TBA: To The Ends of the Earth

Suggested Music: Final Fantasy X OST - Time of Judgement

The Violet Bier of Sorrows, Yu-Shan

Black Ice Shadow waited patiently, his imposing frame centered a few feet into the entrance corridor. The two younger Sidereals approaching him already knew the gravity of the issue they were being called to investigate, making the Saturn's countenance seem all the more severe. As the pair strode within earshot, the darkly clad Sidereal spoke.

"I doubt any of us has much of an appetite for pleasantries."

When the two came within a few feet of where he stood, Black Ice Shadow about-faced and began walking, just a few steps ahead of them as they strode down the grand corridor, and continued speaking.

"As you know, the Sidereal grand master Five Thunders Falcon was reported dead to the Division of Secrets. He was in charge of training the Solar Exalt Baldur, in the hopes that Baldur might lead an army sufficient to defend Creation against the Legion Sanguine, were it ever unleashed from the Underworld, or perhaps even destroy it preemptively."

Still walking, he glared back at them briefly, as if daring one of them to showcase his ignorance with an inquiry on the nature of the threats he'd just described. Met with eager silence, he returned his gaze forward.

"Baldur had a history of being a loose cannon even before his Exaltation. Prior to this fiasco, that was merely a concern of the Gold Faction - it would reflect poorly on their cause to claim responsibility for a bloodthirsty barbarian. Now, an agent of the Bureau of Heaven is dead, and the matter is an official one."

The trio came to a stop in one of the colossal structure's many briefing rooms. With but a gesture, Black Ice Shadow beckoned two automaton orbs, which duly detached themselves from the pillars to which they were affixed and hovered in front of him with a gentle hum. With another gesture, the orbs oriented themselves diagonally, projecting two images into the air, side by side. The first image showcased the Lap and mountain range just southwest of it, while the second projected a representation of the Loom of Fate. Black Ice Shadow snapped his finger, and one of the threads in the Loom split in two with an almost-audible twang, like a broken guitar string.

"Five Thunders Falcon's thread was cut long before his scheduled end. It is entirely possible that Baldur has lost his mind and managed, in a stroke of luck, to kill him. This is our hope - Baldur's death is easily scheduled, if necessary, and the problem is self-contained. It is unfortunate, however, that darker forces seem to be at work. It is unlikely that Baldur would be able to slay Five Thunders Falcon unassisted, or even with the assistance of mortal troops. This suggests the involvement of another supernatural power, and hints at the possibility of subversion by the agents of the Lion. I shudder to think of Baldur with a master who encouraged his destructive tendencies."

He began pacing around the central discussion floor of the briefing room, drawing a circle underneath the floating orbs with his path.

"We also cannot rule out what is perhaps an even less auspicious possibility - that Five Thunders Falcon was the direct target of an Abyssal assassin. This would imply that the Deathlord knows far more than we thought, perhaps even being able to identify, track down, and destroy our key functionaries. If an internal source is hemorrhaging information, it must be dealt with immediately. I don't need to tell you how dangerous this mission is, with the possibility of something running amok in the region that was able to destroy a Chosen of Battles centuries my senior. Honestly, I don't know what Oversight was thinking, ordering the two of you down there..."

Black Ice Shadow stopped his pacing and raised a placating hand to the pair.

"I apologize. I spoke too soon; I merely wish for you to understand the possible depth of the situation. I must confess to being a bit behind on my internal detective work - Before we continue the briefing, why don't the two of you tell me about your previous experience?"