"Damn it all, father, you can't just mount a war from nothing!" Eli shouted angrily, slamming his fist upon the large, engraved, map of Formaroth in the Mercy War Room. "Think of the logistics, the supplies, the manpower-"

"Conscript from the land en masse, men and women who have already sired children. I need an army. I've already written letters to some mercenary contacts I've maintained, and I've even sent a few letters to some old friends of mine. Eli, just do what I say." Giles' voice was cold, harsh, unwavering. It had been ever since Naomi had suffered her injuries. Where Eli's passion and anger showed on his face and in his words, Giles carried himself coldly and with great distance.

"I see. You plan on turning the kingdom into...what, a mercenary company? Father, that's idiotic, we can conscript but not that heavily. Leave the women to their children- why do you want to raise the women anyway?"

At this Giles scoffed and gestured as if the answer were obvious.

"Boy. When you think of men fighting, what image comes to mind?"

Eli paused and considered the question.

"One of the fighting rings, or soldiers with swords and shields on the field."

"Exactly. Each of those areas has rules. Even the battlefield, the warzone, is prey to..honor, rules, expectations. When two men fight they throw punches, hit the gut and face. When two soldiers clash they swing sword and parry and so on and so forth. Now, what do you think of when you imagine two women fighting?"

Eli paused once more.

"...Chaos. Clawing, pulling hair, spitting and biting and scratching."

"And absolutely nothing held back or reserved." The Old Man added with a wicked smile. "Think of your sisters. They may be exceptional individuals, yes, but they don't break this pattern one bit. I knighted Beatrice so that she may participate in tourneys, but she hardly ever fights fair now does she? She grabs and throws and punches and grapples and uses every advantage she has to fight her best. Drevala? She holds nothing back either. You and I? We play with our prey, we make sport of fighting. There will always be rules that men, unspoken and unbidden, follow in a fight, that simply don't apply to women."

"You're insane. No mother will want to leave her child to go to war." Eli frowned deeply, though his mind was whirring viciously at what his father said. Women did fight...much more chaotically and violently than men did, for certain. "You'll be destroying entire families."

"Manshrew just tried to destroy mine." Giles said, the stoicism of his face betrayed by a twitch of the lips. "Not a man or woman in Alenius will stand by under the threat we face."

"What makes you so sure? We're neutral now, we can profit immensely from the arms trade and build a fortune that would make us one of the richest kingdoms in Formaroth! You're threatening to take that prospect away from a people who have been destitute their whole lives. For generations, even! We can handle this more discreetly and more exactly than rushing to war, father."

The Old Man heaved a sigh and some of the energy seemed to drop from his shoulders. Eli's own passions subsided at the sight of his father, whom had always been limitless and unstoppable, drooping.

"Alright Eli. What do you suggest?" Giles asked dryly, and Eli instantly felt his neck hairs rise on end. This was a tone he'd never had his father turn on him. Eli had to stop under the weight of this...dry, emotionless, tone. This was a tone he had heard his father use against men who were moments away from being dead.

"...I propose we strike back more subtlely. Remember how we bled his forces dry in the last war? Let's do more of the same, let's cut off his supplies and thin his numbers. Let Duncan and his forces crush Manshrew's army, then we can sit back and watch as our vengeance is done for us while we build a fortune and amass an army of our own."

Giles' features didn't move from his unimpressed dryness. "Boy, this is all a ploy so you can make your own bid for that damnable throne." The Old Man cut straight to the point, crushing Eli's building energy for the plan. "Let those two fight it out, then sweep in and take everything for ourself?"

"Just trying to funnel some of your passions father." Eli replied in his own dry tone. "I think I'd be a better ruler than a snake or some lord stuck high on his honor."

"You'd be dead within a decade. That throne is a deathwish, it doesn't matter who the king is- that's all pointless. I want Manshrew dead, so he will die- there's no politics in this, Eli." Giles' drooping features hardened again. "And I won't be manipulated by my own son. Manshrew will die because he hurt my daughter."

Eli ran a hand through his hair and shut his eyes. This... stubborn old man, his father, was incredibly frustrating to work with. Didn't he see that the throne was within their grasp?! All they had to do was take it! Eli let a sigh out and opened his eyes.

"Very well father. We can expect diplomats from both Manshrew and De Reimer, without doubt. How do you wish to handle them should they arrive?"

"Manshrew; Break his diplomat's knees and send him crawling back. If Manshrew wants to speak to me, he can do it himself in person. De Reimer; hear his offer out, you can make a better judgement on it than I can. We'll not bow to him, however. If he wishes for us to be allies against Manshrew, it'll be on equal footing and equal terms. I've bowed to enough kings in my life." Giles said, turning away from the map. "Do you understand me, Eli?"

"Yes Father." Eli bowed his head to the Old Man and looked back at the map in the same movements, his frustration hidden well but still bubbling.

"Good. Address the people of Mercy later. Get me an army, Eli..." The Old Man paused and his stoicism seemed to soften somewhat, as he glanced at his son. "But do it your way."

These were Giles' last words as he left the room.

Eli cut his eyes up and watched as his father left, and once the door to the sound-proofed room closed, Eli violently threw a pile of parchment from the table and walked away with a yell.

"...Gods damn it all...alright...alright Eli calm down...You can do this..."

He went and picked up the papers and began sorting back through them.

"You can do this. You're so close... so close..." he muttered to himself.

It was morning, and Eli was dressed in his a powerful outfit; his boots were black and worn from marching, his trousers faded from sun, rain, and wind. His tunic was black, and mostly hidden beneath a scarred, dulled, breastplate bearing the Blackwell insignia. On his arm was his leather falconeer's glove, and sheathed at his hips was his long, elegant, rapier. He wore no helmet or finery, though his clothes were of superior make- they were still simple.

However, despite the simplicity garb, there was an unmistakeable air of authority and power around Eli Blackwell. All who gazed upon him felt the weight of an intellect beyond theirs, the refinement of a lord, and the authority of a man who could be a king. He was a man many respected, and a few felt intimidated by, but beyond that he was a man who had a way with words and could see through deception with ease.

Accompanying Eli were two members of the Dragonguard, and a short man bearing the robes of an Alenius Mage.

The small group strode briskly from the castle itself and down into a courtyard, where there had been erected a platform. A large, very large, effectively massive gathering of people from within the city was present.

A few days ago, declaration had been made from the Blackwells that they would speak on Alenius, the fracturing alliance of the Soldier's Entente, the civil war, and the rumors of assassins in Mercy. That speech was to be today, and Eli Blackwell was the one to give it. His father's words- 'Get me an army'- still rang through his head and Eli set his jaw. He had a difficult task ahead of him, rousing a people was never easy...

But he did not balk from the task. He had thought hard about what needed to be said in the past few days, and he felt ready for what was to come.

He stepped up onto the platform and the Dragonguard spread out behind him, though the Mage knelt down. Eli cleared his throat once and spread his arms.

"People of Mercy!" He declared in a strong voice, before pausing. Only the chunk of people directly around him could have possibly heard him, though after a few seconds he glanced back at the mage who nodded to him.

"People of Mercy!" he declared again- this time his voice carrying over the entire crowd, as if he were standing right next to them. The mage behind Eli was working at amplifying the speech, and it was a rather succesfuly attempt at that. Only a few people here and there perceived something quieter or louder than it should be.

"I have called you all together to address issues most dire! Our nation is split in civil war once more! Manshrew and De Reimer squabble for a throne, and in the midst of this conflict our lands have come under threat!"

Eli left a pause here, partly for dramaticism and partly to let the information set in- build suspense. He began to pace the stage, full of energy, excitement, passion for the words he had to say.

"Your princess, my sister, your king's daughter, Naomi Blackwell has suffered a wound most grievous at the hands of assassins! Men bearing the sigil of house Manshrew, and weapons coated most heinously in poisons, have infiltrated the castle of Mercy and assaulted the men, women, and soldiers of this land. Some have died, others suffer from poison, but thanks to the efforts of healers, mages, and prayer others have survived. Naomi Blackwell is one who still suffers, and will continue to suffer. A man with a crossbow shot her and she became poisoned, and even now she lies still in her bed barely alive."

Another pause, once more letting the information set in. Eli folded his arms behind his back, adopting a somber air as he paced- the energy and passion not dissipating one bit from his words or actions. The people present, who heard his voice, erupted into whispers and angered yells. Everyone in Alenius loved Naomi, or at least liked her, and everyone was angered by the unwarranted and unforseen attack on their people in the castle.

"However..."

As Eli began the whisperings quietted down.

"It is not only our lives that are under threat- our very sovereignty, our independance, is under threat! A new king of Formaroth has been crowned! One who will expect us, in time, to bend our knees and accept him as our ruler! I say nay! Nay, Duncan De Reimer, you are no ruler over me!" He yelled, his somber mood shifting, subtley, to anger.

"We fought for our liberation! We fought for this kingdom! Alenius is a people who has suffered oppression, tyranny, bankruptcy, and cruelty more than any other people in Formaroth. We have fought to liberate ourselves of the oppression and memory of House Willow! We have fought to liberate ourselves of the fear and fire of dragons! We have fought to liberate ourselves of bankruptcy and debt, and now that we are at our strongest a new man- a man like any other, a man of flesh and blood... A man in a crown will ask you all to bend your knee, break your back, and give up the independance you fought and bled and worked so hard to attain!"

Eli threw his hands our, splaying his arms as if encompassing everyone present to hear his words.

"I say nay! I say Alenius will remain unbent! I say Alenius will remain independant, and that threatening our independance is just as evil as threatening our lives! I say that you, the people of Alenius, are a strong and worthy people. We have survived the flames. We have survived the crushing power of starvation. We have survived!"

Eli could tell his words were having an effect on the crowds, he could feel their energy building, he could hear their cries of agreement and their building passion- and he fed off of that, took their energy into his own and began to sweep the spark of excitement that had just flashed into existence and fan it into a flame of passion.

A flame of passion he needed to spread through the entire kingdom from his words. Words that were being penned down by scribes as he said them, words that would go through all of Alenius and build up the fervor he needed.

"People of Alenius, will you stand idly by as men, no more special than you or I, dictate who should live and die with words whispered in the dark? That men, who claim to be honorable and just, send assassins in secret to attack those of neutrality? Those who wished to stay out of a fight that didn't concern them?"

A resounding negative response flew from the crowd back at Eli- he had succeeded in enamoring the people with his words.

"People of Alenius, will you stand idly by as a man, no more special than you or I, expects us to bend and kneel and give up what we have fought so hard to attain? Bled, and sweat, and cried, and burned for?!"

Another resounding negative response flew from the crowd.

"Then, people of Alenius, I ask you this..."

He let his arms swing back down and left a pause, hanging on the crowd's silence as they awaited his question.

"What. Are. We?"

Eli shut his eyes as the massive weight of the cry that returned washed over him, left his heart beating fast with adrenaline and excitement...

The cry that the people of Mercy had returned was one filled with the weight of passion, anger, patriotism, and an edge of fear. The people of Mercy- and of Alenius itself- were a people who, before the Blackwells, were nothing. Nothing whatsoever. Peasants, no money, no power, no influence...

But now they were wealthy, now they were skilled, now they had food, and weapons, and a deep, powerful, pride in who they were. They truly were a people who had fought, all their lives, to become who they are. There was no life before this generation, just a people crushed by oppression and tyranny. This was the first generation of Alenius' people, in a very long time, to taste wealth and power like this- independance like this.

And Eli had wanted to prey on that pride and patriotism, and he had- with immeasurable success.

The cry that returned to him was one that affirmed his success, and simultaneously left a sour thought in the back of his mind- one he crushed quickly with the efficiency that a master of chess would declare 'check'.

The cry that returned to Eli Blackwell was thus; "FORGED IN DRAGON'S FIRE"

And the cry in his mind that he crushed was thus; These people will die from my words

It had been a few weeks since Eli gave his speech to the people of Mercy, and by now the copies of his speech were being filtered through the rest of the kingdom. The effects of the speech were unmistakable- a fervor had been built amongst the people, and the volunteer militia numbers had surged considerably under the weight of the threat to the kingdom.

And now there was the logistics of the ordeal to handle.

He had already decreed that the arms trade was to be cancelled and neither Concord nor Manshrew Alliance be allowed to buy weapons from Alenius, nor food. That meant that Alenius, whose blacksmiths and armsmiths were numersous, and whose fields were plentiful, was amassing a formidable stockpile of food and arms.

That was relatively simple for Eli to handle. What had him so overworked and busy was handling the logistics of the newly bolstered militia. Ordinarily someone in, say, Beatrice's position would handle this sort of paperwork, or perhaps the captain of the guard Garret Hattersby, but none had the penchant for organization and tactics that Eli had- so the position of tactician and military organizer also fell on his considerably weighed down shoulders.

He is, very much so, overworked- but without the work, he'd be nothing. The work justified his existance, the results were the songs of praise of his deeds. With a quill, parchment, and a few hours of focus Eli Blackwell could do almost anything... But what held so much difficulty for him now was the logistics of what his father wanted. Eli had swayed a people into a fervor, but the more he checked the numbers of those who had joined militia and those wanting to train to be soldiers...

It simply wasn't possible for such a number to be handled with ease.

Mercenaries had been negotiated with and haggled with, and those men had been given leave to raise encampments outside the city walls and were given food and drink. The standing army had been raised and called to drill and patrol more heavily, and set up checkpoints all along trade routes to check for threats and spies coming into the country. The Militia, bolstered by patriotism and inflamed outrage, had to be armed and trained...

And, to put an even greater headache on top of it all, Eli had to draft funds to rebuild the navy that had been destroyed. He was fond of seafaring and the fleet had been his personal pride- so the destruction of it had painted a massive target on Akki's back in his eyes.

But he could harbor his anger when he was working, he could focus on getting the job done.

Eli handled the logistics of it all, and as the weeks carried on and he checked the numbers over and over again, he began to feel satisfied that his father's wishes had been met.

Alenius' army had been bolstered considerably, and their supplies were many.

Blackness swirled in her eyes. She could see but a pinprick of light in the center of her vision, and immense pain in her body. She tried to move her hands, but as soon as she tried blackness overwhelmed her once more and the pain flooded her senses.

