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"Keler Alexei, of the family Panuse." The Muurai said proudly. "Raven Changed and First Heir of the Strings.." He brought a smile to his face. All of that is true, and he was proud of it.

There was a but of a pause after everyone's introduction, even out of customs he should do the same? His hat started to ruffle about and out from below a Raven peeked out, with her body still concealed but her head and neck were on full display. The shift whispered to himself "Indeed he did, a changling? And one of black wings no less. I wonder.. how the puppeteer may do when his strings strangle him up high.." His thoughts were far less exclusive, thinking all the ways he could bring an end to the fellow guests, yet not one ominous thought in regards to the Celestial.

Alma quickly dashed out from his hat, flying about in the chamber up high. The Shift slapped his hand upon the ground and kicking his body into momentum. He flipped to the air and landed in swift, faced to the group at last. His hat was in hand and braced to his breast, his spine bent as he bowed, and his mouth failed to move as he spoke "Guess I am left alone unannounced. Allow me to introduce myself after much delay.." He tilted his head forward to when a portion of his face can be seen. His eyes dark and dim, and as lifeless as the void "I am Farqual, the one and only.. but far from the last.."

"It is a pleasure and honor." Rienthas said to the gathered group, finally reaching the base of the stairs. He ran a hand through his golden locks to fix them as they had gotten a bit disheveled on the way down. They could feel the aura of light more acutely than before, up close it was quite intense. The emperor looked at the young Muurae, and smiled.

"I didn't ask you here at all, to answer your question." The emperor began. "I cast a spell known as the mists of fate, which will bring together a group of people most perfectly suited to face any coming threat or fulfill a need. In other words, all of the struggles, strife, and pain that have led you here were just stepping stones for what is to come. You each have skills that, apparently, I and the whole empire have need of." Emperor Rienthas said. "So perhaps your question should be why you are here? Well, to be frank I don't know. All I know, is what Luna herself has told me." Rienthas said with a frown.

"I don't believe in fate." said Paz. He thought the whole concept was just something to keep people in their place, the idea that gods or the world itself has decided where they should be and there's nothing they can do to change it. "How long ago did you cast this spell?"

Malek looked rather alarmed at the Emperor's information. Although he thought himself quite brave, he didn't particularly like the sound of being summoned there to deal with some coming threat.

"Threat? What kind of threat?" he asked Rienthas.
"If you cast that Mists of Fate spell of yours, then it must have been for a reason. I presume it was at the request of Luna?"
Malek was very intrigued to know all that Luna had said, but didn't want to anger the Emperor by over questioning him.

He looked around at the mixed bunch of Demons, Muunrae, Shifts, Sidhe and Dzarg. They didn't look like anything special to him.

"So you summoned us, don't know what you want us to do and expect us to willingly help you?" Kúter asked the emperor. He was annoyed by the man due to him having his time wasted when he could be hunting down the traitor.

"I cast the spell two years ago today, though I could cast it a hundred years from now and it would not matter, time is irrelevant in this case. All that matters is that the spell was cast." Rienthas said in response to the Shifts question. Addressing the others the emperor sighed. "I know it is strange, the Goddess said she could only show me so much, I know where you must go, who you must find and that you must retrieve an artifact that they will give you, but I don't know what for or what threat we will face. But I do not expect something for nothing, I am prepared to grant each of you any boon that is within my power to grant, riches, knowledge, magical artifacts, even.... Immortality." Rienthas said with a serious tone.

"Two years ago? And we all just happened to turn up now - at the same time?" Malek did not doubt the truth in the Emperor's words, but found it hard to believe.

"And... what if we do not wish to partake in this mission? Hypothetically speaking."

As to the 'boon' that Rienthas offered in payment, Malek had no idea what he would ask for.

Keler looked at Rienthas, then glanced over at Kúter, his gaze taken by the noisy warrior, slowly it slid back to the celestial before him. "And if what we ask is without your power?" As he ask, extending his hand, stretching out his fingers. Fine shiny flowing wire webbed his fingers, giving him a more odd appearance than before.

"After all. I could as well ask for the powers of the rest of the family, or another Changing. Or perhaps even invulnerability." The Muurai grinned. His other arm scattered into ravens, adding dramatic effect. "Would those be within your power?"

