Demigods in a showdown!

Scion was heading into a hiatus, but there was still the issue of a mad swordsmith to deal with first.

The Hestia reconvened and asked to be shown to Masamune.  Instead we were delivered to a man named Shiro Yatsamura and asked to turn over oir weapons.  Though concerned about it, the team agreed, with Leander turning over his spear despite it being transformed into a belt buckle.  Yatsamura, though, was definitely armed with chained kama attached to his belt.

He suggested to the Hestia that it was wise we had decided to turn ourselves in, but Brock and Jessica quickly corrected him.  William and Leander laid out what they'd known of Muramasa's plans, including the ingredients he'd had the Hestia gather.  Yatsamura was immediately and obviously concerned, which prompted Leander to offer to draw the plans he'd seen and memorized while in Muramasa's workshop.

Leander drew up the plans and quickly the military commander and the Hestia reached an agreement to assault Muramasa's workshop and its Titan-sympathetic inhabitants.  Masamune arrived and beganto look over the plans, preparing countermeasures.  That done, the Hestia led the military forces to the workshop.

Rivkah quickly retrieved Nick, but not his gremlins, using a few quick excuses to get the Scion of Hermes out.  The Hestia quickly formed into three teams.  Rivkah, Jessica, and Brock would provide the frontal assault.  Lha-mo would attack from above, hoping to smash her way to the plans and artifacts.  Leander, Nick, and William, with their ability to bypass walls and doors would stealthily approach from the rear, avoiding the probable bulk of the fighting in their approach to the artifacts they'd gathered.

The assault began and the military forces quickly drew out Muramasa's Titan-sworn.  Rivkah's team travelled just ahead of them, smashing through the gates and straight in the front door of the workshop as the forces inside streamed out to meet the attack.  Lha-mo flew high above the building and dropped, growing in size as she descended, until she crashed mightily through the roof and into the central chambers of the workshop.  Leander's team had even fewer obstacles, approaching unseen and blinking through the walls and doors in their path.

From there it seemed to be a fairly straightforward snatch and dash.  The team gathered what they'd given Muramasa, meddled with his charts and diagrams and moved to leave.  Rivkah went up through the hole Lha-mo had made.  Leander used his ability to step through walls to pull Nick and Jessica out.  Brock, Lha-mo, and William began a climb outwards.  William was last and almost clear when Muramasa crashed into the scene in his giant mecha suit.

Unfortunately for him, the rest of the team hadn't gotten very far, meaning Nick's gremlin sidekicks hadn't gone far. At a word from Nick, the descended upon the suit, quickly disabling it.  The Demigods retreated as the military forces washed over the workshop.

In the quiet moment they had, the Demigods decided to hide the items they'd gathered in the pouch (with ship!) at Leander's belt.  That achieved, the returned to Masamune 's workshop to retrieve the armor the master smith had forged them.  Fully equipped, it was time to go after the God of the Last Whisper, the nascent Titan of radiation.

The Demigods took flight on Tak Me, scouting until they'd found a large square with an immense thrown filled with throngs of worshipful radiation ghosts.  There sat the new Titan.  The Hestia landed on a nearby skyscraper to talk over their plan.

In the end, the simple plan seemed best.  Brock and Nick would fire down into the crowd, thinning them while the rest of the team headed for the God of the Last Breath.  Leander would direct traffic as Rivkah and Lha-mo hit him with everything they had.  Jessica, William, and Tak Me would pitch in wherever they could.

They sprang into action.  Brock's first shot was a well-chosen one, wiping out a third of the Titanling's forces in an instant.  Rivkah dove off the building, carrying Leander.  She flew at high speed , dropping her compatriot into a crowd where he impaled on of the radiation ghost as she smashed through the huge stone throne.

Lha-mo landed just after them, having grown to immense size.  Her icy claws tore into the God of the Last Breath.  Nick took his shot, scoring a hit, and Tak Me let Jessica aboard and flew down.

The timing was just right as the young Titan launched an assault back into the sky scraper, bringing it tumbling down.  Nick leapt off, much to everyone's dismay as he seemed to have no plan of descent.  Meanwhile Brock jumped to another building, ready to resume his firing.

Rivkah used the God of the Last Breath's diverted focus to grab him and smash her knee into his tailbone.  Jessica followed that up, using her apples to distract him as William lashed out with his scarf (though missing) and Lha-mo sunk icicle claws into his face.  Meanwhile, Tak Me caught the plummeting Nick as if they'd had it planned.