Light returned once more, this time more of it in her eyes... About the size of a coin. She turned her head slowly and everythingwas blurry, but she heard voices. Voices that pounded in her head. The pain was less, but she felt a burning in her body. A strong burning, that overwhelmed the pain. She had a difficult time breathing, but she wanted to hear those voices- desparately to hear those voices.

The words were indecipherable, and soon blackness overwhelmed her again.

She experienced this kind of awakening a dozen times before any improvement happened.

When she awoke again, this time she could breathe easier, and she could see. She was in her bed, in her tower, in her room. A healer was sitting nearby, resting. Naomi tried to move and instantly felt much pain in her stomach. She winced and let out a soft cry- and instantly the healer was awakened and moved to the girl.

"Rest easy, lie still. You have been in bed a few weeks now. Poison nearly took you, but your sister exercised much effort to keep you alive. As did many healers."

Naomi nodded her head weakly and licked her lips.

"Here, have a drink. Your sister will return soon." The healer lifted a flask of water to Naomi's lips, and the girl managed to choke some of the water down. "Are you well enough to receive bad information?" the healer's voice was quick and to the point.

Naomi shook her head- she didn't want any bad information, but after the drink she felt heavy and wished to sleep...so she did, and blackness filled her once more...

She spends most of her time asleep, and very little awake. She is able to make small conversation in her periods of lucidity, and improvement is constant. In a few weeks, she may be back to normal.

Beatrice sat quietly. She was always somewhat uneasy around Drevala. It was different from the unease she felt towards Eli- who was condescending and superior. It was an unease that...this was someone who can do something she'll never be able to match or equal. She felt this unease around all mages and magical users.

To be honest, she was just thankful that Drevala was clothed. Beatrice studied her sister quietly, Drevala's somber mood more than enough to say how serious the issue at hand was. She waited patiently for Drevala to speak, though it took several more minutes for her to get words out.

"I have a concern about Naomi."

That was it. Beatrice let worry fill her features and she clenched her hands tightly. She hesitated for a moment.

"She's not going to die is she?" Beatrice asked quietly, to which Drevala responded by dismissing the statement with a wave.

"No, she's a tough girl..thanks to you I suppose...but she's hurt bad, and I fear she'll... never be able to have children after the damage she's sustained."

Beatrice paused again, the information sinking in.

"Use your magic, patch her up. Surely you can do that?"

"I...could...but she's already stabilized how she is, and the wounds are all healed. It's damage that was too severe for me to fix before making sure she wouldn't die. I could..." she paused and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm even considering it...I could...possibly...use my magic to fix it, but it's no longer...a wound, it's healed up. That means I'd have to...risk turning her into an abomination if I wished to try and fix her womb."

"No. Absolutely not." Beatrice growled instantly. "I'll not have my little sister rendered mutant by magic."

"Then she'll never have children." Drevala said in resignation. "I... I loathe being the one to tell her."

"I'll do it." Beatrice said sharply, stoicism filling her features, hiding the mixture of panic and confusion. She was a soldier, difficult business was her business.

"No...No...I don't know if we should even tell her, father...father said not to."

"What?" Beatrice said incredulously. "Why could he possibly not want her to know?"

"He doesn't want anyone to know." Drevala sighed and pulled her cloak about herself. "Perhaps he intends to...marry her off." Drevala's words were heavy, but not resentment. They were simply a depressed sister speaking about the ailment of her kin.

"Father can be a bastard sometimes." Beatrice frowned. "But...He's father, so be it." She nodded.

"Have you ever considered being married, sister?" Drevala asked- and Beatrice frankly had never contemplated it, and that fact showed on her face as surprise at being asked.

"No, I haven't! Why would I get married? I'd just have to hang up my sword and armor and start wearing dainty dresses and pretending to be smart."

"Nonsense, it must be you who put all these negative thoughts about marriage in that poor girl's head. You know for a fact that if you married into another family that the house would instantly gain an ally and that none would deny you the right to fight." Drevala tilted her head some. "I'm...I'm the difficult one."

"What do you mean, difficult one?" Beatrice asked warily. "Magic? Shape shifting? Blackwell?"

"All of the above, and then some." She said with a wry smile. "I think you'll find that I'm less interested in men than I am magic."

"And I'm less interested in men than I am armor and swords and blood and fighting..." Beatrice said as if Drevala's answer made no sense.

"But you've taken a number of them to be-"

"You swore to stay silent about that." Beatrice hissed.

"I am silent, sister- it's not my fault you can't handle your ale." Drevala allowed herself a smile. "Besides, you could marry a...ahem...'lowborn'..." she rolled her eyes. "and carry on the Blackwell name instead of marrying a noble family. If you haven't realized, father is old and Eli hasn't gotten married yet either...which means we're the last of us. The absolute last. If we die, there are no more blackwells besides Vivian and we all know how she feels."

Beatrice went silent.

"Fine. After the war I'll get married, carry on the line, if Eli doesn't." It was Beatrice's turn to sigh as she said these words.

"I'm sure brother will do his part once everything's safe and secure, and I manage to tear him away from his work and schemes." Drevala said with a light shrug, passive about it all. "I just...little flower..." she hid her face behind her cloak for a while, and Beatrice lowered her head.

"Well, Beatrice. It's up to us to keep this crazy family safe. Let's do our best, yeah?"

Drevala forced the happy tone and tried to smile.

The morning after Duncan's coronation was a busy one for Lana. She had slept a few hours, but arisen before the dawn to begin her shape shifting spell and write a set of instructions for Dominus Thale to follow in her absence. The instructions were relatively simple, but the spell she was casting was not. In order to carry the documents with her she had to be meticulous in her execution of the shape shift. Keeping her clothes on through the shit was one thing, carrying a sheaf of papers was another. An hour of undisturbed focus and chanting prepared her, and at last, she altered her form into that of a migratory bird. It was a fairly boring creature, with no interesting song, no sharp talons nor a wicked beak. But it did one thing well - fly long distances quickly, and that was exactly what Lana needed.

She paced out to the balcony, then spread her wings and took flight. It would still be several days to reach Alenius, but it was far faster than a carriage, and, for Lana at least, far more comfortable.

---

When she arrived above Mercy, she remained in bird form for a time. She circled above the city, looking down upon it and getting a sense of the la of the land. It was an impressive place, and quite different to Nyhem. Worryingly, she could see the beginnings of military mobilization. It was clear the Blackwell's already had a plan of some description. She was unsure if Drevala would notice her yet, but it was possible if she looked to the sky - or was herself airborne. The behavior Lana was exhibiting as a Tern was instantly visible as unnatural to an observer familiar with the bird.

Below Lana, the expansive city was like a behemoth awakening. Smoke rose from ironworks and forges, supplies were being constantly pulled in by cart, and new troops were being drilled outside the city walls- even as mercenaries cajoled and laughed about. Her observation that it was a military mobilization was quite accurate, and even at the castle itself at the top of the great hill there were abundant guards stationed. The people of Mercy were active and energized quite thoroughly, and a military was amassing very readily.

The people of the city itself were also under the spell that seemed to encompass the city, not only the military personnel. The civilians seemed hard at work; smithing, tailoring, carving, even mages were seen from her height to be assisting in endeavors through magical means.

A large amount of wood and supplies was being shipped down river towards one of the ports of Alenius, on the coast within the peninsula and shielded from the fleets of Akki.

Though, aside from rising smoke, Lana's flight is undisturbed and she remains unnoticed.

She circled down towards the city lazily, taking int he impressive sights. As magnificent as the cities mobilization was, it was worrying. The Blackwell's very likely already had war goals of their own. That, and it always made Lana a little queasy to consider war on the scale they were preparing for. As she spotted bursts of magic, she couldn't help but wonder if the mages were really eager for war, or if they only assisted because they believed they owed the Blackwell family. The thoughts were quickly swept aside as she neared the ground.

She touched down a short distance from the castle gates, far enough away that it would not startle the guards when she resumed her normal form. There was a bright flash of magic as she resumed her normal form, startling many of the nearby people. A hint of a smile curled one corner of her mouth at the surprised expressions of the citizens. She imagined they weren't entirely shocked at the prospect of a shape shifting mage, this was the home of Drevala after all, but she was likely not the one they expected to see emerge from the mage-light.

She had chosen to wear travel garb instead of her court finery - she knew the Blackwells would not care for such displays, and possibly even look down on her for them. They were a practical family, as were the people of Alenius. As such, she had thinner summer travel garb on, and her long hair plaited behind her neatly and efficiently, with no ornamentation, or even illusory improvement.

She had spotted numerous posters of the same text on the way down, and before approaching the castle gates, stopped to read one of them affixed to a nearby wall. It was a speech by Eli Blackwell. A very inspiring speech. A speech stressing the independence of Alenius.

That was a problem. Duncan had been quite clear in his views on Alenius retaining their independence. It would not be easy for Lana to secure the deal the De Reimer King desired.

Once she had read through the speech twice, just to be sure, she approached the gates. To the guards stationed there, she announced, only slightly haughtily, "I am Magister Lanaya Triskell Dionisa, and I have come to negotiate with Lord Blackwell on behalf of the Imperial Concord."

Lana's approach to the gate was met by wary, seemingly bored, guards in the blackened armor of the Dragonguard. She had circumvented many of the inner walls by flying in as she had, but the gates to the fortified atrium of the castle itself still lay between her and those she needed to try and sway.

One woman, short and stocky with a long pike leaning against the wall at her side, sized Lana up.

"Got any identification on ya, miss? Can't just let anyone who says-so into the castle and whatnot, you understand."

And thus the guards hassled her about identification and authentication and classification- and generally gave her a hard time to get into the castle. For the stocky woman with the pike, it seemed to be more of a 'I was told to ask these questions' than a 'I understand the point behind many of these questions', though she did have a decent head on her shoulders and bore a fantastic grin. To be honest, she seemed satisfied with the initial identification and authentication, but went through the routine as if this were one of the few moments of 'Something to do' during her shift.

Either way, after about fifteen minutes or so of hassling, the stocky dragonguard nodded.

"Alrighty miss, come right this way. Was told to take any diplomats or what-have-you's straight to Lord Blackwell, the Old Man won't be seein' nobody."

And with that the woman lifted a hand to her mouth and gave a shrill whistle, and the gate to the atrium was opened. She then gave Lana another flash of her fantastic grin, before moving into the gate expecting Lana to follow. She was leading Lana towards the stocky castle of Mercy, and once inside took a turn towards one of the rear towers.

"I'm just a guard, fought with the dragons you know, that's why I'm here, but I'm curious- what's the 'king'"- said with a bit of a smirk- "Want with us?"

simple, basically gossip-oriented questioning. She seemed to expect being denied information.

Lana was, by this point, becoming quite annoyed. Approaching the gates was merely a courtesy, and the local guards seemed quite persistent in trying to slow her down. Grudgingly, she admitted it made sense given recent events, but it frustrated her all the same. If she had known where Drevala's room was, she would've just flown straight there. She was eager to see her old friend again, and she had much to discuss as well.

"His Majesty-" She began, her tone withering. She wouldn't have said she was Duncan's biggest supporter, but he had gained her respect enough that she "seeks to open official lines of communication with house Blackwell." Which was, of course, obvious. That was the primary purpose of a diplomat. Lana did not have any obligation to inform random guards, sword wielding thugs no less, of important diplomatic considerations.

The woman gave a nod and grinned once more. She didn't pry any further and simply picked up the pace. These 'commoners' were always quite good at picking up on when they had annoyed someone and she seemed to speed up her walking considerably.

The interior of the castle was simple, to the point that, if there were no servants and guards and minor nobles and merchants milling about, the castle might have been considered abandoned. No decorative tapestries or paintings just heavy, drab, drapes to fight the draft that was prone to plagueing castles. Torches and candles lit the interior, and natural light flooded in from the open main door and from windows raised high in the walls so that theu couldn't really be reached.

The Dragonguard lead Lana through these halls of thick stone and towards a tower near the rear of the structure, in a rather expedient manner. Once they reached the tower, the guard bowed and moved from Lana's way.

"Right this way m'lady." She gestured up the stairs.

And once Lana climbed the stairs, she'd find a solid wooden door, banded with iron, with a guard standing outside of it. Upon approach, the guard bowed and oened the door for her, allowing her in, and would swiftly close the door behind her.

The scene before her was thus;

The room was large, in a comfortable sense, and there were a few things in this room that stood out immediately.

Firstly was the primary table of the room, which seemed to have a chess board as a permanant fixture upon its center, and indeed had two chairs opposing each other adjacent to it. The table was carefully organized; stacks of books, stacks of palers, all of it was carefully organized. All of the papers were upside down and unreadable in their stacks however, and the books appeared to be histories and similarly boring scholarly items. One large book titled 'The Grand Adventure of Narmora Stone', however, with horrendously frayed and worn pages, lay queerly on the table, separate from the others. Most likely it had been used recently and idly set aside.

There was also a large bed, though that is less important.

There are then, to note, other shelves which contain books and ledgers and volumes of all kinds, and these shelves dominated the room. A balcony opened up on the side ofthe room and allowed fresh air and light in, and the heavy drapes were wide open.

A man, in his prime of years, was standing upon a balcony with a thick falconer's glove on his arm. His attire was.. Different from those Lana had seen and met thus far; he wore clothes of finer make, but of the same simple design. Rather than the rough home-spun clothing many of the guards had worn, he was wearing clothing that had obviously had time and skill put into it to make it comfortable and fine despite its simplicity; the black shirt was silken, and though it lacked design beyond its function, it had been tailored for the man, and all the perks therein applied. He wore a belt, which was swiftly noted as a sword belt- where a long, elegant, rapier stood out as far beyond simple and drab. This rapier was decorative, extravagant, and queer; almost all men bore longswords, but this one carried a thin thrusting blade instead.

The rest of his outfit merits similar description and make, but to sum it all up he is dressed very nicely despite the simplicity of it all.

The man turned his gaze upon her as she entered and he had to pause. He had been gazing out into the sky moments before, but her entrance required his attention and the momentary distraction seemed to evoke from him a weight in his gaze, as if he had been shaken very suddenly from a reverie- and he felt, very much so, annoyed that he had allowed himself this moment of relaxation, for he felt unprepared to treat with a guest. This mild annoyance manifested in him observing her, perhaps, more critically and in detail than he ordinarily might have.

