“Well it’s not sneaking out if you use the front door.” Han snorts. She’s still perched on a messy nest of disturbed sheets and blankets. Legs crossed. Arms crossed. Delivering a fierce scowl to an empty corner of the room. “I’m not having Sagacious Crane babysit us all the way to the end of our damn patience, and I know she’d get up at the crack of dawn just to catch us trying to bail on her. By the time she thinks to check the window, we’ll be long gone.”

(Lotus must not be used to rising so early. She performed a truly spectacular yawn when she finally woke. With her bodyguard’s hand still hugged tight against her face. Han’s palm replays the sensation, over and over again, no matter how hard she tightens her fist. Wicked. Greedy. Creep.)

“Get yourself ready to hike. No time for breakfast. Eat on the road if you’re hungry; we got plenty from the barge. Gods willing, we get a sister-free inn tonight.”

She is a statue. A fearsome, carved guardian, shield for a fumbling priestess. No matter the squeaks, the pat-pat-pat of soft footsteps, the grunts of tying bags shut, she is unmoved. No spirit of mischief or misfortune will pass her brooding gaze without challenge. Without coming to terrible harm.

“...bud, tap me on the shoulder or something when you’re decent. Veiled. Decently veiled. Wh-whatever.”

*****************************************

Then, they were ready.

Lotus stood in her priestess’ silks, save for the band of jagged Dominion red hiding her face. (Didn’t she have another veil?) No pack weighed upon her shoulders for the march ahead; Han was handling it. Their food, spare clothes, the dozens of odds and ends that make a journey a little more bearable, all slung alongside her wrapped patta. If it weighed her down, she wouldn’t say.

The window stood open, curtains thrown back and double shutters flung wide. Through the light drizzle, off in the distance, the clouds were just beginning to warm with the colors of sunrise. No rope hung from the sill for the drop below; Han would handle it.

“You ready?”

Lotus nodded. Prim, proper, and clueless.

“Alright.”

Quick as a snake, she dipped low, and scooped Lotus up into a princess carry as if she weighed less than her silks. One arm hooked under her legs, the other cradling the small of her back. Both squeezing her tight against her chest, for the second time this morning.

One step back. Three steps running. Then sail through the air. That’s how it went, right? That sounded right. She must’ve done that before, once. Or twice. It was. So hard. To concentrate. When her whole head was suddenly stuffed with flowers…

[Defy Disaster: Risking her own safety to get Lotus and their things down in one piece: 4 + 2 + 1 = 7]

The question is a good one, and Kalaya takes her time to reply. She leads Machi along by the leash, ostensibly to keep an eye out for any further trouble. Kalaya is resolute, she is pure, she is devoted to her beliefs and will not be steered from her chosen direction - so spending one second more staring at those muscles is just trouble she doesn't need right now.

"It really comes down to how you define a teacher I guess ..." she says, thinking back.

---===---

"Again!"

Kalaya tumbles to the hard flagstones, before rising on her elbows. The blow had hurt, though she tried her best to hide it from Captain Pann. In hindsight, she should've known better.

"Stars above and Flowers below! Are you already feeling it? You'd think that after all the weeks begging 'dear daddy' to let me train you, you'd have a little more dedication to the bleedin' lesson!" he shakes his head. "Just give up and go home girl!"

The words cause Kalaya's resolve to harden - as was no doubt their intent - and the young girl picks herself back up once again. Setting her stance and looking up at the helmeted man in front of her.

"No. I'm ready."

---===---

"The most formal teacher I had was my father's master at arms; Captain Pann. He was a veteran of the fighting between Hyacinth and Dandelion and had come to Lilly looking for, and I quote, a 'quieter life'. He taught me the basics, the forms, the stances. But also knew a few tricks of his own that he was happy to share with an eager student."

---===---

"And stay down, brat, or I'm gonna teach you a lesson you really won't forget; a pretty princess like you needs to know your place!"

Kalaya grunts from the dirt, inwardly cursing her decision to wear a skirt that morning, as it made moving awkward. Above her, Prince Lin of Chrysanth smirks and crosses his arms. It was a result of her poor awareness that Lin had managed to get the drop on her, and the older boy had been quick to exact vengeance for their last encounter.

She glanced down at where her legs were tangled in the pleats of her dress, and then tracked up to the midpoint of where the boy was standing.

It turned out there was at least one upside to wearing this frilly getup - it helped hide the movement of her feet.