"You summoned us just to tell us that you don't know what you need us to do." Kúter said to the emperor with annoyance in his tone. "You are keeping me from my hunt and if you do not give me a reason to why I have wasted the last hour instead of hunting, you will recieve no aid from me or any of my people." He told the emperor whilst observing the room for potential ambush spots.

"Then you will be free to go. Unharmed and unhindered. However, one often meets their destiny on the road they take to avoid it." Rienthas said to Malek. The celestial tapped his foot, a resounding *click* resounding throughout the room. "I will not force you to go. But one thing I know to be true is this: if you don't go, we will all surely perish, if that still does not interest you them feel free to walk out the door the same way you came in. I will even have my guards escort you home." He said to the demon with a slight grin.

"Ah yes, the dynamic social structure of the Muurae. With God's Blood I can grant you almost anything, though I'll admit the prospect of granting someone the powers of an entire clan of mirar doesn't please me, I certainly could do so. Though two things you should keep in mind are that one, you will only be paid on completion of your mission and two, each gift of significance comes with consequences, you may find that you lose everything you had in order to gain it." Rienthas said to the Muurae ever so fond of flaunting his changing.

"Oh? I know what you must do, you must go to the island of souls to the west, find the seer beneath the tree at it's center and retrieve the artifact in her possession. That is your goal, that is what I need, what we all need. We will all certainly perish, if you don't." Rienthas said to Kuter.

"I will decide what I need and don't need." Kúter told the emperor whilst looking at him. "I have no reason to aquire the artifact in her posession and will not aid you." He told Rienthas and believed that the artifact would just delay him instead of helping him to kill the traitor.

Keler gave a sharp grin. "In order to gain you must lose. Ain't that a story." He said simply, he was ever so fond of flaunting his Changing. "At least the structure changes. And at least I don't... eat.. in front of you." He gave a small chuckle.

He gave a small raise of the eyebrow to the directions. "If you wish I can deal with this Dzárg." His hand lost it's webbed appearance, moving now to his sword. "I can see him becoming detrimental to this.. mission." A glimmer of steel showing.

"I have no intention of refusing to go." Malek curtly replied to the Emperor. "I was merely curious to see if it was compulsory."

"I would be honoured to assist in a quest that would help the entire population," he smiled whilst performing a small bow.

He turned his gaze towards Kuter.
"And I think a refusal would be both selfish and rude," he said, still speaking to Rienthas, but clearly indirectly stating his feelings to the Dzarg.

The emperor waved his hand at Keler's suggestion. "There is no need for that. Kúter. I can see you are a man of action. Though tell me, how will you find this traitor? You have no allies here, no leads and no way of finding him without resources. You do not even know if he is alive, perhaps, the seer can tell you herself. She is known to know the unknowable." The emperor said to Kúter.

"Fate? Is that so?" he gave out a prolonged chuckle, as if a joke was told and a rather bad one at that. His eyes slowly grew to a glow, his voice turned sour and grim, not even his grin could be shown "A shroud of mist, unseen it be but so many find themselves ensnared in it's will. Some may call this a blessing.. a call for valor? No.. if this is fate.. then I deem it a curse for it's very deceit. To tear me away from when I wished it not.."

He looked to the ground and started to laugh, his stitched grin grew in size as his eyes became cold "And what of this immortality? Why would anybody wish to prolong this misery we call life? Only in demise can there be true freedom.. tell me.. would any of you be so foolish to deny such a thing?" Farqual looked up upon the group, a sliver of his eyes in sight, as dark and cold as the night itself "What is ever so wrong with death?" His gaze was far from directed at the Celestial, but upon it's end it was cast to Mizu without a doubt, the only true immortal present

Everybody's comments and questions dulled his mind so as he listened to petty requests and refusals. Suddenly his mood changed and he shrugged his shoulders. Alma dived from atop in stellar speed, disappearing into this sleeve in a single motion "Alas, be it in life or in death I must abide by my oath. If it is Luna who desires it so, let it be done.. Who am I to object, even in my ruined state I cannot. I have no purpose nor anything at loss..." In a somehow natural stance, he took to his knee and made his intentions clear. "I only ask to be left to my solitary ways when this quest meets it's end. Unlike some, my desire is simple and I ask so little when it means so more than one could understand... Is this most fair Emperor...?" he left off in confusion, uncertain whom the Celestial truly was. He looked nothing like those that he knew. His eyes seemed to shine in deep azure, his gaze finally directed upon the one who summoned him so

"Who informed you of my purpose?" Kúter asked the emperor whilst clutching his spear. He had told no-one of his purpose and made no metion of the traitor so far.

