Vernon
"Two in number..." The cat replies with a questioning tone, mulling it over in her head.

". .. Are you sure there's *Just* Two...?" She tilts her head at the tail-end of the question. ".. There's another tower on this floor, and it has some kind of scripture at its peak detailing *Four* Prayers." She holds up her fingers and counts out what she can remember, anglicizing the words and butchering them mightily; a byproduct of not being in her native tongues.

"Ozwek, destruction..." One finger, the cat clears her throat for the next name, having heard it when facing the Silver Knight. "Quetaa Ezuek, purity.." Two.. "Vee Ezuek, protection, and.." Three... "Co-ckkckve Ezuek." The artificer stumbles and trips over her words trying to pronounce such a tongue-twister of a name, taking a deep breath. "Reversion." Four.

"Two different styles of prayer, yes... Disparity, which... You already know about, and the prayers of *Unity*, which..." She raises an eyebrow, "You... Don't know about." She nods her head, confirming her thoughts on the matter.

"Right, well... In that case, I won't proceed further until you're caught up to speed, and I respect your wishes..." *Best not to make enemies of the guy who's wielding nuclear sun power, even if it delays the return to Ursa..*

She bows her head and listens carefully. "The Knights of Sol... The..." She trails off, quietly whispering the word "Splintered..." Under her breath, before looking back to the distraught man.

". . . Wait..."

"The scripture I read mentioned your brother, I... Think?" She speaks, unsure of what she's really saying. "I. .. Don't remember the exact words, though... I didn't read it very thoroughly before heading off." *Stupid idea to not, huh...*

_ _
She remembers something about the Splintered Knights, and a flash of recognition crawls across her face. It was something that *One of them had said*, as *Keen Mind* Works its magic.

". .. Remember your Oaths, and do not hesitate to serve the *Taae Cheit Ezer*, as Guardians..." She repeats aloud for him to hear. 

' ... What's the *Taae Cheit Ezer*.." She wonders verbally in a hushed tone, leaning back and trying to recall any information she might have already gathered.
Beverly
```diff
- "𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝒶𝓎, 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓉𝓌𝑜?"```

The guardian questioned with some confusion at her mentioning of not *Two,* But *Four* Prayers of Sol. Pausing in brief, the guardian again raised his brow, and revealed just how little he knew of the state of the *Ark* Following his centuries-long sleep. He would remain silent in thought following the statement, attempting for quite some time to wrap his head about the concept — *Was he not the first to actually coordinate the beliefs of the Order of the Knights of Sol into a manifest prayer?* Certainly, many of its members had manifested the raw, miraculous mana of Sol on many occasions, and had been shown to be capable of weaving such tremendous energy in demonstrations of power vaguely reminiscent of spells... Yet none had actually created something so refined and so attuned with the nature of the Sun that it could rightfully be called a 'prayer'.

The thought would linger in his mind for some time, and, following these whirling thoughts, he would come to a simple conclusion.
_ _

```diff
- "𝑅𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉...
- "...𝐼𝓉 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝒷𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓋𝑒."```

He spoke, trailing off with a sigh. Remorse lingered within the tone of his words, and he briefly shifted his gaze up, toward the false-green sky above.

...

Humoring her further questions, he would remain silent up until the point she quoted the sole words that the Knights of Sol had spoken to her. He knew not of who she quoted, and yet those words that she clearly, herself, did not contrive, would resonate with a slight familiarity in his mind. A worrying familiarity, and one that brought an inexplicable sense of *Anxiety.* As if he had forgotten something critically important to the very foundation of his character...

```diff
- "𝒪𝓊𝓇 𝐿𝑜𝓇𝒹, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒯𝒶𝒶𝑒 𝒞𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓉 𝐸𝓏𝑒𝓇—"```

He spoke, breaking his hesitation with a response to her question,

```diff
- "𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝓇𝓊𝑒—𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝐸𝓏𝑒𝓇—𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝓂 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝓇𝓀 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒻𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓉𝓎."
- "𝐻𝑒 𝒾𝓈... 𝑔𝑜𝒹𝓀𝒾𝓃. 𝒪𝓊𝓇 𝓋𝑜𝓌𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓊𝓈 𝑔𝓊𝒾𝒹𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓊𝓈 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓃𝑔𝓉𝒽."```
_ _

Aazkue briefly reminisced upon the first day that he met the *Ezer.* In the moment that he entered his divine presence, he felt a sensation akin to the first day that he stepped foot on the dreadful surface, albeit much more pure, and *Living* In nature. It was as if he stepped into the influence of an astral body, one that weighed heavily on the very essence of his soul, itself. Yet still under the tutelage of the Hero of the Sun during that time, he otherwise likely could not have contained the sheer fear imparted by such a sensation if she — Eikokue — was not there to grant him strength.

