Background for Hiko Iruka

Hiko Iruka's Description

A handsome, wiry young man with deep blue eyes, hair that is black at the
roots and blue at the tips, and sun-bronzed skin.  He has a perpetually
distant look about him, and often has an amused grin as well.  His clothing
style varies, as he has been known to travel bare-chested wearing only
trousers and boots (in the manner of his native people) one day, and wear a
heavy cloak and cape the next.  He often wears a blue headband.


Items of Interest:

Nago Acatae's Grotto
When he decided to create a Manse of his own at an isolated cave in the
Scavenger Lands, the romantic aspects of Nago Acatae's personality were
reflected in its design through the decorative motif, the powers of the
Hearthstone, and even his choice of guardian spirit.

Nago's Tome
A book from that contained four spells that Nago Acatae had encountered and
copied down for later study.  It included "Impervious Sphere of Water",
"Flight of Separation", "Manifestations of Vigorous Design", and "Silent Words
of Dreams and Nightmares".

Heart's High Tide
This hearthstone is mechanically identical to the Gem of Seduction (B3C 113). 
The only real differences are that it is water aspected rather than fire, and
its color is the blue-green of tropical shores rather than purple/blue.

Tidal Helix
This was once an ordinary staff that Iruka picked up to use in his challenge
of a Dragon-blooded, but during his Exaltation, it was transformed into a
Godstaff (the quarterstaff analogue to a Daiklave) by the Unconquered Sun
himself.  It bears a marked resemblence to descriptions of a lost weapon out
of legend which was known by various names, such as "The Arm of the Kraken"
and "Scylla's Vortex".  It consists of a large steel-blue warstaff inlaid with
a delicate tracery of gold, jade, and orichalcum, surrounded by a spiraling
arrangement of Orichalcum strands.  The latter do not actually seem to be
attached to the staff (they are held in place by the artifact's essence flow)
and have been known to alter shape when channeling large amounts of essence
(such as when used in a spell or enhanced by a charm).

Naida's Chalice
This is a cup of some importance to Naida, which was stolen from her by men
who mentioned Nexus.  What powers it has, if any, are unknown.

----------
Hiko Iruka's Background


Part The First: Origins

Hiko Iruka was born in the western archipelagoes, the son of simple peasant
folk, in the sleepy fishing village of Wave's Cresting, on the isle cleverly
named Big Rock.  Although there were rumors that his mother had beguiled a
noble water spirit with her youthful beauty and lain with it to concieve her
son, such talk was only bandied about when the villagers thought the family
members weren't around.  Especially Iruka's father, who was an influential
member of village society as well as quite capable of beating the stuffing out
of the rumor-mongers.

The only visible evidence supporting this rumor were the boy's hair and his
astonishing untaught ability to swim.  The latter became apparent when their
seaside village was attacked by an enormous creature from the ocean depths
when Iruka was 2, and the boy fell off of a boulder and swept out to sea where
another boy would likely have drowned.  He was discovered after the creature
had departed a few hours later, paddling for shore.

While growing up, he was not content with the simple life of the fisherfolk or
the farmers, and constantly pestered his parents and other adults with
questions they could not answer.  These invariably concerned the hows and whys
of the world, or attempted to learn all that was known of the mysteries and
legends of his people.  This insatiable curiosity was constantly frustrated by
the his people's ignorance, and caused the boy to develop a distant air.  He
was constantly looking toward the horizons, and got in the habit of sitting on
the shore looking at the western sunset each day at twilight.  He also began
exploring farther and farther out to sea.

As he became an adolescent, Iruka grew extremely popular with the girls of the
village for his exotic looks (in his age group, girls outnumbered the boys 2.5
to 1, so he also didn't face a lot of competition), and though he wasn't
disinterested, his introspective personality and beyond-the-horizon gaze
tended to give girls the impression that he was ignoring them.  Needless to
say, this prevented things from progressing too far.  Nevertheless, Iruka
developed a natural charm that appealed to the fairer sex and was quite rare
for one of peasant stock.

----------


Part The Second: Astarte

One day, Iruka was caught by a sudden storm on a small rocky island that he
often went to when he wanted to be alone.  The island was large enough to
remain above the raging wavetops, but not large enough to support a permanent
population.  There was a cave at the top that Iruka sometimes claimed, and was
where he sought shelter from the storm now.  Inside the cave, he started a
fire to keep warm against the chill ocean winds that lashed in from the storm.

From time to time he looked out at the ocean and wondered when it would calm
enough for the small canoe that he had dragged into the cave with him.  On one
such occasion, he saw in a flash of lightning the silhouette of a sailing
vessel of some sort loom out of the mist and proceed directly for a group of
jagged rocks.  By the time the lightning flashed again, the vessel had
vanished, most likely having dashed itself to flinders on the rocks.  Iruka
kept a better watch on the sea then, but never located the ship again.

An hour later, something was washed ashore with a lot of flotsam and jetsam
from the destroyed vessel.  It was a good deal more shapely than a piece of
hull planking, and softer besides.  Its name was Astarte Nels V'Neef.

When Astarte awoke, she was frightened, as she did not at first know where she
was or what had happened to her.  She was lying under a blanket near a cheery
fire, and what remained of her belongings and uniform were neatly placed
against a wall of the cave.  She recalled the battle with the pirate that
brought her here, and the obviously unnatural storm that rose up to impede
their pursuit of the pirate's ship, eventually resulting in the ship's demise.
 She sighed, and her heart cried out for the shipmates she had only recently
met, who were now probably dead.  The question was, why wasn't she dead with
them?

