[IC] The Five Senses

[Jerkchicken]

@Pezz570@Fetzen@13org@HokumPocus@Typical

---

Chaos once again dominated the scene. That man who was leader of the guards that he saw yesterday at the inn, he had reappeared at the tower. Now a fight broke out after a tense argument between his group and the cultists. He quickly followed the others down. Despite the chaos, the path forward was clear as day to him, they needed to get the hell out of here. Even with the guards fighting they were still outnumbered on top of having the power of two sightless. Because of course, Sightless Syella just had to make an appearance.

A graceful weaving of strikes and thrusts would be aimed at whatever Cultist was close. To him this wasn't a battle aimed at winning but incapacitating as many threats so they can retreat. Yet more chaos would happen as there appeared to be cultists infighting amongst themselves. We're these some sort of allies or was the cult less unified than he thought? "WE NEED TO GO!" Karina shouted.There was no time to wonder about that, or rather he could think about that later.

"In there like swimwear!" Was all he said as he followed the others out. He'd hear Chres call out to them. Well it meant that they were close. "Show us the way outta here!" He shouted to Chres.

[Pezzle]

Plot Point

@fetzen@13org@Jerkchicken@HokumPocus@Typical@Elevation

---

Svephraey sat in a meditative state, alone on the floor to one of the smaller chambers provided to her by The Kharu-Natjer. A lone crystal jade candle illuminated her form from above. Its light a minor distraction in her calm focus.

She had been like this now... for how long? Minutes? An Hour? Maybe longer? Time lost all meaning in this state. Her mind focused. Her body unmoving save for a slight twitch of a finger here and there.

Svephraey frowned as a tickle of pain ran across her neck. She twitched a finger, its movement creating a soft twang. Svephraey could now see green again. To her side, a thin near invisible hair like thread fell away from her scalp and onto the ground. To the common eye, it appeared as a strand of grey hair. Yet those who knew what she could do would know better.

She had been too slow in releasing that one. Yes... that was a bead of blood dripping down her neck. Pity... She had liked this sweater...

Svephraey breathed in, glad that she was currently unable to smell the cold, damp odor she had begun to associate with Shimmer Town’s underground network. She cared not the means of how The Kharu-Natjer came to know of it. She cared not how he found it or even how he managed to scrounge up the coin to procure its many entrances. No… The Kharu-Natjer was one she cared not to question. He was a resource. A resource that paid in plenty. One who had empowered her to break the chains bound to her mind at birth, and help her climb her way to the top of the land's... shadier businesses.

When the The Kharu-Natjer told her about Shimmer Town’s underground tunnels, Svephraey had seen nothing but possibilities. For years these chambers had gone mostly unnoticed by the population above! That alone was showed promise! Sure, there had been a few who had stumbled their way into one of the many hidden entrances. Though most had coughed it up as nothing more than an abandoned cellar, for many entrances lead to nothing more than a small chamber with fake walls hidden away in the stone.

Those that had stumbled across the other entrances, the kind their guests from earlier entered from, had been wise enough to leave these dark passages alone and forgotten. Although, judging from the few corpses they found littering the tunnels, there may have been a few who wandered in. The pups appeared to have gotten lost in the maze of darkness. Alone and forgotten, they either starved to death or died from the cold. Such is often the price of foolishness.

The network itself was quite intricate. Its corridors snaked in all directions -up, down, left and right- forming an intricate labyrinth centering on larger hub chambers. These chambers, in turn, wrapped around an even larger chamber. One that even had access to an underground lake. It's waters apt for drinking.

The larger chambers had been fitted with many tiny ventilation tunnels that lead up to the surface. This allowed for the use of fires to keep warm. The remainder of the labyrinth, however, had scarce ventilation, giving it a cold, stale smell. It was one of the tunnels less stellar features, especially since it made lighting the labyrinth a nightmare!

Light by torch was an impossibility. Doing such would lead to smoke accumulating in the chambers with nowhere to go. Crystal jade candles were the obvious solution. A solution requiring an commodity that was not only expensive, but scarce as well. This meant that until they came into the possession of more crystal jade, much of the network would remain in darkness.

The crystal jade candles they did have were placed strategically throughout the labyrinth. Much of it had gone to the larger chambers. The Kharu-Natjer emphasized the importance of keeping large areas blanketed in light so as to keep the spacious area’s existence hidden from the Sightless above.

The remaining, larger candles went towards other strategic points, such as at the labyrinth’s entrances, or in many of the commonly used corridors. A few even lay in some of the network’s smaller chambers occupied by The Kharu-Natjer slaves and guests.

This left very little crystal jade candles available for the less frequently traversed tunnels. These last few candles were left at the entrances of such passages when possible. Such passages had at least two of The Kharu-Natjer slaves standing by at all times. When one needed to traverse said tunnels, they would do so with one of the slaves. Candle in hand, the slave would act as a guide. Lighting the way through the darkness.

Performing her tasks basked in light had been an odd experience for Svephraey. Much of her work was often done under cover of shadow. For as long as she could remember, the darkness had been her friend. An ally who shielded her from prying eyes. What was it to her now though? What would it mean for her to live in a world where she couldn’t trust the dark to shade her from unwanted attention?

Imagine carrying out theft, trafficking, assassinations and kidnappings during the day! True, her abilities would mitigate any impact on her specifically. Her organization's criminal activities, however... Well... such restrictions would surely ruin them. It was a concern for later. A concern that needed to not be addressed should the cult’s spread be throttled.

Yes… For now her only concern was to help The Kharu-Natjer put an end to this Seed of Insight. Once it was gone, she could go back to was she did best. The thing Svephraey was known for.

The Marionetteer. That was what they called her. A name whispered in the shadows. A name the little pups feared. A fitting name, she supposed, even if it was truly just a mishmash of words. It worked just as well as the name Svephraey... and every other name she used.

Another twitch of the finger follow by a twang. A second strand of grey hairlike thread fell away to her side. This time she had been fast enough to cut away the connection before absorbing the killing blow received by the body on the other end. Unfortunately, this meant she could now smell the tunnel’s odor, yet again. Such a bother...

Yes… The name Marionetteer suited her quite well. A faceless puppeteer, hidden in shadows. The world was her stage. Her puppets? The once slain.

A few more twangs followed. Hunger, warmth, the taste of sweet. These aspects of her senses flooded back to her. Her connections severed to the three corpses on the other end. No longer did they dance to her whims.

People whispered of beings like Svephraey. Rumors of people whose power brought back the dead. A necromancer, some might call her. A blasphemer others would say. Those people merely did not understand. They knew not what she did.

Svephraey did not bring the dead back to life. No… what Svephraey did with her collection of corpses was far more... sanitary...

Svephraey couldn’t bring the dead back to life. Rather, she merely gifted her corpses a piece of herself. A Splinter of her mind. A piece of consciousness given semi-autonomy. In its new vessel, it would take root and grow into an entity of its own.

The costs of her magic were simple. An aspect of her senses -her mind’s way of interacting with the world- in exchange she breathed new life into a deceased vessel. With the touch of a hand, she would form a bond with the corpse. A bond which tore away piece of her senses off into the body.

Her touch healed any rot and old wounds. And the new life she gifted? Well... it would then take on persona of its own. A persona given guidance from Svephraey of course.

She could influence her Splinters. Experience what they experienced. Make them act to her will. She WAS her Splinters. Perhaps that was what made it a magic of touch. The ability to feel, to sense, to be her splinters. A touch magic in perhaps the most metaphorical sense. A touch magic not without its drawbacks.

The most immediate shortcoming was the absorption of wounds taken by her Splinters, deadly wounds included. Fortunately, the absorption process was slow, giving her plenty of time to react before taking in the full wound. If necessary, she would cut away her connection from a Splinter so that she could live another day.

The second drawback was by far the more dangerous of the two. By Gifting life to her Splinters, they now had a mind of their own. If left unattended for a prolonged period of time, then as sure as the sun would rise, her Splinters would come for her. A deep rooted desire to wrestle away her control.

More than once she woken with a knife at her throat. Those were the foolish Splinters. The ones who forgot that she could severe their ties with a thought. The more crafty Splinters would try less direct methods. Poison was a common tactic. Some would even have her kidnapped. It was her awareness of her Splinters which kept her alive.

Yes, awareness of one’s Splinters was key to surviving as a Gifter. At all times she kept her Splinters at arm’s length, least she meet the fate of the one who had breathed life to her…

Two more twangs. The ringing in her ears softened as two different pitches in frequency became audible to her again.

Awareness.... Rule number one in the art of Gifting. Keep Splinters far away and monitor their activities daily. If any of them grew too ambitious, she would assert more control. Those that became too dangerous… Well she could always severe the connection. Wasteful though it may seem...

Another twang. Another Splinter back to being dead. Svephraey sighed. She would need a fresh set of bodies after this.

The world around Svephraey seemed to flare... no... it was more of an enhanced awareness of the senses she still maintained.

The Kharu-Natjer. Svephraey realized. That was his touch on her mind. He must have sensed her frustration.

The strange man's presence, in her consciousness, was soothing to her. She had become accustomed to it, and as such she openly welcomed his embraced. With his touch came an enhanced control over magic and her connections to the Splinters dancing to her thoughts.

She no longer needed to maintain focus in order send out commands. She made them act with a mere whim. All at once, she experienced what they experienced. Their fight against the cultists. Their struggle to hold out long enough to allow the Pact Makers to escape. She felt at the thoughts of their minds, like threads woven into a fabric of something far greater.

Such an odd sensation. She thought. Idly she poked at the greater fabric. The strands where her Splinter’s thoughts bled into something else. There were other threads there... threads much like the ones that made up her Splinter's own thoughts...

She focused in on one of the strands. Willing her Splinter's thoughts to brush against it. Shockingly, it complied.

Stray ideas flooded into Svephraey. Concepts... ideas... fear of death... desire for knowledge... to know the future...

Svephraey froze. Were these the thoughts of the cultists her Splinters fought?!

An thought came to mind. She could feel this person, sense this person, know this person... Could she perhaps Splinter herself into this person? She urged the Splinter forward. Contact! All she needed was contact!

A final twang rang in the room. Her last Splinter, among the cultists, had fallen. The Kharu-Natjer magic enhancing touch faded.

“NOO!” Svephraey she shouted louder than she would have liked.

She had felt a magic far greater! A magic sitting just beyond her fingertips. Power… immense power ripe for the taking! All she needed was more time! Time to-

Two voices came from outside her chamber. One belonged to the ‘pup’ she had left guarding her room. The other voice was more feminine. Her accent was distinct. Her grasp on the language crude. One of The Kharu-Natjer’s slaves no doubt. Come to fetch her, has he?

The door to her chamber opened. “Mistress?” Said the pup from outside.

Svephraey released a breath in displeasure. Entering her chambers without asking? Another a foolish pup. She thought. She rose to her feet needle-like dagger appearing in her hand with a flick of the wrist.

“Mistress?” The pup yelped, his head poking into the chamber. “The Kha-”

The poor fool’s words cut off as Svephraey’s dagger slit his throat. The pup fell to the floor, his body pushing the door to her chamber fully open. A young wide-eyed woman, stood at the door to Svephraey’s chamber. Her hair a glistening silver. Her skin of that foreign orange-tan hue. She took a step back in apprehension, yet that was all she did. As always, The Kharu-Natjer’s slaves proved to be well trained.

Svephraey ignored the sound lad’s dying gasps for air. Instead, she focused her attention on the slave women’s garments. The woman wasn’t half nude, thank the senses, nor did she wear simple rags or a veil to cover her face. From what Svephraey had gathered from The Kharu-Natjer’s culture, this meant the woman held at least some level of some importance. So in other words… don’t kill her?

Svephraey sheathed her dagger. It was a pity she couldn't kill the woman. She would make for a lovely puppet, though admittedly her skin would make her stand out far too much...

Svephraey turned her back on the woman and knelt by dying pup. She took his hand in hers and began to pet it softly.

The lad whimpered softly, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Hush now, my little pup.” She cooed soothingly into his ear. Her words came out much like a melody. “Your pain, your fears... It will all be over shortly.”

His whimpers began to soften. His eyes starting to glaze.

“There, there. That’s better.” She whispered. “Sleep well, my dear pup. Embrace the eternal slumber. May you wake again to another dream.”

The young slave woman shuffled her feet uneasily. Svephraey smiled to herself. I appeared The Kharu-Natjer’s slaves were human after all.

“Svephraey Lady.” The young woman said adding far too many syllables to her words. “Kharu-Natjer… You to come, he speaks.”

Svephraey frowned at the words. This one was utterly butchering the language. She placed her palm on the dead pup’s back and closed her eyes.

“Tell our dear Kharu-Natjer, that I am quite busy at the moment. His new, trouble-seeking friends have left me quite short on Splinters”.

Svephraey pressed her palm down firmer. Her mind jumped to the corpse. She felt and knew the world through her new vessel. An experience lasting only a moment before her awareness shot back to her own body.

Svephraey opened her eyes and blinked. The ability to see green left her yet again. Distantly she felt the splintered piece of her mind take root in the dead lad before her. She felt as it shaped itself into a freshly made Splinter.

Svephraey found color to be among the most unnecessary aspects of the human senses. And so it was often the first to go. She did find it odd that she couldn’t splinter her ability to see color into more than just three types of colors. What was it about the colors red, blue and green that made them so crucial to seeing other hues?

“Is important.” The slave women spoke. “New... slaves? Is the word?" The slave asked. Svephraey merely shrugged. "... New... slaves is needing.”

New slaves? Svephraey thought curiously. Such actions would surely put The Kharu-Natjer in the spotlight. Curious fellow, that one was.

“Tell him… I’ll stop by momentarily.”

The woman nodded curtly, apparently accepting her response as a good enough answer. She left shortly after.

What an odd people. Svephraey thought, her eyes trailing the woman as she left. What sort of creep creates a society where everyone is born a slave?

She fruitlessly tried to wrap her mind around how societal ranking would work in such culture. There were obviously different rankings of slaves, but how did ones at the top manage all of them? Did they delegate slave management to other high ranking slaves?

Svephraey shook her head. It all seemed no different than how the world work here. She turned her gaze to the dead pup. The corpse’s wounds had finished knitting up neatly. Soon the body began to stir.

The Splinter blinked. Life returned to the corpse’s eyes. It looked up and met her gaze. There was a questioning look in its eyes. She vaguely remember that same confusion when she first woke. A question of why she was here and not there.

Slowly Svephraey asserted her will upon the Splinter. It questioning stare became understanding. Its place in life now known. The Splinter rose to its feet and proceeded to walk away.

“Be sure to tidy up.” She called after it. “You’ll find clean clothes in the pup’s old chambers.”

The Splinter absently raised its hand in acknowledgment, as it headed out into the world above.

[HokumPocus]

Lynx

+

Octavio

---

Octavio stared at the falling drops of rain in silence, awaiting any kind of response. At hearing Chres' words, a chill colder than the air around them ran down his spine. The urge to joke about the situation came and was snuffed out. He knew that something had gone terribly wrong.

---

In a short span of time that Lynx was unable to perceive, the endless loop of garbled sensations lessened, yet persisted. It was a blaring all around him that seemed to overpower his entire being, as if the wavering spots the noises rang from were threatening to drag him back to the state of nothingness and overload he was only just beginning to scrape away from.

Even in his state of being unable to form coherent thoughts he knew he had to hurry. He didn't quite grasp time yet, but it was something distant and alarming and definitely there. Some of the noises wanted him to leave and escape. He didn't want to trust any of them.

A shaky memory lit up in his mind. Being carried away by the current of a furious river, long long ago, the only help coming from the outstretched arms of a man in a nobleman's robes. Was he reminded of the past because it was repeating? Or was it because a part of him that had been laid bare knew the way out?

Wheezing, he dragged his trembling body up to the best of his ability and dashed to a dark corner in the movements of a wounded animal. At last, when the sharp noises got sharper and he understood their instructions better, he escaped.

---

"I don't believe we have many options right now," sighed Octavio, eyes scanning the tower. Their current distance from it allowed Octavio to detect faint traces of his familiar, although it was nowhere near enough to put him at ease. On the contrary, the lack of activity worried him further.

After what seemed like an eternity under the rain, Lynx's gray form could be seen dashing towards them. But something was different. Gone were the familiar's graceful movements, replaced instead by limping.

"Lynx!" His cry tore through the air. The illusion of himself dissolved as any sense of concentration Octavio possessed disappeared.

[Pezzle]

Chres Sansus

@fetzen@13org@Jerkchicken@HokumPocus@Typical@Elevation

---

And so the Pact Makers ran. They ran away from the clock tower. Away from the crowd and following Malkev's lead. with each stride they put more distance between the cult and themselves.

"This way." Malkev said on occasion. "Over here." He said now and then. Wherever he led, the Pact Makers followed. Left. Right. Straight. Left.

Where were they going? Chres wondered. It seemed as if Malkev was just leading them aimlessly. Making them run in the rain till their clothes became soaked.

Occasionally, Malkev would slow the group to a stroll while motioning them to keep silent. Those moments were the worst. When the group wasn't running, the chill from their damp clothes became far too noticeable.

More than once Chres felt himself shiver in the rain. He had to stop storing away his own body heat, for any heat he stored away now, was heat he needed to not collapse from the chill. However, there was another chill slowly crawling up his spine. A concern about a certain someone missing...

Where was Sil? He had seen Karina holding Sil when they left the building. Now that they were back together again, he could help but notice she was gone!

Sil! Chres thought to his familiar. Sil, where are you? Where did you go?

Chres... He heard her thoughts distantly. Do I know you?

The running had kicked in again. With it came a wave of relieve washed over Chres. She was okay... Sil was okay...

What do you mean, silly? He thought imitating the way she often would talked to him. Of course you know me. Why aren't you here? Where did you go off too?

For a long while Sil said nothing. The silence made Chres want to squirm.

At last she replied. I went... away... She thought back.

Chres felt his heart sink. His breath growing heavy from the running. Something was wrong here. The way she spoke. The replys she was giving... Away? What did she mean away? Could a familiar run away from its master? Could a familiar even leave its master?

Sil... Chres thought back to his familiar. Sil, what's wrong?

I... I don't know...

You don't know? What do you mean you don't know? Chres asked, trying to convey a feeling of comfort.

I mean, I don't know! She thought insistently. There was a clear frustration in her words.

Sil... He thought. I- His thoughts were cut off.

At long last Malkev lead the group into an empty building. Empty save for several burning lanterns on the floor among a pile of cloaks. Malkev handed out a cloak to each of them, frowning in obvious irritation when it came to Ferris's turn. To his credit, the man said not a word to Ferris. He gave the man his cloak and then moved on to the next person.

Once everyone had been fitted with their cloak, he then motioned for everyone to take a lantern. Taking one for himself, he hid it under the cover of his cloak. He then eyed everyone as if expecting them to do the same.

Occasionally Malkev's eyes would flit over to the windows as he wait. "Quickly, now." He said impatiently, with that deep, rich voice.

Once everyone hid the lanterns within their cloaks, Malkev nodded. "Very good." He said. "Should be safe to talk now... or rather... that's what he tells me..." The second half of his comment seemed to be more so directed to himself rather than the group.

"For you who have not met me yet, the name's Malkev." His eyes flitted to the window again. "You're friends here came searching for The Watch. Well... I'm the man at it's head." Malkev shuffled his feet uncomfortably at the words. "Or rather... now I am..."

Malkev turned away from the group making his way to the back entrance. He waved the group to follow. "The Watch, I'm afraid, has been left in shambles since yesterday's... unfortunate incident. Fortunately, your friends and I have made other allies who might better help us in our cause."

By this point Malkev had reach the back entrance and open the door. "We head to them now. The lanterns will hide us from prying eyes. Sadly, we do not have enough Crystal Jade candles to spare on us right now. So... well... just try not burn yourself on the lantern. Senses knows I've done it more than once."

And with that the group was on the move again. This time, however, there was no running. Just a steady stride towards a meaningful destination. Exactly where they were going, though... Chres found himself unable to focus on that at the moment.

Sil... He thought. Why don't you come and find me? I'll make you a nice puddle to play in, and after that we can talk about what is bothering you.

For a moment, Sil said nothing. He felt conflict in their bond. She wanted to play in the puddle, yes... But whatever was bothering her held sway too.

I can't. She replied at last. Not until I know.

Chres furrowed his borrow, struggling to understand. Sil, I... I don't understand...

Neither do I. Her thoughts came faintly. Neither... do I...

---

It had grown late in the day, by time the group arrived at their destination. Malkev had taken them back to the underground tunnels using the same hidden passage as before.

Upon entering Chres felt that same sensation as before. An acute awareness of every sensation picked up from his body. As with before it only lasted for moment.

When they entered the larger chamber, The Kharu-Natjer had been there to greet them. He introduced himself to everyone who hadn't already met him. He had two healers at the ready -more slaves apparently- each healer tended to the group, starting with DB.

The Kharu-Natjer told the group they would be safe here and that they were welcome to stay. Chres even thought he heard the man mention something about dinner. Though, in all honesty, he wasn't really listening.

Chres felt numb, empty, and oh so tired. His wife had abandoned him, because he had never been there for her. Instead she turned to another man to satisfy her needs. Was Sil now abandoning him too?

Sil looked like his wife. At times she even acted much like her. Chres and Sil had always been together, yet he had never tried to understand her. Never had he tried to actually know her. Was that why she was acting this way now? Was he at fault yet again?

No... Chres was being foolish. This was different than what happened with his wife. His wife had left him. She was the one who betrayed him! It was her fault he-

A flash of recollection... Shouting and crying amidst a drunken memory...

"I gave you my everything..." Chres had said. "My heart. My trust. My-"

"Chres, you don't understand! It wasn't-"

"I don't understand? I DON'T UNDERSTAND?!" Chres shook his head, taking a swig of ale from his flask. "Exactly what don't I understand? Did you not sleep with him?"

"I-" His wife started

Chres slammed his fist on the table. "DID YOU OR DID YOU NOT SLEEP WITH HIM?!" He roared.

His wife gripped her gown, her knuckles white. "I did..." She said eyeing the floor with shame.

For long while the two of them said nothing. A silence so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"How long?" Chres asked. His voice shaking with rage.

His wife shuffled her feet. "If you would only let me-"

"How long?" He interrupted. He placed extra emphasis on each word.

"Chres, please... just let me-"

"DAMN IT, WOMAN! Are you deaf?! I asked you how long!"

His wife bit her lip. Her body trembling. "Years..." She whispered at length. "This has been going on for years..."

Everything after seemed to blur. Yelling, crying, pleading, and then... death.

Chres blinked. The smell of food filled his nostrils, the group had been lead by one of the slaves to what appeared be a living chamber.

The chamber had been fitted with crystal jade candles, furnishings and a table full of various foods. There was even a stream of running water that went off into what appeared to be two separate bathing chambers. And... -Chres poked his head into one of the bathing chambers- were those curls of steam coming from the bathing water? Senses! How exactly were they heating it? Surely, this wasn't a hot springs!

Chres shook his head. He turned back to the living chambers. The space split off into additional rooms with bedding and everything. One of these rooms even housed the Innkeeper and his family.

Chres's head spun, dizziness setting in. The lack of sleep was likely not helping... Had The Kharu-Natjer been monitoring them since they arrived, or had it started from the day prior?

"Food... Eat... Rest... Please..." The Kharu-Natjer's slave said, struggling with each word. She looked so young. Twelve maybe?

She bowed to the group, showing a shaved scalp, and left them in peace.

[HokumPocus]

---

Octavio stretched his arms back and let out a sigh. The food that the Kharu-Natjer had offered them looked about as lavish as the type of food he'd see at gatherings he wasn't supposed to be in. Alluring, sure, but right now, there was nothing he wanted more than to just sit back and let the bathing chamber's warm water melt his aches away. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so relieved.

"Do you know what I'm going to do, Lynx? I am going to simply accept the water's nice temperature without questioning it." He leaned further back. "I needed this after all that running."

Lynx set a pair of vacant eyes on him, saying nothing. Octavio's eyebrows furrowed. He's questioning it.

Truthfully, Lynx had his thoughts centered on all of their surroundings. He had looked at the masterfully crafted dishes and the bathing chambers in the same fashion as an adult looking at children's toys, disconnected from the possibility of fun. For the familiar who could not eat nor feel any sort of acute or specific pleasure, the lair was nothing more than a temporary shelter to ruminate in, a place he could shake off the remaining uneasiness from his battle with the sightless and get lost in his own thoughts.

"As I've already told you, the battle distorted my mind for a moment."

Octavio remained quiet, eyes closed shut.

"One of the first things I remembered... was the agreement we made," he said, looking at the whirls of water, "on the first week we had met, when I'd fallen into a river."

"I think I remember. You clawed at me and I started shouting like a lunatic because getting blood on my robes would have doomed us both."

"Right... we spoke that day. We both admitted that, although neither knew where we'd be or what we'd do, we'd fight alongside one another."

One of Octavio's eyes snapped open. "Hm? And what is this about?"

"I'm worried about the future is all. But if we can continue surviving this well, I can steady my nerves," he said, turning to exit the chamber. "I should see what the others are discussing, it could be important."

After a large pause, he opened both of his eyes. In his mind Lynx's words rang deep. It set him on the path of developing doubts and theories against his will. The worries grew as his scope grew, taking in even the most recent events. It was strange that Lynx was showing a sudden concern over the opinions of others, as strange as the amount of times he had mentioned Sil in their conversations.

He let out a dramatic sigh.

I guess a little relaxation was too much to ask for. He watched Lynx exit the bathing chamber, off to ask the others about that fairy. I will have to check up on him... at some point. Not now. I have to relax.

His eyes shifted.

How did they make the water so warm?

[Pezzle]

Chres Sansus

@fetzen@13org@Jerkchicken@HokumPocus@Typical@Elevation

---

Chres had said nothing since the slave left them to dine. He felt much as if he were in a trance. The world passing him by.

Absently he grabbed a plate of food and collapsed into one of the chairs, his soaked cloak likely ruining the chair's fabric. He sat there staring blankly at his food. A dark cloud hovering over him. Accompanied by that ever present itch.

His mind sought to distract itself from the spiral downwards, seeking questions to ponder away at. Who were these people? What did they come from? Where were they getting the food from?

Questions. He always had so many questions. Questions were good. Questions distracted him.

How big were these tunnels? Did the tunnels lead beyond the town? How did they discover them? Did any of this matter?

Chres felt his back stiffen. His mind lingering on that last question? Did any of this matter? Why was Chres even here?