Of course, this annoyance would never be visible under his gaze's weight. He had worked too hard for such inner emotions to be so readily visible.

"Hello." He called out to Lana. "I'm assuming you're from the De Reimer king." He gves her a once-over glance that men seem typical of doing to women, though from him it didn't appear to be in the rude 'how beautiful is this slab of meat' manner, and indeed his next statement solidified this; "Especially since your knees are in full function and you are, in fact, speaking to me. Well come in, make yourself at home. We likely have much to discuss and you should be comfortable for it, My Lady."

He gave a piercing whistle and held his arm outstretched, and in but a few moments a large, groomed, falcon landed upon his arm.

"Mary, say hello to our guest." He said with a smile as he glanced to Lana. The falcon screeched.

"Thank you Lord Blackwell." She said in reply to his offer of a seat. His manner was quite informal, and so she did not bow or curtsy. He was a supremely confidant man, she could tell at a glance, and there was a clear glimmer of intelligence, perhaps even brilliance, behind his eyes. She had a sudden thought that he would've made an excellent mage, but she quickly pushed that thought aside before its associated emotions could influence her. Nonetheless, his manner, and his quiet authority, impressed her. A lesser woman might be cowed by his presence, but she was no lesser woman.

When the falcon screeched, the corner of Lana's mouth curved into a small smile. This was the magnificent creature Drevala had referred to in one of her letters. "Hello." She said to the bird, before turning to Eli. "I would be privileged to fly with her and Drevala later. I am Magister Lanaya Triskell Dionisa, and as you have noticed, I am here to represent King Duncan De Reimer." Unlike with the guard, her tone remained neutral with Eli. It was fairly clear the opinion he currently held, but insisting on formality and politeness in regards to Duncan at this early juncture would do more harm than good. Though she already knew his name from her correspondence, she did not say so yet, giving him the chance to introduce himself formally if he wished.

Eli took Mary in hand and stroked along her feathers with his other hand. He stayed silent for a moment, just showing the bird affection for a few moments in silence. Silence had purpose- silence had weight. Silence was awkward for many people, especially of the nobility or upper class who were so used to always having something to say.

But Eli stayed silent. He carried Mary over to her perch and placed her upon it, before gently cooing at her as he slid her hood on so that she'd stay still.

"Hungry, Mary?" He asked somewhat redundantly as he removed from a pouch small strips of meat, which he fed to her over the course of several seconds. "There we are...now..." Eli removed the thick falconer's glove and set it aside carefully, before turning to face Lana. He slid a hand through his hair and studied her after she spoke, trying to weigh her in the new light of her statements.

"You represent him, not just bear his words?" He asked her after this lengthy silence, as if the conversation had only just begun now. He moved forward then, and made to sit at his side of the desk. He cleared some space idly and dusted his hand over the chess board, before resting his bright eyes on Lana more intently.

Lana watched Eli tending to his Falcon, resting in the chair while she did so. His calculated silence and ignorance of her in favor of his bird was a tactic to be sure, but while she might normally have analyzed it, right now she was just happy to sit and relax in the silence for a moment. The flight had been long, the magic complex. What she really wanted right now was to have a nice hot bath and then sleep, but there would be time for that later. Though she did not plan to rush into the negotiations today, she had to at least make the intent to negotiate known and find out what exactly she was going up against.

Eventually, he spoke again, and her wandering mind was immediately back to the present. She took a moment to compose a reply - his statement demonstrated that he was paying attention to every word. She couldn't afford a slip of the tongue now. "I am empowered to act as diplomat for the Imperial Concord. I am here to negotiate with House Blackwell, not deliver an ultimatum. Any treaty I negotiate here carries his blessing." Though what she said was true, Duncan's demands severely limited the scope of what she could negotiate. She would just have to do her best to make it work.

"I see."

He nods slowly to her words and strokes his jaw with a hand. He studied her for another moment, before snapping.

"You mentioned Drevala. That's what it was. Right." He leans back in his chair, less formal already, as if the fact she just said she was here to negotiate on behalf of another king was inconsequential. "It took me a while to recall the name 'Dionisa'..." He shook his head as if clearing it of the thought, once he remembered the house fully and it's somewhat tragic happenings.

"You're one of the mages my sister wrote to on occasion, she talked about you some though I'm afraid I've rather forgotten what she said. She can be excited sometimes anyway, so I'm going to make the safe presumption that it'd be better for me to form my own opinions of you." He smiled at her pleasantly, now lowering his head back to look at her. "I do fear what she may have said about me though, gods know the girl can chatter when she gets worked up. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? We can hold off on negotiations while you rest and settle in, I feel we'll be long at work and I'd rather not ruin a good, sunny, day that I thought was going to be pleasant with talks of kingdoms and thrones and wars." He gestures as if saying 'and so on and so forth'.

Lana laughed at Eli's description of negotiation, not a harsh or condescending sound, but a pleasant one - she could relate to the statement. "It would a terrible wasted indeed." She said with mirth. "And I am indeed tired, it was a very long flight - from Nyhem non-stop. I don't quite have Drevala's stamina when it comes to shape shifting." She allowed a hint of the weariness he felt into her tone as she said so, there was no point hiding it, though it immediately changed back to one of mirth when she spoke again. "I assure you, Drevala's descriptions of you have been nothing but glowing."

Now that she was looking at him without worrying about analyzing his every expression, she noted he was quite handsome. She indulged in gazing at him for a moment - it was her turn to bring silence to the conversation. When she spoke again it was to take him up on his offer. "Refreshments would be much appreciated. And I would very much like to speak to Drevala again, is she in the city?"

Eli maintained his pleasant smile through the silence- it didn't seem to bother him for there to be silence in the air between two people. In fact, Eli rather enjoyed silences, silences allowed for reflection and thought. Non-stop conversation was the thing that caused people to slip up and grow agotated in his eyes... Breaks and pauses were needed in conversation to keep them refreshing.

And during this pause he studied her more naturally.

She was dressed in more simple clothes than he'd expect the representative of The Concord to be, but he dismissed that as attempting to accomodate the queerness of Alenius. He allowed himself the chance to appraise her, and after weighing everything he felt she was, so far, entirely pleasant.

This thought of her pleasantness made him then think about Nyhem, which soured his thoughts somewhat- but only a small amount. His soured thoughts then gave way to a second wind; he'd been itching to challenge Duncan De Reimer to conversation for quite a while, and this lead him back to Lana before him- the woman who representsd Duncan De Reimer.

Perhaps charming her could have merit, influence.

That thought was swiftly dismissed as underhanded, but undeniably plausible. It also left him open to the same influence if he didn't keep focused at all times- a woman and her charms were never to be taken lightly.

He was dismissing this thought when Lana spoke next, and he responded with only the natural pause of re-allocating resources mentally to break the conversation.

"Yes, my Lady. Drevala is indeed in the city, for she stands over our wounded sister whenever she can."

He rises up slowly, not taking his eyes off her. He rose up to his full height and walked around the table to Lana and offered her his hand, in a polite offer to assist her.

"I shall escort you to a guest room and send for Drevala, if you so desired. You would prefer a room with a balcony, I imagine."

Lana took the offered hand and rose from the chair with his support. Not that she needed it, but she wasn't going to deny him the chance to be the gentleman. "A balcony would be appreciated yes. Though I do not match the talent your sister has always shown, I do enjoy the occasional shape shifting excursion. It is not urgent that I see her though - if she is busy I will understand. She has her duties too after all."

She paused for a moment as they reached the door. She had not intended to bring up Naomi until the negotiations, but since Eli had already mentioned her, she chose to show her feelings on the matter now. Though it would be true to claim what she was going to say was drawing attention to the political aspect of it, it was not her intent. She genuinely felt that the act was as terrible as she said.

"I had heard of that brazen attack. It is truly a disgusting thing, to strike at the harmless family of ones enemy. I trust Naomi is recovering now though, at least?"

Eli assists Lana up then guides her to the door, and lets her hand go. He listened to Lana's words in a somewhat weighty silence, as if the events were heavy on his mind.

"She is alive and recovering well, though poison was used and it has left her weak. She will be back up on her feet in a week is what the healers tell me." He said to her with an apt amount of reservation. Family matters were family matters, but Lana was a friend of his sister's and he had no doubt Drevala would spew all this information quite freely, so there was little reason for him to withhold it himself.

He opened the door for her, then stepped out himself and made as if to guide her along.

"I'll have a bath drawn for you and a meal made, you may wander the city and upper floors of the castle but do not try to go into the tunnels beneath." He said this courteously and strongly, being pleasant but making sure the restrictions were understood. "Of course, the tunnels in the city proper are open in the event of a dragon attack." This statement bore more mirth and joviality than the strength of authority, and it seems he found the idea of more dragons springing up quite amusing due to the fact his family had killed or driven off all the dragons of the kingdom.

He was leading her through the halls of the castle and towards another one of the many towers, quite nearby to the one his own room was in.

"Would you like guards, Lana, or do you prefer your privacy?"

"I'll be sure to watch for dragons." She said with a grin. She knew well that there had been no dragon attacks since the dragon war. "Its good to hear she is recovering, but... Poison." She shook her head in disgust. Did Manshrew really have so little respect? "But enough of this grim topic. Thank you for your hospitality - I shall not abuse it by going where I am not wanted."

At his offer of guards, her mind went back to the encounter she'd just had with the front gate guards. While she was fairly confidant those would not be the ones assigned to her, it was still not exactly an inviting prospect to have a group of armed men so close all the time. She was confidant she didn't need protecting, and if anyone decided to barge into her room while she was bathing... It wouldn't be the first time she'd suffered sudden exposure. Such was the peril of clothing oneself in illusion on a regular basis. "I'd prefer not to have guards."

She entered the room and turned to him. "Thank you again for providing hospitality on such short notice." She smiled and shut the door.

---

She took her time relaxing, simply resting on the bed while the Blackwell servants were getting the bath and meal for her. The meal arrived first, along with a pitcher of clear water. Once the servants left, she dug in with reckless abandon. With no one around to see, she was more interested in sating her hunger and thirst than looking good while she did so. The food was different to the Nyhem standard fare, but good all the same.

The weariness she felt from the long journey in another form was something quite unlike anything a mundane could experience. Her muscles did not ache, for she had not used them - and yet she felt like she had been running all day, while simultaneously feeling phantom weariness in wings she no longer possessed. Her energy was used, but not her muscles, it was a confusing experience for the body. She did not desire a bath to clean, for she did not need to like she might after a long walk, but rather to relax her body and convince it it was not as weary as it thought.

When it arrived, it was piping hot, and she took her time once again.

Lana was undisturbed all through the evening and night, save by the occasional servant asking about her needs and wants.

In fact, she wouldn't even be disturbed in the morning except by servants of similarly utilitarian intents.

It wasn't until the latter portion of the morning, approaching the hours before noon, that this routine was disturbed and Lana's door had a knock upon it that was more than just the light rapping of a servant- this was an energetic, excited, knocking.

Drevala Blackwell was the one knocking upon the door, and she stood there somewhat nervously. It had been ages since she saw her friend last, and she had done as her brother had requested and allowed Lana to rest for a while before rushing to bother and batter her. If Drevala had her way, she would've assaulted Lana with questions and stories the instant she knew her fellow mage was here, but she herself was exhausted and following her brother's advice came easier than fighting him when sleep is of necessity.

So Drevala had spent the previous night asleep in Naomi's chamber, awakening every so often to check on the girl, but for the first time in weeks she left the primary care of Naomi in the hands of the capable healers and mages who studied restorative magics, like herself, and allowed herself to detach from the situation.

And when the morning came she realized she had slept in quite late, and rushed as dignified as she could to Lana's room. Her hair was a horrible mess and she only, just now at Lana's door, bothered to adjust her clothes to appear as if she had actually... put effort into getting up this morning. She usually didn't bother with a cloak since they got lost so easily, but she had grabbed up her Magister's cloak- usually used as a blanket- and was rushedly fixing it about herself after the knock, chastising herself for her own impatience.

She couldn't find the time to even think about how to greet Lana.

Lana had just been considering going looking for her friend, or asking a servant to let her know the situation, when the sharp knocking at the door came.

When she opened it, a decidedly disheveled looking Drevala could be seen on the other side. She looked at once both extremely different and exactly the same - every bit as wild and unkempt as ever, in stark contrast to Lana. A grin crept across her face and she rushed forward to embrace the other mage. "Drevala! It's so good to see you again!" She held the embrace for a a long moment, despite knowing that the physical contact would disrupt the illusory aspects of her attire, causing them to flicker and shimmer. One of the perils of traveling by air - she couldn't exactly bring a wardrobe like most wealthy women traveled with.

When she pulled back, she quickly re-established the illusion and walked towards the balcony, speaking as she did. "I'm sorry I couldn't let you know in advance of my visit, or reply to your latest letter. Things have been incredibly busy in Nyhem... war will do that." She sighed. She wished the ceaseless war would stop. "Alas, visiting is also not my primary purpose here. I'm sure they've told you, I am a diplomat for the Imperial Concord now it seems. But at least Naomi is recovering? Or so Eli tells me..."

Drevala held the embrace, holding Lana strongly in her arms and smirking as the illusions flicker. The hug was strong and full of emotion, and Drevala was happy that she had walked here rather than flown or else this hug would be considerably more intimate for the two.

She thought about that for a second and found the concept quite distracting.

Drevala regained herself as Lana walked to the balcony, and Drevala rushed to catch up to her, fixing her shirt to no end to try and pretend that's why sue had been a few steps delayed.

"That's fine Lana- that's all perfectly fine. I know how it can be trying to find the time to write during a war- I only wish the damnable things stopped happening!" She laughed a high musical laugh, an entirely pleasant thing by most standards.

Drevala strode out onto the Balcony and let her gaze sweep over the familiar sight of the city offered by the squat tower.

"Naomi is recovering very well." Drevala affirmed. "I pray she'll walk one day soon and laugh and smile the next. Our little flower is.. Very special to us."

She looked at Lana then, trying to make the connections from 'who I knew' to 'Who she is' mentally. Much the same, some different. At least she still had wardrobe malfunctions like Drevala did, though Lana's were more swiftly corrected.

