[Rahil]

((OOC: I just realized I misspelled the dang title...if only I could change it now ))

Rahil straightened his back with a sigh, flexing his shoulders to ease his cramped muscles, dropping his guard as he stood waiting. It was only customary when meeting with one's betters, after all.

Shadows were dwindling in the Acanthan Temple, the abode of the mad ruler of the land, as what passed for noon approach. There were hardly many visitors; most with good sense did their best not to disturb the so-called god. Given that there were no furnishings to help one relax, either, Rahil had simply done his best by making himself comfortable. All he could do is wait: if Danae was there, anyway, as he was unsure of even that at the moment. Not long after his stretch, Rahil took advantage of the stillness to check how the others in his entourage had faired.

Alim al Taj, the second-in-command of the Taj "forces" within Elysia, had arrived to the realm not long after Rahil—mainly because he wasn't expected to live through his journey. He and several scientists were working between Elysia and Zanarya to try to figure out whether the Elysians could turn off the portal permanently, or whether they could destroy it entirely. As Rahil expected, they had not progressed very far, although Alim seemed very opposed to that notion. In fact, had Rahil not known better, he would say that the Zanaryan wasn't pleased at all with Rahil's return. Rahil wasn't too pleased with more of their numbers, either. The job tended to only get harder with a group of Zanaryans around a portal in public like amateurs, or worse yet, tourists. Rahil could only wonder what leadership these peasants had been under, and it was none other the illustrious Alim al Taj.

Rahil knew of the man from before their meeting, a vocal member of those who supported the closure of the portal wjp also had least sense of going about it. He wanted to simply hold it hostage within their own lands, as if that were possible for long. The other Houses would no doubt take such a chance to eliminate competition. In all likelihood, Alim was merely there for his technological prowess and to keep him from causing too much ruckus at home. In fact, Rahil's presence, along with Alim's, almost seemed to suggest that Nasir was simply getting rid of problems for himself.

Rahil scowled, had he much time to consider his brother's motivations and devotion to their Cause? It certainly fit the Taj propaganda, but then, when did the cold, calculating Nasir ever care about emotional guides? Regardless, the man left under Rahil's command stood in his black robes, his black hair and rough face scrutinising their surroundings with disdain as if they were slumming.

Rahil should've known one that wasn't an earth elementalist couldn't appreciate Danae's Temple, alas, he kept that remark to himself. Although, he couldn't say he was too pleased to recognize another deity beyond Xanth, whom he always felt to be a warmer figure for his kind. She was certainly safer than Danae, at least, if she still existed.

"I should never have left." Rahil grumbled under his breath, looking out to valley surrounding the temple. Long years of wanderlust had left him appreciative of his own lands, despite the beauty of Acantha's wastelands, which only Rahil seemed to take in. Warmed by the sun, each boulder spread thinly throughout the ground would've made an excellent resting place. "And I'll be damned if I'm not coming back..."

"Watch it," Na'im warned quietly from Rahil's side. "Our company is still not convinced of your grace's authority within our party."

"They'll have to be." Rahil interjected. He was the only logical candidate to speak with Danae, after all, other than Na'im. Rahil doubted the nearly androgynous enunch was held in high favor either, though.

Of course, both Alim and his group of five members of his family's men wouldn't trust either, Rahil thought. One would think having access to a skyboat of all things, would have earned their respect, but no, it took more than saving them weeks of travel in a desert to satisfy his so-called underlings. Rahil shook his head, not wanting to examine the rest of the group. At the very least, Na'im and Jael were at his side, although Rahil wasn't sure if the god would recognize any of them. Then again, perhaps that wasn't for the better, either. Who knew what Danae did with those eggs.

Rahil turned to regard a harpy as it left the audience chamber and started toward the group. It spoke words that Rahil could hardly gather, especially after his recent only half-mastery of common Elysian tongue, but he could easily surmise the meaning from its body language, following it as it turned on its heel impeccably. Butterflies flew in his stomach for the first time in a week as he consider the task before him.

Heading to the front of the group, Rahil gave a low bow to the white haired figure sitting atop his throne. A quick glance gave no indication of whether the god was merely amused or simply pleased to have Elysian guests visiting him. Rahil quickly removed the latter notion from his mind, not wanting to bother trying to figure out what motives the god had in mind.

"How do you do, Lord Danae? I trust the eggs from some time ago made a delightful meal?"

