Post by Akara on Oct 23, 2015 7:34:54 GMT
Passage through the deserts of the South to more hospitable lands further north could be conducted either over the open sea or by land. An Anathema would have had little reason to head to the Blessed Isle, making easily-accessible resupply points like Port Noble quite off limits. Instead, the ship Akara was on had docked at a large port town in the kingdom of Harborhead. Their intent was to restock and return to the sea in hopes of heading further north to more hospitable climates.
Unfortunately, upon docking with the town, it became clear that they didn't have much in the way of supplies to spare. Mostly because half of the city was on fire. Screaming people rushed about in the streets, attempting rather futilely to silence the flames with water from the bay. The flames did not seem to be listening.
Trouble never took a break; neither did Akara. Although his particular skills weren't well suited for putting out a city ablaze, he could at least try. Of a stocky build, wearing the sash that marked him as dereth, he was cognizant of the fact that he'd need to try a little harder than usual to have his will be done.
Akara bounded off of the ship, and picked up a pair of buckets, turning to address the crew - or any who were too shocked to help or otherwise react to the blaze, his fair voice carried far with the power of his essence and the weight of authority. "Get moving and help out out this fire! Those of you who are quick on your feet, go looking for survivors - move!" When a lawgiver spoke, the world was to listen... and obey.
Authority was coded directly into the Solar being. Mere mortals could but pray to resist, and in a situation like this, why would they even do that much? This person knew what to do. They could, at the very lest, follow whoever was taking action.
Even with the extra support from the ship that had just landed, though, the fires seemed extremely stubborn. In a few minutes of fruitlessly tossing water on them, Akara might have had the proper angle to see that the entire city had been engulfed in flames starting from the gate, a most unusual spread for fire. The surviving occupants had been gathered near the docks...
Except, it seemed, what appeared to be a woman sitting on the outside table of a local restaurant, drinking from a glass of some form of alcohol and entirely unbothered by the conflagration.
Although Akara wanted to swat the woman upside the head for her callousness and lethargy, he didn't have that option - stopping to berate somebody simply meant that there were two less bodies working towards a solution, which was a net loss. That said, this was no simple fire. It was too energetic, too prolific. A harbour town would have subdued a simple blaze by now. No, something else was going on...
Akara planned to find out what. And once he set his mind to discerning the truth of a matter, there were few forces in Creation that could hide from his eyes. Essence flowed through his eyes and ears as he worked, taking in every detail he observed - processing every half-burned clue or hint, every flicker and splash, conducting the work of several days of investigation in moments. If there was a motive at work, he would find it - and something told him that the woman with the wine was connected, but it wouldn't do to confront her with a mere hunch.
An essence expenditure seemed to be just what this fire was waiting for. Seemingly out of nowhere materialized a freakishly tall man with skin of sand and a beard like the oncoming tide. His body was horribly damaged, mostly with burns, and he stumbled towards the Essence-user he'd just sensed.
Fortunately, that kept him from feeling the retribution of the second creature to flow forth. From the flames came a large, dragon-shaped entity with scales of fire and eyes like hot coals. It snarled, but materializing had left it drained.
The people on the docks, naturally, freaked the fuck out. The woman in the tavern lifted her head for a moment, then returned to drinking.
"The culprits revealed?" Akara demanded loudly, dropping his recently-emptied buckets, the conflagration roaring around them. "Or culprit and victim - it matters not. You will subdue this flame by whatever means you began it and submit to judgement, or I shall force both to occur in short order." Akara promised in a grave tone.
Since his super detective charms weren't giving Akara any leads and action had to be taken, assumptions were necessary. He'd get the truth of the situation when the city wasn't burning down.
The first spirit, sand and water, stood properly, though his stance appeared labored by his wounds. He said nothing before the fire dragon opened its mouth, its voice roaring like the houses it set ablaze. "Quaint. A mortal champion, here to defend the mortals. Is this how far you have fallen, Junok?"