"But here I am at last. Alenius is quite different to the other places I have been. You will have to show me around. The wilderness I mean. Its been a long time since I had a chance to fly with anyone. Aurelia doesn't shift much." Lana spoke with eagerness, even knowing she would not have nearly enough time to explore as fully as she would like.

Her tone took on a more sombre note as she addressed the subject of Formaroth's ceaseless war. "I agree that there is too much war in this land. It is perhaps a little over ambitious to claim I have a plan to stop it, but my plan may at least see mages less affected by it all. I would like to speak to you about that later..." She left the statement in the air for a moment, considering yet another time if Drevala was suited to her plan. The girl disliked politics - that she knew from their correspondence, and at the college had tended to be a little too talkative at times. But she was also a High Magister (whether she liked it or not) and a symbol for many of the mages in this part of Formaroth, and some even further afield.

She pushed aside that mental debate before it could distract her overmuch and spoke again. "But enough about me. What have you been up to? And when shall you show me this magnificent discovery you kept speaking of, I'm dying of curiosity..."

Drevala smirked at Lana's mention of a plan and welcomed the turn of her mental focus. She only just now seemed to realize her hair was a mess and slowly tried to fix it, as if trying to avoid drawing attention to it after the fact.

"I will certainly take you for a flight, if you can keep up." She jabbed, good natured-ly. "And I'd love to hear your plan, I'll do whatever I can to keep folks safe so long as it doesn't endanger my family." she nodded.

Suddenly her mood turned serious. She turned to fully face Lana and held her with a queerly serious gaze, quite unlike Drevala in every regard. There was no playfulness or semblance of awkward uncertainty in this gaze.

"I can only show you if you swear to secrecy, for what I have discovered... I only offer to show you because you're my friend and you can understand the importance of it, but Lanaya..."

She stepped a fraction closer, into Lana's personal space.

"I fear what I've discovered may threaten shapeshifting as a school if it escapes, and I dread having to make use of it but if war is coming then I will have need of it."

The slightest shudder went through Lana's body as Drevala's tone and manner took on a seriousness unlike any she had seen before from her friend. She did not know what she had been expecting precisely, but it only now began to dawn on her as their talk turned serious that her friend had lost that girlish innocence she remembered, just as thoroughly as she herself had. No longer were they young mages only interested in the next fantastic thing they could learn or the next bit of mischief they could get into. Now they both had secrets, plans, and the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Lana looked away then, her expression serious. She had a sudden and strong feeling that once they revealed to each other the things they were hiding, nothing would be the same again. Looking back to Drevala, she spoke again. "I will swear to keep whatever you show me hidden... But before we speak grim words that cannot be unheard, let us fly once more, and enjoy the company as we once did, unfettered by thoughts of war." She immediately began softly speaking the few words she would need to shift in her current state to the fastest form she had - a falcon. It was unlikely she could out-fly Drevala, but she intended to get a head start if she could.

Drevala's grim seriousness shifted swiftly back to a playful laugh as Lanaya began her transformation.

"You dirty little cheater!" she declared playfully, taking a step back and dropping her cloak down. "You better enjoy that head start!"
And indeed, as Lanaya flew away, Drevala leapt from the balcony and rapidly shifted forms into that of a Great Falcon- a good bit larger than Lana.

And so the two flew, Drevala guiding their flight around Mercy, then away and around the forested hills of the region. With their great speed Drevala took them down-river to quite near the coast, but then banked and lead Lana south, away from port and city alike.

And unless Lana veered away, Drevala seemed intent on guiding her south into the mountains...

---

When the two arrived at an area where a river emerged from the mouth of a cave, calm and gentle until a few hundred feet down-slope where it picked up speed, Drevala arced down and shifted back into human form to land skillfully upon the ground...

And naturally her complete disregard for human clothing had struck once more and the woman's body was bare. She did not just stand there however, she strode over to the mountain river and slid into it gracefully, submerging herself and washing briefly as she awaited Lana.

Lana followed her friend as best she could. Her head start had not lasted long, as she expected. She was a good flyer, but she was merely a woman wearing a the form of a bird. Drevala was the bird. There had never truly been any way for her to compete. Despite being outclassed though, she was having fun. It was a primal kind of fun, reminding her of her childhood, and she reveled in it while she could.

When Drevala veered away to the south, Lana followed. She was eager to sight see anyway, and she was sure her friend had a reason not to land in Mercy again immediately. She mentally laughed at Drevala's showy landing. It was just like her to do that, and very impressive. Lana's landing was quite different - she set down still in bird form, only changing back once she was steady on the ground. The other major difference was that instead of being naked, she still had her underclothes on, just as she had when she had shifted in the city, and illusions immediately covered her form with the semblance of clothing. She knew Drevala probably wouldn't care if she didn't bother, but she was so used to maintaining that illusion she didn't even think about it.

She laughed as she moved towards the streams edge. "That was fun!" She said, joy filling her voice in a way it rarely did. She sat down cross legged next to the river and waited for Drevala to speak next, enjoying the sounds of the forest as she did.

Drevala rose from the water, shaking herself of moisture with a few dog-like tosses of the head. Well, at least her hair was finally situated more properly.

"So, Lanaya. This cave used to be the home of a rather large dragon mother and her brood. I won't bother you with the details, but this cave was quite instrumental in leading me to my discovery."

She was happy and excited to talk about it, unlike before. Lana's promise of secrecy had done wonders for her confidence and Drevala trusted Lana quite thoroughly.

"I believe a demonstration of what I have learned will speak far more than any words I know... But I'll save that for after we've relaxed for a while."

She sat herself down inside the water's edge and let the cool river flow around her as she leaned against the bank.

"How is Aurelia? Gods know I lost contact long ago, she always was leaps and bounds ahead of me that it was difficult to establish common ground..."

She ran a hand through her wet hair, mussing it up.

"Oh! And how's it like being THE representative of a king? So exciting!" Drevala giggled. "I'll warn you now, Brother'll make you work quite hard for whatever it is you need to get done. He's got all the numbers up there in his head, he knows our position better than even father does, i believe at times."

Lana laughed again at Drevala's shaking of the water off her body, even as she felt a few drips splash onto her. She was grinning all the time.

"Aurelia, she is doing well." Lana began, one of her hands already in motion weaving a static image of the other mage in air beside her. It would be, once complete, an approximation of Aurelia standing in the balcony of her tower looking wistful. "She is perhaps not as you remember her though, she was changed a great deal serving under the mad king. I can only imagine living in fear of being burned every day, trusting in the whim of a madman. But she has recovered since his death. Her magical endeavors are grand, though largely aimed towards helping the kingdom. Serving on the Council has left her little time for herself, at least compared to you or I." The image beside her was complete, but she kept adding to it, and soon it would be plain to see Duncan De Reimer standing behind her. "I'm sure you have heard a great deal about Duncan, but one truth I can tell you is that he supported her throughout the mad kings reign and beyond. He has been a true friend to her...." She looked about furtively then, like a young girl with a particularly juicy piece of gossip, despite it being clear none would eavesdrop on them in this place. "And you must not tell anyone -" She began in an unnecessarily hushed tone "But I think they are in love." The uncharacteristic giggle that followed echoed Drevala's. She let the image fade as she moved onto the next subject.

"And representing him, well, I must say I was surprised. It seems he took note of my persuasive nature. Its a big responsibility, but he promised to restore my family name and holdings if I succeed. But as much as that motivates me, I also hope that an alliance will end the war quickly. Your houses power joined with that of the Imperial Concord would be more than Manshrew's foolish alliance could withstand. As for your brother... I can tell he is brilliant. I am at once both eager and fearful to match my wits against his..." Her tone had become somewhat more serious, but it quickly changed back to the mirthful one of before when she continued. "But my dear Drevala, you never told me he was handsome too!"

Drevala watched the illusions come into reality, silently appreciating her friend's masterful skill. She studied the image of Aurelia with apt curiosity, and listened to Lana's words with deep interest.

Duncan appeared, and Drevala stared at that image more closely. She had seem Duncan very few times, if any at all, so the illusion served as an introduction of the king.

However that last bit of gossip there made Drevala gasp and cover her mouth with a hand.

"In love? Ooooo! That's so exciting..." she sighed and looks up at the sky. "I just hope she's safe though... Opening up is never easy."

She seemed less interested in the bits about war and alliances, but paid dutifil attention. She mostly cared how Lana felt, and Drevala couldn't help but smile at Lana's 'persuasive nature'.

The talk of her brother made her grin, and at the last sentence her grin widened into a silly one.

"I wouldn't know, I never was overly interested in men so his attractiveness may have been lost on me. If you find him so handsome, then I beg you turn that persuasion of yours on him!" her laughter was music in the mountain air. "Lay on the illusions, put on some makeup, charm the bastard- maybe he finds you quite beautiful and just is being political about it~"

This woman really couldn't grasp the politics of it at all.

Lana laughed as Drevala laughed - it was infectious. "You really think he might? Smart and handsome - its a rare combination in men. Maybe I should." She grinned, then realized what she was saying. "But the ramifications... I'm sure there are countless books talking about how you shouldn't get involved with the person you're negotiating against..." She was still grinning, despite the seriousness of it all. "But Duncan's expression would be so worth it if I managed to charm Eli. Imagine that!"

She lay back in the grass then, her laughter slowly dying down. She wondered why life couldn't always be this much fun. The sinking feeling of inevitability and innocence lost was far from her mind now. Maybe she could still have both her high cause and still live a carefree and fun life?

"I don't see any books here right now, do you?" Drevala teased, smirking at Lana. "But you might have a point. Hmmm...I know- how about this; Eli was going to leave you all of today to yourself so you could rest and whatnot, so why not pay him a visit this evening? A social visit, that's all. He's always in his quarters after dinner."

Drevala lay back on the bank and gaze into the sky, kicking her legs playfully in the water.

"Am I being too pushy? I simply adore the idea of a romance blooming, my siblings have dodged getting married or having children //so// thoroughly..." She sighed, then paused. "N-Not that I was implying you'd end up married to him!" She added suddenly with a laugh. She rolled over onto her stomach and gazed up at Lana, chewing her lip in thought.

"Is that something you've ever considered? It's been on my mind a lot ever since Naomi got hurt- marriages, that is."

"Marriage? I've thought about it..." Lana replied thoughtfully. "But only ever from the political standpoint. It seems so strange to speak aloud the fact that I would marry some lordling in an instant if it furthered my goals enough... I never really thought I'd encounter anyone worth marrying for love. Until recently I had no line to continue either. I imagine that is something that your family finds quite the pressure."

She sat up then and looked straight at Drevala. "You know, if I did marry Eli... We would be sisters."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lana was already starting to consider all the political aspects of marrying Eli. Originally she had discounted house Blackwell for marriage prospects, but now she had to reconsider. It would be worth finding out Eli's perspective on mage rights, among other things.

"And if you did marry Eli, you'd be a future queen~" Drevala continued to tease. "Throne of Alenius falls to him in terms of inheritence, you know." Drevala really was trying to sell this up, it'd seem. In truth, the idea of her brother and friend marrying was quite interesting to Drevala- not only would it lead to the prospect of children, but also to the furthering of her own family's bloodline. The extra magic in the blood was also worth noting! if Drevala could do magic, that means her brother carried the ability of magic within his blood as well!

Drevala heaved a sigh then and stopped splashing about as playfully.

"Well, I'll stop badgering you about it- you did just meet him for the first time yesterday after all, I won't try and force it." She licked her lips some and shut her eyes for a few moments then. "So, Lanaya, are you ready to see my discovery?"

She asked this with tangible excitement- and also with the undoubtable touch of nervousness. She knew sharing her secret was more dangerous than keeping it, but she also couldn't keep it hidden from one of the few people who could possibly understand the significance magically.

Outwardly, Lana laughed at the mention of becoming queen. It struck a chord within her though - she could not deny that the prospect of such power was incredibly appealing. She didn't know if Drevala had said it knowing how much it would affect her, she suspected it was not the case, but a niggling part of her mind couldn't dismiss the possibility. She had a lot to think about after this discussion already, and that was just from the casual banter.

Then the subject moved back around to Drevala's discovery. Lana's curiosity surged forth once again. She stood and stepped back, anticipating some kind of impressive spell. What else could it be? Drevala had mentioned its significance to magic. "I'm ready." Was all she said.

Drevala rose from the water and strode over to the entrance of the cave, turning to face Lanaya. She stretched her arms out and grinned a bit.

"You can't speak a word, you swore it." she reminded Lana. "Alright, it'll take some time to work the magic, but bear with me."

Drevala brought her hands in and placed them together by her stomach, shutting her eyes. In just a few seconds, she began to glow with power, something that occurred when she tapped into her magical energy and channeled it. Her usual shape-shifting was reflexive, instinctual, easy- what she had to do now was difficult and time consuming.

After a few minutes of this glowing, she pulled her hands apart and the energy began to swirl about her body, even as her body glowed more intensely. This aura of power was intense, and it was born of Drevala's innate skill with slipping out of her skin and the magical attunement she had with the school. As her body began to glow, it began to change.

It took time. A lot of time. She could turn into a bear in a minute, and a wolf in seconds, but this seemed to be as if time had slowed down for the woman. Lana was quite aware of the speed with which Drevala could shapeshift, and the fact it had taken her this long just to channel the energy spoke to the difficulty of her task.

After somewhere near fifteen minutes of just...channeling her power and focusing it, refining it, amplifying it is when she began to glow intensely and change. At first the changes were minute, small things. Her hair receding, her skin darkening, her limbs thickening. It was as with any other form the woman might adopt.

Then things began to become incredibly drastic indeed.

She fell forward onto all fours, her body no longer even resembling that of a human- her size increasing to that of a bear, even as thick scales began to grow from her darkened skin. Bright scales, iridescent in color and favoring hues of white and blue. By now, half an hour into the process, Drevala resembled an oversized bear-lizard.

But still the aura of magic swirled, and still the woman grew.

The oversized lizard bulked up...Thickened. Its tail elongated, scaling growing over it as well as it grew. Her body grew more defined than that of the previous stage- and as she grew, projections began to press from her back. Her neck elongated as well, and her size simply kept increasing.