---===---

"I guess you could count Prince Lin one of my teachers too. Although he'd sooner chop of his braid than accept that title." she says, chuckling. "I'd stood up to him once when we'd first met, and he never forgave me for it - and took whatever chance he could to exact revenge. Unfortunately for him, I was a quick learner. His constant bullying taught me how to fight back when your opponent was stronger, taller and faster than you."

"He was a bully, and also not afraid to bring his friends to the party. And if I had to learn how to fight 'dirty' to be able to stand a chance in return, then it's not really fighting dirty in my book."

"I was also really lucky to have a friend of my own ..." she continues, smiling.

---===---

"Nowhere to run now, princess." sneers Lin, as he and his friends bear down on the two girls. Kalaya and Ven had been running from them ever since they'd crossed paths at the edges of the trade summit, but their luck had seemingly run out as they ended up in a dead end alley.

Kalaya glanced at Ven, who nodded.

"Remember Kal, just like we practiced." she whispers.

The two of them move in sync, dodging towards one of the bullies before ducking to the side. Kalaya turns and Ven plants her hands, letting the smaller girl vault upwards, stepping off the wall of the alley to land behind her attacker.

He spins to follow her, but Kalaya ignores him in favour of the second bully. A thump from behind shows that Ven has made good use of the opening, while Kalaya puts her own kick into the knee of one of the other assailants. The two of them make a break for the alley's opening, only to find the way blocked by Lin.

"You go high, I'll go low!" shouts Ven as they sprint towards him. For his part, Lin shifts his stance in response - and the girls take some satisfaction from the flicker of uncertainty on his face as they bear down on him.

Ven jumps up, tackling Lin around the chest just as Kalaya slides down to sweep out his legs. The larger boy goes down to the dirt, hard, as the two girls pick themselves up before running off, laughing.

---===---

"Princess Ven of Snapdragon was one of my oldest friends and I'd count her amongst my teachers too. Apart from a bunch of tricks and tactics we'd worked out, she taught me alot about how to fight as part of a team, with someone you could trust to have your back in a fight."

"There have been alot of other inspirations, stuff I've seen in tournies, stuff I've read in books and practiced. Too many to count. That training came with alot of bruises and a month with a broken arm in between." she finishes with a shrug.

As for the gods, well, as she'd said to Giriel, they'd never seemed to answer her when she'd called. But that wasn't to say they might not also be involved.

Fengye!

The Maid stomps around the sled so that she can make an attempt at grabbing you by the chin. And here, you have two options: you can stop her, and indeed, move her arms however you like, or you can let her think that she is succeeding as you slip Zhaojun’s mask from her belt. It’s your choice; you, little Fengye, have all the power here. Isn’t that exhilarating?

“I am not cute,” the Maid squeaks, and stamps her foot, which almost sends her toppling over again. “Nothing we made in this world is cute! It is an aberrant mind-sickness you monkeys are vulnerable to— to see weakness as endearing, and worth protecting! That is all cuteness is! It is that which makes you look at weakness and not crush it!”

(Imagine how she would look, under Zhaojun’s pitiless gaze, being “cute” to avoid being crushed. Does that make you feel pity for Hell?)

---

Han!

Lotus rolled on the wet grass, and is deliriously giggling. That’s good. She’s not hurt and you made her laugh. “Woo!” That was so exciting. You are receiving a good grade in looking after priestesses and making them feel excited.

You would absolutely lose that grade if you let her know how badly you landed on your shoulder. How, when you let her go, it wasn’t so she could tumble safely through the grass and end up staring into the churning clouds, but because your hand stopped being able to hold her. She’d feel guilty for laughing. You’d make her feel bad.

So you get up with a signature Han grunt and hide the pain. She wiggles her way up, sparkling like a star that found its way under the clouds, her eyes shining. You’ll feel better later, probably. No need to crush her spirit. You’re her bodyguard. It’s your job, if you think about it.

Time to get moving.

---

Giriel! Piripiri!

The Golden Banneret hares off, suddenly, after a yelping little brown blur. It has brought you in front of an inn, its lanterns shining invitingly in the bright grey light of morning.

On the stoop, beneath its awning, sits an exhausted, bedraggled woman in a mud-soaked, once-blue dress. She is flitting in and out of sleep sitting up. One hand gropes blindly on the ground next to her for the little brown fox that is being chased by the Banneret.

Her hair is familiar. Glossy (under the mud), sleek (presumably, when not frizzing), and the very same color as that of a certain diminutive dragon. Pull it back into a ponytail, stop paying attention to it, and you’d have something close to Han’s hair.