Chres clenched his hand around Sil's metal glass pendent as if for protection. But Sil was gone. Sil had left him. Her uplifting presence absent from his life.

"Sil..." Chres whispered.

Why was Chres still here? What reason did he have to stick around? Did any of this matter? Did any of this even matter?

But it does matter doesn't it? A tiny part of him said. Families dead in the street. People starving and without food... Is this how you want to leave the world behind?

Families die every day. People starve everyday. There was nothing Chres could do to change that.

And what of the others? The voice asked. Chres's gaze turned towards Karina, DB, Ferris and the rest. Their chances of success diminish without you. Does helping these people no longer matter? Do you no longer care about protecting and helping others?

Chres pondered that question for a long moment. Did he care about helping others? That had been his reasoning for staying with them, hadn't it?

In his heart, Chres wanted the answer to be yes. He so dearly wished for the answer to be yes! He had once been a better man than this. A man who cared for others. A man unwavering in his loyalty. That man... was no longer him... That man... had gone away the day he killed his wife...

Chres's eyes lowered back to his plate of food. A plate that had long gone cold.

No... Chres did not truly care about what happened to the others. True, for some he had grown some semblance of a bond. In reality though, they were mere passerbys and nothing more.

The reason he had stayed this morning had not been caring, but rather it had been out of guilt. The guilt he felt when contemplating how his selfish actions would cost the rest of them. But that was then, and this is now. Now, with all these new players at the ready, did Chres's presence even make a difference?

A few more days? The voice asked. It sounded more distant than before. You can see this through for a few more days, can't you?

Chres found himself nodding. Yes... he could last a few more days. Long enough to let the guilt subside.

Chres found himself eating his plate of cold food. All the while, he plotted out all the places Sil might be. Tomorrow, he would go look for Sil, wherever she may be. He would find her. He would bring her home. That way, at the very least, he would have someone to be there at the very end...

[Pezzle]

Sil

@fetzen@13org@Jerkchicken@HokumPocus@Typical@Elevation

---

Sil lay alone, atop a puff of sky. Arms outstretched at her sides, she stared up at the glistening moon. Its normal pale color like a sun in the night sky.

The sky had long changed back to normal since Sil had started her journey upwards. The moment Sil had traveled past the... distorchination... the change to the sky had been sudden. Everything shifted around and changed colors at once.

Any Not-Sil-Person might have gotten distracted by the change in sky colors. Sil, on the other hand, had persevered! She had made it where the puddles began and... and in the end Sil still felt nothing but confusion.

The puddles came from the sky puff. Yet when Sil had gone inside the puff, there were no puddles to be found! So then... where did all the puddles come from?

Sil had tried! She had tried so hard! She had put all her focus into this one thing. This one thing that she could say with all certainty she knew! Sil thought she knew puddles, yet in the end all Sil knew was nothing.

The sky puff shifted in shape as it devoured a smaller sky puff beside it. Sil sighed. She pushed herself upright and patted the sky puff like one would a pet. She supposed it made sense that the sky puffs survived on cannibalism. They didn't have anything else to eat up here after all.

For the most part sky puffs seemed quite peaceful to Sil. Peaceful and... disappointing. She had expected something wonderful up in the land where puddles fell from. She hadn't expected the disappointment. The realization her efforts were for nothing.

Sil let herself fall. Her form descending beneath the puff and down towards the ground below. The sound of rushing wind rose up around her. Its breeze unable to slow her descent.

Well, if she couldn't know puddles by going to where they came from, then perhaps she could know them by following them to the place they went.

The world rushed up around her. Down, down, Sil dove. Down towards a tiny ground puddle far below.

[13org]

Karina Frost

^{@Pezz570@Jerkchicken@Typical@Fetzen@HokumPocus@Typical}

---

"Sil? Sil!! Where are you going?" Karina asked, worried as she saw Sil simply flying away from her, simply going up until she couldn't see her anymore. Something had happened with the small Sil, something that the Sightless did to her when he attacked her...

Without much time to think about it, she heard DB's reply, they had to run away from there otherwise they would risk their own lives and throw away the sacrifice and help that those who were disguised as Cultists gave them.

Running away from the tower, Karina and the others met with Chres and the rest of the group, reuniting themselves as they were led through the heavy rain by a mysterious man that seemed to be together with the fake cultists. Every turn the man made, they followed him. Many times, the path he was leading them seemed like a bit random, with them stopping and staying in silence for a while before running again, letting the freezing rain soak their bones and making them feel how cold it really was. From time to time, Karina would take a look around, especially upwards, almost as if searching for something but would soon continue following him. That continued for a while until the man led them inside an empty building, finally saiying that they were safe, before turning to talk with them.

The man introduced himself as Malkev, the head of the Watch. His words as he introduced himself were grim though and made it clear that he was pretty much what it was left of the watch, quickly indicating that the watch wouldn't be that much of a saving grace that the group was expecting. That said, he also mentioned that they have made... other allies that could also help them. Jade candle lanterns would keep them hidden while they were being led to this mysterious 'ally' Malkev spoke of.

After some time, they found themselves at the underground tunnels below the city. Upon entering the big chamber, someone who called himself the "Kharu-Natjer", together with some slaves, stated that they were welcome to stay, providing food and shelter. Judging by the jade candles, it seemed that whoever was this Kharu-Natjer, it was well prepared. Karina still had some doubts about who this "Kharu-Natjer" was, but since he was offering them some much needed help, Karina kept her distrust to herself.

When Karina went to get something to eat, she saw Chres on the chair, staring blankly at his plate. Seeing him like that made Karina feel a bit guilty, after all, Sil was with her before she flew away. The moment he whispered Sil's name was the moment that Karina approached him.

"Chres... Sill... Something happened to her when she was attacked by the Sightless. She wasn't being... herself. I don't know much about what happened but I tried everything I could... She simply flew away..." Karina said in a lower tone, explaining and at the same time apologizing to Chres.

[Pezzle]

Chres Sansus

@fetzen@13org@Jerkchicken@HokumPocus@Typical@Elevation

---

Chres blinked. Looking up he met Karina's gaze. Funny, he hadn't noticed her approach. Must have gotten far too caught up in his own thoughts.

He nodded at her word while doing his best to give a warm smile. "She says she's gone away" Chres said. "Can't come back until she knows, whatever that means."

Shifting in his seat, one hand rumaging through his pocket, the other putting his empty plate off to the side. "She's a funny one, isn't she? Always doing whatever comes to mind..."

From his pocket Chres pulled out a small object between his thumb and forefinger. It glittered in the light. "They are... people, you know? That's something I often forget with her... Perhaps that's why she left..." Chres continued.

The object was oval and flat. Transparent like glass and yet as sturdy steel. Its glittering appearence caused by reflective specks of silver embedded within. Metal glass. Rare. Beautiful. Chres held the metal glass up to the light causing the surface to gleam.

'One for you, and one for me.' His wife had told him. Neither Chres nor his wife, had shown interest in wanting a familiar.

"Why then?" Chres said. His voice almost a whisper.

Chres closed his hand around the metal glass, one last time, before gentlely placing it on the nearby stand.

"Thank you, Karina." He said smiling. "I know you tried. I doubt that neither you nor I could have stopped her."

Nodding to her, he slowly rose from his chair.

"I'll find her tomorrow. One way or another." Chres said. "Do what you will with the metal glass. Senses knows it's only been weighing me down."

Despite his words, Chres somehow felt a weight much heavier than the one he just let go. These next few days would be long ones, he knew. Long and restless.

As always Chres slept lightly that night. His dreams plagued with horror and guilt.

[Jerkchicken]

@Pezz570@Fetzen@13org@HokumPocus@Typical

---

The man continued to run along with group as they followed their benefactor. Getting there was a slog as they would be taking all sorts of strange misdirecting turns and some pauses. The cold rain soaking him and everyone else was unpleasant, but not entirely foreign to him. Many times he'd silently endure bad weather when he was out in the wildernesses when traveling between places. But it was annoying to wait there silently and without any direction. If he was out on his own he'd have the anime to keep moving or seek or make shelter from the rain. On the bright side of things, at least him and his clothes were getting a wash.

Eventually they'd finally enter the lair through this secret tunnel in an unassuming building. Malkev would finally introduce himself as such. And with his introduction came the reveal that the Watch was gone and had some "allies" that would be of use. His interest and enthusiasm was greatly diminished. He had noticed that his senses were heightened without his volition which roused suspicion. Then there was the Kharu-Natjer and his exotic slaves. It did nothing to salvage expectations. "Great, we just walked into a fucking snake pit." He thought to himself.

It was right there and then that he decided he would do nothing with these people. The others may cooperate with Malkev and those people. He would not do anything to accrue any sort of "debt". Already he knew they'd probably have already gained some just by taking refuge here. And so when the healer slaves come towards him, he would push them away. Besides it not like he was hurting and needed it. He could take care of himself with just some time alone. The dinner offered was another thing he'd declined to partake in. Still, he lingered a while longer than he needed as he saw Chres sitting alone and looking down. He'd do nothing when Karina approached Chres. He figured the man would only be in the mood for just one person.

"I wonder who else doesn't trust trust these people. Well time for me to take my leave. No use lingering here if I'm not gonna eat."He thought to himself as he prepared to wonder off. He was thinking of seeing if he could leave this lair. Sure, it was dangerous but it wasn't safe here either.

[Pezzle]

The Cult

@fetzen@13org@Jerkchicken@HokumPocus@Typical@Elevation

---

Whack!

Tayla's vision blurred. Her body collapsing to the floor. She felt a warm liquid fill her mouth, but found it had no taste. The liquid ageusia had taken its toll. Her magic nullified.

Tayla struggled to get back to her feet but was quickly pushed back down. A foot pressing down against her back.

"Stubborn stubborn... She is quite stubborn..." Sightless to be De'laire said more to herself than anyone else. "

De'laire's foot pressed down harder causing Tayla to cry out.

"Should I hold back?" De'laire mused aloud. She reached down, grabbing Tayla by the hair. Slowly, she pulled her head back. Far enough to expose her neck. "Sightless Nieffar may scold me. He wouldn't like it if I damage her..."

Tayla gasped. Her battle from early had made her weak. Everytime she tried escaping, De'laire simply exerted more force. As things stood now, it was getting hard to breathe...

"De'laire!" Sightless Syella's voice... "What are you doing? Drop the knife! There will be no killing our own!"

"Hm?" De'laire hummed absently. "Sightless Syella? Forgive me, but have I done something to upset?"

"The knife, De'laire! Drop it! Now!"

"Knife?" De'laire asked with a tilt of the head. "Oh yes, yes... the knife. Mustn't kill the girl now... Sightless Nieffar would be most displeased."

Tayla heard a clang at her side as the knife hit the ground. The woman released her grip on Tayla's hair and relinquished some of the pressure on her back.

Tayla felt her blood still. Senses! She thought. De'laire had been about to kill me! Did the Crazed woman have any sanity left?

Yes... the woman did have some sanity left. After all, Tayla was still alive...

"What in the name of the Unseeing is going on here?!" Sightless Syella demanded.

"Punishment." Came a voice from the 2nd floor overlook. There Sightless Nieffar stood watching.

"Punishment? Death is no proper punishment for the acts she committed!" Sightless Syella exclaimed.

"Is it not?" De'laire asked absently. She had taken to scratching rigorously at the corner of her right eye. Her scratching drew blood. A sign that any day now this woman would be Sightless. Any day now she would feel the itch on her eyes...

"No, my dear De'laire. I fear Sightless Syella is correct. Does one kill a sister just for acting against the family, even if it is to satisfy her own selfish interests?"

De'laire merely shrugged. She had shifted to scratching at the corner of her other eye now. "Mine tried to kill me..." She said.

"And now she's dead." Nieffar stated. "The ultimate price for such transgressions. A price our little Tayla here does not yet deserve."

"Funny then how I needed to interfere." Sightless Syella spat.

"Sightless Syella," Nieffar continued. "I'm a man of practicality. I knew you would interfere, and so I let you interfere."

"Is that so." Syella replied. "Well forgive me Nieffar in not seeing the practically in your lack of actions. Were you simply saving your breath for later?"

"In a way, yes." Nieffar said. "Tayla's actions begets punishment. Our children died because of what she did. Her defense does not deserve any of my breath."

He made his way down the steps, his lips curving into a snide smile. The wounds on his legs must have mostly healed as Nieffar was no longer limping.

"But a Sightless ignoring commands coming from Sightless Vetius? That is a matter deserving of my breath."

Syella gave the man a leery gaze. For a moment the Sightless said nothing. Her gaze turning to Tayla. A frown of disapproval across her face.

Nieffar his approach approach stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Would you like to explain yourself to them?" Nieffar said quietly, nodding small crowd of clan members who had funneled into the chamber. They stopped at the entrance not quite sure what to make of the display.

"I'd rather you didn't." Nieffar continued. "As far as they're concerned, their friends died because the Pact Makers attacked us."

Syella folded her arms. Her frown deepening. "Let her up De'laire." Syella said at length.

"Hm?" De'laire hummed. Her gaze turned downwards. "Oh, yes yes! You're referring to the one beneath my foot, aren't you?"

De'laire took her foot off Tayla and stepped aside. All the while De'laire muttered to herself.

"Of course she meant that one." Tayla thought she heard the woman say. "Of course she did..."

Tayla rose to her feet and bowed her head appreciatively. Syella looked her over disapprovingly.

"I expect you to still be here when I get back. We will speak further once I'm done."

Tayla nodded and watched the two Sightless leave. She felt cold, and not just because her clothes were still damp from the rain.

'Why did you join the cult?' The white haired princess had asked.

Why? Because they had given her something she never had before. A place where she felt she belonged. A place where she people actually respected her.

Tayla made her way to a nearby bench, careful to tread lightly on her bruised foot. Tayla knew pain. She could deal with pain. The disappointment though... the disappointment and... Smit...

Smit... her heart felt heavy in her chest. Why? Why should should she feel bad about him? Tayla had known that this would happen sooner or later! She knew she couldn't trust the man. Who cares that he wouldn't meet her eyes! Who cares if he sold her out!

Of course he sold her out. That was the sort of thing any sensible person would do. He didn't owe her an explanation. But then why? ... Why did it hurt so much?

Tayla saw the white haired princess. She stood there, like a shadow. The woman's image loomed over her.

'Why did you join the cult?'

"I hate you." Tayla whispered. Now, more than ever, she needed this woman to hate.

'Why did you join the cult?' She said yet again.

Talya curled her legs up onto the bench and buried her face in her arms. She hated the woman. Hated that the woman pretended to care.

---

"You're playing a dangerous game Syella." Nieffar said, a smug smile across his face. "Sending that reckless girl on a mission which as far as I can tell served no further purpose other than to give the enemy further intel on ways to fight us. You cost us believers, Syella. Sightless Vetius will be displeased."

"Why is it that you find me so intimidating, Nieffar?" Sightless Syella asked. "Is it because the followers I brought respect me while yours fear you?"

Nieffar's eye twitched at her words. However, he quickly smothered his irritation. "Syella, Syella. You don't intimidate me. I would just like to know why you feel it necessary to put this entire mission at risk. Just what exactly were you trying to achieve with all of this?"

Syella frowned, eyeing the man. "You may have been give charge over the task of converting this city, but does not mean you are privy to everything that I do." She replied.

Nieffar's expression darkened. His smile turning to a frown. "You," He said elongating his annunciation, "don't get to talk back to-"

"Would you rather I leave?" Syella continued, standing her ground. "Leave you one experienced Sightless fewer?"

The words angered Nieffar. Syella could hear the man grinding his teeth.

"They will follow me, you know? The ones I've brought over to the Insight."

"There are plenty more people in the city to fill in their ranks." Nieffar growled.

"Ah, so there are." Syella agreed. "Do you think they will turn on you too?"

Nieffar's good arm lurched. His fingers extending into sharpened tendrils ever so slightly. The Sightless stopped himself, however. He was far too aware of how a Sightless attacking one of his own would look to any onlookers.

"You know, just as well as I, that the people who attacked us weren't normal." He said.

"No, they won't." Syella agreed. "Someone planted those people in our ranks. People easy for us to overlook. Such a thing is dangerous." She did find it odd how their life essence appeared so dim. "We can't be at each other's throat with enemies like that around."

Nieffar said nothing. His angered expression turning to frustration. He knew he couldn't have her as an enemy right now, and that infuriated him.

"Someone needs to take the fall for this." Nieffar said through gritted teeth.

Syella remained quiet. She knew what this meant. It was an eventuality she had anticipated when assigning this task to Tayla.

"You're right of course." She said quietly. "Others may think the pact makers attacked us first, but the people who went with Tayla know better. We will need to put the blame for this incident on her. This way we can justify the lie."

Nieffar nodded. "Confinement." He said. Syella's expression turned grim. "We'll lock her up for a few days... Give her time to think about what she's done."

---

The cult had a ceremony of sorts that night. A ceremony that drew much of the people in town. They had food there. Food for anyone who would stay and listen to the cult's preaching.

Many played along. After all, how else would they eat? Others, however, they actually listened. At the end of the ceremony people were invited into the the Cult's makeshift church.

Those that entered join the cult's cause. Some did it out of curiosity. Others did joined for the food. Regardless of their reasons, there was one thing none of the new recruits could deny. The Cult's God had a visible presence in the world. One far more obvious than the Lord of Senses.

[13org]

Karina Frost

^{@Pezz570@Jerkchicken@Typical@Fetzen@HokumPocus@Typical}

---

Karina had a sad expression on her face as she heard Chres talking about Sil. According to him, she had only said that she couldn't come back until she 'knows'... She knew that her absence would affect the group. Her presence was, after all, one of the few things that was able to distract them and brighten up the mood.

"She is... I'll miss her antics. I hope she comes back soon." Karina said with a delicate smile to Chres.

"Perhaps not in the traditional sense of the word but yeah... They are. They have their own ideas, their own personalities and their own ways to see the world around them." she replied with a calm, understanding voice after Chres' words. Seeing how he was as he held a metal glass pendant on his hand, with a sad, distant look on his face somewhat worried Karina. More than anyone, Chres would already be used in having Sil nearby. Her antics her happy and cheerful behavior was something he knew very well... and would miss the most too.

Standing up after thanking her though, Chres handed her the metal glass pendant, mentioning something about being weighting him down. Judging by the face he did before when looking and muttering at it, it had something to do with his painful past. Karina didn't knew how to react at first, simply holding the pendant in her hands with a bewildered look on her face. She was going to ask him if he was sure about that, going on how that apparently was precious to him but the moment she looked at his face, she knew that it was something he had to do. A something he had to get rid of if he wanted to keep going forwards and not be stuck to his past.

"Thank you, Chres. Sleep well, if you need anyone to talk with, don't be shy. It is an officer's duty to take care of her subordinates isn't it?" she said with a chuckle and a discreet smirk as Chres walked away.

The night was calm and uneventful for Karina, but she did spend some time before sleeping with the pendant on her hands, looking at it and thinking about everything. Her last thoughts were about the situation in the army... About how her father and the other officers would react when they knew about everything she had to say...

[Pezzle]

Plot Point

Meanwhile...

---

Year 4256
1st day of the month Olfaccium
Mid-Summer
Nation of Sight
East of Shimmer Town - Army of Touch Encampment

Da da da dum. Da da da dum. Da da da dum.

Viktor Frost, High General of Emperor Talissare's army, drummed his fingers on the side of his war table. Idly, he contemplated the message one of his foot soldiers relayed.

That code... it was Lieutenant Frost's code for sure... A reference to Viktor's favorite Opera... The girl had gone alone, and yet the voice had been a male's. A voice that had come from nowhere. Heard, by chance, from a few soldiers.

It was a curious situation. One that begged the question, was the message really from her or some sort of elaborate trick? Either way, one thing was clear. Karina's cover was blown.

"That girl..." Viktor grumbled under his breath.

Did Lieutenant Frost understand the trouble her actions had caused? A First Lieutenant on a scouting mission?! Her actions had not only sewn discord among the Company at her command, but it also gave the wrong message to her the scouts! Did the Lieutenant not think her scouts trained well enough to perform their duty? Or was she just growing bored of her position in the army?

Or is it worse? Viktor wondered. Is she trying to earn my approval? Well, this certainly wasn't the way for her to do it.

To be honest, Viktor didn't have the luxury to single out soldiers for praise, let alone play favorites with his own daughter. Karina was a soldier. As with any soldier, he expected her to act the part. Not go out on risky ventures such as this... Although, if her message could be trusted... If what the voice spoke was truth...

"You're dismissed, soldier." Viktor said, rising to his feet. The young lad saluted and left the war tent.

Viktor sighed. In many ways, this was a bad situation. Command in disarray. Officers questioning his judgment. His daughter a possible prisoner of war... On the flip side, if the Lieutenant truly had sent that message, then perhaps he had another way he could sabotage the town's defenses.

All communication from within the city had gone dark. His contact in the city had yet to respond to his negotiations for two days. Scouts entered the city, but they didn't leave. Viktor needed this city to fully cut off supply chains from the north. What he did not need was a drawn out siege.

Shimmer Town's lake provided the city with plenty of fresh water and food. He could use that same lake as route of attack, but that would require building boats and laying waste to the city. Not to mention all the lives he might lose.

No, Viktor would much prefer that the city open its doors to his army. Hence the negotiations he'd undertaken in trying to turn a member of the city's nobility. He had initially attempted negotiations with the lord of the city. Lord O’Kal. The man however had proven... uncommunicative. Viktor had then started making contact with other nobility, until finally he got a nibble.

Viktor rubbed his chin in thought. His face rough from his stubble of a beard. Silently he strode out of the tent. He needed fresh air to help sort through his thoughts.

The sounds of the army encampment surrounded him. Officers shouting out orders. The whine of restless horses eager to run. Foot soldiers laughing and shouting over early evening fires. Soothing sounds. Calming sounds.

Viktor wandered the camp, his hands clasped behind his backs. The soldiers he passed gave mixed reactions. The mainstay troops were better trained. They would solute at his passing, the higher ranking soldiers often giving him a nod of respect. The foot soldiers, however, was comprised mostly of peasants. The ones who recognized him would pay their respects with an awkward solutes, or a bow of the head. Others would gape in awe, point at Viktor while whispering to their comrades.

"That's him, I tell you!" He heard one of them whisper as he passed. "General Frost, The Mirage. The man single-handedly stopped the raids during The War of the Crazed!"

The War of the Crazed... That brought him back. It had been a long time since his excursion into Sensory Range. A five day campaign investigating reports of raids attacking supplies caravans from The Nation of Touch.

The story the man told wasn't entirely true. Viktor hadn't ended the raids all by himself... well, at least not towards the end...

His squad had been ambushed by the Crazed. The high ranking officers killed, while remaining troops were captured and scattered. Alone and with limited rations. Viktor had to take to guerrilla warfare in order to survive.

He used The Range's network of caves as a means of hiding. Striking from the shadows at opportune moments. One by one he rescued his fellow solders and freed caravans captured by the Crazed.

None of it would have worked were it not for his illusionary magic. It had been during this excursion Viktor had been forced to push his abilities to its limits. Viktor had secured The Range through trickery. By developing mass illusions imitating squads of troops. It was this technique which had earned him his title, The Mirage. A title that unfortunately would follow him to the end of his days.

Viktor frowned. His gaze forward. His strides steady. What to do about the girl? He wondered.

The Lieutenant had been insistent they gather intelligence on The Cult. Insistent that there was reason to be concerned about The Cult recent activity. Taken by rumors of their ability to see the future and the dark powers of the ones referred to as The Sightless. A tale they spun to attract the gullible, or so Viktor always believed.

The Cult had been around for ages trying to win people over to their Unseeing God. Pointing to The Distortion as proof his existence while ignoring the flaw in that claim. If The Distortion was the touch of their god, then why could he not create its effects elsewhere? The Distortion was an enigma for sure. An act of God? Perhaps a little far-fetched.

But if a Distortion has taken the city... What does one make if it then?

The thought worried Viktor. He had figured the Lieutenant's concerns unwarranted. In the end, Viktor had tossed The Cult's recent activity as nothing more than opportunistic. A chance to add a few more believers to their numbers.

The Cult were not the people Viktor had set out to go to war with, and quite honestly he would prefer it remain that way. A war against a belief was tricky. Whereas a war against a nation can be ended by toppling its king, a war against a religion does not end with the death of their leader.

"High General Frost." Said a familiar voice. "A word, if you please."

Viktor looked up. Somehow he had found his way back to his war tent. At its flap stood Colonel Raelar holding an odd bag the size of a small melon. He had not taken well to the girl's disappearance. Her Company was a part of his command. Viktor gave the man a curt nod as he passed him by.

"Colonel Raelar." Viktor said as they entered the tent. "What have you got for me?"

"A messenger was sent by King Y’lleant." Raelar said. The man had a cold look to him. He was not one to usually mince words.

"Oh?" Viktor said. "And where is this messenger now?"

"Chained to a pole. Under watch."

Viktor parsed his lips. His eyes wandered to the bag in Raelar's hand.

"Out with it then." He said.

Raelar opened the bag. A head rolled onto the ground.

---

Da da da dum. Da da da dum. Da da da dum.

Yet again, Viktor found himself drumming his fingers upon his war table. This time for a different reason. Queen Tallea was dead. The Emperor's sister was dead! This... this was not good. The Emperor would not be happy to learn about her death.

One thing at a time. Viktor told himself.

First thing first. He needed to secure Karina's safety. He could not stop the assault on Shimmer Town now, even if the girl's message spoke truth. However, he could relay the message to her. Prepare her for the inevitable.

He would send a squad of men in to seek her out. Colonel Raelar would disapprove. As far as he was concerned, the girl should be labeled a deserter and executed. Senses knows he wasn't the only one who thought that way.

The man wasn't wrong. The girl had deserted her post. However, she may also be their best bet in securing swift victory without a prolonged siege.

He was going to have to trust the girl on this one. It was something he was not happy to admit.

[Fetzen]

Collab between DB, Ferris & Týfurkh

_{@Jerkchicken@Typical@Pezz570@HokumPocus@13org}

---

Things started to become really weird. Týfurkh remembered that a mere two, three days ago he had been nothing but a somewhat simple traveler on his way through the city. Had he decided to make a stop somewhere else -- maybe nothing would have happened and by now he'd be far away. He had not however, so now he found himself called 'pact-maker', the very word pact already implying that there was some kind of deal he would have to do something for.