By forty-five minutes into the transformation, Drevala's shape was undeniable...and as it neared fifty minutes the aura of magic faded- the transformation was complete.

Her scales were bright, and glittered in iridescence from the light filtering into the cave. She stood larger than any bear, or man, or horse, or elephant, as a quadruped. Her entire body was covered in those scales- from her long tail to her crested head- and her entire body radiated a raw, primal, power. The projections from her back had grown and filled out into large, powerful, wings, and as the aura of magic faded and left Drevala standing there in her new form, the creature she had turned into turned its head down and stared at Lana with black eyes, snorting hot breath from its nostrils.

The creature then lowered its head down to Lana's height and exhaled a hot breath onto her, a rumbling coming from deep in its body...and suddenly the cave seemed to lack all the space it once had.

Drevala had turned into a dragon. This was the secret she so strongly swore Lana to secrecy to discover.

When Lana realized it was going to be a long spell, she sat down again to watch. For the initial channeling, she let her mind wander. She still watched, but merely channeling magic was not in itself a ground breaking thing, as much as she couldn't help but wonder what manner of spell might require the powerful Drevala to channel for so long. Still, it was a welcome breather to consider the ramifications of a political relationship with Eli. It would give her much greater influence over the lands of Alenius, though by all accounts Alenius was already something of a haven for mages. It would also give her much more significant political clout in the rest of the world. The Blackwell name carried a strong reputation with it after all.

But then she realized the most unfortunate aspect. Eli was ambitious, and if his ambition might lead to conflict with Duncan. While she had no specific love or loyalty towards Duncan... She had just encouraged her best friend to marry the man. If that happened, her fate would be forever tied to his. But then, if she was in a relationship with Eli... maybe she could calm his ambition, or redirect it.

It was at about that point in her train of thought that things started getting unusual. Drevala was changing. The form she was beginning to take was nothing like any she had seen before, even in its early stages. She watched on, her attention thoroughly held by the slow but steady changes. She had a strange combination of a sinking feeling of dread and a feeling of fascination and awe running through her.

When Drevala finally finished changing, the shape was unmistakable. Lana stood as Drevala's head moved down towards her, her mouth agape. There was a primal fear now as well. Though she knew that the creature before her was still her friend, and meant her no harm, evolution told her body otherwise. Part of her wanted to scream and run, and in a rare break of composure, she could not hold the fear back from her face.

But the rest of her instantly put the pieces together. It should've been obvious really. Drevala was possibly the best shape shifter the world had known. No, with this discovery she was the best. After slaying more than 80 Dragons, she had to have carried out the most in depth study of the beasts ever performed in Formaroth. It only made sense that she knew enough to take their form... Lana was kicking herself for not seeing it sooner. But then the implications hit her, and she realized why Drevala had sworn her to secrecy. If news of this got out, there would be a new wave of terror over mages. None would dear challenge House Blackwell militarily. Drevala herself would become a commodity and a target both.

"Drevala..." She began, her voice weak, but gaining in confidence as she regained her composure. "This... This is..." She was lost for words. That was a rarity. "How many people know about this? You cant tell anyone. Not even your family... The world isn't ready..."

The dragon before Lana snorted at her and lifted its head away. There was a pause, before the dragon's mouth opened- revealing rows of vicious teeth- and from within the dragon's body burst forth a stream of fire which blasted against the walls of the cave, splashing fire into the cave- and intense heat funneling back out. The dragon snapped its jaws shut, cutting the fire off.

Then the great creature lay down and swished its tail over to Lana, tauntingly running its scaled surface along the ground by her.

The creature blinked at Lana and nodded its head in understanding, but then the creature looked up at the burnt surface of the cave wall and lifted its tail. With careful movements, the tail dragged along the burn surface and scraped ash off;

'Father knows' in clumsy letters were written through the scorch-marks.

Lana looked at the words on the wall - of course Drevala couldn't speak as a Dragon... Once she read the words she shut her eyes and whispered "No." A look of despair was on her face. She had never met the man, but she knew enough about Giles Blackwell to know that he was the kind of man who, if pushed too far, might just ask his daughter to exploit this power. She couldn't blame the girl for telling her father. The Blackwell family was a tight knit one. She was just thankful the others did not know.

She wanted to be the scholar. To be fascinated, curious and amazed. She wanted to ask her friend all about the magic involved. About what she had learned of Dragons. But all she could think about was the politics of the situation. In that moment, she felt like a terrible friend. "Change back please... We have much to speak of." Was all she said.

The process of changing back went a bit faster, but making all that mass appear and disappear still took a little time.

About half an hour is what it took for her to change back, and when Drevala's form was left there on the ground she sucked in a deep breath and took a few experimental steps to get a feel for her human body once more.

"So now you know." she said simply, running a hand through her hair- a mannerism not unlike her brother's. "So.... We have lots to talk about, yeah?" she asked in her simple manner, offering a smile of uncertainty.

Lana was there next to Drevala to help her along once she finished changing back to human form. She knew that a shift of such grand proportions could not be easy. "I don't think I need to tell you how important it is that this not get out yet... That's why you swore me to secrecy. Secrecy you can be assured I will hold." She sighed. She couldn't help but feel her reaction was not what Drevala had wanted.

"I have a plan." She began, changing the subject somewhat. "Or perhaps a vision. A world in which mages have the freedom to live and practice our art without fear. A world without war." She felt arrogant speaking the words aloud. "Formaroth is mired in fear and superstition, but I believe that can be changed. I am putting together a group of politically minded but skilled mages with the intent of influencing the courts of Formaroth towards improving the rights of mages and using our learned, reasoned and persuasive nature to encourage peaceful solutions to conflict." Lana realized then that the politically worded version would probably not be appreciated by Drevala, and changed tack. "I want a world where you can show anyone what you just showed me and not be afraid, either for yourself or for the world. I know you dislike politics, but I would like to invite you to join me in this. As a High Magister your word holds more political weight than mine, surprising as that may seem. And though it may seem strange, your dislike of politics would be an advantage. You may see something obvious that the rest of us do not, with our heads in the clouds." Lana stopped to catch her breath then - this was her passion, and once she had started it was hard to stop.

Drevala listened to Lana quietly, her smile fading into a neutral face. She listened and felt a variety of emotions- what she just did might possibly be accepted and not feared in such a world, but that felt very much like it could start a different kind of war entirely, in her mind. A war between mages and mundanes. Drevala wouldn't be able to pick a side in such a conflict- her family was the most important thing in this world to her, but she herself was a mage and that meant she had to pick sides in such a conflict if one arose.

But she disregarded her feelings of violence and war-to-come, and focused heavily on Lana's actual words. Peace. She spoke of peace. That's what Drevala wanted too, and as Lana spoke more simply Drevala seemed to understand more.

"Lana, I'm not sure what I can do for you, but I'll do whatever I can. I have to fight in this war however, I may have to...to use what I've shown you. Manshrew hurt my little sister, and I can't let him get away with that."

She levelled her eyes on Lana, a fierceness in her gaze. She had often spoken that she'd protect her family in the best way she can no matter what, and the fact her little sister had gotten hurt was an intense thorn in her side, to put it lightly.

"I like the future you speak of, the world you envision. I love it. I'll do what I can to help you make it come true, but I will warn you of this- associating me with your cause could smear the whole thing in blood with the coming war." She seemed saddened to say these words, but she needed to be clear to Lana her position.

"My family comes first, but anything else I have- time, effort, energy, magic- will be put forth for this future. I promise it."

"Manshrew will be brought to justice." Lana stated confidently. "But the means exist to do so without forcing you to use this gift. If House Blackwell supports the Imperial Concord, we can bring Manshrew down without resorting to apocalyptic magics. Duncan has even stated that he will save Manshrew's head for your father to personally take. That is why I must succeed in bringing peace between House Blackwell and House De Reimer - for justice, and for a short, victorious war."

Lana sighed then - it was true, that if Drevala did join the collective, and was to forced to fight as a dragon in the war, it would sully the collectives name. Perhaps polarize public opinion against mages even more. The risk was colossal. It was a potential all or nothing scenario. Would she take that risk? Or would she cruelly rescind her offer? She already could not afford too many mistakes or mishaps, but Drevala's support opened as many doors as it closed. She had decided.

"I understand. I am confidant that your family will not oppose me at the very least. Perhaps they may even become allies - with your help, they may yet see the wisdom in official support of mage rights... And perhaps even peace."

Another thing she hoped went right. Another thing that could end her cause if it proved wrong.

"Welcome to Mages Collective High Magister. It will not be fast, nor easy... But we will bring this future into being."

That sinking feeling was there again. Would they ever be able to cast aside this seriousness and go back to the laughter and joy of before?

Drevala nodded solemnly, bowing her head for a moment. This was heavy on her and she needed to dwell on it for a moment. She felt very wrong all of a sudden, as Lana's words weighed on her. She knew it was pulling her into something. She couldn't figure out what, but she knew it felt wrong.

The talk of Manshrew and Blackwell support and the Imperial Concord, she realized suddenly, is what had struck a chord with her and felt very wrong. She swiftly dismissed these feelings, as she knew she wasn't being manipulated or warped by a power-hungry politician or misguided mage. Lana was her friend, and wouldn't manipulate her like that.

She lifted her head and offered Lana a smile then.

"Well damn, look at where we've gotten Lana." She laughed and placed her hands on her hips in determination. "I'll tell you this, friend- Alenius will always be a haven to mages and mundanes alike." her smile grew into a grin then, and she tilted her head.

"I'll let you in on a little secret though- I can't really influence brother at all, and he's the one father designated to handle diplomats and whatnot. I simply don't know enough, but I'll try and get a word in with him about these things when I have the chance."

She shifted from this seriousness back to her playful tone.

"But all this dreariness aside, my dear Lanaya, you've finally come to me and all we've done is brood and whisper so far. Sure, there were a few giggles in there, but not nearly enough for me to be satisfied. Let us return to Mercy and make merry, I'll introduce you to my sisters."

"You have my thanks all the same." Lana said genuinely. She knew Drevala would not be of great use on the political scene - it wasn't the kind of mage she was. Still, every little helped, and her help also meant help from other mages in Alenius.

She smiled meekly then, at the idea of making merry. In part because she did not believe she could surrender to merriment as fully anymore, and in part because of nervousness at the thought of what Beatrice Blackwell might consider fun... As far as Lana knew, Beatrice was little more than a very skilled thug.

"Very well then. Back to Mercy? But don't forget, I've got to have enough time to get ready for a social visit to your brother afterwards..." Her tone moved from meek to confidant and even teasing. She really was considering such a visit with Eli.

Lana was about to say 'time flies' when Drevala shifted into a bird before her and was on the wing before she could react. She just laughed and shook her head instead. She began speaking her own spell to shift, and in a few minutes she joined her friend in the air.

Rather than heading immediately back to her room, Lana instead landed in alley near the marketplace. After changing back, she located a local seamstress, and was able to barter what little coin she had brought with her for a new dress. It was simple - exactly the sort of thing the common city woman might wear - but its purpose was not in its appearance. She simply did not want to visit Eli wearing almost nothing but illusion, for fear it might be misconstrued as an attempt to seduce him in order to secure a better deal. She added illusions over the clothing as she made her way back - she still had to look good after all, though instead of her usual fare, she attempted to emulate the styles of the more impressive looking Alenius women. Simple and understated but of fine make and with more subtle patterning.

She took some time to prepare once she got back to her room - ostensibly ensuring her appearance was ideal, but internally considering the political implications once more. She decided that even if he proved to be not as impressive as he first appeared, Eli Blackwell would be a good candidate for a political marriage, especially since Duncan and Aurelia seemed to be on course for a relationship.

The sun was approaching the horizon when she decided to knock on Eli's door. She wore a smile that had disarmed many lesser men, and was surrounded by the faintest of illusory glows, while her green eyes were heightened in intensity. She may not naturally have been the most beautiful of women in Formaroth, but enhanced by magic, she could match those women in the eyes of many men.

Eli opened his eyes at the knock. He had drawn the curtains of his balcony closed and cast the room into an early darkness, blocking the glow of sunset quite handily. He sat up in his bed and swivelled from it, rising to his feet in the dim candle-light of his room.

He had laid down after dinner in an attempt to catch up on rest for the negotiations he intended to start on the morrow, but hadn't intended on sleeping through the night- merely take a brief nap. Which had dragged on longer than he wanted, he realized swiftly, as he strode over to the curtains and drew them open to gaze out at the sunset.

He rubbed his eyes, ran a hand through his hair to fix it up swiftly with practiced gestures, and anticipating a servant at the door he strode over to it without further altering his appearance.

All in all, it was only a handful of seconds before the door opened for Lana, revealing Eli standing there.

He was by no means dishevelled or messy, even if he had just risen from sleep, and, there was no drowsiness about him either. He was a man used to sleepless nights and hard work- waking up from a nap was refreshing, not grog-inducing. His features were still alert and focused, and the candle still burned at the desk behind him creating an illusion of work all in its own right.

However as he opened the door he had to pause and gaze at the woman beyond it, chastizing himself severely for not questioning who it was before opening the door.

Betraying the illusion of 'work' caused at the desk, perhaps, was the fact Eli's garb wasn't complete. He was wearing the fine trousers of his station in Alenius, but had taken off his shirt to rest on his bed and, anticipating a servant, hadn't bothered to cover his scarred chest and torso.

His eyes studied Lanaya in a swift way- trailing down her body then back up. This time it was more in recognition of the new outfit, and the slightest of smiles twitched up on his lips.

He really did like the way she looked.

"...I wasn't expecting you, my lady. Please forgive my lack of preparedness." He said in quiet tones, opening the door further as he stepped back. He had chosen to just accept his lack of preparation for a visit and move with confidence, a confidence that was apparent in his movements after the initial moment of realizing Lana was the one at the door.

Beneath that confidence he allowed himself to mull over her visit and what it was for. If she wished to begin Negotiations now, he was ready... He just preferred that it be done on the morrow instead. If it was for anything else?... He didn't really have an answer for that. Eli Blackwell was not a man used to social visits from women.

"Come in, Lanaya. Make yourself at home."

