Zeke squeezed through after Narda, his back aching uncomfortably already. The headache would follow, soon. The wolves still went after them, but without the tainted magic aggravating them, they were slow, careless, and far more easy to kill. Zeke joined Narda in the slaying of those that came near, appreciating the fact that her killing more slowed her down just enough that he could keep up with her. Imagining her marching in a military unit, with those long legs, was both amusing and irritating.

"I'm sure they could." Zeke said thoughtfully. "And would. Judging by how protective they are of their land." He gestured, just as she did, and then turning to watch the creatures that tailed them. "Maybe if we take them one of these things, they'll see why it would be beneficial to burn it." He cut down two of the wolves, the third wobbling unsteadily on its legs before it collapsed to the ground. With his free hand, he rubbed the nape of his neck, shifting his shoulders to try to ease the knot that was forming.

Upon hearing Narda's compliment, Zeke glanced at her, rotating his shoulders. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." He returned, redirecting his steps to head off a looming wolf. "I wouldn't exactly say we're all friends, but yeah, they're easy enough to get along with." He wandered back toward her. "And yeah, he did, actually." Zeke said, grinning slightly. "Since I was about nine. He raised me."
He chewed on the inside of his lip. "Its what he does. Or did. Took in kids that are abandoned, or abused, or who just need a place. Makes sure they all know how to fight, or cook, or sew, or whatever they have an interest in that will get them work once they're old enough to do so." His smile grew. "I just happened to grow up to be captain of the city guard. But it was a lifetime ago, it seems like."

~

Ysaryn shrugged a shoulder, wrinkling her nose as the action caused a twinge in her head. "With bad luck for so long, I'm due for quite an abundance of good luck." Ysaryn admitted, picking her way along beside the Amrian. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the strange new scents of the new world. Trees were a mixture of familiar and new, the leaves carrying an odd aroma with them. The ground still smelled like dirt, but the animals that roamed it were different. As if they spent too long in a burrow that did not belong to them.

"I'm still alive, so I suppose I am fairly hard to kill." She flashed him her wolfish grin, her eyes wandering his face. "You fight well, by the way. Suppose that is expected, considering your job." The stream they approached smelled odd, as well, the fish more potent in her nostrils. Small as they were as they swam along in the current, she could almost count them without being able to see.
"Amria smells so," Ysaryn began, inhaling deeply, filling her lungs again with the plethora of aromas. "different. Good. Like after a rain, when everything is hightened."
She turned her head and grinned at him once more before falling silent, enjoying the views, the smells, the air that tickled through her much more lightweight hair.

As they neared the village, Ysaryn automatically slowed, her expression growing more cautious as she observed. She knew Amria had no elves here, and had no idea how they would react to a dark skinned stranger wrapped in leathers, regardless of whether or not she carried her weapons. Ed laid out their options, and Ysaryn kept her eyes forward, inclining her head as she looked over the pens, the horses, the barricades. She swallowed. "No, I can't really Walk us forward unless I know more precisely where I'm trying to get." Ysaryn craned her neck, then pointed. "Bottom of this ridge, at best. And I'm not being left alone without a weapon, so if you go ahead, so do I." She said firmly, reaching out to take his hand.
Eyes trained on where she wanted to take them, she focused for a few seconds before she pulled them forward.

They stepped back out a moment later, the elf hissing as her head twinged in pain. She let him go in order to cradle her forehead in her hands, pressing her palms to her eyes again. "Maybe I shouldn't do that again so quickly." Ysaryn commented, swallowing a wave of nausea before she looked up again, blinking furiously. "Your people have never seen an elf before." Ysaryn stated, knowing her concerns would be expressed in subtext.

~

It was definitely the language Kire spoke. Whatever that word their leader spoke first, that single syllable that could only be a swear, he'd certainly heard Kire mutter that plenty of times. He could hear their shouting, but it grew quieter fast, and he was sure he'd made his escape.
Until the whistles came. Rippling through the forest in unmistakable signals. Fuck. Ruli said as he ducked under another low hanging branch. At least his arm didn't hurt anymore, the amount of adrenalin pumping through him once again. He turned, trying to avoid the calls they made to one another. He would never admit it to Kire, but the boots helped him keep traction as he turned and wove through the trees. Still, he wish he'd laced them a little better.

Ruli turned again, heading south once more, stealing a momentary glance behind him to see if his hunters tailed him. Before he knew what was happening, the ground disappeared beneath his feet and he plummeted with a shout of alarm. The speed at which he'd been running caused him to nearly bounce off the farther wall of the pit they'd dug. With a grunt, he hit the bottom, landing on the hilt of his sword to earn himself what would unmistakably be a painful bruise. Twisting, Ruli lay himself on his back, propped against the wall, raising his hands in surrender as the faces appeared, staring down at him.
Chest heaving, skin moist with sweat, and his bandaged arm now covered in dirt as well as blood, Ruli flashed a crooked grin. "That desperate for men out here, you have to hunt them down and trap them, hm?" He asked breathlessly, watching each of the figures carefully.

[♡]

“The more I hear about your foster father, the more I am impressed. A remarkable individual, that,” Narda sad, grinning. “He trained you well. And Captain, eh? You and Edward would’ve been two peas,” she said, chuckling. Considering Zeke’s earlier suggestion, she picked one of the dead wolves whose features she hadn’t completely bashed in yet, tied its limbs with some vine she had pulled free, and dragged it along. It would’ve been easy enough to lift the thing over her shoulders, and Narda wasn’t normally squeamish. But she didn’t really like the idea of having the monster’s flesh so close to her own.

Behind him, a few stragglers still stalked them, but Narda picked up a large branch and tossed it at them. They scattered, and fewer came back to trail them, the distance much greater now. They were nearing the edge of the forest, for which Narda was immensely relieved; she could make out the spot they had entered earlier. “That thing you’re doing,” she said, wondering aloud after noticing Zeke’s movements, “your neck hurts? Is that new or old? Kire knows one of the best healers. Ed’s sister. And she’s trained other healers as well. Don’t mean to pry, but if you’re interested in taking up the offer, I’m sure Kire wouldn’t mind letting you see her.”
--

Ed looked at Ysaryn and noticed the unease apparent in her features, in the way she moved, the cautious gaze in her eyes. He wanted to ask if she would like to borrow his weapon, but from what he had seen of her attitude so far, that might be taken as an insult. He nodded when she indicated the limits of her ability. “That should be far enough,” he said, taking her hand. When they emerged at the bottom of the ridge, he hovered over her, letting her get her bearings back while watching for any danger approaching them. “Best not then. Save it for if things go dire.”

No sign of trouble so far. He wondered which direction Kire would take to search for them, if she was anywhere around here. He looked back at her when she made her statement and nodded, knowing full well the implications of it. “Understood. I’m afraid there’s no way of guaranteeing they wouldn’t be wary of you,” Ed said, as he thought through their options. “Staying by my side would be the better bet, and if there is trouble just in case, at least we’re not too far from one another.” He paused, thinking something over. “I know you don’t wish to be addressed as ‘Lady’, but I may give you a title they would understand when I introduce you.”

They approached the farmland, where he noticed that there were only a few people around, the head of households left behind to watch the land and animals. Hm. There might have been recent conflict, with most of the citizens had been asked to hole up behind the walls, and these were the first people allowed back out to tend to their property. None of them stopped the two, so he kept going down the road towards the gates. By then, Ed knew whoever was manning the town’s walls would have spotted them by now, and his suspicions were answered by the blast of a horn. Ed stopped his advance. “Here they come,” he said, watching as the gates of the town opened. Soldiers clad in armor, carrying two banners—one for the ruling family of this province and the other the Wyvern banner—rode towards them. Ed counted fifteen. A tad excessive. Unless they were expecting attacks.

He raised his hands to show them he wasn’t going to fight. The soldiers approached, some carrying spears trained at the two, until their leader called for a halt. “State your business, sir, lady,” he said, eyeing Ed with suspicion. Before Ed could speak, however, something else dawned on the man’s face as he held up a hand while looking at Ed, then at Ysaryn. He called one of his soldiers forward, gesturing at him; the soldier handed him a slip of parchment, which he unrolled and read quickly. “If I may ask,” he said, his tone slightly less harsh than it was a moment ago, “What are your names, and how did you arrive here?”
“Edward. Wyvern House. My companion here is Ysaryn, a friend of the Empress, ambassador of her people. We were transported here by accident, and we got separated from the Empress and our other companions.”
They were sent a message about us. “Lucky,” he whispered to Ysaryn in Elvish, winking at her.
“I see.” The man’s gaze fell from their faces to Ed’s weapon. “One more thing; do you have a token on your person, a pin?”
Ed fished the small brooch Aera had given him and held it up; one of the men approached and showed it to their leader. The other soldiers were looking at him with what seemed to be a mix of awe and fear. The soldier handed Ed back the pin and stepped back, while the leader dismounted to approach him and knelt. “Forgive the questions, my lord. You never know with the Gemini, and there had been reports of spies some time ago. My lady Ysaryn,” he said, turning to Ysaryn as he turned to Ysaryn. Ed gestured for the man to rise. “May we escort the both of you inside? We’ll send a bird back to the camp to let them know you’re here while you wait. Or if you’d prefer, we can give you horses and an escort to bring you to the army.”

--
The calls sounded from their crewmates; the man had been captured. “[]What was that, Myka? How did he do that?[/i]” one asked, as they slowed their pace. They knew the others would have surrounded him by now.
“Mm. Beats me. Maybe Kire knows. I have a couple of questions for him myself.” Myka wasn’t tall, was shorter than Kire by perhaps a few inches. She was much leaner too, but packed with muscle. She had short black hair that would fall to her chin if it wasn’t currently tied back securely. She had a shortsword as well as two knives hanging from her belt. When she reached the pit, most of the women were already gathered around the lip of it, weapons drawn.

At his remark, some of the women growled in annoyance, while the others laughed. “This one’s got lip on him. Can’t place his accent, though,” said one of the women who weren’t amused. “Maybe he’d be better off without that tongue.”
Myka chuckled as she crouched over the pit. “He makes such a convincing case though, eh girls? Too pretty to be a Gemini spy, this one.” Another ripple of laughter.
“You’re going soft, Captain. Can we keep him, then?”
“Or wrap a bow around him and give him to Kire.”
Myka stuck her tongue out at the idea. “Don’t know if he’s her type. Not worth the effort. Hey, you,” she said, finally pointing down at their prisoner. “Firstly, how does someone who says he can’t understand Taakalon wind up right where Gemini spies have slipped through, and being able to use magic, too? And secondly,” here her grin disappeared, “how did you end up with a sword made by a master smith at the Empress’s employ?”

Zeke smirked. "Envy is pretty great. Considering the nature of his people, sometimes it surprises me that he's so gentle." He admitted, having always considered Envy to be a truly terrible Kartaian, and a better human being than most human beings. "I watched him fight. Ed, I mean. While I could. He's quite skilled, too. And Kire. By all accounts, I now have to assume everyone in Amria is a skilled fighter." Considering the three he met; a pirate, a soldier, and an empress, were all lethally skilled.

His smile vanished when she asked about his neck pain, and Zeke dropped his hand at once to stop rubbing at it. It had always been customary with his men in Ziad that you never mention another's injuries. It was emasculating, and equal to pointing out they were too weak. Perhaps Amrians saw it differently. "Uh." Zeke stammered, trying to shove aside the irritation at the question, glad she hadn't actually asked for details about it. Instead, she simply offered to have Ed's sister take a look. "Yeah. Sure." He answered finally. Could hardly hurt to have someone besides Sid take a look at him; as much as he loved his foster sister, they had limited resources, and Sid had never handled the sort of injury he'd endured.

"Does that mean she'd have to take me to Amria?" Zeke asked as they neared the wall of knotted trees through which they had first forced their way. "Whats it like, there? You speak our language, you have similar customs and hierarchies, so it can't be that vastly different." The only difference he could really note, beside the language they spoke when wanting a private word, was the metal that was used to forge their armour and weapons. He couldn't help but be envious of the blade Kire had given Ruli, as the thing looked sturdier than their own steel, and a lot more vibrant.

