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[From the Realms Lords meeting: The larger promentories were flung farther; Pearl was an exceptionally large promentory]
A gate opens from the Void near the King and Verra steps out. She says that Ingold is not locatable anywhere within her reach. Verra bows to the King as a massively powerful Old Lord to King, and turns to Flora. "Floramel! It's been a while!" Verra asks Flora to think of a gift for Rainbow from her.
Jean suggests the fudgesicle issue, and explains to his mother.
Snarsht returns, still in lizard form, and enters the Beastmaster's Guild. After a few moments, there is a sound of things clicking back into place. Snarsht, in his cat form, climbs to the top of the Guild and settles down.
Cailin asks for a lift back to Chaos, and receives one from Suhuy. Suhuy notices a faint tug on Cailin during the transit, repeats the experiment a few times, and tells Cailin.
Melk notifies Suhuy and Ilk that it is time for the second Realms Lord meeting.
Jean notices that the population of one of his grey zones has suddenly dropped significantly. A saucer acquires a hat and a pipe, and investigates. With some help from the Dancers' Guild, he determines that they were scared by Pharaban. Jean resolves to tell Pharaban at first opportunity.
Natasha, with the help of many visual aids and charts, has finished explaining Cobalt to the King. Flora stares speculatively at her tapestry, and audibly contemplates adding Benedict's extra decendants.
A member of the Etiquette Guild walks up to the King, hands her the note, and walks off. Silver Lyra reads the note, looks around at the people near her, and grins.
About now, the Realms Lord meeting is finishing.
Etiquette guild members keep arriving and handing notes to people in some obscure ranking order. When Cailin's turn arrives, he reads an invitation to a duel, nowish -- Janus's.
People transit to the bare spot. Janus's second is present - it's Caine. For that matter, everyone who is anyone is here. Pharaban, however, is not.
The head of House Timbal shows up and makes it clear that he is not the challenged party. Janus offers to let Timbal take priority over his duel, as long as the target is still alive afterwards, since his duel is to the death.
It is determined that failing to show up for a duel to the death makes ones life forfit.
The King announces to those present that her displeasure at losing this promised entertainment will not be confined to the individual alone, but his allies if he doesn't show up post-haste. Several people Logrus-pull out.
Most are just scattering. Ilk leaves a tendril on each of them. Two of the allies pull to him, and he decides that since he's dead anyway, he might as well not disappoint his King.
He pulls out a box, tucks it under his arm, and Logrus-pulls out. There is something Patternish in the box, and the box is allowing the contents to be pulled.
The warrior bows to the King, and apologizes to the delay, saying that some preparations were necessary. Janus is warming up with a wooden sword, much to Caine's delight. The warrior heads to the field of honor. Janus bows to Timbal, and states that he will defer to the head of House Timbal.
Timbal scolds the warrior, and says that he will wait in line and challenge him after, on the off chance that he survives. Timbal bows to Janus, returning precedent.
Janus bows to Caine, and asks for his second to arrange for the formalities. The warrior says that he doesn't have a second and doesn't want one; Caine requires one as his Guild Master. The warrior appeals to the crowd, and finds no takers. Caine dragoons a member of the Etiquette guild into the job, and then continues with the formalities.
When they get to the piece about the weapons, Janus draws Greyswandir, and the member of the warriors' Guild opens his box, and sitting in it is a small Pattern blade, radiating signifiant Pattern power. On the cover of the box is an enscription. It says, "For my son, when he reaches his majority." No names, but Neville and Caine both find the handwriting familiar -- it's Eric's.
[Add Neville's reaction here]
Caine is deadpan. Ilk doesn't see any Pattern on the warrior.
The warrior places the box at the side of the battlefield, and says that he has bought his honor blade to the field, but will fight with a different blade. Janus seems okay with that.
[Somewhere in here Neville puts in a request to talk to the individual before he dies, and Caine refuses the request.]
Once the duel begins, Janus has re-sheathed the Pattern blade and is just standing there waiting for him to attack. After some time, Janus gets fed up, walks over, and says, "Are you waiting for me to attack?"
"It seems to be a winning strategy."
Janus draws his blade and attacks.
It's fairly short and bloody - about five minutes. The warrior's blade is a decent blade and manages to keep up with and even parry Janus's attacks occasionally. It's a beautiful battle, pretty up until the point where Janus lodges the tip of Greyswandir in the warrior's eyesocket.
Kieron was ooing and aahing during the fight. Calla and Gil are most impressed. Both of them together could have probably taken him, but either of them alone would have had a problem. Caine even looks somewhat impressed.
After it is all over, Janus picks up the still-burning, obviously dead individual, and lays it at Timbal's feet. "I believe that you are next, sir?"
Timbal looks dubiously at the Pattern flames. "I believe that my name is satisfied."
The King approaches Janus, bows, thanks him for the entertainment, and proclaims that anyone who crosses her Court Jester will also become a form of entertainment. Gil is rolling on the ground laughing and pointing.
Cailin approaches the king, thrashes briefly upon being called her "mage consultant", and reports. Cailin is told to bring up the issue of assaulting the magic tracking shadow at the Council meeting, which will be happening soon.
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