Well one really couldn't say that he had not done anything the past bunch of hours. While his message from the top of the belltower might very well have reached its intended recipient those madmen around the sightless had been disturbingly fast when it came to finding them. And now he and the other pact-makers had effectively sought temporary refuge in... what was this ? It must have taken many months, if not years and a quite large workforce to dig and fortify these underground tunnels and chambers, so why did he feel rather uneasy about those Kharu-Natjer ? If anything the space they were living in indicated that they were not some kind of organization that had happened to form just with the appearance of crazy sightless and cultists, but probably had been here for much longer and had found themselves sucked into the stream of events just like he himself had.

Maybe it was the fact that warm water and fresh food seemed to be available in abundance, or maybe it were the slaves. Slavery was not something he was fond of and pretty much the only reason that had made him indirectly use their services by allowing the healers to inspect him was that any untreated injury wouldn't help them either. Týfurkh felt sorry for them and that wasn't only just because they had to get a stool to stand on in order to do the job in his case.

The man arranged priorities: Getting clean first, then eat. His long hair had degraded into a mess that was held together by dried sweat, fat and dust clinging to the previous two things. He made it quick though, merely spending a bunch of minutes on a basic cleanup using the warm water at hand before wrapping himself in simple cloth again. The fact that the wool was clinging to his prominent muscles just as much as his hair told a story about how much of a shortcut Týfurkh had taken in terms of drying himself again afterwards. At least the water wasn't dripping and he had put on the full set of clothing again. Not wearing any armor or weapon felt so refreshing given the recent events... but would he still have found that to be appropriate if he had known everything about those Kharu-Natjer ?

Still somewhat stuck in his own thoughts, Týfurkh wandered back into the dining area. With his eye focused on the delicious looking food he almost bumped into DB who appeared to have other plans than eating.

"Aren't you hungry ?"

Just as the man was preparing to leave, a semi-familiar voice made itself known. He'd turn around and look at the literal giant of a man speaking to him. "Týfurkh? I didn't notice you here. Good thing we all managed to get out together. I was worried we'd lose you to the cult after the floor gave out." He'd reply rather cordially. He'd then continue, "As for the food? I've gone without eating before and I'll endure it again. Just as I endured that cold rain. Now excuse me, I'm going to take my chances in the wilderness outside town."

"I've been lucky. By the time the bell came down I wasn't on the top level anymore, but in the staircase on my way down. Otherwise... I probably wouldn't be here."

Týfurkh seemed a little thoughtful and he indeed was. First about himself and the past events DB had just reminded him about, then about the man's statement about 'taking his chances'.

"Outside town ?" he started, his voice indicating a slight degree of bewilderment. "As far as we can know the town is still sprawling with cultists. We actually have tried to call some friends outside of the city wall to come in, so..." He sighed a little. "Don't you think that's a quite dangerous idea for a single person ? I think we should keep working together."

"Yeah you're right, you are lucky to have made it out. If you've been captured, breaking you out would've been rough after this fight." The man replied.

When Týfurkh asked him if he meant that he wanted to leave, he shot him a look. It was a mix of curiosity and incredulity. He'd reply, "Yes, I think I'll take my chances there. They're strong, but not nearly as much they want you to think. As much as I agree with you, there's no need to be here. The only use was to ally with the watch and they're destroyed. And his allies? The seasoning is a bit too heavy-handed."

The man's words ended in a curious Nation of Taste idiom whose literal meaning is how a dish with less than fresh ingredients may be heavily spiced to cover it up. But is used to refer to something being untrustworthy or suspicious. While an outsider may find the dishes of the country to be heavy in spices and seasoning, the natives make a distinction between good application of heavy seasoning and that which isn't.

Týfurkh paused for a brief, but noticeable moment as he tried to understand the meaning of the last bunch of words. He was a far cry from well versed in the Nation of Taste's specific language and oddities, but given the fact that DB did not seem to have eaten anything the phrase could impossibly refer to any actual food. The latter circumstances allowed Týfurkh to get a careful hunch.

"You don't trust them ? Well... I can't say that I'd be particularly fond of how things went either. They have slaves and a few things are astonishingly well adapted to defending against the cult. Look at all the jade candles for instance..."

The giant wasn't entirely sure if it would actually be appropriate to give DB any advices, however his conscience convinced him otherwise: He couldn't let DB go into such great peril without having told the man his own thoughts first.

"I feel uneasy as well, but for me the alternatives are the following: Either go outside and take the risk of being caught by crazy cultists or not being able to escape the magical madness they have engulfed the city in, or stay here and take the risk of being backstabbed by any ulterior motives the people here might have. I doubt though that any of those could be worse than what the cultists want to do with us, otherwise these Kharu-Natjer would already have had plenty of opportunity to either kill us or subjugate our minds. So... for me the worst thing that can happen is that we don't win, but be certainly can't lose."

Týfurkh's facial expression almost became sarcastic.

"Even if it's basically only because we're already at rock bottom."

From a side door to the dining room emerged Ferris, who’d only dropped by to keep up appearances, having all but lost his appetite the moment he’d seen the messenger. Though he’d seen worse, and though he wasn’t going to do anything to help free them, Ferris still disliked the notion. The young girl who’d delivered the message looked only a few years older than Ferris had been when he lost his father, and though she didn’t look malnourished or mistreated, she was still young enough to unsettle him. Who was to say where he’d be if he hadn’t escaped back then? There were worse fates than death, and though the Kharu-Natjer might be a fair man, Ferris figured a life of servitude to another to be more similar to death than not.

Speaking up, however, was a foolish thought he didn’t bother to entertain. Slaves existed, and the Kharu-Natjer would neither be the first nor the last person to own another. It was simply that the situation put him on edge. He’d allowed the slaves to tend to his wounds, yes, and he’d even come to see the offered food, thinking perhaps he could stomach something simple, but the sheer luxury waiting in the dining room had been enough to fully put him off.

At the main door down the hall, he spotted DB and Týfurkh, who looked to be conversing. He hadn’t spoken much to either of them, hadn’t spoken with Týfurkh at all, really, but what happened earlier in the tower had shown that both could pull their weight on the battlefield, and Ferris respected that.

“Is something the matter?” Ferris asked, approaching. He’d left his scarf in his room, leaving his face feeling a bit bare, but it made for easier conversation when others could see the entirety of his face, even if he usually kept his emotions off his face. As far as he was concerned, though, it seemed like he’d caught the beginning of some sort of discussion. ‘Heated’ was a bit strong of a descriptor, considering what he’d seen of Týfurkh's disposition, but the expression on the Hearing man’s face left room for doubt.

The man would reply to Týfurkh, “Then we’re on the same page then. I wish to do nothing for them and avoid anything that will be needed to be paid in ‘favors’. They will inconvenience us once they find our usefulness gone. And that is why I wish to leave.” It would seem that their discussion would draw the attention of the newest member of the group, Ferris.

“Not really. I’m just discussing how I plan to leave from here.” He’d say to Ferris. At this point he wondered who else was listening. Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised if they were listening in to this conversation. Frankly it didn’t bother him, as he distrust was at the level he anticipated some sort of treachery from them. And additionally, he was being much more diplomatic in how he spoke compared to how he really felt.

Týfurkh took notice of Ferris with quite significant interest. He hardly knew the man -- pretty much just like everyone else --, but he looked peculiar for a reason the giant couldn't even isolate himself right away. Then DB continued, still insisting on leaving rather sooner than later.

"Well... holding any of you back from leaving might very well be an exceedance of my competency, but I feel obliged to remind you about a few things: We went to that clocktower with the intent of sending out a message and Karina can confirm that I and her have actually succeeded in doing so just prior to the attack. This means that there's a solid chance that a lot of soldiers are on a move risking their lives in order to rescue us. What do you think you'll do to those men if they find out that those they were sent to rescue have decided to try and get out themselves not as a group, but one by one and into different directions ? In the best case any of their losses will have been unnecessary because you and whoever else decides to make a run for it now will have survived happily. In the worst case any of their losses will have been in vain because you are dead and maybe they will have spent even more lives searching for you."

Týfurkh refilled his lungs, then continued with a voice even slightly more serious than before.

"And now to 'they're weaker as you think'... Did you foresee that the cult would be in that clocktower a mere bunch of minutes after us ? Can you provide me with an explanation about how they found out about us there so quickly ? Can you give me a number about how many sightless are out there or how much more damage we would have had to inflict on that single one in order to defeat him ? And, finally, what makes you think that they'd be less capable of detecting you than they apparently were capable of detecting us as we did everything to remain hidden ? And no, 'hope' doesn't count because it can be applied to everything."

Ferris listened to Týfurkh with some amount of surprise. It seemed that DB had hit some sort of nerve, but Ferris couldn’t fault Týfurkh. He’d been the one closest to the Sightless, and he knew better than any of the group how dangerous they were. And his points were valid; the Sightless were known for their visions, and thinking they’d pass up a moment to strike was rather naive.

“I was planning on heading out too, but you’re right. The Sightless would be waiting.” Ferris looked to DB. “How about scouting the tunnels instead?” He’d passed on a guide and continued to pass on the candle holders, preferring instead to ask for the candle and walk himself to where he needed to go. However, he didn’t know the lay of the tunnels yet, and he’d been looking to rectify that.

"This rescue is going to be more of a battle with the town likely being destroyed in the process. Again, I don't want anything to do in aiding these people should there be a reconstruction. Besides look at me, you think they’re gonna about someone like me? In fact, that’s one of the reasons I think can sneak away with no one caring. A beggar like me sticks out less than someone like you or say, Karina." He’d reply.

He’d take a pause as he listened to Ferris speak. He’d then continue, “I’m not surprised they attacked us so readily. We did walk through public to a less than hidden location. And for all we know they could be launching an attack right now. Still, just because of their numbers and ability doesn’t make them all powerful. However, the illusion that they do is something they’ll wish to maintain as it gives them control without using too much effort.”

Another pause. He’d then continue looking at Ferris “Still, I think I might be getting a little ahead of myself. Perhaps there’s something to be gained here. Besides, not like I won’t be wandering them in search of an exit.”

Ferris considered DB’s point about the Sightless getting control from their caution. It was true, but he didn’t feel that he was being too cautious at the moment. Currently the group was worn out and injured, so avoiding trouble was a priority. In the future, though, he’d have to keep his caution in check since only using defensive tactics and strategies would make them easier to predict, visions or not.

“It’s settled then,” he said, nodding, then turned to Týfurkh. “Are you coming as well?” Though Ferris cared little for company, there was the matter of getting acquainted with the group. Currently, he had only made the acquaintance of Chres and Octavio, if speaking more than a few sentences counted. But, considering that the group would likely take a few more days to nurse their wounds, Ferris figured he had some time.

”I think it can’t hurt to become a little more familiar with the place we are in. I’d be eager to find out how they do some of the things they do here. And just in case things should go utterly wrong indeed…” Týfurkh didn’t actually finish his sentence, believing that it was all too obvious that he was talking about any potential escape route anyway.

”Let me just snatch up some of that food, please. I’m hungry to say the least.”

[Pezzle]

Interlude
-Collab Between Pezz570 and 13Org-

Karina Frost

@13org

---

View Post

Year 4256
2nd day of the month of Olfaccium
Early Morning

Business had been bad for Delvin, the Familiarist. Before the war, his shop had sold least two familiars a week from people all over the land. He had even had nice renting business going on, where less wealthy people could rent out a familiar for their kids or what not.

On the back end of things, he used his magical talents to create traps which he sold on to mercenaries and the like. The first purchase always cost the most, however the beads of glass he sold them were reusable. And for that reason, he had a steady stream of mercenaries always coming back. Paying him to recharge their traps.

Yes business had been good. So good in fact that he even had started hiring staff to assist with customers while he was busy working.

Then the war began and his big money makers, the Familiars, sold much less often. The mercenaries still gave him business, yes, but it was barely enough to stay afloat. Expenses had been tight. He had been considering letting his staff go... and now... They were dead...

Delvin shivered, trying not to think of the day the city went mad. An itch crawled up the back of his neck.

It wasn't my fault He told himself. It wasn't my fault...

A slight breeze snapped him out of his thoughts. Delvin looked up from the counter. A young girl with white hair had opened the door to his shop.

"Why hello, my dear!" Delvin said. The man put on a friendly smile. "Please please, come on in!"

After receiving the small locket from Chres, she did try to search and ask around for what it was. Judging by how Chres himself had reacted when holding and looking to it, it probably had some sentimental value to him... Even if he wanted to get rid of whatever that meant.
She did found out after a while that it was made of metal glass, used to make familiars such as Sil and Lynx. While it did made Karina quite surprised, she knew next to nothing about those nor where she could use it. If it wasn't for someone telling her to search for Delvin, the Familiarist and his shop, she would probably had just put it into her pocket and forgotten about it.

It did take her a bit to find Delvin's shop as most of the landmarks and reference points on maps and such were either unrecognizable or just destroyed. After finally finding it, she opened the door, looking inside. Even though she had quite a presence, it was clear due how she was looking at everything that she was both curious and didn't know much about familiars and that kind of stuff.

After being greeted by the shopkeeper, whom Karina assumed it would be Delvin himself, she replied with a silent and simple, but polite greeting before walking up to the counter and delicately putting the metal glass locket on top of the table.

"I... received this from someone." Karina said as she started to explain.

"I didn't know what it was at first and honestly... All I know now is that it's made from metal glass and it's used to make familiars." she continued.

It was clear to the shopkeeper that she was a bit embarrassed of being there and talking about the pendant. The reason for that, even though he didn't know was that Karina believed that such things, familiars, were luxury. Stuff that nobles and wealthy people who never lifted a finger in their whole lives to earn what they had used to like. Being there was rather... Awkward for her. About as awkward as it would be if she somehow encountered an officer from the army that knew her when she was eating ice cream and wearing a cute summer dress instead of her formal and serious officer uniform.

Delvin raised the pendent to his eye checking to see if it was real. "This is quite a piece... Not to mention its a blank slate. Nothing on it at all... and someone just gave this to you?"

The shopkeep placed the pendent back on the counter and pushed it towards Karina.

"I'm sorry, lass." He sighed. "I can't buy this from you. I'm barely making enough money these days to keep myself afloat. If you need food, The Cul- uh- Clan has been giving free food out to everyone. Who knows. Maybe they'll even give you a job."

Delvin gave the girl a friendly nod. He began to turn towards his workshop, expecting that to be the end of the conversation.

Karina was surprised when she heard that the piece was actually valuable. According to Delvin's words, not only the piece itself was valuable but being completely empty also added to it's value. That even more made her wonder why Chres gave it to her... The moment the shopkeeper mentioned, or better, began mentioning the cult before he hesitated, Karina's expression immediately changed as she looked at him with a sharp, surprisingly intimidating sight before her expression returned to normal again. Not much was needed for Delvin to realize that Karina wasn't really that fond of the cult. The only thing that probably saved him from being questioned and meeting the Officer Karina instead of the girl was the fact that he was going to call it the Cult and only did the opposite in order to protect himself.

"The cult." She said, correcting Delvin with a sharp tone before going back to normal.

"I didn't know it was this valuable but... I'm not here to sell it." she said, lowering her voice almost as if embarassed in what she was about to say.

"... A familiar..." she said in a lower tone.

Delvin froze. A familiar? A customer?! She seemed to not like him calling them The Clan... And the comment he gave her about finding a job. Delvin winced.

Everything's fine. He told himself. I can fix this!

Delvin spun back around, his smile returning. "I'm so sorry, my dear. The way you came in here all nervous and what not. I just assumed... But no, no! Of course you came here for a familiar! Ah yes, I see now!"

The shopkeep reached back out for the pendent, raising it back up to his eye. This time he looked at the item with curiosity. His thumb and forefinger rubbing his chin as if in thought.

"Yes, my dear, you were right to come to me for the job. This, you see, is quite a delicate piece to work with. It will take skill and mastery to make a familiar suitable for a gem such as this! Of course it will cost you a coin or two. I'm afraid new creations do take up much time and work."

Delvin eyed the girl expectantly. "You did come here with money, I presume?" No point in going any further if his customer didn't have the means to pay.

Karina listened to him talking, albeit with a skeptical look. While she was interested in that familiar thing, she did know he was a salesman and all the times he called her 'dear' was a clear indication that he had his salesman's smile on.

"I do have some coin now. It's not much, seeing how the city is at the moment but I'll receive some more tomorrow. I could pay half now and half tomorrow. You said it would take some time to get the job done, right?" Karina asked after she heard his question and saw his eyes, the eyes of someone who did like money quite a bit.

"I also don't plan to use it in a necklace so if you could turn it into a brooch, you could keep the necklace..." Karina said as she looked at the man with sharp eyes, watching his reaction to the little offer she was making.

The man's smile waned just a smidge but quickly covered it up. He preferred she keep the necklace, otherwise she would have room to bargain.

"Half now, half later is perfectly fine, my dear. I recall doing much the same when hiring the carpenter who built my shop! 'No way I'll pay you all up front now!', I thought. After all what if he did a poor job? Are you sure, though, you want to go with a brooch? All my brooches are quite simple. They won't look anywhere near as lovely as this fine necklace here."

"Great, that works fine." Karina replied, with a satisfied nod as she heard Delvin.

When he mentioned that she might wanted to keep the necklace though, she thought about it for a bit. A brooch was discreet, but it could fall easily in the middle of combat meanwhile a necklace would be safer, especially if she wore beneath her shirt or kept it in a shorter chain. Plus it could be used if she wore more casual or even formal clothes instead of her military uniform.

"Keep it in a necklace then. It will probably work better than a brooch when I'm moving around." Karina said.

Delvin smiled. "Yes, yes. That is a wise choice."

"Regarding the... familiar... itself, how would it work?" she asked, a bit awkwardly though, indicating that she had no knowledge about familiars at all.

"It's rather simple, actually. The piece of metal glass associated with a familiar absorbs up the light around it. Leave it in the light long enough, and it will have enough to sustain your familiar about 2 days. Leave it in the dark too long and your familiar will fade away until it gets a new source of light."

"Then there's the bond." The man continued. "One drop of blood is what it will take. The metal glass will soak up you blood and bond you to your familiar."

Karina heard, curious as Delvin explained how familiars worked. Since she had never had one nor bothered to learn more about them, everything he was saying was new to her, especially how the familiars worked with light, having to absorb light to work. That said, leaving it in the dark for a long time would mean the familiar itself fading until a new source of light was provided.

"By fade away... What do you mean? Do they cease to exist completely?" she asked, thinking about Sil and how she flew away and didn't come back until now.

"The familiars I've interacted with recently were very... complex. Almost like real people with their own thoughts." Karina said with a thoughtful expression. Even though she didn't make a question regarding that, it was clear for Delvin that she was having troubles to understand what Familiars really were. They acted and talked like real people but they were artificially made as far as she could tell.

"Like people?!" Delvin bellowed out a deep laugh. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to laugh." The man said wiping away a tear. "Familiars aren't people lass, no matter how much they act like one. They don't hurt, they don't hunger... unless of course you decide to add traits in which imitate such feelings... But no, Familiar's aren't people. Just magical companions. They come right back once you turn the lights back on. All memories in tact. Even if you die, they will still exist. The bond will break, yes. They will fade away in about three days, sure. Bond it to another, though, and it will come right back."

Karina's question was serious, even if it sounded naive for someone that knew more about familiars than she did. For that reason, when Delvin laughed, she couldn't help but feel insulted and embarrassed, which immediately was shown by her sharp, icy cold stare towards Delvin. Even though she choose to stay silent, it wasn't any secret that she wasn't happy. Even the air around her gave the impression of being a little bit colder than normal.

Delvin shivered. "Is it me or did it just get colder in here? The weather must have gone crazy with the sky... Oh, no matter, no matter" The shopkeep smiled bemused, complete unaware of Karina's displeasure. "Come." He said, walking from the counter. "I'll walk you through the process of creating your little companion."

Delvin waved Karina over to a display, with several glass marbles, set up on the side. "The process requires a bit of back and forth. You give me an idea of what you want and I go and design a prototype of sorts to give you an idea of what you'll get. You can request it to have certain traits, behaviors, looks, and even a changeable form... But I think I have a good idea of where to start with you."

Delvin grabbed a glass marble in a pile marked F-B. "Now these here are simple illusions I've designed to give us a place to start. It is important to remember that these illusions are not the real thing. It is a prototype only."

Delvin raised the marble up to the light. "This one, right here, has been a popular starting place for many a young lass your age."

The air around the marble began to darken as it drank in the light as the illusion began to appear. Suddenly, a fluffy bunny with wings, materialized in the air. The bunny landed delicately unto Karina's right shoulder and rubbed its head lovingly against her cheek.

"We also have puppies, kittens and-"

When Delvin mentioned that she would have to give him an idea of what to do, Karina simply frowned her eyebrows. She had absolutely no idea of what form she wanted for her familiar. Before she could say anything though, Delvin mentioned that he knew exactly the type of familiar that would be perfect for her. When he showed her a cute bunny that landed on her right shoulder, Karina seemed to stop for a bit, surprised. Even though the bunny was undeniably cute, it certainly wasn't something that would fit with her. The fact that Delvin showed that bunny to her could only be seen by Karina as an insult. That coupled with the fact that he had called her 'young lass', assuming her age made her mood even worse. What seemed to be just an impression of a cold air current around her became impossible to dismiss as anything other than reality as she gave a step towards Delvin.

"Enough. You aren't taking me seriously." Karina said, with a piercing stare.

Delvin's back stiffened as realization of the type of person he was dealing with began washing over him.

"I-" He started.

"You didn't need to laugh at my question just because I am not that knowledgeable about familiars. Not only that but now you are assuming I'm a naive, young little girl... My patience has limits." she said, with her voice lowering to a dangerous tone as she looked at Delvin.

The man's friendly expression began to falter.

"You are not giving me the respect I demand." she said, in a sudden authoritative voice that didn't seem to belong to such a delicate and petite girl like Karina.

Delvin blinked. He became far too aware of the icy chill in the air. "R-respect..." He stuttered. "Right..."

"I am not a naive little girl. Despite my appearance and my tastes, I know very well how to take care of myself." She said, still looking directly at Delvin

The man forced a smile back on his face, but his expression had clearly soured. "My apologies, madam. Shouldn't have assumed... Been awhile since- But no matter... I realize now that such a design would be distasteful for a gir- woman- such as yourself."

"It's fine. As long as you treat me seriously, we won't have further problems." Karina said, as the room began to go back to it's normal temperature and her expression gradually returning to normal.

The shopkeep dismissed the bunny and placed the marble off to the side. "Come." He said, moving towards the room behind the counter. "Best if we do this in the workshop."

By this point, Delvin had completely collected himself. "So what kind of familiar are you thinking of? Humanoid? Animal-like? Male? Female? Beastly?" He said the last option as smoothly as the rest. Making it sound like a question he would ask any customer asking for his service.

Following him again as he entered the workshop, Karina's stare as she looked around after entering the workshop betrayed her curiosity despite her serious expression and what had just happened. It did take a moment until she was able to calm herself again and return to how she was before though.

"Honestly... I have no idea. I never had a familiar, nor was interested in one until I received that locket. My interests were definitely... sharper and more dangerous than that." Karina said as Delvin asked which type of familiar she was thinking about.

"I've recently met a familiar that is a silver lynx while the other is a small fairy, so I know that they can have the most varied forms and appearances but I never thought about having a familiar..." Karina continued, clearly trying to think about what appearance she wanted for her familiar.

"I... May like cute things but not overly cute... It would only make it even harder for others to take me seriously..." she began saying, hesitating a bit when she said she might like cute things but clearly using Delvin as an example when she mentioned others not taking her seriously.

"I don't have a preference between humanoid or not, nor it's gender." she said. Ironically enough, despite everything that she had said, she gave almost nothing for Delvin to work with.

Delvin nodded as she spoke, doing his best to hide his soured mood. The man quickly realized he wasn't going to get anything useful out of the girl. Though the part about not wanting to make it harder for others to take her seriously was interesting. He could do something with that...

The shopkeeper's smile broadened. An idea beginning to form...

"If you want others to take you seriously, then I advise you go small. A creature like a lynx? No... you'll be over compensating. We can make it smaller, but then it will be more of a joke. Smaller critters won't do you much better. Birds? Overdone. I say we go humanoid. Toss in some animal characteristics for flair."

Delvin pulled a small sheet of glass and a few marbles from the shelf. He place the sheet of glass on the table and let it drink in the light. A gender-less humanoid figure appeared hovering above it.

"Let's start with the additions..."

One at a time he touched the marbles to the glass sheet. Transferring their contents over. A fox tail appeared on the figure along with a pair of devilish horns.

Karina listened to Delvin's reasoning nodding from time to time as he continued with his logic. Indeed, something big would be seen as overcompensating, which could lead to problems while little things would only reaffirm the stereotype others had of her. As he mentioned humanoid with animal characteristics, Karina watched in silence as he grabbed a few marbles and a sheet of glass from the shelf, putting on the table making a gender-less humanoid figure appear, hovering above it.

Even though Karina had seen similar things being done before by her father, it was her first time seeing the process of making a familiar, the sheet of glass, the marbles and how they worked were something new for her, which made her watch the entire process curiously.

"I liked the horns. They look like those Onis from the far east culture." Karina mentioned as she watched the figure hovering above.

"Regarding it's size, are you thinking of making it similar to a normal person?" she asked, clearly interested in the creation process of the familiar.

Delvin shook his head. "Make it large and we'll have the same problem. Not to mention people might feel wary of a familiar that is too human. Best to make it small. Similar in size to the fairy familiar you saw. The key here will be its personality. Best if we give it a personality much like your own."

"Hm... I agree, although a fairy would be rather small wouldn't it? Giving it the same size of a child would work too, wouldn't it?" Karina asked, replying to Delvin before realizing the last few words that he said, which made her raise an eyebrow, looking at him with a sharp stare.

"And what would you mean by 'a personality like my own'?" she asked, looking right at Delvin. Even though it wasn't nearly as bad as how she reacted before, it was still as if Delvin began touching into something that he shouldn't have.

"My appologies." He said, giving Karina a friendly smile. "Didn't mean to touch a nerve. I simply mean we should make it decisive. Direct. Observant... Capable." Delvin's smile widened ever so slightly as he mentioned the last trait.

Delvin grabbed another glass marble from the shelf and added it to the light construct. The figure grew to the size of a tiny child.

"I take it you are not a fan of the tail." He said, transferring the trait to an empty glass marble. He set the marble aside as the tail disappeared from the light construct.

Karina nodded with a somewhat satisfied expression as Delvin explained what he meant by giving the familiar a personality similar to hers. Indeed it would be good to have a familiar that was as capable as she was, using the very same word Delvin used.

"I see. It would be good to have a familiar similar to myself in these aspects." she said, nodding with a discreet but satisfied expression. Delvin's smile broadened.