[Dananka]

Danae's lips twitched with a muted amusement that turned into a full blown grin. Xanth must be ripping out those masses of purple and lilac hair by now. No sooner had her poor children returned to her bosom than had group upon gang come through to see him. He could feel them like ants crawling over his world, some to explore out of sheer curiosity (most to meet their doom, to his immense enjoyment) and some with greed and lust. He had watched from afar, entertaining himself with thoughts of how Xanth was coping with the realisation that he was more popular than her. (She was giving him the silent treatment, sadly, so he couldn't see her reactions for real.) And now here was a young man (though the term was relative; Xanth was young in his view at twelve thousand) coming to him for some nefarious plot. What was it Xanth's humans said? All his Christmasses had come at once.

“You smelly fool. The eggs were not for eating.” He had used some of them in the Red Mist cure, a sickness that had been stealing his toys from him for months. He had no idea where it had come from (part of the reason he had approached Xanth in the first place was to check it wasn't one of her own toys, though she was too much of a goody-two-shoes for him to be legitimately concerned), and he had ignored it at first. How the little mortals met their end was no concern of his — until it began to impact his own lifestyle. When offerings came fewer and farther between, when the volume of prayers begging for help got too loud to bear, he had begun to investigate. It was only chance that he had realised the Ohani were immune, and followed a chain of logic to the recognition that Ohani eggs were the purest of the entire species so would stand a better chance of combating the illness. That he had already wanted the eggs and could use the Red Mist as an excuse for sending people to get them was just gravy on a delicious meat pie.

“Though they served their purpose, so I suppose I should allow you your pride.” His tone implied otherwise. What did mere mortals have to be proud of, exactly? They had done only what he asked of them so they couldn't very well take the credit. Steepling his fingers with his elbows resting on the arms of his throne, Danae eyed the group and their self-proclaimed "leader" with a sprinkling of disdain. He knew very well why they were here, yet deigned to ask aloud anyway. “What might I do for you, Rahil'Taj ibn Murad, that your "Creator" cannot?”

[Rahil]

Rahil spent days thinking on this meeting, knowing the likely outcome, given Danae's temperment. He could not, however, keep a small bit of fear from sprouting as he considered the thought of a displeased god finding an amusing way to lead their meeting. Thankfully, Danae was still being tolerant, albiet condescending nonetheless. But then, what would one claiming title as a deity know anything of rankings in power?

At least, to Rahil's knowledge. For all he knew, Danae was just a being claiming to be as powerful as Xanth. It raised questions to many faiths, including many within his own entourage, due to the presence of two gods. How many more of such beings could exist? For certain, there could not be many more, although the stars certainly were vast enough to contain such worlds. Astrologists often spent time trying to find the other realms their portals had access to, but never found them. There were gaseous worlds in the skies certainly devoid of life, but none that any Elysian, Earthling, nor Zanaryan scientist could recognize. Rahil had spent years as one of such studies, after all.

At that moment, however, Rahil hardly cared beyond a fleeting moment of curiosity. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

"After noting the connections between Acantha and Elysia via portals, my companions and I have come to you in seek of knowledge. As you might already be aware, a select few organizations within my people's home world wish to see it closed off from Elysia. Unfortunately, seeing as how many others might oppose this, my companions and I have been sent to acquire means to permanently shut off that portal from the Elysian side." Rahil said.

He continued to quell his nervousness as he spoke, managing a polite front, but still required an extra breath to calm himself completely. He felt the images of himself being dropped from the top of the temple in the back of his mind. Another appeared—after his second sentence, one of him gleefully feasting on the flesh of his companions, the drink of the reaper almost tasted in his own tongue. Revolting. If only he could determine whether the origins was himself...or the man before him. Either was likely. This all caused a pause he soon regretted, one he should've expected to arrive.

"What he means, my lord, is that we know how to close it off, but not for good. Not as well as the portals between Acantha and Elysia had been closed for quite some time." Alim interjected, trying to establish his own sort of authority within the group, even if below Rahil's own.

Rahil spared the effort to glare at the man, who'd obviously taken the moment to get his word in. More accurately, his way to be more than the figure in the background, duly noted at best for the time being. Rahil waited as patiently as he could for Alim to finish before continuing.

"And so we arrive here, in hopes that you might have a greater understanding of how to accomplish our goals. To our understanding, since portals function from the thought of a destination in one's mind, there would have to be a disruption between that thought and the coordinating system our portals use. However, that understanding is quite limited, as many of our people still don't understand this telepathic link between the individual and the device, or in this case, the portal. Of course, we will not ask any action on your Grace's part, as this mission is entirely our own responsibility, so long as the task remains within our means."

