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Untamed Fire Chips
5a02f7
>>668405
”Thinking on your question further, if I had to guess why I'm in so much trouble, it's because our Lord Principle of Defiance and Failure is interested in my attempt to appease him. He's given me a warning which likely applies to you as well actually, so I know he's paying at least a bit of attention. My recent past would be wholly clear if he's been matching me up with attractive people capable of sustained and dangerous defiance, yourself included. That does match his criteria for an exquisite bride, yes?”
“Your flattery is noticed and appreciated, although I’m more concerned about this warning,” Amaranth leaned in, “Just what exactly are you getting me into, Edge?”
“It’s all part of the agreement – I assure you, it’s vague enough that it’s nothing more than an interesting point.”
She chewed on her pipe, leaning back, ”I’m not agreeing to anything without knowing about it.”
I sighed, ”Mara appeared to me in a dream and told me I have a knot in my destiny. Now, do you have any paper?”
Amaranth looked at be dubiously but handed me a sheaf, and I took out a pen and ink, writing as I spoke, ”Now that we've reached a degree of common understanding, I have a draft proposal worked out. Most of it shouldn't be too controversial. The language guaranteeing we inform each other of additional threats, interests and opportunities is not explicit, but it is implicitly required. I amended that because I note with some surprise you tried to ask me to pay you for a service now with an unbound and unspecified quantity of information in the future, which is a questionable bargaining proposal. Instead, I substituted that I will help you investigate and use the fool I mentioned earlier, trading a service for a service. If it turns out they are someone we won't turn into an Akuma, we both need to know that anyway. I think that's balanced because it's service regarding a potential opportunity versus service regarding a potential opportunity,” I wrote out the full terms of the contract before passing it over to her.
>>/questdis/94749
Amaranth read my note, her face falling as her eyes moved further down, ”Damn, I forgot you were good at this,” she muttered around the pipe she held in her mouth, ”I’ll agree to this, Cecelyne help us both, except that last part – I’ll try my damnedest to help you, but I don’t want Her wrath falling on me just because there’s no saving you.”
I amended the final stipulation, nodding, ”Then your hand, please?”
I took her hand in mind, manipulating my essence to sanctify the oath I spoke, ”Until the completion of the Exquisite Bride Obsession or until the two parties agree to end this alliance, Sky’s Edge and Amaranth will cooperate by sharing information and lending assistance in achieving theirs and each other’s goals. The limits and bounds of this agreement will be acknowledged in writing and shared between both participants. I, Sky’s Edge, Fiend of the Ebon Dragon and arbiter of this oath, swear by these words.”
“I, Amaranth, Malefactor of She Who Lives in Her Name, swear by these words.”
“Then, as a Chosen of the Ebon Dragon, formerly the Dragon’s Shadow, architect of Creation and creator of what is, I bind these two to their words.”
My caste mark flared briefly to life upon my brow, turning the red shades of Amaranth’s hut into a nightmare of dark purples and sickly greens before dying to a mere ember.
Amaranth let out a long breath, shaking her hand, ”Even as a Priestess of Cecelyne, I’ll never get used to how that feels.”
I smirked, ”So, I suppose you wish me to go first, hmm?”
“But of course.”
I took a deep breath, beginning, ”I know of three confirmed essence-users, one of which I will be meeting with tonight – I’ll detail the other two first.
“The first I encountered is Feng, a member of the gang who wears red as a sign of their allegiance. He claims to be an Earth-aspected Dragon-blooded, and I’m inclined to believe him, seeing as he has crystals growing on his ears. He claims it’s simply a Wyld mutation, but I have my doubts. He’s exhibited very keen hearing and claims some other talents, but nothing that I’ve noted as being exceptional.
“The second is Embattled Justice, a former Lookshyan soldier. He claims to be a Water-aspected Dragon-blooded and has exhibited a chilly anima that accompanied what I assumed was use of charms. I reserve judgment as to what exactly he is, especially as we’re this close to Thorns, but I know for certain he has some abilities that can manipulate chance. I found him foolish and abrasive, and I see no better use for him than serving as an Akuma to the Reclamation.”
“I know of that one, if only through rumor,” Amaranth said, drawing from her pipe, ”Now tell me of your Bride-to-be.”
“Her name is Sienna. She’s a jeweler who sells wares in the New City. When I approached her stall, she used – some ability on me that made me follow her words exactly, as though they had been thoughts of my own. I was able to break free of it after the fact, but only through a feat of will. She apparently uses this trick to sell overpriced trinkets to foreigners and tourists. She wants to meet tonight, likely to speak frankly on what it is we are and how I was able to resist her compulsion. Seeing as she could easily command me to slit my own throat, I thought it prudent to seek assistance.”
Amaranth blew out a long flume of smoke, ”Then all that remains are the two.”
“Yes. I’ve mentioned the first, Graceful Blossom in Full Bloom. She has knowledge of Old Realm and claims to have visited numerous places around Creation. She introduced me to another man, a shop owner by the name of Rook. I’ve only met him once, but he seems suspicious as well.”
She thought on that for a long moment, nodding, ”Then I’ll tell you what I know.
“Myria is a powerful essence-user.”
I cursed in Seatongue, ”And you introduced me to her as a potential Bride?”
Amaranth shrugged, ”I was being helpful! I only know this because she has essence strong enough for me to detect, but I haven’t observed her using any charms, so I don’t know what it is that she is – she could be a god in disguise for all I know.”
“What about Crimson?”
“I don’t know, but I have my suspicions.”
“This city is rife with exalts and stranger things…”
“Why do you think I’m desperate enough to help you with your dating problem?” she huffed, ”Besides her, there’s a Yozi-kin in my cult, and a demon-blooded in a gang I have connections to. I think the local dynasts have three Dragon-blooded with them, although I don’t know their abilities or aspects.
“As well, I’ve noticed – something. I can’t really explain it, but when I’ve made moves, there have been moves made against me. Something, someone, or a group of someones don’t want me to have power in this town. I’d like to find out who or what exactly they are so that I can slit their necks and leave them in the gutters.”
“That reminds me – how skilled are you in combat? I’ve never sparred against you.”
Amaranth shrugged, ”I can knock people and things about with the force of my mind, with enough strength to make foes bleed if I so choose. It’s subtle enough, if you consider floating people the norm,” she gestured with her pipe, ”But enough of that. What exactly do you want me to do tonight? I could follow secretly or overtly, and if I do the latter, do you have any particulars you want for my identity?”
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