27th July 2021 - Do You Know Who I Am?
The palace is at the top of a large staircase, which leads to many large rooms. Before entering the halls she runs up and down the steps to pump up her energy. After she warms herself up she slips off her cloak and places it on the steps. She heads to the Royal Hall.
Inside there is an attendant, and they look down at her. She scrunches her nose at him as he asks her for her name. She chooses her most recent moniker; Xanthia Ornis, Champion of the Mountain.
The king of Mytros; Acastus Arkelander, opens his arms to her in a welcome.
He greets her warmly and asks her about her coin.
“Where did you get it? You said your mother?”
“I am the Champion of the Mountain, the Yellow Bird of the Cerulean Coast and the daughter of the Nereid of Mytros Bay, Pandora..”
Acastus is delighted to hear her name. He says “She is the love of my life.” Xan is disheartened.
“Was” She tells the king that her mother is dead.
“I came home to carnage. Poor Pan, my little puppy was gone - crushed under my bed. He’d been hiding from something, from someone. Our little home was broken into, my house was destroyed, and my mother lying in the wreckage, injured. She told me that we were attacked. She told me to find my father. So here I am.”
Acastus’s face drops and he leans in. He tells Xanthia that his mother was pregnant, but political machinations got Pandora exiled. He suspects that it is Vallus who sent his love away to the Isle of Exiles, and then to further their pain, killed Pandora using godly powers. Xan was lucky to not be there that day. He tells Xan he is her father. She is Xanthia Arkelander.
Xan is sceptical but has nothing else to go on. They take a walk around the garden.
Xan recounts her life and how terrible it was, and asks why he was gone. He is not able to provide a clear answer to her that she accepts.
He tells Xan that although he believes she is his daughter, there will be people closely linked to the king who are not happy with this new heir. She must find a way to prove her lineage, and then she can claim her place in Mytros.
As Vallus as the driving force behind both the banishment and death of Pandora, it is clear she must not know about Xanthia before she is able to bring this proof. If it is discovered before this Xan could meet the same unfortunate fate as her mother.
Acastus says that Xan must prove her heritage by reclaiming The Ultros.
Acastus tells her there is already a crew going after the legendary ship; The Oracles Chosen. She tells her she could either steal it from under their nose or she could ask to join their fellowship promise. Xan is sure that although it may be fun to commandeer a ship, she is too close to her first mate Theo to even think of betraying him. She is even feeling closer to the Angel of Music Calliope, who has joined forces on many accounts during the games. And that coin - what does she have a coin too?
The ship should be no problem - she knows the tales but just needs to find out the truth in the stories to hunt it down. Acastus calls her ‘daughter; Xanthia Arkelander’, and they part ways. She leaves through the main hall, reaching out to the pile of silver coins as she goes - but is thwarted by the big silver beast swooping down from the sky. She backs off muttersing “it’s my family's money anyway dragun…”
Back to the chosen
As she walks back through the fresh air towards the academy, she tries to recall what she knows about the Ultros and dragonlords. Tales from the Messias always talked about their ‘dragunlawds’ and that nobody is a true Lawd until they have tamed and won over one of the beasts. Xan always thought a sea monster would be a much more impressive feat.
As she comes to the Academy steps she thinks about the best way to approach the party about their fellowship promise. She holds her dragonlord coin tightly decide that Calliope is a good way in.
She overhears the riddles in the main hall of the academy - words and words with double meanings and secrets and some seem to make perfect sense to the watchers. Xan sits outside the academy on the steps, re-lacing her sandals and staring up at the sky while she lets her mind wander to a possible future as a royal descendent.
As the riddles come to an end, Xan jumps up and shoots across the crowds to find her friends - she spots Calliope through the milling bodies and dips through to meet her. She finds her just as the first place is announced. Theo is named the victor. Xan shouts over the crowds in joy as she sees Theor’s head pop up over the crowds as he stands on a chair to claim his adoration from the crowds.
The following morning the party is lined up to take part in the Duo Chariot race. Hippofilius and Braz take the helm of the chariot and ready themselves for the race. Helikaon readies a spell to lift their competing chariot into the air to take the weight from the horses backs. Xan is excited to see this magic in action.
The race begins. As the horses turn the corner, the speed increases incredibly quickly. Xan is suddenly grateful that Braz and Hipofilius are the ones on the course. As they start out Team Hooves is in first place, quickly followed by the mountain runner up Cy and his companion. Braz drops a bolas on the track right in the path of Cy, and successfully gum up their chariot. Xan is delighted to see her mountain nemesis failing. The carts move out of sight as the race continues. They come second.