OOC: Nope, Halaku. Just wait...

Coer turned very slowly and cast Anei a mild glare. "No jokes," he intoned darkly. "There is nothing funny about an unprovoked attack on Fuegan, or about how it had to be burned down. How I don't know how many Galgori had to up and leave because some Lotus Eaters decided to hunt us down!" Though he had tried to keep his voice down, it rose slowly.

"We have to play on their sense of honor," Taed said offhand to Di-Jei. "That's the thing that matters most to a Galgori. We play on their honor for them to not break the Pact, but at the same time manuever around the issue so that we don't have to pay retribution for the attack on Fuegan." He shrugged Akane's shoulders and looked around, still waiting for Beshimi to arrive.

(Meh. Here I go.)

Anei stepped closer to Coer during hsi speech, ending up inches from his nose, eyes anything but amused. Her voice was a cutting whisper, heavy with memories, "And you think that I'm somehow unaware of that? I, who was raised with the story of a grandfather and two uncles dying at the hands of a Fire Nation purge diverted because of the word of a Lotus agent? My sister and I have killed seventy-two Benders in three years, by blade or poison or our bare hands."

She intensified her glare, "Bodies aren't the only thing sacrificed on the altar of our honor. Minds are broken, too, twisted by blood lust or drowned in dispair at the task we face. We Hunters survive by being able to filter away our true selves and become the warriors we need without sulliying what we are. And until you can understand that, not even honor will be able to save you from what the Long War can do to you."

OOC: Right. Back in action again.

Coer growled. "On our island, honor is exactly what the other person makes it. I was kidnapped away from my father, my last living relative. I was kept in a cage in the mountains for two years. I had to learn to fight in order to avoid being abused, and when I finally was powerful enough to escape, my father found me and we killed the insurgents with our bare hands. That may be nothing in numbers compared to you and your sisters killing benders, but it's what the Mothguaith call 'honor.' So I hope you're not implying that I'm without it."

He wiped his brow, covered in sweat, and added in the spirit of compromise, "We're both stressed and cranky. Let's get through this mission — together — and then we can start swearing at each other again." Coer looked into Anei's eyes and found himself eerily attracted (again) to the fire burning within them.

Taed heard Di-Jei's reply but he wasn't really paying attention. I'm getting anxious, Akane. We really ought to move before the Galgori get an ambush ready; the leader of the Challenge party didn't really agree with my method of trying to achieve peace. Where is your Beshimi?!

Juraia rested on one knee, shrouded by her cloak and hat as she medatated on the past and the present and the future... She had been here before, one of six to round out a Challenge Party twelve years ago. This one would end in no ecalation and the death of the Lotus Eaters, yes, but it would not end in the destruction of HER Party. No. It would not...

Anei's glare didn't weaken one iota as she monotoned, "If I thought you were without honor. You wouldn't be worth my time. And I meant what I said." With this, a smile bloomed on her face, the older twin impulsively leaning forward for a quick kiss on Caer's cheek before spinning on her heel and heading into the darkness.

(Whee... Where are the Lotus? La la la la...)

Tenrai remembered now why she had not wanted to come here, despite the fact that it was crawling with Fire Benders ready to burn her to a crisp. She was highly distinguishable from other Fire Bender, even though her skin had darkened from many months spent traveling. The Galgori had to wear thick clothes to hide her own. Instead of simply striding in like a fool, she had to bind her snow white locks tight and hide them under a hood. The shadow hid her face, and so Tenrai was free to let her gaze wander from person to person.

When supplies ran low, and you didn't expect to come upon somewhere to restock, you had to take what was available. She had been going on without food for a few days, but with her stomach empty, she lacked energy and was vulnerable. Treading on Fire Nation soil, that was not good. Especially not for a bender hunter like herself. Her Tessen fans were tucked in her sash (which was also concealed beneath a large cloak, as her colors weren't the most popular and stuck out as much as every other part of her). They were ready to whip out and slash any challenger. Every sense tingled with awareness, every person a possible enemy. She avoided eye contact and simply approached the nearest stand. Bread would do well enough for now.

Reaching into her pockets, the hunter found a meager supply of coins and grumbled, tossing the coins onto the counter. "I'll take anything I can get with this, whatever comes in the greatest supply. So long as I get something." 'Some source of income needs to be found. Soon.'

However, she simply took the bundle of food offered to her and turned around, setting off. Every building could conceal an enemy waiting to leap out. The sooner she got out, the better.

Tenrai's stomach rumbled, and she sighed turning into an alley. Okay, after lunch then. Whatever worked. Sitting down, the Galgori pulled off a small portion of bread. 'A short lunch, not some leisure time. You have fasted this long. With a small bit more, it won't hurt to go on.'

Enjoying the rest for the small time it lasted, she took the first bit of food she'd had in a few days time, feeling some of the energy lost come back with each bite.