"The tail indeed looked a bit too... showy.." she said, agreeing with Delvin as he took the tail away from the prototype, definitely thinking it looked better without the tail.

Delvin nodded. "Now," He said. "let's move onto the physical details..."

The process continued, much like that. Delvin would add details here, and remove others there. Occasionally, he would take out a fresh sheet of glass and transfer the figure onto it.

"Mustn't let it sit too long on a single slate." He would explain. "Else we risk the magic running out and all our work lost."

He began to add body features, facial features, garments and more. "Yes yes." He started to say. "I think we just about have something which will match you well."

He added another feature, as he finished his words. Suddenly the figure turned into a ghastly beast.

"Whoops. Sorry sorry." He said, while making sure to wince. He quickly removed the beastly features. "My mistake. Picked the wrong marble, you see." He replaced the marble with another. This one adding some color to the hair.

They then moved onto behaviors such as movement, mannerisms and how much or how little it obeyed the laws of physics. Time dragged on. The sun rose higher. Finally, just before midday, Delvin looked up from his work and smiled.

"So," He said. "What do you think?"

Karina continued watching carefully as Delvin grabbed one marble after another, adding detail by detail on the previously gender-less and featureless humanoid figure, slowly giving it life and making it unique. It was easy to see that he was indeed experienced in that kind of stuff, despite the few mistakes, like when he used the wrong marble, it was still very interesting to watch.

From clothes, accessories and even the color of it's hair, the familiar soon was a completely unique one, with almost nothing but the humanoid shape resembling the gender-less figure he first showed to her as a starting point. Karina didn't even realize the time passing as they continued adding things to the familiar. When they were finally done, it was already near midday.

"It is fantastic. The process itself, I mean. It's nothing like the first model you showed." Karina said, inspecting the completed familiar, hovering above the glass sheet in front of them.

"I liked her. She is very unique." she finished, with a discreet but easily perceivable smile on her face.

"Indeed." He said with a smile. "Very unique. Out of all the familiars I've created, I suspect this one will be quite... awe-inspiring."

Delvin took another blank slate of glass and transferred the familiar's traits onto it. This time, though, he did not let the construct take form. Instead, he carefully placed the glass sheet into a padded pouch.

"Now," He said. "In regards to payment..."

"Oh, of course." Karina replied as Delvin mentioned the payment, taking the money from one of her pockets and handing to Delvin.

"The agreement was half now and half later, right? I can deliver it to you tomorrow after I'm done with that small job I told you about earlier. By then, it should be already done and ready for me to take it, right?" she asked, looking to Delvin as she watched him putting the slate, now with the familiar traits on it, to a padded pouch.

Delvin graciously took the coin and nodded. "Should be plenty of time. I'll begin work immediately."

[HokumPocus]

INTERLUDE

_{Year 4256
2nd day of the month of Olfaccium
Morning
Svephraey + Octavio}

---

Octavio strode through the halls that connected the dungeon's chambers, his gloved index finger brushing past the length of the stone wall as he moved. Though initially an earnest attempt to use its texture to avoid getting lost, he'd gradually grown bored. He saw no reason to continue acting as if this situation was any different from his encounter with the Mysterious Stranger. If either of the powerful men had wanted him dead, then there would be no obstacles in their way. While his first encounter of that nature had left him feeling frustrated and powerless, he now felt a kind of disinterested respect. There were far more important things to worry about than the intentions of men who insisted on shrouding themselves in mystery.

His movements came to a halt. "An indent, interesting."

His finger traced the circumference of a small concave bump in the wall. He withdrew a small knife to carve out a marker, but thought better of it. There was no way to know the extent of the Kharu-Natjer's power, and he wasn't about to vandalize his home. He chuckled. In the absence of his companion, it was a lot harder to make civilized decisions.

"Little runt, little runt. Not like the other pups." A female's voice purred from the tunnel's depths. There, where light met shadow, sat Svephraey, scraping at the floor with a needle like dagger.

Eyes towards the ground, she continued her chant. "Begs for food. Begs for love. Never did it find a one." Her words came rhythmically. They hung in the air much like a melody. "Alone, it wandered to and fro. Till, one day... it met another..."

A pebble leapt from the ground. Chipped away by Svephraey's dagger. The woman ceased her scrapping. Her weapon hand relaxed. Slowly Svephraey's gaze wandered upward. Her eyes meeting Octavio's expectantly.

"Tell me, love." The woman said. "What happened then?"

A sudden noise made Octavio turn. Through the eerie glow of the jade torches he made out the rough shape of a person, a shape that moved bit by bit as it carved the ground with a dagger. He cursed himself for having carelessly assumed the Kharu-Natjer’s territory would have been free of threats outside the man himself. As the sound of metal scraping against stone rattled in his skull, he realized that just because the man saw use in keeping him alive it didn’t mean he’d be under his protection. What general or king hadn’t waved away the lives of his inferiors without as much as a blink of the eye?

She chanted, or at least seemed to recite, a verse about a lost animal, and although there was no way a reasonable man would arrive to the conclusion, he knew on an instinctual level it was about him.

“What an interesting little chant,” he mused, eyes drifting towards the miserable sources of light around them, “do you by any chance remember who taught you that?” In the past, he’d had conversations with individuals who had blades pressed against his throat. Despite the distance between them, the encounter felt similar.

Svephraey cocked her head. Her expression unchanging... or at least as far as anyone could tell. The exaggerated turtleneck made reading her expression quite difficult, as the only thing left visible were her eyes.

The woman gave the man a shrug. Slowly, she rose from the ground. Her dagger vanishing beneath the folds of her sleeve with a flick of the wrist.

"Just a story my mother told." She said. "Her stories never did end... pleasantly..."

A part of him wanted to let out a fabricated chuckle, or even a grin to ease the oppressive tension that permeated the chamber, but it was hard to gauge what was appropriate given the woman's obscured expressions. At least withdrawing her dagger meant he wasn't a target. For now.

"Ah, well they say every story is either a tragedy or a comedy. I myself always preferred the latter, in my youth as an actor." His shoulder leaned against the stone, the rest of his body softening in response.

Amused by Octavio's words, Svephraey's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Smooth words, fine garments, a fear of tragedies and..." Svephraey's eyes wandered to Octavio's many rings. "a taste for shiny accessories... Yes... an actor indeed..."

Svephraey slowly approached Octavio. Her steps so light and delicate, it made her appear to glide across the floor in the dim light. "Be honest now, love." The woman said. "Did you steal your pet the way you stole the cloth on your back?"

It wasn't the first time he'd been correctly accused of having stolen his garments. But those other incidents had been after copious amounts of alcohol or the failure to latch on to some trend among nobles. All of this was information she could possibly have no way of knowing, information she laid out on display as part of some attempt to cut him down to size.

He was really starting to miss the good old days of just stealing.

"Ah, you mean Lynx..."

He was becoming aware of how uncomfortable the rough stone against his body felt, a pressure that prickled against his skin through the stolen cloth. "Calling him a pet is a disservice to his capabilities. A fine young man, once you look past the four paws." As strange as it felt to defend Lynx, the words flowed out of him effortlessly.

"My-my, you are an amusing one..." Svephraey replied, her eyebrows rising just a hint. She raised her arm to her side, letting her fingers brush against the stone wall as she drew ever closer.

"It followed the other. A runt much like itself." Svephraey continued her chant. "From here to there, it didn't matter where. Learn, it did, from the other's ways. To survive, to hunt, wherever it stayed. Some lessons, though, did allude. Trust. Friendship. A heart left askew."

Svephraey's steps came to a pause, positioning her just in front of Octavio. Her gaze seemed to intensify as her chant cut off. "Talon spoke of your Familiar's delusions of self-importance. He did not mention you encouraged its behavior." Svephraey's eyes almost seemed to twinkle in amusement. "Funny, I would almost believe that you're the pet and it the master."

Svephraey paused, tilting her head as she regarded Octavio with curiosity. "A dangerous thing, love," She started, her voice just above a whisper, "when a pet becomes the master. You walk that same line the other did. A line so fine it leaves no sign..."

As she drew nearer he didn't budge. It was clear she was looking to toy with him, and he wasn't going to squirm that easily. "It's not pets and masters, it's two allies, each helping the other. Unless... you see all relationships that way?" He let the words hang in the stagnant air.

The corners of Svephraey's eyes appeared to rise almost as if she were smiling. "When you do what I do, you have no choice but to view all relationships with a healthy dose of skepticism. Else one day you'll find yourself alone. Bleeding out. Left to die..." Svephraey hesitated. Her gaze grew distant. "Sometimes, it's best to cut away others before they cut away you..."

A knot formed in Octavio’s throat. This is how I sound like to other people. The man who had once proudly proclaimed himself to be ruled by no one, coming and going wherever whenever. The man who had managed to ruin every inkling of a relationship with others, who ran before he could ever face anything approximating a consequence for his actions. “That’s not… right." His words caused Svephraey to raise an eyebrow, skeptically.

He couldn’t believe he was hesitating, but he couldn’t think of any suitable retort either. His experiences within his current party and his past both raged in his mind, images that contradicted one another. For the past few days he had been on the edge, and Svephraey was pushing him.

“Who are you?”

The woman eyed Octavio. "Just someone capable of filling in the blanks." She said coyly. Her gaze turned toward one of the nearby crystal jade candles. Slowly, she strode toward it.

"The story... it ends with the other realizing it outgrew the runt. But the other couldn't just let the runt go. So it did the only sensible thing... It bared its fangs on the little runt."

"The other devises a plan to trick the runt." She continued. "It kills a sickly boar and invites the runt to feast. Eating the boar would surely leave the runt weakened. It would be then that the other would come in with the killing blow."

"But the runt saw through the facade and found a weasel to bring to the feast. A weasel with quite the bite. Just right to set upon the other before it makes its strike."

Svephraey stopped in front of the candle. Her story ending much like it started. Silence.

Reaching out, Svephraey took the crystal jade candle and turned it in her hand. "A tragedy, much to your dislike." She said in a hushed tone. "Two companions turned enemies... On the bright side, the little runt does escape with its life... But one does wonder... Why did the other bare its fangs upon the runt?"

"Because there was distrust. And ignorance. Had they been civilized little animals," his eyes followed the taken candle, "then they would have known that cooperation is the wisest choice. It's why we're the civilized species." The wording. I'm going to come to regret that.

He felt like an idiot, to say the least. The story was intended to be a parallel to his own experiences and an invitation for them to be dissected, and he'd chosen to take the coward's way out and criticize it in the literal sense. A younger Octavio would have considered that a victory, but he couldn't help but desire more, more than to simply be content with never truly understanding a problem before running away from it.

"Civilized? Us?" Svephraey said. "That there is the real comedy. Cooperation? We cooperate only for as long as it serves us. In the end, no matter how much we pretend, our species is no different."

Svephraey paid the man a sidelong glance before tossing him the crystal jade candle. "Tell me, love. What do you see when you look at the crystal?"

Being with Lynx had helped Octavio in a number of ways. With their combined efforts, it had been far easier to determine crucial information, from the layouts of buildings to what a target's favorite color was. But exclusively targeting the emotionally vulnerable had come at the cost of dulling him. Against the woman's sharp wit, he found himself at a loss for words once more. Had this been a physical battle, he would have been scrambling from cover to cover, none of it working. He had to think harder, the way his younger self would before growing comfortable in the world of false luxury.

She wants me to agree with her. But why? She's stalking around a dark tunnel. And based on a handful of her earlier statements it wouldn't be wrong to assume she believes most of the ideas coming out of her mouth. He refused to let himself lapse into thinking about escape.

The candle, for lack of a better term, glowed in the palms of his hands. A symbol of hope. But that wouldn't be the "correct" answer. No. What did the candle really represent? The answer came to him quickly, much to his distaste. "The lack of cooperation. The sacrifice of hundreds of lives, of those who would never be able to receive the light to protect them." The fingers of his right hand stretched around it, gradually smothering the glow in streaks of pitch black. His eyes remained on the green energy, however. "But that wouldn't be right, would it? There are people willing to band together to stop the madness tearing at this world, willing to give their lives for it."

Svephraey gave the man a bored sounding clap. "Very deep. Very drawl." She lamented. "Is he a philosopher or a thief?" She wondered aloud. "Or just very good at putting a woman to sleep?"

With a shrug, Svephraey turned and proceeded to lazily stroll down the tunnel's length.

"People band together only when madness threatens their comfortable way of life. Much like that mismash of friends of yours." She said jeeringly. "Come, Love. You think you will all be sticking together once this fight is over, do you? No... You know better than that. They will all split up. Each of you going your separate ways."

Svephraey stopped her stroll in front of another crystal. "You know what I see when looking upon a crystal?" She asked. She didn't bother to wait for an answer. "When I stare into that greenish glow... I see a profit..."

The woman stared into the eerie light. It shine gave her a wolfish look. "Yes," She continued. "A Profit. One made by trafficking large quantities of crystal across the border."

She nodded to herself as if coming to a decision on something. "Yes..." She said. "If things go poorly here, that is what I shall do."

The woman raised her gaze back to Octavio. "When the dogs can no longer hide among the shadows, they will pay a lofty sum of coin to have tools like this in hand."

"And here I thought we were having an interesting conversation about society." He rested a hand on one of his hips. "It was about me this whole time?" A chuckle left his lips, as if they were both in on some sort of joke. "While I can't say I'm confident my allies and I will even survive this, cooperation is what's kept us from anything grisly so far. I'd even go as far as to say I've befriended some of them."

His attempts at unearthing her motivations hadn't given him the success he was hoping for. The answer ended up being the most obvious option, what every man toiled and yearned for most in life. Or at least as much as love, but Octavio had no respect for those who thought that way. "I was finally beginning to enjoy myself. Then you had to go and make it all about money."

It really was like trying to have a conversation with another him. One that hadn't been humbled by mortal combat and beings that skirted the line between human and not. Judging solely by appearances, she definitely seemed to be someone who could hold their own in combat. He mused how likely it was that he would have turned out the same had he put more effort into training. Why am I feeling jealous again? First that one stranger who dragged me into this mess, and now her.

"Is stalking around dark tunnels related to your plan?"

"Of course," She said smoothly. "After all, it's never been about the money, love."

Svephraey flicked her wrist. Her needle-like dagger reappeared in her hand. "It's always been about staying on top."

Svephraey spun quickly. With a yell, she swung her blade with all her might into the nearby crystal jade candle. To the candle holder's credit, the candle stayed in the structure. The structure, of course, unharmed. The candle, however, didn't fare as well. Where her blow landed, a few tiny white cracks spread out like a web.

Svephraey cocked her head. Her dagger already having disappeared back beneath her sleeve. "Sturdier than I thought." She said.

With a shrug, Svephraey let the candle be and retreated back towards the shadows. However, upon reaching the shadow's edge, she came to a halt.

"You know," She said, looking over her shoulder. "I suppose, in a way, the runt wasn't actually a runt after all... Funny, isn't it? How sometimes a tragedy and a comedy can be one in the same."

His eyes followed the spider web of cracks along the crystal in a way that suggested he knew how valuable they were. They were, of course, responsible for having saved him and his party’s lives repeatedly. But he now knew that Kheru-Natjer was more lax about his property than he assumed. Unless Svephraey was important enough to where an act like this was permissible?

Staying on top. Survival. They were on the same page now, at least. It had taken some time for both Lynx and him to grow accustomed to cooperating with others, yet survival hadn’t wavered as their ultimate goal in mind. He approached the cracked crystal and traced the white lines on its surface, his index finger traversing their paths like an explorer inside of a labyrinth, only barely avoiding one dead end after another.

“Who knows? We’ve yet to find out,” he said, as much as to himself as to her.

The corners of her eyes appeared to rise as if she were smiling. “Farewell, love. I imagine we will be seeing each other much more often in the future.” She said, disappearing into the shadows. “... Unless, of course, she gets revenge before we get the chance…”

It felt like a heavy blow aimed at his chest. He was certain he was on the edge of keeling over.

Ophelia was coming.

[Pezzle]

Interlude
-Collab Between Pezz570 and 13Org-

Karina Frost
Chres Sansus

@13org

---

View Post

Year 4256
2nd day of the month of Olfaccium
Night

Chres sat atop a cushion in the shared living space provided for them in the tunnel. He gently massaged his feet, watching Sil zip around the room 'ooing' and 'awing' at every little thing she saw. It had been a long day of searching around the town. The lake should have been the first place he searched. Of course she had been at the lake.

"Look, Chres!" Sil said, pointing to the sleeping quarters. "More caves!"

Chres smiled softly in response.

"Can I take a look?" She asked.

"So long as you don't touch anything." Chres replied.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..." She hummed, a finger to her lips. "Guess I'll just have to kick things instead."

"That's-" Chres started, but she was already gone.

Chres sighed. His smile fading. Everything had gone back to normal, it seemed. So then why hadn't the dark cloud faded?

It was a stupid question. One he already knew the answer too. He pulled out his flask of flavored water and took a sip.

Having spent most of the day dealing with Delvin in the Familiar shop, Karina went back to the tunnel when it was already late. As she headed towards the shared space that they were using to stay at the tunnel, she met Chres, sitting atop of a cushion and calmly drinking the water he kept inside his flask. Judging by the smile he had on his face, he was much better than he was yesterday when they talked.

"Hey Chres. You look better. Were you able to find Sil?" Karina asked as she walked into the room, picking a cushion at random and sitting down.

Truth be told, Karina liked the small familiar and hoped she was back, especially since Chres did seem to need her around him.

A loud shattering sound came from the room Sil was 'exploring'. "Hey look!" He heard her say. "I made a puzzle!"

Chres winced. "Certainly sounds like she is." He replied to Karina's question.

He took another sip from his flask and glanced over at the young woman. She always seemed poised and in control.

"Come to check on your 'subordinate', have you?" He asked, referencing her comment from the night before. He gave her a hint of a smile. His brow raised in amusement.

Karina couldn't help but to chuckle when she heard Chres' comment, mentioning how she called him his 'subordinate' the other night.

"You should be glad for having such a good and attentive superior to take care of you, you know?" she replied with a chuckle and a discreet smile.

"Happy to see that you're feeling better, Chres." Karina said with a honest smile.

Just after she finished saying that though, she heard a loud shattering noise and a very familiar voice coming from the other room.

"Sil does seem to be way better too." Karina asked, laughing as she heard the noise, happy that Sil was back with her antics.

Right... Chres thought. I'm supposed to be better now...

Chres smiled, regardless of his thoughts. "She seems to have reached some sort of middle ground in what she was concerned about." Chres said. "Or, more likely, just got distracted."

Another crash came from the room. Chres sighed, smile fading. He knew he was going to have to clean Sil's mess up later.

"So," He said. "What have you been up to all day?"

"Anyway, it's good to see she's back to her normal self." Karina replied, chuckling lightly as she heard another crash from the room Sil was.

When Chres asked what she did, she remembered Delvin in the familiar store and her request to have a familiar for herself.

"I... I may have visited the familiar store and ordered something..." Karina said, looking away for a moment.

Chres felt his heart sink. "Oh..." He said.

'Oh...'? He thought. I gave it to her, didn't I? Told her to do what she pleased with it, didn't I?

Karina felt the change in Chres' tone as she mentioned that she went to the familiar store. Maybe even though he gave the locket to her, she shouldn't have used it... Chres didn't exactly say anything about what it was and what he wanted her to make with it. At least for Karina, it sounded like he wanted to get rid of the locket.

"I'm sorry... I thought you wanted to get rid of the locket and... Well... Selling it didn't seem to be the right thing to do so..." Karina said, hesitating as she tried to explain herself.

"I'm sorry. It's fine. It's just that... " Chres shook his head and refocused his attention on Karina. She... she wasn't embarrassed, was she? That seemed out of character...

"What do you mean you 'may' have?" He asked, emphasizing the 'may' part of his question.

"Ok. I did go to the familiar store and got myself a familiar..." Karina said, sighing as she admitted.

"I always thought of familiars as luxuries, things that nobles and rich girls would have. Until I met Sil and Lynx, that is..." she explained, clarifying to Chres why she was a bit embarrassed to admit that she indeed ordered a familiar for herself.

Chres smiled with amusement. "I see. Well, for your sake, I hope you didn't request another one of her." He said nodding over to the room where Sil entered.

Karina couldn't help but laugh at Chres' statement. Another Sil would be... interesting to say the least. Incredibly troublesome and tiring but interesting.

"I was going to say she's not that bad but she's broken at least two things in that room already, right?" she asked, laughing.

"The way she speaks about it too. 'Making puzzles.' I guess she's not entirely wrong though." Karina continued laughing.

"Aaaaaaah, but can you put it back together though?" He smirked while tapping his cheek.

"I would like to see her try though. It would certainly be amusing." Karina replied with a smile. Truth be told, Sil was quite of a handful with her antics but she indeed helped a lot regarding keeping the morale high due to how cheerful she was.

This time Chres gave an honest smile. "Yes..." He said. "I suppose it would be."

He watched as Sil zipped out of one room and into another. It felt odd to give an honest smile after so long. Was it okay to smile after what he'd done? The question from the previous night lingered in the back of his mind. Did it matter? Did any of this matter?

Chres gaze lowered to the floor. His smile fading. He could feel and itch crawling up the back of his neck.

"Karina." He said. His tone becoming more serious. "Why do you think what we do here matters?"

Karina couldn't help but to let out an amused chuckle as she saw Sil flying from one room into another, too busy with her antics to realize her presence. A few moments after that though, she saw the smile start to fade from Chres' face as he lowered his face. It didn't take much for Karina to understand he had a lot of things on his mind. When he called her name, she was already waiting for him, turning towards Chres, ready to hear whatever he had to say.

"You saw what the cult does with people, Chres. You, more than anyone else should know." Karina said, looking at him with a serious expression.

"They are a disease, Chres. They need to be purged, lest they spread and infect everything and then... Well... I don't even want to think about it." she finished with a grim expression.

Chres nodded as she spoke. "To protect the world as we know it then. To stop whatever this strange force is from spreading. That is why you think what we do here matters."

Karina nodded with a serious expression as Chres replied. Whatever the cult was, it certainly wasn't a good thing. What they did couldn't be called of any other thing than corruption. The distortion, controlling and messing normal people's minds...

He paused to consider that answer. A good answer, sure. But it wasn't a good answer for him.

"I told myself when we started... That day when the inn burned down... I told myself that I was doing this for the rest of you... that my selfish desires shouldn't come before the safety and success of the group..."

He looked to Karina smiling. "You told me off right good then. Told me that if I ever called you a kid again, then you would gladly grant my wish."

Chres took another sip from his flask. "You know something funny?" He said. "To me what you said never registered as a threat. In fact, I found myself hard pressed to not call you a 'kid' again right then and there."

Karina heard as Chres began talking after a pause, reminiscing of when they first met. It certainly wasn't a good first encounter and her first impression of Chres was of just someone that... wasn't all that right in the head but it changed a lot as she got to know him a bit better.

"It certainly wasn't a good first encounter. My first impressions of you weren't exactly... good" she said, with a discreet laugh.

"I would certainly have left you bleeding on the ground if you had called me that again back then." Karina said with a smirk and a chuckle.

"Things do change though. I'm happy that I didn't cut you down back then." she said, with a kind smile.

Chres furrowed his brow. "Why?" He asked. "Surely not because of the necklace. What did I do to turned your impressions around?"

"Despite your everything, you helped the group to get out of some troublesome situations a number of times, going as far as to not willingly put yourself in danger to help the group." Karina said, beginning to explain.

"Actions speak louder than words. It's easier to trust someone who fought by your side than someone who speaks pretty and the fact that your actions reflect the fact that you do care about the group's safety is worth more to me than words or presents." Karina finished, looking to Chres.

Chre drew his lips in a line. She assumes too much of me. He thought.

"I told myself that I was here for the betterment of the group. That I would stick around to ensure you all didn't loose any numbers. But none of that was true. The truth is, I'm here out out guilt."

Chres chuckled. "Guilt." He said. "It seems to follow me wherever I go. It's like a shadow looming over me. One that I cannot escape."

He balled his right hand up into a fist. "Even now." He continued. "It sits here mocking me. The situation has changed since we started. There are plenty of other people in these tunnels who could fill in my place... however..." Chres looked up. "These people... The Kheru-Natjer, Svephraey, Malkev... They make me feel like there's knife to my back..."

Chres shook his head, and sighed in frustration. He looked to Karina. “So… what’s it like being the daughter of the great Mirage?”

Karina listened to Chres' words as he explained the reason for all his actions. Guilt. She knew a bit about his past and how he felt. Hearing this now only made it clearer that he wasn't able to let it go and continue with his life. He couldn't forgive himself for what happened. That was the reason why he seemed to want to die.

"Chres... I may not know how you feel or have walked in your shoes, but you can't keep on living like this." she said, gently putting a hand on his shoulder and looking into his eyes with an intense stare, almost as if she was looking right at his soul.

"Two wrongs don't make a right. Sacrificing yourself out of guilt will amount to nothing. Learn with your mistakes, make sure you won't repeat them. If you seek for atonement, then live. Live with your guilt, don't forget what you've done but strive to become a better person. Become someone better, who would never make the same mistakes again. Atone for your sins with good actions." Karina finished with a soft and comforting, albeit discreet smile.

It wasn't the first time she had to have this type of talk with someone. A soldier's first kill isn't always taken lightly by them. Her position as a high ranking officer and her cute and petite appearance made her the perfect choice to deal with those types of things.

Chres frowned as he listened. Become someone better... He thought. That seemed like an insult to her memory.

Her memory? She cheated on you with Mercaido! A part of him said. A part of him full of hatred.

’You don’t understand’ Her words echoed in his head. ‘If you would only let me-’ what? If he had only let her explain? What had there been to explain?

Become someone better... A better someone? He had been a better someone. Was that what he wanted? To go back to being that better someone? I want to be punished. He thought. Punished, then killed.

’Years...’ She had said. ’This has been going on for years...’

Did he deserve punishment? Punishment for her own betrayal? Punishment for her death... He thought. I killed her… I loved her...

Why? Why had she betrayed him? Questions… He always had so many questions… Did it matter? Did any of it matter?

An itch crawled up the back of his neck. ... It does matter… The thought surprised him.

’You don’t understand...’ She had said.

... and I never bothered to listen... He thought in response. What hadn’t he understood?

Become someone better… To be someone better would be an escape from the punishment he deserved, but how did he know he deserved it?

Chres found himself nodding at Karina’s words, though not because he agreed with her reasons.

