As Lukho walked towards the other victors of the fights, those that had earned the right of standing on this hallowed turf, he began to weigh the best course of action to get what he was after. It was always a tricky situation to maneuver social circles that had known enmity between each other, a careless remark could be construed as a slight, and not observing the proper hierarchy was the highest offence. Though the hierarchy largely depended on who was asked, it was still an important aspect to observe. And that, without even voicing his intentions, had already become his first hurdle.

The peacocks were already preening as they saw him walk in their direction, to his left was a member of the Silver Cloud sect, one of the south's hard schools, one that had grown and stay in prominence by forging practitioners bound for the military. Their ties to the Endless Empire's army was so strong and old that the monarchy made no effort to hide it's favouritism of the sect, giving it's members leeway among officers that even outranked its graduates. To his right was a member of the south's most prominent soft school, a sect that set the tone for others like it in the region, Dawn. A singularly dominating name for a dominant group. Their prestige was in their history, having lived and flourished through seven hundred and fifty years of existence and four different regimes, all with differing methods of rule and expected supplication. To speak of the Dawn was to speak of the nation's history, there wasn't a historian alive who could refute that.

With such storied histories and modern prominence, it was a delicate matter of who to approach first. To speak to one would be to snub the other, an act that all in his sect would hate him for because with that one act he would implicate his entire school in his folly. The solution, then, was simple, cut it down the middle. Leave the inflated egos to glare death on one another all they like and approach the one person among them who could keep the scales balanced.

Lukho arrived in front of his target, giving a slight bow of the head before greeting the woman in front of him, "Greetings, sister Asanda, I pray the night finds you well."

The lady studied him for a second, trying to recall a name she hadn't been given, "Fair greetings to you, brother, though I am ashamed to say I don't have your name."

"A blunder on my part, sister. Your beauty leaves me a clumsy mess, but now I know admiring your grace from up close would do more for my soul than from afar."

Asanda was taken aback by the humility and respect. Flowery words, sure, but ones that stroked the selfish parts of a person's heart with a feather's touch.

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"I am called Lukho, of the Dried Sea sect, a struggling wanderer, looking upon a cracked seabed from a two tiered peak, with my brother Zuko accompanying me. It would be my honour as a scholar to share whatever little of your time you can spare, sister."

Asanda studied the humble man in front of him, trying to parse his intentions but finding nothing she could grasp at. Her curiosity though was piqued. She had to know who this man and why he had approached her. She granted him the honour of her company, talking about this and that.

Asanda had a delicate standing among the attendees of the hunt, a position of some influence though she herself held no particular power of her own. Her influence relied on what she represented, not what she brought personally to the table. The practitioner held a pitiful position in her own family, being the seventh of eight siblings and the fourth daughter in that hierarchy. Whatever spoils her older siblings were subjected to she was always an afterthought if not the one overlooked. Her father, however, was the diplomat for southern relations, hailing from the central part of the continent at the seat of the empire. This piece was why she was important to Lukho, and why he'd roped her into her plan. She could exert pull over the members of the two sects because they had no true position in their schools, they only held sway over those of their peers and generation, and they couldn't snub a representative of the monarchy no matter how insignificant in the grand scheme of things. And for her, a gift of feeling important. A sufficient meal for one starved as she.

"It's certainly a bold plan, brother Lukho, but it seems a long shot. If it doesn't work we'll both look like fools to everyone here. A stain that could, no, would follow us for years." Asanda was interested in the victory this ploy could bring but the consequence of being ostracised should they fail would be damning, especially for her. Southerners weren't very trustful of people not from their neck of the woods.

Lukho nodded at her words, showing a face in deep contemplation as he looked off to the side, "I understand your concern, sister, but staying here and doing nothing does us no favours. Better to be daring in purpose than stagnant in defeat." He clipped the rest of his thoughts as sharing too much would only make him look desperate and unsure of himself. Better to let his fellow practitioner muster her own courage come to the decision herself than be led there.

"There is wisdom in your words brother, how may I help you?"

To say Asanda summoned the other two to their little convocation was be harsh but true. She shared Lukho's idea with them and asked for their support in the matter; it would fall without. She used the same reasoning that was spoken to her when they brought up the question of failure. When they were all convinced of it the three invited stood together as a show of force, leaving Lukho and Zuko slightly behind them, but the Dried Sea member would not have this taken from him. If this worked it would be a significant victory not only for himself but for his sect. Those who had attended the hunt were still at the beginning of their journeys and what they could scrounge up here would be instrumental in their growth. He gathered his courage, shouldered his way past Dawn and immediately began to speak.