(( Wandering... Absently. Without a purpose. And trying to recover from my slack in RPing. ))

Akane had been playing the waiting game, knowing that if they went into the temple now she probably wouldn't be walking out again. Beshimi must be having problems...perhaps he will show when we need him most. For now, we are spitting in the faces of the Galgori just standing here.. she thought, still unable to control her body. Conflict was almost inevitable in this situation, but perhaps this priest could mend the situation. At least, temporarily.

Hey! Priest! It is time. We can not wait for Beshimi any longer, we must face the Galgori now. Tell Di-Jei to stay behind, and be careful around the Galgori. There is no doubt in my mind that they have the scales weighed in their favor. Make sure he knows to keep track of every Galgori he sees and that he is prepared for battle.. she told Taed, trying to still have slight control over the situation, despite the fact that she wasn't at all in control.

After he short speech, Akane felt a wave of anxiousness hit her. She hadn't really realized until then the full inpact of the situation. If she died here today, the ranks of the Lotus would slowly but surely crumble. This could be the end of the Shadow War. This could be the end of the Order.

Understood, Taed mentally saluted to Akane, and looked at Di-Jei. "I understand, Di-Jei. We'll just have to go without Beshimi. I will go ahead myself. Approach silently from the trees around the east face and stay as far away as you can while still keeping an eye on me. I have an ace up my sleeve but I may not get the chance to play it."

He began to ride Akane's mount up toward the temple, but then stopped and called back over her shoulder, "If I'm knocked out, come in as quickly as possible and identify me as 'Tayd.'" A snap of the reins and the mount ran quickly up the hill toward the temple. Akane... I wish us both good luck. As he rode, he had another thought. Why do the Order and the Conclave hate each other so much?

(Heh. Go time. Galgori... Let us begin. Minor timeskip.)

Hokori spotted the shadow of a movement from her perch just within the temple entrance, scrabbling down and further into the complex over the broken fixings once she confirmed the outline of a Firebender female atop a riding lizard. The younger twin whistled long and lowly, seeking to alert her fellow Hunters and keeping in cover.

Anei had found a suitable sniper's nest by now, the shaft of her weapon peaking out through the railing on the third story of the structure. A single glistening dart rolled back and forth between her thumb and forefinger after the call, ready to be loaded and fired once 'talks' ended as expected... Death to the Lotus.

Juraia smiled at the signal, the Veteran Hunter rising from her crouch and giving each of her ground support a simple nod. She adjusted the wide-brimmed hat again, light green eyes fixed on the opening from which at least one Lotus agent would enter this most sanguine of holy places. The irony stirred her to a last, flickering smirk as she considered the mixed blood that these stones had drunk.

Akane breathed long and smoothly, trying to release some of her nerves. Except of course that it still wasn't truly Akane; it was Taed. Though by now he was pretty sure that part of both of them had come together to form some unique individual, one that hopefully had the power to keep this confrontation from escalating. Something that worried this new individual was the fact that there was only one Lotus member backing him/her up. But that was a risk she/he had to take.

Here we go, Taed spoke mentally to Akane as he had her body step off of the mount and begin the trek into the temple. He stopped just before he passed the threshold and waited a moment, and then called inside, "Juraia, veteran Hunter of the village of Fuegan. The party of the Order of the White Lotus has arrived, and one seeks to answer. Call from within if you are ready to meet with me." There was a pause and then he added, with some amusement, "I wouldn't want to enter if your assasins aren't quite in position to kill me off just yet."

Coer twitched, and gave Anei an odd look. His eyes were filled with question: why would an emissary of the White Lotus sound so unserious in this sort of situation? Did it imply she was overly prepared for this, that the Galgori were outnumbered? He turned his glance back down to Juraia and watched patiently. Suddenly something clicked. This couldn't be... no... he wouldn't...

Taed stepped forward without hesitation, but inside he was a little nerve-wracked. That sounded poetic. Did I forget to ask you if there was a formula to these confrontations, Akane? He brought the elder bender's hands together and bowed low. "Forgive that little humor on my part, honored Huntress. In these stressful times I believe our peace can be better achieved through relaxed discussions." Akane rose again and looked Juraia right in her eye. "According to that formula of yours, you are given the honor of the first word."

Coer rolled his eyes and narrowed them at the obviously female, obviously elderly, White Lotus member on the floor with Juraia. "...shia Keir Sae... ci por. Thes."

Taed stroked Akane's chin thoughtfully. "It's Master Akane, by the way. I apologize for failing to properly introduce myself, since I already knew who you were."

Akane's hand fell and Taed spoke fluently. "Oldest and simplest of terms, you say. My memory's not what it used to be, so I'll take your word for it that it has been done before. But if that's the oldest of solutions that we have, and there are still so many problems between us, I hardly call it a solution. Not to mention, if I had come alone... which you probably doubt that I did, and rightly so... I would automatically be the one that you spare to send the message back. A flawed idea."

Taed leaned heavily on the doorframe. "Juraia. I did not come here to fight. Master bender I may be considered, but you know as well as I do that bending does not automatically indicate superiority. In many cases I'd argue that it actually makes a person less of a person. And so, I actually intended to come here and speak. Not fight. There's got to be some other way to ensure this doesn't happen again."