The Mana-Verse

[Sapphire Knight]

Shuu turned to Riagan with a questioning glance. "Oh? I wonder why he'd want an audience with me?" He asked, Grani deciding to revert to a tablet like Susanoo had.

[Quickman]

Riagan laughed again. "You think your scuffle went unnoticed?  Hahaha, word travels fast, my friend.  And as you are one of the famed Sapphire Knights, my father would be honored to speak with you."

He returned his gaze to Sakura. "Dwarven equestrians are among the highest caliber.  We can tame even the most unruly of mounts!"

[Sakura Leic]

"Oh right you guys must have other horses too...to be honest I've never seen a normal horse....."Sakura said sheepishly.

(Because I'm assuming the Iron Gate guards took Epee themselves to the stables like a valet would for cars.  So Sakura hasn't seen a normal horse.)

[Phi]

"Well, we should probably get going. Lead the way, Mr. Riagan. And, um... Thank you," Pema bowed slightly.

She noticed Shuu from her peripheral, coming towards them, "Oh, do you mind coming with us? We're gonna head to the stables to visit Epee!"

(I know he needs to ask Riagan something, but I figured he could talk to him on the way there.

And ninja'd everywhere!)

[Sapphire Knight]

Shuu nodded at Riagan. "Right. Like I said a few minutes ago, I'm still kinda new to the job."

[Sakura Leic]

"So the Dwarves have heard of these Sapphire Knights as well." Calien stated "I guess I might be one of the few who haven't."

"Daddy do you know what all this stuff about Saddles and Horse Shoes are?" Sakura asked.

"I do but it really is something you should see for yourself, it'd be difficult to explain until you see it." Calien nodded.

(Calien will go back to his quarters off screen chained to the Magitek sewing machine, he came out because his fingers got stiff and desperately needed a break.)

[Quickman]

"And see it, you shall!" Riagan barked as he walked along toward the mine entrance.

At the entrance, the Professor glanced up from his meditation, saw Riagan leading the party toward him, and quickly scurried out of striking distance.

[Sakura Leic]

"Prof don't be so scared, no one's going to hurt you." Sakura called to him.

[Quickman]

Riagan ignored the pathetic creature and looked to Shuu. "Regardless of your novice rank, you still bear the title and armor of the Sapphire Knights.  My people have an illustrious history, and my father had met with an emissary of yours years before.  They came by caravan, as after the schism--" he regarded the Professor in his hard gaze for a brief moment "--the mountains were far too dangerous for traders to travel alone without protection.  Marauders from the villages."

The Professor hung back for a markedly long time before he fell into step behind Sakura and Pema.  He kept his hood up and his head bowed so as not to show his face, and he remained silent.  His staff was held low and as nonthreatening as he could muster with a weapon of its size.

[Sakura Leic]

"Riagan do you know about the Schism?" Sakura asked "The Prof mentioned it before but he didn't know much about it....."

[Blue Valkyrie]

With the party leaving to meet the king Aya turns the other way and makes her way up to the highest point on the mountain near the airship, the professor notices the guardian close her eyes and go into what he could only assume was a meditation state of some sort.

[Sapphire Knight]

"Speaking of the schism, how long ago was that?" Shuu asked, following along. "Might be able to tell you which Knight it was."

[Quickman]

Realizing that such a topic would be a point of contention, the Professor left the group and wandered toward where Aya was meditating.  Stopping first by the airship, he left his staff there, and limped over and began to climb the rocks.

Riagan ignored his departure and looked at Sakura.  "The Schism happened long ago, before I was born.  It is why we don't trust Elven people; they think they're above us, above everyone.  And the Order!  That cult and their ilk can rot in the darkest depths."

[Sakura Leic]

"Elves huh....I've been mistaken for an elf before by little forest Goblins many times because of my ears....they're that bad?" Sakura wondered.

[Blue Valkyrie]

Aya with eyes still closed noticed the Professor approach, or rather felt. "Hello professor, did you need something?" She asked politely.

[Quickman]

"Just... needed to excuse m-myself from the others," the Professor had finally climbed the rocks and sat, removing his hood.  He watched the party enter the mines and finally relaxed once Riagan was out of sight.

He let out a sigh and cast his gaze skyward.  "I feel, I feel that, I feel that we're wasting our time...  We m-must recover the shards, and time is of the essence!  However, however, I feel that..."

He paused as his voice dropped so as not to echo through the canyon. "I feel that... that Chakra doesn't have the same urgency.  This, this... this is not the first time that she had taken... too long to act.  If, if I, if I hadn't m-moved... we would have still been outside the city gates."

He dropped his gaze to his hands in his lap. "We should tell her, or remind her, or, or... or even go ahead.  Time is of the essence.  M-mar is also after the shards.  We need to be one step ahead, but, but, but we can't if we don't move."

"Elves huh....I've been mistaken for an elf before by little forest Goblins many times because of my ears....they're that bad?" Sakura wondered.

"You are of halfling stock," Riagan said simply.  He didn't look at Sakura as he led her and the rest of the party through the mines. "You know not of the true nature of Elves.  How they see themselves.  How they carry themselves.  How they talk.  We have a saying for their kind; 'an Elf uses more words than necessary to say more than they know.'"

He fell silent for a moment, save for his bootsteps echoing off the tunnel walls. "The Schism concerns more than the Elves.  They were only a part of it.  The Order set it in motion."

[Sakura Leic]

"Well I am not an Elf....or a Demon....it's complicated." Sakura stated "But what exactly did the Order do?"

(Whoa wait, I don't think Sakura is to blame for not going ahead quickly.  Also Aya doesn't have her scale Mail yet I think.)

[Sapphire Knight]

Shuu sighed and simply went into thought. At the mention of the Order (again), he remembered a warning from his teachers. "Beware the Obsidian Knight and his order..."

[Sakura Leic]

(Wait is this a different cult for Obsidian?)

[Quickman]

((I... don't know.  I'm just winging the Schism as I go along.))

Riagan was silent for a very long moment, his lips frozen in a thin, hard line.  He himself didn't know the exact details; he just knew that the Order was to blame.  His once-illustrious brethren became the butt of Elven jokes and trade with outside clans became impossible.  The Dwarven engineers were forced into indentured servitude by the Elves, followers of the Order decried them to be "demons" and "dirty," and of a subhuman race; taxes were levied, and any mention of the Order simply left a bad taste in his mouth.

"You should ask that shriveled creature you drag around."

((And as for Prof's opinion, that's just what he's observed.  I'm not saying you're at fault for anything.  Prof's just stating an observation.))

[Sakura Leic]

"He doesn't know either, when he came here he thought you and the Order were still allies." Sakura stated "He doesn't know much about the world outside the Order.  They kept him sheltered for years for some reason, they didn't want people to see him. 

While he does practice the Order's beliefs of being humble, I think he's innocent in the Order's treachery.  They don't tell him much, he doesn't know about this schism, he doesn't even know what he is. 

Plus the Order has been mean to him too, they didn't support his Precursor or Alchemist studies, and he said when we first met that the Order didn't trust him....because of his ears....he said they didn't trust his ears...and his face too.   Not to mention...the lashings he had because the Order punishes him....they're everywhere......I know he says everyone who doesn't follow their teachings gets them....but I don't think it's right....." 

[Sapphire Knight]

[Obsidian's followers are a different cult. The Order of Black Knights.]

[Sakura Leic]

(Gotcha, I wish Quickie's Order had a fancy name.)

[Quickman]

((The Order of the Triad.  There.  Done.  Let's go with that.))

[Sakura Leic]

(So it shall be called and retroactively retconed into.)