The giantess sighed. “I know I am speaking from a position of bias. She is an old friend, after all. But I am also one of the first to call her out on her mistakes and offer her blunt advice. But from what I have seen, she is likewise happy, and cares for him greatly. She wouldn’t have agonized over the question of acting upon how she feels if those feelings weren’t substantial. Though sometimes it takes a while for her mind to catch up to her heart.” She chuckled.

To the suggestion of dinner, Narda grinned. “I can’t boast much by way of prowess in the kitchen, either, but I am good at a great many other things, I’d like to say.” She had a cheeky smirk when she said that. “And I do appreciate you coming along with them to help with the wards today. Not that I presume I am the object of this effort of course, but I have been told you don’t venture out like this just for anyone.”

--
“Noon indeed.” Kire leaned against the doorframe, keeping the door ajar as he pulled on his boots. “Daryll found a lead. A slim one, but seems to be solid. He recognized the woman’s dress as some obscure noble family’s seal, though given how that house has dissolved into obscurity, it might take some doing to track them down. Narda’s going to help with that. I’m meeting Risa and the other worshippers of the goddess tomorrow night. That should be a delight,” she added, huffing at the last. “Ysaryn probably told you—unless she’s too busy preoccupied with Ed.” She crossed her arms. “Did Envy find anything in your memory?”

Envy hummed at Narda's response, glad to have the situation from hers and Kire's perspective. And when the giantess moved on to Envy's assistance and his venturing out, he chuckled. "That is correct." Envy answered. Aware they were somewhere near the seats in his chamber, he motioned for her to sit as he made his way to do the same. "The last time, it wasn't so much about choice. This time, yes, you are the reason I have decided to go. However, I limit my wanderings to Amria. I don't care for the people here to know I can leave and to grow uneasy."

~

Ruli raised his eyebrows, nodding. "That does sound like a handful. And a very slim lead on Daryll's part." he commented, standing up again. "And, erm, no. Apparently, whatever it is, its ... I don't know. Closed? Sealed off? The Goddess doesn't want me remembering. He can pry at it, but at a risk. I might forget how to speak or something. He didn't want to." Ruli sighed, as if he had argued and lost.
Closing the door behind them, he wandered back toward the caves with Kire. "I haven't seen Ysaryn. I think she and Ed have been busy all morning. But I've apparently been asleep half of it, so."

As they neared the caves, he glanced sidelong at her, the word she'd spoken over breakfast lingering like a temptation in the back of his mind. He cleared his throat. "So, uh. What are we eating?"

Narda frowned when Envy said the reason behind his limited movement. “Uneasy? Because you’re a Kartaian?” Even now, he was still concerned by their well-being and feelings, despite everything. The giantess shook her head. It wasn’t her place but his, as he had reminded her during their first meeting, but she wished she could do something about that situation. It would have infuriated her to no end if she was feared and reviled despite everything she had done for them, had she been in his place. But evidently, he had much deeper reserves of patience and empathy than she did. “Then, perhaps we should have dinner at mine sometime soon. Neither of us need bother with the kitchen then, and I will make sure that you be well-entertained.” She smiled.

--
Kire let out a low growl, frowning as he mentioned how the memory must be blocked by the goddess somehow. “He’s right. Better not risk it, if finding the memory isn’t a guarantee. We’ll find out what Solaralai wants some other way. She can be cryptic all she wants, but gods cast a long shadow. I feel a lot less terrible now about knocking a hole through her temple, honestly, if it weren’t so important to the residents.” She followed him back out, nodding at his comment about Ysaryn and Ed, still annoyed at the thought of Solaralai showing herself to Ruli but preventing him from retaining the details of their strange meeting. She inhaled, and the pleasant cool breeze, along with the subtle smells of cinnamon and flowers from Ruli, calmed her temper down for now.

As she walked beside him back to the caves, she raised a brow when he cleared his throat, sensing an unasked question. Probably about this morning. She stared pointedly ahead, until he asked something else. “Uh—lamb, with roasted vegetables. Was tempted to try it, but figured I wouldn’t leave the table if I did.” She grinned briefly at that, before looking sidelong at him. “I—um.” She stopped short of the caves. “What I said this morning. By accident, mostly. It just came out without me really thinking. Does it bother you?”

Envy inhaled, raising his eyebrows. "My, that does sound nice. I will take you up on your offer, dear Narda. I look forward to trying more of the Armian cuisine, anyhow." He grinned eagerly. "Will you be with us while the boys and I wander the palace and make the wards? I know you aren't overly fond of magic as a whole, so I won't blame you if you take your lovely company elsewhere. Or follow that Empress around to keep her out of trouble." He added with a teasing chuckle. "Perhaps, since I have the charm, I can join you under an Amrian sunset somewhere?"

~

Ruli only shrugged, still unbothered about the fact that he may lose some ability. Ability to speak? It wasn't as if he wasn't familiar with that. Ability to use magic? He tried not to rely on it, anyway. Ability to fight? He was more suited for cooking anyway. Really, unless he lost the ability to cook or bed he wouldn't be bothered.
However, he was clearly outnumbered.
He glanced sidelong at her again, wondering how annoyed she was by the tone of her voice. While the situation bothered him, it wasn't enough to get him worked up.

