(( The story continues in the graveyard of the Ascalon Settlement after the death of the former Baron Nicholi Valdis. ))

Mirex has a splitting headache when she awakes the following morning. Almost noon, really. She feels drained and weakened still as she lies naked, apparently in her tent. She slowly rolls her head back and forth to keep her vision from swimming too much as she looks about to try and get her bearings.

A soft giggle greets her motion. ‘G’mornin’, love. Need some willow-bark tea? I have the makings, though I haven’t brewed it up yet.’ Adri was lying next to her, still almost fully armoured, or perhaps she was that way again. The mix of shadow magic and illusion on it was still something to make the eyes crawl, with the partial illumination in the shaded tent.

Mirex smiles wanly at her beloved, although as soon as her eye catches the disconcerting armor, she winces and feels her head swim, and she squeezes her eyes shut to look away, “Yes, darling… I think that’d be lovely,” she murmurs amid a groan that was almost a whimper.

‘On it, then, love. And sorry for what I’m sure the enchantment is doing to your eyes, but… well, if Valdis had any friends, I needed to be sure. Still a good idea, until we know I can remove it. Getting this back to normal will be some work, at that.’ She fusses with some device that she probably liberated from an Inquest lab at some point, and pours some water into a ceramic mug, setting up for tea-making once the device heats the water enough. ‘Gran kept watch until dawn, to let me sleep.’

“Mmm…that was kind of her,” she murmurs, keeping her eyes closed for now. It helped with the dizziness, if not necessarily the headache. “My Countess… will you kiss me?” she asks as she listens to the sounds of Adri getting the tea ready. “Did you sleep all right? You didn’t sleep in that armor did you?!”

With a soft giggle, Adri kisses her sweetheart, then nuzzles her cheek as she softly answers. ‘Sorry to disappoint you, love, but I did. I don’t care how capable Gran and her friends are when it comes to keeping mortal flesh intact.’ The device behind her was humming oddly, but it didn’t seem to be causing the white-haired woman any alarm.

Mirex does her best to nuzzle back. “Mmm… that’s all right my Countess… better safe then sorry.” She sighs happily, bringing a hand up to find Adri’s face a moment while keeping her eyes shut. It definitely helped. “You were beautiful last night. Lady Adrielle must be very proud of you. I know I am.”

A giggle and nuzzling into that hand greet the gesture. ‘I was beautiful then, hmm? But today it’s too hard to look at me. I see how it is.’ She’s quite amused, teasing just because she can. ‘But thank you, love. Gran did seem rather pleased, as things go.’

“It’s that armor you’re wearing, my darling, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to stop looking at you, headache or not.” She caresses Adri’s cheek now that she’s found it. “You acted as a Countess should. Justly. He didn’t deserve thr torments you might have put him through. If I wasn’t Shining Blade I’d be swearing my fealty to you, my darling.”

Adri giggles softly, kissing and nuzzling Mirex’s hand. ‘Let’s not go raising my banner just yet, love. And I have to disagree a little. He deserved all the torments I could imagine for him, and more. But for me to deliver them would have served no purpose but to stain my spirit, dragging me toward his level of being.’

“Hmm… just so. Perhaps I’ll amend what I said to he didn’t deserve your torments from your own hand. You are better then he was for that, my sweet Adriwyn.” She traces Adri’s kissing lips with her fingers. “Kiss me again. And then lets get me upright somehow so we can finish here and go home to our Alex. I think I’m going to insist on some time off for a bit.”

‘It would be nice to have you with us, love.’ She kisses the redhead again, lingeringly. ‘But hold a moment before we get you upright. The tea will be ready soon, and if you give it a few minutes, you’ll be a lot more fit for moving around.’ She turns, deactivating the device and dropping an infuser into the mug. ‘About two minutes of steeping. Then, given you’ve not eaten in a while, probably five minutes after you drink it before it starts to help.’

“Hm… I will obey, my Countess…” she murmurs, lying back again. Hesitantly she pries her eyes open, though she’s careful not to look at Adri and her armor, however much she wanted to. “I might need the ghost’s help one more time. The Baron has likely left hexes and nasty enchantments in place on the things we need. I’ll try with just my power but… I’m very tired.”

‘I had a talk with the Seraph sergeant. They’re keeping the buildings under guard. Nobody goes in and out but us, or someone I authorise. We can wait until dark, when the ghosts can help more easily. Or at least get the tea in you and get you fed, and see how you’re doing then.’

“Hm… good idea. I suppose we should have that sergeant in here. Or at least the garrison commander. If they haven’t sent word yet to the Reach about what happened here, we should use them to do so. Will you ask them here once the tea is done, beloved?”

‘Hmm. If we get you covered up in something. It’s a little cozy in here for that otherwise.’ She giggles, nuzzling her sweetheart again, then turns to remove the infuser from the mug. ‘Your tea is ready, but be careful. It’s pretty hot.’ She helps Mirex sit up, and offers her the mug.

The redhead props herself up on what she could. Clothes and armor stolen from the local barracks, mainly, “I suppose I should look somewhat dignified when giving orders,” she agrees with a giggle as she holds the hot tea in her hands. “I think I have a blanket around here somewhere, if you’d help with that.” She’s closed her eyes again as Adri has helped her sit up, the movement enough to make her head spin again without adding the eye bending armor.

‘You get that tea in you, and I’ll help you cover up enough for that, and see who’s in charge enough at this time of day. That sergeant of last night is one of Valeria’s troops, and was quite nice to deal with.’

“Hm, he’ll do if the garrison commander isn’t about. I did sort of destroy a sizable chunk of one of the houses here with no warning, after all. Probably should explain that so they can calm the people here.” She nurses the cup of tea, blowing on it before sipping a bit while Adri sorted out how best to over her nakedness.

Searching the items Mirex had been sleeping on, Adri finds a uniform top of a reasonable size, as well as two blankets. ‘This should do for now. I really need to learn how to keep shadows out of my illusions. Or at least start making some enchanted tokens for outfits.’

Mirex giggles. “We can practice that when we’re home if you like, dearest. You might ask Lady Adrielle, too. She seems a bit more familiar with your brand of magic. I know Revenants are becoming more common but it’s a school I’m not as familiar with, I’m afraid.”

‘Mhm. Seems she’s spent her time in the Mists learning things, when she wasn’t keeping on eye on things here. But she’ll probably run out of energy sooner than I’d like, and I can’t keep bugging Aly for help talking with my Gran.’ She sighs, shaking her head. ‘Well, your complexion is almost looking normal now. Let’s get these on you, and I’ll go find a ranking Seraph.’

“We’ll sort it out,” she assures Adri, closing her eyes again against her lover’s armor, which still made her feel a bit nauseous, although the tea was doing wonders for her headache, and she sips more of it as she wriggles about to allow the blankets to be draped over her. When Adri insisted, she set the tea aside to have the shirt slipped over her head.

‘I’m sure they’ll react better to the uniform, love, than blankets, even if it’s not a Blade uniform. Part of dealing with people who take orders is giving them reason to take yours.’ She gently sets the cup aside while getting the shirt on her. After, she returns the tea and re-settles the blankets.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” She accepts the tea back and takes another sip. “Alright, darling, lets get this ovr with. Please find the garrison commander or that sergeant.”

‘All right, but… you haven’t reported in what happened? Does that take too much out of you for you to do yet?’ While she’s waiting for an answer, she is up in a crouch, ready to leave their tent.

“Hm? Oh, I’ll let Cristian know what’s happened as son as we’re done with the Seraph here. He’ll get all bent out of shape if I haven’t handled the PR before reporting in. Loose ends make him grouchy.” She giggles at that.

‘Ah. I see. All right.’ She chuckles softly as she steps out and stands, heading out of the graveyard and down the hill, exchanging greetings with those guarding the buildings, and stopping in at the barracks. She returns in a bit with another Seraph. ‘Exemplar, this is Lieutenant Marie Chalmers. Lieutenant, Exemplar Lady Mirex Eskara.’

Mirex looks up from her empty tea cup, settling it in her lap as she took measure of the lieutenant and saluted from her makeshift bed. “Well met Lieutenant Chalmers,” she greets the other woman warmly.

Chalmers salutes and stands at stiff formality after. ‘Thank you, Exemplar. The Countess said you have requests for us?’