[Dananka]

Bored. Boring. Borreed. Borrrrr-innnngggg.

Danae listened with only half an ear to their explanation, letting his boredom show in the way he wagged a finger in the air like a disinterested conductor, his other hand propping up his chin. He didn't even look at them, half of his attention on a nearby harpy trying in vain to look seductive for him. He did not miss the battle for authority, but it took him a few seconds to realise exactly what Alim was implying.

Snapping his gaze to the Zanaryan upstart, Danae narrowed his eyes. “You know, do you?” He speared into the man's mind to be doubly sure, but he rather doubted Xanth's little bats had advanced far enough to understand how to operate the portals themselves — even temporarily. It required huge amounts of energy to control and manipulate them. So far as Danae knew, only Abdiriz could end their existence without destroying the planets they were tethered to. That was why the portal tying his and Xanth's worlds together still existed long after the alliance that had demanded its creation. These Zanaryans had no idea how generous Xanth had been in closing their portal in the first place, let alone reopening it — with extra limitations, no less! — on their demand later. For that kind of effort, Danae would have demanded their first-born daughters for eternity.

“Do not lie to me, boy. No puny mortal controls a god-made portal. You should be on your knees thanking your maker every minute of every day for even listening to your pleas. And not once but twice.” He may not be on friendly terms with Xanth any more, but this disrespect infuriated him nevertheless. Danae flicked his wrist and Alim went flying, arcing over the heads of the harpies lining the hall to smash into the sandstone wall and crumple to the floor.

Pinning Rahil with a cold stare and completely uncaring if Alim had survived the throw, Danae lifted his nose haughtily. “You come to me for understanding like an ant begging the rain not to fall.” The images that had flashed through Rahil's mind fascinated him, though. Nothing at all ant-like there. Masochistic, homicidal, cannibalistic. Danae touched a gloved thumb to his bottom lip and smiled, but it was neither friendly nor warm. “What makes you think I want your puny world cut off from hers?”

[Rahil]

Rahil didn't dare check on Alim, not that he wanted to. He could neither smile at the happening, nor stand in the fear of having the same fate. Instead, he was painting in his mind to keep himself in check, imagining himself with a portrait of the Acanthan horizon, sanguine skies filling half the canvas, with just dabs of orange spread like rays of light. It was there he could find solace, making art out of even the basest material. Nasir would probably be proud, given full knowledge of the situation; Or dead, with his hubris. Rahil witheld a smile.

Knowing that after a measure of annoyance and display of power, Rahil had to tread carefully, he took a few seconds to run what he was about to say in his mind. There wouldn't be enough time to devise an impenetrable reply, for surely testing the God's patience would merely result in an unfavorable fate, but Rahil could make due. Danae had, after all, made both of his points clear. The Cause required action beyond their mere abilities, almost reason to give it up there, but Rahil still supported it—deep down: Hundreds of years of Taj brainwashing. He had to make sure he wasn't hinting at Danae acting on this at all, lest he find himself falling once more, this time with sharp winds to carry his way just a bit further.

"I cannot state your desires, for I am no prophet, for certain. We've come here with little option left to decide our course, alongside many my brother sent to Elysia," banished, Rahil thought as he said the phrase, "So I suppose all we can do is request or offer service in return for service, if Your Grace is willing. Like ants, all we can do is work and beg."

Unable to withstand a god's cold stare under the weight of his own request, Rahil stopped there. He didn't feel particularly fortunate to press his luck by speaking longer. Ants? What was the phrase his family loved?

Alim whimpered in pain far off behind him from the effort of trying to move, a sign he was, after all, alive. Unfortunate indeed.

Rahil's eyes showed his realization at the memory and recognition of the man behind him. Ant and boot. Ants meeting the roof? That was a new one to tell.

[Dananka]

Danae mused over the little bat's words. He almost grew out his beard (even though he normally kept his face smooth and somewhat effeminate) so he could stroke his chin, but thought perhaps that would be pushing into melodrama. “Service for service, hmm?” He allowed a small smirk, but kept it minimal. Rahil had no idea the dangerous waters he was treading into, and Danae would keep it that way for just a while longer. “Service for service, hmm.”

Lunging from his throne, as if the nine great beasts of Chaos were at his heels — all the better to startle his 'guests' — Danae halted sharply and then sauntered to his right. Fabric swished behind him and a harpy dropped to her knees, frantically unsnagging the corner of his robes from a brass stand. Her intention was to prevent him from knocking over the wide, shallow bowl of oil which burned atop the stand, but her attention only lent to the "I am king, fear me" atmosphere he was going for.