When she switched topics, from the menu to this morning, he looked away again. "Ah, uh." He paused when she did, hands tucked into his pockets. "I don't know. I mean, no, I -I'm not bothered by it at all. Not ... not that you said it. Just ..." He inhaled. "Its not that I don't ... feel that. But I'm ... not used to ... you know. I might need to time swallow the fear of w-what usually comes after that. That is said, I mean." Ruli cleared his throat again.

"By accident?" He asked, then, tilting his head a little. "Does that slip out often in conversation with your cooks?"

Narda grinned, pleased at his eagerness. “Eh. I am at the Empress’s beck and call,” she joked. “And yes, to pluck her out of trouble too, whether she wills it or not. But I’m staying for this. She had asked my help, something to do with pursuing some vague clue about the visions Daryll had yesterday.” She smiled fondly when he asked about joining her at sunset. “Now that is a capital idea. I would very much enjoy that.”
--
Kire glanced at him as he stammered through his response. It was…strangely comforting, both the way he flustered and what he said. At least it wasn’t outright rejection. “’What comes after’? Do you mean…getting hurt?” She sighed. “I understand. I’m not rushing you into anything you don’t want, I promise.” She rubbed her nape, looking ahead. “And no. I don’t blurt that out with just anyone. Just you. Or, I don’t know if ‘accident’ is the word; that seems to imply I didn’t mean it.” She turned to him as she said that, a small smile on her lips before tilting her head towards the caves. “Better fetch them before the food gets cold.”

Gavin met up with them just as they entered the caves, the lad stretching and yawning. “We goin’?” he asked, peering at the two.
“Yup.”
“Good. I’m starving,” the lad replied, grinning at them mischievously. “Don’t you just love getting a great nap before a meal?”
Kire narrowed her eyes. “Don’t push it. Want me to shave off all your hair?” she asked, patting the sword at her hip. Gavin raised his hands in surrender, though he did still have a smirk on his face.

--

After everyone was ready, they crossed over to the Tower, where Daryll was waiting, groggy from his own nap. “Wards?” he asked simply, not bothering to fix his hair.
“Lunch first at the Palace,” Kire clarified, withholding her comments on how disheveled he was at the moment.
“Alright. And after, we could talk about looking for the Glenn family?”
Kire raised her brows. Like a dog with a bone, her cousin was. The vision must still be bothering him greatly. “Yes, we will. I promise.”

They walked out towards the Palace grounds, where, outside in the orchards, a large tent was set up for them, with the food ready and laid out for the guests. Gavin watched Envy closely; while he knew the charm worked, he was still nervous for the elf, stopping short of outright asking if he was feeling okay every few steps. Though the orchards were definitely not back to their former glory, the grounds had been cleaned and pruned enough to be a decent sight. In the light of the afternoon sun the Palace, too, stood, still proud despite the wear and damage from the war. Gavin gawked; like Ruli, he hadn’t really been given the opportunity to have a proper look, and the last time they were here they had gone straight indoors. He now noticed the older sections of the Palace joined with its newer wing, and he made a note to ask Kire about it later while they ate.

“So, with regard to payment,” Kire said after everyone was seated. “We don’t really have a benchmark for how to pay sorcerers, though we did managed to find some records for the High Sorcerer’s salary back in the day. How’s thirty gold for each of you, plus supplies? Silks to keep Risa happy, tobacco, coffee, cheese.” Kire grinned.
“Did you say thirty gold pieces each?” Gavin clarified, brows raised.

Ruli grinned back, though it was cautious. "Yeah." He answered, about getting hurt. "Rather a bad history with it. I ... I'm cautious. But I'm not .. afraid." He offered awkwardly, rather glad when she said they should fetch Gavin. The food would get cold? "Wait, is it already cooked?" Ruli asked, tailing her inside. "Thats horrible timing, really." He teased, up until they ran into Gavin, who had their own little tease.
The lip on this lad. Ruli smirked at him behind Kire's back, giving a subtle shake of the head to announce it wasn't a huge thing between them. Even if he did agree on letting Kire shave Gavin's hair.

"You're bound to get only vegetables, with that mouth." He warned in addition as they wandered through the caves, hollering for Envy to join them.

When they entered the Tower on the Amrian side, Envy inhaled and wrinkled his nose. Hearing Daryll and quickly locating the source of the smell, Envy said nothing. It wasn't as if he had never been around work-focused males before. And many refused to bathe in their adolescent years, as well. "Daryll." He greeted with a nod. "You're looking well."
"Funny." Ruli grinned, though he likewise nodded to Daryll. "You look like you've been hard at work."

As they walked across the grounds, Envy was tense, his arm tucked to his side to keep Narda's hand against him as he walked. His steps were cautious. He could feel the sunlight on his skin, the warmth of it, and every one of the hairs on his skin was raised in cautious. Ruli walked a few paces ahead of him, mindful of the Kartaian's pace.
Until he noticed the orchards, and gawked. "Not too shabby." He commented. "Maybe we should grow a bit of these in Úvano."
"What?" Envy asked, his voice giving away his unease. Then he inhaled. "Oh. I smell alot of fruit. And flowers."
"Not quite in bloom yet, but yeah, alot of them." Ruli offered, turning to gaze at the palace, then. He recalled Kire mentioning that there was an original structure and what had been added, and now that he was paying attentiong, the scar of the storm was obvious.