When the young man spoke to her, she started and tried to reach for her absent
sword, then winced as she realized that the priceless heirloom probably lay at
the bottom of the sea.  Then she forgot the sword as she him smiling and
indicating a bowl.  Realizing she was hungry, she started to get up when she
realized that she had just seen her uniform on the floor.  She looked beneath
the blanket, then glared at the young man.  She felt as if she were blushing
furiously, which she was.

He had the good grace to look slightly embarrased himself.  "Sorry.  I had to
choose between that or letting you catch your death of cold.  And believe me,
you would not have enjoyed the dried salt itching you and rubbing sores in
your skin.  If it makes you feel any better, I was so busy trying to keeping
you alive that I didn't even notice any of the beauty you might or might not
possess."

She glared even more as she sat down on the opposite side of the fire,
wrapping the blanket about her to hide her body.

The young man chuckled.  "OK, I admit, it's a lie.  I noticed how pretty you
were.  Are you happy?"

She sniffed haughtily, but it only made him grin more.  Finally she sighed.

"I'm Iruka.  Hiko Iruka, at your service, my lady.  Your wish is my command. 
Although I must admit, I don't have much to work with until the storm blows
over.  I'm afraid we're stuck with one another for awhile."

"Was there... anyone else?"

His smile faded, and he looked out toward the entrance, where the storm still
raged.  "No.  No one.  It's a miracle that you yourself survived.  If I hadn't
been here, you wouldn't have.  It must be fate."  The grin returned.

"Hmpmh."

Iruka laughed at that.  "Indeed."

Astarte though that things were a bit out of control, and struggled to call
forth the commanding tone that her superiors always used.  She lifted her head
proudly.  "I am Astarte Nels V'Neef, daughter of the Scarlet Dynasty, and by
the five dragons, He Who Hath Strewn Much Grass, the Elemental Dragon of
Wood."

"Wow, all that?  Seems a bit wordy."

"You are a peasant fisherboy, and a rather impertinent one at that.  You have
rescued me, as is required by your duty.  You have also seen that which no man
may see without leave, least of all the likes of you.  By all rights, I should
have your eyes put from your head for that.  However, as there seems to be
nobody about to exact this punishment, I claim your life instead.  You will do
my bidding."

"Indeed, my Lady, as I said, I am at your command."

Astarte, who was always mildly stubborn, had grown annoyed at the boy's
impertinence and had decided she needed to learn to assert her authority. 
There didn't seem to be many ways in which she could really do that, so she
latched onto the most obvious one.  It would be dangerous, but that would make
him see her determination to lead.  She indicated Iruka's small craft.  "This
boat, is it in good repair?"

"Yes."

"Excellent.  We will depart at once."

"But-"

"Silence!  We depart at once!  Place the boat in the water." 

Bowing to her and with a maddening half-grin, Iruka lifted the small boat and
carried it to the entrance and outside.  Rain and wind assaulted them
instantly.  Iruka placed the boat in the churning surf, and fought its
attempts to escape.

"Help me aboa-"

The boat broke free of the boy's grasp, drifted away a few yards, and promptly
sank.  Iruka turned to her and bowed.

"Ready to depart, Captain!"

Astarte slapped her hand against her face.  "Oh, shut up."

"Captain, we had best get inside before you catch a cold.  Your blanket isn't
doing much good out here, ma'am!"

Astarte blushed and tried without much success to get the blanket under
control; it was whipping about in the wind and threatening to unveil her for
all the world (or at least one peasant fisherboy) to see.  She ran for the
cave.

-----

Back in front of the fire, she glared at him silently.  Finally, she sighed
again.  "Go, on, say it."

"That was dumb."  He smiled good-naturedly and refused to avoid her glare.

Finally Astarte gave up, and slowly, began to smile at her own stupidity. 
Then the two of them broke into laughter.  She wasn't especially good at being
domineering, it seems.

"Yes, it was.  Sorry about your boat."

"Oh, no matter.  Lose a boat, find a pretty girl in need of help.  I think I
came out ahead."

"But we're stuck here..."

"We can always swim.  Assuming you can.  You are certainly dressed for it.  I
know it's a burden, but I suppose you'll survive my company until then."

"You are very strange."

"So I've been told.  I consider it a compliment.  I can't say whether you are
strange, as I've not seen a real live Dragon-blooded before."

"Hmph.  I'm the youngest of seven brothers and sisters, and only recently
gained my power.  I've never really learned to lord it over the others.  Even
the servants.  I'm afraid that I'm not very impressive as a Dragon-blooded. 
Look how badly my first assignment has gone."

"On the contrary.  I found you quite impressive.  After all, you survived
that.  Others didn't."  Iruka pointed at the entrance and smiled at her
slowly.  Feeling her heart beating fast for no reason she could detect,
Astarte glanced at him.  She brushed a lock of hair aside shyly and smiled
back.

-----

The storm continued to rage for three more nights, and the pair quickly became
acquainted with one another.  A friendship grew, and hints of something more,
as the storm abated.  It faded as quickly as it had risen, and they were left
to watch the sun set and the stars come out over a placid ocean.

