Tidal Florette - A Painted Soul I

Favian - 30

As Raelyn carries Yumi back into the palace cradled in his arms, she hides her face on him as they pass by Favian and Sapha. The empress remains out near the shoreline, seemingly lost in thought. None of the guards have changed their position. Although Favian's sure they would be able to claim they are taking watch over the empress, he's fairly confident they are too stunned to recall their posts if ordered anyway. How we are going to proceed from here? Everyone here just witnessed that... she's a mortal that just bested a reaper... the empress' champion... that shouldn't be possible, right? An infinite well of divine power shouldn't be shut down by one island girl... Did Raelyn let her win so she'd stop? He's a really skilled actor if that's true...

Turning to Sapha, Favian breaks the hush that's fallen over the scene. "Do you have any idea what just happened?"

Sapha's eyes are locked on the empress. "We drug a girl across the ocean that's very good with a sword?"

"You know it's more than that."

She looks over in annoyance. "No shit, clearly we don't know what she's capable of at this point."

A chill of anxiety runs up Favian's spine. "You can't think she's more powerful than beating a reaper. She's just a mortal."

"Who is about to become a reaper. You were watching her, you couldn't tell she was surprised too? Whatever just happened, she doesn't have any control yet." She crosses a leg over the other and straightens up. "You would know more about her abilities than me, what would let her break through the dunereaper's sand?"

"I'm not sure how her telepathy would allow that..."

"It happened, so what allowed it?"

"Maybe she saw his mind clearly enough to exploit a weakness in the sand? We know she has been rigorously trained all her life. So maybe..."

The empress interrupts. "I believe you're ignoring a crucial possibility."

Both Sapha and Favian turn to them and await clarification. Hayate seems very tense as they speculate. "To our knowledge, divine power is superior to anything a mortal can achieve. This is a truth that's kept the Dawnthrone's rule over the realm secure..."

"Fear is key to keeping the people in check?" Sapha sarcastically interjects.

Hayate frowns, "My reapers are divinely ordered to protect the people of the realm... I would hope it's the temple that fears them."

Sapha is about to respond when Favian holds up a hand. "I think that discussion is falling off course to the matter at hand. So you're saying Yumi has some form of power beyond mortalfolk? Could it be her katana? The way it glows would make sense there's more to it than typical steel."

Sapha shakes her head. "She broke through the sand before she drew."

The empress scans the gathered guards. "When I lift the lockdown on the palace there will be no one to contain the rumors. I'm not sure Yumi's candidacy will be enough to keep the temple at bay once they hear the girl deemed a night witch by the high priest unexplainably defeated my champion..." They stop at a realization. "I'll have to send someone to make sure, but I do not believe the high priest has returned as of yet. The temple shouldn't be aware of that conclusion... we might be able to give Yumi a chance to win the city's favor."

Favian grumbles, "But now we're supposed to begin our work on the cure..."

"We won't have much time. I'm unaware where the high priest traveled to after Ukiyo, but I doubt he'd leave his position here unattended for long."

We haven't even started working on this... "Much time for what? Are you saying we have to get her to cure a moonlit, publicly, before he returns?"