~

Ysaryn walked beside him, her eyes endlessly moving to take in every movement, corner every sound. The banners that hung on the gates she assumed to belong to Ed's family, the green and gold colours quite proud in the midday sunlight. There weren't nearly as many people as she would have expected for a space this size. No one bothered them, despite the fair number of heads that turned their way. Every person Ysaryn saw, she tried not to leer at them. It wouldn't help if the first elf they were to ever lay eyes on them bared her teeth and snarled.
It didn't stop her from jumping slightly when the horn blasted through the silence, and Ysaryn's hands twitched for the hilts of her missing blades. Exhaling noisily, she calmed herself and nodded as Ed explained they were being approached.

Drawing herself tall, shoulders squared and chin high, Ysaryn studied the soldiers who drew close, raising her hands when Ed. A very foreign concept to the elf, who supposed this was a sign that they weren't going for their weapons in some extension of trust. Why else would they open themselves up so dangerously?
Her brow furrowing, she watched the man question them, then observed the look that overcame him. The scroll he unraveled to read, his expression as he glanced over them again. Slowly, she lowered her hands again.
"Suppose I am your good luck charm, warrior." Ysaryn said without turning her head. "Best keep me around."

Still, she tensed when the soldier in charge dismounted and approached, her chest rising as she inhaled and knelt. Humans are so odd, Ysaryn thought to herself as Ed gave him permission to stand upright again. Then she hissed, and turned her face toward Ed. "No reason to keep your cousin waiting, but I can't ride those things on my own. I have only ever ridden behind Kirai, and it was not comfortable." She admitted with a slight wrinkle of her nose. "How undignified is it to for me to ride behind you?"

~

Mixed reactions to his comment told him two things; one, that they could, in fact, understand the common tongue from his world, and two, that not all of them were out for blood. His pale eyes fell on the one with short hair, who seemed to be in charge, as she commented to the others in his tongue. Gemini spy. More information that told him who stood before him. Er, well, above him.
But the comment about putting a bow on him and handing him over to Kire wiped the amusement off his face.

As the leader addressed him directly, Ruli met her gaze, still holding his hands up. He assessed her expressions as she asked what she wanted to know, between his abilities and his weapon, and he didn't answer straight away. Without lowering his arms, he adjusted his position, shifting further back to sit more upright against the pit wall.
They were on Kire's side, loyal to the empress and her regency. They were here to protect some border he'd wound up close to, catching Gemini spies as they slipped through. A unit of women, which made him curious and both a little nervous.

His eyes shifted around the pit, looking for any sign of runes that were carved into the walls that would prevent his magic from helping him to escape. He knew the Gemini, at least, were able to use magic, but as far as he knew, only through the heavy use of blood. That would possibly explain why there were no sharp spikes to break his fall.
"I'm not a huge fan of being kept in a hole in the ground." Ruli said, deciding to avoid her questions for the moment. "Allow me out, and I'll answer." He could almost see the skepticism wash across their leaders face. Across several faces. Ruli raised his hands slightly higher. "You saw my magic. You know I can escape if I want to. I'm offering a truce. Just let me out."

Narda laughed at Zeke’s assessment of Amrians. “You’ll be terribly disappointed if you ever manage to visit. It just so happens that any Amrian who can travel to your world is friends with the Empress, and friends with the Empress means they have to be good enough to give her a run for her money. Narda noticed his discomfort at the question and waited patiently for his response, nodding when he assented. “Elva’s fingers are magic. You’d think it’d be hard to massage the knots out of a big woman like me, but I forgot Wyverns liked a challenge,” she said, chuckling. “I was knocked out afterward.”

She hummed in thought over his question as they picked their way through the path they had hacked out of the trees, still dragging the wolf carcass along. “Either she brings you there, or, if Elva assents to it, visits you here. As for what it’s like, Amria is a vast place. A whole continent for an empire, and allied kingdoms out of that scope. Depending on where you are, we have four seasons. Up North, very cold. That’s where Elva currently is. But so far, not too big of a difference between our worlds, save for the kinds of magic you find I suppose, given that there are no elves there, and no blood magicians here.”

They were finally outside the dark forest. Now that the sun was out and they were looking at it from the outside, it looked smaller, somehow. Diminished. Narda didn’t know if it was because of the sunlight shining fully on it or because the magic portal had dissipated. “Hopefully when we find ourselves at the elves’ borders, we’d have a much better welcome than we did the other day,” she said, running her hand through her curls.
--
“Not horribly undignified. Anyone new to horses always has a difficult time,” Ed reassured, “And I’d like to think it would be hard to make you look undignified anyway.” He said the last with a small smile, before turning to the knights. “One horse for myself; the lady will ride with me. And escorts. Are we close to any Gemini camps?”
“Not presently, my lord,” the leader said, while the rest called back to the gate to bring a fresh steed for the Wyvern. “But we’ve been on high alert after the word on spies.”
“Duly noted.”
Once the horse was brought to them, Ed mounted, then offered his hand to Ysaryn. “It’s been a long while,” he murmured to myself. Then, to the elf, “Arms around my middle. We’ll be going fast, but let me know if you feel like you’re slipping. Don’t want my lucky charm falling off.”

As soon as everyone was ready, they were off. Ed was quiet as they galloped forward, following the dirt road. After a while the path became more uneven, the forest growing closer around them. The group slowed their pace a little. “How are you faring?” he asked. “We’ll be entering the wider road soon. Smoother than the path we’re on right now, at least. Does your head still hurt from Shadow-walking?” If they hadn’t been in a hurry, he would have enjoyed the ride, the green of Amrian forests. Ysaryn’s description earlier of how Amria smelled, he could relate to that. After being away for so long, he could notice the difference between the air in Lithilote and here. “If circumstances were better I’d have shown you around,” he added wistfully.
--
Myka frowned down at the man in the pit. “I don’t like this,Myka,” one of them said. Myka watched him as the women softly debated in Taakalon around her, seeing if anything that even remotely resembled recognition of the language betrayed itself in his expression.
“Sadly, our captive has a point,” Myka said, and she could see in her comrades’ faces that they knew this full well. “I am really curious about him. He’s still here, despite that whole ‘disappearing’ business earlier. There’s something he needs, and that he has a weapon he has yet to draw means he hasn’t made up his mind to spill blood yet. And he’s injured. We either let him out, he makes another run for it and we’re back to the same situation. Or we leave him down here, and maybe do the merry chase again.”
“One more thing,” put in another woman, “if he can do that magic thing, why didn’t he just magic himself to actual safety, rather than go through the effort of running away from us? His ability has limitations.”
“We could kill him now,” another one put in. “Just to be safe. Imagine someone who can transport themselves at will like that, if this man finds himself in Gemini employ, we’ll be in deep trouble.”
Myka sighed; she really didn’t want it to come to that, not when they didn’t know the first thing about their captive, but she could tell a couple of them wholly didn’t trust him.
“Let’s put it to a vote, then.”
Two women voted to dispose of him. Expected. Four votes for leaving him trapped or incapacitated. Another four for letting him out but on specific conditions. “Captain?”
“Hm. Alright.” Myka barked out instructions for the others around them, then more of the whistling signals, alerting those who were watching from a distance. “You down there,” Myka said, “here are our conditions: hand over your sword first, before we let you out. After, you either put on restraints or a blindfold or both. Seeing as you so kindly pointed out that you can escape anyway, these shouldn’t be too big of a problem. Beats being stuck down a hole.” One of the women whistled to the others. Get ready.

The saber looked even better up close. She looked down at their captive, then drew one of her knives. While the other, sheathed knife looked well-worn, the one she held next to the saber had the same level of elaborate detail on the hilt. She tilted both of them, staring at the pommel. The same symbol had been etched into both. “Definitely Guiller’s work,” she murmured.
“Didn’t Kire give that knife to you?”
Myka nodded before sheathing the knife again. “Let him out. Ready the blindfold.”

Once the blindfold was on, one of the women told him to walk forward and obey all other instructions. “So, stranger,” Myka started, admiring the saber before turning her attention to their captive. “Let’s start with your name, how you got here, and why you have the sword.”

"I never really put much daydreaming into other worlds or that sort of thing." Zeke admitted as he walked. "But I find it both very strange and incredibly discomforting to hear that two worlds not only have so much in common but that people from your world can just intrude into ours whenever they can bother." He sheathed his blade now that they were out of the unsettling thicket, glancing behind him once or twice to ensure no more wolves followed.
"Suppose its also comforting in a strange way. We're not alone." He added with a stiff shrug.

He began walking with a purpose to retrace the miles to the border, reversing the directions they took to reach this place. "Aera gave me one of those brooches, same as she gave Ed." Zeke admitted after Narda expressed her concern. "Implied I wasn't to show Ruli I had it, so I haven't brought it up until now. It should get us into the court again, at least. That," He turned to gesture to the wolf she dragged behind her. "may not make it with us. I rather hope they confiscate it at the gates and make decisions there."

For the duration of the journey, Zeke was mostly quiet, often turning to glance behind him for caution's sake. The tension in his shoulders eased, which he hoped meant promised the headache wouldn't follow afterall, but he still longed a hot cloth against his nape. When they drew near enough by their combined estimation to where they had first begun, Zeke turned south and started for the border of the elven territory. He fished into his pocket in order to withdraw the moonflower pin. Once it was adorned on his chest, he tried to slow his pace, hoping to avoid looking menacing, or too much like a soldier on the hunt.
It really didn't help that they were covered in blood and dragged a mutated animal behind them.

The elven voice that called out made them both halt, and Zeke raised his hands to show he intended no violence. The elf that emerged to cut them off was a female, her long black hair pinned back and coiled around her head similar to the way Ysaryn wore hers for combat. This one wore armour beneath her robes, just as Cohnal had, and she looked deeply unamused as she addressed them.
"We cannot understand you." Zeke said cautiously.
No shit. The woman's expression said.
Tapping his breast to draw her attention to the pin, Zeke continued. "We seek to speak with Princess Aera. Please."
She didn't glance at the pin; either because she'd already gotten a look or because she had no intention of humouring him. Instead, her eyes went to the giantess and the thing she dragged. Her face remained thoughtful, this one not quite having adapted the blank expression of her kin, before she gestured for them to follow her.

Once in the shadow of the mountain that embraced their marble court, they were told to wait, the female elf insisting on something that Zeke assumed to be instructions not to bring the wolf any closer. He glanced warily at Narda, standing beside her, and clasped his hand over his wrist to wait.
"I did not expect you so soon." Aera said as she approached from the tiers and crossed the courtyard. She was dressed in the usual robes, but her hair was twisted back in a elaborate knot, her ears exposed. The teardrop earrings that dangled from her ears waved slightly as she walked; one carved of white pearl, the other black pearl. Her dark eyes took in the duo, and the creature behind them. She folded her hands into the long sleeves of her robe. "I expect there is a story to accompany you?"

Again, Zeke glanced at Narda, before he began to explain, beginning with the thicket of trees and continuing through the mutated wolves, the gate, and the disappearance of the rest of their party. Aera listened without reaction, the other elves nearby, few who spoke their tongue, looking both curious and annoyed.
"Narda and I were wondering if you'd burn it." Zeke finished. "All of it. There are more of these things out there, and its an infection that could spread."

Aera swallowed, glancing toward the mutated animal again. "I should feel glad that my fear of allowing my men to approach is justified, but I just feel ... sick." She admitted, tearing her gaze away from the body. Inhaling, she looked them over once more. "We'll provide baths, beds, and any medical attention you require. I cannot tell if any of that is your own." She gestured a gloved finger toward their bloody clothing. "From there, we'll sit down and speak. Leave that there." She instructed to Narda about the wolf, before she turned to pass along instructions to a tired looking servant. "He'll lead you to the baths, then the guest chambers. After that, if you're up to it, we'll converse."

~

Ysaryn smirked at his compliment. "If I hadn't just lost all my hair and spent half the battle writhing in agony, I would believe you." She admitted, turning away. "Now I just think you're trying to flirt."
Still, the sight of the horse wiped the smile from her lips, and she stood a healthy distance back as Ed mounted and settled. Reluctantly, she took his hand and climbed up behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. Her face turned so her cheek pressed against his shoulderblade, she gripped him tightly as the horse broke into a gallop. Her thighs squeezed him, her eyes closed, and she hugged him tighter, disliking every single head-pounding movement of the horse as it thundered along.