The itch intensified. He couldn’t die… not when he didn’t know whether he deserved it. But how could he find the answer to this riddle? How could he learn the answer with his wife dead?

‘There are other ways...’ The thought seemed to flow into his head. ‘Other ways to know…’

A few moments were spent in silence before Karina replied to Chres’ other question.

“Being Viktor Frost’s daughter is honestly… hard.. It is hard not to live in his shadow when we are talking about him. Even now there are people who credit my position in the army and everything I’ve ever done to my name and my father’s influence instead of my skills and abilities. Those quickly learn their mistakes when sparring with me. In order for me to earn respect and recognition in the army, both being a girl, having this petite frame and being the great General Frost’s daughter, sometimes I have to be firm and cold.” Karina said.

“Those who know Viktor Frost though know how far the rumors about me are from the truth though. He isn’t the type of person that would let family or even emotional matters interfere with his job. In this matter, he is a general through and through. While we are in post, in his eyes I’m First Lieutenant Karina Frost, not his daughter, giving me absolutely no preferential treatment. That said, he expects much more of me than he does of any other soldier or officer and is much harder on me than he is with others. He does care about me but the way he shows that isn’t like a normal father would.” Karina finished explaining

Chres nodded. To be the blood of greatness... He couldn’t imagine the pressure and frustration such a relation must put on the young woman. It did explain her sometimes cold demeanor though.

“And what of your mother? Did she agree with your decision to follow in your father’s footsteps?”

"She was a beautiful and intelligent woman. She was a scholar from the Nation of Hearing. I lived with her most of my childhood. She taught me almost everything I know and was the one responsible for my studies.." She replied, with a smile on her face.

"We loved to sit down and read together. Surprisingly enough, I was the type of kid that actually liked studying." she said with a chuckle.

"My father was the one who wanted me to live with her in the Nation of Hearing. When she fell ill with a serious disease, I had no choice but to go live with my father. She died soon after. He changed a lot after that..." Karina completed, with a sigh.

“I’m sorry...” Chres said. “I didn’t know...”

"No need to be sorry. She died when I was only 10. I loved her dearly, but the sadness is long gone. Only the good memories and the knowledge she left with me remains now." Karina said with a kind smile.

Chres smiled. Karina was a tough one. Though that wasn’t anything he didn’t know. “You know,” He found himself saying. “I was going to be a father myself once… but then... I learned it wasn’t mine.” Chres fingered his ring as he stared blankly at the wall. Thinking back to the night he killed Mercaido.

“It was a man I knew. A man I worked for… I killed him that night. Perhaps out of rage… perhaps from the Insight… perhaps both… Whatever the case, I made sure he died by my hand, and I’m not sorry I did it.”

Chres paused. “She died before she gave birth.” He said. He looked to Karina and figured it was best to not tell her that he was the one who killed his wife. “Losing a loved one changes a person. It leaves behind a hole of nothingness. I hate what she did. Could never forgive her for what she did… but I still love her. Those feelings… They don’t go away…”

Chres took another sip from his flask. “Your father, he’s lucky to have you by his side… Even if he doesn’t know it.”

Karina stood silent as she heard Chres' words. Discovering more about his past only showed her how much he suffered. He was betrayed by the one he loved the most. Karina wasn't surprised when she heard him saying he wasn't sorry. Love, hate and anger are powerful feelings.

"Maybe he is... But he was never the same after my mother died. I might not have experienced what you did, but I saw it happening with someone close. I can imagine how it hurts but there are certain things you need to let go in order to continue living your life. How will you do this? When you feel it's right to do so? These questions can only be answered by yourself." Karina said with a soothing voice.

"What is important is not letting yourself be a prisoner of your own past, lest you want to lose your present and future to it." Karina finished with a tranquil voice. She knew that Chres had suffered for too long and did so alone, by himself. Even if she might not be that good with it, even if she could only say pretty words to him, she wanted to help even if it was a little. After all, Karina believed that it was part of her duty to take care of those under her and she was starting to consider that small, mismatched group as her allies after everything that they went through.

Chres felt himself grow steely as he listened to her words. He himself had given similar speeches before. He hadn’t realized how frustrating such words were.

“I can’t let go.” He said in a colder tone than he would have liked. He didn’t shout. Instead it came out more like a growl. “Not now… Not yet...”

Chres capped his flask and rose from his seat. What happened, happened. He couldn’t just let go... He couldn’t just move on! If he didn’t hold himself accountable for what he did, then who would?

’You don’t understand...’

What had she meant by that? He always asked so many questions yet never had he bothered to ask the one that mattered. Instead he ran from the question. No longer though… No longer…

“I have to confront it...” He heard himself say aloud. “I have to know why… Then... from there… we’ll see...”

"We’ll see about what?” He heard Sil say from his shoulder.

Chres jumped slightly. He hadn’t noticed her fluttering by. He looked to his shoulder as if he had been caught in the middle of pickpocketing.

“Sil?” He found himself saying.

Sil smiled softly. It was a familiar smile. "Yup! That’s me!”

Why? Why did she look like her? “I… We were just talking about Karina’s new familiar.”

"New? …. Familiar?” She said. She put her finger to her lips, as if in thought. Her head tilted to the side. "Hmmmmmmmmm...” She hummed.

She fluttered over to Karina. Sil leaned forward, examining Karina head to foot and back. "I don’t knoooow...” She said. "Your hair is way too white.”

Karina listened quietly as Chres replied to her without saying a word. While she would have reacted to his growling tone if it was on another occasion, she knew that dealing with one's traumas and their past was something delicate. She knew when to stop. She had already said everything she could have. It was up to Chres to discover himself how he would act from now on.

Luckily for both of them, Sil arrived soon after Chres finished talking. Her presence was indeed welcome to change the topic of the conversation. Apparently, she was finished with whatever she was doing In the other rooms.

"Hey there Sil! Happy to see you're better!" Karina said, looking to the small familiar with a smile.

When she heard about Karina's familiar from Chres', Sil appeared to be deep in thought for a while, fluttering over to Karina and examining her from head to foot. Karina simply watched her with an amused expression, letting out a discreet laugh.

"Hey! I was born like that, you know?" Karina said, not being able to help herself but to laugh at Sil's comment.

"Born like that?” She repeated. She giggled to herself softly "She-People sure are weird. And I should know! I’m around weird all the time!” She fluttered up to Karina’s ear. "Psst… That guy...” She whispered. Pointing at Chres.

Karina couldn't help but to let out an amused, cute giggle as Sil flew near her ear, pointing towards Chres in a really not that subtle manner.

"And you would be the queen of the weird ones, wouldn't you?" Karina said, teasing Sil as she laughed.

“More like a goddess, actually.” Chres muttered. “The world does seem to bow before her...”

"Regarding my hair, maybe it is tied to my ice magic... Who knows. I like it the way it is though." Karina said as she opened her hand, her palm facing upwards as cold air began swirling around it, crystalizing the humidity in the air until it made a small and delicate, but beautiful rose with its roots made of ice, wrapping themselves around her hand.

Sil gasped in awe. ”Oh wow! Pretty!” She said as she hurried over to Karina’s hand. It stood there for a brief moment before she stopped the cold air, making it slowly melt down.

"I wonder how she will be... My familiar, I mean. I wonder if she will be your big sister or your younger one." Karina said with a chuckle, remembering how Delvin said that he would give her a personality fitting hers.

"I think I'll call her.. Akai. When I was small, still living with my mother, I heard an eastern merchant saying this name. If I remember it correctly... It means something with the color red." Karina said, thinking for a moment as she tried to remember the correct meaning of said name.

Sil’s eyes popped open with excitement. ”I’m going to be a big sister?!?!?!” Sil fluttered up to make herself level with Karina’s gaze. She leaned forward. Hands bunching into fists excitedly. ”Where is she? When do I get to meet her? Does she like lynxes? Will she help me find spiders to put in Octavapoo’s pants???”

“Spiders?” Chres asked. His brow rose suspiciously.

"I wonder..." Karina said with a chuckle, amused by Sil's comments.

"The man who was making her said that he would give her a personality 'like my own', according to his words." she said, rolling her eyebrows as she remembered her encounter with Delvin.

Chres frowned. He’d heard that typically the customer would go back and forth with the familiarist regarding personalities… Unless Karina had settled for some generic personality he presented her with.

"Spiders? I don't think Octavap- I mean... Octavio would be very happy." Karina said with a chuckle, almost using Sil's nickname to refer to Octavio.

"Regarding when, It will be soon. Delvin said it would be complete tomorrow." Karina replied.

”Tomorrow?!?!?!” Sil gasped. “That’s like a day away!”

She zipped back over to Chres, tugging on his shirt as she looked at him pleadingly. ”Can we go??? Please please please please pleeeease!” She asked as she hopped up and down, mid-air, like a giddy little child.

Chres looked down at her and frowned. She was asking for permission? He supposed that was a behavioral improvement… He looked back towards Karina, shrugging as he gave her a questioning gaze and smile.

Karina laughed as she saw how excited Sil was, going as far as to ask for permission to Chres, something that she normally never did. Her jumping up and down in the air was also too adorable for Karina to not laugh.

"She seems to be really eager to see Akai, doesn't she?" Karina said, looking to Chres with an amused expression.

Chres shrugged. “Honestly she seems most eager for anything really… That is, except for cleaning up her own messes.” Chres said with a sigh. He looked to the room where the crash came from. “We don’t really have anything planned tomorrow... Though, I would be interested to know if the familiarist found anything peculiar on the pendent. As of yet, none of the other familiarists have found anything, but who knows… Maybe he did.”

He looked back to Karina. “How bout it? Mind if we tag along?” Chres asked to Sil’s delight. Sil quickly turned her gaze back to Karina, giving her a puppy eyed stare.

"Hm... He didn't mention anything. He only mentioned that it was a very expensive piece, saying even that he wouldn't be able to buy it when I arrived." Karina said, thinking.

"Oh, I didn't try to sell it though. He only thought I wanted to sell it after I showed it to him." she finished, feeling the necessity to explain herself to Chres. After all, selling something that was a gift would be incredibly rude.

"Sure! Sil would be certainly overjoyed to go too." she said with a smile to Chres.

”Sil definitely would!” Sil exclaimed in the third person.

Chres smiled. ”Well, I guess it's settled then.” Chres said. ”Now, if you don’t mind it seems I’ve got a mess I need to clean up.” He nodded to Karina and set off to find a broom.

[Typical]

Interlude

---

Ferris & Octavio

---

^{Year 4256 | 4th day of Olfaccium | Morning | Collab with: @HokumPocus@Pezz570}

The role of bodyguard was nothing new to Ferris. Since the role was a broad one with many different definitions and job descriptions, there was a good chance every mercenary had played some sort of a bodyguard at some point. In Ferris’ case, it was just a matter of the pay and the person paying; if the money was good and the person wasn’t overly difficult, he was inclined to accept.

For today in particular, it was information he was after, not money. He had a decent grasp on Malkev and his role in town by now, but what of the Kharu-Natjer? Though the Kharu appeared to possess significant power, influence, and wealth, he also seemed to operate entirely from the shadows. The questions Ferris wanted answers to how and why the Kharu maintained such a role, and the alternative to asking for the Kharu’s goals was examining his actions. Serving as bodyguard to one of his servants was a lesser extension of that given that the Kharu’s servants were cogs in an overall machine. Every servant would fit into the system somehow.

Today’s outfit of choice was a hooded cloak, which was testament to the secretive nature of the task. The plan was the same: Three bodyguards would accompany the slave on their tasks, one keeping step with the slave and two bringing up the rear from afar. The plan was straightforward enough that there wasn’t reason to provide a map. The guards were simply to accompany and protect the slave, keeping their eyes on the crowd and the crowd’s eyes off the slave as they moved.

Floral and woody scents swirled in his scarf as he waited in the designated bend in the tunnels, the group’s meeting spot marked by a trio of jade candles nestled on a tunnel ledge. Spotting two hooded figures moving down the tunnel towards him—the slave and one of Malkev’s guards, most likely—Ferris straightened from where he’d been leaning against the wall. He had his scarf today, at least, and a hood wasn’t too poor of a replacement for his hat.

Octavio approached the meeting spot with an ever familiar pang of adrenaline. It was a feeling he embraced, however. The man had spent enough time relaxing to the point it was beginning to feel strange. He figured a career that involved putting yourself in constant danger did that to a person, if the many warriors he had met throughout his life were any indication. He assured himself that it wasn’t the case with him, that he’d just take part in some quick task to entertain himself, nothing more. There’d be no hollering of blood and battle, especially not with the fine set of robes adorning him. However, he settled on a more utilitarian appearance for today, swapping out the usual finishing touches with either nothing or intentionally bland accessories. The heavy cloak that would only rest on his back was now hitched on his shoulders, covering a wider area of his body. It wouldn’t do to dress so extravagantly with a slave at one’s side.

The slave. It didn’t bother him as much as it should have, as it wasn’t the first time he’d dealt with them. It was easier to enact his warped sense of justice on a noble, he figured, when you weren’t spending every waking moment fretting over the well-being of every cook and maid. He avoided eye contact with it, instead treating it like someone’s expensive possession.

“I take it we´re ready to go?” he asked, fidgeting with a pouch on his necklace. He’d stored his earrings in it, and was tracing the hard lumps with his thumb.

The guard looked to Octavio and then the slave. The slave, a young male in his late teens, frowned at Octavio’s words. The boy’s head was mostly shaven, save for some hair towards the back of his head, tied in a knot.

The slave shook his head. “Freshlanders...” He said. “All same.”

His words were crude, adding extra syllables where there were none. The slave walked passed Octavio, bowing his head just barely as he did so. Silently he positioned himself towards to the front of the cart and pulled out what appeared to be a small crystal from his cloak.

The crystal was quite odd. It was clear as water, yet at the same time it reflected light much like a mirror. The slave clenched his hand tightly around the crystal. His eyes closed as if concentrating. His appearance wavered for a split second. And then…

The boy’s skin no longer had that orange hue. Instead it was a light tan. And his hair… it had become black as soot. The crystal had vanished. Seemingly merging into his body.

The slave opened his eyes and looked to the guard. The guard nodded back.

“Now go.” The slave said.

One of the guards positioned himself to pull the cart, but the slave raised his hand stopping him. “You.” He said, pointing to Octavio. “Cart pulling need be. Your job.”

Ferris watched the slave speak. Like some of the others he’d seen, this slave was educated in the language, which meant he was important. Considering that the current group was meant to protect this slave, that made sense, but Ferris was distracted by a familiar, faint, but vexing scent in the air. He’d noticed it first in the bathing area, of all places, but it wasn’t like any scent he’d encountered before. Rather than remaining a definite smell, the scent kept shifting, as if slowly transforming into different smells as the seconds ticked by. The only thing keeping Ferris from thinking he was going insane was the fact that he didn’t always smell the scent. In fact, here was the only place he’d smelled it outside the bath, which kept his attention sufficiently distracted from the slave that he didn’t register the crystal until the scent in the air suddenly grew significantly stronger.

Pulling down his scarf, he watched as the crystal merged into the boy, watched as the boy changed completely. Though his features remained the same, all the colors were wrong, just as the sharp rubber scent in the air shifting into a sweeter, fruitier one was wrong. It was magic, then, not a figment of his imagination or some strange incense burner put out to distract him. Somehow, the combination of the boy and the crystal had resulted in magic. Was the boy himself a magic-user? It seemed unlikely, given that a skill so strange and unique would be highly valued and deserving of more protection than just the three-man crew present. A better explanation would be the crystal serving as a repository or conduit for magic.

The slave spoke, first to the group, then to Octavio. For some reason, he’d nominated Octavio to pull the cart, which confused Ferris for a second. It’d be common sense to delegate the laborious job to someone who seemed better suited for the task, and while Octavio was by no means frail, he was not as built as Ferris or the guard. On second thought, though, perhaps that’s exactly why he nominated Octavio; of the trio, Octavio looked the least familiar with the battlefield, which Ferris knew to be a partial lie. Octavio was just better at hiding his experience, and his magic made him stronger than any stray guard without magic.

“Octavio needs his hands free to use his magic,” Ferris said, looking to the guard. “Do you have access to magic as well?” Ferris was counting on a no, which would lead to the conclusion that the guard was better suited staying closest to the slave and the wagon since both Ferris and Octavio had magic that allowed them to bridge the distance if they stayed behind the slave. However, it seemed that pulling the wagon meant staying closest to the slave, and Ferris still wanted to ask about the crystal.

“I can pull the cart. My magic doesn’t require my hands to be free,” he said, replacing his mask as he looked to the slave. Separating him from the guard seemed a good bet if Ferris was to get answers to his questions. That said, Ferris had a sneaking suspicion that this slave was not the naive sort and that answers would not come easily in broken words

“Man can be grabbing cart. Man can be release cart. Magic then can use. Job make Man better.” The slave said in matter-of-factly fashion. “You can be help. Required it be not.”

Octavio stood and watched the exchange unfold around him. The only requirements for his magic were sufficient light and the chance to concentrate, both of which he figured would be available. He tried to focus more on the words of others, even more than he’d previously done, as part of his attempts to be more committed to his surroundings.

“If all this’ll be is pulling a cart, then I can definitely summon illusions.” He ran his fingers through his hair in a way that betrayed the humbler choice of clothing. “I’d rather not, of course. Is it important that I be the one to pull it?”

He figured the only realistic possibilities were that the slave chose on impulse, or was given special instructions to choose Octavio. The latter implied a strategic benefit to keeping him occupied, which he found ridiculous. The former made more sense.

“Depends.” The slave shrugged. He turned to the other guards. “Today Men not be wanting moneys?” More than one of the guards eyed Octavio pleadingly. “Replacements be needing?”

The guard who entered with the slave nudged Octavio. “Just play along friend.” He whispered. “They get very stubborn about things like this.”

Ferris listened with some amount of surprise. He’d assumed that the slaves got along with the guards, or were at least intimidated by them. From the looks of it, though, the opposite seemed to be true, which just served to show how much power the Kharu really wielded. Given that the guards seemed to be following the slave’s orders now, it was pretty clear that this was a side job for them unrelated to their day jobs, but how much of that was due to the money?

Looking to Octavio, he pursed his lips. He’d tried, but it seemed that the slave was set on Octavio pulling the cart. Why Octavio was anyone’s guess, and Ferris figured that’d be revealed sooner or later, unless it was actually irrelevant.

The guard beside Octavio met his eyes, shrugging, and Ferris nodded. “Let’s go.”

Octavio wordlessly gripped the cart, eyes focused on the slave. The irony of being a man who defended a familiar raising an eyebrow at a slave ordering someone else around wasn’t lost on him. It’d be an act of total hypocrisy to try and contest the boy’s command, he realized. “Of course.”

The slave nodded in approval. “Now be going.” He said.

The guard smiled and walked up beside Octavio. “My gratitude.” The guard whispered. “He won’t have you doing this for long… probably.”

The group set off. The slave at the head with the guard acting as a guide. It was a rather mundane and uneventful walk. A few villagers would stare from time to time, but out of curiosity or cautiousness rather than ill will.

After a time, the guard in the lead fell back, pacing himself with Octavio and Ferris. He nodded to Ferris and looked to Octavio. “Hey,” He said. “How are you holding up?”

“Fine,” Ferris said, looking to the slave ahead, then to the guard again. Neither of them seemed winded, yet the guard was checking in with him and Octavio. If Ferris had to guess, it seemed like the guard was trying to make conversation, which was rather helpful, actually.

“Do you take jobs from the slaves often?” he asked. From the looks of the villagers they’d passed, it didn’t seem like seeing a group of hooded figures moving together was a common or welcome sight, so the Kharu probably didn’t send his slaves out too often. Still, soldiers trying to pad their income wasn’t a novel concept, and they’d look elsewhere if they couldn’t find jobs with the Kharu.

The guard laughed. “Nobles mostly. Or rather one noble in particular. We are personal guards of Malkev… personal off-duty guards, that is. We’re just here for the extra pay.”

The guard smiled. “To be honest, I’m not even sure ‘slave’ is the best term for these people. Some of them seem to act more like a slave then others... Ones like him though...” The guard smirked. “Well… you’ve already seen how they're like.”

Octavio whistled to himself to pass the time, clearly not content with the mundane nature of his task. He met the stares of the occasional curious villager and tried to internally guess what they were thinking, basing his conclusions more on an overactive imagination than anything grounded in logic. The guard asked questions, made conversation, and he was too caught up in a particularly interesting set of thoughts to answer the man. When he at last wanted to contribute with something else, he realized it’d be a lot more difficult with the slave being able to hear everything that came out of his mouth.

“These so-called slaves are more like messengers or representatives, I take it,” he added, dryly, his words aimed at the slave as much as everyone else. “Even if he is your typical slave, it’s like something expensive that knows it’s expensive.” An image of Lynx flashed before his eyes.

It was always the more spirited guards that made his former life easy. They weren’t loyal to much apart from coin and beer, so all it took was either a bribe or waiting for one to sneak off for a drink before staging anything. Any not swayed by either would receive a special visit from a voluptuous illusion to compliment arm muscles and ask for directions to places that didn’t exist. This eager guard seemed to belong to the third category. It’s been awhile since I’ve given anyone the bustling Bertha special. he thought.

“Expensive, is not. Is important. Word is better.” The slave said while still looking ahead. “Freshlander language be small. No good is words.” The guard gave an uneasy chuckle and shrugged.

Ferris listened to the slave quietly, his eyes flicking over the slave’s face and garbs. The slave said he was not expensive, but what did that mean? Was he easy to replace, then, or was it just that the average slave was spare change to the Kharu? As for being important, there were different shades like being precious, valuable, or useful. The word seemed to imply all three of those, but the slave also admitted that the word did not fully convey the meaning, so where was it lacking?

“What language do you usually speak, then?” Ferris asked, looking between the slave and the townsfolk around them now. It was clear that they were not from around here, and perhaps they were not from any of the major lands either. But where, then, did the Kharu source his slaves? Was that how he’d accumulated his wealth and influence, or was he merely partaking in an existing trade?

The slave turned his head ever so slightly. Just enough to give Ferris a look of uncertainty.

“They don’t usually talk much.” The guard whispered over to Ferris.

The slave frowned at the words and turned his gaze back ahead. “Is called Kharu-Nhatkel. ‘Voice’ be kharu. Home is Nhatkel. ‘Nhatkel’s Voice’ is meaning.”

“Kha... ru... Nhat… kel.” Octavio spoke slowly, enunciating each vowel with an unnecessary amount of care.

“Never heard of it.”

“‘Kharu-Nhatkel’ word is Kharu-Nhatkel.” The Slave said without a moment’s pause. “Man did be hearing of it.”

The guard bellowed out a laugh. “Here, I thought you people had no sense of humor. It appears I was wrong.”

The slave glanced back at them. There was a faint look of satisfaction in his eyes. The boy smothered it quickly and looked back ahead.

“Was rude. Is wrong. Proper it be not.” The slave said. “Kharu-Nhatkel not be from freshlands. Be from far lands.”

“Far lands?” The guard repeated.

“Be south-east.” The slave said. “Past sands that rot… Or be through waters that burn.”

“Waters that burn?”

The slave looked to the guard. “Freshlanders not be knowing waters that burn?” The boy asked. The guard shrugged, prompting a shake of the head from the slave. “Freshlanders be Freshlanders.” The slave sighed.

Ferris considered the slave’s words, sharing in Octavio’s lack of knowledge. While he could be said to be well-traveled due to his mercenary jobs, that was only within Saencila, which was self-sufficient enough that he’d never heard of a far-off “Kharu-Nhatkel”. As for the term “far lands”, he had come across it before, as well as the concept of sands that rot. Many people told similar tales of the deeper parts of the Dead Sands, though Ferris had never paid much attention to them. Similar to waters that burn, he’d passed them off as tall tales told by drunk men regaling strangers with exaggerated stories of their youth. Ferris no sooner believed these tales than he’d believed tales of mountains of water or forests of fire, and it was unclear just how seriously the slave was taking this conversation. As far as he was concerned, the slave might have been traded at such a young age that he was only passing along tales he’d heard from others, but then again the Kharu’s slaves didn’t seem to have a sense of humor in general, so perhaps all these tall tales held truth.

More than the introduction of Kharu-Nhatkel, Ferris was caught by the statement that “Kharu” meant “voice”. The Kharu-Natjer, then, meant “voice of something,” and Ferris looked at the slave, wondering whether there was any harm in asking.

“What does the Kharu-Natjer’s name mean, then?”

“Not name.” The slave’s tone darken. “Is of The Hemtypt-Natj-” The slave cut his words off and shook his head. “-is title… one of titles...” He said. “Kharu-Natjer never be having name. Lost. Name be cut away...” The slave folded his arms and looked to the ground. For a while he said nothing.

“God...” The slave said uneasily. “Natjer is God. Good, not be word. Is good enough.”

There were certainly a lot of implications Octavio could have drawn from a slave calling its master a god. The first and most obvious was assuming the Kharu-Natjer was far more hungry for power than he had assumed, going as far as commanding his slaves to worship him. Or it could’ve been a cultural difference. He’d read enough about the world to know that some people interpreted one’s given name as something sacred and important, and the whole explanation behind titles and names could have been less spiritual and more about formalities. It was much to think about.

“Is God another title for him?” he asked. It was best to keep his words short and simple, lest he get more questions than answers.

“God word be not good.” The slave said in a firm voice. “Only be good enough.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “One title, Kharu-Natjer be having. Title be Kharu-Natjer.”

The slave looked to Octavio. “Kharu-Natjer be not god. Be only man… He be not first. He be not last... When Kharu-Natjer dead, new slave be Kharu-Natjer.”

The guard frowned. He look more than a little uncomfortable. He obviously hadn’t expected the conversation to go in such a direction.

It was a language barrier, then. A title that signified something close to a god, but bore no relation with the concept of being some sort of deity. This did nothing to satisfy Octavio, as he now began to mull over the implications of the power one had to have if people’s first instinct was to describe you as a sort of god. Even at his most narcissistic and power-hungry, Octavio’s visions of what he’d look like after amassing a dragon’s hoard of gold tended to consist of vapid materialism. That people would go after the approval of others to the point of turning humans into something similar to furniture was something that he had never understood.

“...So the man we know as the Kharu-Natjer used to be a slave?” the words came out with ease, in a light tone that he wore to hide his now ravenous curiosity. He was crossing a line and he knew it.

The slave met Octavio’s and frowned. He did not reply, however.