Sensing his opening, Leander called forth thunder to echo his voice, his orders rumbling through the caverns of the underworld.  The team quickly capitalized.  Lha-mo sent crossing walls of ice slashing towards the Titanling.  Leander darted in, slashing at one knee as William closed and wrapped the young Titan's arm in his scarf.  The Hod of the last Breath struggled to be free, but it was too late.

Rivkah, taking those openings and the distraction probided by Jessica, to smash down the Titan's knee.  He dropped to a knee and Rivkah smashed a lightning wrapped fist into his head.  The Titanling was down for the count and the demigods dropped the nearby environs on him, seemingly ending his threat.

Next the Hestia would need to pay their debt to Agwe...

Demigods in the Yakuza!

Other posts on Scion and Leander.  Last recap.

At the end of the last session, the Void had retreated into the darkness to try and regroup from the onslaught of the Hestia.  His respite didn't last long, though, as Tak Me but him and dragged him back out of the shadows.

Rivkah, William and Lha Mo quickly capitalized on the opening and struck out at the servant of Mikaboshi.  Jessica mocked him mercilously.  Leander calculated his next likely attack, but the Void staggered his strike to try and avoid it.

That threw off the coordinated assault, but Brock was undaunted and still managed to put a bolt of sunlight into his foe.  Lha Mo took the moment to heal Jessica, who had been wounded in the last exchange.  The Void, and his minions, traded attacks with the Hestoa while Jessica took a moment to heal Leander.  Leander managed to guess the Void's plot and directed a new assault.

While waiting for the Void to reappear, the Demigods cleared up a few of the villain's minions as Leander and Tak Me prepared their defenses.  Lha Mo took the oppprtunity to further heal Leander.

The Void emerged as a giant hand, but the band was ready for him and launched their own attack.  Tak me bit him again, pinning him down as Lha Mo put a powerful punch into the Void's body.  Rivkah added a leaping punch as William lashed out with Foecutter.  Jessica twisted fate and used her apples to distract the Void's minions.

The team got another set of blows in against the Void who vanished for an extremely long time.  When he returned, he forced Lha Mo to protect him.  She was compelled to do so, but the Void quickly formed a whirlpool of shadow, disappearing back into the body of Mikaboshi.  As he did, he told the Hestia that he had been ordered to leave behind a skull as evidence of his defeat.  The Demigods took it reluctantly and mae sure to search the rest of the cave before heading back to the Market.

There they were quickly rounded up by the Yakuza and taken back to the tower headquarters.  The team hurried to discuss their plans of what to tell the ancient ghost they'd met before, revealing more of their secrets to Jessica in the process.  They settled on trying not to lie while not revealing their connection to the demands of Kane Taoka.

The talk began that way, but the ancient ghost used his ability to talk to objects to interrogate the skull, who confirmed that the band had defeated the Void.  It winked over the shoulder of the Yakuza leader at the Hestia, who quickly decided to tell the ancient ghost of the skull's treachery, despite the potential risk to the band.  In the end, the ancient ghost decided to award the Hestia the Ghost of Little Boy as per their bargain.  The Demigods disguised it as garbage and took it back to Muramasa, along with the Flame of Kagatsuki.  Muramasa was very pleased, saying that with what the Hestia had returned with he could make his weapon "even more destructive."

With his knowledge of Muramasa, this set off alarm bells in Leander's head.  He shared that worry with his fellow Demigods and they made hushed and hurried plans to find Masamune, who was renowned for blades which would only cut what must be cut, to try and make an alternative weapon.  Nick was asked to remain behind with his gremlins to distract and slow Muramasa's progress...

Demigods in the Black Market!

Other posts on Scion and Leander.  Last recap.

Having completed the first stage of the quest to find the materials to forge a weapon to kill the nascent Titan, the Demigods made plans to check back with the shopkeeper, and his granddaughter, about what the team could expect in the trade district.  He, with much disapproval from his granddaughter, informed the team of what he knew of the trade district and mentioned that he had heard that the Yakuza had many rare goods they kept safeguarded.

Satisfied, the Hestia climbed aboard Tak Me and flew to the trade district.  The moved through the streets looking for any obvious Yakuza and rather brazenly asking passsersby where we could find them.  That quickly resulted in the team being surrounded by members of the Yakuza and directed to a nearby alley.

Once there, the Hestia informed these low level Yakuza that they wanted the ghost of little boy.  The goons were briefly hesitant, but the smooth words of Nick, Brock, and Jessica managed to sway them and they arranged to take the Demigods to the Yakuza's tower headquarters.