They found their seats, the elf far more relaxed under the shade of the tent, his chair creaking slightly as he adjusted his position. "Well, really, the food and silks would be more than enough." Ruli offered.
"However, the gold will really help the city develop and stabilize." Envy added, with a firm nod. "It would be more than adequate."
"You giving us titles, though." Ruli said. "These are only fees paid per job? Or is this an allowance of sorts?"
"Really, must we talk business over lunch?" Envy asked, sighing. "I smell lamb, flowers, and I am famished." He raised his hand and gestured toward where he believed Kire to be seated. "How are the wedding preparations?"
"Yeah, like that's not business." Ruli commented.

Kire shrugged at Ruli’s comment, agreeing with Envy. “Consider it back pay for all the other times I leeched off of you and your cooking,” she said, grinning. “But in all seriousness, this should be fair. Like Envy said, it’ll help with whatever else you would need to thrive in Úvano.”
Gavin’s brow creased at Ruli’s question. He’d seen the nobles of Cordon and their preoccupation with honorifcs. Ikegai had been much the same, in a way. Coveting what he couldn’t have in Amria. Kire shook her head. “No titles—yet. That’s for every commission. Titles only come in if you want a contract written up and you’ll officially be employed by the crown. If that ever happens, though, it would only be for another couple of years, anyway.”

“…What?”
Ed had made his way towards them—newly bathed, after returning from his romp with Ysaryn—but now he had stopped short of the table. Gavin, Narda, and Daryll, likewise, all looked at Kire then. Daryll seemed the least surprised, while Ed crossed his arms. Kire sighed, waving her hand. “A discussion for some other time,” she said to her cousin, who looked about to start it, anyway. “Besides, I’m surprised that you are surprised.”
“That’s because we hadn’t had an actual serious discussion about it yet.” Ed said, frowning. Kire gestured at the table.
“Another time,” she repeated, firmly this time. “I promise. And with Jan, too. Speaking of which, the wedding preparations are going well,” she said, moving on to the question Envy had raised, away from the topic of her abdication. “She and Lord Ulrich are very practical about it, so while the preparations are meticulous, they’re efficient. It is rather like a business transaction, as are most important marriages here.” She dug into her plate.
“Don’t look at me,” Narda pointed out, seeing Ed stare. “I didn’t know about her plans, either.”

Daryll looked about, then cleared his throat. “Have we heard back from Myka about the townsfolk who saw the visions? Anything else happened in the forest?”
Narda paused. “Hm. So far, it seems the forest hasn’t gone away, nor is it growing larger. No further visions, though some of the townsfolk had developed fevers. For now, the healers attributed this to the sudden unusual hot weather, but they’re keeping a close watch. The rest of the [i[Wenches[/i] are still keeping one ear to the ground for any other unusual occurrences.”

Only if they want a contract written up. Ruli's expression softened. That sounded much easier to handle. No official title, more than adequate payment for the odd little tasks would help with. He'd never been fond of titles, even one as none threatening as court sorcerer. And this way he could avoid whatever awkwardness came with bedding the empress.
As Kire so tactlessly pointed out, it would be a short contract anyway.

While he kept his head down, Ruli still went still as even Envy's head rose, sensing the sudden tension in the room. Kire's insistance that whatever she had brought up not be discussed. Envy turned his head from her to Ed, and then, shortly after, toward Narda, quite confused.
Ruli chuckled low as Daryll asked about Myka. "You certainly have the tact of someone who knows she has the final word." He said low towards Kire. "How ever will you get away with that, after?"
"Enough." Envy said warningly.
Ruli smirked, then looked around to Narda. "We have a lot of herbs for desert fevers that may help. Mix it with the leaves of a tree that grows in our desert, and it helps keep the drinker hydrated without tons of water ingestion. I'll bring some over to help."

"Something tells me you should go prepared." Envy suggested. "A charm to inhibit all visions."
Ruli frowned at the Kartaian. "But they are significant. I'm not going to avoid them."
"A Goddess, and one you're not fond of for good reason, is speaking to you. It isn't wise-"
"You don't think I should listen to whatever it is she has to say?"
Envy exhaled, sighing. "You cannot remember the last thing she said to you. I think thats a warning that she is not trying to ask you for tea."
Ruli pursed his lips and went back to eating. Behind them, a low, feminine chuckle announced Ysaryn's arrival. She'd redone her hair, now back in its usual tight plait, and her clothes were clean of all sand. "Envy wins again."
"Who asked you?" Ruli grumbled, and she only laughed before pouring herself into a vacant seat and pulling heaps of food onto her plate.

Kire stifled a soft snort at Ruli’s remark about her lack of tact and getting away with it without the crown. “How? I’d run away fast,” she replied softly, a slight smirk on her face before she returned her attention to the matter at hand. She nodded at Ruli’s offer of help for the fevers; while the Amrian healers were capable, this supernatural phenomenon might have presented them with more challenges to their skills and knowledge and an experienced helping hand certainly wouldn’t hurt. He may not like the title, but he was through and through High Sorcerer material. Selfless, brilliant, and as loyal as he was stubborn, gods, no wonder she was in lo—Stop it,, Kire thought, shaking her head slightly to keep her mind from wandering back to that sentiment.