The guardian let a breath slip from between his lips as he concluded the brief description of the Ezer, speaking with a weighty tone of reverence on the subject. He took a deep breath in following the words of explanation, and again paused, holding his tongue further from any succeeding statements to follow such hallowed words.
Anne
As Kuouo and Cumhall approach the scene where they once made battle, they are greeted with not only the sight of Aazkue, but so too yet another outsider, the same as the two themselves. Tabby Browncoat, the artificer, currently in conversation with the imposing figure of the guardian — whose aura of crimson-red still faintly flickered at his outline with a dominant ferocity.

As they and the physician approach, closer and closer, coming to the realization that they are not the only one who has made contact with the now-awakened guardian, they will soon come to yet another realization—

*There's someone on their tail, and fast in approach...*
Laura
***`"YOU ROTTEN MOTHERFUCKER!"`***

Gritting his teeth harshly, and running in full-sprint behind Kuouo, Cumhall, and Zocheiz, was *Aatkei,* Only recently emerging into their sightlines as he charged with a furious ferocity forwards — towards the tremendous figure of the knelt guardian. Within his eyes and visage were the flagrant expressions of a multitude of emotions: sheer, seething *Wrath,* A faint sense of sorrow, and even what was vaguely reminiscent of horror. Clutching tight in his right hand a sharpened piece of metal debris — lacking of his dagger, for he parted ways with it on the path as he escorted Kuouo to the Exile's Watch — he continued to progress forth in a hasty and reckless gait, only sparing the briefest of moments to shoot a glare toward the group who was, too, approaching the one he identified in a heartbeat as Aazkue. 

He hadn't the rationality to spare to come up with an explanation as to why *They, the outsiders,* Were here, and he further didn't even *Care.* All his troubled mind could focus on, in this moment, was the pent-up anger that overflowed throughout his veins, and the unconscious expectation of catharsis that would come with the fulfillment of his sole goal here:

***`I'll fucking kill you.`***

An expression that brinked on the definition of deranged manifested itself on Aatkei's face, as he stared with dead-set intent on the crippled guardian. He wielded the sharpened piece of debris in his right hand with naught but that intent — *To take Aazkue's life.* There was a reason, yet no rhyme behind the thought, his feet and hands guided by nothing but the virulent ferocity of hatred — a hatred long-imbedded within his very soul.
_ _

*Every day he's suffered here,*
*Every person he's lost here,*
*And his constant state of tribulation here,*

**`"𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝘽𝙀𝘿𝘼𝙈𝙉𝙀𝘿 𝙁𝘼𝙐𝙇𝙏, 𝙄𝙎𝙉'𝙏 𝙄𝙏?!"`**

*`That's right...! It's true!`*
*`That's what Father said—`*
***`If it weren't for fucking you...!`***

He was some distance from fully overtaking the group, yet at his pace, he would swiftly do so, if not intercepted. He progressed rapidly toward Aazkue — who, in his state of quietness, was still unbeknownst even to Aatkei's presence.
Vernon
She nods her head quietly, listening close to the wisdom that this venerable guardian seemingly imparted upon her. "Godkin..." She repeats mindlessly, enthralled by what this powerful, powerful man was telling her..

_** "YOU ROTTEN MOTHERFUCKER!"** _

The words ring out into the open air, multiple intruders appearing on their friendly conversation.

Noticing the gleaming metal clutched so close to the man's chest, Tabby's *Alert* Feat kicks off the encounter as her Defender — and thus, the cat herself — are brought directly in front of Aazkue, shielding him physically from the potential assault that was about to occur. *It is indeed better that another solar flare does not incinerate everyone nearby,* After-all, the voice in the artificer's head reasons.

The Defender remains interposed between Aatkei and Aazkue as the Guardian, too, moves, fully intending to keep the amulet that adorned the magic-wielder's neck under her armor. It butts its fists together as a warning sign that further intrusion would be met with retribution. Together they form a make-shift kind of wall to defend someone who very likely need not any special kind of guard.

The Defender passes up Tabby her crossbow, it loading with power granted by the arcane stone that was embedded into the very top of its flight groove, sparkling with powerful magic as she aims down the sights, serving as another possible deterrent. **"STAND DOWN."** She calls out, aiming at Aatkei as she amplifies her voice with *Thaumaturgy* Just as she did the Silver Knight. The machines finish their movement; Tabby still firmly on her Defender's shoulders as they stand well-within 5 feet of Aazkue.

The Defender, noticing that the Guardian made a somewhat threatening motion, decides to do the same, mimicking it entirely from start-to-finish. How unoriginal!

_ _
Although remaining inoffensive to the attacker, the trio continue to remain a threat to anyone who dare come close to the incredibly gifted Aazkue. Unable to put into words exactly *Why* Someone should submit to the will of the guard, Tabby instead decides to remain neutral; hoping that the defenses would remain steadfast and stave off whatever would potentially end negatively for the enraged assailant. Of course, due to the nature of action economy, Tabby is unable to take any other action than the aforementioned cantrip. Her automatons both take the *Dodge* Action, unable to do much else at this point in time.

Because of this turn of events, Tabby is forced to *End her Turn* With no real deterrent aside from the outward threat she sends to Aatkei and those who would seek to damage the enlightened being she seeks to protect.