The slave’s unease wasn’t lost on Ferris, but he supported both Octavio’s questions and the way they were delivered. In a way, Octavio was much better suited to asking such questions than him, given his more direct approach. He disliked the concept of beating around the bush, and although he knew that a gentle touch was necessary at times, he hadn’t been in so many situations where he’d been doing the delicate questioning. Proud soldiers and hardened warriors were his most common conversation partners, and they respected directness much more than others. So, Ferris decided to remain silent, meeting Octavio’s eyes and giving him a subtle nod to communicate his respect and agreement.

“All men is being slave.” The slave said at last. “More slave than other men, some be. Kharu-Natjer? Still slave. Bodyguards? Slave. Packmakers? …” The slave raised his head at the pause. His gaze, expressionless. “Packmakers be slave.”

“Sir,” The guard interjected. “this is the place.”

The slave nodded and raised his hand to signal the others to stop. The group had stopped in the back of an ordinary looking building. It wasn’t very big or old, just… ordinary. The slave walked up to the door and knocked. He waited a moment before knocking again. Still no answer. One more knock. This time the door opened to reveal a hunched over old man with almond shaped eyes.

“Yes yes yes! You’re at the door. Only knocked a dozen times, didn’t ya? Did they take our bribe to-”

The old man paused and adjusted his spectacles. He looked the slave up and down, before taking in the guards behind the slave. “What do you want?” He asked.

“Salt.” The slave replied.

“Salt?” The man repeated flatly. “You’re telling me ya came here with a load of guards just to buy some salt?” The old man shook his head. “Not buying it. What did that rascal do this time?”

The slave sighed and pulled out a large pouch at his side. He loosened the pouch’s string and let it drop to the ground. Gold coins spilled out from the opening. Other than a minor raising of his brow, the old man did well to hide his interest in the coin.

“What’s that supposed to be?” He asked.

“Moneys.” The slave said.

“Oh, yes! Money! Of course!” The man replied sarcastically. “You think me daft boy? I can see it’s money! I’ll make far more than that for the salt once I reach my buyer!”

“Not buyer.” The slave said. “Supplier.”

The old man’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Who are you?” He growled.

“Not matter.” The slave replied, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Doesn’t matter?!” The old man spat. The slave frowned at the man’s reaction. He looked to the guard from earlier and gave him a nod. “You come here, uninvited. Asking for my product. Product I haven’t informed anybody of. And you to top it off y-”

The guard pulled the cover off the cart they brought with them. It was full of barrels and crates. The old man’s words trailed off. His eyes widened. Grumpy expression replaced with surprise.

“Supplies.” The slave said, waving his hand to the cart.

“Supplies...” The old man repeated in a whisper.

“Dyes. Paints. Tools. All there.” Said the slave.

For a moment, the man’s mouth gaped in awe. With a shake of his head, he reluctantly tore his gaze away from the cart and recomposed himself.

“Doesn’t do me any good.” He grouched. “Can’t leave the city. They won’t-”

“Moneys.” The slave repeated. Using his foot, he nudged the coin pouch he dropped to the ground. “For bribe.”

The old man blinked. He looked to the slave dumbfoundedly.

“Not be enough?” The slave asked. “Have more.”

The guard approached carrying two more large pouches. He dropped the new pouches next to the other pouch.

“Why-” The man started.

“Not matter.” The slave repeated. This time more insistently. “Salt matter.”

The old man looked to the slave, the gold coins and then the cart. “Let me see if everything checks out. If so, we have a deal.”

---

It took the remainder of the morning for the exchange to be made. Most of it was spent reviewing the supplies to ensure everything checked out.

Twice, the man tried playing hard ball. Perhaps in an effort to see if he could get something more out of the slave. Both times, the slave pushed back. The second time, he threatened to leave the old man with nothing. That ended any additional negotiation. The old man knew he was on the better end of the deal. Pushing further wasn’t worth the risk. When everything was settled, the man thanked the slave for his business and left the group with a smug smile on his face.

“Trade done.” The slave said to the group. “Back we be going.” He looked to Octavio. “Good, man did. No more be pulling cart. Extra moneys all be getting.”

The guards cheered merrily at that. Many of them patted Octavio on the back as if he were a hero. And with that, the group headed off. Back in direction they came from.

Octavio hid his bewilderment with a skill only someone who had spent the better part of their lives being morally questionable could have. It wasn’t just getting the job done, but additional moneys? Gold, the lubricant for the soul that made people do bad things. He flashed a winning smile and knew there was no better reply at that moment than to shut up.

Ferris listened to the guards cheer without feeling much himself. While getting paid was nice, money had never been his goal. Still, he’d come along to learn more about the Kharu-Natjer, and in a way he’d fulfilled that goal. He’d learned that the Kharu lacked no money and served a kingdom from far away, but that made his presence in Saencila that much stranger. Why was he here, then? The slave’s insistence on calling everyone slaves of some sort made it seem like the Kharu, too, was serving someone or something, but what? Him helping the Land of Sight defend themselves seemed too good to be true, and Ferris didn’t believe in pure goodness. There was an endgame here somewhere. Ferris just had to find it.

“Does your homeland have entities like the Sightless?” Ferris asked the slave. He was indirectly seeking an answer to his question, but judging by how easily the slave got offended earlier, he figured taking it slow and assuming good intentions first would be good.

Octavio set his eyes on Ferris, noting the lack of attention he displayed towards their reward. Huh. So he really wasn’t the type to care about money all that much. He knew that snooping for information about the Kharu-Natjer was their unspoken little goal, but he couldn’t help but wonder about Ferris’ intentions as well. It was something to get in a fight with Lynx about later.

“...No.” The slave said hesitantly. His pace seemed to slow. His gaze turning vacant. “Have… other things… broken things...”

Ferris watched the slave’s body language shift, watched as his eyes turned empty, and figured he’d touched another sensitive subject. The slave seemed to know more than he was letting on, but why wasn’t he talking? From their conversations so far, he seemed to be the type who liked correcting misconceptions and clarifying things for “freshlanders”, yet he was holding back now.

Deciding that he’d try pushing a bit further first, Ferris pursued the point. “What do you mean?”

The slave looked to Ferris warily. There was a troubled look in his eyes. “Nhatkel… land is broken… Horrors everywhere… Bug-eyed creatures be wearing man skin… Steal memories… Devour family…” The slave shivered. “Plants that crawl… they be infecting, eating then infesting… Living mists…” The slave shook his head. “Many things be with powers over mind… turn mind against...”

The slave said nothing for a while. Instead he simply stared straight ahead. “... Nhatkel… Not be wanting to talk more.” He said in a soft voice. “Freshlanders talking too much.”

The slave quickened his pace. Pointedly staying ahead of Octavio and Ferris.

“Sounds like things are bad no matter where you are.” From the man who had spent his whole life running, the words carried a weight that would have gone unnoticed. In a lower voice, heeding the slave’s warning, he continued. “Then again, if they’re setting up shop during times like these, it makes sense for their home to be like that.”

There was much more he wanted to say, to get some ideas circulating with the others. He was well aware that this slave would most likely relay anything important back to the Kharu-Natjer, however, so he held off. He thought of Svephraey, who had no qualms with showing some of her hand within the man’s territory. Did her utility outweigh a risk like that, or was the Kharu-Natjer less aware than he seemed? The recent memory of the pouches of gold rang in his mind. It was the former. Probably.

“Yeah,” Ferris said, watching as the slave quickened his pace. Pushing further hadn’t been the best or smartest move, perhaps, but he’d gotten valuable information from it. Whether the slave would tell the Kharu what they’d been talking about didn’t matter too much. They were curious about who their allies were, which was natural for anyone in their position, especially given how little information the Kharu had given them.

“It makes you wonder whether they were driven out of their home, or if they chose to leave it,” he said when the slave reached the head of the pack. From what the slave had said, it sounded like their home was in an even worse position than Salencia, so it was only natural that they would’ve wanted to leave. Were they truly slaves, then, or was that just a more innocuous label than “settlers” or “refugees”?

“At least we have a better idea of who they are now,” Ferris said, glancing between the slave and the guards, who seemed rather preoccupied with discussing after-work celebrations. “And we know that they don’t like talking about their past.”

The remainder of the trip was uneventful. The cart made it back safely. The slave gave everyone a fair share in coin. And the soldiers said their farewells.

“Get rest.” The slave said, handing Ferris and Octavio their pay. “Big day, tomorrow is being.”

The slave gave the two a nod and turned to make his leave. As the slave left, his features returned to normal. Whatever magic he used to change his looks, now gone.

If anything the venture had been a good distraction. A distraction from the battle that was to come.

[13org]

Karina Frost
&
Chres Sansus

^{Collab between @13org and @Pezz570}

View Post

Year 4256
3nd day of the month of Olfaccium
Afternoon

"Is that the place?” Sil asked excitedly.

She had been acting giddy like this all day. Talking about how having a sister was going to make her bigger and asking over and over if it was time yet. Now that it finally was time to pick up Karina’s familiar, she had changed the game. Pointing at near everything and asking if that’s where they were going to get her ‘sister’ Akai. It was enough to give Chres a headache.

More than once the certain something just so happened to be a someone. After the first time Chres was quick to cut her off every subsequent time. This time however, Sil happened to get lucky.

"Yes." Chres replied, giving a relieved sigh. He looked to Karina and smiled. "You ready then?" He asked while nodding to the entrance.

"Delvin should be done by now. At least it was what he told me yesterday." Karina replied when Sil asked if they had arrived and just after Chres had replied to her.

Karina couldn't help but find amusing how Sil was acting the entire day. Since she knew about Karina's familiar, Sil couldn't talk about anything else. She was clearly eager to meet her 'sister'.

"I'm curious to see how it turned out." Karina replied as she nodded towards the entrance, signaling for them to follow her.

"Delvin?" she called as she entered the store, looking around while searching for the man whom she talked with the other day.

The man called Delvin peeked out from his workshop. His eyes darted from Karina to Chres and back. ”Aaaaaaaah, if it isn’t my favorite customer!”” He said putting extra emphasis on the word ‘favorite’. ”Welcome back! Welcome back!”

The man's gaze wandered over to Chres. He had a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. ”Ah, I see. And you must be her lover." His eyes flicked back to Karina. ”What a fine man you’ve chosen! His age does seem to match your temperament.”

Chres raised an eyebrow at the comment. He was pretty sure this Delvin character had just called him old. And what was this about them being lovers? Chres couldn’t help but feel amused by the barb. He glanced over to Karina, curious to see how she had taken it.
After she called, Delvin soon appeared to greet them. Apparently, being one of the few customers he had on the last days did give her some preference, according to his tone. After greeting him with a small nod, Karina was about to enter, but suddenly stopped when Delvin looked at Chres, calling him her lover.

Such a comment from Delvin made Karina's face red, but not from embarrassment. Her stare at Delvin was clearly unhappy with his comment.

"I would be careful with your tongue, Delvin..." She said, her eyes almost piercing Delvin.

"He is not my man, he is much older than me and... Would you like to elaborate on what you meant by 'my temperament'?" Karina asked with an almost terrifying smile as she looked at him with the same cold, piercing eyes.

Delvin’s head jolted back as if surprised by Karina’s reaction. ”My lady, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to offend. I noticed that the man’s necklace and the one you gave me looked to be a pair. That, combined with your comment yesterday about how someone gave you the pendent… any skilled familiarist, such as myself, might have drawn a similar conclusion.”

”Besides,” Delvin continued. ”considering your concern yesterday, about people not taking you seriously, I would think it a compliment. A compliment on your good tastes, that is. After all, you know what they say, right? ‘The older the man, the more splendid he stands.’”

Chres tilted his head back slightly. He was impressed by the man’s quick tongue. His explanation was plausible. Had Chres’s interpretation of Delvin’s comment about his age been wrong?

”That said,” Delvin went on, ”it seems my judgement here clearly missed the mark. Seeing as I’m a professional man who sees too the needs of his customers first, this second lapse in my judgement deserves a proper apology.”

”The second half of your payment,” Delvin said. ”I will slash the cost by one twentieth of what is owed.”

The man met Karina’s gaze. He drew his mouth in a line. ”Will that suffice, my lady?"

Karina couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow at Delvin's words as he replied to her. It was undeniable that he had quite a sharp tongue, especially when trying to deflect a situation or make up for something he said wrong. Unfortunately, his sharp tongue was at the same time, what saved him from some problems but also what put him into said problems in the first place. He seemed to have a tendency to try and smooth talk people or try to win their favor with flattery.

"He is the one who gave me the necklace, yes. But we do not have such a relationship." Karina reinforced as she heard Delvin explaining why he thought that. Even though the reason was indeed believable, after all the necklaces did seem to be a pair, it was still something annoying for Karina to hear.

"My personal tastes are my problem. Not something you should be concerned with. As long as you keep your sharp tongue in check, we will be ok, Delvin." Karina said after he gave her the offer of reducing the price as an apology.

”Second lapse in judgement?” Chres whispered to Karina.

"Yes. He treated me as a child when I first came here." Karina said, replying to Chres' question after she finished talking with Delvin.

"This should be enough for an introduction. As I promised, I returned with the second part of the payment. Is the necklace ready?" Karina asked as she took out a small pouch of money she was carrying in one of her pockets.

"I also don't have much experience with familiars as it's the first time I'm going to have one. A few hints and recommendations on how to... maintain it... would be welcome." she finished as she waited for Delvin's answer.

Delvin’s eyes flicked towards the pouch and back. A friendly smile spread across his face. ”Of course, my lady.” He said. ”Though I’m not really sure what advice I can give you. A familiar is not like a sword. It doesn’t need to be maintained in order to function. I would keep your familiar away from Shadow Metal though. I’ve heard It can do a number on a familiar for a time.” Chres nodded at that.

”As for the familiar itself, every one of them are different. So learning to live with a new familiar is very much a learning experience. Not even I can say for sure how yours will act.”

Karina heard Delvin's advice carefully. Interestingly enough, there wasn't much for her to worry about, other than keeping them away from Shadow Metal. As he continued explaining, Karina found it interesting to know that, just like what she had thought earlier, living with a familiar was much like living with a person. She would have to learn how to live with her personality, understand her and learn about her while teaching her familiar about herself. Surprisingly, it seemed to be an... interesting experience for Karina.

"Then I was right when I first came here. That a familiar is much like a person in many aspects. Living with one, dealing with them & etc." Karina said as she looked to Delvin.

”If my lady says so.” Delvin said, his expression unchanging. ”Now regarding your familiar...” He pulled out the pendent and placed it on the counter.. The metal glass shimmered in the light. Reflecting specks light here and there. ”Here it is.”

The moment he took the pendant out, Karina couldn't help but noticed that it seemed to be somehow... prettier than it was when she came, almost like if it was shimmering with the light, reflecting it in specks of light.

Before she could say anything, Karina saw Sil immediately flying towards the pendant, her eyes and mouth wide open in awe. Her reaction to it was simply adorable as she asked if it was her little sister.

"Is that my little sister?" Sil asked. "She’s soooo beautiful!"

"I'm curious on how you two will interact." Karina said with a smile to Sil.

"Hmmmmmmm..." Sil hummed. "She doesn’t seem to move much though..."

Delvin frowned. ”Is this… yours?” He asked Chres.

"She’s my familiar, yes." Chres replied.

”Did you make it yourself?”

Make it myself? Chres wondered. ”No.” He said. ”Why?”

Delvin shrugged. ”Only wondering is all.”

Chres frowned. He wanted to ask more, but Delvin had already turned his attention back to Karina.

”Would you like to meet her before performing the blood bond and making the exchange?” He asked Karina.

He idly placed his hand on the metal glass piece. It began to glow faintly.

When Delvin asked if she wanted to meet her familiar before making the bond, Karina simply shook her head.

"It would be cruel to make Sil wait more than she already did. I'm ok with making the bond already." Karina replied with a chuckle to Sil. The entire day, Sil was ecstatic and only talked about Karina's familiar and how she wanted to meet her and about being her big sister.

Delvin raised his brow while keeping the rest of his face smooth. ”If that is what my lady wishes, then so be it.” He said.

"Not yet, Sil. We still have to make the bond. Then she will wake up." Karina said with a kind smile towards Sil.

As Delvin took his hand off the pendant, the glow subsided. After doing so, he took a needle and some bandages from the drawer next to him, the tools for Karina to make the blood pact.

”Now,” He began. A smile slowly creeping across his face. ”let us make the blood pact.”

He handed Karina the needle. ”Take the needle. Prick a finger. Then speak its chosen name. Relinquish your blood so metal glass may soak. And so the bond shall form.”

Delvin spoke with much bravado. Carefully, he handled Karina the needle. Even though the instructions sound like they were rehearsed and said that way only to make an impact on the client, they were still clear and easy to follow.

With a quick movement, Karina pierced her finger with the needle, making a small drop of blood begin to form on its surface, getting bigger and bigger before she extended her finger above the pendant, letting her blood drop on the pendant.

"You will be... Akai." Karina said as her blood dripped on the pendant, one drop after another.

The moment Karina said her name, the pendant began to glow again as a girl appeared from it. With the size of a child's, she had white hair with red ends and a single horn on the right side of her head. Her clothes, an eastern type kimono, and adorning her head, a fearful oni mask with it's horn making a pair with the other one, quite a contrast compared to her small and rather cute appearance.

"Akai... Hm... It's a decent name. I think I like it." Akai said, with a smirk in her face as she looked around.

"I'm happy that you did. It suits your appearance quite well. I'm Karina Frost, I'm glad to meet you." Karina said as she looked at Akai with a smile.

"So, you're the one who named me, right? Hm..." she said, with an unamused expression as she flew towards Karina, stopping just a few centimeters from her face as she looked at her almost as if she was analyzing her.

"Yeah, that'll do. Your eyes... They tell a lot more than your cute and petite appearance does. Misleading. I like that." she said with a chuckle and a half smile.

"Wait..." Sil said. She fluttered up to Akai, finger to her lips. There was an uncertain look on her face. She looked to Akai, the pendant and then to Delvin. "I thought you said that was Akai." Sil said to Delvin while pointing to the pendant.

Delvin raised an eyebrow as if unamused. ”It is.” Delvin said.

"But Icesarina here says she’s Akai." Sil continued, now pointing at Akai.

”She is as well.” Delvin said. He casually removed Akai’s pendant from the counter.

"So I have two little sisters?! But wait... how come you're not little? Aren’t I supposed to be bigger than you?" She asked the big Akai.

Karina couldn't help but to think that Akai had an... interesting personality, both due to her words and the way she analyzed her with her eyes. That said, Karina didn't think that her personality was bad, it was just... interesting. It kinda made her want to know more about Akai.

"Wha- Hey! Who's the small one?" Akai asked, surprised as Sil fluttered towards her, looking at her with a confused expression as Sil looked from her to the pendant.

"Icesarina?" Karina repeated, with a confused expression on her face but at the same time, not being able to hold a discreet giggle at the silly nickname Sil gave her.

"Maybe I'm the big sis' then. Don't worry though, I won't bite you just because I'm bigger... Or maybe I will..." Akai said with a teasing grin to Sil as she opened and closed her mouth in a biting motion, showing the two pairs of sharp canines.

Sil smiled and stared at Akai expectantly. She seemed to be waiting for something. However, that something never came, for a second later she tilted her head to the side and said, "Or maybe you will what?"

"Bite you, of course, birdbrain!" Akai asked, rolling her eyes as she showed her teeth.

"So, whitey over there is my owner. I'm assuming the old man there is yours, right?" Akai asked Sil, pointing towards Chres.

"You mean Chres?” Sil asked. "Oooh, he just likes to follow me around everywhere I go. Kinda weird if you ask me." Chres scoffed audibly at that.

"That is a way to put it." Akai said after she heard Sil, laughing.

"I think I'm going to enjoy having you nearby. What's your name?" Akai asked Sil, curious.

"They call me Sil, but I like to call myself… Sil...” She said with a nod and smile.

”Yes yes.” Delvin interjected. ”You two do seem like you’re going to be best friends and everything, but it is getting quite late.”

Delvin looked to Karina and gave her another forced smile. ”Everything up to your satisfaction, my white- uh lady?”

He casually raised the hand in which he held the pendant. He fidgeted with the metal glass by rubbing his thumb against its smooth surface.

Karina was enjoying herself by watching Akai and Sil knowing each other but it was cut short by Delvin, who interrupted the conversation in a clear, albeit quite rude way of asking for the rest of the payment, which made Karina clearly displeased. Surprisingly, the first one to talk wasn't Karina, but Akai herself.

"You're quite a rude and greedy little man, aren't you? You really shouldn't interrupt someone when they're talking." Akai said, with an unamused expression as she looked at Delvin with her hands on her hips, her tone coming out almost as she felt personally offended by Delvin interrupting her.

”Aaaaaaaah, but you had finished speaking by the time I spoke, hadn’t you?” He replied coyly.

Without a word, Karina walked towards Delvin, with an almost threatening stare towards him as she threw the pouch of money at him before taking the pendant from his hands.

"I recommend you to not say even a single word more, Delvin. You crossed the line quite a few times already and you haven't learned your lesson yet, have you?" Karina said, looking right to his eyes with a freezing air emanating from her.

"I said I was going to pay you. There was no need for you to remind me of doing so in such a rude manner. It is only fitting for me to treat you in a similarly rude manner, don't you think?" she said in a low, menacing tone before she turned her back towards the man.

Delvin smiled smugly. He didn’t, however, say another word.

"I knew I wasn't mistaken about you. I felt the chills from here, quite literally! Those eyes too... They were quite nice." Akai said as she looked to Karina with a teasing smirk on her face.

"It wasn't the first time he said something that he shouldn't have." Karina said, replying to Akai.

"Anyways... I hope we can get along. It is quite a new experience for me... Having a familiar I mean." Karina said as she looked at Akai after calming herself down.

"Oh don't worry. I have the feeling we will get along quite well indeed. Plus we do agree that the Delvin guy only wants your money. You do know that everything that guy said was only so he could get your money, right?" Akai asked, rolling her eyes as she looked at Delvin.

"Yes, I know. His sharp tongue was starting to get on my nerves too..." Karina said with a sigh.

"We should go now, Sil, Chres and Akai. It is getting a bit late." Karina replied as she got ready to leave.

Chres hesitated. ”Would you wait for me outside?” He asked Karina. ”I have something I would like to do here first… Sil, you too.”

Chres looked to Delvin as Karina, Akai and Sil left. ”If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you a few questions.”

”I do mind, actually.” Delvin said. ”As I said earlier, it is getting quite late.”

Chres raised his brow, his amusement starting to turn to annoyance. He wanted to ask the man more about his question regarding Sil… However... ”What’s your deal here Delvin? Where is this hostility coming from?”

”Oooh, it’s coming from somewhere...” His eyes flicked towards the door where Karina had left and the back to Chres. His smug smile never fading. ”That, I assure you.”

Chres frowned. He had seen Karina’s temper first hand. Had she said something to the man? ”I simply wanted to ask about the question you asked regarding Sil. The one where you asked if I had m-”

”And I simply am far too busy to speak further regarding the fairy.” Delvin interrupted. ”Now if you would kindly see yourself out-”

An itch crawled up the back of Chres’s neck, and before he knew it, he had slammed his fist onto the countertop. ”I WILL NOT LEAVE UNTIL YOU TELL ME WH-” He heard himself shouting.

Chres’ words cut off. Something sharp was poking against Chres’ throat. His eyes lowered. In Delvin’s hand, he held a few glass beads. Jutting from one of them was a blade.

”Please leave.” Delvin said coldly.

Chres blinked. Where had that outburst come from? He was so surprised that he didn’t notice the itch slowly fading from his neck.

Chres pulled back and Delvin’s illusion faded. This man had noticed something about Sil. He had information Chres yearned for. And yet…

”My apologies.” Chres said, turning to leave. Delvin simply nodded. He watched as Chres closed the door behind him.

---

Karina did find it a bit strange on how Chres said he had something to do inside the store. Strangely enough, he wanted Sil to stay behind as well. Karina simply nodded at him as she walked outside together with Akai.

"That 'Delving' is an unpleasant little man... You should really have scared him a bit more. Maybe make use of that sharp sword you carry around? It would be funny to watch him piss himself in fear." Akai said, with a mischievous smile.

"As much as I think he is really unpleasant and would love to cut that tongue of his, he is still a civilian. That said, a little scare couldn't hurt too-" Karina said, replying to Akai before she was interrupted by a shout coming from inside the store.

While it was obvious that Karina was trying to explain that it wouldn't be right to do that, it was obvious that Akai disliked Delvin as much as Karina did, either that or Akai really just wanted to put fuel into the fire. Which was also very possible.

That shout though made Karina immediately put her hand at her rapier as she walked towards the store again. Before she entered though, she saw Chres walking out. His expression was of extreme frustration as he walked right past Karina, Akai and even Sil.

"Do you still think he deserves any respect at all?" Akai asked with a smug smirk in her face that practically yelled 'I told you so'.

For a moment, Karina stood still, simply looking at the store with the same freezing air emanating from her and a terrifyingly cold stare, simply staring at it, trying to decide if she should go back to the store or not. Delvin didn't have an ounce of respect for her, which made her really irritated. But she knew that if she went back there and Delvin did anything that she deemed 'hostile' she wouldn't hesitate to strike him down.

"No... He's not worth my time. We should go." Karina said, shaking her head before she turned away from the store and going after Chres.

"Aww~ I was really looking forward to what you would do with him, but I guess you do have a point." Akai said as she followed Karina.

"Chres?” Sil said hesitantly as she hurried after him.

Chres didn’t answer. He had left the shop feeling frustration with Delvin, the world and himself.

Where had that anger come from? Chres wondered. The man may have been irritating, but that anger… He had overreacted.

"Chres?”

Delvin had asked if Chres had made Sil himself. Why? Chres had figured Sil was custom made, but other than that, he knew nothing else about how her creation. If he had only been calmer, maybe Delvin could have told him something useful. Maybe he would have learn more regarding his wife’s betrayal. Maybe he could have-

Chres felt a tug on his sleeve. "Chres!” Sil said again. This time more urgently.

Chres jumped. Blinking twice, he turned to face Sil. ”Hmm?” He hummed.

Sil said nothing. She simply stared at him, a concerned look on her face. "I… I never heard you yell before.” She said.

Chres frowned. He wasn’t quite sure what to say. "I-I’m sorry.” He said. Sil frowned, but nodded. Apparently that was enough for her.

He then looked to Karina. "That man seemed to think he was in the right of things. What happened between you two yesterday?”

Just as Akai finished speaking with Karina, they approached Chres. He was acting a bit strange but instead of interrupting, Karina simply waited, hearing as Sil called Chres. Did something happen inside the store? Before she could say something, Sill beggan tugging his sleeve, calling for him.