“I do lieutenant, but first I’d like to apologize for the damage caused to your town, and the lack of warning about it. I’m afraid Baron Valdis was a powerful Mesmer and White Mantle adherent who’d used diverse compulsions and hexes on the mind of the residents here in the Settlement, including his own kin, his nieces, whom I have moved to safe custody. I couldn’t risk the Baron becoming aware of my presence and the trap I was laying for him in case he’d gotten to you or some of your men. Please accept my apology for that.”

Chalmers nods stiffly. ‘Thank you, Exemplar.’

“I would also like to commend your sergeant, though I’m afraid I don’t know his name. Countess Jardin can point him out. He was most helpful in the aftermath last night and kept a level head.” She inclines her head to the Seraph. “And now to business. The deaths of the Cardiff and Jardin families here in the Settlement can be laid at Nicholi Valdis’ feet. For that and for being White Mantle, he was executed. Have you sent any word as yet to the capitol?”

‘No, ma’am. Lieutenant Mays and I had been discussing the content of such a message, but we felt that waiting for your input might be advisable.’

“Excellent. I appreciate your thoughtfulness Lieutenant. Please convey what I have told you concerning the nature of the Baron, and what transpired. It was a Shining Blade operation under High Exemplar Cristian Eskara’s command. Please see that a copy of your letter to the Captains makes its way to his desk as well, at the palace. Pending approval by the Master Exemplar and Her Majesty, Lady Valeria Valdis will inherit Nicholi Valdis’ title and estates. Further, pending the recovery of official documentation as legal proof, Lady Adriwyn here will be granted her family’s title and rights as Countess Jardin. It will be Her prerogative on whether she exercises those rights or not. Please also indicate that the Shining Blade will cover the costs of collateral damage to the estate of Baroness Valdis, and the township of Ascalon Settlement. I’ll be remaining another day, maybe two, to go through the Valdis estate to recover any legal proof of Lady Adriwyn’s claims, as well as any leads concerning the Baron’s White Mantle connections.”

Chalmers salutes smartly, nodding, and looking a bit more approving, despite the reserve behind which she tries to mask things. ‘Thank you, Exemplar. That will help greatly.’

Adri finally comments, ‘Derek James. That’s the sergeant who had such a level head last night. You probably already knew that, but figured I’d make sure. Feel free to send a runner if you need me for anything, but I’m sure you’ve plenty to do without my getting in your way.’

The Seraph officer cracks a small smile as she salutes again. ‘Thank you, Countess.’ She turns part-way, splitting the difference betwee them again. ‘By your leave, then?’

“Yes, thank you most kindly, Lieutenant.” Mirex salutes the woman again from her resting place.

“Oh! Lieutenant… I almost forgot. The assassin, Reg. Is he still alive?”

Adri nods her approval to the Seraph, who turns back at the added question.

‘He was last I heard, Exemplar. Sergeant James reported that the Countess saw to examining his injuries and splinting up what could be, but she advised against trying to move him too much.’ She looks toward Adri.

‘Aye. A wagon ride might well finish him off, and he’s beyond what mere surgery can do. He really needs either magical healing or… well, I don’t really like to say it, despite what his shooting has done to me in the past, but letting him linger without that healing is cruelty.’

Chalmers nods, trying not to show her curiosity about when he’d been shooting at a countess.

“I see. From what little I’ve heard about him, I’m not sure he’ll be spared the Baron’s fate if he is healed, but he may have important information. Please keep him alive as best you can until I can have a chat with him. Is he lucid at all, Lieutenant?”

‘Not yet, ma’am. He’s barely been able to take water without choking on it – which considering the Countess’s medical report to Sergeant James listed broken ribs would be rather bad for him. We’ll send a runner if he does start to seem lucid.’

“Thank you. If he dies, i’d also like to be informed.” She didn’t sound terribly concerned on whether he lived or not as she once again saluted the Seraph.

‘Of course, Exemplar.’ She salutes smartly, about-faces, and marches away.

When she thinks the Seraph is out of earshot, Adri comments, ‘It was hard to just examine his injuries and not help him die. Partly because I’m not sure even magical healing is going to be good enough for him.’ She sighs, shaking her head.

“From the little I heard from Val and Tori… I don’t think it’ll be a great loss if he does. It would be nice to see if maybe he has any useful information though. Although, I’m not sure I’m up to that, at present.” She smiles sheepishly. “It was incredible to be able to do what I did last night… and with such ease. But it takes a lot out of you….”

Adri nods with another soft sigh. ‘I’m sure it does, love. I’m… Gran didn’t need to feed me much power, so I’m not sure what shape I’d be in, even though it’s… in the family, so to speak, and using that kind of power is more my kind of magic, it seems. But even the river’s channels get worn away by the floods. In any case, Reg will either die, or keep long enough, and we can just deal with either, I think.’

“I agree. He’s no threat to you in any case. All we need now is proof of who we know you are now.” She still finds it hard to look at Adri’s armor, but the tea has helped considerably, so she beckons her lover to her. “Is there anything special on the menu, dear one?” she giggles impishly.

‘Just some sandwiches, love. At least for now, sorry to say. I won’t poison you with my cooking, and, well, this armour helps to keep the soldiers and other townsfolk looking at me as a real Countess with some authority. Once they’re all in that habit, maybe I can dress down a little.’ She takes a seat beside Mirex, nuzzling her a little as she speaks.

“Pity… it’s not very comfy, even minus the spikey bits,” she complains half playfully as she nuzzles back, caressing Adri’s cheek with her lips. Not quite kisses but not just nuzzles. “I understand your point though, my love.”

‘It’s rather better on the inside, love.’ She giggles softly. ‘But then, given what I paid to have it made, it better be.’ She sets the empty cup aside and wraps her arms around Mirex, armour or no. ‘Thank you, love. And do you want one of the sandwiches now?’

“Hm… in a moment. I want this first.” Her shirt helped with the armor, and she settled into Adri’s embrace, kissing the smaller woman. “How have you and Alex been?”

Kissing back happily, she chooses to think her replies rather than break off the kiss. <Pretty well, love, though it’s time Alex hears from us that nothing bad happened during the night and we’re fine.>

She smirks a bit into their kiss and enjoys the taste of Adri’s mouth while using their other method of communication. <I’m glad. We should let Alex know we’re all right though. Alex, darling! Are you up, dear one?>

<I’m awake, I have been for a while. I spent a few hours watching Amelia last night. She woke me up around five fussing though. Have there been any developments? How is Mirex?>

<With some willow-bark tea in her now, Mirex is doing pretty well, so long as she doesn’t look too hard at my armour. And I’m glad you got some sleep, love. Otherwise, she’s done some community relations with the local Seraph, as have I, and once dusk rolls in and we have ghostly help again, we’ll be looking into the estates, at least to void the traps.>

<I’m tired but I’m alright, Alex. As Adri says, we’ve got some loose ends to finish with here so it’ll be another day or two, then we’ll be home. I love you, my darling.>

<I love you too Mirex, please come home soon. I can’t tell you how much I miss you and have been thinking about you. And both of you stay safe tonight, I don’t want any bad news.>

<Gran doesn’t want any bad news, either, love. We’ll be careful, and have help at being careful.>

<I miss you too, my Alex. I’ll be careful and be home with Adri soon.>

‘Mmm. Let’s get you that sandwich, hmm? And then maybe nap, or… well, it depends on how you feel, and how much you want to do without ghostly help.’

“A sandwich would be lovely, Adri. And since I can’t pry you out of that armor… I suppose we’ll just have to nap. The rest is probably a better idea in any case since I really should ty and avoid using the ghosts further….” She sighs wistfully, and relaxes as best she can into her makeshift pillows propping her up.

With a dry chuckle, Adri pushes herself up again and gets into her supplies. ‘Now that we might have the locals more friendly, I might be willing to shed the armour until we go into the buildings. I don’t expect the Seraph got all the probably dominated servants to leave, and the armour might also be good against some traps.’ She returns with one of the sandwiches she’d had Nathan make for her, holding it out for Mirex to take.

“Oh, I’m just teasing, darling. I understand if you feel better with the armor on.” She smiles gratefully as she accepts the sandwich, and takes a bite. That bite reminds her how hungry she is, and she groans softly in happy contentment as she takes another bite, “So good…” she murmurs amid a mouthful.

