.”

“Whether it satisfies you?” With indignation, Sarin felt his blood throbbing hotly in his temples. ”Come off it! I decide what happens here and when and how, so that it is satisfactory!”

“Of course.” Valiant raised his hands in defense. “You alone are the factol of the Planar Harmonium. And you have earned this chair quite ...” He glanced sideways at Juliana. ”... lawfully, didn't you?”

Sarin was about to give a testy reply, but Juliana forestalled him. “Yes, absolutely lawful,” she declared, calmly but firmly. “According to all the laws of our faction.”

“Which I never doubted,” the Grand Inquisitor replied coolly. “That brings me to the question of what you are actually doing here?”

“I am still a member of this faction,“ the archbishop replied just as frostily.

“To the great and heartfelt joy of us all, my lady.” Valiant bowed his head, but there was something cold and hard in his eyes.

The Chosen grew increasingly unhappy, and Sarin sensed that he had to put an end to this unexpected appearance of the Grand Inquisitor. “We should talk in private,“ he said curtly.

“Ah, there it is again, that refreshing directness.” Valiant smiled inscrutably. “Please, my friend, let's talk in private.” He bowed to Juliana. “Gladly in your presence, if desired.”

“No,” the former factol replied dryly. “That's why I became archbishop of the Archonites, so I don't have to abide that anymore.”

“Are you talking about me?” The Grand Inquisitor put on a mock-shocked expression. “You hurt me, Your Magnificence.”

Juliana arched one of her silver-grey eyebrows. “I doubt that, and vigorously so.”

Sarin noticed that Naghûl was eyeing the archbishop with a certain enthusiasm. Yes, she had always been able to stand up to the prince of Hebdomias, even though she revered the archons of Celestia. Or perhaps precisely because of that.

Valiant smiled a little before turning back to Sarin. “Well then, in private. I'm sure I can count on seeing your charming wife and lovely children later.”

“Mhm,“ Sarin grumbled. “I will strongly urge Beleno to stay away from your wings.”

The angel laughed and looked around the office again. “Oh well ... not too bad to be back here again.” Then he sat down after bowing to Juliana in farewell.

Naghûl quickly stepped away from him when he approached the table, and Sarin suspected that he couldn't quite hide a pained expression when he looked at the Chosen. “We'll continue another time.” He bowed to Juliana as well and then sat down at the table with Valiant.

The four Chosen hastily bowed and then followed the archbishop as she left the room majestically. Sarin stayed behind with Valiant and sent a short prayer to his goddess, asking for inner composure ...

 

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played December 21, 2012

- Lereia was still with her factol Ambar because her player could not attend that evening.
- Jana's player actually only wanted to share the vision with Naghûl, but again had rolled quite low.
- The names of the swords Memory, Sorrow and Hope are of course inspired by Tad Williams' “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” series.