Being ushered to the top of the tower, the Demigods were introduced to an ancient and powerful yakuza ghost, who appeared to be the head of their organization in Yomi and implied some ability to step into any power vacuum that might arise in the underworld.  In the negotiations for little boy, the team made a fortuitous statement in voicing their distaste for the servants of Mikaboshi (despite the arrangement with Kane), and mentioned their previous fight with Titan cultists in Yomi.

That drew a response from the ancient ghost that the team was in the right mindset for the task the Yakuza would require of them to gain access to the ghost of Little Boy.  The Hestia were to face down the general of Mikaboshi in Yomi.  The ancient ghost provided transportation in rickshaws to a cave on the far side of the mountain where the Demigods had previously met with the Dark Mother.

Leander, using his powerful relic glasses, saw through the illusion the general had placed on his lair.  There was a deep cave with intensely dark tunnels.  These tunnels were quickly revealed to be magically darkened, much like the warehouse the Demigods had previously fought in, as no one could see despite their divine talents.

Brock, not willing to let this stop the team, began to glow with a brilliant light which allowed some vision, though it was far less powerful than it should have been.  Leander, not sure he could feel comfortable with that source of light as the only one, used his glasses to "see" via sonar.  Inspired, William stomped a foot on the floor and felt the echos in the earth which revealed to him the layout of the deep cave.  There were several large chambers in either direction and the team decided to move towards the right fork.

In the very first large chamber down that fork, an ambush was sprung.  Dark figures, nearly invisible in the dark, struck from all directions at the Demigods and the team was pushed to defend themselves.  Certain that the fight in the warehouse was related to events in the tunnels, Leander set out to find Mikaboshi's rune which powered the darkness.

Meanwhile, Brock was hit incredibly hard, knocking him back and creating a sprinkling of bright light.  Lha mo, for her part, grew to immense size and scratched at the walls and ceiling, ripping the rune of Mikaboshi on the cave roof to shreds.  Suddenly, light filled the space.

Jessica, ready to do her part, tossed a glowing, golden apple into the room.  Suddenly, the inky creatures that had been attacking the team were drawn to it, scrabbling and fighting one another in their attempt to gain control of it.  One of them managed to actually eat its fellow, but its victory was short lived as Rivkah smashed it through the floor.  The final inky being was similar squashed by Lha Mo.
one eats the other and then rivkah punches the other one into the ground.

Pushing forward, deeper into the tunnels, the team found ornate doors, seemingly sealing out the light.  The general of Mikaboshi, calling himself "The Void," beckoned the Hestia to enter.  The Hestia opened the doors, readying themselves for combat, and stepped inside.  He briefly tried to bargain, but the team informed him they were here to put him down.  As Brock shot at The Void to act on the threat, the shadows spread, dropping the room into darkness.

From that darkness, The Void punched at Brock, but missed and smashed into the floor.  Lha Mo grew once more, filling much of the room.  Brock shot at the darkness, but The Void had vanished back into the shadows clinging to the walls.  A moment later, as Leander calculated and the team tried to track their foe, The Void sent a spear of dark matter shooting down at Brock.  Rivkah dove into the way, deflecting the attack as Brock dodged away.

Suddenly inky minions jumped into the fray, the first among them leaping onto Rivkah, who spun and smashed it to the ground.  Another minion launched into Jessica, who shed her skin in absorbing its attack.  A third attacked Leander, who swatted it casually away as he barked orders to his compatriots.  Jessica, sensing a place to insert her powerful speaking skills, distracted The Void and the team launched their attack.

Brock fired a shot into the heart of the darkness, with a mighty swing of Foecutter by William and a rocky fist from Rivkah accompanying it.  Leander missed, but most of the attacks hit, doing damage to The Void, who disappeared into the darkness to regroup.

Demigods in the Harbor

Other posts on Scion and Leander.  Last recap.

Seeing that they were flying into certain death thanks to his glasses, Leander told Rivkah to turn the plane around.  She began to do so, but suddenly the plane was struck with mechanical issues. Nick and Brock noticed something scuttling about on the plane, and the occult knowledgable members if the group realized they were probably Gremlins given that this was a WWII era plane.

Rivkah managed to get the plane back into the defensive areas outside the Poison Sun Ward.  Unfortunately, the plane was still going down.  Rivkah did her best to slow the descent, but Brock decided to bail out, using his divine abilities to reach the ground stealthily and safely.  With a boost from TaK Me, Rivkah got the plane down with everyone in one piece.