“Mother blesssu,” she says, half-asleep, making an approximation of a holy gesture with her other hand without opening her eyes. She’s likely been awake and active all night long.

Perhaps the Banneret brought you two here for a reason. Perhaps she’s just overexcited about chasing a fox. Do you call her back and bid her to keep going, or do you accept that she has brought you to a place that it is meant for you to be?

---

Kalaya!

You hear the playing of the Crocodile as you finally emerge from the wild wood, and the silver voice that entwines between the plucking of its strings. It is a voice that drips with longing, with loss, hanging from its high notes like glass beads.

Oh blow, oh blow, oh blow winds blow

It does not take your company long to find the source: sitting beneath a willow tree is Dima, the Dolphin Knight, in a robe the color of a seeding dandelion. Her rose-pink hair is unbound, tumbling carelessly down her shoulders. Around her, a few squires lie, listening.

And the wind has blown my pledge away

Petony makes a dismissive noise in the back of her throat, but her words seem to be stuck there, disdain warring with pity. Behind you, Machi lets out an inquisitive chirp. You can approach easily, if you please; her squires might try to bar your way, but only half-heartedly, and Dima herself will pay you no mind until you are on top of her, perhaps literally.

And she was true, and I was false, oh blow, oh blow, oh blow winds blow…

You know, in that moment she doesn't even think to take the Mask. She'll kick herself about it later. How could she have forgotten to want the thing that she wanted? How could she have possibly become so distracted?

But instead, all she wants is to push this silly demon harder.

"Cuteness is more than that," said Fengye. "It is not just weakness, it is the ability to wear weakness well. The difference between someone pathetic and someone cute is..." her hand reaches right past the mask to touch the Maid's heart, right between her breasts, and then flicks up to touch her nose. "A lack of desire to become strong. The pathetic, like me, grasp at what they cannot truly have. A cutie, like you, knows in her secret heart that she's happier without it."

Piripiri catches up the end of Giriels leash quickly, hiding the motion from Han's relative (Cousin? Sister? Wrong age for a generation jump.) behind the witches back. It wouldn't do to give the wrong impression and have repercussions land on anybody else for something done at her command.

She bows low and formal, mask concealing a grin at the poor priestess's condition. "We are on errantry, and greet you, priestess of the veil. Further, one would be most honored by if the priestess would allow this one to prepare you tea." She's getting out her tea set, firepot, and herbs as she says it, a quiet glance at the door or the steps asking if tea should be inside or outside.

As for the tea itself, options abound. A strong sedative would neatly remove both the priestess and Giriel from play, the Golden Banneret would be an unknown, and she'd have another hostage, but it'd be rude and gauche. So instead a simple jasmine tea.

"One wonders, if one could be so bold, as to what one of your prestige is guarding the door against? One would think if there was a great danger, more of you might be about, or perhaps a daughter of dragons, if there is one in your priesthood?"

Take the bait, priestess.

Kalaya stops to listen, drawn by the sight of one more of the Knighthood. Dima's reputation was prolific, as were the whispers of what had happened between her and the River.

She doesn't want to interrupt, so instead sits alongside Dima's retinue to watch the solemn performance, absent-mindedly patting a spot next to her for Machi to sit down.

When it's finished, and the knight registers the new arrivals, she holds up a hand in greeting.

"Hail and well met, Dima-Phraya." she says. "What brings you to this part of the Kingdoms? Are you heading to the Conclave as well?"

King’s crown, what a stupid way to start the day.

Even dolled up like a priestess, Lotus’ having to sneak out on the road like she’s some kind of criminal. Oh, she’s all smiles, but any minute, she’s gonna remember that breakfast they didn’t have. Don’t you tell her about all the food they got in the packs, you think she forgot? She said it earlier. Listen next time, idiot. Handfuls of bread and fruit are a rotten meal for a damn demigod. Who is, in case you hadn’t noticed, carrying her own umbrella. She should be carrying it, except this thorny arm’s no good, and Lotus’ hugging on the other one, so, she can’t. She can’t, alright?! She can’t do a damn thing about any of it, she just has to keep walking, and try to act like any of this is okay and-!

“Sorry.” The word explodes out of her, like the first rock in a dam breaking.

Lotus blinks up at her. “Han…?”

“I said sorry. My sister’s an idiot, okay?! She’s a nosy, useless ditz who thinks she should’ve been born a Princess and acts like it happened anyway. If I’d have known Sagacious Crane’d be there, I’d have carried you to the next inn myself, and you’d be having an actual morning today.” She snorts. “So there. Sorry.”

