[Emperors of the Fading Suns] [Emperors of the Fading Suns] Chapter 6, Scene 19: The Round Table

[xarvh]

The upper deck of the first Age manse has been thoroughly cleaned of the accumulated filth and now hosts the new plans for the restoration of the whole Manse.


Illiqtrath made sure that carpets and pillows and water pipes were available to the masters of the house and their important guests.


Despite the obvious ruination, the whole room, conical in shape and with ample windows that now lay obscured is a beauty to behold, with ivory white crystal walls engraved of simple and yet exquisitely elegant abstract motifs.


Cunning Fangs, Mirror of Hypocrisy and their guest Siham Keth receive the newly arrived Exalts from Cross.

 

[cyl]

The Celebrant wasn't the most pleasant traveling companion, but he had been briefed on what happened in Ankss long and though it took a little convincing to explain to him why the humans were better off that way, the situation required desperate measures. The fact that only the Elder died and the Dragon Kings were left alone afterwards somehow managed to convince him that the exalts of Cross were not as bad as he initially thought.


It was going to require a significant amout of efforts to win him over despite his friend's death, but Malek felt it was doable. Ignoring who the real enemy was wasn't really an option for the Celebrant anymore.


No matter what he did to avoid that place, Malek kept coming back to Ankss, or whatever the former name of that place used to be. It brought as much painful memories as pleasant ones. Meeting Hard as Mountain, putting down his dying horse, the Widow's ultimate deception, meeting the unfriendly Dragon Kings, meeting the semi savages of Swamp People , losing Berek, and Flicker risking her neck against the Elder to satisfy some misplaced sense of honor.


The only good thing about Ankss was that among all the mud the sweat and the human misery, there was a regalian beauty, even though she seemed to cling on to the past a bit too much for his taste, a sorceress and a good friend, Cunning Fangs.


Nothing lighted his face like the prospect of seeing her again and while, during the travel he wore plain traveling clothes, the day before arriving to Ankss, he bathed, and put on more elegant clothes. They were still travelling clothes for wearing the finest silk in the dirtiest shithole ever would have made him look completely ridiculous, but they were substantiallly more refined and elegant than the ones he had worn until now.


He wanted to look good for her. The Manse was still a mess on the outside, but it was starting to look like something on the inside.


He saluted everyone upon entering the room and introduced the Celebrant to Cunning Fangs and her mate.


Greetings everyone, it is good to be here in your presence again, it is my pleasure to present to you Two Worlds' emissary, Magnificent Celebrant of the Unseen Beauty.


Emissary, these are our friends, the lovely Cunning Fangs and her mate, Mirror, and this is Master Siham, one of Creation's greatest engineer.

 

[JayTee]

Siham sat at the table gazing in rapt fascination at the marvelous machinery that was Magnificent Celebrant of the Unseen Beauty. Were it not for his previously established preference for female company, one could almost mistake his look for something akin to love. "It is my utmost pleasure to meet you."