Junok, the man of sand, replied with a great growl. "Is it so surprising that more than simply the people of this city object to your reckless appetite for destruction?"
The people huddled by the docks sat in alternatively awed and terrified silence.
The truth of the matter began to reveal itself. Good. Akara could intervene. Better yet, he'd already made clear his intent - now was the time for action. He took one step forward, tightening his sash. He took a second step, rolling a shoulder.
The third step carried him forward at frightening speed, hands pointed into deadly knives, either inches away from the fiery spirit that presumably had begun the blaze. The snake bares it's fangs before it strikes - for it needs only strike once to take a life. But Akara had no hood to flare - Unless one counted the blazing sun on his brow, defeating the flickering and failing light of the conflagration. "I have issued an order, spirit." He spoke evenly, voice raised. "Make me repeat myself at hazard to your own health."
Gutsy.
Way too gutsy.
The flame creature reared back its head in a mighty, screeching roar, fire whipping up around it not unlike an inferno. Surely it would have been enough to incinerate Akara if the two spirits hadn't both stopped to take a long look at the shimmering golden sun on the human's brow. Both paused silently, and the woman at the bar stood up at her seat.
After a moment, the flame dragon smirked spoke again, its fiery face contorting into a smirk. "Oh, Junok, this really isn't your lucky day." The dragon scorched itself back down into a smaller entity, still much larger than a man, and the flames around it died down a bit. "Prince of the Earth, it has been quite some time since I've seen one of your kind. I am Gal-Kasha."
"Gal-Kasha... and Junok." Akara greeted flatly in turn - not unlike a beat cop giving an acknowledging nod to a repeat offender who wasn't up to apparent skullduggery - at the moment. He lowered his hands and folded his arms sternly, taking a position somewhat between the spirits. "You both know what I am, then - good. My name is Akara. I hope you will forgive me for curtailing the usual niceties tonight."
"By the authority vested in me, I will hear both sides of this dispute, and devise a fair solution as beneficial to both parties as possible - but not before this conflagration is subdued." He stated plainly.
"I'm afraid that may be something of a problem, Sun-Child," the dragon began, then stood back a moment and looked at the woman having her calming ale. "This is your chance, girl. Do not let it spread further until this matter is settled."
The woman stood up and responded with something resembling either a scoff or a sneer, then strode into the fire with raised hands, the fires dying down at their borders towards the edge of the city. Meanwhile, the dragon curled itself into a small ball and...handled the entire rest of the city, the flames dying down to still-hot embers. "A show of good faith."
A fire spirit clearing its throat sounded not unlike an explosion. "This city was Fated to be destroyed in an inferno this morning. When I was informed that this was not the case, I came here to personally ensure that the flames' progress was not impeded."
There was a roar from behind. Junok was apparently very displeased. "You attacked my city, dragon! My city and my people!"
Gal-Kasha swirled one flaming talon in the air. "Do not distort what happened. You prevented your city from being destroyed, as it was meant to be. You interfered directly in order to save your own position." There was a quiet crackle of popping wood, the same growl that the dragon had given earlier. "And then you attacked me. Perhaps next time, you will take this up with the Bureau, rather than picking a fight with an entity beyond your scope?"
Akara cleared his own throat loudly, raising a hand before bringing them to rest on his wide hips. "Please control your tempers." He suggested in an even tone. As a Lawgiver, it was within his purview to be equal parts judge and baliff - it would not do to have mediation spiral into a yelling match, and then another fight. Matters involving the Celestial Bureaucracy were tricky to say the least, and it was only by virtue of the Cult of Illumination's backers that he even knew what was at stake. "If fate demanded that the city burn, keeping it from burning will only create more issues for everyone involved." He mused aloud. That was a hard fact, but a simple one to grasp. Gal-Kasha, it seemed, was guilty only of taking matters into his own hands.
Akara turned his attention to Junok, who it seemed had jumped the rails in order to keep a cushy position. Assumptions were dangerous, but formulating a clear picture of the matter at hand was also important. "I would hear your side of the story as well, Junok." He invited, motioning to the spirit of the city.