“As you have offered, so shall I receive.” There were so many ways he could torment Xanth's little fools, but how best to use them? “Ah, yes. I have need of a vosa.” Realisation flitted across his face, and he explained: “Furry parasites found only in Chinyelu. They look rather like, how do you say? Caterpillars.” He held his hands apart a good two feet to indicate their size. “Not to be confused with the brown kizi. Vosa are much more colourful, you see.” He smiled somewhat affectionately. “My last vosa died some time ago and the place has become rather dull without him crawling the walls.”

The harpy at his heels visibly shuddered. Danae did not confess that his vosa had died only because it had tried to chew off the wing of a harpy guard who, past her prime and apparently tired of serving her master, had sliced it in half. Danae had made sure to keep her alive for days during her "punishment", but alas, she had eventually succumbed.

[Rahil]

Rahil couldn't withold his contempt as one of Alim's subordinates--his subordinates—let out a gasp as Danae began his ploy. Rahil didn't need eyes in the back of his head to know they were undoubtedly watching a harpy near Danae suddenly kneel. He had to admit the fear of Danae doing something...drastic, but that didn't appear to be the case as he came to a stop. A pinprick of familiarity nudged his senses all the while, so used to watching Zanaryan nobles try the very same in front of their people. To them, it was an art; though, if it were such an art, Rahil could only think it an abomination.

Regardless, the "vosa" seemed to be an interesting specimen, though bringing it to Danae already seemed an arduous task. Danae indicated it's size, and Rahil held his breath at the thought. If they turned into butterflies, how large would it be? More accurately, could they? The effort to acquire the creature bothered him less as he considered this, it was why he brought along Alim's associates for, other than mere procedure, just in case. He prepared to speak for an exit, eager to accept and set off for this task, when a quiet voice beside him brought his attention.

"Permission to speak?" Na'im inquired politely, but in a tone that was just borderline between respect and intolerance.

Rahil nodded. He remembered the name of the location, but only in passing, so further input by one with Na'im's specialty was more than appreciated.

"To my knowledge, the natives of the Chinyelu Mountains would have no issue aiding us in this task. Have you any concern should we seek their assistance?"

"And should there be none, we will take our leave immediately, bringing him with us, should you wish," Rahil cut in, gesturing to Alim, "to not stain the floor more than he already has." Especially not after the previous incident I heard those Elysians speak of. Rahil thought, but left out, lest he tempt the hand of fate. Or Danae, in this case.

Rahil, of course, wouldn't have minded a bigger stain, ridding him of his insubordinate second.

---

OOC:

Spoiler

Danae may pick up a bit on Na'im being a traitor, though I doubt he'd much care at this point. Those bats are probably just like that fly—buzzing around again...

[Dananka]

Danae's lips twitched. Ah, this was beautiful. Beautiful indeed! His sky-blue gaze, deep sapphire only moments before, skipped from toy to toy as he assessed which would be the most fun to play with first. Would it be more interesting to reveal Na'im's treachery now and test the extent of Rahil's ambition? Squeezing them all like grubs until they burst would be fascinating in itself, but short-lived. No no, better to let this play out, tweaking and tugging here and there to maximise the damage, and observe. Perhaps he could tease Xanth with little tidbits, or would hiding this from her result in the most interesting of all outcomes? Ahh, so many games to play.

Swishing his way toward Na'im, Danae kept his height short than theirs. Harpies were so much shorter than them, as with the Mystriders and even the human descendents he allowed to scurry over his realm like cockroaches. Indeed, these Zanaryans were outmatched only by the Malaki here, and Na'im seemed the type to used his physical appearance as a weapon as much as he did his words. Giving himself the appearance of weakness was a ploy meant to make the little bat let down his guard.

“Use whatever tools you have available to you, I care not.” He did, actually. How they approached this little quest of his would show him their tactics and resolve. So many gave up when the going got tough; Danae did so enjoy the visits he paid them when they had returned to their homes assuming they were safe and sound. “As for him.”

Dismissing Na'im and turning to Rahil, putting the upstart back in his place with a resounding, if only metaphorical, smack across the face, Danae let his eyes light up. Power simmered, barely visible, behind the now pale-blue of his irises and he rubbed his hands together. “Leave him with me.” He had no intention of torturing Alim himself — his pact with Xanth forbade it. Yawn — but he could put the fear of god in him before he sent him home, alone and on foot.