"Still alive." She answered him when he asked, her grip on him refusing to loosen even as they slowed. She wasn't sure what the information of wider and smoother roads meant, but she guessed it meant they'd move faster again. Her stomach twisted at the thought, but she kept her eyes shut. Just a bad boat ride. Just a bad boat ride. "Maybe when we're not on a horse, I will accept." Ysaryn answered him again, not bothering to answer the question about her head. It was no use, if she admitted that her head still pounded, it wasn't as if she'd let him slow down. They were galloping for a reason. "Don't talk, just focus on making sure the horse doesn't trip or run into anything." She insisted, her face still pressed to him.

~

Ruli watched them, his hands still raised, eyes flitting from face to face as each woman spoke in turn, much of their tones suggesting that this wouldn't be something they agreed to. No matter, he would get out and run in a new direction, dragging them in this game of chase until they got tired or lost him.
Or killed him. Ruli blinked, shoving that option aside. The fact that he'd be left here, more than likely, and Envy would never receive his body was an ache he wasn't going to pay mind to.

He caught the word 'Gemini' spoken a few times, and Kire's name at least once, his gaze shifting to the speaker in turn, even if he could understand little else. Their leader, her name he could hazard a guess to be 'Myka', judging by the repeated word used when addressing her, called for some sort of vote. Voting for what, exactly, he didn't know, but he hoped he had enough time to bolt before they shot him. If that was an option.
Which, lets face it, it was. That was always an option.

When Maybe-Myka spoke directly to him again, Ruli met her gaze, raising an eyebrow in question as she listed the demands. His heartbeat skipped when she mentioned restraints, but at least she offered a different option. He didn't like that either, but it was better than being bound.
"Okay." He nodded. "I'm going to stand up." Ruli warned before he lowered his arms and pushing himself to his feet. His left arm objected painfully to the weight he pressed on it, but Ruli ignored it, going to work to unfasten the blade at his hip. He tossed it upward, watching hands snatch if from the air before it was passed around for inspection.

With a step, he Walked to just a few feet beyond the pit, to where he'd last glanced at the ground before falling into it. Their bodies riddled with tension as he reached out to take the blindfold and pressed the blindfold over his eyes. Whomever tied it behind his head jerked it tight, and he wondered if she had been outvoted over just outright killing him. On their orders, he moved forward, his steps cautious, and he made no comment until he was spoken to again. "Rulitus, I don't know, and it was a gift from Kire." Ruli answered shortly. He tilted his head in a way he'd often seen Envy move, trying to listen. "I am not Gemini. You can ask your empress yourself."

Narda wasn’t thrilled to be back at Lithilote, but she knew it was much better than the horror they had just gone through. If they were going to be stranded somewhere, at least it was at the elven court. Given that it was Zeke who had their way in, she let him do the talking, all the while worried about where the others were, and how they were faring. Knowing Kire, she was probably tearing through the seven hells by now trying to find them. As Zeke spoke to their new guide and then, later, narrated to Aera the events leading up to their return visit, Narda kept quiet, wishing hard that she was back at the Wench. Or smoking with Envy.

“We’re mostly unhurt, but the care is appreciated,” she said in response.” Really, she understood how Aera felt at the moment. Her warrior’s façade allowed Narda to ignore the horror around them as they were amongst the twisted forms of the woods, but now that they here, the thought of the woods gave her a shudder. “If you don’t mind, Lady Aera, I’d be up for a conversation once I’ve rested after the baths.” She bent slightly in a bow in thanks.

Narda was glad to clean off the filth from their fight earlier; she scrubbed her skin almost raw. Satisfied, she rose and dried off, and once led to the guest chambers, the giantess crawled onto the bed. That wasn’t a battlefield, but somehow that fight drained her. Was it blood magic, or just the mental exhaustion of fighting the unknown? At least in a war, things were mostly straightforward. No portals, no bloody wolves, no twisting mutated trees. She slept soundly until late afternoon, woken by hunger, after which she left her chambers to prowl and ask for something to fill her belly, resolved to eat first before she’d be up for any kind of conversation.
--
As the elf gripped him tight with all her limbs, Ed could feel just how tense she was while riding. It made riding uncomfortable, but better that than risk her falling off. “Deep breaths, Ysaryn,” he said gently. “I will make a note of it, then. No horses during the tour.” At her remark about not talking, Ed smirked. “Now you’re the one underestimating me,” he chided gently, “though I suppose that’s only fair.” He lapsed back into silence nevertheless, watching the road as their party picked their way through the mounds and rocky earth.

Soon enough, they sighted the flatter, more even main road just beyond their current path. “How much farther?” Ed asked.
“Not long, my lord. A quarter hour at wor—”
They heard the blast of horns from afar, answered by another. Their escorts slowed down, speaking to each other in Taakalon. “Are we expecting company?” Ed asked.
“Yes, my lord, but we were expecting them to come from the other direction.” The knight grunted. “We’d best hurry, my lord.”

“Only a little further,” he whispered to Ysaryn apologetically, before he spurred his horse forward. He was quiet for the last leg of their journey, focusing on keeping their pace. It didn’t look like they were being chased, but there certainly was another group on horseback coming their way. After what would have felt like an eternity for the elf, Ed could see the Wyvern banners flying ahead, a battalion already stationed along the road, Wyvern soldiers lining the way. Their standard—a twisting golden Wyvern on a field of jade—fluttered as if the legendary creature was giving life to the banners.

On the other end of the line, flanked by knights, was Kire on her own steed. Though she still wore her travelling clothes, around her shoulders was a regal cloak, a deep green embroidered with gold thread. There was a shadow of worry on her face, but the moment she saw Ed and Ysaryn, she broke into a smile. “Thank the gods, you brigands,” she said, urging her horse forward to meet theirs. The moment they were close enough, she all but jumped off her horse to embrace Ed. A murmur arose around them; many had heard by now that the long-missing Edward was one of the people they were searching for, and seeing him now, in strange company, and now held in a hug by the Empress herself, was like stepping into a storybook or fairytale.

Ed returned the embrace. “Sorry for worrying you,” he murmured, patting his cousin’s back before letting her go. “Can’t kill us that easily.”
“It’s not just you,” Kire said back. Before answering his silent query, she turned to Ysaryn and hugged her too. “I know you don’t like horserides. Sorry you had to go through that.” She spoke to the knights who had escorted Ed, thanking them for their work, before the worry worked its way back into her expression. “We haven’t found Ruli, Narda, or Zeke yet. And—we have guests.” She didn’t look thrilled at that last detail. “Be ready. They’ve come to parley.”

Some ten minutes after Ed and Ysaryn had arrived, a small armed group appeared on the road from where they had just come. First came the Wyvern escorts, joining their fellows as they lined the road. Behind them, a group that carried two banners: a simple flag of white and blue, indicating that they came in peace; and a black banner, with two pale faces in profile, woven with silver thread, save for the deep ruby red eyes.
“You are coming into the presence of Her Majesty Akire, the one, true Empress of Amria,” the Wyvern herald announced. Then, turning to Kire, “Your Majesty, the emissaries of the Gemini.”

--

Rulitus.
The women shifted. “Myka,” one of them said, but the pirate captain put a finger to her lips. Kire had told the story of her hunt for Ikegai and how she had spent her days in the other world to Myka and Narda, and the others heard another version of the Empress’s tale when they had gotten Kire drunk enough to be much more loose-lipped. It made some sense, then, that this was Kire’s friend. His appearance, the sword being a gift, his ability similar to Kire’s, and his personality. Even those who had voted to have him killed changed their expressions, brows raised in both surprise and anxiety at the possibility of almost killing one of Kire’s allies. Ring or no Ring, the Empress’s anger wasn’t one to be taken lightly.

Myka, however, kept her cool. He was tight-lipped, wary of them as they were of him, even if both parties knew they were allied to the same person. “Well, we would, if we knew where she was. Till then, you’d understand if we still have questions for you. And here we thought you’d be chattier now that you were out of the pit.” She clicked her tongue. “There should be another member of our party that came along with the Empress when she left us last. Have you seen her?” Myka turned to her comrades, spoke softly in Taakalon. The others nodded, and the signal went up. Time to go back..
Someone tapped Rulitus on the shoulder, telling him to stop. The ground began to slope slightly downwards; they were on the other side of the hill from where they had first seen Rulitus and the spies earlier. They made their way down the gentle incline as fast as they could with their captive. Someone held onto the back of Ruli’s shirt as they picked their way down. Once they were on level ground, they continued after hearing the signal from their scouts that the coast was clear. Myka unsheathed the saber and practicing some drills with it, silently wishing Kire would give her another blade this fancy.
“You know what,” Myka said as she played with the saber, her tone flat, “the Empress would only give these blades to two kinds of people: old friends, and the person she thinks is worthy of marriage. She’s picky with her men, you see.” She pressed her finger to her lips again before anyone could question or laugh at her ridiculous inquiry. “Seeing as we haven’t met you before, when’s the wedding?”

More bird calls—but these sounded different from before. “They’ve spotted something,” Myka remarked, and they called for a halt. It didn’t take long for their scouts to come back; they seemed to have hurried full speed. “Gemini, or something else?”
“Something else,” one scout answered. “Looked like one of Kire’s portals from a distance, only bigger.”
Myka’s eyes widened. “Where exactly?”
After the scout answered, pointing to the direction they were heading for, she turned to Ruli, chewing her lip, as if debating something, then with a growl she reached up and pulled off his blindfold. “We’re running back to rejoin the others. You better tell me if you know anything about that portal or not.”

Aera nodded to Narda and Zeke as they were led away, her eyes falling on the wolf mutation as they left it. "What is it, your Grace?" One of her men approached, wrinkling his thin nose at the beast.
"I cannot answer that." She replied. "But I fear it is nothing good. They have asked that we burn the forest from which it came. The area we kept clear of when the men appeared."
"Will we?"
Aera debated the question for a moment before she decided. "Burn this. See if it will burn. Take a few men, and go just beyond our border to do so. Do not burn it within our territory. Report back once its done."
The nodded and swept away, dragging the abomination with them. Aera watched them leave, then turned to head back into the court.

Zeke soaked for a long while in the pools beneath the mountain, hearing Narda within the chamber with him, though behind some dividers to offer them privacy. Neither spoke while they washed, scrubbed, and soaked. He heard her leave, and he remained for a time before he finally left. Despite the warmth of the bath and its effects on his muscles, he was in no mood to nap, so he left his given chamber to trace his way back to the strange council room with the decorative table. Save for the servant that tailed him, he was alone. He moved one of the chairs to the edge of the tier to sit and peer over the edge.
The wolf was gone. Good. His skin crawled just at the sight of it, and he couldn't blame the elves here for wanting to be rid of it, as well. After a few minutes, Zeke turned and managed to request refreshments, and was deep in his thoughtful watch before the servant set cold tea and chilled fruit beside him.

It was a while before Aera joined him. She took a seat at the table in a silent request for him to move his chair. When they sat across from one another, they spoke more. Zeke mentioned Narda's theories that the rest of their party had been taken to Kire's homeworld. Aera's slow blink at this was the only tell she gave that this was hard for her to understand.
"We don't wish to impose," Zeke said. "But we have no way of reaching our home once more, and if, er, I suppose when, they come back, they'll likely return to where they last were."
"And if we burn it, as you request?" Aera asked.
Zeke blinked. That would be horrible.
"You're asking to reside here until they find their way back?" Aera continued.
"Yes, and no." Zeke admitted. "Narda and I discussed camping in the woods, if you'd supply a tent or supplies for us to make a small camp. We'll provide for ourselves, and we wouldn't be a bother to you or your people."
"You are aware of how dangerous the woods are." She pointed out kindly. "The Kartaian den is not far, if they decide to do a raid, you'll be caught in the middle."
Zeke chewed his lip again. "Then we'll move southwest. Leave clues for the others, directing them in our direction. Narda."

He raised his head as the giantess appeared, tailed by a slight male elf with a small tray. Zeke gestured to the table, upon which was the tea -a very strange blend of red berry and citrus in flavor- and the fruit he had yet to eat. The servant behind her set down the tray before the giantess, revealing a sort of oven-baked vegetable tart when he raised the lid and departed.
"We were discussing the options in camping outside the borders, here." Zeke informed the Amrian. "I think we'd be safest near enough to the gate, and leave some sort of trail for our friends to follow."
"The land between us and directly north is not always safe." Aera added, watching the giantess curiously. "You're not from here? No ... mixed heritage?"
"No, she's not Kartaian." Zeke insisted, and Aera nodded, still watching Narda. "What about supplies? Do you even have tents?"
"We can manage to put something together." Aera admitted. "Now that you have joined us, I'll explain that I had the thing carried back out of our borders and burned to see if such an action would be effective. They returned not long ago, saying it burned like any other thing should, though the smell was terrible. Once night falls and my parents wake, we will discuss with the council what will be done. Hopefully, tomorrow or the next day, we will be able to gather supplies and volunteers enough to head to your gate. Do you believe the others will return before then?"