Anna-chan!: The dragon laid down on its own forearms, silent except for its constant flaming crackle. Meanwhile, standing before the mortals of his city like a wall of sand and surf...or rather bleeding sand and surf, Junok took a quick bow. "Thank you, Lawbringer."
It was clearly more than a little painful for him to keep standing, but something was keeping him from resting. "This is Urighast. It is not a large city, but the people here are hardworking and noble. There are over three hundred families here, though that number might drop sharply after the events of this morning. This city is their home, and I will gladly die to defend it."
Spirits probably didn't need to breathe, but he took a deep breath anyway. "I work with these people in their day to day lives. As a result, I don't have much time to spend in Yu Shan. If I had, I would have petitioned against my city's destruction. This isn't a matter of my position." There was a scoff from the dragon, but Junok continued with only a slight grimace on his face. "This isn't a matter of my position, but of the lives that will be lost in this fire...and in the future."
He turned his eyes on the Solar, specifically. "You know this, Prince of the Earth. The only other port for hundreds of miles north has no love of your kind. Given the choice between the Realm and the shadowlands, most people would prefer Urighast to death. It cannot act as a safe haven if it is a pile of ash."
"My heart weeps for your cause, Junok, it does." Akara replied. Truly, it was a very emotional argument, though the fact that the spirit had also tried to appeal to his nature as Exalted was merely dryly noted by the lawgiver. He took a small breath and glanced between the two spirits.
"Ignorance of the heaven's decrees does not absolve you of them, but neither do I believe that these people should be condemned for it - Unless you are acting as a direct representative of Heaven's will, Gal-Kasha, and not simply taking matters into your own talons." He spoke plainly. "I present you both with two options - either this conflagration is to be postponed for one month to give Junok time to plea his case through the proper channels, or the inferno continues - after a day is given for Junok to evacuate his people to a nearby location where they may rebuild and continue their lives." He offered, clasping his hands behind his back.
Frowning, Junok crossed his massive, sandy arms and stood solemnly for a moment. Gal-Kasha, who had been quiet for some time now, sat up properly. "If I may propose a third option."
The beach man looked up with a glare in his eyes. "I have no need of you heavy-handed assumptions, elemental. More is at stake hear than simply my job."
There was a sigh like hissing pressure. "The self-absorption of your kind never ceases to amaze me. I suggest a compromise. My flames have irreparably damaged this city. Clearly, all of the villagers have been killed, and wandering nomads settled the wreckage."
There was a pause, and the flames of the city boiled down to tiny embers, before finally dying a quiet death. The woman who had been drinking... something returned to her position. And to her ale. The dragon continued. "Naturally, these people would fear the flame that brought ruin to the town, so as to keep it from happening again." Yes. Let us see how this god responds to competition in worship. "A large bonfire, once a month, safely outside the border of the town walls."
Junok narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the other spirit, but made no other movements. "How magnanimous of you."
"It may surprise you to learn, city god, that you are not the only one who values mortal life," the flame echoed.
Although one might suggest that the value of mortal lives was measured more as the weight of a steady food supply than a desire to help the weak. Somehow, Akara didn't think it was prudent to made this point. He also got the impression that Gal-Kasha was suggesting a compromise partly because he recognized that Akara himself was a well-meaning but somewhat novice Lawgiver. He'd try to reward that by doing as responsible a job as was expected of his station.
"If this compromise is acceptable to you, Junok, I will give my approval and seal the oath - That in exchange for his discretion, the good people of of this city will honor Gal-Kasha with a bonfire once a month, on the final day of the month." He repeated, just to ensure that the details of the arrangement were clear. "In return, he will not trouble the city further - and as a gesture of good faith, Gal-Kasha will warn you of upcoming decrees that affect your city." After all, the Fire spirit was clearly more attuned to the goings-on in Heaven than Junok, and Akara was loath to reward him with long-continuing worship for simply attacking a city and then not attacking it. Having his aid would prevent this from happening again, and hopefully make it easier for Junok to accept the deal.
