The guards outside the mansion crossed their Spears as an unknown moon elf made his way up the walk towards them. Frowning they eyed the serpent that laid listless over his shoulders looking very much at the moment that it had deep regrets putting itself in such a position. Frowning to each other they motioned for him to stop, "This is the residence of Lady Alustriea Illtalian, who are you and what business do you have here?"
Xing Lei chuckled and just kept walking forward much to the dismay of the guards, while they looked the part, any seasoned warrior would have been able to tell close up that these were mere place holders. They had armor and weapons but the knowledge to use them? May as well slap a dress on a swine and take it dancing. At least that would be a good joke. As the moon elf stepped to their crossed spears he reached up and pushed them aside with no more effort than he would open a door.
The pair swallowed, trying half heartedly to reclaim their positions but the elf just walked on, ignoring their futile attempts to block his way. The python lifted her head and swayed slightly, the pair could swear they saw pity in the animals eyes before returning to limply laying over the moon elf's shoulders. Shaking his head the moon elf smiled at the pair and struck out with a finger each, the pair slumping away side ways no longer able to move, "It'll wear off in a few hours, I admire your dedication but please know your limits."
Ignoring the two he walked up to the front door and rapped on its surface lightly, not at all surprised when it opened to a foyer full of elves and humans in armor, drawn steel pointed his way. Lady Cobra wanted to slither down and away but a calming hand rested on her body as the moon elf casually stepped into the encirclement. Glancing around his eyes looked over the room of only slightly better warriors before lifting to regard the lizards that overlooked from the rail above. "Really Fleet Spear, we don't see each other for awhile and you can't tell who I am?"
Osilliaice blinked clutching the rail staring down at the moon elf, "Dull Scale?"
The moon elf laughed and tapped the snakes head, hissing it slithered down and slowly transformed into a human looking woman, other than the discoloration of her skin she could easily pass for such, but the serpent never left her eyes, almost glowing in their yellow inhumanity. Standing up dusting off her body hugging dress she intoned a word of power, the moon elf melting to reveal a three foot tall kobold who stood calmly before them all like he owned the place, "Haven't heard that name in awhile, could have swore we all out grew those tribe names."
The group blinked as they stared at the elf turned kobold and his escort, though their stares only became more pronounced when their general launched herself over the rail right at that kobold, fully expecting the lizardess to crush that thin reptilian guest, only to see him easily catch her in his spindly arms like she and her armor weighed no more than a feather, though those stares quickly turned aside and more than one coughed in embarrassment, even Lady Cobra averted her eyes as the two shared a rather tongue intense kiss.
A frustrated sigh came from where Osilliaice originally stood. Alustriea held the rail in one hand, her face in the other. "Everyone stand down, these are allies. Please see tea is delivered to the study. Osilliaice, Xing Lei, madam I've not yet met, please join me there." Turning she walked down the hall as the gathered warriors dispersed. Lady Cobra coughed trying to get the two to realize the situation but they seemed rather intent for making up for lost time. "Lord Xing Lei we should meet up with Lady Alustriea Illtalian."
"Lord Xing Lei...?" The lizardess for the first time truly recognized Lady Cobras presence. Glancing from her to her mate her head tilted, "So rather than Alustriea or Leaf Dancer a snake is my new sister?"
Lady Cobra blanched and shook her head, "Lord Xing Lei and I are not like that Lady Osilliaice."
Xing Lei chuckled patting his mates lower back, "Is true, her eyes are on her companion not me. But she has a point, time to go talk with Alustriea and sort this situation out."
A short time later the quartet sat in the study, a pot of tea placed before them. Alustriea and Lady Cobra sipped softly while Osilliaice hugged her shorter mate. The prior two were doing their best to make small talk as the pair were still in their own little world. Finally Alustriea sighed, "Alright, enough avoiding this talk. Why are you back so soon Xing Lei?"
Xing Lei glanced to her and shrugged, "A few reasons. First off while travelling I met the daughter of old king Ironhand, she's in the city under the protection of Lady Cobra's partner, which is a dual issue as the yuan-ti are behind this little civil war."
Lady Cobra blanched as Alustriea's sharp gaze fell on her, before the elf could start though Xing Lei continued, "If not them there were others planning the same thing. The Heavenly Rose, the drow, the dragons... the elves have enjoyed their top spot for so long tribulation was going to happen one way or another. Just the nature of the universe that hates stagnation."
Alustriea's frown turned on the kobold, "So we should just let it happen? I should watch our people and charges suffer?"
Xing Lei shook his head, "Of course not, suffice to say the yuan-ti plan is nearing the phase at which your empire will be plunged into a bloody war that will either temper it or extinguish it. With their representative here why not work towards the former? Rather than be completely at odds, work with them to transition into a new state where both coexist. Will some die, naturally, but it beats killing yourselves for them to sweep in and erase whatever you don't do to yourselves."
Osilliaice frowned, "My mate, you speak as if nothing can be done. I have a duty to help Alustriea and you wanted me to protect her, can we simply watch it go this way?"
