Duty, Destiny, Idealism [Path to Rathess]

Fate was a curious thing. Kajek at once felt its tug and call, yet was aware of just how quickly he could alter his own fate on a whim. Those chosen by the Unconquered Sun were without peer. And yet, despite how easily he could have set himself above the mortals and ruled, he did not. It was not in him to subject the masses for his own ego and power. He spread the word of the Unconquered Sun, righting the dogmatic views of the Immaculate Order and bringing His light to places where Creation needed it most.

As a result of a string of strange dreams and nagging feelings of half-forgotten memories, Kajek had abruptly turned his attention east. He had rarely ventured so far East as to see the ever-present sea of trees. In fact, he could count the number of times he saw a proper tree on one hand. Yet he was venturing further and further East on this strange feeling. The further away from his home he went, the more Kajek felt like he was getting to something wondrous... and dangerous.

The city he came across was strange to his Southern senses. By all accounts he had heard, cities in the Center and East of Creation were great assortments of towering structures and high walls. Yet this city, Jades, was so much plainer than he expected. Indeed he knew of some border towns in the South that had a better developed sense of infrastructure and defense than this city did. The most noteworthy thing he could find of it was that it had a garrison of Dragon Blooded and mortal Realm soldiers. He kept his hood up high for the time being as he was not sure how they would react to his Arbiter brand.

Of course having his hood down so low did nothing for his navigating. By now, he could feel something new in the air of the city; a faint pulsing, a strange mixture of peace and terror. He had not yet oriented himself to this sensation when he heard a voice call out in High Realm. "You, man in the cloak. Lower your hood." He paused in the streets, back to the man. It was a mortal, of that he was certain. However, he was not yet sure of how to go about handling the situation.

Rather than needlessly resort to violence, he lowered his hood slowly and waiting for the mortal soldier to work up the nerve to come closer. As he did, the spark of gold caught his attention. Before he could even shout, Kajek knew what was coming. "ANATHEMA!" The mortal shouted, panicking and brandishing his weapon defensively. Kajek sighed and stood there without moving as the people began to scatter. This was not how he imagined spending time in the East.

"Shut it, you daft sack o' sorry." A curious voice filled the air, impossibly airy and melodious. Kajek turned his head towards the source. At first he did not even see her, so light was her step. She had to step much closer than he was comfortable with before Kajek got a good sense of her. Clearly Dragon-Blooded, the woman practically danced across the street. With barely a care, she brushed aside the offending polearm and stopped barely an arm's length from him. "He is no Anathema. He is an Arbiter of the South, a man of justice. Tell me, Arbiter; what has you so far from the sands of your home?"

He contemplated lying, but found little reason to try. It was an innocent enough question after all. "I am not entirely sure myself, Child of Mela." Kajek gave the Dragon-Blooded woman a bow in deference, not wanting to attract any further attention than necessary. "I felt pulled here, perhaps by some higher power." He could only hope that she was suitable satisfied with his answer and would let him continue on without any further complications. The pulsing had gotten stronger.

The Dragon-Blooded woman looked satisfied enough with his answer and let him go with his travels. While he turned away from the pair, Kajek was keenly aware of the irate glare from the second Terrestrial. He had not liked being called out like that by his superior, at least Kajek assumed she was his superior given their different dispositions and how readily the cowardly man fell in line. However, it was obvious that the sun-marked traveler was being held responsible for that miserable failing.

Kajek simply made a note of it and kept moving past the garrison and into the small city. There weren't nearly so many people as he could find in the likes of Paragon or Chiaroscuro, but Kajek honestly found it significantly more relaxing. Fewer people meant fewer footsteps. Too many people in an area gave him a rough headache. So to come across a city like this gave the Arbiter a sense of peace.

You could tell a lot about a person by the manner in which they walked. Those with the lightest steps were Air-Aspected Dragon-Blooded, or perhaps scouts or gymnasts. This far from 'proper' civilization, the former was the most likely. There were the uneven steps of drunkards, the drilled, precise steps of the soldiers, the soft pitter-patter of children - it all came together in a beautiful song that only he could hear.

However pleasant it was to be out of a metropolis, however, Kajek still had a reason for being out this far east. He was meant to come out this way to find someone. Perhaps they would help him in his quest to free Paragon from the corrupt Perfect. Perhaps it was to find some piece of lost knowledge and lore to help him better understand the nature of his Exalted self and what he was capable of. 

In particular, one set of steps interested him. They were distinct from the others. Only a rare few ever walked with this particular gait, the self-assured stride of someone meant to rule. Each step was that of a queen, and yet... not. Kajek was not sure at all what to make of them, so he quietly followed some dozens of yards back. He stopped when necessary, appearing to browse stock and converse with natives. Whomever she was, perhaps it was she he was meant to meet. Whether that meeting was to be pleasant or hostile, he was not yet sure.