Provided Gal didn't object to the addition.
Injured and beaten, the god of sand and surf strode forward and held out one hand. "I care nothing for the worship I lose, elemental. Only for the good of this city." It was difficult to tell if the (literally, because sand) gritted teeth were from pain or displeasure.
Gal-Kasha held forward his own hand, something close to a smile on his flaming face. "Well done, Lawbringer. It is good to see your kind at work in the world again." His claw alighted on Junok's hand.
Akara placed her hands over and below the limbs of the entwined spirits, his caste mark glowing brightly for a moment - sealing the promise, under the omniscient eyes of the Sun. Such oathes were not lightly given, or easily broken. "It is done." He said simply, nodding to both spirits. "I am glad we could work out a peaceful conclusion."
That done, he took a small step back and glanced at the people who'd remained to watch the event, his caste mark fading. "Junok, I invite you to rest your injuries. I will help the people rebuild, and keep what peace I can."
The sand-man nodded quietly before turning to his people to give the news and edicts that would affect all of their lives. Meanwhile, the dragon stood back up to his full stature. "I will leave my daughter here. I believe physical labor to be one of her few redeeming qualities." Standing back, the dragon took a deep bow. "I am needed back in Yu Shan. Good luck, Sun-Child. Your path will be long and dangerous, but know that some still find hope in your return."
With that, he burned into nothingness. Junok soon followed, fading into the sea.
All that was left, besides the devastation of the flames, was that woman who had finally managed to get to the bottom of her booze, and announced this with a loud belch.
Akara acknowledged the departure of both with a respectful nod, then gave the belching spectator a withering glare. When he spoke again, it was to all present.
"Much has been lost this night." He began, picking up a couple decent planks from within the rubble of a cart. "If we're to rebuild the city, let us begin right away while the injured recuperate." Akara was no carpenter, but he knew his way around a hammer - and a Solar trying his best at something he wasn't really familiar with was likely still going to result in a decent product. The drinking woman could either participate, or stay out of the way of those who would. There was too much that needed done for Akara to police her.
Unfortunately, upon docking with the town, it became clear that they didn't have much in the way of supplies to spare. Mostly because half of the city was on fire. Screaming people rushed about in the streets, attempting rather futilely to silence the flames with water from the bay. The flames did not seem to be listening.
Trouble never took a break; neither did Akara. Although his particular skills weren't well suited for putting out a city ablaze, he could at least try. Of a stocky build, wearing the sash that marked him as dereth, he was cognizant of the fact that he'd need to try a little harder than usual to have his will be done.
Akara bounded off of the ship, and picked up a pair of buckets, turning to address the crew - or any who were too shocked to help or otherwise react to the blaze, his fair voice carried far with the power of his essence and the weight of authority. "Get moving and help out out this fire! Those of you who are quick on your feet, go looking for survivors - move!" When a lawgiver spoke, the world was to listen... and obey.
Authority was coded directly into the Solar being. Mere mortals could but pray to resist, and in a situation like this, why would they even do that much? This person knew what to do. They could, at the very lest, follow whoever was taking action.
Even with the extra support from the ship that had just landed, though, the fires seemed extremely stubborn. In a few minutes of fruitlessly tossing water on them, Akara might have had the proper angle to see that the entire city had been engulfed in flames starting from the gate, a most unusual spread for fire. The surviving occupants had been gathered near the docks...
Except, it seemed, what appeared to be a woman sitting on the outside table of a local restaurant, drinking from a glass of some form of alcohol and entirely unbothered by the conflagration.
Although Akara wanted to swat the woman upside the head for her callousness and lethargy, he didn't have that option - stopping to berate somebody simply meant that there were two less bodies working towards a solution, which was a net loss. That said, this was no simple fire. It was too energetic, too prolific. A harbour town would have subdued a simple blaze by now. No, something else was going on...