After a moment, the Gremlins emerged, spotted by the eyes of a few in the Hestia.  Nick quickly befriended them and they crowded about their apparent new leader.  Almost immediately after that was resolved, several Japanese military officials arrived.  These individuals called the Demigods foolish for almost attempting to enter the Ward without protection, and then suggested the Demigods hurry and follow them to others who sought to strike into the Poison Sun Ward.

Leander signalled to the still-hidden Brock, whom one of the soldiers declared a great love of.  The group descended into a tunnel system, which may have been the sewer, and eventually came to an underground complex.  The team was led to a room and asked to wait.

After a short time, they were informed that another of their band had arrived.  Confused, they asked for this person to be shown in.  It turned out to be a beautiful Demigoddess.  She introduced herself as Jessica and suggested that she had come after a new portion of the prophecy had been revealed.  She also revealed her heritage as a daughter of Aphrodite.  At first, she was suspicious of Lha Mo, but the explanations of the other demigods managed to keep things civil.

After a time, the soldiers returned and explained that their intention was to aid the demigods in their strike, as they were part of a faction that disagreed with the decree that the Ward was off limits.  To that end, they were crafting a weapon and defensive gear.  That said, they introduced the team to the weapon maker... Muramasa!

While most of the group was unimpressed, William and Leander knew this was a big deal. Muramasa requested the Demigods retrieve four difficult to obtain items for him so he could create his weapon that could kill the God of the Last Breath.  First would be the Flame of Katagumi, which was within a giant carp in the harbor.  Second was a scrap of iron from the wall holding the Poison Sun Ward.  Third was the blood of a pure dynast.  And fourth would be the Ghost of Little Boy, created when the bomb fell on Hiroshima, which was rumored to be held by the Yakuza in the Great Market.

The Band, as was in character, headed directly to the Harbor, avoiding the small towns nearby.  They'd discovered, just before they left, that there were Ningyo in the Harbor which worshiped the great carp, and prepared for the potential of a fight.  Tak Me, who had spoken to Jessica, introducing himself and shocking the Hestia, flew the team to the Harbor, but there was no clear way to reach the carp once they'd arrived.  As a result, they asked Tak Me to fly them back to the Harbor towns, much to the yak's consternation.

The team began their search for information at the library, looking for information on the Ningyo and the carp.  They also checked on ways in which they could reach the carp's preferred swimming depth.  After a time, they moved on to a nearby shrine where they encountered the spirit of a deceased Scion who flirted with Brock a bit before directing the team to a nearby salvage yard where the owner was a frequent diver and collector of submerged artifacts.

With some flirting (to the consternation of the show owner's granddaughter!) by Jessica and a promise loot from William, the shop owner allowed the team to take three suits for Leander, Jessica, and Brock so that they could survive the depths where the carp lived.  Not wanting to waste time, the Hestia moved back to the waters and dove down deep.

After a time, they began to hear what seemed like singing.  It was the Ningyo going about their daily prayers and communicating with one another.  William used his skill with spoken language to translate and Brock used his newly developed singing ability, aided by  Nick's ability to call forth music, to introduce us as children of Hestia and therefore related to the carp's progenitor, who had become an avatar of Muspelheim.  The Ningyo agreed to take us to their leader.

Once there, the Ningyo tried to deny the Hestia access to the carp and hinted that they did not believe our story, flashing aspects of sharks in fleeting glimpses.  Brock had a mighty plan, though, and cut himself, focusing his divine heritage and the gifts of Hestia to cause his blood to ignite into brilliant flame underwater, fully convincing the Ningyo leader and shocking Jessica, who had had no idea that Hestia had blessed the others in the band.  The team was granted access and descended to the carp's domain.

Finding the carp was relatively easy given the fact that it glowed a fiery red in the dark ocean.  It seemed not to notice the band at first, so Lha Mo attempted pulling a scale off covertly.  When that failed, Nick tried talking to the fish and ordering it to give him an audience, but the creature had no sentience and so couldn't communicate it.  The problem was solved, though, when Jessica and Brock, at Leander's suggestion, gazed deeply into the fish's eyes, mesmerizing it.  Leander then directed the rest of the team to work together to cut off the tip of one of the carp's fins, with Rivkah hurling William to Lha Mo who caught him and redirected him so that he could strike with Foecutter.  Nick, deft of hand, caught the fallen fin.

Not quite sure if that would be enough, Lha Mo also swam inside the incapacitated fish's mouth and took a vial of blood.  William scooped up some nearby salvage and it was time to head back to the surface.