She chuckles softly, getting another out for herself, this one a bit smaller. ‘Aye, Nathan does make some good food. I’d still rather eat what Aly makes, but, well, that wasn’t practical to arrange.’ She seats herself next to her sweetheart and starts nibbling.

“Mmm…still better then the soldier’s rations I was pilfering,” she comments right before nother big bite and another contented sound as she leans against Adri. “You’re a life saver”

She giggles, finishing her current bite. ‘I’m sure those rations weren’t quite that bad – unless you mean I saved someone else’s life because you were going to kill them for their breakfast!’ She musses Mirex’s hair affectionately as she takes another bite.

“I’m a delicate flower,” Mirex sniffs playfully, “I require better then army fare.” She giggles impishly. “It wasn’t really that bad, but this is definitely better.” She grins broadly at her hair being mussed as she takes another bite, chewing happily.

‘A delicate flower, eh? Good thing I brought water, too, then. Guess I’ll just have to drink the booze.’ She giggles more.

She scrunches her face, “Oooh, that’s not fair. It’s bad form to drink on the job.” She sulks a moment, then eyes Adri thoughtfully, “What sort did you bring?”

‘Mm? I have brandy for actual drinking, and fire-whiskey for medicinal purposes – or torturing prisoners if I’m desparate, I suppose. It’s too strong for drinking. Afraid I’m out of rum. Used that flask for water this time.’ She smirks, and it’s not clear how much she’s teasing.

Mirex laughs fondly. “Maybe a drop of brandy in another cup of tea, if you wouldn’t mind, darling. and water, I suppose. I’m terrible about staying hydrated at times like these. Cristian had to save me once from dehydration. Gave me all sort of hell for it.” Her lips twist briefly in embarrassed guilt and a touch of fondness.

‘All right. I’ll activate the stove again, and you get water while the other mug heats up.’ Her actions matched her words, already starting the contraption up and pouring into cups. ‘And I had to learn about hydration the hard way myself. It’s hard to keep it in mind when focussed on a mission.’

“Hm… it got hard as a Blade. With the Vanguard, you had your whole battalion looking out for you. Schedules and such. They ate, I ate. The Blade you’re alone. Maybe a few comrades to watch your back. But it’s so differet, so focused, I started forgetting about those little details.”

‘Ah. Well… with my one adventuring company, I suppose I got looked out for that way, but that didn’t last long. Been mostly alone when in action. And most of the water in Orr wasn’t potable anyway.’ She sighs, trying to push the memories back again, looking at Mirex to help with that. ‘And when you’re the only one watching out for you – well, “time to eat” and “time to drink” aren’t what I manage to think about.’ She hands over the cup of water. It’s a little cooler than the ambient temperature, but not much.

“I know what you mean,” Mirex replied, smiling gratefully as she accepted the water. “I never fought in Orr. They had me buried in the palace by then, destroying minds. At least I could remember to eat, but usually I couldn’t. Not in the beginning, anyway. Still can’t sometimes, after an interrogation. I’m not sure what’s worse – what you can find in people’s minds, or what they’re like after I’m done with them.” She shivers as she drinks, despite the water not really being all that cold.

‘I’m sorry, love.’ She reaches over to caress Mirex’s cheek softly. ‘At least there’s a point to it. Unlike physical torture, where the information is almost never accurate.’

“Oh… it’s accurate. The information I find is always accurate…. Sometimes I wish one of them would find a way to lie to me. Then maybe they’d let me go. Let me do something different. I saw horrors fighting the Charr. Those beasts are twice our size, and living weapons to boot. They don’t need swords or armor, or their infernal machines. They do just fine with claws and teeth. Even finding my comrades’ gnawed bones in the cook pots though… that pales to what I do to people.” She takes another sip, then forces a smile s she flushes guiltily. “Forgive me beloved. I’m rambling. Don’t mind me.  And you don’t need to hear such things.”

‘I’m sorry, love.’ She slides over, leaving the little stove to do its thing as she wraps her armoured arms gently around her lover. ‘I think maybe I did need to know that it tears at you like that. Just to know, and to understand.’

“I hate what I do, Adri. What I do to people, even if they are White Mantle and utterly terrifying to me, is every Mesmer’s worst nightmare. Harm our bodies all you like. Insanity scares a Mesmer most. It’s far worse then just sticking a sword in someone.”

‘Aye. I can see how that would be. And to think I wanted to run away and join the circus when I was li… younger. Now… I’m thinking maybe you should train me to take your place if it bothers you that much.’

Mirex laughs fondly. “I appreciate the offer, dearest, but your connection and magic seem to be of the Mists, not mesmerism. Sure, you’ll be able to dabble, at at the end of the day you wont be able to do what I do. Be as powerful as I am at it. Nothing against you, that’s just basic laws of magic. The gods separated the schools of magic for a reason. While those barriers are blurred now compared to ancient times, they still exist. You’d have to give up the talents you are using now if you were to learn what I know, and commit to being a Mesmer.”

Adri shrugs. ‘I’m late to the party, as they say, but the gods didn’t separate the schools, according to Gran. She grew up learning magic a different way entirely. But it would take me a long time, I’m sure. Too long to be of any real help, probably.’ She checks the stove. Not quite hot enough yet.

“Hm… no offense to Lady Adrielle, but she might want to review the records in the Priory concerning the bloodstones,” she remarked. “In any case, it would take you many life times to study all the forms of magic and come even close to mastering them all. We live long enough for mastery of one, if we work hard. You seem to draw from the Mists naturally, more than you do Mesmerism. Best to stick with what comes most naturally then try to do it all. I knew a couple students among the Collective that burnt their talents out of themselves for trying.”

‘Those schools of magic, love, aren’t the ones people talk about today. And that’s what she was talking with me about. Necromancy versus Mesmerism, for example.’ She shrugs, and checks the stove again. ‘But as to time taken to master? Yes, it would take years, and the four ancient types of magic that were separated would matter. Not that I’m looking for all types of magic, anyway – only some basic grounding in the things I do by accident, really. I figured out how to enchant wards for myself precisely because I do have some level of accidental Mesmerism – and that left me even more vulnerable than the average person.’ She turns off the stove and puts the infuser into the mug.

Mirex purses her lips thoughtfully. “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to teach you a few things, then. The Collective generally frowns upon it, since it’s dangerous for a caster to wield spells from multiple disciplines at once, but you seem to do that without trying to. You’ve never had formal education though. Maybe that will help you so you aren’t leaving shadow magic in everything.”

‘That would be nice.’ She smiles a bit, keeping her eye on the steeping tea. ‘I mean, taking your place so you don’t have to do that work any more is… just a pipe dream. I know that, even if I don’t like it. It would be nice not to be so… clumsy with what I can sort of do, though.’

“Well, I’ll help you with what I can, as far as your enchantments and such go. You do have a gift there. Cristian might be better for your shadow magic though, or Yuki. Cristian uses his in the way of shadow arts, while Yuki is a full necromancer. He has a skill or two that crosses over into that realm, though. Maybe he can help you with controlling the blending aspect.” She smiles softly at her lover from her makeshift bed, reaching out to lightly touch her cheek and play with her snowy hair while Adri minded the tea.

She smiles sadly, nuzzling her lover’s hand. ‘I… don’t know how to ask for that kind of help, love. Especially not from people who have no real reason to help me that way.’

“I’d say because you asked them is real reason enough, beloved. We’re your friends, after all. You’re supposed to call on your friends hen you need help.” She giggles and taps Adri’s nose in playful admonishment.

Adri flushes a little, and checks the steeping progress again. ‘I don’t know whom to expect that soft of thing from, though. You, Alex, Aly… a few others, but that’s all the ones I know I can call that kind of friend, and who can teach me anything – that I know of, anyway.’ She finally removes the infuser from the mug and pours about a thimbleful of brandy into it. ‘That much good, or a little more?’

“Plenty, thank you, Adri. I shouldn’t drink at all on the job, but a brandy right now sounded divine so we’re compromising.” She giggles impishly. “Well, I’m telling you there are more. Since we’re living with Father, you can ask anyone in the house. Father trained me, after all, and is even powerful enough to practice chronomancy, although he’s spent decades studying to be able to. We’re family.