He strode over to a wardrobe and opened it as he said these words, plucking from within it a shirt which he pulled on swiftly. Once more his outfit was complete, creating that subdued nobility of his. Eli's clothing seemed to be of, compared to the lesser nobility of Alenius who have no real power or influence, finer make and designation. He had his outfits tailored for himself and the result was clothing that looked good on him despite its simplicity, or perhaps he made the clothes look good with his natural charm?

Regardless of that, he closed the wardrobe and, once completed, he seemed to focus fully on Lanaya

Upon the opening of the door, Lana was greeted with the sight of Eli naked chest. And an impressive chest it was. Not the over-bulky muscled mess of a career warrior, which she found ugly, but the evenly toned shape of a man in excellent shape. She noted the scars - an unfortunate marring of his form, but each held a story she was sure.

"My Lord..." She began, stepping into the room. "I thought it might be pleasant to make your acquaintance properly before the negotiations begin." She wandered casually towards the balcony to admire the sunset - though did not leave the room, standing only on the threshold.

"I have heard a great deal about you, and I find myself wandering how much is true..." She did not speak in an accusatory or confrontational tone - rather a slightly demure, conversational one filled with curiosity.

Eli allowed the silence to carry on once again. Her words were a small surprise to him, as he had not anticipated such a visit. The silence was broken by his footsteps as he strode along to stand beside Lana and look at the sunset.

"Then it will be my pleasure to host you this evening, my lady."

He allowed a silence once more as he digested what Lana had said, but he smiled pleasantly and with the careful reservation of caution. He was so unused to this prospect of a visit that he felt it was a ploy to influence him at this juncture. That made his prior guilt at considering charming her diminish immensely.

"I would love to know more about you as well, Lanaya."

He gracefully looped his arm in hers at that and guided her out onto the balcony proper, being somewhat assertive with the gesture but within the bounds of being a gentleman. The balcony was small, not overly grand, and had been constructed for men with long pikes to fend off a dragon from above and below... But it would serve Eli's purposes nicely as well.

Once he had her on the balcony itself, he released her for but a moment to draw the curtains behind them, suddenly closing off the room- making the small area quite close now, and he finally allowed his smile to grow info a more comfortable one, which made him seem quite happy and charming indeed, from a general standpoint.

Looping his arm with hers once more, standing a bit closer to her due to the limited space of the balcony, he finally spoke.

"I will gladly answer any questions you may have, Lana."
He dropped his formality and spoke softer.

The physical closeness - something Lana so often avoided, was exhilarating. She felt the disruption of her magics too, and was thankful she had taken the time to acquire solid clothing. This contact would've demolished a complex illusion with ease, but the localized and small improvements she used now were far more stable - only those directly touched would flicker.

When he finished speaking, she remained silent for a moment, enjoying the golden-orange rays of the setting sun. Eli was not a rushed man, she could tell. Everything he did was slow and deliberate, but in a manner that exuded supreme confidence.

"Would you?" She said with curiosity. "I am just a lowly mage... My life is beneath the notice of a mighty Prince like yourself." Lana's tone was purposefully self depreciating, particularly in the 'lowly mage' part. She wanted to know how he would react to the idea of a mage being lesser than a ruler... Or if he would not consider it an important distinction at all.

Eli couldn't help but chuckle at Lana's words and the depreciation in them. He looked at her, noticing the flickering of the illusion and disregarding it, and shook his head.

"Do get rid of that depreciation, Lana, it doesn't suit you. Perhaps in other courts you may have to bow your head and assign adjectives, but here, and with me, you need not fret over such petty things. Lowly? You can do much I can't, I'd say that makes you quite high and mighty in your own right. As for me- mighty isn't the word I'd use, that's a word I've decidedly left to my sister Beatrice." He smiled then, amusement in his words. "Go ahead and ask anything you want, and I'll do my best to answer."

A short peal of laughter rang out from the balcony then. Ostensibly at the remark over Beatrice being the mighty one, but inwardly she was very pleased with his answer.

"You do know how to flatter a girl..." She said with a small grin. "And I don't know... you looked fairly mighty to me." She said, her eyes flickering down towards his chest as she said it, though she kept speaking before he could interject. "But very well. They say that you alone are responsible for Alenius' economic success. I have the privilege of running House Thale's modest economy, so I can respect the difficulty of such a task. Do really manage it all yourself?"

Eli had to focus quite hard to contain the smirk and remain straight-faced at her comment and the flick of her eyes. He turned his gaze out to the sunset and digested her question thoughtfully. In truth, it was almost entirely his hand that handled records and ledgers and funds. Nobody else in his family had a head for it, but he could hardly claim to be solely responsible for the recovery.

So his response was very moderate;

"I handled the book-keeping and treasuries, yes. I may have needed an assistant or two to keep up with the organization initially, but once I had everything organized it was just a matter of putting in the time and effort to get it done. I didn't need any help doing that, and even now I have much of the information memorized and only need to reference the books to upkeep and maintain them, unless sudden, unexpected, happenings arise." He said this last statement with a bit of bitterness, recalling the destruction of the fleet.

"So if you mean the actual handling of money and the keeping of books and logistics, then yes I essentially have handled them single handedly since the Dragon War. However, I have to let you in on a little secret." He smirked at that, and leaned in conspiratorially.

"I didn't smith the steel or till the fields, I have to give the people their credit where it's due."

Lana smiled a mirthful smile at him then. "That is still very impressive. maybe you could give me some tips before I return to Nyhem? I've kept House Thale somewhat profitable, but lets just say I did not study economics when I was in the Circle." The blazing orb of the sun touched the horizon then, darkening its hue still further. The wispy clouds in the area had taken on a rosy pink. It would certainly make for a very picturesque memory, and a challenging illusion to recreate later on.

It occurred to her then, that there had never been any mention of where Eli went to school. His past, in fact, had been quite obscured whenever he was discussed in the court at Nyhem - no one ever seemed to know anything about him as a boy. "Where did you study to learn such incredible mastery over the subject? Or is it entirely your natural intelligence?" She did not hide how impressed she was with his intellect in her voice, it would be easy to hear.

Eli's smile dipped a bit at her questioning where he learned, but at the same time his eyes hardened into a pride that was quite different from his passive confidence- this was a hard, rich, pride. Something people suffer to attain.

"I learned in Nyhem." He said simply. "When I was a boy, I did as all Blackwells did and travelled with no name. I went to Nyhem. I had no money, no name, no weapon, and no goal."

He licked his lips, pausing as he contemplated how much to tell her. He figured it couldn't hurt, he had his pride and his accomplishments, and none would deny him that because of a past he may dislike.

"I was a beggar." He said flatly, his tone less enthused. "Not a copper to my name. I learned the streets, I learned the people, I learned who would spare a coin and who wouldn't, and I learned what a coin could get me. Gold, Lana, was a prize. Some of the other beggars mocked me for my pride, said I should stay bowed. They mockingly called me 'The Beggar King'."

He looked at her more directly now, serious.

"You ask where I learned to become a master of coin. I learned to master coin by suffering poverty and starvation in the capital of this kingdom, where there was more wealth than I could imagine changing hands every day. You called me mighty moments ago? I was an urchin who hid in warehouses during storms with doll-girls and cut-purses."

There appeared to be a significance in how he said the final sentence, but he cut it off and shook his head, forcing himself a new smile.

"I learned because I had to, is the easiest way to explain it. I was at the very bottom of this society, and now I'm very near the top."

Lana listened intently as Eli spoke of his past. It was interesting, and not at all what she expected.

A quiet "Oh." Was her immediate reply when he had finished. She wagered there was more to it than just what he told her, but he had answered her question, and she thought it best not to push. She thought for a moment how to proceed and eventually decided to tell him of her past. It just felt right, even if her harshest moments would likely not match up to the hardship he endured.

"I understand what it is like to be looked down upon." She began. She raised her free hand, a sparkling glow surrounding it, as if to draw in the air, but then decided against displaying any illusions now. It would only clash with the sunset, ruining both.

"When my magic first manifested, my parents decided on the spot that I had failed them somehow. Before that I could do no wrong, but I still remember their faces when they sent me away to the Circle. They were ashamed of me, and happy I was gone. I was never asked what I wanted - I was simply dragged from Nyhem to the circle." When she spoke of her parents, there was a bitterness to her voice that was quite unusual.

"If I had known then what I know now, I would've been happy to leave, had I been a mu-" She stopped half way through the word, suddenly realizing that Eli was, in fact, a mundane. His intelligence and manner had put her so at ease that she had forgotten he did not also possess magic. The term 'mundane' was often considered derogatory, especially when Lana used it, for she frequently filled it with her disgust for the violent and the ignorant. She did her best to recover quickly, hoping it was enough. "Had I not had magic, I would've been stuck supporting my family when they chose to back the mad-king. I'd have been killed just like they were." There was no grief in her voice when she spoke of the death of her parents. As far as she was concerned, they were not her family at all.

"But I was lucky. I merely lost all the holdings and history that would've fallen to me as the sole heiress of the Dionisa name. I was allowed to keep my life at least."

I see." His words came swifter than his usual pauses, and he nodded slowly, looking to Lana as she spoke and giving her his full attention. His features maintained their seriousness, but he knew that softening them would be appropriate for such a situation- so he did, his seriousness becoming contemplative rather than the contrast of before.

"I'd say be happy you are who you are, and don't worry about the past. It's concrete, unchangeable. The worst you can do is forget it, and the best you can do is like it, but most of us fall somewhere in the middle. You and Drevala are opposites in this...She went to that school with nothing and came back with everything, and you went with everything and came back with nothing."

He shook his head, the irony quite heavy on him. He released Lana's arm at that and leaned on the balcony some, shutting his eyes and breathing. This is where the heavy pauses he enjoys occured, and he allowed himself to think. Her house was completely destroyed and she was left with nothing, whereas his house arose from nothing and became what it was from the same thing; the Dionisa name was killed for backing the Mad King, but the Blackwell name was heralded and raised up for service to the Mad King during the war. They were on opposite ends of that one critical event, and Eli couldn't help but understand that and acknowledge it.

"...At least you're alive, yes. For a long time 'at least we're alive' was what kept my family together."

He rose up then and turned, bowing halfway to Lana.

"I propose a drink then, and that we leave these ill memories to the sunset."

"I wouldn't say I came back with nothing at all..." Lana began. She hadn't meant to vilify the Circle "I learned so much, and met many wonderful people. Titles and land aren't everything." She had to laugh thinking about what she would add next. It was an amusing irony. "And the political games my parents wanted to use me in were insignificant next to what I have achieved on my own. They'd be so proud." She spoke of their pride with sarcasm - she was sure they'd hate her eclipsing them to such a level despite her perceived 'curse.'

"But I will happily forget them and drink with you." She said, half curtsying in response to his gesture.

Eli smiled at her with the same charming smile of before, attempting to, indeed, forget the ill memories of the now. He rose up fully and opened the curtains back into his room, the dwindling light behind them now making the candle-light quite necessary. He gestured for her to go first, ever the gentleman, and followed her into the room.

"Have you ever had the wine of Alenius? We're more known for beers and ales, but I've grown fond of the wines." He explained as he moved over to the table in the center of the room and began clearing its surface, stacking things neatly and flipped over so no word could be read. Swiftly, indeed, he had enough of the surface cleared for two people to sit comfortably without fear of a drink capsizing onto a book, or fear of a parchment flipping over unbidden, though most of this room was around the chess board inset upon the table.

"It's got a spice to it, a strength of flavor that doesn't come from the alcohol itself." He continued. "Though some are...quite strong, we won't be going anywhere near that- I'm not overly fond of losing my head." His smile tilted up into a smirk at that concept, and he allowed a chuckle as he set glasses upon the table. He studied it for a moment as if making sure nothing were about to collapse if he turned away, then moved to study the selection of drinks scattered about his shelves until one caught his fancy and he took the bottle, and swiftly poured it into Lana's glass, and his own.

"There we are. This shouldn't be too much- it's less fierce than most." He said, sitting down and sipping from his own glass in a relaxed manner as he watched Lana curiously. "I do believe you had more questions for me, or are we moving on from that conversation?"

From the dark liquid he poured there came a scent of peculiar nature, it didn't smell like other wines- its scent made the nose tingle and filled the mouth with a strange taste. Its flavor, however, was softer than its scent, and it was of the flavored spices common to Alenius alcohols, though in a weaker manner than famed.

"It will be a fascinating new experience." Lana replied in reference to the wine. "And if I like it, maybe we'll set up a trade route back to Nyhem for it?" She joked. It was not beyond her notice that while he cleared the table, all of his documents were turned over or filed away. This was, after all, the nerve center of Alenius. But it did not concern her, she was not here to spy. Economic reports were of no use to her cause anyway.

She took the offered cup, noting the strong scent. She was hesitant at first, staring at it suspiciously. He'd said 'less fierce' but if he was accustomed to stronger, that didn't mean it'd be weak. After a moment she decided to take him at his word and cautiously sipped the liquid. She did her best not to grimace - its flavor, from her perspective, could best be described as 'unexpected.' Not bad, but certainly not what she was used to. "It's... still quite strong to my tongue." She said with a slight smile. "We'll see if I acquire the taste by the end of the cup." She put it down and looked at the chessboard then.

"I assume you play?" She said pointing at the checkered squares on the table.

Eli watched her with an amused smile as she drank the drink and her ensuing reaction. He recalled his own first experiences with the strong flavors, and couldn't help but compare the two. He accounted his own ability handle alcohol in general to his time with the mercenary company, but had to admit that the wine from Alenius was, indeed, very different than wines from elsewhere.

"I do, indeed, play chess. I enjoy it quite a bit. It's like a harmless game of war with no consequences. Do you play it yourself, Lana?" He asked, his smirk tilting up a bit into curiosity. He was very fond of chess, it was an intellectual game rather than a game of brawn or endurance. The truth of the matter is he most often, late at night, played against himself, pacing around the table, when he was stuck on a concept or issue. But as he thought about that he squashed it, not feeling the need to relay that particular tidbit of information.

"I... Dabble." Lana said cautiously, before continuing. "Although the challenge for me has always been in maintaining the Illusion." She didn't state if she meant the illusion of her strategy or the actual illusion as she begun to conjure a set of fairly complex static images in the place of the pieces. "When I was teaching Illusion in the Circle, I used this as an advanced level lesson. The students had to maintain their illusory pieces consistently while also playing against one another. A good illusionist must be able to retain her image consistency while focused on something else entirely."