The Amrians listened to the exchange between Ruli and Envy, though Ed still had a slight frown creasing his features, his impatience about discussing Kire’s accidental announcement about her tenure apparent. His face softened, however, when Ysaryn joined them, and he smiled at her as she sat down to eat with them.
“Someone’s in a much better mood,” Kire remarked, addressing Ysaryn though looking sidelong at Edward, who couldn’t go back to his earlier frown fast enough.

“How would that work? The charm?” Gavin asked. “D’you think that’d work for weird dreams? Would those count as visions?” He had been looking at the Palace now and then as he ate, then behind him at the orchards, in the general direction of the Tower. He felt—weird. Like someone was walking over his grave.
“I wonder if we could try your Touch again, too,” Kire put in. “It’s a long shot, but if deliberately trying to unlock Solaralai’s visions isn’t working, maybe the strange accidental visions might give us something.”

“Narda,” Daryll asked suddenly, “the forest-town—it’s not too far from the borders of the Wild Meadows, correct?”
“Mm, correct,” the giantess affirmed. “Why? Is this about that House Glenn lead? Haven’t heard that name in a while, but some of the other nobles might know what happened to them. Best we can infer is they’ve lost their status some time ago, hence the lack of recent knowledge about their family. If you’re going back to the town after you lay down the wards here, we can look into it. And I still owe Envy an Amrian sunset, anyway,” she added with a grin.

Ysaryn winked at Kire as she began to eat, casting a secondary glance in Ed's direction in time to see him frown at his cousin. Her fuchsia eyes flit to Ruli, next, who shook his head before gesturing to Envy. Don't ask. He hinted, and turned toward Gavin.

"Visions and dreams are different, but part of the same strand of understanding." Envy said. "If I recall, there was a scholar, long ago, who said all dreams were visions that were simply not powerful enough to be accurate. He enjoyed the use of hallucinogenic devices to help let his mind speak more clearly and obtain more accurate visions. Though many denounced him as a simple imaginative addict."
"In theory, the same sort of charm we used on the palace could work to dispel dreams and visions if worn by us." Ruli mentioned to Gavin. "Assuming they are magic."
"What else are they to be?" Ysaryn asked, her mouth full.
Ruli shrugged. Envy tapped his finger to the table in thought. "If they truly are interference from the Gods, then they are divinity."
"There's no proof that divinity isn't magic. Or visa versa." Ruli argued stubbornly.
"I have not said that they-"

Daryll's sudden question silenced the Kartaian, who glanced in Ruli's direction with a gently frown before going back to his meal. Ruli arched an eyebrow before likewise resuming, his attention shifted to the Tower-dwelling Wyvern. At Narda's mention of the sunset, Envy grinned, while Ruli glanced back toward Kire.
"You think the strange visions you get have something to do with the Goddess?" He asked suddenly. He heard Envy put down his fork with a exasperated sigh, which Ruli ignored. "You were getting them long before the gate thing."

Kire shook her head at Ruli’s question. “Not necessarily, but given how I’m getting those visions unintentionally and without your conscious control, it could maybe get past whatever block the Goddess is giving you.” She shrugged. “I don’t really know. Just thinking about options before you decide whether or not to shut her out.”

Daryll, who looked like he was still eager to pursue the matter about the woman in his vision, nevertheless perked up when Envy and Ruli had gone back and forth for a short while about the role of the divine and magic. “I’d have thought magic in the world springs from divinity, or is made of the same stuff gods are made of. The very elemental energies that had formed the world. Sometimes I wonder if Kire’s portals and world gates are that raw elemental energy that separates one world from the next and is also the building blocks of its existence,” he said, pausing from his meal to rub his chin in thought. “And the Ring acts as a funnel, a conduit, that converts that energy into different things: into a tunnel cutting through the divide between worlds, or drawing out the dormant magical energies in Wyvern blood. No wonder it burned your skin when you overexerted your portals, if its raw energy that’s coursing through your body unregulated.” Narda grunted at the talk, not at all comforted by the thought of magic being described that way.

“How even are the gods born?” Gavin wondered. “I’d have thought that gods are just—well just are. Not like some other life form, like you or I, or the animals and plants and whatnot. Talking about gods like they are made of the same stuff everything else is, isn’t that kinda implying they might be just a higher form of creature or something?”

“Somehow, the question of what or who had given birth to a god makes for a dizzying thought,” Kire muttered. “I’m already not very fond of gods. I don’t want to meet their parents.”

They continued with their meal, with Narda telling Envy more about Amrian lives and habits, Gavin and Daryll debating lazily on the nature of gods, and Ed badgering Kire in Taakalon about the matter of her resignation, or if he had actually understood her correctly about that. Kire sighed.
“It’s not like I haven’t been thinking about stepping down from ruling, you know,” she said finally, switching back to the common speech. “I was just looking for a sign.”
“What sign?” Ed asked, undeterred. His gaze flickered for a moment to Ruli. Kire caught the look and frowned.
“Not what you think, Ed.” She shook her head, going back to her meal and muttering in Taakalon under her breath.

After they had eaten, the party got ready for the next task of placing the wards. As Ruli, Gavin, and Envy began their preparations, some curious onlookers from the Palace staff would look in now and then, both out of curiosity and wariness, though more of the former, now that they were at peacetime. Kire and Narda observed, the giantess, like Ed, prying Kire for more information about her recent revelation. At some point, the two youngest cousins sauntered over, having heard that the visitors were back and in the middle of a strange ritual.