"Sil is right, Chres. Something happened." Karina said as he turned towards her, asking what happened between Delvin and Karina.

"Delvin's tongue is too sharp for his own good. He crossed the line more than once. That is all." Karina replied with a serious expression.

"He will still cut himself with that tongue of his sooner or later so why bother, right?" Akai said with a chuckle and a smirk on her face after Karina said that.

"I see…” Chres said, looking back to the shop. "That man seemed to have noticed something about Sil.”

"He probably just noticed that I was adorable.” Sil said.

Chres smiled softly. "Maybe…” He said. "Still though, I would have liked to learn more.” Chres sighed and shook his head.

He was about to turn to leave when-

“Lieutenant?!” A man shouted. “Lieutenant! That is you!” A young man, with a sword at his side, rushed over to Karina. He stopped awkwardly a few feet away and gave her a rough solute.

"Something about Sil...?" Karina asked, confused. Clearly Chres wanted to know why Delvin was so surprised with Sil and what he knew about it. While Karina did know a bit about the circumstances behind Chres' story, there was still a good part of it that was still a secret.

When they were about to leave though, a voice suddenly shouted in their direction, calling a name Karina hadn't heard in a while... When the man approached them, Karina was surprised to see a soldier from the Military of Touch.

"Lieutenant? Interesting!" Akai said, raising an eyebrow with a surprised expression.

"At ease, soldier." Karina said, saluting him with a serious stare and a military salute. For the first time, Chres was seeing Karina acting like an officer.

The soldier lowered his solute but stood by attentively.

"Are you by yourself, soldier?" she asked, looking at the soldier.

"Did the general send reinforcements? Whatever you do, you must send someone back. Tell the general and the other officers that we need to change our priorities. The Cult is a bigger threat than they had imagined." Karina said with urgency in her voice.

“Send someone back...” The man seemed troubled. “But Lieutenant… Nobody is being allowed out…”

"Wait... What?! How did you get past the distortion? How many came with you?" Karina asked, her eyes wide open in a startled expression.

“We all came through the east gate in disguised as caravan owners.” The soldier said. “They are letting people in but not out. We tried last night, but were-”

His words trailed off, for at that moment Sil fluttered inches away from his face.

"Hello!” She said happily. "My name’s Sil. Today I became a little, big sister.”

The poor boy seemed confused. “... Little... big?” He repeated uncertainty.

With an embarrassed smile. Chres leaned forward and pinched her wings together, effectively snatching her out of the air and the soldier’s face.

"Ai!” She yelped in surprise. "What is this?” She began to squirm, her struggle unfruitful. "Hey! Let go! How are you doing this?”

"Sil...” Chres said. "Perhaps now is not the time...”

The soldier looked to Chres and Sil uncertainty. "Madam Lieutenant… Who are these people?” His eyes then fell on Akai. “... What are these people?”

Even as Sil greeted the soldier, Karina was simply silent, thinking. It was clear due to her expression that the situation wasn't exactly good nor it was what she had expected.

"It... It's a long story, soldier..." Karina finally said as the soldier looked at Chres, Sil and Akai with a confused expression.

"What? Never saw a familiar before? Or you're just that interested in me?" Akai asked with a chuckle and a teasing grin as the eyes of the soldier stopped on her.

“I have...” The soldier said. “It’s just that...”

"You and your unit entered the distortion and now are stuck here inside... Just like us, is that correct?" Karina asked with a long, exhausted sigh.

"How many came with your unit? Where are them right now?" Karina asked, looking at the soldier again.

The soldier shook his head “There are four oth-” The boy stopped himself. His eyes widened as if realizing something.

“No.” He said, looking to the ground as if ashamed. “Two others now...”

Karina froze solid as she heard the soldier's words. Despite her repeated warnings, they kept underestimating the cult. The small unit they sent was now trapped here, just like they were. Why didn't they assume something went terribly wrong since she had to send them that message? Were they still too busy about the war despite the threat that the Cult posed to not only the Nation of Touch but the entire world?

In that moment of silence, a freezing air emanated from Karina as the ground beneath her feet began freezing with thousands of ice needles forming around her. It was the first time Chres or even the soldier himself saw Karina irritated like that. It was clear that she was trying her hardest to keep her control, but her power betrayed her true feelings.

"Two... Others..." Karina repeated, slowly as the ice on the ground around her cracked audibly as the needles broke, with others appearing in their place.

"And now, you are trapped here... Just like us..." she said, her voice coming out in a terrifyingly calm tone, a clear contrast with the ice around her and how her fists were clenched so tightly that blood was starting to come out.

"Did the other high ranking officers really think that I, Lieutenant Colonel Karina Frost, would send that message without a good reason? That I wasn't capable of returning to the forward base by myself? Do you have any words from them?" Karina asked, her icy cold stare looking directly at the poor soldier.

“I-” The soldier started while taking a cautious step back.

"WHAT WERE THOSE IDIOTS THINKING?!" she shouted, almost trembling with rage as the ice around her cracked once more with a loud noise, the spikes getting bigger as she lost her calm further and further.

"Their incompetence and lack of trust in another officer's reports cost them TWO LIVES already! Not only that but the cult only keeps growing STRONGER AND STRONGER each SECOND that passes!" She continued, the area immediately around her getting more and more dangerous to one to stand as the time passed.

Chres frowned. The scene Karina had made was starting to draw the attention of a few bystanders.

The moment the ice spikes were big enough for Karina to finally notice what she was unconsciously doing, she raised her hand, asking for silence as she breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down. Slowly, the ice around her began to thaw and the freezing air was no more. It did take quite some time for it to finally disappear and Karina to finally calm down enough to speak something. In that moment, even Akai that usually would mock anything and generally not take anything seriously was silent, despite her amused expression as she looked from a safe distance.

"Report on the situation, soldier. You are three, counting with you. Did you bring any supplies? Any word, message or information from the headquarters?" Karina asked, the air coming out of her mouth being visible due to her body temperature having dropped a little thanks to the 'small' outburst of rage she just had.

The soldier looked to the ground and back to Karina, clearly unnerved. “M-my pardons, Madam Lieutenant. Rescuing you was never part of the orders given to us.” The soldier said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"At ease, soldier." she said, finally calming down and trying to calm down the soldier as well.

"I... lost my calm for a second. The situation didn't go exactly as I was expecting." Karina said, not only to the soldier but to Chres as well.

"I recommend you to be careful regarding your identity. The Cult won't like to know that the Military of Touch is starting to get involved in all this. Some of the local citizens or even the local forces might not like it that much." Karina said, regaining her composure.

"Now, focus. What's the report on your unit's situation?" she asked again.

“Well-” The soldier started.

"Perhaps,” Chres interjected. "we should find a place more private.”

The bystanders, who had taken notice to Karina’s display, had begun muttering to themselves.

He could barely make out the words from the nearest bystander. “Did she say Frost? Frost, as in General Frost?”

Upon hearing one of the nearby bystanders repeating her surname, Karina simply looked at them with a death stare. Honestly, at this point she was considering killing whoever heard her to keep her presence a secret but there was no running nor hiding from it now. Her presence was already known. Even though her anger was completely justified, she had said her name out loud, which was an error.

"Take me to the other soldiers before I end up killing someone... We can't count in those incompetent officers while we're here in this damned city and since we're stuck here, we will need to make plans." Karina said looking to Chres and the soldier.

---

It took a minute for the soldier to lead Karina and the rest out of prying eyes. In the end, they ended up at one of the city’s cheaper inns, not far from where their whole adventure started.

The soldiers had gone in together on a room it seemed. One of them was heavily bandaged and was currently resting. The other sat staring into the corner, saying nothing.

“He’s been that way ever since this morning.” The soldier said. “We-” The soldier looked to the others as if in a daze. “We turned on each other, we did.” The soldier whispered. “W-we should be punished… we were comrades, we were… We-”

"This is The Distortion’s work.” Chres said. He stood with his arms crossed by the door. "Sounds like you all got your first taste of Insight.”
The soldier looked to Chres, wide eyed. “The Distortion?” He repeated. “Yes yes, That’s what it must have been.” The man said the words quickly, as if willing to grasp onto any excuse to explain what happened.

"Now you all understand what I said before... The Cult can't be underestimated. They need to be annihilated." Karina said with a serious expression, looking at the soldiers.

It was clear that their morale was very low. Having turned against each other, killed their own allies and with one of them still in shock, it was no surprise that they were like that.

"These are our only reinforce-" Akai started speaking as she looked at the soldiers who were in a sorry state before she was interrupted by Karina, whom simply raised a hand in front of her for her to stop speaking.

"What? Three soldiers won't be enough to help us, you know? I'm just saying the truth..." she completed, crossing her arms as she rolled her eyes.

"They have strange powers, able to control people's thoughts and minds. This 'Insight' they speak of..." Karina continued, with a grim tone.

"Sadly... I still have no idea on how their powers work, how to stop them or how to resist them..." she completed, with a heavy sigh. After a moment of silence, Karina walked towards the middle of the room, looking to the soldiers.

"Soldiers, you are now behind enemy lines. We know very little about what we are fighting against but we know for certain that we can't allow them to continue growing stronger. You need to steel your hearts and your minds. We can't fail here, gentlemen, otherwise... The cult will spread itself like a disease, corrupting everything and everyone." she finished, with a serious and determined tone as she looked at each one of the soldiers.

"Don't let yourselves fall into despair and stay strong. We still have a mission to complete." Karina said with a determined tone.

“A mission?” The boy repeated. His eyes still wide. He blinked twice and shook his head. “Yes, that’s right… the mission...” The boy looked to Karina. ”We were sent to find you, Madam Lieutenant. To deliver a message from General Frost. The Emperor's sister, Queen to the Nation of Sight, is dead. Murdered by her own husband. Head sent to us in a bag. We will begin our assault on Shimmer Town in two day. You are to open the Eastern Gate so that the assault will not turn into a siege… That is all.”

Chres frowned. This news had major political implications. He probably shouldn’t have even been privy to hearing it. But that was not what bothered him. He had put too much hope in Karina it seemed. Her father did not seem interested in rescuing them. Rather, they would be stuck here. Stuck here until they got the job done.

He looked to Karina. How would she take this news?.

Fortunately, Karina's small speech had some results, as it reminded one of the soldiers of their mission. They had come to find her and to give her a message from General Frost, her father. The message though, wasn't something good... Upon hearing about the death of the Emperor's sister, specifically how it was announced it made her look to Chres with a worried expression. The news that there wouldn’t be a rescue for her made her a bit angry as well.

“So there won’t be any rescue despite me being a high ranking officer and having valuable and critical information regarding the cult…” she said shaking her head in disapproval trying to mask how angry she was at that.

"Do you think it has anything to do with the Insight? Is it possible that the cult's powers were somehow responsible for that?" she asked in a low tone.

Chres shrugged. They knew too little to be sure.

"They cannot proceed with the assault... We still don't know what we are against. The cultists have strange powers that we aren't aware of. You saw some of those powers personally..." Karina said with a worried expression.

"Doesn’t sound like we have much of a choice. It’s either an assault or risk being stuck here for a very long time.” Chres replied.

"Shouldn't be easier to just raze everything to the ground then? Cultists included?" Akai asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You didn't see what the cultists are capable of, neither the creatures they call 'The Sightless'... I fear the worst might happen if the military comes to face an unknown enemy, unprepared." she replied to Akai.

"Maybe...” Chres contemplatively. ”Though an assault in combination with a raid on the gate would make for a distraction...”

"You saw what they can do with people's minds, Chres. You felt it yourself. If they are already strong as they are, what do you think they would be able to do if they somehow took control of the Military of Touch?" Karina asked, with a serious tone in her voice.

"The only thing we know so far is that their power is linked with the dark. Don’t sleep in the dark, whatever you do. The Jade candles also seem to block some of their powers but that is basically all we know… The creatures they refer to as ‘The Sightless’ are even more of a mystery... Our information regarding the Cult is dangerously scarce for a direct battle right now.." she finished explaining as she became silent, thinking.

"None of that matters though if the battle doesn’t last longer than a day.” Chres said. ”If we use the battle to mask a second attack against The Seed.”

"You do have a point. Still... The threat of the sightless is still not something we can ignore. That said... We have General Frost. If anyone can turn impossible odds in favorable ones, it is him." Karina said looking to Chres.

"Now... What do you know about The Seed?" Karina asked, raising an eyebrow. Chres' plan was interesting and it could definitely work. If they were able to destroy the seed by using the battle as a distraction…

“The... seed?” The soldier said, looking confused.

"We were told that was the source of the Distortion.” Chres said looking to the soldier.

“You were told? I’m sorry, who are you again?” The soldier said, shaking his head.

"An ally I suppose.” Chres said with resignation. "The Lieutenant and I, along with a few others, got wrapped up in this mess together. A… friend was there with us when this all started. He told us how to hide from the Cult, how to avoid the Insight’s touch, and he told us about The Seed of Insight.”

Chres paused for a breath. "If we kill The Seed, we should put an end to the Distortion here.”

And I’ll be able to put this mess behind me and start focusing on learning the truth. Chres thought

”Trouble is, he didn’t give us much information to go on other than that… So what do I know about the seed? Not much more than you.” He said, answering Karina’s question. ”However, if I were a betting man, I would wager they would put something so crucial in an area they already have under their control. A place like a certain inn, turned place of worship. That is where I suspect we’ll find it.”

Chres gazed out the window absently. ”Rip out its hearts. Cut off the stem. Salt the stump.” He said, repeating The Being’s instructions. ”Only then will we kill the seed.”

[Typical]

Interlude

---

Ferris & Karina

---

^{Year 4256 | 3rd day of Olfaccium | Morning | Collab with: @13org@Pezz570}

With the immediate danger having passed, Karina and the rest of the group had found some strange new allies. The "Kharu-Natjer" and his slaves and Malkev. Between both, the one who called himself "Kharu-Natjer" was the most mysterious one. Not much was known about him. The only thing Karina knew, for now, was that he seemed to be against the cult as well and since "The enemy of my enemy is my friend", he would gain more by aiding them than betraying them. Not that it meant that Karina would trust him and his slaves, but at least she would have her rapier constantly pointed at him. Malkev on the other hand was someone they had a bit more information about and seemed to be more 'open' and not as secretive as the other one. According to his own words, Malkev was the head of the Watch, or at least of what remained of it after what the cultists did to the town. That said, despite the situation the Watch found itself, it still could move around the town drawing little to no suspicion as it was seen favourably by the population. With both the goal of knowing more about the situation around the town and the Watch itself, Karina tried volunteered herself to aid Malkev and his men to patrol some areas of the city. Disguising herself as a member of the watch would make it way less dangerous to walk around and it would draw little suspicion. It would also be a good way to earn Malkev's trust enough for him to tell what he knew about the city, the cult and any information he could give her.

After disguising herself with the Watch's uniform and getting a large backpack, which was used to carry food and other supplies that would be distributed around some communities in order to gather support and offer some well needed relief and hope to those that weren't pawns for the cult yet.

Ferris had a similar mentality when it came to the group’s new allies. While he by no means trusted Malkev and the Kharu-Natjer, he knew it’d be foolish not to at least give them a chance, considering the power they seemed to wield and what they’d already done for the group. Given that the group was taking a few days to rest, though, Ferris was taking up the opportunity to get to know their new allies, and only partially because he couldn’t manage to sit around for more than a few seconds. Committing to the group meant committing to saving the town in some way or another, but it also meant committing to staying in one place for as long as was necessary. The last time he’d stopped—fully stopped—in a city was more than a while ago, but that was the life of a mercenary, and in a way he was just currently on a long, relatively stagnant job.

Though he wasn’t one for uniforms, the guard in the patrol he’d volunteered to join had “strongly encouraged” wearing it, so Ferris had done so, even going so far as to leave his hat and scarf in his room. If he was going to don a disguise, he could at least make sure it was a good one.

Upon arriving at the gates where the patrol was to meet, Ferris was surprised to see Karina already present. While he wasn’t one to arrive late, he’d been urged out early today due to a general restlessness from being cooped up underground for so long, and he’d been impatiently counting down the hours until the patrol since he woke up. What surprised him, though, was that it seemed Karina had the same idea about picking up odd jobs around the place to learn more about Malkev and the Khar. Patrolling the town would give them an understanding of what they were dealing with: Who were their daily enemies, and how did their territory look? The patrol routes would lend an understanding of which parts of town were the busiest or most favored, and the reaction of the townsfolk would show how the guard, and by extension, Malkev, was favored around town. Plus there was an opportunity to talk with the guards, if they were the type to talk during patrols. Either way, patrolling was definitely one of the more efficient ways to gain information around here, and Ferris had no doubt that was why Karina chose to join the patrol as well.

He gave her a nod as he approached. “How are your injuries healing up?” he asked. As more members of the patrol arrived, Ferris noted that his face felt a bit bare without his scarf, but it was nothing new. His true enemies were too far away, too confident in his nothingness to care.

Despite her being wearing the Watch’s uniform, Karina still stuck out like a sore thumb among the other member who were also going to patrol around the area. Her delicate and small figure was far from what one would think it was ideal for that type of job. While some of the other members were looking at her with a clear thought of ‘what is this girl doing here’ in mind, few of them knew exactly what she was capable of.

”Oh Ferris. Didn’t expect to see anyone here.” Karina said, turning to Ferris as he called out to her.

“Oh thank you but I’m fine. Other than a few bruises and scratches I’m perfectly fine.” she said with a smile as she thanked Ferris for worrying about her.

”Despite my position in the army, I’m also a woman and I do take care of my appearance. Scars would ruin my skin.” Karina said with a discreet chuckle.

”Besides, I do have a talent for not getting hurt. Having a small body also have its advantages, doesn’t it? she said with a discreet smile as she finished checking her equipment before going patrolling.

”So… I assume you’re here for the same reason I am, right? Karina asked, her expression and tone suddenly changing to a serious one.

”Along with that ‘Kharu-Natjer’ person, the Watch is the only other ally we can count on while inside the city. I don’t think it will be easy to earn the former’s trust enough so he tells us more about him so instead I’m helping the Watch in their patrols. We need to know more about them if we’re going to be allies after all.” Karina finished. Despite her words though, Ferris would notice that there was a small hint of caution in her voice, almost as if she didn’t blindly trust neither the Watch nor the Kharu before knowing more about them.

”Are you coming along?” Karina asked, looking to Ferris.

Ferris received Karina’s comment about being a woman and taking care of her appearance with a delayed nod, not quite sure how to take that. Most of the women he was used to were either full warriors who’d given up counting their scars or the type to stay off the battlefield entirely. That scars would ruin skin was obvious, and Karina quoted her dexterity with such ease that Ferris would’ve believed it even if he hadn’t seen it firsthand. Her clear skin, then, was a testament to her skill. So far, the group the Being had gathered never ceased to impress.

“I’m here to learn more about the Watch. Anything else is a bonus,” he said when she asked about why he’d chosen to join the patrol. Encouraging Malkev to trust him hadn’t crossed his mind. Perhaps it was because of Malkev’s initial reaction to him, or perhaps he had an innate distrust of people with as much power as the Kharu, but he didn’t expect Malkev or the Kharu to ever trust the group, at least not fully. At best, the group was working toward the same goals as the Watch and the Kharu. At worst, well, that’s what Ferris was here to find out and safeguard against.

“Yes. Let’s go,” he said, adjusting his backpack as he followed the guards leading the patrol out the gate.

The sky outside was changing from the Distortion’s purple night sky to a pitch black signalling the coming of dawn, A green hue lit the north, where the sun was beginning to rise. Despite the darkened sky, the lighting on the ground appeared quite normal for dawn. It made for quite a bizarre contrast.

While the town seemed to be slowly waking, the patrol was on full alert as they filed down the designated path. Given that he didn’t know the patrol route, Ferris kept pace in the latter third of the group, allowing the guards in front of him to lead the way. Instead, he kept his attention split between the guards and the townsfolk they passed, listening for conversation from either. Talking on patrols wasn’t unheard of, but different groups had different rules. Malkev didn’t strike him as the type to let his soldiers slack, but then again commanders had many faces.

Karina stood mostly in the middle of the group, just in front of Ferris. Just like him, she had her eyes and ears on full alert to anything interesting she might hear from both the others who were patrolling with them or the townsfolk as well. Since the watch had more of a reputation around the town, the locals might open themselves in their presence much more than they would around a group of outsiders.

"I don't know what to think of that Kharu person yet, but Malkev... He can be a valuable ally for us. Earning his trust and knowing more about the Watch itself would certainly benefit us." Karina said in a low tone as she slowed her pace a bit to get near Ferris.

"At least until the military of touch sends someone to aid us... We're stuck with the hand we're given." Karina said with a rather annoyed tone in her voice.

Malkev had started the march at the center of the group, walking beside a draped cart presumably filled with cargo. As they progressed, he made a point to stop by each member of The Watch and thank them for their assistance in this venture. At length he made his way to Karina and Ferris. He eyed Ferris with a frown before settling his gaze on Karina.

“Thank you for volunteering to assist us today. Senses knows we needed the help.” The man said as he fell in line beside Karina. “I don’t believe we’ve had the chance for a proper introduction... Or rather, I don’t believe you’ve had the chance.”

Before Ferris could reply though, Malkev, who was personally thanking each member of The Watch for their assistance walked towards them, to thank both of them for the help, just like he did to the other members. Unlike them though, Malkev did stay in line near Karina, mentioning that they weren't properly introduced.

"Indeed, our meeting wasn't exactly calm, was it?" Karina said as she looked at Malkev.

"I'm Karina, pleased to meet you." she said, introducing herself with a nod. She didn't want to reveal her surname nor her position to him yet as she didn't know what Malkev would think of her if he knew who exactly she was.

“A pleasure.” Malkev said with his deep, rich voice. He gave the woman a minor bow of the head.

"The Watch is one of the few allies we can still trust to fight against the cult. If we want to survive, we should help ourselves." Karina finished, referring to the reason why she was helping The Watch.

“I just want them out of my home.” He replied. “But after that...” Malkev frowned. “The Nation of Touch’s army is coming… I don’t know what we’ll do...”

Ferris listened to the exchange with interest. From the sound of it, Malkev seemed to put the town first, even calling it his home. Suddenly it occurred to Ferris that the man could have a family in town, a wife and children he cared for and genuinely did not want to see hurt. If such were the case, trust could indeed be part of the equation because as much as they distrusted each other, Ferris could trust a man to protect his family.

He glanced at Karina. From what the Being had told him, she had ties to the Touch military. She was choosing not to share that for now, then, and Ferris respected that. Considering how much Malkev had disliked him for his magic, it wasn’t unreasonable to think Malkev would turn the same disdain on Karina if she revealed that she was affiliated with the Touch. A man would go to great lengths to protect his family, after all.

“One problem at a time works well,” Ferris noted. Keeping attention fixed on the cult was a good idea both because the cult was their biggest problem now and because it’d keep attention off the Touch and therefore Karina. Though, considering the Kharu and his penchant for secrecy, Ferris wouldn’t be surprised if Malkev already knew the truth about Karina. But that depended on how close he was to the Kharu, and giving away information was never a good idea in Ferris’ book.

Malkev paid the Crazed a contemptuous sidelong glance. “Is what I keep telling myself.” He said.

It seemed that Karina's decision to not tell Malkev about her ties to the military of touch was the right choice, judging by how he sounded about it. That said, there was not much choice regarding that matter. The cult already had turned the king into one of their puppets. In the state the town is right now, even if the cult disappeared, surrendering the city to the military of touch was the better option instead of keeping the current king or having no king at all.

"Indeed. Things are already complicated enough with just the cult... If that wasn't enough, there is the issue about how they transformed even the king in their puppet." Karina said, agreeing with Ferris, thankful that he also tried to change the subject instead of further talking about the military.

"There is still a lot we don't know about the cult. Their powers, what exactly they can do... Even how far their influence has spread outside of this city. Right now, they are a potential threat for the entire world if they continue to get stronger, not only to this city. We can't give them a chance to recover themselves when we strike them. They need to be eliminated." Karina said with a serious tone as she looked at Malkev.

"And that is what the military of touch would do. This city, as the root of the cult, couldn't be left to its own devices, lest they wanted the cult to continue growing." she thought to herself as she looked at the sky, now warped due to the distortion. No matter if Malkev would call her a traitor later, but he would be thankful for her and the Military of Touch's interference later on, when this is all over.

Malkev frowned. “Good luck with that then.” He said. “I’m going to have my hands full just getting things back in order here, once we are done.”

The tall man sighed. Clasping his hands behind him, he stared ahead as if in thought. “I don’t buy it.” He said at last. “King Y’lleant would never let this happen! They must have tricked him somehow or taken his poor son hostage!” Malkev nodded to himself. “Yes… there has to be some other explanation here. Both King Y’lleant and my cousin… Their attitudes changed far too quickly for it to actually be them calling the shots.”

From what Ferris knew, Y’lleant was the reigning Sight king. The rest of Malkev’s statement, however, was lost on him since he was not aware of what was happening with the Sight military, but Malkev’s mention of a cousin caught his attention.

“Your cousin?” he asked, meeting the man’s eyes stonily. Malkev had his thoughts of Ferris clear, and Ferris didn’t mind them. In all honesty, it was a normal and rather common prejudice, and Ferris was more tired of it than anything. One could distrust whatever they wanted. It was when and how they acted on that distrust that Ferris could and would take offense.

Malkev furrowed his brow as if confused. “Yes... my cousin… Lord O’Kal...” He said as if this were common knowledge. “Did neither of you know who I am? What The Watch is?”

Karina heard what Malkev said regarding the king. Even though she didn't know the king, Malkev did seem to know him very well and did mention how he was acting strangely. Considering the strange things she saw the cultists doing, especially those Sightless, it wasn't that far fetched to think that they could have, somehow controlled the king using their powers or something... But that didn't change what she and the military should do. The king was unfit to rule, incapable. The fact that he allowed all this to happen, being controlled or not, already said a lot about his capabilities as a king. Such organization like the Cult doesn't just appear out of nowhere and simply starts controlling the city...

"Wait... Lord O'Kal is your cousin?!" Karina asked, raising an eyebrow and completely interrupting her own thoughts the second she heard Malkev saying that, after Ferris asked about it, confirming what Malkev had just asked. Neither of them seemed to know exactly what The Watch was.

“Of course he’s my cousin.” He said looking a tad bemused. “My reputation in this town might be overshadowed by my older brother’s, but I still have one.” Malkev paused for a moment. “You two aren’t from around here, are you?”