~

It was definitely not her prefer way to travel. Not as bad as the world gate that had sucked them through, and made her feel like she was being chewed up, broken apart, and shat out of some ethereal sphincter, but riding on an animal that had the speed and grace of a fish out of water was a close second. Ysaryn tried to match her movements to the man she clung to, deciding there had to be some secret to it if the voluntarily traveled like this, and managed to at least make it less nauseating.

Still, Ysaryn sighed in audible relief when they slowed, regardless of the caution in their body language at the sound of the horn. Curious, she peered over Ed's broad shoulder, her eyes just visible over his trapezius muscle. A apologetic warning, and they were speeding off again, the elf grunting in response. She closed her eyes, tucked her head down, and tried to think of anything else but the weight of this animal crushing her head with its strange feet.
When they slowed again, her head reappeared over his shoulder, the elf shifting to get a better look at the group that moved toward them, her eyes drawn to the banners. It looked life-like, the way it swam through the air.

Then she spotted Kire and grinned wickedly, eyeing her cloak with amusement. Ed dismounted and helped her out of the saddle, and Ysaryn brushed off her hands and legs as Kire hugged her cousin, then her. "Oof." She grunted, wiggling free of Kire's arm to stand upright again. "Is not so bad. But he smell worse than the animal." Ysaryn pointed out, then, as if realizing, sniffed her arm and wrinkled her nose. "I am not one to speak." She added with a chuckle.

The mention that the others had also come through and were no where to be found wiped the grin clean off her face, and Ysaryn turned her head, as if she'd be able to spot some trail or sign of their companions. Frowning, she looked to Kire again, then turned to follow the gaze of the others as they waited the next approaching party.
The moment Ysaryn saw the black flag with the mirrored, red-eyed faces, she bared her teeth and snarled. Emissaries. She barely knew this word from her time with the vain princess in Cordon, but didn't trust it or them, here. Fingers bent as if she would wrap them around the first enemy throat to close a distance between them, Ysaryn watched them move forward with a predator's focus.

~

There was that word again. Myka. Ruli was now perhaps ninety percent sure this was the leader's name. Ruli kept listening as he walked, unable to discern any movement beyond their steady footsteps. Beside that single word uttered to the leader, nor could he sense any change in their atmosphere.
His brow furrowed when he heard that they were also in the dark about Kire's location. From what he knew about the world gate spitting out Ed's men in his world, perhaps they'd just wound up in different areas and had wandered away from one another. He'd called her name, afterall, and had gotten no response.
Unless she immediately went back to his world to ensure the others were alright, unaware the'd unintentionally come through after her.

"I told you I'd answer. I answered." Ruli reminded Myka defensively. "Wait." He added shortly after, putting pieces together. "Do you mean Narda? Are you her pirates?" He asked, suddenly interested. His hand twitched, as if he meant to pull the cover from his eyes, but caught himself.
The ground sloped downward and Ruli tilted his chin upward, trying to see beneath the fabric in order to know where to put his feet. He remembered this hill. They were heading back toward where he'd first been spotted. That would make it ... east? Maybe southeast. He wasn't entirely sure, as he'd weaved through trees a bit, but he knew they were heading back, at least.

When Ruli heard a sword unsheath, he tensed, hesitating in his step for a moment until the hand that held his shirt pressed him firmly on. Myka's voice spoke once more, and he tried to relax. Which was incredibly hard to do once he heard her comment. Marriage? That couldn't at all be what Kire had given him the sword for, was it? They barely knew one another, spoke a small amount more than that, and ... no. "Actually, I'm the matron of honour." Ruli replied, his mouth going dry. "She's far more interested in the elf we travel with, but giving her a weapon is like loosing a bull in a pottery shop. I just get the hand-me-downs." He flicked his hand, gesturing to his worn clothing and second-hand boots.
Gods Above, he hoped that wasn't true about the blade.

The hand tugged on his shirt, and Ruli stopped, lifting and turning his head to try to get an idea of why or where. Something was spotted, something that sounded an awful lot like─
"Tss," Ruli hissed, blinking furiously when the blindfold was removed. He rubbed at his eyes, squinting at the short, dark-haired woman. "Its probably how I got here." He said with emphasis. He crossed his arms, ignoring the discomfort he felt in doing so. "We were inspecting the one in my world when it went berserk and sucked Kire in. And me, apparently, because the next thing I know I'm stuck in some Gods-be-Damned hole."
Zeke, Narda, Ysaryn, Ed, he wasn't sure if anyone else had come through. He only saw Kire screaming as it pulled her in. "There were four others in our party. Narda and Ed were among them. Have you come across anyone else in your hunting?"

Narda thanked the elf and proceeded to dig into the food as soon as she was seated. “Hope you don’t mind, that was hungry work back there,” she said. She nodded at Zeke’s summation of their discussion, happy enough with the suggestion he made, then shook her head when asked if she was half Kartaian. “No Kartaians in Amria,” she replied. She wrinkled her nose at the description of the wolf’s burning, but she was nevertheless glad that it burned at all. “Hmm. It’s hard to say. Knowing Kire, she would deduce what would’ve happened to us based on what had happened to Ed and his soldiers when they disappeared.”

She chewed on her food before continuing. “She would perhaps wait until she was sure that we were either there or here. Give or take the rest of the day. She also needs to rest to make sure she has enough power in her for portals. It’s reasonable to hope she would return with them in a day or two at the earliest. If it didn’t take you too long to find Ed and the other Amrians, it hopefully wouldn’t take her long to find the others. Any help you need to help burn that infernal wood down, I would like to help. I’d like to see it razed to the ground with my own eyes. I’m sure Kire wouldn’t return at the exact same spot, if she’s afraid the gate might scatter us again.”

--

“Welcome, sirs,” Kire said, with a voice and expression that definitely did not mean ‘welcome’. “We told your messengers we would be having our meeting in a field not far from here. I trust that won’t be a problem for you?”
“Not at all, milady,” the emissary replied with a curt bow of his head. It may sound like a polite address, but Ed frowned at the omission of the proper honorifics.
The Wyvern delegation led the way, the advance guard heading off road towards the field Kire had mentioned. While an attendant led her horse away, Kire stayed on foot to walk beside Ed and Ysaryn. “It’s possible that the rest are still back in your world,” she said to Ysaryn, “but I’ll just wait a bit longer for the scouts and search parties to come back with any word. If you want, though, I can take you back, just outside the woods. And Ed, I might have one more portal for today after that to send you to Elva.”
“I’m staying with you until you have word of your friends, and while this is going on,” he said, gesturing around them. “I’m not leaving you alone with them.”
Kire looked grateful at that, even as she shook her head. “You shouldn’t be working on your first day back.”
Ed grinned. “I’m lucky to be back, Kay,” he said, glancing at Ysaryn when he mentioned luck, remembering their banter earlier. “Did you think I was planning to retire?”
Kire smiled, though it was brief. If Narda was here, at least she would know her way around. Zeke and Ruli though would have a harder time. And Ruli had an untreated injury.

They reached the field, where a large tent had been erected, the perimeter already guarded by Wyvern soldiers. As Kire’s group approached, a messenger came forward, spoke in hushed tones to one of the knights, who then approached Kire with the message. “Myka’s sent word. The spies had been captured—and they’ve coming back with Ruli,” she said to the other two as they entered the tent. Two well-worn tables were lined up end to end, and some food and drink were laid out on it. As soon as everyone was seated, Kire looked at the emissaries on the opposite end and laced her fingers together on the table.
“Let’s go straight to business. You want help containing and destroying the world gate. The gate your kind had opened to allow a dangerous criminal to escape. The gate that you had also used to help funnel your forces to the Capital and its surrounding cities. The gate that had taken my cousin and my soldiers to another world and left them there for nine months. That gate?”
“Milady—”
“You will speak to her as ‘Your Grace’ while you are under our protection, behind our borders,” Ed said, his tone having just the slightest bite in it.
The emissary cleared his throat. “My apologies—Your Grace.” He had the thinnest smile on for Kire as he spoke. When Kire gestured for him to continue, he nodded and said, “As you know, we officially disavow the actions of the Offworlder criminal Ikegai. As for the gate, what it is now is a result of errant magic. The gate has gone awry, and if we do not do something about it, it might cause more irreparable damage. It had appeared not too long ago and was sensed by our mages, who have been tracking the bursts of errant magic for days now. We are speaking to you also in your capacity as Paladin. For this particular matter, may we set aside our differences and work together to contain the threat?”
Kire, too, had a grim smile on her face. “Quite a large set of ‘differences’ you are asking me to cast aside.”
“Your Grace, we humbly remind you we are in a ceasefire as well.”
“The ceasefire you honored by sending spies across our borders?”
“We sent no spies, Your Grace,” he answered coolly, “just as you had not sent pirates to harass our waters and act as your spies as well.”
Kire leaned back against her seat. “Your people have always been tinkering with forces you don’t understand, and when it goes wrong it becomes my duty to correct your mistakes. You don’t even know who else is still stuck on the other side of that gate, do you?”
This time, the cool mask of the emissary broke a fraction. Ed looked at Kire, wondering what she was playing at. The Gemini boy? Before the emissary could ask what Kire meant, she waved her hand, not giving them the luxury of an answer.
“If I agree, how are we going to go about destroying the gate on this side?”
They had a long discussion, going back and forth about how they would combine the Paladin’s portals and rune circles to contain the world gate and siphon its magic away. Many times Kire’s voice would almost rise in anger, only biting back her temper just enough so the discussion could proceed. “The gate has the tendency to ‘move’, so the net must be wide,” she muttered, steepling her fingers. “I will think it over, and give you an answer within the day.”

She rose and turned her back on them, softly gesturing for Ysaryn and Ed to follow. She hadn’t touched the food and drink, the whole affair making her lose her appetite. “This is not how I imagined I’d introduce my friends to my home,” she commented, smiling briefly at Ysaryn before turning serious again. “You don’t have to be around for this. As soon as they bring Ruli here and have his arm looked at, I can take you back.”
To Ed, she said, “I’m going to weigh my options here by myself for a bit. When Ruli gets here, we could all have a discussion.” She paused. “After the medic takes a look at him.”
--

“A world gate,” Myka muttered under her breath. “Seven hells.” She had asked her fastest scouts to run ahead and send word to expect them. Myka rubbed the bridge of her nose, then looked up sharply when he said who else was in their party. “Did—did you say Ed? As in Edward the Wyvern?” The others who stayed by her side had similar looks of surprise. “By the gods, she really did find him, didn’t she.”
One of the pirates shook her head. “No, we didn’t find anybody else, except the people we were meant to hunt.”

They hurried through the mountain forest as best they could, given the many dips and ridges along their way. “So matron of honour,” Myka said, as they encountered another slope later. From there, though, they could see the beginnings of a wide road at a distance. “You’re saying Kire’s attracted to a sword-happy she-elf? Why doesn’t that surprise me,” she chuckled, a little out of breath. “Is this the elf namd Ysaryn? She does talk fondly of her.” Taking the lead, she half-ran, half-slid down the slope, followed by the others. “It was you who got the sword, though. That at least means she respects you a whole lot.”
“The Empress does kinda like pretty women who can fight,” another put in, eliciting another laugh from Myka. “But for men, though, I dunno, what does she want? She’s horribly fickle with men.”
“Heh, can’t blame her,” Myka commented. “We’re not far from camp, Rulitus,” she said over her shoulder, before pondering on her comrade’s question. “Eh, I think it’s because she has yet to find a guy who challenges her. Just a tip,” she added with a wink at Ruli before they hurried forward.

They followed the road but stayed off it, in the cover of the forest. Far off, they heard an echo of horns. Myka gave instructions, and one of them climbed up a tall tree to scout. “Can’t see much from here, but looks like there’s two forces meeting at the road way ahead and—whoah.”
“What?”
“I see Wyvern banners and Gemini banners.”
“Ah shit,” Myka muttered. “Not too happy with us capturing their friends, maybe?”