“Hello, you two. Etta, has your fever gone down?” Kire asked. “If you’re still not feeling well, we’ll fetch Elva.”
The blonde Wyvern girl shook her head, her curls bouncing. “I’m doing better now, thanks, Kay.”
Kire gave her a mock frown and bent towards her. “Why do you smell like strawberries, hm? Have you been nicking them from the pantry again?”
Etta looked indignant, while Pres laughed behind her. “I didn’t!” Etta insisted, pouting.
“What are they doing, Kay?” Pres asked, clearly more interested now in the men’s work. She tilted her head at them as she watched, funnily echoing the tilt of the head Daryll had as he stood nearby to observe.
“Wards, Pres,” her brother answered her, grinning. As Daryll explained some more, Etta looked up at Kire, then touched her hand.

“Can I ask something?” she whispered. “Is Ruli your suitor?”
Kire’s cheeks colored. “Uh…why do you ask that?” Etta shrugged.
“Just a feeling. Is he?”
“Sort of. But before that, he’s a good friend,” Kire answered back.
Narda snorted, playfully tugging at Etta’s curls. “If anything, my little goldie lass, your cousin here did the wooing.” Kire slapped the giantess’s arm with a pout, and Narda laughed, rubbing the spot.

"I'm not going to shu-" Ruli began to insist, only silencing when he caught the look on Envy's face. Frowning, Ruli went quiet.
When Kire and Ed began to speak in Taakalon, Ruli and Ysaryn both glanced in their direction. Ysaryn wasn't aware of Kire's plan or her previous slip, but Ruli somehow knew exactly what they were discussing.
Though he wasn't sure why Ed cast a glance his way when Kire mentioned a sign. When Ed did, Ruli dropped his gaze quickly, which prompted the fuchsia eyed elf to leer curiously at him, as well.

"What was all that secretive muttering about?" Ysaryn asked as they all got up to head to work on the wards.
Ruli shrugged. "Kire announced she wants to give up her throne. Ed likely thinks I'm the cause."
Ysaryn snorted. "Hardly. She made mention of such a desire long before she decided to bed you."
Ruli arched an eyebrow and glanced her way, wondering how she knew. But he merely shook his head and joined the other two, Ysaryn lingering to observe and offer her help if required.

Envy stood where he was to listen to the other two, offering his comments as they discussed the spacing, the height, the material. Ruli and Gavin wandered along the perimeter slowly. In an effort to allow Gavin to learn more, he let the Gemini take the reigns, making notes as they went along based on what he calculated.
Ysaryn, when the males grew focused in their work, turned to join Kire and the others, smiling down at the younger cousins as they emerged. Catching the bit of conversation about Ruli being Kire's suitor, the elf smirked, then laughed outright at Narda's addition to the conversation.
"While I am not so familiar with this word, unless 'wooing' means an abundance of the word 'ple-"
"Kire?"

Ysaryn went silent, a mischivous glint in her eye.
Ruli wandered over, glancing curiously at the elf for a moment. "What is the palace made of? Stone wise? Is there a quarry of excess stone somewhere? They'll word best if we use the same sort of stone. Any rubble from the siege is potentially ..." He peered at Etta again, tilting his head. "...damaged." Why was she staring at him like that? He glanced to Presy, who looked as inquisitive as ever. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked, slightly recalling mention of fevers.

Etta grinned at Ruli, then nodded. “I’m okay. Fever kinda went away. Are you Ki—”
“Hey now,” Kire said, tugging at Etta’s curls. “Don’t be bothering Ruli with that silly business, or I’ll tell the cooks you did eat those strawberries.”
“I didn’t!” Etta said, frowning with a pout at her. Narda chuckled.
“Mostly limestone,” Kire said, answering Ruli. “How much of it do you need? If you need it now we could go and fetch some now. There’s one not too far from the Capital.” Once Ruli agreed, Kire offered her hand so he could take the location from her memory before they Walk.

The vision at first didn’t seem particularly exciting. She blinked, a little frown on her face. “Let’s get the stones first.” They emerged a short time later just at the entrance, where the people who worked the quarry recognized her after getting over their surprise at seeing her there unannounced and without her usual retinue. It didn’t take too long for them to gather the amount Ruli needed, and once they were ready, they were back at the Palace.

“That was quick,” Gavin remarked, and immediately set to work, taking the stones from them as he went over his calculations. Kire almost laughed at the extra seriousness he seemed to pour into his expression, as if doubly eager to prove he could be High Sorcerer material as much as Ruli or Envy was.

She turned to Ruli, knowing he was curious about the vision. “It’s—weird, but not as weird as the others. It was just me looking at myself, like in a mirror. No scar on my face, and I had red hair.” She looked up, picturing it. “Actually, I do look rather nice with red hair.”

Ruli's eyebrow rose at Etta's portion of an inquiry, glancing at Ysaryn who burst into laughter. He looked curiously between Kire, Etta, and the elf for a moment before he shrugged, deciding that it wasn't his business to pry into whatever had the women in high spirits. "Sure." He agreed to their quick little detour. He took her offered hand, and the location, and took them to the quarry.

