Middle of Nowhere [asgard, open]

[cielo]

The return of Rukh's party to Asgard Temple was much less eventful, at least compared to their initial arrival over a week ago.

Travel by djinni-infused carpet was slower than airship and more tiring, mostly due to the open-air nature of the flight; stops became necessarily frequent as the party grew tired, having to stay awake at all times to prevent themselves from falling off, and as exposed to the elements as they were, wind and sun and occasionally rain proved a bother.

And so at their arrival, rather than being in a collective foul mood due to being pursued by murderous hellbeasts, the group's low morale and snark was the cause of general prolonged discomfort over several days. A black-winged Grim Angel rose to challenge as they approached, who Rukh recognized as Ashik Eyton.

The stony-faced warrior held up a hand, sable wings keeping him aloft. His eyes roamed over the carpet and its somewhat cramped, grumpy inhabitants, eyes lingering on Marcia. "You've all seen battle."

"Prime observation, Ashik."

Impassive eyes narrowed just slightly and his gaze turned to Celise again. "Ah. I was wondering when you would find your way back, Celise. Very well, you may all enter."

"Not even a touch with the Diviner to determine the truth of our business here? Perhaps draw out secrets." She was smiling, but it was a bitter thing and made more by fatigue.

Ashik faced her in silence, the only sound now the gentle shooooosh of the wind and the incessant flapping of black wings. He moved finally, turning and waving them forward over his shoulder, before descending back to Asgard's wall.

"That was... tense," Rukh observed tiredly.

"Charming fellow," Tyr commented.

[Aredjay]

"He's not so bad," said Marcia, more sincere than sarcastic, though the latter was definitely there. "You just have to catch him on a good day."

Piers looked at her quizzically. "Ah, right, Ashik traveled with the party for a bit as well, didn't he? ...something tells me you weren't quite thrilled with that..."

The Viera stretched, careful not to hit anyone. "Well, aside from trying to stalk my every move when Zeke and I were in close proximity, at one point..."

"...Right."

[cielo]

Athal landed softly in the same courtyard they had arrived in a week ago, and the party disembarked. A young Grim Angel with dark hair and a purple whip coiled at his belt ran up to them, and addressed Rukh with a hasty salute. "The council requests your presence, as well as Marcia Caerleon's, Sir Rukh."

Rukh seemed a bit put off by the honorific, but nodded. "The rest of my party?"

"We have quarters arranged. Piers, we left your old rooms untouched if you want them."

"Very well, thank you... Ymir, right? Arvak?"

The young warrior looked surprised. "Yes, sir." He noticed Celise. "...Ah. Oh. I was told to inform the council if she arrived. I mean, uh, if you arrived, lady, beg pardon. I'll lead you to them."

Celise smiled thinly. "Quite the commotion, my return. Ashik, you will show us to our quarters?"

The Grim Angel had appeared again silently. He nodded, and began walking without hesitation to the eastern quarters.

[Aredjay]

Considering who you are, I'm not surprised there's such a commotion... thought Marcia to herself.

"Ah, thank you, Arvak," said Piers to the Grim Angel, smiling. Making sure his shield and other things were arranged in such a way that they were comfortable to carry, he followed Ashik; he'd go just far enough to see where the others' rooms were, and then head for his own.

Marcia, meanwhile, stayed where she was. Being summoned to the council upon arrival...this had to be important. Especially since she'd never set foot in this place before.

[cielo]

Ashik lead most of the sorry group away. It occurred to Rukh as he watched them go that Albaea particularly looked run-down; the boy's arm was still in recovery and he wasn't as sturdy as most of the group. Some rest would do him good.

The party's leader turned back to Ymir Arvak. "You called me 'Sir' Rukh. Since when is Asgard dealing out honorifics? Last we were here you basically told us to bring Marcia back or we got no help, and the djinn would deal with us as useless."

The young man flinched. "Sorry. They told me to. I assume that bringing everybody back safe and sound means you've earned some of their trust. But I don't speak for the council. Shall we?"

Rukh rubbed at his tired eyes and nodded. "Marcia, if things go well at this meeting you'll get to see Ezekiel again, they'll tell us where he is. Okay?"

[Aredjay]

Marcia nodded, her face lighting up a bit at that statement. It'd been ages since she last saw the green-haired Eyton, and wondered how he was doing almost daily. The entire reason for her travels was to gain enough expertise in certain holy arts, alongside her Assassin repertoire, to help with shedu-slaying, but still...it got lonely.

She then turned to the young Grim Angel. "Please, lead the way."

[cielo]

"How was the trip?" Ymir asked as they walked.

"Well, I tried bathing in a stream when we stopped after we were done in Coronia," Rukh said. "Caught a cold. We decided that time was of the essence after that, so mostly we've only stopped for meals that needed fire on the way here. We're cold, smelly, tired, and wind-blasted." He thought for a second. "And cranky."

"Rightfully so," Ymir said, voice almost a conspiratorial whisper. "But the council won't understand. The only one of them that ever leaves the temple is whichever Grim Angel sits a seat at the time."

"They never travel?"

"They don't have to. The only two council members that regularly deal with outsiders are the Quartermaster, and the Grim Angel."