Once they had neared the source of the commotion, some Wyvern soldiers spotted and recognized them and told them the Empress was having a parley with the Gemini nearby. “Is this the Empress’s friend?” the soldier asked.
Myka nodded. “They’ve set up a tent for the wedding ceremony,” she whispered to Ruli dramatically. One of the pirates clicked her tongue at her, to which Myka cringed. “I’m just trying to ease the tension, Len,” Myka said. “Come on.”

Ed was the first to greet the party. As soon as Myka and the women saw him, they all but swarmed the Wyvern captain. “Welcome back you handsome devil!” Myka said, embracing him. “It is true, Wyverns are notoriously difficult to kill”
Ed laughed. “Good to see you, Myka. Everyone. How’s the ship? Run her aground yet?”
The women laughed, and Myka patted his arm. “You look really good for a dead man. What have you been eating in the underworld? And”, she looked around, noticing the Empress wasn’t in the tent, “Where’s Kire?”
“Woods nearby. Having a serious think. The Gemini discussed asking for her help to get rid of the gate, now that it’s a potential nuisance for them, too.” He looked over to Ruli. “How’s the arm? Empress’s orders are that you get that looked at first thing. There’s a healer waiting back in another tent,” he said, pointing it out behind him. “Someone should lead you to it. Most understand your tongue here, so you should be fine.”
“Is Nard here?” Myka asked.
Ed shook his head. “We haven’t found her, and another person—Zeke. But let me introduce you girls to somebody first.” He beckoned to them to follow him to Ysaryn nearby. “If I may—Ysaryn, these are Kire’s comrades, the pirates of The Green Wench. This is Myka, their Captain.”
“Well-met, Ysaryn. Kire did mention you to us,” Myka said, smiling. “Your first day here’s quite a ride, isn’t it?”
Ed wrinkled his nose at that. Myka chuckled, then turned somber again.
“We found something back there, by the way. Looks like big trouble.”

Kire, who had been deep in thought not far from the tents, looked up with a slight frown when a knight approached her, telling her that the crew of the Wench had returned with Ruli and important news. Kire rose, silent, and followed the man to the healer’s tent. “Not dead. Good,” she said, sitting opposite him. “Nard and Zeke haven’t been found yet. Either they’re still lost somewhere, or they might have been left behind.” She gestured at his arm. “How’s that feeling?”

Aera nodded slowly. "Then you will join us. I can hardly deny you, after the chaos that followed Edward through when he and his men arrived." Her gaze wandered over the meal Narda ate, if only for something to look at while she lost herself in thought. "We'll wait three nights, or until they've returned. Should give them ample time to locate one another on the other side.
Aera raised her eyebrows and met Zeke's gaze. "Its hard to believe I am discussing this so casually. Other worlds."
"You're the granddaughter of a God and this is strange to you."
"Semantics." Aera waved a hand, but smirked softly.

"As for the day. Erm, night, please accept my offer to remain here for one night's rest, and while you sleep tonight, I'll have supplies gathered for you, should you still wish to remain closer to the thicket. We can meet you there on the third night." Another hint of a grin. "Its so you can hunt, is it not?"
Zeke wrinkled his nose, grinning. "I just can't not eat meat, I'm sorry."
The elf chuckled pleasantly, tilting her head in a gentle shrug. "I understand. But unfortunately I think even my influence couldn't convince them to cook animal flesh." Aera raised her hands, clasping them before her, the motion silent thanks to her gloves. "Now, if you would excuse me, I must go back to sleep, or I will be useless in trying to convince the council tonight. Please mind yourselves until you rest again, my people will try their hardest to see to any needs you have."

She rose to her feet, and Zeke jumped to his, more to be polite than to leave. Once Aera swept out and disappeared up to the highest tier, he sat back down. "I really do miss meat." He admitted, turning his head to glance over her plate. "But what was that? It looked good."

~

Ruli watched her curiously as she mumbled about the world gate, somewhat assuming perhaps it wasn't all such a common knowledge. "Unless theres another one." Ruli shrugged indifferently. "And the majority of the unit he was lost with. Wait until you hear where he was."
The disappointment that circled his belly when Myka admitted he was the only one they found coiled low, as he wouldn't allow himself to wallow and worry. They took off, and he kept up easily enough, glad they hadn't forced the blindfold back onto him.

When Myka began speaking again, calling him matron of honour, he smirked, glancing her way. "Ysaryn, yes." He acknowledged, falling silent as the group of women tore into Kire in an affectionate manner. He tried to make it appear as though he were focusing on not falling on his face on the uneven terrain, but really, hearing them talk about her was interesting. Kire really was nothing like Risa, who demanded all nearby her to rain nothing but compliments and insisted on only pretty people be allowed to draw themselves close. Or even Aera, who seemed unsure of what playful banter really meant and often looked hurt by the remarks. Kire seemed to inspire and welcome jokes, keeping honest people near her.
"I'm genuinely not interested." Ruli offered in return. "And again, the elf."

When they slowed, Ruli put his hands on his hips and panted, catching his breath. He glared across the plain to the Wyvern and Gemini banners, frowning at the latter. Even just seeing it made him feel cold. Upon Myka's joke, he cast her a sideways look. "How convenient, the elf is already there." He bit back, having spotted the fuchsia spot that was unmistakably his companion.

He followed them closer, slower as he felt no need to rush toward Ed like the fan-girls these women all appeared to be. He loitered on the outskirts of the group, spotting Ysaryn's bright head just beyond Ed. She seemed ... unhappy, her eyes upward at the Gemini banner. Right. Ruli recalled that they'd abducted and caged her. Not to mention cut her open. His eyes dropped, and he rose onto the balls of his feet to spot the empty sheaths on her hips. Perhaps that was for the best, or they'd have walked up to a much different scenario.
Ed's voice pulled him back to the conversation, and he shrugged. "Fine." He answered, craning his head again to peer at the tent before he started walking toward it. Someone fell into step beside him; one of Myka's ladies. Ruli glanced at her, offered a polite grin, but said nothing to her.

When she heard the approaching group, Ysaryn turned, arching one eyebrow as she looked over them all skeptically. Primarily Myka, taking in her short, but unmistakably strong stature. She smirked. "Hello Maika." Ysaryn greeted. "I did not care for the ride, no. But the cousin has promised to me a tour. Once all the ugly bodies are gone." She gestured with her thumb to the Gemini banner that taunted her. Then Ysaryn jerked her chin at Myka. "You are captain? I thought it is Narda. You must be brilliant in fighting, to have dominated her for position."

~

Ruli was seated on a bench, useless. When he'd gone to try to untie his makeshift sleeve-bandage, the healer swatted at him, deciding she would rather do it at her own pace. So Ruli shrugged, and stared off toward the tent opening. Voices carried in the wind, but they were so jumbled he couldn't tell any apart. He could pick out Ed's deep tone, but nothing else.
He only looked up when Kire appeared, and Ruli looked her up and down, arching an eyebrow at the cloak. "Looks like you're having a worse day than me, if they made you wear that." He commented, resting his free arm on the table beside him and propping his head atop his knuckles. "I don't really feel it. But I don't know yet if thats good or not." Who knew what was in the mouths of those things, or how his magic-riddled blood would react to it.

"How long until we know whether or not they've come through with us?" He inquired, glancing passed Kire toward the other tents. "I'm glad you found Ed and Ysaryn, at least. If Narda comes through, she'll know where to go, but Zeke will also find himself in some pit, and he'll be far less the polite pit-guest."

Nard listened to their exchange with interest. The granddaughter of a god? Now that was something. Even though Wyverns claimed descent from dragons, where the were practically godlike beasts, hearing someone was descended from an honest to goodness deity was still something out of a tale for the giantess. “Thank you for considering our requests, my lady,” Narda commented, nodding to her as she stood. She turned to Zeke and laughed softly at his remark. “Honestly, the same for me. Though yes, this wasn’t half bad. Some vegetable dish I can’t quite name. Still, I suspect I’d be famished soon. I seem to get hungrier faster on these meatless food.”
She huffed, resting her chin on her hand. “The waiting is killing me, to be honest. But having Kay as a friend means you get used to situations where she’ll just vanish on you, on some adventure or other duty. Like she’s trying to be everywhere at once, do everything at once. Woman needs to slow down.”
She yawned, stretching her long arms. “You said Aera was the granddaughter of a god. That makes her part god, herself, doesn’t it?”

--
While Ed excused himself and momentarily spoke with other officers and some of Myka’s crew loitered to either get news or refreshments, the pirate captain stayed behind with Ysaryn, along with a few others, eyeing the Gemini with suspicion. “Eh,” Myka said, shrugging a shoulder, “We share the duty, Narda and I. Rule of thumb is that I’m the Captain while she’s away or incapacitated. The more important thing to note is, Kire is not in charge for so long as she is on board. But you’re right, I am brilliant,” She grinned mischievously at that last, though the women around her groaned.
“You and Nard being leaders only means we’ve decided not to throw you two overboard yet,” the one named Len remarked, grinning. Myka pouted.
“I’m the prettiest of you lot, admit it,” she said, though her expression clearly showed she was joking. The women chuckled before turning somber again, looking around them at how tense everybody was. Myka, too, took to frowning up at the Gemini banners. “If Nard was here, she’d have found some omen in the skies and said ‘this is bad luck’,” she murmured, crossing her arms. “It’s never good news when they’re around.”
“Lying through their teeth,” Len hissed. “Slavers’ friends, they are.”
Myka noticed the empty scabbards. “Lose them on the way here?” she asked. “Are you going back to your world tonight, or are you waiting till the other are found?”

--

“Ha ha. You’re a regular old jester,” Kire said, her tone flat, before sighing deeply. “Can’t say you’re wrong, though. This isn’t even the most ridiculous thing I have ever worn to keep up appearances. You should see me in a dress. Train trailing behind me several miles long. Corset pushing my tits up to my neck. Hair so high the gods can see it.” She wrinkled her nose at the description she had just blurted out. “Yeah, better not see me in a dress.”

She watched the healer do her work, dressing and cleaning his wound. So far, his flesh didn’t look terrible, though her imagination almost ran away with her, imagining it sprouting fur and hearing Ruli growl like the wolves they had just slaughtered. “If you start coughing up furballs, better inform me immediately,” she commented with a brief smirk, before she blinked at his remark about ending up in a pit. “You fell into a pit? Ah—alright, I think I get it,” she said, putting two and two together when she remembered who it was that had come across him.
“I’m giving it until nightfall today, when my scouts have returned. Then, we could bring you and Ysaryn back with or without Zeke, see if we could spot them back at the forest. If Nard and Zeke did get left behind, I feel like they’d have made it back out by now. I’m sure Narda doesn’t want to be around the accursed portal any longer than they need to, once she’s figured out we aren’t coming back that way yet. In the meantime, there’s food and water or stronger drink at the other tent, if you need it.” She fell silent, going over the terms of the temporary truce she had discussed with the Gemini earlier, her face betraying just how much distaste she had for the whole thing. Then, thinking of something, she straightened up and looked at him again.

“Say—do you have any idea at all how to cast those wards Envy uses? Or do you know any protection wards at all? I know there’s wards that can detect magic, and there’s that illusion magic Envy wants to cast on your new city.” Elbows on her knees, Kire steepled her fingers, eyes half-closed as she thought an idea over. “If blood magic worked in your world, and I can detect magic all the same there, regardless of whether it’s Amrian or native, then it’s possible to get those wards to work here, too. The Gemini’s plan is to cast a containment ward around the area where the portal is located, and use that, plus my own portals, to counter and siphon energy away from the gate. Of course, I trust them as much as I can trust Ikegai, but if there’s a way to use other wards instead, the plan could work. That is, if those are the only ‘steps’ behind this plan of theirs.” She paused, frowning, rubbing her face. “When I take you back, I could—hmm,” she stopped, as if considering something that wasn’t entirely a good idea, “I wonder if Gavin has any idea about what such a ritual would require. I’ll only consult with him, not make him do anything,” she clarified.