Immediately upon emerging, Ruli glanced at her, trying to see if any hint of a vision was written on her countenance; a distant gaze, a puzzled frown. But she merely blinked. Sighing, Ruli went to work when the foreman arrived, explaining that he only needed small chunks, overseeing the chiseling as they helped him obtain what he needed. More conveniently, they placed the stone chunks in a crate for him, which made the journey back a bit less quick, with the added weight he was lugging through the emptiness of the shadows.

"Her men are apparently quite efficient." Ruli commented, setting down the crate and letting Gavin pick through it and get to work. Envy's head tilted from where the elf sat, listening to Gavin work. Ruli watched from over Gavin's shoulder, only turning his attention toward Kire when she mentioned the vision at last.

Red hair.

Gods above, that felt so familiar. Like he'd dreamt it. But how? No scar, red hair. Not enough to be Akuma, no feeling of remorse and ice filled his stomach at the faded memory of red hair.
So why?
Ruli stared at her, blinking, struggling to recall. "Red hair." He said aloud, hoping it would shake something loose. Barely, he recalled seeing someone with red hair, as he held something ... something important.
"Ruli?" Envy's voice came, intrigued by his foster-son's tone.
Ruli closed his eyes and rubbed his face. "No. I don't know. It just sounds odd. You're better as a blonde."
Ysaryn snorted softly. "Red hair is far better."

Kire snorted softly at Ruli and Ysaryn’s opinions on her hair color. “Your responses are obviously rather biased, aren’t they?” she teased, glancing at their heads. Still, Ruli’s reaction to it intrigued her. It certainly had given him pause.
Gavin looked to them, hands on his hips, curious, but when it seemed that Ruli didn’t go anywhere with the strange déjà vu he had just had, he shrugged. He, too, still had that weird lingering feeling, thinking about his dream, but until another clue presented itself, he would focus more on more immediate tasks. The lad cleared his throat. “Er—well, should we keep going?” he asked, knowing he was put in charge but not knowing how much to assert himself in this situation.

Narda smirked at the lad’s eagerness, while Kire nodded. “Carry on when you’re ready,” she remarked, stepping back and letting them continue. They still had the business with the forest-town and Daryll’s slim lead afterwards, and she was curious about what developments had happened overnight, despite Myka’s updates only detailing the fevers the residents had been afflicted with. Hopefully the fevers really were simply a result of the erratic climate and not a plague. A plague was the last thing she wanted on her hands at the moment.

While Daryll took notes, with Precy curious by his side and the other Amrians observing with interest, Gavin went back to work with Ruli. Though now well-acquainted with the task of warding, especially after the siege, Gavin still had moments of uncertainty, more out of self-doubt than actual lack of expertise, and he would now and then consult with both Ruli and Envy to make sure he was doing things properly and not accidentally summoning some three-headed demon from the pits of hell.

Later, the moment they were finished, Kire inhaled, feeling the unmistakable signature of the wards as Gavin closed the circuit. “For the rest of us non-magic folk, how does this work? Kire just said it was supposed to glow when a magic-wielder crosses the threshold,” Narda asked Envy. “Would that work on anyone? What if someone tried to hide themselves the way Gavin and Kire did during the siege?”

"Hardly." Ruli muttered. With your complexion, you'd be lovely with brown hair, too. Just not red."
Ysaryn chuckled. "Sometimes, I question you sexuality."
"Bite me." He retorted, turning to Gavin and joining him to work.

He took his directions from Gavin, without guiding him until he was asked. Once, Gavin nearly made a mistake on a ward, and Ruli was preparing to point it out, only to have Gavin realize the mistake on his own.
Not that it would have summoned some multi-headed demon, but it would have made the wards ineffective.

They used tools to cut into the palace walls in certain areas, filling the holes with the limestone chunks Ruli fetched from the quarry. Their additions seemed to melt into the original structure, blending perfectly to hide the wards, making it difficult for any potential saboteurs to disable them.
Can't destroy what you can't see.

"Well, we thought of that." Envy said, hands on his hips as he 'watched' Ruli and Gavin finish. "Those types of charms are still magic. They hide the wearer, however, they use magic to do so. It won't light up the wards, but it will still make them glow. Go ahead, walk through them. Let's see how much magic you have." He said with s grin.

"You first." Ruli said to Ysaryn with a grin.
She shrugged and strolled in through one of the open archways, turning to watch as the lines embedded within the walls lit up with the brightness of a torch. She grinned.
Until Ruli stepped in after her, and they illuminated far more brightly, enough to cast a glow on the ground.
"Show off." The elf grumbled at him, and Ruli chuckled.

"Judging by Ysaryn's remarks, its working." Envy said. "We thought we could make it glow based on how powerful the passer is. Kire will likely create a beacon."
"That will show you." Ysaryn muttered to Ruli, who grinned and wandered back toward Narda and the others.
"Even if we Walk or Kire portals, it will work. We hope." Ruli added, turning to wink at Gavin. "If you want secrecy in your portalling, we'll find a designated room to work on, make a 'hole' for discretionary travel."
"As for the hiding charms, even if Narda were to stroll through carrying one, it should glow. Any sort of magical item. Clothing, animals, weapons. We may need to touch it up after a few weeks, so keep your eye out for anything that seems dull or slow."