"If you really hate living so much, you can fall on your own sword." said Pazu to his fellow Shift. Agelessness sounded very inciting, he was fairly confident it would be within the emperor's power to do so. It wasn't just that though, Pazu also desired to help other people, even if the Emperor was being somewhat obtuse. "What is this artifact?"

Keler looked at the Dzárg. He stepped closer to him. "I'd suggest putting your spear down." He said, his arm stretching out, strings rippling from his skin to wrap around the spear in question. "It doesn't take much to guess something is bothering you, and with the right spells or right words.. the information can be acquired." The Muurai gave a slight grin, making his string grow rigid.

"Besides. Not like fighting in here would do you any good right?"

Mizu could only begin to imagine the wealth she could wish upon herself, the most beautiful of private estates in her own private paradise, or anything to her mind could conjure. As she was already immortal, such a boon would be meaningless. A lush estate and wealth would have to do.

"Why is this even up for debate? The emperor can get us anything we want, I say we seize the opportunity and do what he wants." Mizu said aloud, despite her stature making her voice naturally quiet.

The Throne Room

"I suggest you listen to your fellows, Dzarg." Rienthas said pointedly making no more mention of the Dzarg's purpose here. That information and the means by which it was acquired was secret. Or secret to those gathered. "As yes, the artifact. To put it simply, it is a mirror. To most at least, that is all it ever was. In the hands of a master, it can be a powerful weapon to be used for either good, or ill. It represents the powers of life and death, able to heal even the most grievous wounds, purify even the most tainted lands and is an unlimited font of life and power, but the reverse is also true. It can cast unending blights, sap the life of even immortals and even kill the Gods themselves according to legend. Though use of the mirror for obvious reasons was forbidden long ago and the art of using it has been lost, I myself cannot use it and would not even if I could. But the Goddess has demanded to me that it be brought from its exile, and returned home from the island it currently resides upon." Rienthas said to the group, hoping that this slight explanation would suffice.

"Of course, I will not be sending you unguarded on this mission. Whilst the task of retrieving the mirror is your own, the task of safeguarding you and the scholar I will send with you is to be left to the three guards I have hand picked for this mission." Rienthas said to the group.

"That sounds like a very special mirror indeed." Malek exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement with the drama and mystery of the Emperor's story.

"I must say, I am glad that you are sending some guards on the journey with us, but......only three? Surely we would be guaranteed a safer journey if there were more."

A troubled look came upon his face as he spoke and he had a sudden feeling of dread, though he wasn't exactly sure why.

"If you were worth killing, I would be more then happy to seperate your head from your body. But so far, you are not worth my spear." Kúter told Keler whilst staring at him. After the emperor spoke to the group, his interest started to grow in the quest. "We should depart immediately." Kúter told the others as he clutched his spear. "We need to ensure that the mirror doesn't fall into the wrong hands and do it quickly. Every second we stand here, is a second we waste." He informed the others. He knew what could happen if Lúo discovered it's location.

It wasn't that Paz didn't trust the emperor, well actually it was that he didn't trust the emperor, he didn't like the sound of giving him a superweapon. Just because he couldn't use it doesn't mean one of his men couldn't. He wouldn't even need to use it, just knowing he has it would be enough to keep the masses in check. Still it was best he go, it could fall into even worse hands than the emperor's and it wasn't like the expedition wouldn't happen without him. The possible reward was enticing and if he wanted to make a difference about what happened with the thing he would need to be there. "Being there a few minutes earlier won't make a difference, having more information will." said Paz turning his gaze to Kúter. "Do you plan to keep acting as though you're in charge?" he asked in a rhetorical fashion. He looked back at emperor. He was curious to see who this scholar was.