Astarte shivered and leaned closer to Iruka.

"Iru.  Do you really think I'm pretty?"

"What?  Well, of course I do.  You are very pretty... the prettiest girl I
have ever been stranded in an island cave with, at the very least."

"I was always considered rather plain.  Sometimes, I feared that I was
invisible."

"Pah!  A blind man would be stunned when you walked in the room."

"Nobody has ever said anything like that to me before.  The only one who
showed any interest in me, even before I showed that I was Dragon-blooded, was
a member of House Cynis.  He was a hundred and fifty years older than me, and
I've heard stories... some rather outrageous claims about what goes on in
their households.  So I decidedly wasn't interested.  Of course, there were
others that pursued me after I gained my power, but it was clear even to me
what they were interested in."

"Sad."

"The point is, I wanted more than a political alliance.  I wanted to be... in
love."  Iruka felt her fingertips touch his arm lightly.

"Asta, what are you saying?"

"You saved my life, and I repaid you with threats and orders.  I should have
instead realized that I owed you a debt.  It may not be a very valuable prize,
but..."  Astarte untied her makeshift belt and let her blanket fall to the
ground.

Iruka's eyes widened, and he pulled back.  "You owe me nothing.  It was an
honor, and you repaid any debt long since with your company.  I refuse this as
payment."

Astarte sniffed back tears, smiling.  "Then, accept it as my gift.  I wish you
to accept it."

"Is your heart also part of that gift?"

"Yes!"

"Then it must be an exchange, for I've already given you my own."  So saying,
Iruka, put his arms around Astarte, who was happily crying, and they gave to
one another that which they had never given before.  Afterwards, they promised
to be together forever as lovers do, knowing it could not be.  Astarte would
long outlive Iruka, or so it seemed to her at the time.

The next morning, Astarte was startled to find the canoe sitting on the small
beach.  Iruka had dived and recovered it.  They gathered their things, and
proceeded to travel back to Iruka's village.  Astarte stayed with Iruka in the
village for almost two months, waiting for the currents to change so that they
could travel to the nearest garrison.  Their love grew, and Astarte asked
Iruka to go back with her.  He agreed. 

----------

Part The Third: Chosen of the Unconquered Sun

Splash!

Iruka felt the chill water hit his skin, and he reflexively tightened his hand
on the spear he had grabbed.  His eyes, long accustomed to salt water, saw the
ruddy sunlight ascending away from him as he sank.  The salt stung the split
lip he had earned from challenging the Dynast murderer, and probably kept him
from losing consciousness after his beating.  He thought to himself how
beautiful the red image of the setting sun was from here ... it truly seemed
to be molten metal, shimmering in the waves.  The strain of holding his breath
was increasing, though he could hold it longer than those who were not from
the east.

"Greetings, my child."  A rich melodious, but strong voice sounded in his
head.

*What?* Iruka thought.  *Who said that?*

"I.  The Unconquered Sun, he whom you see before you."

A fatherly figure became visible, walking forward out of the wavering red sun
disc in the middle of the water as if it were a mere illusion.  He was dressed
in robes of red-orange, richly embroidered.

"Tell me, Flying Dolphin, why do you allow yourself to be defeated thus?"

*Alow myself?  That man is a Dynast, a Dragon-Blooded.  I am barely an insect
to be swatted, compared to him.*

"Not so.  He is empowered by the Elemental Dragons, it is true, but they are
the lowest among the Gods, and you have seen the wickedness of their children
firsthand.  It is not the greatest or the first of their transgressions.  

I am Sol Invictus, Greatest among the Gods, and though I once turned away from
this world due to similar cruelty perpetrated by my own children, now I have
returned.  Know that I have looked into your heart and seen that it has
potential.  You are studious, curious, strong, and have a good, worthy heart. 
I would name you among my Chosen, Exalted above mere mortals, and rightful
rulers of Creation, even above the Children of the Dragons.  But it will not
be easy for you."

*Do I have any choice in the matter?*

"Certainly.  The lives of mortals are all about choices.  You were in danger
of dying, if not now, within a century at the latest.  I offer you the option
to live a much longer live, as my agent, exercising my will in the world.  The
earth and the heavens themselves will bow to your needs.  You may refuse, and
select your original path, from which you might yet escape on your own.  I
will be disappointed, but I will understand.  Though it is not my wish to
coerce you into agreement, know that I cannot intervene and save you if you
refuse my offer.  I can only help those who help themselves."

*Either join you or risk dying?*

"Yes, my child, you cannot have choices without risks.  That is the price you
pay for free will."

*Indeed.  That is wise.  Very well.  I accept.  But how do I defeat him?  I
have no power like his.*

"On the contrary.  The power is within your heart and hand.  Use it.  We shall
speak again."

Iruka suddenly found his power, burning in his heart, barely controlled.  He
felt that it had been there all along, untapped, dormant.  Strange that he
hadn't noticed it before.  Iruka allowed the power to flow forth from his
body, forming a great molten red anima surrounding him.