Kire, Ed, and Narda stood side by side as they watched Ysaryn, then Ruli demonstrate how the wards would light up. Gavin grinned, immensely pleased with his handiwork, while Ed whistled.
“That’s bloody useful,” the Captain remarked. “Would’ve saved us a lot of trouble in the past.”
“If you had told me that one day the Capital will lift the long-standing ban on large-scale sorcery to put up glowing wards around the Palace itself, I’d have thought you mad,” Narda said. “But then again, Kire’s got a touch of madness in that blonde head of hers, anyway.”
“Hey. Ed already said it’s bloody useful,” Kire said, before stepping towards it. Curious about just how bright it would get, she crossed the threshold. Just as Envy had surmised, the lines lit up even brighter, casting sharp shadows even when Kire twisted the Ring off her finger. “That’s bright, alright. Yeah, we might need to cut a tunnel through that for the portal. But good work all the same. Gavin, well done.” The Gemini rubbed his nape, grinning through a proud blush. “We’ll call on you again when we start to notice the wards faltering.”

While Kire gave instructions for attendants to bring out the gold and supplies as payment, Daryll had been quiet, too busy observing and jotting down notes excitedly, while the girls cooed at the sight. Narda and Ed didn’t register. When Precy put her hand through. Nothing happened. “Aw. Etta, what about you?”
“Did you feel anything?” she asked Pres, who shook her head. Reassured, Etta stepped through it. Pres squinted.
“It looks a bit like glowing, right?” she asked Daryll, who looked up, finally, to see the dull, almost imperceptible glow.
“Huh.”
“What? What does that mean?” Etta asked, suddenly anxious.
“Could you do that again, Et?” Pres asked. Etta stepped out, then in. Sure enough, the wards did respond, if only a little.
The other Wyverns turned to see their little experiment. “Why’s Etta’s setting it off?” Kire said, stepping closer. As she stood in front of Etta, she realized that the strawberry smell wasn’t because she was pilfering from the kitchens again. It’s her signature, she realized, bending down. The smell was too subtle, just as the wards’ glow in response to Etta wasn’t as bright as it had been earlier. “Etta, when you had your fevers, did you have weird dreams, too? What kind of nightmares did you have?”

“Um.” Etta looked up at her, then at Pres and Daryll. “I can’t remember them. I dunno.” The girl blushed. “I just remember waking up like I was running away from something scary.”
Kire could see her younger cousin wasn’t all that comfortable talking about it, or being in the middle of magic-related attention. “Alright. If you feel unwell again, you tell us, okay? We’ll fetch Elva, and she can bring over some hot chocolate for us.”
Etta nodded. “Okay. I’ll tell you.”
“Nothing else happened to her today,” Pres put in. “Just the fever. No magic or anything.”
“Hmm.” Daryll patted Etta’s head. “We’ll just have to watch for signs If nothing happens within the next few days, it might be a fluke.”
“Everything seems to be in order, though,” Gavin put in. “Why would it trip up with Etta? Or is it a Wyvern thing?”
“We’ll monitor it for the next few days,” Kire said, before turning to Ruli. “But for now, I'll let you bring back your payment if you want to do it now before going back to the town."

"This is relatively new." Envy commented. "Originally, it was something that only Ruli or myself could sense. As a spider feels when its web is harassed."
"We had the idea when we moved to the cliffs, and we needed more people to alert."
Envy nodded. "Half useless if Ruli is out and my blind self is trying to locate an intruder." He chuckled. "Amusing, though, sure."
"And terrifying for the intruder." Ruli added. "Seeing you come flailing through the caves."

As the others moved through, Kire included, to see how bright the wards were illuminated, if at all, was amusing. Ysaryn chuckled, amused, she winked at Ed as he strolled though uneventfully. "Elvish is your only mystical talent, then." she teased.

However, when the conversation turned to Etta, the fuchia-eyed elf arched a brow. "I had wondered why I am not smelling strawberries." She offered, smiling. "You are not yet in bloom." The elf smiled at Etta.
"Indeed." Ruli grinned. "Don't be afraid, though. It's not like you have a shortage of people available to help, should you need. And you will." He added, slightly more stern in tone. "Magic is never easy, do not pretend that you're fine I'd you're not. Promise?"

Ysaryn inhaled, sniffing Etta curiously. "Mmm. And you will be strong." She winked. "I cannot wait to see what blossoms in you."
"You sound like you want to eat her." Ruli warned.
"Do you not sense it?" Ysaryn glanced at him. "Like a fruit tree, giving off its scent before it yields. It is interesting."

Kire didn’t know how to feel about Etta suddenly gaining magical abilities. Precy looked excited, though to her credit, the young girl knew her cousin and playmate well enough not to fawn over her and make her all the more anxious. Etta nodded when Ruli made her promise to be honest about how she feels should the magic suddenly manifest. The blonde girl looked curiously up at Ysaryn when the elf sniffed her, both anxious and curious about why the elf did so.

“I don’t know if ‘interesting’ is the word,” Kire murmured, overhearing the exchange, though she said the remark more to herself than to Ruli or Ysaryn. She gave the supplies to be turned over to Ruli one more inspection, then handed the gold to him and Gavin.
The lad immediately opened the pouches and counted silently, then looked up at them when he realized. “Sorry. Habit.” He grinned.
Kire shook her head, amused. “Alright, if you’re going to take these back now, we’ll wait for you here and we’ll head on over to the town together. Who’s coming along?”