Xing Lei sipped at his own tea and shrugged, "We could but Alustriea is caught up in it so I plan to help her but beyond that I have no interest in which empire rises and falls."
"Still cold as ever Xing Lei." Alustriea frowned looking hard at the seemingly unworried kobold.
"Mortal concerns. I'm on the cusp of breaking free of such concerns it is only natural that I not take part for risk of swaying fate the wrong way. The stronger I get the more karma builds against me, were I to help either side exclusively the other side would find some way to bring me low, so I remain neutral. I am tied to both sides so will extend my hands to those I can but beyond that I'll not bind my path with karmic chains."
"Karmic chains? Fate? What does all that have to do with anything Xing Lei?" Alustriea frowned and almost yelled, the frustration was building in her, the way he did things was so cold and unfeeling, weighing actions like he had access to some cosmic scale. What bullshit! He just didn't want to help!
Xing Lei sighed looking at Alustriea and shook his head, "You wanted answers long ago, you weren't ready for them. You asked again and could not understand me. You now question me again and I am prepared to show you, to make you understand but i have to ask back, do you truly wish to walk this path? Once I show you the truth there will be no turning back."
Alustriea frowned crossing her arms, "What do I have to do?"
Xing Lei laid a reassuring hand on Osilliaice's shoulder as she looked with concern, walking over to the elf he motioned for her to sit back, "What I'm going to attempt is a bit of a taboo, the body in humans have numerous energy gates, cultivator energy flows through these gates to give us power. I've not reached the stage yet again, but I can briefly open yours and let you have a taste of weilding the universe in your very blood."
Xing Lei held up his finger, "But there is a price. You have had brief exposure to body tempering, likewise i know the gates for a human body, the elven body is likely different. This will hurt you Alustriea. No doubt about that fact, your body is not nearly prepared for this. I can only say it will be worse than anything you've ever faced before, you may even will yourself to die, but to understand the universe it demands a tribute of pain, will you go through with it?"
Alustriea looked like the blood had drained from her face, biting her lip she steeled herself and nodded, "Show me these supposed truths Xing Lei, show me why you feel following this path is better than doing good."
Xing Lei chuckled and stood before her stretching his fingers, "If you hated me before after I do this chances are you'll want to drink my blood and eat my flesh. But, here goes.." Striking out his fingers jabbed and poked across her body, the elven woman freezing in her seat as she felt the strikes immobilizing her body, a slow fire coursing along the path his fingers poked, some of them dangerously close to being lewd but still his hands moved rapidly striking her body with force. The fire in her blood seemed to gather somewhere in the region of her belly burning into a maelstrom before rushing back out into her limbs.
Alustriea's eyes flew wide, blood seeped from her bitten lip as suppressed an agonized scream. She recalled her capture by the goblins, her near defilement, the horror and pain fresh in her mind then evaporated as this fire ramped that physical suffering into being nothing more than a casual face slap. She recalled her father claiming her mother had died,the agony to her spirit drowned out her reason, but a flash of fire erased this suffering, the pain of her loved one gone was replaced by a kobold sewing liquid fire into her mind, her soul whipped with a lash of pure energy that had her very spirit writhing in pain.
As his fingers continued rapidly poking she begged him to stop with her mind, her soul screamed begging the torture to be annulled. Yet it continued, her eyes opened, those emerald eyes wept tears of blood as her consciousness was forcefully ripped from her plain perception. The very color of the air around her was different, some flowed into her, some flowed into others. Strings and chains of energy wove between each person in the room and beyond. Were these the chains of karma? Staring at a red line that connected from Xing Lei to Osilliaice, she noted a similar line connecting Lady Cobra to some one distant. Her own string hovered close to the kobold showing all she needed to do was connect it and she too could share a connection like he and her general did, it was so simple when seen like this, why did she hold back?
Then the pain returned, she could no longer hold it back and screamed, her voice breaking as her body arched out of the chair like a string bow pulled taut yet with no arrow to launch, the kobolds clawed fingers were back poking and prodding, the fire in her veins finding escape routes through her pores. Alustriea collapsed in her chair while Osilliaice dealt with the scrambling guards who had come at her agonized scream. Looking back she watched her mate releasing Alustriea from what he'd done and almost wanted to see for herself, her friend for a brief moment looked completely at peace with everything before the pain had ravaged that lithe elven body.
As Alustriea collapsed back in her chair, sweat soaked her robe, bloody tears and a torn lip dyed her face red as she sucked in calming breaths, limply laying back trying to collect herself. Xing Lei simply reclaimed his seat and refilled his tea cup, Lady Cobra looked over, "Lord Xing Lei, can I?"
Xing Lei shook his head, "Even if Umber underwent this he'd die for sure. It's not that Alustriea is stronger, rather she had some preparation for this. Body tempering ensures the body can handle qi energy, some normal bodies can handle it slightly, but to the levels of a cultivator?"
"You're lucky if you just up and die in pain. Worst case? Your body explodes and your soul is erased, you don't even get to reincarnate."