"And I know how it frightens you, but…you are part of that now. My family. You, me, and Alex. And by extension everyone at home.”

‘That… is still a lot for me to take in, love.’ She hands the mug over, holding it carefully so that neither of them gets scalded. ‘And even young as I am, I’m not still a child, which would make it easier to be someone needing teaching or other help. And, well, when it comes down to it, I don’t really understand the whole notion of “family”. In terms of genealogy, sure, but… the closest referent I really have is “gang”, and that only gets me so far.’

“Well, a gang is kinda in the ball park. Family is just less violent. Well, usually. It’s all right, darling. We’ll take it slow. I know Alex is still recovering from Minthe, so I’m not quite buying her familial sentiments yet, and you aren’t one to settle down. Which is fine!” she adds hurridly. “But… yeah, we’ll make it work somehow.”

‘Well, our first day back in the Refuge, I took her on a bit of a tour, up to where my office is. There’s a place up there that was still set up for a wedding. We both looked at it and wondered whether – and where – we could get a priest that would do a ceremony for three brides. So, while I appreciate your willingness to take it slowly, don’t sell either of us too short, love.’ She settles beside her lover again and nuzzles her shoulder. ‘And I know “gang” has been close enough, especially for most of the noble families I’ve had the… pleasure to observe. But it’s becoming rather clear that it doesn’t work for a real family.’

Mirex blinks a moment in surprise about the chapel or shrine or whatever the Roses had, and she slipped an arm about Adri’s shoulders, armor or no, “I didn’t realize you two would actually want that… I mean, we talked about it a bit but….” she trails off, “I guess it’s just hard for me. You have… others, and I still haven’t forgiven Alex from before. So it’s hard to trust her….” She chewed her lip nervously, “It would be nice though… to be together.”

‘I know I’m … different that way, love. But… with you two, I’ve stopped looking. Well, I mean, I’ll still notice a pretty lass, of course. If that stops, I’ve probably stopped breathing, too. But that’s not what I mean.’

Mirex giggles with a faint blush, “I know what you mean, don’t worry. I still surprise myself, when I realize I’m checking out a girl… but I like to. Not just for fashion now, but because I… want them. Just to see what they’re like, though. How I feel about you and Alex is different, and I’d be happy with just the two of you. Doesn’t mean we can’t admire though, hm?” She blinks a moment. “So wait… does that mean you’ve stopped seeing others now…?”

‘I… darling, the same thing in me that… has me saying “this is enough” with you and Alex… is also why I can’t just dump someone.’ She sighs, knowing this isn’t going to go over as well, and trying to make it as pleasant as she can while sticking to the truth. ‘Of course, as used as I am to being dumped, I expect that there will eventually not be any others… but until then, I have to be as fair as I can to them, too, love.’

Mirex’s lips compress for a moment. Her blue-green eyes hold a bit of irritation and hurt, and she nods once in silence, stopping any words she had with a sip of brandy infused tea as she looks away from Adri toward the tent entrance.

Adri sighs, keeping it slow and quiet, and nibbles on her lip. ‘I know that’s hard to hear, love, and I’m sorry. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think lying to you would be worse.’

The redhead’s jaw tightens as she musters words. “It would. I appreciate your honesty.” Her voice was tight with control. “We’re three… so fidelity in the usual sense would be… unfair to ask. But a Charr ….” She couldn’t say charr without it being a snarl. “I don’t understand. Why? They’re beasts. How does that even work !? At least Norn or Sylvari are humanoid but…” she shakes her head and makes a sound of disgust. “It wouldn’t bother me nearly as much if not for… that.”

She sighs heavily, pursing her lips a bit as she thinks, then giving over to biting her lip again before finally finding some words. ‘Your history has you trying to see charr as beasts, even though that’s not objectively true. Mine… on the whole, humans have treated me worse than the charr ever have. Yes, some charr – far too many! – who do not have the excuse of being beasts, but were actual thinking beings, chose to do such inexcusable things as you experienced and witnessed. Some men chose to do things to me and to other gutter-snipes in the streets of the Reach at night. And some charr have chosen to feed me and clothe me when I needed it. I don’t believe my experiences are any less valid than yours.’

“Oh I’ve met the occasional exception to the rule among Charr. But on a whole, they are beasts. They drove us from our lands, and have tried their damnedest to annihilate us for over two hundred years since then. Humanity has its share of bad apples, yes, but they can be brought to justice. How do you make an entire race pay for centuries of slaughter? I support the treaty because I would see peace for Ascalon, and we need the Charr’s machines. But I will never trust them, and for a human to lay with one…” she shudders. “Evienne has too, and it makes my flesh creep. How does it even work? All that fur and claws and…” she almost gags in her disgust.

Adri shakes her head sadly. ‘Those humans are not often brought to justice, either, and never will be. And as to how it works… it’s about the same as with a norn, really.’ She seems to be holding back more, and keeping as calm as she can, which is at least a very good semblance.

“Maybe I’ll request a command and change that so they face justice…” she murmurs. She wrestles with her personal aversions for a moment more, then curls toward Adri, tucking the smaller woman under her chin and holding her in her arms, armor and all. “I truly am sorry I am not more…understanding about it, Adri. Believe it or not…I try. And as much as I want to… I won’t tell you not to see her. You’re a free woman. I just want what I can have of you… whatever you are willing to give me. You know you already have whatever you want of me. My heart, body, and soul are yours whenever you want them. I love you, Adriwyn. Please forgive me….” She nestled her cheek in Adri’s hair as she held her tight.

Adri cranes her neck up to kiss under Mirex’s chin, that being what she can reach without disturbing the embrace she’s in. ‘Thank you, my love. And you have more of me than I think you suspect. I know this is hard for you, and while I won’t lie to you, I also will be trying not to have anything … “in your face” that you’d rather not see. I do love you.’

“As long as I don’t have to be in the same room with her… I’ll be all right. I’m sorry I make it hard on you, my Countess.  I know I fell kind of hard for you when we first started this but… I love you too, Adri. And it means so much to me that you love me.”

‘As you said earlier, my love – we’ll make this work. Over time, we’ll all need to compromise. The hard part will be making sure it happens fairly – which with three of us will be more work than with two.

‘Oh! And while I don’t know exactly what happened between you and Alex before, I know she’s hinted at knowing she needs to change some for this to work, too. So when I say “all”, I’m not just talking through my hat.’

“We’ll see if Alex can change…” she murmurs, “I know you aren’t just saying it to say it, darling. But Alex has always been like this, ever since we were girls. Always quick to rush into danger and run away from her duties. I used to create clones for her at parties so she could sneak off places, or we’d go hiding together. Lord Orlandu was cruel to her, there was no doubt but… I have a hard time putting Alex and ‘responsible’ in the same sentence.”

She sighs softly as she touches Adri’s brow with her lips, “Since we are all together, though, you deserve to know what happened before. Alex was my…well, my first relationship, after Cristian. I fooled around a bit with Nastya, which opened my eyes to enjoying women more then men, but Alex was my first… ‘girlfriend’ I suppose the term is. We were very happy together. I worked more at the palace then, so I wasn’t gone as much. But Alex would leave all the time, often without warning or a note. At least when I had to go, I told her where and why if I could, and always at least that I was going to be away. Alex would disappear for weeks, submerged in the bowels of the Priory for weeks or even months… no word, no note. We won’t even get into her reckless behavior in the field. That’s just something from when we were children. She couldn’t go anywhere without a scratch or some interesting injury. Anyway, I got tired of her abandoning me all the time. And I wanted a family. And children. Without Cristian I was robbed of that. So, I made a deal with him when we parted ways. When I was ready, he would grant me a child of my own, to carry in my own body and raise on my own. With Alex, despite her absences, I thought maybe we could be a family. She and I, and our child. But when I mentioned that, she…didn’t take it well.”

Mirex’s voice gets a bit thick at the memory. “She obviously wasn’t ready for that commitment… either with me or of a family. She left me almost right then and there.” She sighs bitterly. “And then she meets Minthe, and goes and gets married and talking of adopting and… she betrayed me, Adri. I can see she’s changed a bit, maybe, now but… I can’t just forget that easy. Alex hasn’t grown up yet… and I don’t know if I can trust her. She betrayed me just like he did. Just like Father even…”

Adri tilts her head, puzzled. ‘I’m not following that last bit, love… and I think it’s important. How do you mean?’