He then felt a warmth in his hand, and saw that the spear he had grabbed to
fight with before had been utterly transformed.  Gone was the simple wooden
pole with a crude pointed end.  He now held a gleaming rod with a delicate
filligree of gold metal all along the haft, glowing with a lambent inner light
as Orichalcum often does in the hands of the Exalted.  The tip was fashioned
of a gleaming white metal, carved into a wicked point with a tripartite razor
edge.  There was a blue ribbon tied around the tip where it joined the haft,
which set off the yellow gold along the length of the weapon.  A hollow space
near the blunt end of the weapon appeared to be an empty setting for some sort
of stone.  The weapon was much larger than the spear that he had originally
grabbed -- indeed, it was larger than any spear Iruka had ever seen in his
life, and as a fisherman, he was very familiar with such tools.  Nevertheless,
it felt light in his hand, easy to handle, almost alive.

He kicked his legs and rushed for the surface to confront his would-be killer
for the second time.

-----

The Dynast missed the entrance of that which pursued him, but Astarte didn't. 
She was kneeling at the edge, watching for Iruka's body to rise to the
surface, attempting not to weep in front of the peasants.  She gasped as a
light became visible in the depths, rapidly rising toward her like a brilliant
comet.  It shot forth from the water like an arrow and into the air high above
her head, trailing flame and water.  As it passed, she felt the surge of
Essence and shot to her feet, searching the air above her.

Visible above her head was a great anima banner in the form of a firey dolphin
shape ... white-hot body with a tracery of orange-yellow edges, and ruby-red
eyes.  She had heard a description of this... a flame delphine on the attack. 
Only this one was not the real animal, it was much larger ... an iconic
banner.  Surrounding it was a billowing anima banner that was nearly equal to
the light of the setting sun.  The owner of these pyrotechnics was visible
only as a black sillhoutte rapidly descending toward the man striding
arrogantly away.  And upon the thing's brow, that which she was dreading the
sight of: a glowing ring - solid half above, empty below, spilling forth
hellish incarnadine light.

"Iru!  Dragon's mercy, no!"  She choked as her heart plummeted.

The Solar Anathema.

A Demon Prince.

The Dragon-blooded whirled around, sensing and hearing the impending attack at
the same time.  The unexalted men with him fled as they became aware of the
plummeting meteor.  The thing that had been Iruka crashed into and through the
wooden planks, demolishing them and raising a huge plume of water as he did. 
For an instant, Astarte couldn't see what was happening, then a figure burst
through the water spray towards her.  Her fellow dragon-blooded, swinging his
sword at a target that he didn't realize ad gone through the dock.  He looked
confused for an instant, then he screamed as a gleaming object burst through
his chest.

The Dynast was dead before his scream was finished.  The water mist cleared,
revealing the Unclean creature standing on the sole intact dock pylon.  The
Dragon-blooded slid off of his lance point, toppled to the dock, and fell into
the sea.  Some of the men looked like they were going to rush the one still
standing, but the monster glared at them, and they fled.  Cowards.

Astarte choked back the tears she was threatening to burst into.  She mustn't
think of this thing as her lover any longer.  It was a demon, a monster, it
had taken Iruka, and now it had just killed a fellow soldier too.  She gripped
her new sword and started walking towards it.  Slowly at first, then growing
faster as the pain emboldened her.  Some luck.  Her first mission, and not
only did her ship crash and sink leaving her the only survivor, not only had a
fellow Dragon-blooded killed her lover, but now the body of that lover was
possessed by a souless monster that she must destroy before it grew any more
powerful.

It heard or felt her approach and turned to look at her.  Gods!  It even had
that same maddening half-inscrutable, half-amused look about it.  The two of
them stared at one another as she stopped an arm's length away at the edge of
the stable section of the dock.

"Asta..."

"Don't call me that!  You ... thing!"  Astarte spat in its face, and her heart
cried out, not understanding that this wasn't Iruka.

The creature before her seemed startled, as if she'd slapped him, and raised
his hand to his face.  "Wha-  Why did you do that?  What's wrong?"

Astarte fixed its gaze, her green eyes locked on its blue ones.  The same blue
eyes that made her body tingle in public with a glance and moan in private
with a long look.  Almost, she melted, but she knew if she did that, she would
be dead in moments and a monster would be free.  She held its gaze, then
slowly said one word.  "Anathema."

The Iru-face drained of color, looking shocked.  Still, Astarte held back her
attack, unable to convince herself to go through with it.  "I challenge you,
demon.  Let us fight."

He looked at her calmly.  "It's still me, Asta.  I'm still me.  I won't fight
you."

Anger flared up within her, and she began yelling at him, punctuating each
word with a wild swing of the sword, which he avoided easily.  "I... said...
don't... call... me... THAT!"  On the last word, she scored a hit on his upper
arm, not a hard one, but a hit nonetheless.  Her heart seemed torn between a
cheer and a scream.  She wound up squeaking.  Iruka himself didn't even seem
to notice the hit, and that's when she realized that it hadn't even drawn
blood.  Had she hit him with the flat of the blade?

He lunged right for her and Astarte knew she was finished.  There was no way
to bring the sword back to fend him off.  She was wide open, vulnerable.  So
much for the longevity of the Dragon-blooded.  Such a pathetic end to a
pathetic life, she thought.  And just when things seemed to be looking up... 
She should have known.

She braced herself and waited for death to claim her, and was shocked when he
merely grabbed her sword arm with one hand and put the other around her,
lifting her toward him.  She froze, unable to process this attack.  Then he
pressed his lips to hers.  She whimpered and tears burst forth.  She was
afraid he was going to devour her soul, make her like him, but he merely
kissed her.  The world grew dim, and Astarte fainted.