On her side of the board, in the place of the Queen, a miniature static image of herself appeared, in the garb she usually wore while at court in Nyhem. Had it not been for the coalescing of glowing energy that formed it, it might be easy to have mistaken it for a very detailed miniature doll. She looked up and smiled at him. "I'm sure I'd be no match for you. I haven't played since I left the Circle."

A small flicker of amusement went through Eli's features as he surveyed her illusory display. He lifted a hand and flicked his fingers through the king of his side, before pulling his hand back.

"Magic will never cease to astound me." He commented to himself, shaking his head. Then he seemed to focus back on Lana and studied her rather than the illusion.

"Ah, then let's not worry over a game for now then. Illusions. They're fascinating to me. I pride myself on being someone very hard to deceive, Lana, yet here you are tricking my eyes." He chuckled. "I suppose if I gave the effort I might be able to see through it, but had I not touched you earlier I'd never have known the illusions on your own clothes. I have to admit, I envy your limitless wardrobe." He smirked at his jest.

The joke brought forth laughter from Lana. "You're not the first to say that." She said with a grin. "I was a teacher of Illusion at the Circle, as I mentioned before, so you're in luck. There are only a few individuals in Formaroth more qualified to talk about Illusion, and either of us would be lucky for them to give us the time of day." She was somewhat more serious now, though taking on the tone of a teacher asked to teach their favorite subject. She had barely even noticed that he had switched to using the familiar version of her name by now.

"Anyone can disbelieve an illusion." She began. "If they focus hard enough. For the keen of eye and sharp of mind, such as yourself, it is of course easier, but even you would have to consciously attempt to do so. The true art of illusion is not simply the bending of light and sound to create an image... It is in creating the image in such a way as to fool the viewer into believing nothing is out of the ordinary. Blending it into the background, making sure it acts as it should. If people do not suspect illusion, they are far less likely to try to disbelieve it. Physical contact will always disrupt an illusion though - in most cases causing the shimmer you witnessed earlier, though if I were to give it my full focus, that would not occur. You would still see your hand pass through the image however, for there is no solid mass to stop it, and that would give the illusion away." The passion for her art could be heard in her voice as she spoke. She was aware that telling Eli the tricks of the trade would make it harder to fool him in the future, but she had no intent to do anything more than augment her appearance around him.

"It certainly helps me to keep up with the fashion of Nyhem without suffering financially. And -" She momentarily dropped all the illusions she was maintaining on the dress she wore. "- lets me put together a stunning outfit on a budget." She smiled again then sipped the spiced wine again. Her expression was less severe than before, but still present. Once she recovered, she said simply. "I could speak about Illusion all night..."

The interest on Eli's features appeared to be genuine, and it truly was. He was quite interested in learning more about illusions, if only to learn how better to see through them and overcome them. Her passion for it made the explanations more engaging and interesting however, and he nodded every so often in understanding with her explanation.

"It's a shame we don't have all night then, because the way you explain it makes it sound so fascinating." He still couldn't help but smile at her expression at the wine, and sipped from his own cup to hide the expression so as to not tease at her.

"If you don't mind me asking, Lana, have you studied other magics besides illusions? Drevala is a proficient healer, for example, and I know she has mastered the fundamentals of magic as well."

"And break the mystery?" Lana mockingly feigned offense. "You are a curious one indeed. Very well." She continued. "I am, as you have no doubt determined, a shape shifter... Though my repertoire and general mastery pales in comparison to your sister's. Though that statement is true for virtually all shape shifters - your sister is singularly talented in that area. I have also studied various destruction magics, for self defense purposes. Mages are not as welcome in many parts of Formaroth as they are here and in Nyhem. In addition, I have a passing familiarity with all known forms of magic, in order to properly fulfill the advisory duties of a Magister. My knowledge of magical theory and research is also advanced. It is not for no reason I have achieved the title of Magister..." She was beginning to be purposefully vague, wishing to keep at least some of her magical capability unseen. Though she was fairly sure Eli liked her, he was a hard man to get a proper read on, especially since she had only just met him. As at ease as she felt around him, she was beginning to feel he had learned more of her than the other way around.

Eli listened, once more, with undivided attention.

"I see, thank you for answering Lana. I appreciate it." His words were ended by a longer drink from his glass, and he set the container upon the table to allow himself a small break from the drink. He licked his lips idly as he thought.

"I enjoy learning about people. It makes me...understand them. Understanding people..." He gestures somewhat vaguely. "...I can't explain it, I like it." It was his turn to be intentionally vague, as he pressed his hands together, forming a pyramid with his fingers.

"May I ask another question?- Of course you wouldn't mind." He laughed some, breaking the finger pyramid and splaying his hand around Lana as if encompassing her from his seat with his attention.

"It's a personal one, forget the politics of it all, I just want to understand //you//." He locks his gaze on her more seriously as he opened his query with this statement. "But how do you feel about this war? I'm sure you've read my speech already, it's all over town, but forget about that. How do //you// feel about it. Who's in the right? Who's got the...most just claim? I'll forget all this when it comes time to negotiate, but I want //you// to answer, not the Concord Representative."

It was Lana's turn to be silent, as she considered. It was not what her opinion was that she considered, she already knew that. It was how to put it to Eli, knowing what she did of him.

After a moment, she decided.

"I will answer these questions." For they were indeed two distinct questions in her mind. "I am disgusted by war as a whole. This one, the last one, the next one... War brings more death than anything else. Crowns change hands, but always there is a faction unhappy with whose head they sit on, for there is always a loser in war. War begets more war. When I was in the Circle, we received news from both sides of the last war. The couriers of that news became known as deaths messengers. Not once, excepting the news of the wars end, was there celebration in the Circle. Every week brought news that more of our fellows had fallen, for one side or the other, taking all their knowledge and potential with them. The mad kind needed to die for his actions, but the cost did not need to be so high. This war rages only because arrogant men cannot decide who is more capable leader." She stopped herself then, before she broke into any more heavy pro-mage rhetoric. She took another sip of the fiery wine, this time without grimacing, and put the cup down on the table.

"As for who is right? Who is just? Neither of those things matter to me. The system by which rulers are determined in Formaroth is, and I'm sure you'll agree, antiquated and ineffective. It is clearly a mistake to believe that an ability to rule the land is inherited. If it was, we would never have had men like Heylot, or families like House Willow or House Hieze." She paused, calming her voice, which had become quite filled with passion before continuing.

"I believe the most capable leader should be the man on the Throne, and of the two current contenders, that man is Duncan De Reimer. Manshrew may be renowned as an honorable and just ruler in his land, but Uzgob is far away and very different to the rest of Formaroth... And an overabundance of Honor, a quality I may suggest should be brought into question given recent events, is not necessarily a good thing either. Duncan, however, understands the reality of ruling. He has lived under two very different kings and observed them both. He has, in the short time he has ruled, drastically improved the lives of not only my fellow mages, but also the people of Nyhem. That is why I chose to side with him." She omitted the fact that he was, as far as she could tell, also going to put a mage on the throne beside him as his queen...

"Let's imagine something." He said these words with a pause, as if building up to the statement he needed to make, and leaned forward onto the table. He placed a hand onto the chess board smirked. "Chess. Two armies clashing. The more intelligent person, or the person with the most experience, will come out on top nine times out of ten. Manshrew and De Reimer are both experienced in their own right, though I'd think it fair for me to say that De Reimer is more intelligent due to reputation."

He walked his fingers across the board slowly, moving them about as if simulating chess pieces bouncing about and maneuvering.

"So between these two, the one with honor and military leadership and the one with intelligence and the vicious reputation, I'd say that De Reimer has a distinct advantage in our little game of chess."

his little imaginary chess board battle moved across the board, pressing on the 'Manshrew' side.

"But Chess is a game of two players, Lana. Between two people an outcome is easy to predict, not guaranteed of course, but easy to predict. In a game of chess, the smarter man will beat the lesser man. De Reimer will beat Manshrew."

He draws his hand back and leans back in his chair, once more forming the finger pyramid with his hands.

"However, this isn't a game of chess, this is a game of thrones. And when it comes to a game of thrones, a game of war, a game of politics, honor, even if doubted, is powerful asset to have. When you swear to someone that they will grow powerful, or be safe, or be rewarded for helping you and you're a man of high honor- people will flock to you because you will keep your word. Manshrew's armies are vast and mighty, and even a smart man will have great trouble overcoming multitudes of armed soldiers rallying to a man whose honor is as high as Manshrew's. Of course..."

His smile grows sly.

"We're assuming there are only two players in this game of thrones."

There it was. Ambition. Eli's sly smile was thick with it. Lana found it both intoxicating and... Terrifying. She pushed past her feelings and focused on the exchange of words.

"Like all good traits..." Lana responded to the initial part of Eli's statements. "An overabundance of honor turns quickly to a flaw. The man consumed by his own sense of honor is predictable, and easy to manipulate. In this grand game we play, such traits are death. An advantage in the short term perhaps..." She left the rest unsaid. Eli should know well that theirs was the long game. After a pause and another sip of her drink, she continued.

"And I would go so far as to say that in practice, the honor of mighty men is a terrible thing for this land and its people. Wars have started over insults to a mans honor countless times, bringing pointless death because of hurt feelings. Manshrew claims to seek peace, claims to be an honorable man, but his honor has brought nothing but war to the land."

It was only then she addressed his final comment.

"You asked I not consider your speech in my answer..." She pointed out before continuing. "You would see yourself on the Throne." It was phrased as a question, but spoken as a statement

Eli waved a hand as if dismissing the nonsense about honor and Manshrew. She had spoken the truth about it all and he had already rationalized it all out, he simply wished to see if she'd take it that extra step from his prompting and she had. She was smart, cautious, educated, and all things considered, beautiful. He really was enjoying her presence during this conversation and he couldn't help but chuckle at her neutral statement.

"I would see myself on the throne." He confirmed. And it was the truth- his ambition was strong and his goals clear. "I suppose now you may consider the speech I made now that is has become more...directly relevant."

Lana lightly chuckled at his last comment. She sipped her glass again, noting now that it was getting quite low. "I think I have acquired a taste for this..." She said, though she found it hard to tell exactly how much alcohol was in it over the unusual taste. She could tell she wasn't drunk, but she didn't know if it would be one or three glasses until she was.

"But my Lord Blackwell, I feel we should, perhaps, leave political discussion to another day. We must keep our minds sharp for the negotiations tomorrow after all." She was angling to end the night now, purposefully avoiding the conversation about Eli's ambitions for the Throne. His speech implied he sought war, but she desperately wanted to avoid thinking of him as just another warmongering, power hungry lord. She needed to mentally prepare for that conversation, and in the mean time, wanted to end the night focused on the warm feeling in her breast.

Eli smiles, less sly more pleasant, and nods. "Then please, take the bottle with you as a gift." He slid the remainder of the bottle across to her side of the table and gestured for her to have it. He then rose up and somewhat unnecessarily dusted himself off.

"I'm sure tomorrow's evening will find us in a very, very, interesting conversation. Thank you for visiting me." He walked around the table and offered her a hand, ever courteous.

He was feeling quite good. This visit was pleasant and this woman was pleasant in her own right, and he found that this sort of social visit was somewhat enjoyable even if the finality of it was quite serious. He had decided he rather like Lana, and would rather have just been forthcoming and honest with his intentions and ambitions rather than deny them or keep them hidden. They were hardly a 'secret', just never directly asserted until he just stated them a moment ago.

"Thank you." Lana said, taking the bottle, then taking his hand to aid her as she rose from the seat. "We'll discuss a trade route to import it to Nyhem in the negotiations?" She joked, smiling at him pleasantly. "Thank you for having me. Your company is quite agreeable. Tomorrow we will be meeting as Lord Blackwell and Lady Dionisa... But after that is over, there should be time for another visit."

She was glad Drevala had pushed her to do this. She imagined her friend would giggle madly when she told her how Eli made her feel.

"Ah, another visit? I shall be much more prepared this time, I assure you." He laughed in return. "I must admit that I found this to be quite enjoyable. I don't often receive guests." He guided her to the door, still holding her hand in that gentlemanly manner he employed.

"I shall call on you in the evening after dinner, so do enjoy your morning Lana." He smiled to her as he opened the door for her.

She returned his smile as she left the room. "I will." The door shut, and she began down the corridor towards her room, a certain skip in her step that had not previously been there before.

"Are you sure you're okay? If you're feeling unwell I'll take you back to your room and bring Lana to you." Drevala said, her voice heavy with worry and concern. She was guiding a young woman by the shoulder through the halls towards the tower Lana had been allowed to stay in. The young woman was cradling a white bunny [also known as a young rabbit] in her arms and she looked agitated by the question.

"I am fine sister. Please. Let us go and meet this friend of yours." The young woman's voice was practically venemous this morning, and her eyes were hard. The events of a few weeks ago, the assassination and her ensuing state, had left her very.. sour about life. Drevala hoped her meeting new people would do her good. Naomi looked down at the bunny in her arms and stroked a hand through its fur. "I don't think Hopper helps me very much, sister, but if you think he'll make me feel better I'll keep carrying him around."

"Hopper will do you much good, little flower, I know he will. That's why I found him for you, he's so cute and fluffy and he can be with you all the time whereas I cannot." Drevala said softly. "Come, just up these stairs and we'll be there."

"Why do I have to meet this friend of yours, sister? She's another mage, I'll not understand much of what she does." Naomi replied dryly. "Beatrice has already promised to teach me to wear armor and bear a spear, like you do." this statement made Drevala frown inwardly, as she despised that Naomi had chosen such a path after the events. She had seen the subtle changes over the past few weeks from 'soft, moderate, average young girl' to 'cynical and cruel victim' all too clearly, and Naomi's choice to take up armor and a weapon solidified her disdain.

"She is a master of illusion and a good friend of mine, and you will show her the respect you give me." Drevala said sternly. "And, perhaps, she may even offer to give you a little show- she is truly fantastic with her displays." Naomi began to climb the stairs slowly at these words, with a sigh.

"I don't care for her fancy displays, but if it will shut you up I'll meet her." the young woman's curt words bit into Drevala, but she hid her pain and kept up her smile. Drevala was determined to save her sister's spirit as well as body, and knew it would be a long, difficult, process.