A chime. A bell. A clear and perfect note, cutting through the hum of the morning drizzle: “Oh!”

“Oh? Oh…bad? Oh good? Oh, something?”

Lotus says nothing. Lotus props the umbrella on her shoulder, that she could use both hands to squeeze Han’s arm.

“What’s ‘oh’?!”

"You think duty is determined at birth!" Well there was more to say there, but then there was another jump and they were at an inn.

If Giri had been faster on the uptake, less distracted by the conversation, the mode of travel, and everything else going on, she'd have realized who she was looking at and called out Sagacious Crane as I live and breathe! and offered her warm regards. But Crane is looking a bit worse for wear and in the instant it took Giriel to recognize her properly, she felt Piripiri tightening the hold on her leash, and beginning her own introduction, even setting out tea.

Well, she seemed to have the situation well in hand. Who was Giri to point out that the Golden Banneret had very pointedly not fulfilled the terms of her spell yet, that she had very clearly specified being taken to Han specifically and being taken to Han's inn when Han wasn't visibly present was clearly not the end of the deal. But they had traveled fast and hard, the Banneret was distracted by a fox (a very natural state of affairs even for a heavenly spirit), the inn seemed inviting enough, and the tea even more so.

Besides all that, Giri still had something more to consider. The idea that duty was determined by birth filled her with revulsion. She had trained for her profession. She had chosen her life. Of course birth limited her options. Being from a small mountain village had ruled out the nobility and if she wanted to herd anything other than sheep and goats she would have had to move somewhere else. But even so there were options. Every village needed a smith, a tailor, and a cobbler, and they needed apprentices. And of course the mountain witches like her mother needed apprentices too. But she had never been forced. She wanted to study magic, she knew she could have gone and learned to sew or bake or wield a hammer instead and she hadn't done it. A guard should go into service because they want to be a guard, and if they don't like the local lord, they should travel somewhere else, or hire out as a mercenary instead of a guard. She wanted no part of what the Dominion seemed to be offering.

She truly felt the freedom of the Flower Kingdoms as she thought about all this. And today, this lovely morning, she expressed that freedom by saying nothing while Piripiri served the tea.

Fengye!

The Maid seizes your wrist, her eyes smoldering. “You are not pathetic,” she squeaks. “You did this to me. That means you are worthy of defeating.” She leans in, closer. Her breath is warm, human. “When I come into my power again, then I will make you pathetic. Or… cute. Is that what you will be, in my cells beneath the wrack-sea? Cute? Will you be cute when there is no one to look at you but the dark?”

Her forehead makes contact with yours. Her eyes are large and dark. Her fingers rest against your vein, feeling your pulse flutter beneath it.

“Your punishment will be legend in all the annals of Hell,” she promises, lips so close to yours. “And all will know my glory, having overcome you, demonbinder, wanton, revolutionary. And you will wear your weakness so, so well. Cutie.”

---

Kalaya!

“Why should I?” Dima’s eyes are red-rimmed from crying, her robe loose and disheveled. It’s almost artful, but she doesn’t have the self-possession of someone who knows that she is making herself so beautifully miserable that she belongs on a tapestry. “I am the worst of knights— false, inconstant, a traitor to… love…”

She cradles her instrument like a beloved pet and begins inelegant bawling. Machi makes a dismissive noise and rolls her eyes, doubtless considering this an example of lowlander hysterics.

“I have betrayed both my love,” she manages to force out, “and the object of my lusts! Why should I even be alive? I will— I should dive into her waters— and in death, atone—“

One of her squires, a burly young woman with heavy hips, sits down next to her and wraps her arms protectively around the knight. Dima strains against the arms for a moment, and then crumples back into them. She stares forlornly at the river, as if forgetting your presence.

“I do not deserve either of them— my river or the daughter of the Dominion,” she concludes.

---

Han!

“What caused your feud?” Lotus’s eyes are wide and very innocent. “Sisters are always getting into those. Is it because she’s jealous of how pretty you are? Or did you steal something from her chambers? Or, no!” Something shifts just a little bit behind her eyes, and she looks back down the road, grip tightening on your arm. “Did you steal her girlfriend?? Han! You did, didn’t you??”

This is an innocent question provoked by Lotus’s innocence, and the fact that she probably knows all those gods better than ordinary people, and it is not a cunning and clever and sneaky way to get you talking about if you maybe have a girlfriend or like kissing girls? Haha that would be so silly, wouldn’t it? Answer the question. Do it now.