-----

When she regained consciousness, she lept up and searched for Iruka ... no,
the Anathema.  He was nowhere to be seen, though he could have been hidden in
the deepening darkness.  She noticed a person, a servant, nearby, alive (which
was surprising).  "Where is it?  What happened?"

"My Lady, the one who was with you departed.  He told me to watch over you
until you awoke."

"What did he do to me?"

"My Lady, after his ... erm, novel ... form of attack and your collapse, he
merely caught you and laid you down.  He apologized and wished you well.  And
then he left."

Astarte looked out to the invisible sea.  Though she didn't realize, she was,
in fact, looking almost directly in the right direction.  Iruka met her
far-off gaze as he looked back to shore from the little boat he had
appropriated.  "Good bye, Asta."

Anathema, huh?  He sure didn't feel like a monster.  Perhaps one day he would
meet Astarte once again, and he could prove to her that he wasn't evil.

He turned his little boat parallel to the shore and searched for a star to
navigate by.  It was time to move on, at long last.  If he stayed, the Wyld
Hunt would be on his trail within days, perhaps sooner.  But where to go? 
After a moment, he knew.  He needed to get as far as he could from here.  Ah,
well.  He had always wanted to visit the Scavenger Lands...

----------


Part The Fourth: Naida's Bargain

Months passed, and Iruka traveled from his homeland to the Eastern river
provinces.  He explored aimlessly, obeying his wanderlust, and learned a few
things about his new powers (especially not to call attention to them
unnecessarily).

One day while blundering about, he chanced to disturb the lair of some
ferocious Eastern beast, and was chased deep into the forest.  Eventually, he
managed to lose his pursuit, or so he hoped, but the flight had taken a lot
out of him.  He eventually came upon a tranquil, sheltered pond fed by a
waterfall perhaps twice his height.  The water was a crystal blue-green, and
the sunlight caught in the mist thrown by the waterfall, forming a brilliant
rainbow.  The ground was soft and mossy, as were the trees nearby.  Iruka
decided that this was as good a place as any to camp.

He removed his accoutrements and stepped into the water to cleanse himself. 
He dived under the water and burst back up, shaking his head to clear his face
and hair of water.  The water was bracingly cold but not frigid, and it felt
good after the exertion of his escape.  He bent his head to the surface to
slake his thirst.  It tasted extremely good.  Due to this idyllic environment,
Iruka was rather taken aback when the pond screamed a high, piercing (and
suspiciously feminine) shriek.

"KIIIIIYAAAAAAA!  Just WHAT dost thou think thou art doing?!" cried an
indignant voice.

Iruka whirled around in a complete circle before he saw her.  A shortish,
slender young woman, was standing thigh-deep in the water nearby, completely
nude, attempting simultaneously to cover her body with her hands and shake her
fists at him angrily, doing neither with any great success.  Her long hair was
even more blue than his own, and her eyes, lips, and nipples matched.  She was
blushing furiously with an azure tint.

"Err... Pardon?"

"I said, what dost thou think thou art doing?!"

"Err.  My apologies.  I did not see you standing there.  I just wanted a bath
and a drink."

"Pervert!"

"Um?"

"Dost thou MIND?"

"Mind what?"

"Out!  Get out!  And stop leering!"

"Uh.  Yes, Ma'am."  Iruka turned away from the girl and stepped onto the
shore.

"And watch where thou dost swing thy rod.  Thou couldst put a girl's eye out
with that huge thing."

"Sorry."  Iruka set his lance down, taking extra care not to put out Naida's
eye.

"That's far enough, Mr. Pervert.   Mr. just waltz right on in without even an
introduction or a by-your-leave."

"I'm just going by Iruka these days...," he mumbled, hurriedly donning his
clothing.

"You mortals and your- your lips!  and things!"

"I said I was sorry.  Wait a second... 'mortals?'"

"Thou canst turn around now."

Iruka did so, to find the girl had somehow managed to obtain and put on a
much-too-short blue dress which clung to her rather like a wet blue dress,
thereby doing very little to conceal her from potential "leering".  She was
still looking at him angrily.  Then a puzzled expression crossed her brow.

"Say, thou dost look rather familiar ... well, not familiar exactly, but
there's something about thee..."  She trailed off thoughtfully.

"Pardon me, but what are you?  Are you a nymph?"

"Nay, I be no frivolous plaything, though thou aren't far off the mark with
thy guess.  I be a water child, an elemental as thy kind calls it."

"Really?  I've never met one of the little gods before.  A rare honor, and a
pleasure.  As I said, I am Hiko Iruka."  Iruka bowed.

At this, the girl blushed (again).  "At least thou art polite.  Sometimes. 
Thou mayst call me Naida, which is not my true name, but will suffice," she
curtseyed and held out her hand to be kissed after the manner of nobility,
which puzzled Iruka for a few seconds before he got the idea (being a simple
peasant boy).  Naida looked at him suddenly, then her jaw dropped and she
knelt before him.

"A Prince!  Forgive me, Prince, I did not recognize thee!"

Iruka looked over his shoulder to see if he could glimpse the sudden advent of
this prince fellow, then suddenly realized she meant him.  "What?  Why did you
call me that?  I'm no Prince."