“Cristian betrayed me with Nastya… we were betrothed by the time he went on his first mission out of the Academy. That’s how they met. He told me about it after, and that was that… until Nastya came back fifteen years later and was mother to his first child. The child that should have been mine. Father raised me thinking he’d saved me from whatever had killed my parents. When he was the one that had killed them in the first place, on the Blade’s order. I know it was my parents’ last request of him, and the hardest thing he ever did. He let me see and feel his memory for myself to prove it. I love him and Cristian very much. And Alex. They are my family… but like my parents they’re all traitors. Maybe not to a King or Queen… but to me…. I’m the daughter of traitors though… I guess its only fitting….” Mirex hides her face in Adri’s hair and squeezes her for comfort for herself.

‘Oh, sweetheart!’ She tries to reach behind her to hug Mirex as best she can, not trusting her ability to squirm about in her lap safely in armour. ‘People make bad decisions and stupid mistakes, sometimes for what they’re sure are the best of reasons. And more often, I suspect, with no real thought at all until they try to make themselves feel good about it afterward. But – remember what I said before, about not liking the “whole family” policy? Even though I can understand it? It’s because betrayal on the scale of… well, the Mantle… is not inherently something that’s part of the whole family. You are not your birth parents, and there is nothing you deserve from their crimes.

‘When you were – I’m sorry, I forget whether you said nine or ten – would you have understood? Oh, never mind… you know that. That doesn’t change the hurt. I’m sorry you hurt, love. I will try my best not to hurt you in that way – but please do keep in mind that I’m only human, and young, and won’t always know what I’m doing. We’ll need to talk a lot to avoid having things happen by misunderstanding. But I will try, because I love you and don’t want to hurt you like that.’

Mirex smiles lovingly. “Thank you Adri… it’s all I ask. I know none of them… my parents, or Father and Cris and Alex… meant to hurt me on purpose. But they did. I… can forgive. Eventually. But I can’t forget or go back. You… you’re different, I hope. I want us to be different. If you’ll try… so will I. It’s all I can ask. I love you, Adri… and trust you.”

‘I will try, love. We will need to be clear on things that matter, though. My background is enough different from yours, that some things you’ll think should be obvious… won’t be, to me. And vice versa, but I’m more used to that, I suspect.’ She cranes up to kiss Mirex’s chin.

‘For example – birthdays. Not something the orphanage could afford to do much about when I was there – and mine isn’t known, anyway. So, while I’ve started to learn that one is supposed to pay attention to them, I don’t “get” them, or the customs around them.’

Mirex giggles. “Maybe with some luck, we’ll find out what yours is. I bet Jocasta knows, or the documents Pierre left. We can do whatever you like for birthdays though. I tend to forget mine and usually have to work anyway. I think I’ll make a bigger thing of them when I have a child though. Their birthday will be my new favorite day, I think. I hope.

"Do you ever want a party, or presents or anything for your birthday, darling? When we know when it is.”

‘One thing I’ve heard of doing for them… though it feels awfully self-indulgent… is getting to pick what and where we eat. But otherwise… I know it’s a silly attitude when I’m living in an actual house and all – well, when not at the Refuge – but presents are… um.’ She ponders a moment. ‘Presents just to have them is silly, to me. Just clutter, or things I’d have to take care of. If it’s something you really want to get for me, that’s different – but I wouldn’t hold those for birthdays, myself.’ She shrugs a little.

“That is the perk of being noble. You can afford a little self indulgence once in a while. I think really when it comes to birthdays, people like to celebrate with you because they are glad you are in their lives. Also, people just like the opportunity to be able to have fun with their friends and birthdays make excellent excuses to do that.” She giggles fondly. “Don’t worry..I’ll try not to get you too many presents. If we do find out what the exact day yours is, would you mind if I did try and find something special for you? It’d be my way of saying how happy I am you are alive, and how lucky I am you’re in my life.”

She giggles softly, nuzzling her lover. ‘Darling, I’m saying not to feel obligated just to add to clutter. For example, I’m likelier to bring you flowers for no special occasion other than seeing some that remind me of you – but that’s me. If you find something you want me to have, and for that reason, then I’m not about to tell you not to! Things like that – a present, flowers, whatever the gesture – are additional ways of saying “I love you”, and that’s not something I’ll tire of being told.’

“Hm… good. Because I’ll be finding ways to tell you that every day. Birthdays just mean I have an excuse to really go above and beyond a bit.” She giggles impishly. “It’s not an obligation. It’s because I want to. Always will be. I want to know when your birthday is, and I want to make it a special day for you.”

‘Well, when we find out, I guess I’ll have to let you.’ She giggles softly. ‘And when is yours? I don’t really know anyone’s….’

“19 Phoenix 1295 was when I was born. ” Mirex replied, then blushed slightly, “Ugh…now you know exactly how old I am… do you not love me now that you know I’m an old woman?” she asked teasingly.

She giggles shaking her head. ‘Only eleven years on me. Darlin’, I think the only sweethearts I’ve ever had who were younger than I am are sylvari, and that doesn’t count in the same way.’

“Well, all my sweethearts of late have been younger then me, which is strange to me for some reason.” She laughs softly. “Age doesn’t matter though. I love you, and you love me. That’s what’s important.”

She nods emphatically. ‘Exactly! If the gods grant us a long enough time together, well, then I suppose I’ll be helping take care of you in your old age. But otherwise? I’ve never cared that someone was older, and I still don’t.’

“Even if I’ve got no more teeth and you have to let me drool on you while you spoon feed me?” she counters playfully, and snuggles Adri against her. “I’ll never leave you, my darling. As long as you want me with you…I’ll be here. Old or not.”

‘Well, if comes to spoon-feeding you, I sincerely hope to shame our chlidren into it instead.’ Her eyes twinkle, despite her attempt to seem serious about that. ‘And I’ll be older then, too, and we’ll know each other even better. So why would I want not to be with you?’

“Hm…that’s a good point.” She tilts her head down to kiss Adri affectionately. “You know…in our line of work, I’m getting into ‘old’ territory but…Father’s over sixty and I don’t really think of him as that old. He’ll be a hundred and still young. I told him about a necromancer beautician that will make you younger once, and he laughed. Said he wouldn’t be living the dream of getting to grow old if he turned back the clock like that. I think I will though. I’ll stay young and beautiful just for you.”

‘Sweetheart… I used to be a mass of scars, and while I’m better at avoiding injury now, I’m sure I’ll acquire some again. And I’ll age. I’ve been with women much older than you are. The beauty I care about… is in how you love me. Not what you look like. If you want to do such things for you, that’s up to you. But you don’t ever need to for me.’

“But you’d like it if I stayed this way, right?” she asks as she looks down at Adri’s youthful face, her hand coming up to caress her cheek and trace her lips and jaw. “I know I don’t need to… but I might like to, if it pleased you.”

‘Sweetheart… you’re a mesmer, and I’m an enchanter with some illusion magic. If it comes to that, we can probably look like this forever, without such help. But I really don’t mind if we don’t. I mean, Alex’s mum looks pretty good to me, too. It’s not all about youth.’

“I know it’s not!” she protests. “But….” she sighs softly. “Mother does look amazing, although she’s really not that much older then me. About the same difference as you and I, really.” She blushes and chews her lip, “Would you hate me if I was just bein vain, my darling?” she asked.

‘I already told you, love. If you want to do that for you, then do it. I didn’t used to have a choice about such things, and that colours my reactions some. That and how many older women were nice to me when nobody else was. So, that’s another thing I’m a little different about, I suppose. That’s no reason why you can’t look like you want to.’

“Hm…I suppose.” She chews her lip again, looking slightly disappointed. “I guess we’ll see, hm?” She smiles a bit and kissed Adri before cuddling up with her again.

‘Yes, I suppose we shall.’ She kisses back and nuzzles more.

(( Time passes as they cuddle and nap. ))

Shaking her head and grumbling a little, Alyssia sits down at her writing desk.

‘What’s wrong, Mistress?’ comes the near chirp from Orchid.

‘Oh, Adriwyn needs letters written. Again. I’m going to have to start charging her if this keeps up.’

‘Oh! That could be fun… oh. She’s taken now.’ The sylvari sighs.