So the two women climbed the stairs, and before Drevala could move ahead of Naomi the younger woman had already walked up to Lana's door and beat upon it with a hand, holding 'Hoppers' her bunny in the other arm.

"My sister says I should meet you!" She yelled into the door

There was a loud knock on Lana's door, followed by a bellowing voice. Lana wondered for a moment if Drevala had brought Beatrice to meet her, the mannerism would seem to fit. She hoped not, she really didn't believe she knew how to interact with that woman - after the fumbling display in the grand hall in Nyhem, it was clear to Lana that that particular Blackwell spoke better with a blade than her tongue. She checked that all her illusions were in place - today she had little to wear - then rolled up the papers she was reviewing. She did not write down much, and these were not her own papers, but they were best not revealed until the opportune moment all the same.

She opened the door, expecting the towering, lumbering woman of muscle to be on the other side... And was quite thoroughly surprised to see the slight form of the youngest of the Blackwells. A rare moment of confusion was visible on her face before she regained her composure.

"Drevala! This must be Naomi then. Its nice to meet you at last. Come in." She added more when she noticed Naomi's scowl. "I don't bite, I assure you."

"My sister does. I've seen it. She's ripped through men's throats with her teeth. I saw her rip through a man's shoulder to protect me. I suppose I should learn to bite, it'd keep me safer in the long run." Naomi said curtly, before pushing into the room. "Oh. This is Hoppers." she held up the bunny, whose little nose wrinkled at Lana and it made the cutesie noises that bunnies are wont to do.

"Sorry, she's been quite...grumpy lately." Drevala said with an apologetic, and worried, smile.

"Grumpy implies this will go away, sister." Naomi chided, looking about with a lack of curtesy in Lana's room. "I've told you my eyes have been opened."

Naomi suddenly stared at Lana intensely, as if expecting her to ask about what she just said.

Drevala on the other hand, discreetly gestured as if saying 'do not ask her about what she just said'

This was definitely not what Lana was expecting. Though she had not properly met Naomi in Nyhem, the impression she had got when the young woman had spoken for House Blackwell was of a somewhat timid, but optimistic girl. Far removed from the harsh speaking, angry young woman before her. She noted Drevala's gesture, and together with Naomi's stare, immediately put the situation together. She couldn't help but be reminded of some of her more troublesome students at the Circle.

Several things then ran through her mind in an instant. She recalled that the Blackwell family bonds were tight - and that Naomi was doted on by the whole family. It was likely that meant she would be given near anything she asked for, even now, in this most difficult time of her life. Though Drevala was clearly caring for the young lady, such care would not be helping the powerlessness Naomi was no doubt feeling after the attack. She recalled her own life, and several of the cases she had dealt with at the Circle. Learning to fight would certainly help Naomi feel more secure, Lana could not deny that, but it would merely be a channel for anger, not a solution. She wanted to help, but knew that help would not likely come in the form of illusion - rather well placed words.

She would at least make an attempt at polite conversation before taking on the mannerisms of a scolding teacher however.

"A lovely creature, warm and soft." She said, referring to the bunny. "I wish I'd had such a companion when I was young." She sent a knowing look to Drevala.

Naomi's features flickered in displeasure at her prompting being disregarded, but then a flicker of triumph flashed and maintained in her eyes. She had found a way to transition to her wanted topic quite handily, and a cold smile appeared on her lips. A rather... vicious smile.

"Ah yes. He is quite warm, soft, and lovely. And I take care of him."

Drevala sighed and shook her head, walking a few steps away as if gathering her thoughts.

"Think from the perspective of little Hoppers here, friend." The way Naomi said 'friend' made it feel like a...disgusting title. "I feed him. Brush him. Wash him. Hold him. He must think me a god, no?"

Naomi's eyes fell to Hoppers whom she began to stroke with a hand.

"If I stopped feeding him, he'd die. At the whim of what he perceived as a god. But you and I know that I am no god, I am just a woman. If I broke his neck, he'd die. Violently, at the hands of what he perceived as a god. But you and I know that I am no god, no? If I am not a god, then how come I can do as the gods do, and at a whim take and give?"

She tightened her grip on the bunny and lifted her eyes to Lana.

"I could crush this bunny in my hands with no remorse and take its life, very much so how those men tried to take mine. I've concluded the gods aren't real. I've debunked the greatest illusion of Formaroth. I figured you'd like to hear this, seeing as you're a master of illusion as I've been told. I've concluded that the 'gods' are an excuse."

Drevala stayed quiet and was obviously troubled, and she regretted orchestrating this meeting.

Had Lana not already begun to take on the mindset of 'Professor Triskell' she might've been horrified by the things Naomi was saying. Such cruel thoughts had no place coming from her mouth.

Her features became stern, though not cruel. Her voice was authoritative when she spoke again. "The gods are not relevant. They don't care about you or your opinion." She was careful in speaking of religion - she had never put much stock in it in the past, but didn't make a scene of it. "The first lesson of Illusion is that the only way to exert real change is to act yourself. We are also taught, that every action, illusion or otherwise has a consequence. That consequence is not always the intended one." She glanced pointedly at Drevala, as if to say 'look at the consequence of your words.'

Then she cut straight to the heart of the matter. "Manshrew intended to eliminate your entire family, including you. He failed. But if you allow him to turn you into an angry and cruel person, you are giving him a victory he never expected to gain from his actions. It is within your power to deny Manshrew entirely. Do not allow him to make you as petty and cruel as he is. You're better than that. The Blackwell family deserves better than that."

Naomi rolled her eyes quite strongly and heaved a sigh, and blatantly ignored a good deal of what was just said to her. This woman before her was ignorant still in her eyes, and she may have just tried to enlighten her... but this tirade presented against her was simply a wall being presented to the young woman's newfound life philosophy. It had tumbled around in her mind a great deal over the past weeks, as she faded in and out of consciousness. During her brief periods of livelihood and wakefulness, she had tried to stay cheery for Drevala and Father, but once she couldn't hide back into the darkness of her unconscious state...

She had to face the facts that she had tried to elude, and now that she had recovered she couldn't run from them.

Drevala shook her head and moved back next to Naomi. "May I hold Hoppers, flower?" She asked softly. Naomi nodded and handed the bunny up to Drevala, who held the creature safely in her arms.

"He doesn't like it when you don't fully support his body with your arms." She explained, redundantly, to Drevala who already fully understood this, but made sure to change the way she held Hoppers to satisfy Naomi. Naomi then turned her gaze back to Lana.

"You're speaking in a very strange way to me, like you have some sort of authority. Your business is illusions, something I've just established means nothing to me- my eyes are opened beyond your trickery, and the falsehood of the gods. If my opinion matters so little, don't try to debunk it- makes you seem quite petty, friend."

"Naomi!" Drevala hissed. "Remember what I told you?"

Naomi looked up at Drevala and blinked, then seemed pacified by the words. She nodded slowly to Drevala and lowered her head.

"Now, apologize to Lanaya and actually listen to what she had to say." Drevala intoned sternly. Naomi turned, shuffling her feet, to face Lana fully. She then did a little half-curtsy and bowed her head.

"Forgive me for my brash words and uncouth language, milady, that is not how a Blackwell should treat a guest." She said in hollow words. She then paused and studied Lana as she mulled over her words.

"You have given me something to think about, thank you." She said in the same hollow voice. Drevala's face flickered in irritation, then deep worry. She sighed quietly and shook her head, giving the bunny a bit of her focus. Bunnies were so much more pleasant than humans, though she swiftly realized her own escape mechanism kicking in so she shifted her gaze back to Naomi, whom she reached out her free hand towards and pat her on the head.

"That's my flower, there we go."

Lana watched wordlessly as Drevala intervened. Her fellow mage did not like conflict, and was clearly unhappy with this situation.

When she spoke again, it was still stern, but with a hint of compassion. "It is not me you should be apologizing to. I have had far worse words directed to me by my students and by fearful mundanes. It is Drevala you should be apologizing to. You seek to lash out at me, to hurt me for reasons unknown, but your words only cut your sister. The gods may not care about your opinion, but she certainly does."

Naomi tilted her head and sighed. She turned to Drevala and, obediently, rang out with her hollow voice;

"I'm sorry Drevala." Drevala nodded and moved to hand the bunny back to Naomi, who carefully took her pet back.

"It's alright flower, I appreciate it. I know you didn't mean anything by it." she laughed easily and gave the younger woman a hug, kneeling down to embrace her. Naomi seemed generally disinterested in this contact, and scowled for a moment when Drevala couldn't see, but allowed it nontheless and nodded.

"Would you like to talk to Lanaya more, or do you wish to rest?"

"I wish to return to my tower, aye." she said in the simplistic manner that 'plagued' the Blackwells from time to...well, most of the time. Drevala's silence was displeased, but she nodded after a moment of quietness.

"I'll send for broth-"

"Beatrice, I want Beatrice." Naomi intervened, strongly.

"...I'll send for Beatrice, then."

Drevala rose up and dusted her hands off, looking to Lana.

"Terribly sorry, friend, she doesn't seem up for as much socializing as I'd hoped."

"She's lying, she knew exactly how little I wanted this." Naomi chimed, smirking at Lana from behind Drevala. Drevala's expression drooped a bit and she seemed fully aware of how 'little Naomi wanted this', but set her jaw in a rather familiar expression, to both Lana and Naomi, of determination.

"You also knew how much I thought this'd do you good-" but before Drevala could fully finish the expression, Naomi stepped forward and did her half-curtsy to Lana once more.

"If it's no trouble, I'd like to retire milady."

"One final piece of advice, and then you may retire." Lana began, the majority of her stern tone gone, now replaced with a hint of worry. "You would do well to choose your words more carefully in the future when speaking to guests. Few others in this time of war will be as forgiving as myself. Your family does not need more enemies." In the girls current state, Lana fully expected her to ignore her words, but then, she might also remember them precisely when she needed them. At the very least she tried.

"I hope your fortunes improve young one." She said by way of farewell, turning and heading out towards the balcony.

Naomi nodded once to the woman, and turned to briskly stride from the room. Drevala made as if to follow her, but was stopped in her step by Naomi's words-

"I can walk my own castle on my own, sister. I'll call for a guard." She declared boldly as she left the room, in quite the rush.

Drevala heaved a sigh and, after a moment of gathering herself, turned and moved to follow Lanaya instead.

"...I apologize dearly for Naomi's behavior. I had hoped this would..improve her standing." She said quietly, casting a furtive glance towards the door. "...But what do you think of her? I worry quite a bit, myself, and you do promise to keep it quiet about her condition when you leave, right?" She sounded hopeful. "I understand if you can't, but it'd just...it'd make things more difficult if others knew she was like this."

Lana was confused for a moment at Drevala's wording. As far as she could see, Naomi, while certainly in a less than pleasant state of mind, was not unusual for a youth who had just experienced the kind of adversity she had. But thinking about it from Drevala's perspective it made sense. "I don't see why I would need to tell anyone of her troubles." She began. "But she is clearly very troubled." She continued.

"I hope she does not choose to become a warrior. She seems far too intelligent to waste her time focused on nought but swinging a sword around. I think you should encourage her to speak to your brother, and learn to better fulfill the role she had at grand council in Nyhem. As unpleasant as politics can become, they at least largely safer than a battlefield."

Drevala shrugged. "I rather enjoyed how...untouched by all this she was, but there's no helping it now I suppose... I'll have her speak to brother once your business is concluded." she agreed. "Maybe he can get some sense into her."

Drevala then offered a small smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Speaking of my brother, how was your visit?" She asked playfully, if weakly.

Lana was grateful for the change of subject, Naomi was a tragic case she would prefer not to dwell on.

"Eli... is a very fascinating man." Thinking of him again in terms of her visit rather than as a political rival, brought back that warm, fluttering feeling in her breast. "And charming too. I'm going to visit him again after the negotiations... I'm looking forward to it."

Drevala could not help herself, the small chuckle and smirk that Lana's response caused was unstoppable even if she wanted to stop them.

"Charming, eh? How about you though, madam Dionisa?" she said in a tone of mocking, likely mocking her brother's formality. "Did you like him, or was his charm too much for you?"

She nudged into Lana playfully, before leaning into the balcony.

"I..." she shakes her head, cutting herself off.

Lana couldn't help but blush. She was unused to this feeling, and found it hard to maintain her composure when it was so strong. She didn't really know how to express herself to her friend. Was this how Aurelia had felt before? Suddenly her friends lack of words made much more sense.

"I don't know with certainty if I beguiled him... But I think he has snared me..." She eventually managed. Then she turned to look at Drevala. She could feel her cheeks burning as she continued. "Do you think he would like me? I'm... not the prettiest woman in Formaroth..."

Lana received a more easy-going smile in return.

"Lana, my brother is a male. Males tend to like females. I think you're pretty enough anyway, and he certainly doesn't have any preferences that I know of. As far as I know he's never been with a woman or fancied one either, so you can understand why this is so interesting for me and why I'm rather hopeful he fancies you as well."

Lana laughed at that. Her friend was thinking more clearly than she was. "You're right. I shouldn't worry so much, men aren't that complicated." She grinned, but then her face turned more serious.

"I cannot be thinking of him in such a way for the negotiations however. My feelings can wait until afterwards, lest they put me at a disadvantage." Her crimson cheeks faded as she returned to her senses, her mind refocusing on the negotiation.

Drevala seems a bit sobered up by the talks of negotiation. She sighs and straightens up, adjusting her robes, before looking to Lana fully once more.

"I just hope everything you came to do goes smoothly. I should get back to Naomi, or perhaps I should quit slacking on my duties for once. I wish the rest of your day goes well."

She would begin stepping away at that, but pauses.

"Oh. And really, i find you pretty enough. Don't let such thoughts hold you back."

"Thank you." Lana said, turning and smiling as her friend walked away.

"I'll make sure to tell you how things go with Eli later..."

Drevala nodded and smiled more softly.

"Thank you. I'll come visit when I get the chance." She promised, moving to leave.

"I must depart soon after the negotiations are complete, but I will try to make sure we see each other once more before I leave." Lana said, following Drevala to the door, and closing it behind her when she left.