She looked up doubtfully, then shook her head slowly.  "Hmm, a Prince to be
sure, but one ignorant of his nature.  Interesting."  She looked at him with
significantly less hostility than before, although she still seemed slightly
miffed at his lips and things.  "Very well, Prince Mr. Pervert.  Know that
this is the domain of Naida, daughter of the Rains and the Earth, and thou
hast trespassed.  In the interests of goodwill with a Prince of Creation, I
will strike a bargain with thee, rather than drown thee outright and claim thy
corpse to feed the swimming ones.  Three things will I grant to thee, and in
return I require three payments."

Iruka got the impression that this was the water elemental's idea of a
perfectly ordinary conversation, and did not take undue offense at the veiled
threat.  For all he knew, she was perfectly capable of doing it, too.

"My first boon is my succor, and of that thou hast already (here Naida blushed
furiously) tasted.  I- I therefore require that thou seek out and return unto
to me a thing which another has taken.  A chalice, stolen by bandits.  I know
not where it is now, save only that the little swimmers and the flying ones
tell me that the word 'Nexus' was bandied about.  Dost thou agree to attempt
this?"

Iruka considered.  Well, this chalice thing shouldn't be too hard to find, and
it might prove interesting to search for it.  And he didn't want to anger the
spirit by refusing to pay for his drink.  "Yes.  I will look for your
chalice."

"Very well.  My second boon is Knowledge.  Thou dost not appear to know
neither what thou art, nor much of the ways of the world.  Indeed, thou hast
foolishly given me thy name, and that gives me power over thee to enforce this
bargain.  I can instruct thee in the ways of the Exalted, which thou art among
the number of, and other such things.  In return, I require that thou perform
a service, specifically, this:  There is a spirit nearby whom thou mayst call
Orphe.  She is greedy and drinks too deeply of my waters.  I require thee to
resolve this situation.  Dost thou agree?"

"Agreed."  Knowledge!  Finally, someone that could answer some questions!

"My third boon is Power.  Thou hast some, of which I will teach thee as
previously agreed.  I can also grant thee more, in the form of artifacts which
have slept here undisturbed these past few centuries, according to the tales. 
In return for this I require- umm."  Here, Naida suddenly lost her confidence,
began to stammer and stumble over her words.

"Well?"

She looked about nervously and stepped closer, lowering her voice to a whisper
and acting embarrased.  "I- I require a... a mortal baby."

"A child?!"

"Yes."

"I'm not going to sacrifice a baby!"

"Not as a sacrifice, thou dolt!  Err, Prince Dolt.  Err, Prince."

"Just Iruka is fine, Naida."

"What sort of spirit dost thou take me for?  I'm not into human sacrifice.  I
wish to raise it."

"You are a very strange girl, Naida."

"Who art thou calling a girl?" she asked. "Don't treat me like a child!  I'll
have thee know that I am 173 and a half years old!"

"My apologies, my lady."  Iruka said, sketching a quick bow to the spirit.

"Hmmmm.  Yes, quite charming, this one."

"How do you suggest I get you a child?  I can't exactly steal one."

Naida blushed again, and concentrated intently on tapping her forefingers
together in front of her.  "I'm s-sure thou canst think of something; thou art
the mortal, after all."

Well, perhaps he would chance across an orphan or some such.  "Hmm.  Very
well.  I agree that if..."

"...when..."

"...when I think of an agreeable way to supply you with a mortal baby, I will
do so."

"Hmm.  I be concerned with the open-endedness of thy phrasing.  Wilt thou
agree to a time limitation?"

"Name it."

"I require thee to fulfill one of thy promises within a year and a day hence. 
The second must be performed no more than a year and a day from that day, and
the last a year and a day still more.  Dost thou agree?  Thou mayst take them
in whatever order pleases thee."

"That sounds reasonable.  I agree."

"Excellent.  Since thou art now bound to uphold thy promises, I will bestow my
gifts now.  They may aid thee in thy payment.  Come this way," she said,
walking towards the waterfall.  It parted as she approached, apparently
through some power she had over it, revealing a cave whose floor was hidden in
the water.

At the far end of the cave was a metal door bearing a symbol that Iruka had
never seen before.  On either side of the door was a marble sculpture of a
girl that looked suspiciously like Naida.  The spirit opened the door for him,
and they stepped inside.  After a few yards, the decor became steadily more
refined, and a light became visible ahead.  This turned out to be some sort of
artificial lighting, consisting of sconces on the walls that in more mundane
places might have held a torch.  Here, the flame of the torch was replaced
with a sphere as large as Iruka's head, possibly larger, which seemed to be
made of liquid.  It emitted a blue-white light that was soothing rather than
glaring.

The floor and walls became less like a natural cave, and more like a man-made
building, though the particulars were very different from anything that Iruka
had ever seen.  The floor was invariably wider than the ceiling, and the walls
were covered in waves sculpted into the bare rock with such skill that they
seemed to be naturally occurring.  After a few more yards, the passage split
in two ... two corridors surrounding a dividing wall.

The walls were periodically adorned with abstract murals, mosaics, and
tapestries of blues, greens, and purples, which seemed to shift and flow out
of the corners of your eyes, but when you looked directly at them, turned out
to be static areas of color composed of paint, tesserae, or cloth as
appropriate.  Nevertheless, they never looked quite the same twice in a row. 
The colors of these decorations seemed almost to glow from within, although it
was not clear whether this was real or an illusion.