‘Indeed, she is, dearie.’

‘Maybe she should get Val to write her letters. I think she’s bored!’

The priestess laughs, nodding. ‘Indeed, Valeria is nearly getting stir-crazy, I think. Be she doesn’t have one of these earrings, and who knows whether those two will ever hit it off well enough for that to happen. I expect much awkwardness between them for quite some time.’

Orchid sighs with a slow nod. ‘I see. That’s… too bad. But you’re right. I think Val is almost afraid to meet Adri.’

Alyssia nods again as she sets up her paper, ink, and quill. ‘Quite so, dearie, even though she really shouldn’t be.’ She starts writing.

Dear Lady Luxelen,

I hope this letter finds you doing well. I have been asked to write to you on Adriwyn’s behalf, as she is not in a place where that’s easy for her to do right now. Her enemy, the former Baron Nicholi Valdis, is dead. This was by summary judgment on the part of the Shining Blade, with Adriwyn as the appointed executioner. I’m told it was a rather neatly done decapitation – if she does say so herself.

This means that the known threats to her life from his hired assassins should also be over. She has a little tidying up to do in the Ascalon Settlement, including clearing out some mesmeric traps in the Valdis estate, but she should be returning to Olivia’s Refuge soon. She will likely be commuting in and out for a while, chasing down documentation of her lineage. The ghosts in the graveyard at the Settlement have confirmed that she is the rightful Countess Jardin, but their testimony is hard to produce in a petition to the Crown.

She sends her kind regards, and she should be in touch in person again soon.

Yours,
Acting as Adriwyn’s secretary (and she owes me!)
Alyssia Dore

She looks it over, sands the page, and sets out an envelope while waiting for it to dry enough. ‘Orchid, do be a dear and run down to the market? We need some sugar and flour.’

‘Of course, Mistress!’ The sylvari nods happily and bounces off, barely getting the door closed behind her without slamming it.

Shaking her head with amusement, the Grenthite priestess addresses the envelope, inserts the letter, seals it up, and heads out herself to the post.

(( @luxelen ))

(( The story resumes with the just-toppled Baron Valdis face-down in the dirt along the edge of the old graveyard in the Ascalon Settlement. ))

Mirex ceases her attacks as Adri has the Baron at sword points, and pushes aside her weariness for now to keep a strong grip on all the magic in her control, taking the time to retrieve her crystalline rod to help ease the load a bit as she comes to join Adri and the redheaded man, standing before him. “Baron Valdis.”

It hadn’t been obvious from the other side of the wall, but she’s sliced the tendons in the back of his knees. That’s what both broke his concentration and felled him. It wouldn’t be obvious yet in this light, but for the help in sensing things from the ghosts.

The guards aren’t sure whether to try to intervene or not – nor on whose side. It seems they’re having some amount of argument over that. Some of them decide to try helping the fallen sniper in order to avoid feeling too useless. Their exclamations seem to indicate that he’s in a pretty bad way from what they can tell.

The Baron doesn’t just take Adri at her word, of course, but his attempts to blast her have to be purely mental from his current situation, and she just leans a little more on her swords, not even grunting.

Mirex lets her clothes shimmer and shift into her Shining Blade uniform. “I am Exemplar Mirex Eskara of the Shining Blade,” she announces loud enough for the guards that were still considering helping to hear, “and you are now in my custody, Baron Valdis, as is your assassin. Any further attempts to attack me or Lady Jardin would be ill advised, my Lord.”

The guards react to that more than the Baron does. He’s clearly still trying to think of a way out, but they stand down, aside from the ones trying to figure out whether there’s anything they can do for the sniper. Finally, one of them recognises him, and nearly spits. ‘It’s Reg! Who cares if he dies here!’

Adri bends a little, keeping her blades firmly in position, apparently trying to see something.

After hearing from the girls, Mirex wasn’t as dedicated to keeping the man alive as she had been before when she’d spoken with Sam, so she doesn’t argue with the sentiment. She eyes the Baron, maybe trying to see what had Adri’s attention. “Do you have anything to say for yourself, my lord?” she asks the as yet uncommunicative man.

He growls a little, then spits some blood to the side. ‘You’ll never hold me!’ His hand moves swiftly, but not quite swiftly enough to reach its target as Adri pins it in place by stabbing through it. She leaves that sword in place and produces another from over her shoulder.

‘Bloodstone in his pouch, Gran says. – Oh, and I think you’re rather wrong on your assessment of your ability to get out of this, cousin.’

“Cousin huh…?” she murmurs as she kneels to find his belt pouch and take it off his person. She peeks inside to see the stone, but doesn’t touch it, having been briefed on what had happened in the Fen. This connected to the ghosts, and with so much magic coursing through her, she prudently dropped it at her feet once she was sure of the contents, already feeling its pull. “So…you have been supporting the mantle then. Tsk, tsk.”

‘He’s still going to be dangerous to transport. Conscious, at least. Though getting rid of his jewelry will help. That’s where most of his warding is. Maybe all of it that’s not cast.’

The Baron is mostly hissing in angry pain at this point. Being hamstrung and having a sword pinning your hand to the ground will do that.

Some of the soldiers were still trying to do something for Reg, but they finally step back, shaking their heads. ‘I think he’s too busted up to move.’ The one who spoke looked over to Mirex. ‘Begging your pardon, ma’am – but I think his back is broken, maybe even his neck.’

“Leave him where he lies then. Put him out of his misery if you wish, soldier, or don’t.” Mirex replies in that calm, commanding tone of a Shining Blade, so different from her usually sunny and emotional disposition.

“We’ll see.” She replies to Adri next, and begins removing the baron’s jewelry. Earrings, rings, bracelets. What little resistance he offered was met with having the pieces ripped out and yanked off regardless of the pain or damage caused.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to just tell me if there are any records to prove Adriwyn’s lineage, my lord? It’d save us both a lot of trouble.”

‘I wouldn’t know,’ he growls. Every once in a while he tries to twitch, but Adri’s attention doesn’t waver, and her earlier ability to apport with him, plus where she has her blades, keeps him in line.

One of the soldiers can just be heard muttering, ‘I’d do to him what he did to my sister’s dog, but it would poison the well.’

After shushing his compatriot, the earlier spokesman comments, ‘Maybe a better medic could do something for him, ma’am. I’m inclined to leave him be for now.’

“As I said, leave him, or kill him. I’ll tend to him once we’re done here.” She nods to the soldiers and focuses on the Baron now as she checks him over again for any remaining warding trinkets. “I think you do know. You went through a lot of trouble to destroy the noble Houses here. And this bloodstone in your pocket makes it clear to me why you did it, traitor. So why don’t you tell me the truth. We’re both mesmers. Insanity is the worst fear we have. But that’s what I’ll do to you. I’ll turn your brain into scrambled eggs and leave you just enough of yourself to know you were once a person and not a drooling mental patient. And then I’ll leave you to rot in a ward for the rest of your life.”

Most of the soldiers disperse, returning to their posts or the barracks. Of the few remaining, two are probably just gawkers, and one looks like he’s waiting for a chance to ask something.

The Baron growls more and tries to blink away, more or less daring Adri to kill him. Both she and her ancestor stick with him, and he finds himself gibbering in fear, as well as bleeding from the wound in his hand now. It seems the elder countess was not amused.

Mirex blinks after them, and because she’d removed all the wards she could find, she gives him a taste of an Illusion of Pain, making his receptors fire at random between sensations of bee stings and burning and acid. She got a bit creative when she got annoyed.

“Don’t do that, my lord. You can’t escape us. And there are things I will know from you, one way or another, before you die.”

He snarls, once he regains enough control, glaring at each of the two living opponents, finally fixing on Adriwyn. ‘How did you do that? You’re no necromancer!’ He’s basically growling again, though given his pain that’s probably understandable.

There’s a short pause as Adrielle steps slightly apart, still with her hand on her descendant’s shoulder, and her appearance becomes more solid-seeming again. They speak in unison, Adriwyn growling back at him in mockery, and the ghost using that sepulchral echoing effect, ‘I am Countess Jardin.’ The living Jardin then adds, in an overly sugary tone, ‘And, as a traitor, you probably won’t be a Baron for much longer.’