[Aredjay]

"We'll just have to be sure to suppress our crankiness for now...that should take care of one problem, at least," said Marcia, her tiredness evident in her voice but partially masked by the prospect of getting to see Zeke again after this was through.

[cielo]

Ymir left them at an ampitheater in a nondescript, whitewashed building Rukh had never seen before; he judged it to be a lecture hall, with a desk on the stage with papers and a globe atop it. The council sat in the first row, a gathering of nine people. One Rukh noticed immediately; a male bangaa, blue in colouring, face and bare arms covered in pale scars. Leathery black wings were folded on his back, and he sat upon a stool to accomodate them; the first bangaa Grim Angel Rukh had yet seen.

"Sir Rukh Sombul and Lady Marcia Caerleon, welcome. By the desk, if you would please?"

The speaker was an ancient-looking nu mou woman who Rukh judged to be the council's head. None of the council were the same as the last time Rukh had been before them; Ymir had mentioned in passing that they changed once a year. The suspicious part of Rukh's mind, which had grown to encompass most of it, wondered what the odds were they had changed while his party was gone. And why Ymir or Ashik hadn't mentioned the council had held a new vote in that week.

"Sure," he said, making an effort at keeping his voice and posture relaxed. "My party is being treated well, I hope? Feather pillows?"

The nu mou woman's face didn't shift, but Rukh felt an alien buzzing against the skin on his forehead for a split second when he met her eyes. "You shall see to them soon, of course. You have all partaken of Asgard's hospitality; worry not."

[Aredjay]

The large Grim Angel was also the first person Marcia saw when she entered the room...she hadn't seen any with leathery wings before, so that was quite an odd thing to behold.

As Rukh was the party leader here, Marcia stayed quiet unless the council decided to directly address her. From what Piers had said, that was typically the best way to avoid them getting angry at you.

[cielo]

Rukh waited a few moments for anything further, meeting the eyes of the council in front of Marcia and himself. The pause turned pregnant and awkward in its length, before finally Rukh threw up his hands, patience apparently lost already. "Okay! Where is Ezekiel Eyton?"

The nu mou crone smiled a toothless smile. "Edessa."

"...Alexandria's capital, Edessa? The Cathedral City?"

"The same. I'm sure you can offer him a reason or two to forgo his studies," the crone said, with a pointed look at Marcia. "Love before law, yes?"

Rukh grimaced, folded his arms. "You sent him to become a Judge?"

"And why not?" a viera woman asked. She must have been thrice Rukh's age, but looked not a day over twenty-five. "The Primordial Territories are uncharted and largely lawless, but for a few towns. It is essentially one large Jagd. Too many of our rangers and farmers are attacked or taken away, unable to call a combat judge to oversee a fight."

"One Judge for all of this territory? He wouldn't last long before dropping from exhaustion, folks."

"You do not know Ezekiel Eyton," the bangaa Grim Angel answered, brawny arms folded on a desk. "And besidesss. We did not only sssend him."

[Aredjay]

Marcia followed up on the bangaa's statement, seeing a place to contribute. "Yeah, Rukh, from what I know of him, Zeke was always full of energy in terms of accomplishing goals. Always on the move, the group was..."

She turned back to the council's head, however, a question forming in her mind. "Though, if he's in Edessa studying to become a judge, how would we get in to see him? I'm sure law is a very intensive subject, and he might not want to be disturbed...even if I passed my name through to him, I'm not sure that would be enough to tear him from his studies immediately," she said, a bit saddened by her own statement.

[cielo]

"That is why we prepared a missive," the crone replied. She produced a pristine white envelope from the folds of her robes and held it out to Marcia. "By order of Asgard Temple--we, who pay his tuition, mind you--he is to forgo study of law magic immediately, and join Sir Rukh Sombul's party in their task."

Rukh held up a hand. "Who else did you send from Asgard to study?"

"Two members of Ezekiel's party. Ms Caerleon might recognize them by the names Chi and Shi, the Twins."

"Are they coming with us, too? Our carpet is already pretty cramped," Rukh said.

"A jape? This is no laughing matter. But if they should choose, yes, they too will accompany you."

[Aredjay]

"Ah, right...Chi and Shi, huh..." mumbled Marcia as she took the envelope from the crone. Knowing them, they were likely being quite the distraction for Zeke; back when the party was still together, they were fairly jealous that his attention had been focused on her, and were probably capitalizing on her not being there.

[cielo]

"One last question. If you wanted Judges here so badly, why are you suddenly fine with sending them away? Do the djinn hold that much sway here?"

This was met with silent stares. Rukh met the crone's eyes again, and once more felt the alien buzzing. It went on a few moments before he grimaced. "Stop that. I can feel you rooting around in my head. Usually people just ask a question instead of trying to juice someone's mind like an orange?"

For a split second the crone might have been surprised, but was back to calm before Rukh could blink. "What do you know of the Great Magic's agenda?"

"Next to nothing. Did you read the reports your people made? Tyr, Al and I were in their city. They captured us and set us on a task. The djinn aren't fond of Tyr, and not just because he smells like wet dog. As soon as we have Ezekiel, we're to return and then head to deliver a message to King Nolan Teymern. That's it."

The buzzing stopped, the crone's mind withdrawn from Rukh's. "He speaks the truth."

"No kidding!"