Interspersed among the imagery were niches, and these bore figurines and
statuary of various sizes.  The medium used for these sculptures varied, and
included marble, some sort of glass or crystal, and some translucent pale blue
stone that seemed half-liquified.  The sculptural program included dolphins,
mermaids and other half-human hybrids, fish, waves, abstract waterfalls, and
various female nudes frolicking in the surf.

The passage periodically broke off to reveal rooms each larger than the hut
that Iruka had lived in as a child.  One room contained wooden shelves with
carved edges (more water-themed creatures) that contained four or five hefty
books in good condition, and quite a lot more that were not.  Another room
seemed to be for storing weapons, tools, and clothing, but anything it might
have held was long since gone to dust and decay.  There were other rooms, for
food storage and preparation, study, and other domestic activities it would
seem, but they were likewise bare.

There was a skeleton in one room, which startled Iruka, but not Naida.  It was
seated calmly in a chair, and appeared to have died of natural causes, though
this was by no means certain.  "This be the maker of this place, a Prince like
thyself, yet not.  His name was Nago, I am told.  He has been here longer than
I have existed.  I sometimes come here to sit and converse with him.  He is
not very talkative, as thou canst see, but he is the only one here.  Or was."

Iruka sensed the wistfulness in the spirit's voice and placed a hand on her
shoulder, smiling down at her.  He noticed that her skin was cool to the
touch, but not cold.  She sighed and looked up, smiling.  Then she flushed,
noticing his hand, and pulled away.  "Come, then."

The split corridor rejoined here at the far end, at another door.  Beyond this
door was a room containing a large semicircular pool of crystal clear, almost
glowing water.  Marble steps along the curved edge of the pool led down into
it.  At the far end, surrounded by the pool, was a large object consisting of
an enormous clam shell, open so that the lower half was horizontal and the
upper half at an 80 degree angle above it.  Seahorses and less identifiable
aquatic forms supported the shell above the water.  The interior of the shell
seemed to be a plush couch or bed of blue-green velvet, silk sheets, and
pillows.

Naida led him to the shell and clambered up within it, sitting so that her
legs dangled into the pool.  Iruka watched her for a moment, but she avoided
making eye contact and said nothing.  He shrugged and climbed up as well,
sitting down next to her.  The surface rippled as he did so, which startled
him ... the thing seemed to be filled with water somehow.

They sat like this for a few moments, silently.  Iruka became aware of the
sound of her breathing, and wondered why she might need to breathe.  He
decided to relax a little until she got around to telling him more, so he
leaned back.

Naida turned slightly, but did not face him fully.  Her face was extremely
blue, he noticed.  Blushing again.

"How dost thou want me, Prince?"

"Would you please not call me tha- ... err, want you?"  Iruka was a bit
startled when the girl's dress shimmered, turned clear, and ran off her body
like water, which it was.

"What service might I perform for thee?"

"Service?" Iruka fairly squeaked the question out.  "I ... uh, don't..."

Naida turned to face him more fully, and took a deep, male-distracting breath.
 "Dost thou not find this form attractive?  It is the one I prefer in this
mode, but I can briefly take others, if they would please thee more...  Shall
I become something else?"  Iruka noticed that Naida's hand was tracing the
outline of a small mermaid figurine nearby.

"Um, you're fine as you are Naida.  But- gurk!"  Iruka's throat grew too tight
to speak as the water spirit pressed herself against him.  She was becoming
quite difficult to ignore.  Then, suddenly, something connected in his head,
and he wondered why he was so dense.  She wanted a mortal child ... of her
own.

Iruka pushed her away, gently but firmly.  "Stop, Naida.  No."

"But..."  She tried to embrace him again, so he planted a hand above her
buttocks and shoved her off into the pool.  She sputtered when she broke the
surface, and then looked up at him with a hurt expression.  Her hair was
plastered to her face.  She looked like she was about to cry.

"No.  I thought you said you weren't a nymph.  You are acting like a slave. 
Look, I think you are nice, if a bit odd.  I think you are attractive as well.
 But if this is all that you are, all that you have to offer, then I have no
need of it."

Naida continued to look up at him.  Iruka was fascinated when droplets of
water seemed to climb up her skin and slowly coat her, gradually reforming her
dress.   She climbed back into the couch and sat there with her arms wrapped
around her knees for a moment.

"Art thou angry with me?"

"No.  I just don't understand you."

"It be part of the agreement that binds me here.  In addition to guarding this
place, I be constrained to perform any service I may for the one who controls
it, so long as it will not destroy me.  ANY service, no matter how
embarrassing.  Thou art now the owner, and may command me in such fashion."

"Hmm."

"Many are the males of thy kind that wouldn't have given a second thought.  I
thought thee one of them, given the liberties thou hast already taken without
my leave."

"Sorry.  Unintentional.  I didn't know you were there, and wouldn't have taken
... liberties ... if I had.  Before we met, my heart lay elsewhere.  There was
someone I met once.  Her name was Astarte, and we were lovers.  When I became
... whatever it is that I am ... Anathema we are taught to name it ... she
thought me transformed into a demon.  She spat upon me and threatened to kill
me.  But I still loved her.  I still love her even now."

"Didst thou kill her for her betrayal?  Disembowel her and flay her skin from
her body?"