Leander: Gear Journey

Generally my Scion characters tend to start off with a lot of Birthrights based on the legends of heroes and gods in the same pantheon.  Often this results in a lot of Birthrights named after those figures.  For Leander, this resulted in things such as the Armor of Odysseus, Shield of El Cid, a spear called the Pallas Lonchi.

Other times, failing a similar story, I'll simply rely on translation.  In Leander's case, this ended up as the Taktiki Michani (tactical machine).  Other items, such as the glasses Leander got, have similar naming schemes (Iaptah, in this case).

But as Leander's legend grows it seems appropriate that the items he carries become more about who he is and less about who he was empowered by.  Leander uses his spear as a tool more often than not, using it to signal and gesture.  So as his power grows it's only fitting that it transitions from being named for his mother to being about what it is for Leander.  The best translation to transliterated Greek I can find for this is Tha Strati̱gós Tou, meaning "Strategist's Will."  The spear has become the extension of Leander's ideas and needs and the new name of it reflects the way in which others see it.

Similarly the Iaptah and Taktiki Michani, as well as the lock of illusion-cutting hair and mana-bead of the Atua, will eventually transition.  They'll become the four pieces of a Corinthian-style helmet.  The lock of hair will be the crest of the helm.  The Iaptah (renamed Warrior's Vigilance), will be a clear shield for the opening of the helm.  The Taktiki Michani will become the main piece of the helmet, though still able to become the iPad it once was, and be renamed the Defender's Codex.  The mana-bead will be relatively unchanged, but will sit at the center of the helm's forehead.  My intention is that each of the pieces could still separate and work, but that this Leander's preferred form of wear for them so that he can have quick access to them all.

I think Leander would make it well known that he was not the first to carry the Armor of Odysseus and Shield of El Cid, but would work to make it clear that he carries them and continues to use those names in order to honor the warriors he respects and used as inspirations for his own strategic style.

Hopefully, this will help make it more clear why each of these items are important to Leander's legend while still allowing him to honor his heritage.

`Ilio

The forest was quiet beneath the moon.  `Ilio leaned back on the koa wood throne he'd had made and gazed into the darkness, ignoring the whimpers of the girls chained to either side of his armrests.  His nostrils flared and his tongue darted out to lick at his muzzle.  Something was coming.  It stank of the Kin of Tāne...

Malena stalked through the darkened forest, cutting between ancient trees.  Two weeks ago, something had moved into this area, driving out the usual spread of hunters and tourists in the Molokai Forest Reserve.  A number of girls of all ages and young boys had disappeared from the towns on the island.  The two things were obviously related and Malena had decided to put it down with extreme prejudice.  Calls to past allies had yet to be returned, so she had set out on her own.

Her clothes, transformed to dark fatigues with an obsidian belt carved in the form of two eels biting the moon, rustled softly, but she moved slowly, trying to mask it with forest sounds.  It reminded her of the days she had Not that they were many; the birds and beasts had apparently cleared out, making it far more clear that the thing in the forest was not just a trumped up mortal.  Ahead, a twig snapped.  Malena froze.

A dark-haired girl rushed into view, crying breathlessly.  Not waiting a moment to consider, Malena broke her cover and sprinted to the child.  "It's okay, hoaloha, it's okay.  I've got you."

The girl sobbed aloud, then whispered, "But... My friends!  He let me go!  He has them!"

Malena grit her teeth in frustration.  "I'll come back for them.  I promise.  But you need to go home, now."

The girl sniffled and didn't move, so Malena scooped her up before retreating through the forest.  She headed for the hunter check point, where a ranger would be stationed.  He could take the girl and she could come back for the others.

`Ilio watched the Kin of Tāne go.  He delt sure he could take the woman, despite her blood.  She appeared unarmed and unarmored.  Her clumsy stalking in the forest would have given her away had he not been able to smell her from miles off. When she returned, he would take her.  He would eat her and return to the founding of his family.  The family that would rule Molokai and war on the Kin of hated Tāne.

Malena knelt over the spot where she'd found the girl.  The moon had begun its decent towards the west, which changed the shadows, but she was fairly certain she could make out the girl's tracks coming from the northwest.  She rubbed her fingers across them for a moment, trying to sense just what the girl had run from.

Rising, she stalked in that direction.  She shook her wrists, feeling the weight of the koa wood bracelets there hitting against the backs of her hands.  The night air was warm, making her clothes cling, and briefly she considered changing them to something more comfortable.