“No indeed.” She beamed at Adri as she claimed her title to the Baron.

<I adore you right now, my Countess> She just couldn’t not let her lover know how proud and pleased she was.

“Last chance, Baron. Tell me what I want to know, or I’m coming in to get it.”

Adri’s smile can’t really be seen, but it comes through in her thoughts. <Why thank you, darlin’! Though trying to have ghosts testify probably won’t work for getting me official.>

The Baron just hisses more, glowering, and looks like he might try something again – until Adri pokes his face with the toe of her boot. It didn’t look all that violent, but he spasms before hissing more.

‘Lovely little nerve fascia just at that spot. Barely needs any pressure at all, and the pain’s not even illusory. And since I don’t have to do real damage to make that happen, I can keep it up a very long time, and you’ll find it really hard to concentrate on using any abilities.’

<Don’t worry, I’m not killing him yet.>

“You had your chance.” She shrugs at the man on the ground, and then takes his head in her hands firmly. With so much power surging through her, her eyes take on a faint purple glow as she bings her domination magic to bear on the Baron’s mind to begin sifting through it for information. Memories, images, whatever might come, while she speaks aloud to guide his mind to what she wanted.

“Now, are there any documents or records of Adri’s lineage?”

Adri finally stands back a little as it becomes clear to her that Mirex has him locked down now. She directs her thoughts toward Alexandria, trying not to distract the mesmer. <Hullo, love. While any live snake still has fangs, as they say, both the Baron and Reg are neutralised for now. Mirex has started interrogating Valdis; the sniper is probably about to expire from a broken neck. Just in case you’d been up worrying over us.>

The Baron squirms and fights, and he is strong, but he can’t compete with all the ghosts. Yet, even so, while there are flashes of hints, places that are probably in the estate, there are also hints that he had also been puzzling over the cryptic obituary, and he might not know of authoritative documents.

Mirex starts using her long time experience and skills as a Shining Blade interrogator at that point. Each little flash she found she’d latch onto and force into clarity, despite using such force being damaging to the subject. First were the places in the estate. Then his puzzlement over the obituary. Lastly, she asked another question to redirect his focus.

“Are you White Mantle?”

He manages to bark a laugh at that. ‘You would be, if you were smart!’ The reactions in his mind make it clear that he most certainly is, and his most recent trip had been to and from one of their “damage control” camps near the remains of the Fen.

“Too bad for you, I’m not,” she replies. “Why did you destroy the Jardins and the Cardiffs?”

Mirex continues to sift through his mind, ripping it apart while she sought each piece of information hat presented itself, while twisting it toward truthfulness in his verbal responses.

‘They had resources we needed… and they weren’t believers!’ By which he meant they weren’t Mantle, of course. ‘Where are you getting this kind of power!?’

“From the people you murdered,” she replied. “Your own kin, it would seem. Tell me again about the records of the families and Adriwyn’s lineage.” She’d asked the question already but his first thoughts hadn’t been clear enough, and as her hold on his mind grew she went back over old territory to be sure he hid nothing from her.

Records of the various families he knew, though he barely had any knowledge of just who Adriwyn’s parents might have been. It seems there had been some pregnancies hidden from him toward the end. The remaining difficulties were with the damage being done by his resistance, on the one hand, and his unconscious familiarity with the estates on the other – nothing connected the desks and cabinets to how to get to them. The vignettes of memory were clear enough for later identification, but there was no travel map.

The waiting soldier steps forward, thinking that Adri looks a bit less focussed now. ‘Um, Countess?’

Both the living one and the ghost reply, ‘Yes?’ This takes the soldier rather aback, at which the ghost laughs. ‘Sorry, lad. I’m too used to the courtesy, especially from other dwellers in the Mists. For the living, that title is hers.’

Adri keeps some attention on the Baron, just in case, but nods to the soldier, eyeing his uniform and insignia. ‘Yes, sergeant?’

Alexandria had been worrying about her two lovers and her response even via only the mental connection conveyed her relief. <Thank the Six, just make sure Mirex doesn’t get too carried away. She doesn’t like to admit it, but she can be as emotionally driven as me and might try to kill someone who hurt you. Also take care of her once she’s done, interrogations always drain her. I love you both.>

<I’m being good!> Mirex protests.

Mirex makes mental notes of the places in the manor to search for, even if she couldnt glean precise routes. They’d just take the place apart, since she’d know what to look for from his memories.

“These slaves you’ve been selling. Where are you getting them from, and where do you send them?”

<I’ll watch out for her, love – though right now her worst risk is overexposure to magical energies from our helpful ghosts. This Baron has made a lot of enemies of his victims, and they’re all trying to help.>

‘Refuse… trash…’ He was still managing to fight against having to speak, but he’d mostly been acquiring unskilled labour and “research” sacrifices for the Mantle, and doing so only sometimes by kidnapping and domination. Frequently, the destitute and downtrodden were lured by the promise of money to send home from “new mines”. Of course, the families never saw money, and the Mantle kept sacrificing their slaves. A few really did get sold on the cheap to centaur along the way to ease the paths of the caravans to the out of the way locations for getting air-lifted.

The sergeant composed himself again after being addressed by the ghost, looking at Adriwyn. ‘Countess, do we… should we be looking inside the house for… um….’ he trailed off, not really knowing how to ask.

‘Well, Valeria and Victoria are safe in the Reach, getting help recovering from what this slime-mould did to them. But I suppose there might be some servants or such inside who should be told. On the other hand, someome like him with so much to hide… I’d be very careful of traps. Mesmer traps. But they’ll only be on places he didn’t want traversed. Use your discretion in any searching.’

He nods, salutes, about-faces and heads to start organising at least some sort of search, taking the gawkers with him.

Mirex sighs softly in mild relief about where the Baron was getting his slaves. All places that would dry up with him gone.

“Sergeant! Focus on evacuating any people inside! Don’t go digging about please!” She called after the man, then smiled apologetically at Adri, “Sorry about that, love, but those traps you mentioned could be set to destroy documents and things we might find useful in identifying you.”

At last, Mirex takes her hands away from the Baron’s head and severes the connection of her mind to his, “I think I got all the useful bits. He’s all yours now, my love. Lady Adrielle…thank you. And all the Aunties…thank you for your help. Consider yourselves avenged.” She relaxes her grip on all that magic, pushing it away and feeling that weariness sinking into her now.

‘Oh, I figured his discretion would be to avoid risk to his personnel from the traps, love. He doesn’t seem the stupid type.’

She turns her attention to the Baron. ‘And now… you know, “Nicky”, I’d been entertaining a lot of visions of inflicting such pains on you as you’ve caused me – but you’d die before I finished. Then I thought of slow vivisection and flaying, taking care to keep you alive as long as possible. But guess what, cousin?’ She had him pinned with her blades again as she spoke, and she waited for his response, if he made any.

Mirex scoots back a bit, and finds she has to sit down on the ground as she feels slightly dizzy. With the magic coursing through her, it all felt so easy, and she felt so alive. With it back to her normal levels, she felt tired and almost empty as she watched Adri have her revenge.

Baron Valdis snarls at her. ‘Do your worst, bitch! You’re no better than me!’

She laughs. ‘If I actually did my worst, you might be right. But there’s a fundamental, moral difference between us. It might not seem like much, but it’s significant. And you have no clue what it is, and won’t understand it even if I tell. Perhaps I shouldn’t even try to explain it to you. Especially since you really are too dangerous to keep as a live captive, even for the Blade.’

Mirex smiles softly. “I suppose we should follow the formalities. Nicholi Valdis. By the grace and authority of Her Majesty, Queen Jennah of Kryta, I hereby strip you of your title and the privileges they grant. You are found guilty of murder, slave trading, and treason. The penalty for your crimes is death, to which I now condemn you. Countess Jardin, I grant you leave to carry out his sentence by any means you deem fit.” Mirex’s voice was tired, but she made the formal pronouncement without faltering.

The former Baron snarls, but is stopped from doing anything more by the damage to his mind, and Adri’s sword points.

‘Oh, you did ask how she got so much power. You made a lot of vengeful enemies, Nicholi, and they stuck around. This graveyard is full of ghosts who’ve been waiting for this day. And then there’s my own ancestor. Gran was one of the Ascended, and when your friends were such idiots as to blow up their bloodstone, the explosion fed her a lot of power before Lazarus managed to contain your order’s folly.

