Zavakri tittered, chittered, chirruped, and assaulted the nails upon her left hand in a thinly veiled visage of anxious deliberance as Aurora cut her political deal with the bullywugs. The woman had thrown her lot in with her companions’ direction on these matters, but it wasn’t until the final deal thoroughly struck and notarized[sup]*[/sup] that she seeemd to finally relax. She made a stiff bow, twisted on a heel, and trodded after Aurora into the semblance of privacy offered in accordance with Hospitality by their hosts.

As soon as Zavakri took a knee and leant upon the window, she seemed as if about to speak- but was silenced by the uproar of the Bullywugs. Her gaze shifted as if drawn by the outburst to the outer world, where she witnessed the rising of the balloon. Her eyes narrowed, then began to glow from within in the now-familiar clockwork display of her magic. She lifted her now teeth-hewn left hand and framed the balloon with her index and thumb fingers, a spectral grid projecting from her eyes and framing within her hand’s parameters. She shifted her hand slightly, the gridwork aligning with the hot air balloon as glowing points began to appear along the path of the carriage.

“…Mm, sloppy flightwork, could be smoother. Shape of that balloon makes for some strange aerodynamics, good gust of wind would set it right into a spin. At least it’s got the lads spirits up. We may have our work cut out for us if they’re a minority, though.”

She lowers her hand, the magical mathematica evaporating from her gaze. Without even looking up to make sure her intended recipient had, in fact, followed them into this period of rest Zavakri continued. She remained gazing out of the window at the balloon, simple curiosity rather than analytical graphing.

“This is a plan straight out of Rirvudd’s stories, but there’s one thing I want to clear the air with to balance the scales. Er, so to speak. If it’s not my place to say anything then so be it, but I just wanted to make it abundantly clear that unless you’re a remarkably different character than I’ve got you pegged for, it wasn’t your fault Gabe. I certainly don’t trust you any less, I don’t fear for your magic gone awry, I don’t find myself second guessing your judgement, and I certainly don’t find myself disliking your company. Accidents happen. We can’t… we can’t know every variable, every formula, every function. In my eyes, you’re a brave man who tried to help a friend in a time of danger and that’s what matters.”

She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

“The only thing you’re guilty of is being a better person than me. I don’t like to admit it, but part of me is still afraid of Brut and I can’t help but wonder if the cosmos would be a more balanced place without him in it. But I have to acknowledge that part of me, about how he seems to live a life so antithetical to my own, and remind myself that doesn’t make him unworthy of his own life and quest. If any of us are guilty of anything, it’s me for having to even debate if his dying would have even been such a bad thing.”


She grew quieter as she spoke. She tapped at her temple with her fingers, eyes half closed as she admitted this to herself aloud as much as them.

“We’re all bound together. By this place, by our dreams, by our purpose, by this quest of ours. If we aren’t honest with ourselves and each other, we’ll fall prey to the foul chaos of this place and end up facing ourselves and our reflections moreso than our foes and their machinations. I’m sorry for rambling, I was trying to clear the air and I guess I had some more murky thoughts in my head than I realized…”

She lifted her head to finally look around the room sheepishly, blinking as if she had forgotten she was even trying to speak to people aloud.