"No, of course not!"  Iruka sighed and rapped his knuckles against Naida's
head softly as if testing for an echo.  "Silly spirit."

Naida smiled.  "That is good.  I was merely testing thee to see what thy
definition of love permitted."

"I left her in the care of one of her servants.  Perhaps she'll change her
mind.  Perhaps I'll have to fight her and one of us will kill the other. 
Perhaps I'll never see her again.  I cannot say."

"And now?"

"Sorry?"

"Thy wording was, 'Before we met, my heart lay elsewhere.'"

"Oh.  How strange."

"..."

"Naida, I like you.  I do not love you.  I don't know you well enough for that
yet, and besides, you aren't even human."

"Close enough for thy purposes, methinks."  Naida's dress began to shimmer and
threatened to start streaming away again.

"Ack!  Very well, I concede that point!"

The dress settled down instantly.  "It will do for now.  Just thou remember
thy promises, Prince."

"Right.  A Chalice, a truce, and a child."

"Dost thou wish to rest?"

"Actually, yes.  I'm tired from being constantly pursued."  Iruka carefully
did not specify which pursuit he meant.

"This be the bedchamber of the master of this place.  It now be thine.  Lay
thy head back and sleep.  I will watch over thee."

Iruka did so, and realized how exhausted he had actually been.  Naida's
girlish face was the last thing he saw before sleep claimed him, and her cool
hand on his brow was the last thing he felt.  His slumber was pleasant and
dreamless.

After a time he became increasingly aware of a coolness, and the presence of a
curved, soft form against him.  He hugged it closer.  As he gradually returned
to consciousness, he opened his eyes to look into another pair, more feminine.
 Disoriented, he didn't know who it was.  "Asta...?"

The brow belonging to the other pair of eyes gained a different, harder
expression just as he realized where he was.  "Thou jerk!  Didst thou have to
open thy mouth and ruin it?"  Naida, who had been lying in his arms as he'd
slept, sat up and reformed her dress in a huff.

"Wha?  What were you doing?  I thought we dealt with this."

"Thou couldst at least let me dream."

"Naida..."

"Yes, yes.  I know thou doesn't care for me.  But-"

"Naida, shut up."  Iruka grabbed the spirit-girl's shoulders and pulled her
back against him, putting his arms around her.  "Out of your 173 and a half
years, for how many have you been here alone?"

"150, not counting the time those who stole my Chalice were here."

"Poor girl."

Naida sighed, and sat there in Iruka's arms for quite some time.

-----

The rooms at the far end of the secret hall beyond the bedchamber were
different than the rest of the edifice.  The first was little more than a
circular antechamber, and a large bronze door opened as they approached the
far end.  The second chamber was about twice as large in both diameter and
height, and its major feature was that it contained five large statues similar
to the smaller ones encountered earlier.  It was in this room that Iruka
became consciously aware of the relaxing influence the place had been exerting
all along.  Also, there was a sense of potential in the air, as if one stood
on the sea and were stuck looking at the shore at the very instant a large
wave had impacted against a rock, but had not yet created the resulting spray
to drench the observer.

Beyond the next door was the third and final room, apparently the focus of the
energies of the place.  It possessed beautiful stalactites and stalagmites
left over from the cave's formation, which had somehow arranged themselves at
five equidistant points on a delicate circle of embedded blue marble, with one
falling at the point furthest from the door.  A series of concentric circles
lay within the one that connected the natural formations.  Inlaid crystal
encircled the base of each stalagmite, and curved arcs of lapis lazuli
connected these to one another, forming a rounded pentagram.  Around the outer
perimeter of the design were inscribed a large variety of small arcane
symbols.  These appeared to be etched into the rock itself, then filled with
liquid gold and allowed to cool.

Murals were located on the walls directly opposite each stalagmite, the door
bearing one of them.  Each of these depicted aspects of romance, ranging from
human lovers walking before a tranquil sunset to the rather explicit painting
of a man mating with a mermaid.

On the ceiling, there was a similar rounded pentagram, only the arcs between
the stalactites lay much closer to the outer circle, to account for the
stunning faceted crystal dome set into the ceiling of the cave.  This dome was
larger across than twice Iruka's height, and was apparently installed in the
bed of the stream that produced the waterfall near Naida's pool, for colorful
fish could be seen lazily swimming above it.  Somehow mud and plants never
seemed to cover the dome.  Shafts of light from the sun outside entered this
dome, but they were constantly shifting due to the refraction of the water
they had to pass through.

Despite the refracted light, a shaft in the very center of the dome never
seemed to drift very far from the equivalent point on the floor, even though
the angle of the sun surely made this impossible.  In the shimmering light and
shadow, a large central column of entertwined red and blue jade rose to waist
height, and at its apex, a blue-green gem was clearly visible.  Iruka stepped
forward and grasped it.

-----

Over the course of the next few weeks, Iruka learned of Gods and Demons,
Exalted and Spirits from Naida, as these stories had been passed down to her. 
She told him of the history of the world, the castes of the Exalted, and the
betrayal of the Dragon-blooded.  She taught him what she knew of charms and
sorcery, and when he surpassed her knowledge, more was garnered from books in
the library.  Eventually, he decided it was time to depart on his quest for
Naida's Chalice.  A quest that would lead him straight to Nexus...