"Hmm." Zeke said, reaching for his water. "I'm not really sure. She's always been tight-lipped about it. Envy is the talker on the subject." He admitted. "The elves exist because of some God that came down, took form, and took a human lover. I think they were granted immortality, but no ... Godhood?" Zeke made a face. "Over time, their immortality faded. So I think they die, just after a very long time."

After a long drink, he sighed and set his glass down. "I can relate to that. To Kire, I mean. The trying to do everything at once, thing." He shrugged his shoulders. "Before my injury, I was the same. Ruli and Envy, they're both gifted. Can do a million things at once, cane go anywhere whenever they want, to a point. But me, I'm just a soldier. So I became a soldier. Took on jobs, patrols, units, felt like I had to take on a lot to match them. I think if I were suddenly given powers like Ruli has, I would be worse than Kire is. I even think my morals would be far more questioning than hers. Or his." Zeke added with a raised eyebrow.

Then he looked over to Narda. "And you? If you were suddenly super powerful and full of magic, what would you do? You're a pirate or something, right? Would you take over coastal cities and become a queen?"

~

The shift in the conversation sobered her again, and she glanced upward once more to peer at the Gemini flag, her arms folding instinctively over her torso. It was hard to shove the creeping feeling out of her, not to mention the phantom pain at her scar. "They name is an ill omen to my people, too, now." She admitted through gritted teeth, and she followed the flag pole down to the tent in which the Gemini were deliberating.
The word 'emissary', as far as the elf could tell, was someone who spoke on behalf of a royal court. She'd heard it often when in Cordon with the horrible Risa woman. And that told her that these men, who were so close she could smell the cologne they'd dabbed on their flesh, were important to the people who were responsible for so much death. For all her own people she'd lost, for those women, including herself, who were taken and torn open. Not to mention Kire's family, who had lost their home, and the brother that the blond soldier beside her had never gotten to mourn.

Myka's sudden question snapped Ysaryn's attention back around, her lips pressed thin in anger for a moment before the expression disappeared with a blink of her dark eyelids. "Yes." She answered about her blades. "And, I do not know. Depends on Kirai, I suppose. If her giantess friend is stranded there, she will want to return swiftly, I think, or the man she may be stranded with will bite her head off." She wrinkled her nose. "Or the elf they are near may shoot them."
Her fuchsia gaze moved to Ed. "You got out easy because you are polite. Zeck has an attitude like a anga takel'var. A, uh." She made a face and unfolded her arms to gesture, her hands coming together with clawed fingers. "Is a reptile with strong jaw? Strong bite?" Dismissing the attempt, Ysaryn waved her hands. "No matter. Bad attitude. But even if they are here somewhere, like us, she may return to deliver Zeck, Rulitus and myself away."
With a glance over her shoulder toward the medical tent, Ysaryn frowned. "Were those things Amrian? The wolves? They were not like any dog I have seen."

~

Ruli's eyebrows slowly raised as he pictured what Kire described; from the high hair and the tight corset. He wasn't even sure what a train was, but he imagined having a long one made it difficult to move through doors. Or crowds. "Sounds more terrifying than the wolves." He commented idly, turning his attention back to the woman caring for his arm. "If I start coughing up furballs, I'm aiming for your dresses. They sound torturous."
Watching the healer do her work out of equal parts paranoia and interest, Ruli propped his head on his free hand as he leaned against the table. Kire muttered about her plans, mentioning Narda's likely course of action upon realizing they weren't returning promptly through the gate. Zeke would suggest the same, the two likely retreating to a nearby location, of not to the court of stiff-backed elves living in the woods nearby. They wouldn't get far, considering all of the party members who could take them long distances in a few seconds were currently trapped here.

When Kire's tone changed to suggest a rather delicate topic, Ruli glanced up from the woman now bandaging his arm. Kire looked worried, thoughtful, like Envy often did when he was trying to sort out some puzzle. "Yeah. I help him with them all the time." He answered, watching her steeple her fingers thoughtfully.
She explained her problem, and the Gemini's plan in dealing with the gate, and he frowned. "That ..." He began, trailing off to sort through his thoughts. "Thank you." He said to the healer as she finished wrapping his arm and moved away. He folded his arms over the table, tapping his fingers idly. "A containment ward on something like the gate, limited as my knowledge is on the thing, won't be safe." He offered. "Magic has to go somewhere. If they lock it in place using magic, it will be devastating to what is within. The Lithilote forest because what it did when the magic could fan out and fade. What it will be under a containment ward will be much worse."

His eyes moving unseeingly across the tables surface, he shook his head. "And even if they siphon it somewhere, the where concerns me. Anyone trying to harness that sort of power, it would be deadly. Enough to destroy them or cause natural anomalies that destroy anything around it." Glancing up, Ruli furrowed his brow. "Whatever they're thinking, it either won't work, or they're not being up front about whatever it is they're really planning." He offered. "The wards, though." Ruli went quiet again. "Do you have something else in mind?"

“Mm. I suppose, not that different from my people. We have been given long life and age slow, but I imagine our ancestors must have lived thousands of years longer.” She listened to him talk about what he might have in common with her Wyvernling friend, nodding along to his hypothetical scenario when acquiring a similar gift. She huffed a laugh at his question. “Pah. I have seen what being Empress has done to my friend. I became part of the crew to find some purpose in adventuring until I feel like settling down and taking over my father’s fiefdom. Powerful magic or no, ruling does not have much appeal to me. But then again, one never knows what will happen when you acquire such a power. Perhaps I might become a tyrant. Eat my way through the empire.” She scoffed at the thought. “I’d like to think I’d do what Kire is doing. End evil where I can. Right wrongs. But so much good intentions have been spoiled by too much power.”

She paused in thought, leaning back. “A quiet life, though. When no more battles need be fought. Traveling around the world. Or sitting down and smoking a pipe, enjoying company. The times I’ve had that luxury, makes me think it won’t be so bad to have that often. Like the other day, when I was sitting down smoking with Envy.” She grinned at that. “Charming fellow, that.”

--
Ed smiled briefly in apology. “I wasn’t entirely polite when I first came in, but I quickly had to put on that front when I have fifteen other stranded Amrians to watch out for,” he put in. He looked on, an amused smile on his lips as he watched Ysaryn try to mime the animal she was talking about, feeling a little cheeky about not giving her the answer right away, given how he knew the translation. He pondered on her question and nodded, sighing. “Most likely. Warped bodies of Amrians.”
Myka frowned. “What?”
Ed gave a more detailed account of what had happened prior to their coming here. The women looked furious after his story, and Myka’s hands closed into fists. “Bastards,” she muttered under her breath. “You’re lucky then, Ed. At least you came back as yourself.”
The Wyvern captain let out a deep breath. “I know. And the odds of me coming back here, I’m lucky to be alive. I was afraid, when we went back to that mutated wood and saw the Amrian armor lying around, I thought I’d find Ern there.” He swallowed, his brow furrowed before he rubbed his face, willing away the thought. “It’s a terrible thing to wish for, but I would be infinitely relieved to be certain that he’d died in battle, rather than get twisted into one of those things.”
Myka placed a gentle hand on his back. “He was a good kid. A Wyvern through and through, up till the end, I’ve been told.”
Ed nodded, patting her back, then cleared his throat and straightened up again, turning back to Ysaryn. “I trust today will be quite a busy day for everyone, and afterwards I will have to see my family and let them know I’m alive, but nevertheless the invitation is still open for me to show you around sometime. I promise, no crocodiles.”
Myka blinked. “Did you just speak her language? Did you learn a whole new language while you were stranded?” She chuckled, shaking her head. “You really are an overachiever. Stop making the rest of us feel bad, you sly dragon.”
Ed smiled, shrugging a shoulder, then looked in the direction of the healer’s tent. “All things considered, I hadn’t thought Kire would even think twice about their temporary truce. I was ready for her to break the table in half earlier. Not that I blame her if she did.”

--
Kire frowned in thought as she listened to Ruli. “I suspect they would be lying somehow. And yeah, that makes sense. We already know natural anomalies from errant gates have happened before. Whatever they’re playing at, it’s not good. Either they want to rip a bigger hole between worlds or they plan on harnessing all that destruction for something else, having no intention to really stop it.” She didn’t immediately answer when he asked, thinking over their options.

“Alright. Here’s the thing about my own portals. I’ve never used them for anything else other than transporting myself, and whatever or whoever else I have in tow.” She was gesturing as she spoke, thinking out loud. “But if I can siphon that gate with my own portals and redirect it, while I stay put on one side, maybe that could work. There’s only that aforementioned problem that I’ve never not gone through a portal I’ve opened. It’s always,” she snapped her finger, “I open the portal and a second later I disappear through it. And with that much energy pulling at me, that gate might suck me in again. Unless something’s keeping me tethered to the ground here.”

She steepled her fingers again. “So. A ward to secure the area and keep me safe and anchored here, while I open a portal and siphon it away. Maybe far above us, in the sky. I think I can do that, I’ve opened portals in mid-air before, like that one time I dropped that Kartaian hunter in Ziad.”

Zeke privately pondered over the offer of a leisurely life and thought it would kill him. He hated sitting idly by, doing nothing, serving no purpose. He could possibly get away with building things, but he'd need to get much better at such a task. At the current moment he wouldn't be able to sell anything to support himself.
But, the life long lives and have the time to sort out what your purpose is and gain the necessary skills? Zeke felt a small wave of panic over his limited time, followed by envy for the others who had much longer to go.

"You like him, hm?" Zeke said, glancing to Narda and offering a crooked smile. "I'm sure he's thrilled for your company. You should tell him about the sea. He's never seen the ocean, and Ysaryn only describes it as someone who needs it to feed her family. Even when Ruli used his magic to show Envy what it looked like, it was from Ruli's point of view, filled with caution and mistrust. You could paint him a whole new image, I'm sure."

~

Warped bodies of Amrians. Holy Gods. Ysaryn folded her arms once more and looked back to the Gemini flag, coldness filling her. She recalled the unnatural failed attempts at the dolls in Cordon. Some of them were mutated and horrible to look at. She couldn't imagine purposefully doing that to anyone, nor the horror of seeing your comrades and men-at-arms warp into them around you, knowing you're next. Ysaryn shivered, tearing her eyes away from the flag.
The sooner she was far away from the Gemini, the better.

"What the fuck is a crocodile?" She asked, furling her brow at him. Her eyes shifted around as Ed explained that he'd picked up her language while living with the stuck-up elves. She had half a mind to mention that he likely had better grasp of the language than she did, thanks to his source of learning. Or at least, he was far more proper with it.
"He is good with languages." Ysaryn admitted instead. "Elvish is not easy. Hard on tongues, despite its gentle sound. Is why much of common words do not sound right when we speak them."

As he turned to mention Kire and his surprise that she had entertained the emissaries, Ysaryn frowned. "The sooner away from them, the happier I'll be." She turned to glance back to Ed. "Unless I am allowed to take some blood from them, hmm?" The elf raised her eyebrows cheekily. "As a thank you for the lives they claimed in my world? No?" She turned her head away with a snap, squaring her shoulders. Her jeweled eyes landed on the Gemini tent.

~

"To secure you in place, and secure the area." Ruli repeated thoughtfully, his eyes on the table top once more. After a few seconds, he looked back up. "The one anchoring you would work best if you offer blood again." He admitted. "Mixed with a bit of the soil you'll stand on, it will bind you together like an adhesive. I know you're wary of it, though. Because of the Gemini." He realized shortly after, rubbing his brow with his right hand.
The Gemini had a fetish for blood magic, using some of Kire's to counter their own wouldn't be ideal. Or wise. Especially if they were her enemy.

"I suppose you'd object to using my blood to anchor myself to the ground while I hold you?" He wondered, glancing up. "No risk to you, and they'll consider me the upset in their plans instead of you." Ruli shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "The protection ward for the area would be easy. I just need a few decently sized stones. Or blades sheathed into the ground. But anchoring you isn't as easy unless we use your blood. A drop or two again, just enough to mix with the dirt beneath your feet."

Narda grinned. “He seems a man who is hard to dislike,” she said, “but yes, I do like him. He has an—air about him, just draws you in. Partly perhaps some kinship too, living the long lives that we do.” Her mind briefly went to their conversation about loneliness, finding herself looking forward to more long discussions with the elf. “The sea, then. I’ll keep that in mind. Ysaryn and Ruli aren’t wrong about it, but the water is too vast to be only one thing at any given time.” She sank into thoughtful silence for a while. “Other worlds,” she murmured, shaking her head. “It still boggles my mind. It’s like fairytales, isn’t it?”