“I bet she was prettier than me,” she adds, Extremely Casually. “That’s why you had to ssss-woo her out from your sister’s arms! It happens all the time, so don’t even bother lying about it, I’ll know it really did happen!”

---

Piripiri! Giriel!

“You’ll laugh,” Crane says, nursing the tea. She has a deathgrip on the cup, as if it is the tether that holds her to life. Every other moment, it disappears under her veil for another sip, and— oh, thank you for refilling it, how kind of you. “But I have been chasing— following that fox all night!”

A door has suddenly opened for her to jump through. Her shoulders straighten as she takes the dive to safety and decency.

“I will, of course, spend much time meditating upon the goddess’s message about the land over which she holds dominion. One sleepless night is hardly anything when compared to enlightenment. Spiritual consciousness is the most valuable attainment any being may pursue, and if I achieve understanding of what the Sapphire Mother meant to communicate to me last night, I would consider that a greater gift than even the blood of the dragons.”

She takes a longer sip after that, perhaps weighing if she was too bold, or if she should double down.

“Which I say, of course, because we have our very own example of a dragon’s daughter without any spiritual attainment, who is much the worse for it. I would rather be myself right now, muddy and sleepless, than to be a raging brute like the Vermilion Beast of Lanterns. I wish someone would teach her a lesson sooner rather than later!”

Sagacious Crane radiates self-satisfaction as she closes her eyes. Just for a moment. She’s not falling asleep. She’s got tea, after all.

“Of course, that thug isn’t the worst thing to haunt our fair kingdoms— there is a much more dangerous spirit on the move, a trickster who falsely claims to be sent by heaven, having stolen the name Zhaojun. I have been spreading this warning everywhere I can, as is my humble duty. Beware her traps and schemes! She is an ill star who seeks to spread lies and misfortune! Why, I shouldn’t, but if you insist— thank you, you’re too kind.”

There is a moment of silence as Crane's comments hang in the air. Giri is waiting for Piripiri to answer, she doesn't entirely understand how politic they should be here and is choosing not to direct the situation. But she feels a tug at the leash, prodding her to respond. Perhaps she's the only one with the full context.

Still, what was she supposed to say here? That she had seen Han transform, that the vaunted Vermilion Beast was Crane's younger sister? That hardly seemed Giriel's secret to give out. And as for Zhaojun, if Giri had heard these comments yesterday, she'd have vociferously agreed and started plotting how to catch the damned spirit! But now she wasn't so sure. It seemed like she needed something different than simply being caught and bound, there was so much pain and desperation that Giri had glanced in her heart.

Well, she was prompted to speak, so she might as well speak. "I know...something of both the Vermilion Beast and the heavenly spirit that you speak of. I think that..." Giri stops and takes a sip of her tea, not sure how to finish the sentence. "I am certain that both were present at Kingeater Castle, where my companion and I also recently traveled. And that both of them, in their way, helped us fight against the demons threatening our realm."

Giri lets that hang there, stating it as a fact. Who knows what Sagacious Crane has or hasn't heard. Whether she considers Giri a reliable source, whether she wants so much to believe that demon attacks are nothing but rumors from superstitious farmers that she'll delude herself. Or perhaps whether she'll simply accept the truth of it from Giriel and move forward.

Regardless, she continues with her momentum. "I think it difficult, even for a skilled priestess such as yourself, to truly judge who is a brute or a thug. I have found myself surprised several times in recent days. And I think with things as they are," here Giri spares the briefest glance for Piripiri that yes she means the incursions of the Dominion as much as the demons, "I think a bit of brutishness is the least of our problems."

Giri sips her tea and waits to see what Sagacious Crane has to say. She didn't share their errand of course. She's the bound one here, that's Piripiri's job if the goal here is simply to interrogate everyone they meet. Giri's more interested in the bigger picture.

Fengye has never been as speechless. There's an overflow in her brain; mind focusing on everything from how angry she is with herself that she can't think of anything to say to just a total melting collapse in on herself. It's not - not right that she's being looked at like that. That she's being seen like that. Like this. Here! Amidst mud and ruin and threats. It's not that she's afraid, not even that she's not afraid. The threat is both terrifying and laughable, so why...?

She's no stranger to being around the powerful. To copying down their words. To manipulating them from the shadows. Even to fighting them from behind a mask. Always having places to move, evade, escape to. Always a defense that she could put between whatever was happening and this poor, broken, common girl underneath it all. Always quietly confident that nobody would ever care to dig deeper. That she'd always be as invisible as air, even when she was a whirlwind.