Akara planned to find out what. And once he set his mind to discerning the truth of a matter, there were few forces in Creation that could hide from his eyes. Essence flowed through his eyes and ears as he worked, taking in every detail he observed - processing every half-burned clue or hint, every flicker and splash, conducting the work of several days of investigation in moments. If there was a motive at work, he would find it - and something told him that the woman with the wine was connected, but it wouldn't do to confront her with a mere hunch.
An essence expenditure seemed to be just what this fire was waiting for. Seemingly out of nowhere materialized a freakishly tall man with skin of sand and a beard like the oncoming tide. His body was horribly damaged, mostly with burns, and he stumbled towards the Essence-user he'd just sensed.
Fortunately, that kept him from feeling the retribution of the second creature to flow forth. From the flames came a large, dragon-shaped entity with scales of fire and eyes like hot coals. It snarled, but materializing had left it drained.
The people on the docks, naturally, freaked the fuck out. The woman in the tavern lifted her head for a moment, then returned to drinking.
"The culprits revealed?" Akara demanded loudly, dropping his recently-emptied buckets, the conflagration roaring around them. "Or culprit and victim - it matters not. You will subdue this flame by whatever means you began it and submit to judgement, or I shall force both to occur in short order." Akara promised in a grave tone.
Since his super detective charms weren't giving Akara any leads and action had to be taken, assumptions were necessary. He'd get the truth of the situation when the city wasn't burning down.
The first spirit, sand and water, stood properly, though his stance appeared labored by his wounds. He said nothing before the fire dragon opened its mouth, its voice roaring like the houses it set ablaze. "Quaint. A mortal champion, here to defend the mortals. Is this how far you have fallen, Junok?"
Junok, the man of sand, replied with a great growl. "Is it so surprising that more than simply the people of this city object to your reckless appetite for destruction?"
The people huddled by the docks sat in alternatively awed and terrified silence.
The truth of the matter began to reveal itself. Good. Akara could intervene. Better yet, he'd already made clear his intent - now was the time for action. He took one step forward, tightening his sash. He took a second step, rolling a shoulder.
The third step carried him forward at frightening speed, hands pointed into deadly knives, either inches away from the fiery spirit that presumably had begun the blaze. The snake bares it's fangs before it strikes - for it needs only strike once to take a life. But Akara had no hood to flare - Unless one counted the blazing sun on his brow, defeating the flickering and failing light of the conflagration. "I have issued an order, spirit." He spoke evenly, voice raised. "Make me repeat myself at hazard to your own health."
Gutsy.
Way too gutsy.
The flame creature reared back its head in a mighty, screeching roar, fire whipping up around it not unlike an inferno. Surely it would have been enough to incinerate Akara if the two spirits hadn't both stopped to take a long look at the shimmering golden sun on the human's brow. Both paused silently, and the woman at the bar stood up at her seat.
After a moment, the flame dragon smirked spoke again, its fiery face contorting into a smirk. "Oh, Junok, this really isn't your lucky day." The dragon scorched itself back down into a smaller entity, still much larger than a man, and the flames around it died down a bit. "Prince of the Earth, it has been quite some time since I've seen one of your kind. I am Gal-Kasha."
"Gal-Kasha... and Junok." Akara greeted flatly in turn - not unlike a beat cop giving an acknowledging nod to a repeat offender who wasn't up to apparent skullduggery - at the moment. He lowered his hands and folded his arms sternly, taking a position somewhat between the spirits. "You both know what I am, then - good. My name is Akara. I hope you will forgive me for curtailing the usual niceties tonight."
"By the authority vested in me, I will hear both sides of this dispute, and devise a fair solution as beneficial to both parties as possible - but not before this conflagration is subdued." He stated plainly.
"I'm afraid that may be something of a problem, Sun-Child," the dragon began, then stood back a moment and looked at the woman having her calming ale. "This is your chance, girl. Do not let it spread further until this matter is settled."