Ferris glanced at Malkev, surprised at the man’s question. He’d assumed that the Kharu had told Malkev about the group already, or at least enough to keep him informed on another possible Crazed in town, but apparently not. From Malkev’s question, then, it seemed that he’d deduced that Ferris and Karina weren’t locals, and perhaps that they weren’t Sight people altogether. Since it was better safe and sorry, Ferris figured his default cover, which was mostly true, worked fine.

“I’m a mercenary. Recently came into town,” Ferris said, then glanced at Karina. Did she need a cover too? Given that they honestly didn’t know each other that well, she could easily claim to be a mercenary as well, especially given that sellswords tended to get hired in groups for bigger missions. In a way, the Being had done exactly that: He’d hired Ferris, and maybe the rest of the group, with promises rather than gold.

"No. Had a delivery to make around these parts. Stopped by the city to rest for a bit and ended up in this situation." Karina replied when Malkev asked if they were from around the city, using the same cover story she had used when she first arrived in the city.

"It is one of the reasons why I'm trying to make some allies... We'll be stuck here for a while... It would be better if I knew a few people that I could rely on if things suddenly get ugly." she finished.
“A mercenary... and a lady out on a delivery...” Malkev’s started with a distasteful tone only to soften his attitude after the pause. “You two are quite an odd pair… Though I suppose the same can be said of my alliance with the Kheru-Natjer and… that woman...”

Though Malkev’s thoughts on Ferris were clear, Ferris had never let anyone’s opinions come before his job or goals, and currently his job was to patrol and his goal was to get more information. If Malkev didn’t want to answer questions, he need only walk away.

“Why have you allied with them then?” Ferris asked, keeping his tone even but firm.

Malkev pursed his lips. His brow furrowed. “Because…” He said. “I have no other choice.”

For a while, Malkev said nothing. He just stared straight ahead. His frustration clear on his face.
“One of Svephraey’s goons came to us days before the day of madness. Warning us of the danger to come... The man had snuck into my brother’s home. Waited in his room in the shadows. Waited to speak to him alone… It’s fair to say, after an encounter like that, we didn’t listen.

Another pause. “He had been like the goons from the day before. The ones who sacrificed themselves to save you… I don’t like that woman… She makes my skin crawl. The thugs in this town appear to respect her… but those minions of her… What kind of thugs, employed by a woman like her, will risk their own lives for strangers like you? Its-”

Malkev shook his head. “But no, I’m getting off track...” Malkev gave the two a serious look. “We initially had been trying to convince my cousin to refuse the cultists entry, but after that first day, we’ve been refused entrance into his manor and he no longer responded to our inquiries. So… my brother came up with a plan. He made contact with someone who could send in help to remove the cult from the city. He refused to tell me who, but… Well I assume that it was someone within the King’s army… We were supposed to open the gates for them and…”

Malkev sighed. “None of that matters now.” Malkev said quietly. “My older brother died the day everyone went mad. Died from my own two hands… I killed him in a fit of madness.”

The tall man frowned. “Whatever his plan had been, it’s of no use to us now… With my brother gone, I took his place as the overseer of The Watch… Many of our members died that day… In any case, Svephraey’s goon came back for another visit the day after the madness. The same day you and your friends found the Kheru-Natjer… With no other means of fighting back… I listened that time.”

Karina stood silent as Malkev mentioned the Kheru-Natjer and the mysterious woman. They were an unknown variable that certainly worried Karina. She knew almost nothing about them and the extent and reason for their allegiance to the group was... hazy at best. Ferris also did seem to be searching for more information regarding them, including why Malkev, who didn't seem the type to ally himself with such people did so.

Malkev's reasoning was... plausible. In the situation he and The Watch was in, choice was one of the things they didn't have. Malkev also didn't like her that much. Her minions were indeed... strange. Karina had already noticed that before but hearing Malkev saying it only confirmed that. No one, no matter how loyal, would easily die for strangers like that. Throwing themselves into danger without much care for their own lives... What was even more surprising though was what Malkev said after that. Apparently, one of Svephraey's goons tried to warn him and his brother about the cult and everything that was about to happen, days before everything started. Svephraey and the Kheru knew much more than they were telling them...

"I share your views regarding Svephraey and the Kheru-Natjer... They know more than what they're telling us. We're not in a position to choose our allies, but I would be a bit cautious with them." Karina said after hearing Malkev.

"Regarding the plan you had of asking assistance to someone outside the city... It may not be that useless. I was able to contact someone outside the town. I only had time to send a single word with the aid of one of the members of our group before the cultists found our location but if he understood that word, help will surely come for me." Karina finished, carefully watching Malkev's reaction as she said that to him.

Malkev arched an eyebrow at her words. “Help? From who?”

"Help." Karina replied to Malkev's question with a firm tone.

"You- We aren't exactly in a position to choose who will help us." she said, still looking to Malkev with a fierce expression.

"The cult. It needs to be dealt with. Otherwise... Well... You saw what they did with this town and it's people." she completed, looking to Malkev and waiting for a reply.

Malkev frowned at her choice of words. “Why is it that I feel like everyone is pressing my back against a wall...” He muttered.

The man looked to Ferris and then Karina. With a nod he moved on to the front of the group. His head lowered as if deep in thought.

Ferris watched Malkev leave with a curious expression, then turned to Karina. “Why didn’t you tell him about your background?” There were numerous reasons why, and Ferris knew that, but he wanted to hear hers. Maybe it was privacy, or maybe it was so she could keep an ace up her sleeve. Or, maybe, there was a reason Ferris wasn’t aware of yet.

“The Being told me,” he said after a pause, figuring he should clarify where he was getting his information from. He was asking her something that could be personal, so he’d keep himself as transparent as possible. To show that he had no bad intentions, and that he was willing to answer additional questions, if she had any.

The moment Karina heard Ferris talking about her background, she looked at him, raising her eyebrow. How did he know about it? It wasn't like anyone other than Chres knew it. Did he told Ferris about it? Regarding his question, it would be easier to ask why would she tell someone of her background than otherwise. Keeping her identity hidden was the very definition of being undercover. After a moment, Ferris spoke again, interrupting her thoughts as he mentioned 'the being', the same thing that appeared to her and the others back when the city wasn't like... this.

"The being... It's really good it is just giving away my information to others." Karina said with an unsatisfied tone.

"I assume you know who I am already. I also assume that you know that the Nation of Touch and the Nation of Sight are currently on war... right? My reason to come here is because I am... or was... undercover. I had a sneaking suspicion that the cult was more than just a small religious group and that it could prove to be a problem... Unfortunately... I was right." Karina said in a grim tone.

So she’d been sent ahead as a spy. That was quite a piece of information the Being had left out of his explanation for Ferris, but it hadn’t done any harm. He wasn't the type to go spreading information, of course, but it was still good that he knew why he shouldn’t, if only for future reference.

“The cult is a problem for both sides, but only the Sight are fighting it right now,” Ferris said. “The Touch could use that to their advantage—though joining forces to defeat the cult first would be the more honorable move. I assume that’s what you want too?”

Ferris already knew too much about her thanks to that damn being, but when he began prodding what were her goals and asking more questions, Karina stopped and looked at him with a look of suspicion.

"You are asking too much, Ferris..." Karina said, looking at him with a serious stare.

"The Cult needs to be stopped and eliminated, no matter how. What I am trying to do is changing the priorities of the Military of Touch. Temporarily, at least." Karina replied. Her tone and expression as she said that were clear, almost a warning advising Ferris against keeping asking too much about her and things he shouldn't know about the military.

At Karina’s assertion, Ferris paused. “Right,” he said. “Apologies.” He’d set out to build rapport, not break it, though he supposed he had failed to estimate how much Karina’s assignment meant to her. The machinations of one person were essentially those of a nation, for now, and he remained an outside entity.

Looking around, he spotted a few guards conversing with each other, though joining their conversations didn’t seem wise with Malkev at the head of the patrol. The guards need only glance forward to remember whether they should hold their tongue.

"I hope you understand why I'm being cautious. As you know, I'm still a high ranking officer in the Military of Touch. I shouldn't be careless regarding what I say since most things I know are important information with critical value." Karina said after Ferris replied.

"When you are in a position such as mine, the things you say and the things you know can cause deaths or save lives. I do consider you allies, but certain things go beyond me... You understand?" she asked, trying to explain to Ferris why she said what she said. She didn't want him to think she simply didn't want to tell things to him and was doing it out of bad will.

"Let's go, we should at least try to pay some attention on the patrol." Karina said to Ferris as they continued walking.

Ferris nodded. “Of course.” He didn’t tend to rub shoulders with people in high places, but he understood the concepts. Secrecy over honesty since information trumped all. He didn’t fault her for not wanting to share, nor did he mind the words she’d chosen. As one who respected honesty, he didn’t mind when people didn’t mince words, and he’d been told off in worse ways.

“I doubt we’re the only patrol out,” he said as they walked. “Malkev is here too. They must have stepped up security.”

The group walked for some time longer, until finally reaching the market square. There, they halted their carts in an empty spot some distance away from where the usual food merchants were now soliciting people to the cult.

“Never have I known a merchant unwilling to accept money!” One of the civilians shouted. “Just what are they paying you people?”

“Does it matter?” One of the merchants said. “The Clan is handing out our merchandise for free. Never have I known a peasant unwilling to eat for free.”

“Peasant!?” Another man exclaimed angrily. “At least we aren’t greedy little pigs!”

“Greedy?” A second merchant spat. “Allowing our merchandise to be handed out for free is greedy now, is it?”

“It isn’t free when we are being forced to sit through a sermon just have a bite to eat!” The first civilian shouted back. “And don’t act like you are all saints. Just how much are they paying you people anyway?!”
The crowd there was growing increasingly angry. One person tried to shove past the other in order to get to a merchant. However, he was quickly intercepted by one of the many Cults thugs at the ready.

“Step back!” The Cultists shouted. “We do not wish to hurt any of you. These men, though greedy they may be, are simply following the guidelines we have provided for them. We are simply trying to bring order back from the chaos that started three days prior.”

“Nobody went mad until the Distortion arrived. How is that bringing order?” A woman shouted.

“The Distortion simply gifts knowledge, not chaos. We can teach you to use this knowledge. To wield it. We have food, supplies, whatever you need to to keep your families from starving. Lord O’Kal’s absence has dug you poor people into a hole. We simply wish to give you the means to climb your way out. Yes our food comes at the price of a sermon, but at the end of the day it’s still-”

Throughout all of this, Malkev and his men had set to work. The carts they brought had been built in such a way to convert into what appeared to be a stall. Its contents, however, had remained covered throughout all of this. As the guards busied about their work, it was then that Malkev began speaking...

“Ladies! Gentlemen! I… I am sorry.” Malkev began shouting. Oddly his voice seemed magnified. Magic perhaps?

A few of the townsfolk had turned away to look, but most were still busy arguing with the merchants and cultist.

“The Cultists are right!” Malkev continued. “Lord O’Kal has fail us! The town guard, who man the walls, have failed us. And I, Malkev, cousin to Lord O’Kal have also failed you. I failed to act. I failed to prevent this… I even failed my own brother.”

By this time much more of the crowd had turned to listened. Even the preaching cultist’s words had trailed off.

Malkev stared at the ground as if in pain. The death of his brother was still fresh. Slowly, the man raised his head. He looked to the crowd with resolve. “I refuse to fail you any longer.”

At that moment, the guards whipped off the cover to the stalls. Underneath lay all manner food and supplies.

“The cultists offer you food for free. Well, so do I. But the food I have here comes not at the cost of your time. It comes from my own good graces.”

The crowd began to mutter. Some even began to draw towards Malkev. The cultist began whispering amongst themselves. The one who had been preaching gave Malkev a dark stare.

“Unfortunately, I do not have enough food for all, but I will do my best to distribute the food fairly.”

One of the cultist thugs started moving towards Malkev, but was stopped by the cultist who had been preaching.

“Now then,” Malkev said. “Who’s first?”

---

The distorted green sun had risen high above by the time they finished distributing the food. Surprisingly the cultists had left Malkev alone. In fact, they had dispersed shortly after Malkev stole their crowd.

“I cannot do this again.” Malkev said after they had finished packing up and had begun to leave. “At least not like this. They will have their eye on me now.”

Arriving at the market square, Karina saw the entire scene unfolding, the cultists trying to do their brainwashing by using food to attract civilians. Fortunately, they didn't seem to like the preaching that much and some of them weren't as stupid as the others, knowing that the distortion and the cult were making people go mad. Karina really wanted to stop the cultist preachers and deal with that but seeing on how she was currently a part of Malkev's patrol and wasn't really the one responsible for such patrol, she held herself and simply waited for Malkev's orders.

Fortunately, when Malkev started speaking, most civilians turned their attention to him instead and showed themselves more than willing to accept his help other than being brainwashed by the cultists just for some food. As Malkev began distributing food, Karina watched with the corner of her eye as one of the cultist thugs began walking towards Malkev before being stopped by the preacher. Sending both of them a cold, threatening stare, Karina kept looking at them, watching their every move almost as a way to warn them that she was already doing too much simply tolerating their presence.

When it was all finished, with the green, distorted sun beginning to rise above the horizon, Malkev mentioned on how he couldn't do that and how the cult would have their eyes on him after today.

"Hopefully, you won't need to worry for too much longer, Malkev." Karina said. It wasn't hard for him to realize that what she felt for the cult and the cultists was complete and utter disgust and hate. For her, they were a threat and had to be eliminated at all costs.

“I would hope otherwise.” Malkev said. “For if I’m not there to worry about my people, then who will?”

"You did a good job, Malkev. But one person alone can't hope to deal with the cult. Not as they are right now. They became too strong for a local force to deal with." Karina continued with a firm voice.

"I will need your cooperation when the time comes. Remember that stopping the cult is more important than everything right now. If they get stronger... Then I hope no one will be able to stop them... Or there will be no one left to oppose them after being brainwashed." She completed with a grim tone.

Malkev said nothing for a time. He looked to the ground as if troubled. “My place is with my people. I don’t have the luxury to leave them for war. Heck, I already have one war coming straight to my doorstep. The Watch was made to be there for our people. I can’t make any promises until all invaders have been dealt with. Once the cult is gone, and once I’ve found a way to turn back our other invaders… Maybe then we can talk.”

Malkev looked to Ferris. “And what of you, Crazed?” He said, while emphasizing the word ‘Crazed’. “What is your angle in all of this?”

Though he’d spent the last few minutes listening in, Ferris hadn’t planned on speaking, if only because he figured it’d irritate Malkev more. There also wasn’t much he could add since he had limited understanding of both Malkev and Karina’s situations, but now that Malkev had addressed him directly, he supposed he’d share his thoughts.

“Same as her. I’m here to stop the cult,” Ferris said, and he wasn’t lying. His current goals aligned perfectly with theirs, and they’d be the same if worded differently. As for his angle, that came after the cult was brought down, and though it was equally important to him, he hadn’t suddenly lost his patience. There was no reason he had to explain any of that, though, much less to Malkev. If there was someone he wasn’t expecting to win out of this, it was Malkev and his deep-seated distaste for regulated magic users.

Malkev eyed Ferris. ”Sounds very un-mercenary like.” He said, skeptically.

“There are things more important than gold,” Ferris replied evenly. Whatever Malkev concluded of that, Ferris didn’t mind.

Karina heard Malkev's words quietly, looking at him with a serious stare. It was obvious to her who were the 'invaders' he was talking about but it wasn't time for her to reveal her identity yet. Despite that, even if Malkev wanted, it was highly unlikely he would be able to resist the Military of Touch all by himself and it was equally unlikely he would cooperate or ask for the help of the cult.

"Sooner or later, Malkev, you will have to make a choice. I hope that when the time comes, you will make the correct one. You, better than anyone else should know that aiding or asking for the cult's help isn't an option." Karina replied.

After that, Malkev turned to Ferris, asking what was his thought in all of that. If it wasn't clear that Malkev and Ferris didn't like each other that much, the fact that Malkev referred to him as 'crazed' was another indication of that. Ferris' reply was short but simple. He saw the need to stop the cult, just as Karina did.

"Mercenary or not, he sees the potential danger that the cult poses to the entire world. He is making the correct choice." Karina said, agreeing with Ferris as he replied to Malkev's comment of his actions not being expected from a mercenary.

“With all due respect,” Malkev started, his tone beginning to turn to irritation. “you speak as though choices are black and white when in truth they tend to be more situational than that.”

“The Cult is dangerous. That much is certain. However you can’t just expect that to be enough to convince me to go on a war campaign with you. For one, how do I even know you are capable of winning such a war? You speak as though you have the means to fight these people and yet here you are stuck in this mess with me.”

“Two, I fail to see how going straight into another war will help my people. Look at the dead bodies piled up over there!” He said nodding toward a fly ridden alleyway covered with rotting corpses. “Dead from the day of madness. So many have already died just from that day alone and we still have yet to determine the damage it has done due to the chaos that’s followed. Factor in another war… well just imagine just how much worse things will get.”

“And three,” Malkev continued. He hesitated a moment, his hands balling up into fists. This last point seemed to have him troubled. The man looked ahead and took a deep breath to calm himself. “Even if I were to agree to help. If I were to agree to a campaign against the cult, you’re still ignoring the army at my doorstep.” He said. “With Lork O’Kal likely dead and my brother dead as well, I may be in line to be the next lord of Shimmer Town… However, none of that matters once the army of touch arrives.”

Malkev shook his head. “They will not keep me in charge once they take this town. They will make someone else Lord instead. Someone who will be more sympathetic to their cause. For me, it will be the gallows… Either that or chains. Given the choice, I would choose the former.”

When Malkev began, saying that he didn't even know if Karina had the means to go on a war campaign, he could only see a smug smirk coming from Karina. She was rather curious to see how he would react if he knew who she was...

"Do I have the means to do it? You would be surprised if you knew. Besides... The time to consider possible choices has passed, Malkev. You waited for too long. There are only two options now." she said with a chuckle.

"If you want for more bodies to keep piling up, then continue doing nothing. Waiting will only raise the body count and make things even harder when you finally understand that the cult needs to be dealt with. You saw how this town became with the cult. The kingdom itself is soon to follow with this administration..." Karina continued.

"You know why I'm coming to you to speak this to you even though I don't need to? Exactly due the position you're in right now. You are the only one who can make a difference and there's no better situation for that than now. When a bigger threat arises, people tend to forget things such as rivalries... and opportunities to prove one's skill and discernment are plenty. No matter where, a man with talent and discernment to make the right choices is always sought after and maybe... If you do the right choice, there might be someone important watching you..." Karina said that, looking at Malkev as she raised an eyebrow, analyzing the man's reactions.

"Now... I gave you enough information for you to start thinking about what you'll do. Of course, I still need to keep some secrets or else it would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? That said... remember this: The world won't wait for you to decide yourself. Wait for too long and you might lose your one opportunity." Karina finished with a smile and a piercing stare.

"Oh, but don't take me too seriously. Those were just advice. What do I know? As you said, I'm just a helpless girl that got caught up in this mess, am I not? The least I can do is help you to patrol the town." she said with a smirk.

Malkev looked to Karina and frowned. “I never called you helpless, lass. I merely was emphasizing that you talk big without providing the substance needed to reassure me.”

Malkev looked back ahead. Their destination was approaching. “When the Kharu-Natjer came to me, he provided food, shelter, and the knowledge to hide from the cult. As far as I can tell, you only offer a collar and promises that something nice will happen if I am a ‘good boy’.”

Ferris watched the scene unfold quietly. Though the Being had briefed him on Karina’s family, they had said nothing of her goals. What she was hinting at now aligned with what he’d assumed of her goals before, and however much he disliked the veiled statements she taunted Malkev with, he accepted it as part of a political background. He’d heard many stories of the pompous life of those in power, and most of them had woven lies and intrigue in at some point. As such, he figured such things normal, endemic to those who regularly embroiled in politics.

Malkev’s reaction, though, told him that while the man was used to such politicking, he had no love for it. In another world, Ferris may have sympathized, or even gotten along with him. They were both soldiers at their core, more eager to fight than attempt to mince words. In this world, however, he had been judged as a Crazed, and he could not protest the label. It was as much Malkev’s right to judge him as it was his to judge Malkev for subscribing to such prejudices.

The group came to a stop as they reached their destination. Malkev sighed as he pulled out pay and handed it to Karina and Ferris. He looked to Karina as he handed the woman her share. “I may not know which important person you might be, but the fact that you are keeping your identity a secret from me gives alarm. I told you who I am, why won’t you tell me who you are?”

Karina looked at Malkev, raising an eyebrow as he spoke. They had finished the patrol and the man was already handing out the promised pay but not before speaking a bit of his mind. Which wasn't all that comforting, especially when he talked about the Kharu-Natjer.

"You should know more than anyone exactly the type of person the Kharu-Natjer is. Not exactly someone that you should be able to trust blindly, especially seeing the position you're in." Karina said, rolling her eyes. While it was true that the Kharu helped them, it was also true that their entire trust was based solely on the precarious situation they were in and it might as well end completely the second the situation changes too.

"Regarding who I am... I do have much more to lose than you do by revealing my identity, Malkev But I guess that could be a token of trust... If I'm trying to make you trust me, the least I could do is trusting you back." Karina spoke.

"That said... I will assume you will keep it a secret. Don't make a mistake breaking the trust I am putting in you, Malkev. I do have high expectations for you." Karina said, looking straight to his eyes.

"Karina Frost. Lieutenant Colonel Karina Frost." she said as she took the money from his hand.

"It is a pleasure to know you." Karina said with a smirk as she took the money from him.

Malkev’s eyes widened. “Karina Frost… As in General Frost’s daughter?” His surprise quickly vanished as the implications sank in. His eyes darted to Ferris and back, his expression quickly darkening.

“Well, it certainly seems like you started a war under false pretenses... but we all knew that, didn’t we?” Malkev said coolly. “If you’ll excuse me, I need time to think.” The man strode off moments later, leaving Ferris and Karina behind.

Malkev’s reaction was along what Ferris had expected, though he also wouldn’t have been surprised if the man stuck around to ask Karina more questions. Leaving, however, was the smarter decision since it’d give him time to cool off and come up with a proper response. It was the political move for someone not greatly versed in politics, and Ferris respected that.

“He’ll probably still like you more than me,” Ferris remarked when Malkev was properly out of earshot. Prejudices tended to run deep, and no matter what happened, it remained that a lieutenant colonel was more respectable than a mercenary.
Karina simply let Malkev walk away without saying anything more. She had already gave him the information she needed, now she just had to wait and see if he would make the correct choice... or not. He would need time to think but he honestly didn't have that many options... And Karina was sure to tell that to him.

"He might hate me even more than you when this all is over. He has no other choices and he knows this. He knows that I know it too. That's why I'm pressing him against the wall like this. He only needs time to think and realize that I am his best option if he wants to clean this mess." Karina said as Ferris mentioned him still liking her more than him, with a half smile and a confident expression.

"Assuming he won’t do anything foolish, of course.” Karina finished. It was unlikely that Malkev would make a choice based on his emotions or a foolish choice. From what she saw from him, he was a wise man. It was the reason why she said she had high expectations of him.

Ferris nodded at her words. In the grand scheme of things, Malkev was a mere town commander trying to protect his town in a war between countries. Getting aid from Karina, be it in the form of her army’s assistance in combat or a mere word in his favor, was already more than he could hope for.

As for her remark that Malkev shouldn’t do anything foolish, Ferris paused for a second, reading the harmless remark for what it was from her calm tone and continued confidence. He agreed that Malkev seemed unlike the type to make hasty actions, but they also didn’t know Malkev that well. If there was any immediately recognizable flaw the general had, it was his prejudice and his tendency to allow it to show on his face and in his tone, which only went to show his lack of political expertise.

“As long as he doesn’t spread the information, he’ll likely play right into your palm,” Ferris commented as they started cleaning up the empty bags, the supplies already distributed. “I’m surprised the Kharu didn’t mention it to him, though. He seemed like he knew more than he was letting on.”

Karina didn't want to consider the idea that Malkev might spread the information, after all it was indeed quite a foolish thing to do since he would turn her, a potential ally, into an enemy but if he indeed did that, it could cause a lot of problems for her. It was still too soon for her identity to be discovered...

"It was a gamble. I won't say it's impossible but Malkev is smart. Too smart to do something that might turn me, a potential ally into an enemy... Or so I hope... If he indeed does that, it would cause problems for us both..." Karina replied.

"I don't trust the Kharu... Their support is but momentary and they seem to be exactly the type of person that would backstab someone if they saw benefit on it." she said with a worried expression.

Ferris nodded at her words. If Malkev turned on them, it would definitely cause problems, but he also agreed that Malkev didn’t seem the type to. As for the Kharu, Ferris agreed as well. Trusting someone at their word was rarely a good idea, and the Kharu had given them no indication of why he was helping them. Whether he seemed the type to backstab someone, though, Ferris couldn’t say. In his experience, anyone could backstab their allies, given enough of a reason to do so, and the people used to backstabbing others didn’t always have obvious tells.

“Whatever’s encouraging him to lend us aid for the moment, it doesn’t seem to have changed yet, so we can likely count on his help for a bit longer.” Ferris glanced at Malkev up ahead, frowning. “Whether or not we trust him, the Kharu is helping us right now, housing and connecting us to Malkev and the guard. I wouldn’t stake my life on him, but in a way we’re indebted to him.”

"Indebted... Not a word I like to use. He's not doing it for free. He has his own interests in mind, even if we don't know what they are right now." Karina replied.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, for now. I wouldn't stake my life on them either." Karina sair as she looked at ferris nodding towards him as she agreed with his words.

It was true that the Kharu was aiding them but as she said before, he had his motivations to do so. Even if they didn't know exactly what those motivations were.

"We should probably go as well. We're done aiding the patrol and it's not like there's anything left for us to do here." she finished.

When Karina pointed out that the Kharu was likely operating for his own benefit, Ferris wondered whether he should’ve clarified his point, but he decided against it. At the end of the day, he’d merely been stating the obvious, and she had a point too: They had no way of knowing how and to what extent the Kharu was benefiting from helping them. Perhaps they were merely additional chess pieces in the fight against the cult, or perhaps it was something more.

At her suggestion that they get going, he nodded. “Agreed. They look about done,” he said, looking to Malkev, who appeared to be dismissing soldiers up ahead. “I suppose we achieved our original goals for wanting to join this patrol, at least. I’ll see you around then.”

With that, they dispersed with the patrol, Ferris heading to his quarters to retrieve his hat and scarf. The wind on his face and hair wasn’t something familiar at this point, and he’d had enough of that for one morning.