But this? This was the first time anybody had ever seen her. Had ever cared enough to see her, through all her distractions and her masks. Whose attentions she couldn't shift onto someone else. Who had made it personal in a way she couldn't figure out a way to escape from. She had to think of something to turn that gaze away, but she couldn't, and so she was frozen in place beneath the eyes of the Maid with her heart pounding in her ears. At last, no tricks.

She was in trouble now.

[Fengye is smitten; take a string]

"Hey, hey now. None of that." Kalaya replies, settling down next to her and placing her own hand on Dima's back. The two of them watch the river for a while in a silence that's only broken by the occasional sniffle and the lapping of water on the shore.

"Tell me about what's wrong." she says, after a while. "You're among your sisters here, and I'd like to help."

"Besides." She chuckles ruefully. "I'm pretty sure you're not the worst knight ever - I mean, I'm heading to the conclave because I accidentally-kind-of-on-purpose stabbed Ushua."

"... It's a long story involving a barge, a witch and magic, but I'd rather hear yours first, if you're willing to share?"

[Rolling to give emotional support - 4 + 6 + 0 = 10]

Looking at Dima, she couldn't help feel something clench at those last words. The 'Daughter of the Dominion; ... Red Wolf's prints were on this again and Kalaya knew that whatever Dima may have thought, this situation was a calculated outcome. She'd wait to hear the story, but it was most likely this knight had only been duped. Tricked. Forced or tipped to do something that only hurt herself and the Kingdoms.

Just like me.

At that thought, Kalaya felt a few vestiges of worry drain away. Whatever apology she owed Ushua, and she probably owed her at least a small one for the whole stabbing thing, she wouldn't shy from her criticism of the older knight. What she had done on the barge had been wrong, but Ushua had only contributed to the whole mess through her reckless aggression.

[Clearing Insecure]

Piripiri pauses. Adds up names and people that were at Kingkiller Castle. Puts name (Zhaojun) to face (cute, bookish) to probable-but-not-certain fake identity (Iselsi Shae, All Seeing Eye) to injury (firewand burns on side). Continues on, with barely a hitch. "Yes, we ran into the two of them at the castle. Unpleasantness ensued, which thankfully I was able to escape with only a light scratch for the efforts, but both Zhaojun and the Vermilion Beast of Lanterns did parts to ensure Hell didn't gain ground here." We will carefully not say that they would have gained ground by kidnapping Lotus, daughter of the priestess's patron, because that's what Piripiri is here to do as well, after all. "I've also heard stories in my travels of that same beast descending on n'yari raiding bands, bandits, and Dominion soldiers that have strayed from the Immaculate and done wrong to your land."

"What has the Vermilion Beast done to earn your ire, in the face of the good done? Burned villages? Eaten whole herds in an afternoon? Stolen away a princess for ransom?" She looks earnest and guileless. Priestess, give us your guidance. Tell us what this beast has done, to deserve such scorn. It must be a great sin, and not some petty squabble, after all.

Zhaojun shot her, though, so she'll leave that one be. Petty revenge, ha ha.

Han snorts, and the undignified sound turns to a full-bellied chuckle that Lotus can feel thrumming through her. Pei? Jealous of her looks? Throwing herself on the ground in a tantrum because the blacksmith’s daughter - beauty to eclipse the divine - left her in the cold? Stolen, courted, wooed away by the beautiful, the sultry, the oh-so-tempting, pfftt, ha! “Heh. Good one, bud.” She sighs, and smirks, and stares blankly into sparkling pools of purest innocence.

“...wait, gods, are you serious?”

Lotus!

Why, is that a hint of blush on Han’s cheeks?~

You’ve got her right where you want her, you clever, clever demigod you. She can’t begin to guess at the games you’re playing at. Maybe you’ve been the Demigod of Sneaking and Girl Questions this whole time, and you never even knew! Maybe! It could happen!

Don’t let her wriggle free. Tighten your net, and get those dragon secrets!

Sagacious Crane!

“What has she done?” You glance from one to the other, this odd pair who happen to be on the road this morning. The incongruity of a Hymairean leading around an oddly familiar highlander hasn’t quite sunk in yet. You feel like you’ve seen her before. Tip of your tongue. Maybe if you hadn’t been chasing that ridiculous fox all night long, you would have remembered… the recollection slips away as you take another sip of tea. You have more important things to think about right now, after all.

“She is a barely civilized menace!” Your voice rises to a somewhat undignified squeak. “She has disrupted festivals, attacked Dominion soldiers, dumped priestesses in rivers, refused instruction, and— did I mention that she is assaulting Dominion patrols? If she is not brought to heel soon, she might convince the Red Wolf that we are not serious about peaceful coexistence!”