The woman stood up and responded with something resembling either a scoff or a sneer, then strode into the fire with raised hands, the fires dying down at their borders towards the edge of the city. Meanwhile, the dragon curled itself into a small ball and...handled the entire rest of the city, the flames dying down to still-hot embers. "A show of good faith."
A fire spirit clearing its throat sounded not unlike an explosion. "This city was Fated to be destroyed in an inferno this morning. When I was informed that this was not the case, I came here to personally ensure that the flames' progress was not impeded."
There was a roar from behind. Junok was apparently very displeased. "You attacked my city, dragon! My city and my people!"
Gal-Kasha swirled one flaming talon in the air. "Do not distort what happened. You prevented your city from being destroyed, as it was meant to be. You interfered directly in order to save your own position." There was a quiet crackle of popping wood, the same growl that the dragon had given earlier. "And then you attacked me. Perhaps next time, you will take this up with the Bureau, rather than picking a fight with an entity beyond your scope?"
Akara cleared his own throat loudly, raising a hand before bringing them to rest on his wide hips. "Please control your tempers." He suggested in an even tone. As a Lawgiver, it was within his purview to be equal parts judge and baliff - it would not do to have mediation spiral into a yelling match, and then another fight. Matters involving the Celestial Bureaucracy were tricky to say the least, and it was only by virtue of the Cult of Illumination's backers that he even knew what was at stake. "If fate demanded that the city burn, keeping it from burning will only create more issues for everyone involved." He mused aloud. That was a hard fact, but a simple one to grasp. Gal-Kasha, it seemed, was guilty only of taking matters into his own hands.
Akara turned his attention to Junok, who it seemed had jumped the rails in order to keep a cushy position. Assumptions were dangerous, but formulating a clear picture of the matter at hand was also important. "I would hear your side of the story as well, Junok." He invited, motioning to the spirit of the city.
Anna-chan!: The dragon laid down on its own forearms, silent except for its constant flaming crackle. Meanwhile, standing before the mortals of his city like a wall of sand and surf...or rather bleeding sand and surf, Junok took a quick bow. "Thank you, Lawbringer."
It was clearly more than a little painful for him to keep standing, but something was keeping him from resting. "This is Urighast. It is not a large city, but the people here are hardworking and noble. There are over three hundred families here, though that number might drop sharply after the events of this morning. This city is their home, and I will gladly die to defend it."
Spirits probably didn't need to breathe, but he took a deep breath anyway. "I work with these people in their day to day lives. As a result, I don't have much time to spend in Yu Shan. If I had, I would have petitioned against my city's destruction. This isn't a matter of my position." There was a scoff from the dragon, but Junok continued with only a slight grimace on his face. "This isn't a matter of my position, but of the lives that will be lost in this fire...and in the future."
He turned his eyes on the Solar, specifically. "You know this, Prince of the Earth. The only other port for hundreds of miles north has no love of your kind. Given the choice between the Realm and the shadowlands, most people would prefer Urighast to death. It cannot act as a safe haven if it is a pile of ash."
"My heart weeps for your cause, Junok, it does." Akara replied. Truly, it was a very emotional argument, though the fact that the spirit had also tried to appeal to his nature as Exalted was merely dryly noted by the lawgiver. He took a small breath and glanced between the two spirits.
"Ignorance of the heaven's decrees does not absolve you of them, but neither do I believe that these people should be condemned for it - Unless you are acting as a direct representative of Heaven's will, Gal-Kasha, and not simply taking matters into your own talons." He spoke plainly. "I present you both with two options - either this conflagration is to be postponed for one month to give Junok time to plea his case through the proper channels, or the inferno continues - after a day is given for Junok to evacuate his people to a nearby location where they may rebuild and continue their lives." He offered, clasping his hands behind his back.
Frowning, Junok crossed his massive, sandy arms and stood solemnly for a moment. Gal-Kasha, who had been quiet for some time now, sat up properly. "If I may propose a third option."