Ahead there was a clearing, moonlight pouring down on something polished and golden.  It look, for the most part, like a large chair, but two hooks protruded from the fronts of the armrests.  Malena paused a few yards back of the clearing's edge, watching and listening.

The Kin of Tāne pause, clearly afraid of entering the unprotected area of the clearing.  'Ilio snorted at her timidity.  He shifted his weight, creeping forward on the branch.  He hovered over her, waiting for her to look up at the sound of his breathing.  She didn't.

It dropped out of the trees at Malena, snarling maw descending towards her face.  Instinctively, Malena stepped backwards, letting her bodyweight shift and take her into a reverse tumble that brought her out from beneath the Titanspawn and back up into a crouch.  She smiled at it, toothy and wide.  It growled low in its throat and then spoke, "Kin of Tāne, I am the master of this place.  Leave and I will allow your bones to remain in your flesh for but a little longer."

She laughed in its ugly dog-like face.  "You've been watching too many Brock Landers movies, friend.  Where are the children you've stolen, hound?"

It growled again and darted forward, crouching low.  Malena leapt backwards, wrists coming forward in a snapping motion.  Her bracelets slapped against the backs of her palms and then flowed forward, forming into the familiar shark-toothed weapons she called Ukupanipo's Bite.  She spun, slashing out at the charging Titanspawn, who stopped short as it registered the weapons' appearance.

'Ilio circled, newly wary of the girl who'd come to face him.  He'd thought, given her relative clumsiness in coming through the forest, that she would be an incapable fighter.  Her sudden response to his attack had changed that perception for him.  He changed tactics.  "I've eaten all the children.  They were delicious.  Would you like to weep over their bones before I eat you, too?"

Malena grinned at the Titanspawn.  "Darling, the only way you'll make me weep is by your stench.  I know they're alive.  The girl you lost told me as much."

"Ah yes, the bait."

Malena pivoted as he stalked circles around her, keeping her right hand and the weapon there trained on the center of his chest.  "You're a descendant of Kaupe, no?  I heard your kind have no control, chasing after women like dogs in heat.  Trying to create more of your filthy kind."

"Are you offering to take their place?"  Malena danced right as he feinted towards her left.

"In your dreams."  She returned her own feint, watching as he guarded low as she took a sharp step forward.  And then all her tactical scheming ended as he doubled in size.  She backpedaled, her clothing twisting into a full set of tactical infiltraition gear.

'Ilio grinned, more like a dog's corpse rictus than any semblance of actual pleasure.  He lumbered towards the Kin if Tāne, clawed hands flexing.  I wonder, he thought, what a crossbreed of one of her kind and one if mine would be.  The strength of such a being...

Malena recovered, shaking herself to break fron the fear.  Boundibg forward and under the Titanspawn's outstretched arms.  Lightning quick, she struck at his solar plexus, driving the air from his lungs and ripping his flesh.

But it swatted her away like a fly and flex its midsection, revealing unbroken skin.  Malena's eyes widened in horror.  She scrambled for any inkling of a plan.

'Ilio laughed to himself as the girl turned and ran.  She bounded into the forest like a frightened rabbit and he was all to happy to oblige and play the role of hungry wolf.

Malena could hear the child of Kapue hot on her heels.  She dodged around trees and leaped a fallen trunk, all the while heading north.  A low hanging branch threatened to block her way, but a right cross burst it into a splintery explosion.  She pressed on.

'Ilio could smell the woman's fear.  It was aromatic and delightful, promising him months of enjoyment before her usefulness was expended.  He pounded on, focused, growing closer, ever closer, to his prey.

Malena heard rushing wind and water and pivoted abruptly to her left and sprang forward.  The Titanspawn was mere inches behind her, but with all his bulk, he couldn't turn as nimbly as she could.  He charged into open air, legs still pumping like a cartoon and begun to plummet.  Malena crept to the edge and looked down after him.

'Ilio howled at the Kin of Tāne as she gazed down at him.  He cursed her and her parentage.  And then all was black.

Malena watched the surf for signs of the Titanspawn surfacing, but after twenty minutes there was nothing.  Satisfied, she turned back to the forest to go and find the kidnapped children.

Darkness Warm and Sweet

(Warning: Adult, but not strongly so, situations to follow)

Leander sat near one of the torches impaled in the sand every few yards on the beach.  Before him tropical waves darted in and out of the edge of the firelight, twinkling.