Later, it would be Narda and Daryll accompanying Kire, with Ed staying behind to attend to business in Kire’s absence. Gavin came back with Ruli, wanting to see this forest-town himself. He wouldn’t tell them outright, but he was hoping to get a vision, too, if only to see if that had anything to do with the dream and the feeling he couldn’t shake about the Tower. “Now, girls, behave. And Etta, remember what you promised Ruli, okay?” Kire said, giving each of them a hug. “We’ll be back.”
“Be careful,” Etta said.”
“Don’t do that usual Kay Thing that you do,” Precy teased. Kire gave her a mock pout and ruffled her hair before joining the others.

They emerged from the shadows into the place where they had met Myka yesterday to find that more guards had been posted around town, tension clearly felt around them. “Your Grace!” one exclaimed, then immediately went towards the group.
“What happened here?” Kire asked in the common tongue.
“The sick town residents had all been moved to a new camp outside the walls. They’ve also been forbidden to make their way back to the forest. Lady Myka is with them to interrogate. Some of people with the fevers—they—” the man fumbled with his words. “They say the forest is calling to them.” The guards directed them towards the temporary settlement where the people afflicted with visions and fevers had been confined. Myka was there to meet them but without her usual swagger, worry in her eyes.

“Well. I hope at least one of you have got answers, because we’re stumped,” she said in greeting. “And I had an argument with the leaders of the town over it. They wanted to get these other folks who aren’t part of their town as far away as possible in case this was a full-on plague, and I had to tell ‘em to wait for you first. This isn’t a plague, right?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Kire said. “We’ll have to take a look. What have the healers said?”
“They’re doing their best. So far at least the fevers aren’t getting worse, but we’re more worried about the other stuff, like the whispers. There’s talk of trying to maybe destroy the forest, but.” Myka gestured with a shrug.
“Could we take a look?” Gavin asked. Myka nodded and led them to one of the tents. Inside were some of the townsfolk from yesterday, including the man and his boy who had the statuette. The healers eyed the newcomers, first seeing the Empress, then her unusual companions. Kire gestured for them to carry on their work.

As Kire objected to her word of choice, Ysaryn fluttered her lashes at her. "Do you think she's jealous?" She sang teasingly in Ruli's direction.
"No, I think she's nervous." He answered. "And rightfully so."
The elf clicked her tongue and moved away from Etta. "Worry warts."
Ruli winked at Etta again. "You'll do fine." He promised.

Neither he nor Envy made a move when their payment was brought out, though Ysaryn eased closer to Gavin as he counted, her eyebrows high. "What is this?"
"We're being paid for the work." Ruli said. "Don't you even!" He cut off the elf as she smirked in his direction, her mouth opening for what was undoubtedly an inappropriate remark in front of the younger cousins. "I asked for fabrics. If you behave, some may make it to you."
Her expression twitched, the elf visibly torn between her remark and her desire for new clothing. "Tch." She hissed, moving away again.

A quick trip back home to deliver their payment into Envy's chambers for later dispersal, and they were back, Ruli rolling his shoulders. He raised, in his hand, a small pouch, within were the leaves he'd mentioned earlier. It wasn't much, he informed Kire, but he could always wander back toward the desert for more supplies, if it was necessary.
Envy, too, raised his hand to display two smooth stones with carved runes on their faces. "They're generic." He mentioned. "But we may see if these help prevent visions."
Ruli's face twisted, announcing another argument that had happened while they were back in Úvano. "We tought, maybe, we could give them to the healers. Maybe it would give those effected some reprieve."
Envy's face, too, twitched, but he made no argument over handing them out.

The urgency in the men's faces sent tension through their shoulders when they emerged. Envy shifted uncomfortably, feeling the sunlight on his skin again, and didn't settle when the man mentioned that the forest was calling to those effected. Slightly, his head tilted, pointing his ears toward the trees, even if all he could hear was the rustling of their leaves. "I don't like the scent."
"Nor do we." Ysaryn answered, squaring her own shoulders, her eyes on the trees as if waiting for them to launch an attack. Even as they walked, her eyes never left the forest.
Ruli, however, glanced at Gavin, observing the way he followed Ysaryn's gaze, and the expression he wore.

As they met with Myka, Ruli took in her worried stature and frowned, looking past her to the camp when she said they feared the plague. That was not something he'd considered, nor how it would effect him, Envy, or Ysaryn, who weren't born to this world. Would their slight differences in immunities make them more susceptible? Or less so?
A glance to both the two elves said they weren't bothering with such thoughts.
"We brought items from our world to see if they'd help, by slim chance." The Kartaian offered, gesturing toward Ruli, who raised his satchel of leaves.

As they were permitted inside to take a look, Ysaryn paced in slow circles, breathing deeply in hopes of trying to gauge some clue through their scents. After taking the two charms from Envy, Ruli approached the healers and handed over them and the leaves. "Have them tuck a leaf beneath their tongue. It'll help with hydration." He instructed, unsure if they'd need his words translated. He also explained the stones, asking for one to be given to one of the more effected, to see if it would help clear the haze.
All of it a shot in the dark, but any answers would be helpful.

He glanced to Ysaryn, who was still circling, yet unable to discern any sort of foul illness beyond the sweat of fever. Then behind him to Envy, who was still; listening.