The beach man looked up with a glare in his eyes. "I have no need of you heavy-handed assumptions, elemental. More is at stake hear than simply my job."
There was a sigh like hissing pressure. "The self-absorption of your kind never ceases to amaze me. I suggest a compromise. My flames have irreparably damaged this city. Clearly, all of the villagers have been killed, and wandering nomads settled the wreckage."
There was a pause, and the flames of the city boiled down to tiny embers, before finally dying a quiet death. The woman who had been drinking... something returned to her position. And to her ale. The dragon continued. "Naturally, these people would fear the flame that brought ruin to the town, so as to keep it from happening again." Yes. Let us see how this god responds to competition in worship. "A large bonfire, once a month, safely outside the border of the town walls."
Junok narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the other spirit, but made no other movements. "How magnanimous of you."
"It may surprise you to learn, city god, that you are not the only one who values mortal life," the flame echoed.
Although one might suggest that the value of mortal lives was measured more as the weight of a steady food supply than a desire to help the weak. Somehow, Akara didn't think it was prudent to made this point. He also got the impression that Gal-Kasha was suggesting a compromise partly because he recognized that Akara himself was a well-meaning but somewhat novice Lawgiver. He'd try to reward that by doing as responsible a job as was expected of his station.
"If this compromise is acceptable to you, Junok, I will give my approval and seal the oath - That in exchange for his discretion, the good people of of this city will honor Gal-Kasha with a bonfire once a month, on the final day of the month." He repeated, just to ensure that the details of the arrangement were clear. "In return, he will not trouble the city further - and as a gesture of good faith, Gal-Kasha will warn you of upcoming decrees that affect your city." After all, the Fire spirit was clearly more attuned to the goings-on in Heaven than Junok, and Akara was loath to reward him with long-continuing worship for simply attacking a city and then not attacking it. Having his aid would prevent this from happening again, and hopefully make it easier for Junok to accept the deal.
Provided Gal didn't object to the addition.
Injured and beaten, the god of sand and surf strode forward and held out one hand. "I care nothing for the worship I lose, elemental. Only for the good of this city." It was difficult to tell if the (literally, because sand) gritted teeth were from pain or displeasure.
Gal-Kasha held forward his own hand, something close to a smile on his flaming face. "Well done, Lawbringer. It is good to see your kind at work in the world again." His claw alighted on Junok's hand.
Akara placed her hands over and below the limbs of the entwined spirits, his caste mark glowing brightly for a moment - sealing the promise, under the omniscient eyes of the Sun. Such oathes were not lightly given, or easily broken. "It is done." He said simply, nodding to both spirits. "I am glad we could work out a peaceful conclusion."
That done, he took a small step back and glanced at the people who'd remained to watch the event, his caste mark fading. "Junok, I invite you to rest your injuries. I will help the people rebuild, and keep what peace I can."
The sand-man nodded quietly before turning to his people to give the news and edicts that would affect all of their lives. Meanwhile, the dragon stood back up to his full stature. "I will leave my daughter here. I believe physical labor to be one of her few redeeming qualities." Standing back, the dragon took a deep bow. "I am needed back in Yu Shan. Good luck, Sun-Child. Your path will be long and dangerous, but know that some still find hope in your return."
With that, he burned into nothingness. Junok soon followed, fading into the sea.
All that was left, besides the devastation of the flames, was that woman who had finally managed to get to the bottom of her booze, and announced this with a loud belch.
Akara acknowledged the departure of both with a respectful nod, then gave the belching spectator a withering glare. When he spoke again, it was to all present.
"Much has been lost this night." He began, picking up a couple decent planks from within the rubble of a cart. "If we're to rebuild the city, let us begin right away while the injured recuperate." Akara was no carpenter, but he knew his way around a hammer - and a Solar trying his best at something he wasn't really familiar with was likely still going to result in a decent product. The drinking woman could either participate, or stay out of the way of those who would. There was too much that needed done for Akara to police her.