He sighed, hearing the soft crunch of the fine sand beneath a light step.  For a moment, his hand went to his belt, to the buckle there that could be a spear with but a thought.  His other things were stowed in the provided bungalo the Atua had provided him; here, in the heart of Au-ruroa, there should be no need of them.  Without turning, he said, "No use trying to hide Malena.  I know you've been sent be Pele to bring me back."

"She's done no such thing, Lee.  I'm here for me," retorted the Atua demigoddess as she crossed into the Son of Athena's view.  A child of Hina, Malena was lovely.  She was tan and dark of eye and hair, and built along athletic lines moreso than buxom like some of her half-sisters.  Both graceful and forceful described her as she moved down the beach.  If Leander was honest, he thought he might be more than casually infatuated with her.

He smiled at her.  "Oh really.  I haven't seen you all night, but if I do, I'll let you know that you're looking for you."

She laughed, standing in front of him, hands on hips and head back.  Involuntarily, his gaze traveled up her bare legs, to the short sundress decorated with a stylized picture of the moon above a sea full of eels.  Leander wasn't quite sure, but he felt like it moved each time he didn't focus on it.  And then, suddenly, it was all he could see as she moved in close.  After a dizzying moment of the moon inches before his eyes, she dropped onto his lap, straddling his legs and face close to his.

"Now do you understand, you foolish Greek?" she asked, locking eyes with him.

"I'm really more of an American," Leander responded, not looking away.

She laughed again and leaned in, kissing him furiously.

When he was freed and had caught his breath, he asked, "What exactly are you looking for out of this night?"

She ran a hand through his hair.  "Well... you're leaving tomorrow.  I thought I'd give you something to remember your new family by..."

Leander smile, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.  "Oh really."

She nipped at his nose.  "Stop playing hard to get, foolish boy.  I know you're as interested as I am."

She wriggled atop him and he had no recourse to deny her words.  He sighed again, having known this moment was coming.  "You're right.  Absolutely right.  But I can't."

She frowned at him, leaning back.  "Why not?  We're both adults.  You've been adopted by my pantheon, so there's no political issue."

He looked at her, waiting until her eyes met his to continue.  "I've never told anyone this, before.  I've gotten to this very moment...  Well, more than once.  But I've never gone past.  I can't.  Because I'm leaving.  I'm always leaving.  Sometimes something comes in the way when I think I'm about to move past this moment; fate's way of reminding me, I suppose, that this isn't for me, yet.  I have responsibilities to more than myself.  I can't allow myself to form the attachments that would prevent me from fulfilling them."

"Leander Adrastos...  That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."  She leaned in against him.  "And, in some ways, it just makes me more determined.  Let fate stop us!  Let it try!  We'll have our fun over its objections."

He breath was hot on his neck as she moved against him, clothes still separating them.  His hands clenched in her dress, pulling her closer, ever closer.  He buried his face in her hair, drinking in the scent of her, like seafoam and coconut.

And so he didn't see the wave coming until it washed over them.  The force of it pushed them apart and washed the torch away, quenching its flame.  She tumbled away, writhing and turning to rise up in a crouch, moon playing off her skin and hair.  He looked at her as if to say See?

She laughed again.  He loved the sound.  It was, perhaps, one of the largest parts of his affection for her.  She looked the skies above, calling, "Okay, fates.  You may claim him a little longer.  But soon or late, I'll be able to walk his path with him, and you won't stop my claim then!  He will be mine!"

She stalked back towards him, eyeing the waves as if she expected them to push them apart again. Leander laughed.  "And you mine."

She smiled, and knelt to kiss his forehead.  "Of course."

He smiled and kissed her hand.  "But tonight, we can at least sit together."

Other posts on Scion and Leander.  Related recap.

Demigods in the Underworld

Other posts on Scion and Leander.  Last recap.

A little retconning to follow up on last session...  Lha-mo has the ring and Nick didn't disappear,as his player was able to come back.  He hit on some Atua, which is as it should be.

When last we saw the Demigods now known as the Hestia, they had been asked to go into two different underworlds at the behest of two very different individuals owed favors by various members of the band.  Nick and  Brock filled in a few more of the details of the task set to them by Kane and the rest of the team discussed how they might need to delay their trip to rescue Agwe's daughter Genevieve.  Leander pointed out that it was likely that they could travel from Yomi to Guinee by finding a large body of water and diving straight down into it.