You push the teacup and saucer to one side so that you can lean forward. “And if the Dominion is convinced that we cannot live in peace with them, then they will invade in force. Do you think our knights can hold off an actual Dominion legion? I thought not.” (You are, of course, repeating the wisdom of your elders. But there is no shame in that; the elder priestesses have lived their whole lives in the pursuit of wisdom and noble service to the Sapphire Mother. One day you will be one of them, garlanded in sapphires, respected with a reverent hush whenever you enter a room.) “The longer she runs around doing whatever she pleases, the more risk she puts everyone in the Flower Kingdoms… into! You understand me, right, Giriel?”

It takes a moment to sink in.

“…Giriel!!” Your eyes shoot open as you finally place face to name. “Giri, darling, forgive me, I didn’t recognize the new… look!” Thank blossoms she can’t see the color rising to your cheeks as you look her over. “It’s certainly… you’re very… are you enjoying yourself?” What you are feeling is most certainly mot envy. That would be ridiculous. Why would you want to hold that leash, hmm?

---

Fengye!

The Maid laughs. And in that laugh there is a faint echo of her former magnitude, her former glories. She pushes you back down onto the sled as if it is nothing. “That’s right. Cutie. That is your title from now on. Maybe I should even engrave it on a collar. To help you remember.”

“Oh, we can help with that,” says the N’yari looming out of the shadows of the trees. You recognize her as one of the raiders that Zhaojun tried to mobilize in her schemes— and that means she’s definitely not alone. The look on the Maid’s face is incredulous, but it’s clear that she has no idea how much trouble the two of you are in.

---

Kalaya!

Beneath the water lies my heart,
where I let it fall;
and though the banks echo my song,
I have lost it all.

Dragonbreaker lies at the bottom of the Green River, pulled down by Dima’s jealous ex, the spirit of the river. She and Silver Currents knew each other so, so well— they were perfect dance partners.

Then Dima met the Red Wolf.

And when I saw her locks of scarlet hair,
which shone like fire,
I, most wretched worm, most awful beast—
I knew desire.

She (in her own words) seduced a naïve, wide-eyed diplomat from the Dominion, who had no idea that she was on a relationship with Silver Currents. Then Silver Currents found out. Now there is no ship sailing up and down the Green River, keeping common folk safe from river dragons and bandits.

And now she is convinced that she might just be the worst person in the whole world.

But even so, she might be convinced by you, Kalaya-phraya, that she is not irredeemable. She’s not likely to believe awful stories about Agata directly, but perhaps you can convince her that making one mistake is something that can be fixed.

---

Han!

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Lotus is the most innocent girl who’s ever lived. Just look at that innocent waggle of her shoulders. The way her eyes slide innocently across you. She’s just asking a question. “Sisters are always doing that sort of thing, after all, and it’s not like you couldn’t. If you wanted to. So is it that she was prettier than me, or is it that you’re… not into girls?”

Her grip tightens in a very casual way. And, you know, some people aren’t!

If you admit, very loudly, that you like pretty girls, that girls are pretty, and that Lotus is very definitely included in the context of girls who are also pretty, you may take a shiny XP.

Fengye's background is in the subtle manipulation of powerful heirs of the Dominion. Of gently eliding signatures into place and rearranging the logistics of legions so that they'd be ready to go when a hotheaded young heir suddenly decided to declare war on a target of convenience. To ensure that the essence of government flowed freely and harmoniously. She is furthermore motivated by vengeance upon a girl who has just called her a cutie and threatened to collar her.

She also finds, as most thinking girls of the Flower Kingdom do, the N'yari incredibly hot.

So it is that her entire life, training, and background has built up to this moment where she feigns shrinking behind the Maid's leg and saying in a fearful voice: "You will fight them off for me, won't you?"

Perhaps the only thing better than subjugating the demon warlord herself will be watching a group of buff catgirls do it.

[Entice: 8. Spending the string to tempt the Maid to engage in futile battle]

Giri sips her tea, glad for the cup to hide her own blush. It was not entirely without pleasure to be noticed in such a way, but it was also humiliating. Crane would probably think Giri was into this. She might even be right!