She stood up, stretching with a yawn. “As much as I hate waiting, I am going to take full advantage and rest as much as I can. When the Wyvernling comes back, who knows what other sorts of trouble she’d have in store for us?” she said with a chuckle.

--

“I understand that,” Ed murmured. “I’d much rather not be in spitting distance of them, either.” He cocked an eyebrow when she turned to him and asked her question rather cheekily. “Though you’d be very justified in doing so, perhaps not at the moment,” he said, watching her square her shoulders, her eyes on the Gemini side of the field.
“But you know,” Myka put in, “someday we’ll retake the Capital. If you want Gemini blood, you can join us when that happens. Right?” she said, glancing at Ed.
Ed was quiet for a while. “Someday, yes.” He didn’t want to admit it, but he wanted their blood, too. A large part of him thought it unwise to involve Ysaryn; it was one thing to ask her and the others to support Kire during their hunt for the world gate, quite another to invite her to join the battle and potentially die in another world. If you were given the opportunity to fight the Gemini in her world, you’d take it, he thought. He pursed his lips; he was still a Wyvern, after all. “Would you? Fight the Gemini with us, when the time comes.”
“Oh, and do you need a replacement for those?” Myka asked, gesturing at her empty scabbards. “We might be able to find you a replacement by the end of the day if you want it. Not that we’re expecting a fight but—you never know with the bastards, eh?”
--

Kire rested her elbow on the table, thinking it over as he talked about what would be required for the wards. “More blood,” she murmured. The idea of shedding her blood for magic while the Gemini were nearby didn’t fill her with glee, as he’d anticipated. She frowned at the idea of him holding her down, though while using his own blood. “If I could help it, nobody’s blood should be shed anywhere near Gemini magic,” she admitted with a huff, resting her chin on her hand, her other gesturing at his injury. “And you’ve already bled enough today. But you know, another sorcerer casting his own magic around the portal’s already an upset to their plans. And if anybody’s going to be using my blood for magic, I’d rather it be you than them.” She looked glanced at him. “You found Ed for me, with my blood. I trust you.”

She stood, glancing out at the people outside the tent. “We have a bit of time before sundown. If you’re ready, you can tell my people what you’d need for the protection ward. They can help you gather the materials.” She looked back at him, glancing briefly at his bandaged arm. As immensely glad as she was to have had the help she’d been given so far, he’d already had to endure a lot to aid her: locked up in a cell at Lithilote, attacked by warped wolves at the forest. Now this. “If this goes on, I’ll owe you a lot more than a drink or two,” she said, meaning it as a jest, though a hint of earnest worry for him was still in her tone. “I’ll go give the soldiers instructions to help you.”

The afternoon waned into dusk, and the first of the search parties she had sent earlier returned, telling them they had not seen Lady Narda or anyone matching Zeke’s description. When the last of the scouts arrived, Kire called for everyone to return to the tent. “The gate will be dealt with tonight,” she said as soon as everybody was settled. The emissaries gave her a small smile and a slight bow.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Now, we may need the blood of a—”
Kire held up a hand. “I wasn’t finished.” She steepled her fingers as she leaned back on her chair. “We’ll do this my way. You are welcome to observe, just so you could report back to your superiors that the task had been accomplished. But if you insist on using your own magic in the process, I’ll tell you now that we’ll be using different wards for this. Someone else will cast the protection ward while I siphon the energy of the gate with my portal.” She looked apologetically at Ysaryn. “This might mean you’d have to wait till after this is done for me to send you back. At most an overnight stay. I’ll need the energy for it, and I’d rather finish the business with the gate tonight before it damages anything else around here.”
A frown creased one of the emissaries’ features. The Geminis’ eyes scanned the people gathered; their eyes settled on Rulitus for a moment before looking at the Wyvern once more. “We will agree to the use of your wards for as long as we can still lay down our own. Though wards of this nature, whether ours or theirs, it would require blood.”
“Oh I know, but you’re not touching anyone’s. If you have a problem with that, you can run back to Gael.”
The Gemini paused. “I take it, Your Grace, that he is your sorcerer?” he asked, gesturing at Ruli.
Kire glanced at Ruli before turning back to them. “In a manner of speaking, yes. His involvement is non-negotiable.”
The emissaries didn’t look too pleased as they spoke to each other in Taakalon.

"I can hardly wrap my head around it. But you, you're literally in one. I suppose its slightly easier for you to comprehend." He realized. "If you're still having trouble accepting it, there's no hope for me."
As she rose, so did he, politely nodding as she departed. "Good ni-er. Day, then. Rest well." He said. He remained standing, loitering for perhaps five minutes after she'd gone to follow and make his way to his own room.

~

Ysaryn's expression instantly lit up, her eyes widening. "Yes. And yes." She answered without hesitation, flashing her wolfish grin. "While I feel I could take on Gem-en-ai with my two hands, I do not want to get that close. Sword is better." She nodded. "And if you retake Chieftess seat without me, you will have elf-wrath to face!" Ysaryn said firmly, prodding Ed in the chest with her finger. "You're wearing the same face as Envy whenever he doesn't want us to do something dangerous. It is not your choice." She sniffed, facing him directly with a glint in her eye.

"So yes, Maika, I will take blades. If they sneeze in wrong face, I am taking my blood payment." Ysaryn grinned again, eyeing the shorter woman.

~

Ruli lowered his head in silent acceptance of her trust. He wanted to be flattered, but considering it was trust in him or in the mages responsible for so much destruction already, he couldn't preen too much.
Still, he felt a little flutter of gladness.

"I wouldnt mind help in gathering stones." He admitted. "We'll make a wide perimeter, maybe we can even close in their own wards." He said, rising to his feet. "Just a few people who can understand me. I want an estimate on the diameter of the gate, to judge the parameter, and if each stone needs to be within ...."

He trailed off as he slipped outside the tent, turning and heading away from the tents and toward the edge of the clearing. He calculated in his head, muttering now and then, trying to sort out what he would need and in what quantity.

Circling through the trees with the Amrian's help, Ruli found armfuls of stones that would do. Sitting down in a tent, he asked for a quill and paper to jot down his notes. Whether or not the others tried to speak to him, he wasn't sure, as he was so focused on the task at hand and the time limit they had. He asked to head for the gate, the Amrian's guiding him as close as they were comfortable before returning with him.

At some point, he remembered to eat, Joined by Ysaryn, who poked and prodded at the Amrian cuisine before taking her fill of meat and drink. He sat down over his notes, planning the recipe and requirements to bond Kire to the ground for the duration of her portal.

When summoned for the meeting with the Gemini, he cleaned off his hands and followed, standing idly by as Kire spoke to them. As she lay down the fact that she would be using her own mage atop of their magic, he felt several pairs of eyes move to his face. He was sure he looked a pretty picture; bandaged arm, one sleeve ripped off at the shoulder, blood spattering the rest of his tunic and trousers, his hair ... well, that never behaved anyway. Still, he tried his best to stand tall and meet their gaze without blinking.

The term 'sorcerer' nearly made him crack a smile, though. Never in a million years would he consider himself a sorcerer, but there likely wasn't an easy translation for what he considered himself to be.

"No matter." Ysaryn said with a wicked grin. "I am sure spending a night here will be well worth it. I am in no rush." She promised, glancing to not only Ed but Myka and the others. Pirates and a military unit of women. Nothing could be dull about that.

The Gemini finally faced her again. “We—agree to the terms,” the foremost said, and to his credit did his best to give her that same smile he had, though with much less smugness. “When do we begin, Your Grace?”
Kire looked to Ruli and to the others. “We could head there now. Let’s get this over with.” As the whole party made ready to head for the gate, Myka tapped Ysaryn on the shoulder and handed her a sword with a grin.
Ed shook his head, though he did have a hint of a smirk on his lips. “Not my choice, hm?” he murmured to Ysaryn. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. It is hard to say no to you. I’d be honored to have you. Fight with us, I mean,” he clarified, though he did have a teasing grin on his face as he made the remark.

They finally reached the vicinity of the gate. Those who hadn’t yet seen any kind of portal gasped at the sight as the blue hurricane of light illuminated the nearby woods. Myka shuddered. “Gives me chills, it does,” she muttered, squinting at it. As Kire ordered everyone to stay at a certain distance, the Gemini’s mages set to work. Kire watched like a hawk, her hand on her sword, her body tense as if expecting monsters to sprout from the gate with each rune they laid down on the ground. Though it didn’t take too long for them to close their circle, it felt like an eternity to Kire.

She took off her cloak and, after a few moment’s hesitation, stepped through the ward. The Gemini signature filled her senses, and she tried not to visible shudder at the sensation, cursing under her breath, instead.

She stood a few yards before the gate. So far, it seemed stable. She turned to Ruli. “Just a few drops right?” she said, ready to hold out her hand to him.

Feeling the tap on her shoulder, and being offered the blade, Ysaryn straightened with eagerness, clutching the weapon and weighing it in her hand. The weight of it was quite different from her dual blades, the metal sturdier without being too dense. With a purr of satisfaction, she flexed her arm, stepping away from the others to test its grace in a swing. As Ed spoke, her eyes moved up to his handsome face, and another crooked grin blossomed. "Oh, Wyvern." She clicked her tongue at him. "You would be lucky to have me. The fight is irrelevant."

With a wink, Ysaryn turned her back to him, stepping beside Myka to question her about the blade; who did it belong to, how old was it, what sort of person was it created for. Her words were choppy and quick in her excitement, the elf even pointing to the other blades held by the other women to ask about them.

Ruli followed soundlessly, his eyes distant as he planned and calculated still. It was a benefit of the appearance, at least, that the Gemini would doubt his ability. They would allow him to watch without fear, even watch him work with a sneer without ever guessing that he knew what he was doing. Let alone that his magic may be countering theirs. As they approached the gate once more, he glanced to his right to the nearest of his ward stones. The wide ring of them wasn't complete, the wards not yet activated; all he had to do was adjust the one his eyes fell upon by a few inches and his magic would be active.
First, he wanted to watch the Geminis.

Which was apparently what Kire had in mind.

As she remained still, watching the mages work with the leer of a predator, Ruli wandered, watching them work as he circled, sure he looked like someone trying to learn rather than someone trying to overpower. He hated the hum that emanated from the gate itself, his bones answering it in a low thrum now that he'd been through the damned thing. The violence in the magic sent his teeth on edge.
When they closed their circle of wards, Ruli felt the world grow thinner, the air strangled. He swallowed and moved toward Kire as she approached the gate.

"If I ever ask for all of your blood, go ahead and assume I'm trying to murder you and murder me first." Ruli muttered quietly, hoping to dispel the anxious look in her eye. He fished a small leather pouch, lent to him from one of the Amrian's who had accompanied him earlier. "It will be less than a dog bite." He promised, then, taking her hand gently. Her skin radiated heat, which he found oddly comforting. Opening the leather pouch, he adjusted it beneath her arm. "Last chance to back out and take my blood instead." He offered, meeting her gaze for a few seconds before he reached down and removed the dagger from her belt, positioning himself so that the Gemini's were out of the line of sight. "I hope they can't scent blood like animals." He muttered.

Twisting her wrist, he pressed the blade to the outside of her palm, careful to avoid the tendons beneath. "Squeeze." He instructed, shifting the pouch beneath to catch the droplets. He counted silently before he gave her a nod. He slid the dagger's tip inside the pouch to mix the blood with the contents, which, as Ruli crouched at Kire's feet and reached inside, turned out to be dirt. "Put your feet where you'll be most comfortable." He instructed before he set the blade vertically into the dirt between her feet. The blood-dirt mixture on his fingertips, he dabbed at her right toe, drawing a line down into the soil, then repeated it on her left. He drew a line between them, pinching his fingers to create a rune between them, the moist dirt a single line, touching the sharp edge of the half-sunk dagger.
Finished, Ruli straightened and stepped back, glancing her over. "Done. Just wait for a few minutes for me to set my wards. Don't move the blade until you're done. And if you feel like this is something you can't handle, shout. I'll break you out." He ordered quietly, trying not to look too overly concerned.
But, really, he'd never tethered anyone into the center of a magical cataclysm before.