Ultimately, the band decided they needed to push on to Yomi first and informed Skulldug and the crew of Genevieve's ship that they'd have to stop there first.  They set out, following a compass that would lead them to Guinee until the ship suddenly turned and dove into the water (it's amazing Brock didn't talk about almost being in Pirates of the Caribbean) and emerged into Yomi.  On the horizon, there were several villages, some looking like ancient Japanese fishing towns and others like their more modern counterparts.  The Demigods directed the crew to bring them to one of the more modern ones, in particular looking for one that would have been built near the time that the atomic bombs would have been dropped on Japan.

When the Scions arrived at the village, they were a spectacle, not likely helped by the fact that once they were off the ship it transformed into sand which flowed into a pouch which had appeared on Leander's belt.  Quickly, they were confronted by a dignified ghost which began to yell at them in Japanese.  At first, none of the Hestia could understand them, but their divine heritage helped both William and Nick to learn the language quickly.  They discovered he was telling them that the Demigods don't belong.  Eventually, he stormed off.

Soon thereafter, the band was approached by another individual, younger and more modern.  He spoke to them in English and stated that he was a big fan of Brock's work.  He warned of the Shikome and invited the band to a place where they could discuss how thinks work in Yomi.  Unfortunately, he led us to a shady warehouse and after the band entered, they discovered the people inside were worshipers of Mikaboshi.

They discussed how the traditions of the ghosts of Yomi were keeping them from having a happy afterlife and how the Shikome would ravage them at any provocation, saying that Mikaboshi had promised them release from their pain.  Rivkah, speaking for most of her friends, told them they were fools and the fight was on.  Supernatural darkness flooded the warehouse and the Hestia went to work.  Unfortunately for the Titan-worshipping ghosts, they were rather weak and the Demigods were filled with divine righteousness.  They fell in droves as, outside, a high keening began.

As the Titansworn were routed, the  symbol of Mikaboshi was cracked in two and the darkness faded.  Then it became clear that the Shikome were coming to put down the fight with extreme prejudice.  Thinking quickly, Nick transformed himself into a visage very similar to his own, but with Japanese features.  He directed the Shikome towards the fleeing Titansworn and they passed by the Hestia without incident.

From there, the Demigods scouted the surrounding landscape, spotting the various villages and a large market city, as well as the Poison Sun Ward and Yellow Spring Mountain.  After considering for a moment, the Demigods decided to head to the Yellow Spring Mountain to attempt to gain permission for their mission to the Poison Sun Ward from Inzanami.

After a relatively short journey, the band arrived at the foot of the mountain, to find a great line arrayed before a striking woman, like a giant Shikome of both terrible visage and immense grace.  This, then was the Dark Matron of the Shikome.  Clearly, the line was avoiding approaching her, but when the Hestia voiced their intent to do so, those in the line, muttering about "her mood," pushed them to the front.

Leander hurriedly dredged up all he could recall of Japanese etiquette and briefed the team.  The Hestia decided to make a gift to the Dark Matron and Inzanami a gift of one of the fire-resistance charms they'd had made by Athena.  Nick prepared a speech to convince the Dark Matron of the team's need to head into the Poison Sun Ward.

The discussion went well, overall, because the Dark Matron did not decide to unleash her Shikome upon the Hestia and promises to "forget" that the band had approached her to ask permission.  The Ward was offlimits to all, including the soldiers of Yomi.  Inzanami remained distant.  As the Demigods left, the Dark Matron ordered her Shikome to slaughter the assembled crowd, so as to prevent there being witnesses to her "forgotten" discussion.  It took an act of will for Leander to turn his back on the slaughter.

The Demigods began, from there, the long walk towards the wall around the Poison Sun Ward.  After quite a few hours, including Leander riding Tak-me, they began to approach a large area with an airfield surrounded by military buildings and Edo period fortresses.  The Hestia hunkered down for a moment, to discuss their plan.  It seemed like the military would be unlikely to support their attempts to cross the wall, so instead, the strategy was to steal a WWII era bomber and fly over the wall to face off against the infantile Titan.

As the band discussed, a jeep with several Japanese soldiers emerged from the base travelling down the road toward the markets.  The Demigods emerged from hiding and Nick managed to bluff them into giving him their jeep, which the team turned around and headed towards the airfield.  Rivkah, driving, used her divine speed to breach the perimeter in the blink of an eye and then the Hestia hustled onto the bomber they'd sighted.  Rivkah got it airborne and provided it with the same divine speed enhancement as the jeep.

It was slow taking off, and the alarms of the base went off.  Anti-aircraft fire went off, tearing a hole in the plane as Leander gathered parachutes and switched his glasses to detecting radiation.  And then the team was over the wall and gazing down onto the poisoned streets of the Ward.