"Sagacious Crane, as I live and breathe" Giri says, once she's lowered the tea, a smile playing on her lips. "I didn't recognize you either without your usual priestly radiance, your goddess must have had quite the trial for you with her foxes. Oh, how is little Han doing? I saw her a week back or so at a tea house and she seemed to have found herself a girlfriend, of all things. Can you believe it? Why I remember when she was running around covered in mud pretending to fight off an invading legion by herself." Giri chuckles. "Not that I'd give her better odds than our knights, mind you, but the spirit was there and she has grown up so fast, hasn't she?"

Giri pauses, both she and Crane collecting themselves a bit. "As for me, I suppose I'm enjoying myself. I'm giving my Hymairean...companion..." (slight hitch on the choice of words there) "...a tour of the region. Somewhat unintentionally, I must admit, our river barge ran aground some ways back. I suppose it hasn't all been enjoyment, we've had quite an exhausting journey. I don't know that we have the time to really regale you with it properly. It feels like we've been to hell and back though, if I'm being honest." Giri's lips twitch just a little at that and she barely resists the chance to glance backward at Piripiri.

She is wondering though. Is this what you're hoping for Piripiri? The little small talk might pry out a hint about where Han is. Or it might meander for a while, letting the young dragon drift further and further away while our banneret plays hide and seek with a fox.

The color rises in Han’s cheeks. And along with it, the fires of righteous indignation.

“Screw that! I don’t gotta pick either of those!”

And if she had access to both her arms, she’d be crossing them so seriously right now.

“So what if girls’re pretty? Nothing wrong with liking pretty girls! That don’t mean I go around stealing them, huh? What, you think I see a river that looks neat, I set up shop there? Tell everybody it’s mine now? Charge admission?!”

“Oh, n-no, no, of course not.” Lotus’ soothing, innocent voice flows like a neat river, like her soft hand stroking hers. “But, what if that river was the most pretty you’d ever seen? Who could blame you for losing your senses? It happens all the time-”

“I said I’m not picking either and that’s final.” Han huffs. “Nobody back home was pretty enough to make me go N’yari on them. I mean,” and the fires rise a touch higher. “Sure, they weren’t not pretty, I still had eyes y’know. But come on, you think there’s gonna be somebody in some nowhere Highland town who can compete with a demigod?! Give me a break.”

And that ought to clear everything up perfectly. Nice try, life, but you’re gonna have to do better than that to get one over Han of the Highlands.

[The wise and articulate Han of the Highlands enjoys a free XP]

"No woman can walk so long in the darkness, that she cannot come again into the light"

Kalaya chuckles, giving Dima small smile, it's an old quote from one of those shlocky novels she devoured in her younger years (ok, truth be told she still has the last book in the series in her cloak, right next to a pocket-sized copy of Nights and Dreams.)

"That sentiment: the idea that anyone can redeem themselves if they just change their course? It gets taught to us at a young age along with alot of other things like 'eat your fruit', 'share your toys' and 'don't pick on others'."

"And then we're supposed to grow up, and some of us put those lessons aside for the "realism" of the world we find ourselves in. Things are grey, rather than black and white; you don't actually need to eat all that fruit if you don't want to, sharing stuff doesn't reward you with more and people are just ... hard. Y'know?"

"But those lessons aren't meant to stay in our childhood. They're meant to help us keep going - a sort of distilled wisdom from generations of parents to their children - aimed at making the world a better place. And the thing is, the thing that the cynics and the corrupt will never want to admit, is that they're all true - or they can be - if we want them to be, and work hard enough at it."

"In our cases, me and Ushua, you and the River, redemption. is. possible. Now, the stories tend to gloss over the part where it won't be easy. And the holes we dig ourselves are always of different depths. But we have to try, if we want to get back to the sun."

Kalaya pauses, seeing if any of this is resonating with the Dolphin Knight.

Inside, she's also reflecting on one other case. The case beyond all others. Redemption is possible. It has to be possible.

Not necessarily even for her - it doesn't matter as much in the grand scheme if Ushua ever forgives her - although it would admittedly be nice.

No, she has to believe in redemption because that's what she needs to work, what has to work, for Ven to come back to her. Every step of her story demands it.

Puns. She goes out of her way to treat you politely and you repay her with puns. She's tempted to stoop to Giri's level to respond, but some of us must stay civilized or nothing will ever get done.

More importantly, the priestess is, ah, not useful, to put it politely, not for her current job of capturing Lotus. She'd be a font of information about the moderate priesthood's opinion on anything and will cheerfully spill the beans on all of it during an ordinary day.

But for the moment, she'll be polite and leave.

"One is heartened to see your recovery, tea is a wonderful thing. We must be on our journey, I am afraid, but I wish you the best of luck with peace and coexistence."