Strolling away, he backtracked toward the stone he'd placed, turning to nudge it forward with his foot. He knew it settled into place when he saw the slight shift in Kire's posture knowing full well she could smell the trace of his magic coating the area. A useful thing to have, that ability of hers.

It didn’t take too long for him to close the circle. As soon as he did, his signature permeated the whole perimeter of his ward. It filled her with comfort, contrasting with the wards the Gemini had put in place. She squared her shoulders and faced the gate, suddenly anxious. What did I just agree to do? Some ways away, the other Amrians watched. Ed’s arms were crossed, silent as he kept his gaze on his cousin. Kire rarely had second thoughts about anything she had set her mind to do, and seeing her not immediately jump into action worried him greatly. Meanwhile, Myka, seeing Ruli step back, jogged to him and tapped him on the shoulder. “Here,” she whispered, handing him back his saber. “In case, you know,” she whispered, hoping he got her meaning. “Can’t really trust those bastards.” She gave him a pat on the shoulder before she went back to the rest of her crew.

Kire tested out the strength of the rune at her feet. She wiggled her toes, shifted her weight from the balls of her feet to her heels. When she tried to take a wide step, it held her fast, even when the surprise at the sensation made her lose her balance, the enchantment was so strong that she didn’t topple over, the magic making sure her whole body stayed upright at the spot. “This is weird,” she muttered under her breath. “Okay. Come on, Kay.” She rolled her shoulders and held out her right hand at the swirling light of the gate.

The flash of blue from her Ring was lost to the bright blue light that appeared between her and the gate. They were almost identical, except Kire’s portal was smaller and felt more turbulent. Kire could feel her Ring growing hot on her finger. She gaped at the portal for a moment, unused to seeing it this way, or unused to not jumping into it straightaway. She could feel the two wards—both the Gemini’s and Ruli’s—activate in response, and the combating forces pulling at her from both open gates and the wards made her body shake. Too much! She hissed, pulling her hand back, slumping over though her legs kept her upright as she breathed heavily. Her head was pounding, and she cradled her right arm. Her hand was hot to the touch.
“Kay!”
She heard Ed shout behind her, and she held up her left hand. “Nobody move!” she yelled back. She looked at Ruli, part of her tempted to call him. She shoved the thought aside. “Nobody move,” she repeated in the common tongue this time, her voice firm, turning back to the gate. She sensed then that the Gemini wards had meant to gather the energy she was going to siphon away. She wasn’t sure for what, but most likely it might have to do with redirecting it to the mountain pass and to make sure she didn’t come out of this unscathed. “Devious bastards,” she muttered, glad that Ruli’s own protection wards were working so strongly against it. Kay, concentrate. Don’t think about the pounding headache. Don’t think about what might happen around you if you let the gate’s energy loose. She raised her arm again. Concentrate on the gate’s energy flowing through your portal. Get used to the sensation.

Her portal starts up again, but this time she opened it much closer to the gate itself. She grits her teeth through the sharp headache, the hot flashes through her body. Far above them, another flash: the other end of the portal opens, and from it a continuous blast of hot white energy. Kire felt like the hurricane winds inside the portal were inside her head; blue smoke rose from her body and her sapphire eyes glowed blue. The Ring felt so hot she thought it would brand her skin. Fuck, she wanted to throw up; she clamped her other hand over her mouth to stop herself. The gate looked to be shrinking, the light overhead growing so bright it almost looked like the moon had gotten closer to the earth. Ruli’s enchantment over her position held fast, so strongly that she felt the ground cracking and sinking under the pressure of keeping her rooted to the earth against the great pull of the two portals. She felt faint, but she could see that the gate had shrunk to half it size. Just a little more, Kay.

“Gods!” Myka said, looking to Ed, “she looks terrible. We have to do something!”
Ed looked up at the other end of the portal spewing energy, then at Kire. He knew very well. “Not yet. If she thinks it’s working, it’s working. We can’t interrupt now until we’re sure it won’t interfere and do something worse.” He glanced at the Gemini, jaw clenched. Despite his words, he wanted to get Kire out of there. He was about to say this to Myka when they felt the earth around the outer ward cracking and sinking under the pressure of competing with Ruli’s ward, similar to what was happening beneath Kire’s feet.Those who were nearest stumbled back, while everybody else scrambled uphill. “Damn them, we need their wards removed!” Ed seethed. “Secure the Gemini and tell them to break their wards.”

Kire felt it too, her knees momentarily buckling as she felt the whole area sink. Her concentration broken, her own portal dissipated, and the world gate, though smaller now, spat out errant energy. “Shit,” she gasped, looking around her. Everyone looked fine, only this time there was a standoff between her own soldiers and the Gemini contingent. Her body was still emitting blue smoke, and her Ring glowed hot even though she didn’t have a portal open right now. She felt restless, her heart beating fast, as if it had absorbed some of that energy and didn’t know what to do with it. Her eyes scanned the men the Gemini had brought along, made a quick count of their numbers. “Stand down,” she ordered, “and stay back.” Even from a distance she could sense that Ed and Myka were reluctant to obey. “Do it now!” The moment her soldiers backed away, putting space between themselves and the Gemini contingent, Kire commanded the Ring to open another portal.

Instead of continuing with her immediate task, a portal opened just behind the Gemini. With a surprised yelp, the emissaries and their soldiers disappeared into the blue light, save for one of the mages she had seen directly involved in the making of the circle. Another portal opened before the mage could attempt an escape, and he fell backward into it, reappeared right in front of Kire. She grabbed him by the neck and held him at arm’s length in front of her. “Here’s the thing: you’re staying here until I finish the job,” she said in a loud voice, “and if I die or some other terrible thing happens to me, they have my permission to kill you. If your ward interferes with me doing my job, the gate will kill all of us. If your ward harms any of my people, I will kill you.” Her fingers tightened around his neck. “Will you tell them how to break your wards?” She had sent the rest of the Gemini back over their own borders, but this mage didn’t need to know that. She could feel the tug of the errant gate, but she at least had Ruli’s wards to help her stay put. Without the countering force of Kire’s portal, the wild gate sucked on the mage’s body, with Kire’s strangling grip the only thing tethering him to this world. With a strangled cry, the mage nodded, his eyes wide as he faced the blinding gate in front of him. “Good.” Kire grabbed him with her other hand to ease the pressure on his neck. “Tell them what they need to do.”

She knew Ruli had been studying their ward previously, and as the mage yelled out halting instructions, she trusted him to know what the mage was talking about, and to know what to do in case these instructions were a lie. She kept her gaze on the gate, watching for signs of it acting up the way it did back at the woods near Lithilote. As the Gemini ward fell little by little, she could feel Ruli’s signature taking over, the pressure around them easing. Bracing herself once more, she directed her Ring to reopen the portal in front of the gate. Once more, the skies above them were illuminated, and this time Kire poured as much as she could into the portal, putting it as near to the gate as she dared. The mage in her grip screamed, both from the magical forces in front of him and from the grip Kire gave, her fingers digging in as she gritted her teeth and dealt with the massive energy flow.

With one final push, Kire opened her portal as wide as she could, until it was almost bigger than what was left of the gate. A great flash of white light lit up the mountain range as her portal sucked in the last of the gate and dispersed its energy up and outward. Then, darkness.

Kire panted, her body still faintly glowing blue, her Ring the only thing left shining bright and blue, along with her irises. She tossed the mage aside, and he landed several meters away from her. As soon as he did, Kire hunched over the dagger at her feet, gave it an almighty yank, then sank to her knees to throw up.
Ed was the first to go to her, a flask of water in tow. Kire took it, gargled some and spat it out, then drank the rest of the water. He tried taking her hand to stand, but her skin felt hot, almost scalding his. “I am not doing that again,” she rasped, coughing. When she held her hand up to wipe her mouth, she noticed her Ring still faintly shining. Her body felt strange; she felt exhausted, but at the same time she felt she could open a few more portals for tonight.
“Where did you send them?” he asked. Kire waved vaguely at the mountains.
“Their side. Can’t promise I set them down gently.” She faced away from him to cough and clear her throat, drinking the last of the water in the flask afterwards. Somebody brought Kire’s cloak and Ed wrapped her in it, helping her to her feet.

“What shall we do with this one, then?” Myka called, lightly nudging the mage with her foot, who had been knocked out from the intense pull of the portals and the subsequent hard landing after being tossed aside.
Kire huffed. “Still under the terms of the parley.” She hated saying that out loud. There would be time enough for the Gemini to have their final reckoning, but right now she just wanted the man out of her sight. Another blue flash, and the mage was gone. Myka looked disappointed. “Believe me, I’m more disappointed than you are,” Kire grumbled.

Ruli tucked his hands into his pockets, watching the woman before the gate with acute interest. For a moment, he tore his attention away to offer it to Myka, who returned his sword. "I know." He answered. "Thank you."
Fastening the weapon to his belt again, his pale gaze returned to Kire as she waited, hesitating. She should be nervous. He thought to himself. It would be far more frightening if she wasn't afraid. He watched her test his magic, mildly amused to see her wiggle in place, her feet glued to the soil beneath, her body erect as if there were a rod planted behind her. Ruli inhaled, studying her, waiting for her to make her move.

The area filled with light quickly, and eyes squinted to peer at it as best they could, staring into the blinding void of vicious magic. Ruli tightened his hands into fists inside his pockets, clenching his jaw as he watched her struggle. Every instinct told him to rush forward and help, but with the magic rearing in such a way, his rushing in would do nothing but put them both in danger. Breathing slowly, he kept his eyes on her, waiting for any sort of sign that she wanted out.
The others shouted at her, and she demanded that they remain back. Ruli obeyed, meeting her gaze when she looked to him. He could see the hesitation in her eyes, but the determination to see it through overpowered her and she looked back around. Breathe. He thought desperately.

It seemed like hours. Ruli counted his breathes, watching Kire as she became this supernatural glow in the middle of the chaos, and little by little the gate shrunk. And then the wards began competing with one another, the earth cracking beneath them. Ruli bent his knees and turned his gaze away from Kire at last, meeting the leer of one of the Gemini mages. The look on his face told Ruli that they realized now he was no vagabond fool, and they were annoyed.

The Amrians launched into position, moving onto the Gemini to make them tear down their wards, only the Gemini made no attempts to listen. Ysaryn, blade drawn, stood beside the others, her teeth bared as she shouted obscenities in elvish at the Gemini nearest, his wide eyes on her sharp canines.
Again, Kire took it upon herself to rectify the situation, ordering her men to stand down; Ed had to all but pull Ysaryn back, the elf still snarling at the Gemini. Portals opened around them, the terrified screams lifting into the air as the Gemini were sucked through, save for the one Kire decided to take hostage.

Holy Gods. Ruli blinked as he watched her. So many thoughts rushing through his head at once. She was brave, clever, selfless, and dangerous. So much more, but the danger of her held his attention.

She demanded to know how to break the Gemini wards on threat of death to the poor screeching man in her arms, and the moment the words left his mouth Ruli took off. "Ysaryn, with me." He shouted, tearing through the warded area to. Ysaryn tore through behind him, and he passed along quick information in elvish, what to look for, what to do, relying on her better sight.
Sure enough, she pointed and launched herself, and Ruli followed. One attribute down, they moved to the rest, tearing the ward down bit by bit until he felt the air lift, freed, and his own dominated the area.

Just like that, it was over.

Ruli turned toward the clearing in which Kire stood, remaining still what Ysaryn jogged forward. Ed ran to his cousin, offering her water and, once he could stand to touch her over-heated body, her cloak. Ysaryn let out a low laugh of relief, bending to brace her hands on her knees. "She's crazy." She laughed, watching Kire.

With Ruli remaining back and out of the way, Ysaryn strolled forward to stand beside Myka, smiling down at the limp mage. "He smells like he relieved himself." She pointed out, craning her neck to look for a dark spot on is trousers. "Is this what Gem-en-ai is? All shaky-body?" The elf nudged his limp leg with her boot. "Elves in my tribe have more backbone before they're old enough to hold a blade."
"Its a good thing he has little backbone, Ysaryn." Ruli pointed out from where he stood. "Look at the damage their wards did. If he hadn't caved, the earth would have."
Ysaryn straightened to look around, her gleeful expression sobering. "Fine." She conceded, turning back toward Kire and Ed. "Back to tents? Food in her belly will help her face to normal colour. Sit well." She said, patting her own belly.