‘And that difference between us, cousin? You think not doing my worst is a sign of weakness. But not giving in to that, and leaving it to my fantasies, and instead doing my best – that is my claim to moral superiority. And while you don’t recognise it as such, many others do. Sure, I may see you in the Mists some day, but for now, good-bye.’ WIth that, her swords come up just long enough for each to swing cross-body, and any further reply from him in his few remaining seconds of consciousness is lost to the consequences of decapitation.

Mirex manages a brief chaos shield protect from blood spatter as the Baron’s head rolls, “Well done my love,” she compliments Adri, favoring her with a wan smile. That little bit of magic for the shield though was the straw that broke the dolyak’s back. With that smile on her face her eyes roll back and her illusory clothes shimmer and fade as she falls back to  pass out on the ground. Alive, but spent.

Adri shakes the gore off her swords, flinging it aside in practiced moves, and sheathes them, then moves over to Mirex. ‘You would have to be so tall… this is going to be a little…’ she stops, watching her ancestor lift her lover instead.

‘Um. Right. Thank you.’ She leads the way to her “borrowed” tent, and Adrielle’s ghost places her inside. ‘How much energy do you have left? And how much more help are Claire and Jaine willing to be?’

‘I have quite a bit, and I can help them with that, so they’re rather willing. We expect Valdis to try to haunt, though his moral crimes may prevent that. But until we’re sure, nobody’s leaving, at least.’

‘Then, while Mirex recovers, perhaps some checking of the traps in the estates would be in order? Do they think they can find and disarm traps without setting them off?’

Adrielle looks off to the side, communing with the other ghosts for a moment. ‘The risk of setting them off instead is too high, we think, granddaughter. I’m sorry, but we don’t want to cost you what documentation there might be.’

‘Right.’ She sighs heavily, but she’d almost expected that answer. ‘Then I’ll just watch over Mirex until she’s feeling like moving again, and we’ll see. And after that, I can at least have my little visit with Jocasta.’

The elder countess nods with a knowing chuckle. ‘Yes, do see to her. And make sure to pick me up again for your meeting with Jocasta, hmm? You’re the only sufficiently close blood relation for me to leave my grave-site with, and I would very much like to talk with her – rather than yelling across the plots – myself.’

Adri nods with a soft giggle. ‘I will, Gran!’ She undoes the easy and most spikey bits of her armour and crawls into the tent with Mirex, checking to see whether she needed covering. <One Baron down, and if Mirex hadn’t rolled up with exhaustion – well, Reg is likely to expire from neglect. I almost feel bad about that, but she’s higher on my patient list.>

<I told you so, -you could almost hear her sigh-, just watch over her and keep her from using her powers for a little while. Should I send a message to a medic? I mean, if the Baron is down then I’m guessing it’s more or less safe now.> Sitting on the beach back at Olivia’s Refuge, Alexandria fell back and let out a loud sigh of relief knowing that the threat that had loomed over Adriwyn since they had met was now gone.

<{a giggle} I’m a medic, love. And Reg… has a broken spine, in that spot that makes it arguable whether to say “back” or “neck”. We’ll be fine. Just need to let Mirex sleep. Ghost energy isn’t that easy to take in, and I think she cut it off a little soon – which is a better choice than using it too long.>

<I’m not there, I don’t know how much energy you expended either sweetie. Is there anything you do need now? Not sure if there’s a plan that extended past dealing with that asshole or not.>

Mirex slept a dreamless sleep, oblivious to the conversation, or being carried by a ghost, which likely would have unnerved her a bit. So she slept with the knoweedge Adri was at last safe.

<I’m… well, Aly said I’d been starting to… “eat” mist energy? Gran’s been feeding me that. I’m fine. We’ll talk to Jocasta once Mirex recovers enough, and see about exploring the estates afterward, trying to disarm the ex-Baron’s traps rather than letting them blow up any documents he has. After that, if we have good enough papers, or can find them from other information, we’ll see about my title. There’s also the not so minor matter of Valeria and Victoria.>

Grateful that she was alone on the beach, she stared up at the starry sky, and sighed loudly before returning her thought. <You two aren’t going to be back for a while, are you? Sifting through traps isn’t going to be easy, and figuring out what to do with the other Valdis’, they are his relatives right? But, that’s going to take some time as well.>

<We’ll be able to commute soon, love. I don’t want to leave you without someone to hold at night for too long. And the Valdis lasses… are victims only, so far as we can tell. They need help, but otherwise what we do with them will be to debrief them and set them free. Unless someone interferes at a higher level, Mirex’s pronouncement of the loss of title to Nicholi as part of his judgment for treason was personal, and not full attainder, so Valeria should be a Baroness now. Of course, her uncle’s business was the Mantle, which may make it difficult for her to manage a proper income, but that’s something to be dealt with when we have more idea of what resources the estates have.>

<Hopefully things will work out for those girls, especially if they are just victims in all of this. Though once word gets out about the Baron, the Valdis name is likely to be worth less than a handful of arid soil. Just move carefully with all those traps  around and once you do find the documents make sure to check if they’re trapped as well. You’d be amazed at what you can hide in a little bit of ink. Sorry… fretting a little. Just be safe, both of you.>

<Oh, we’ll be very careful, love. We know what sort of snake he was, and especially that was a “labour recruiter” for the Mantle. I’d bet on trapped documents! Particularly since he was also an enchanter, like me.>

<You should try to get some rest while Mirex is resting up too. That way you’re both in peak condition for searching since this guy was supposedly so powerful. Just promise me you’ll keep me posted on your progress.>

<I’ll be resting, love. I’m already lying down. Gran will keep watch over us until sunrise. And I will keep you posted! Leaving you to worry over us when we can talk this way… well, I know better. Love you!>

<I love you too Adriwyn, and if you can somehow hear me, I love you too Mirex.>

<I think she’s too far out of it right now, love.>

<Doesn’t mean I can’t try to be romantic, gosh. Now as for my sleeping issue, I think maybe I’ll go visit Renita and Cam Cam. Maybe I can convince them to let me rock little Amelia to sleep in my arms and I’ll catch some sleep too -giggle->

<{smiles and giggles} That sounds like a plan, love! Catch you when there’s more news!> She settles down with Mirex and drifts off to sleep.

(( The story resumes in the air over the Ascalon Settlement, as Adriwyn has just jumped off the converted Aetherblade airship named the Spectral Current. ))

<Incoming, darlin’. Just dropped from the ship, and circling around.>

<All right, love. Head for the purple glow.>

Above, Adri sees nothing of the ship she just jumped off of, now that she is past the glamour shield. Below, she spies the torches and watch fires of the Settlement, along with a single, small, apparent purple torch glowing in a dark part of town; the graveyard. <All right. Position spotted. I’ll be coming around the bluff side, and lots of stealth magic.> She circles around and spills some air, then catches the wind again as she turns about, making her approach almost for the big tree at the edge of the graveyard, using its branches for additional obfuscation.

<I see you.> Mirex catches the movement in the dark, and starts toward the cliff side, ducking under the cover of the tree, taking her little glowing orb of purple light with her, but keeping the open spaces clear for Adri to land without hitting her or a headstone, hopefully.

Adri’s landing is soft and right under the darker spot by that tree. It’s really hard to see her, even when she moves, with the starts and night sky essentially being displayed by her armour – though of course there’s still some distortion, even with the illusions that help. <Hullo, love. That was a nice little glide.>

<What on earth are you wearing, my dearest? I can barely see you.> Mirex moves toward the distortion that was Adri, although she couldn’t make enough sense of it to feel comfortable trying to touch her. Wouldn’t be very nice to poke her shorter lover in the eye by accident or try and pick her nose or something.

<I wanted to be really hard to see – and to hit. Just in case. So I did some crafting.> A brief pause was followed by her voice, kept low. ‘I don’t hear anyone else about, though. I could probably remove the helm for now.’

“There’s no one here but the ghosts, beloved. And I would greatly appreciate you removing the helmet at least, Adri. I have something for you.” Mirex speaks in that low voice people tended towards when it was dark outside, but did not seem worried about being cautious.

She undoes the chin-strap and removes her helm, then starts stowing her glider – which mostly means making sure it folds itself up properly, since it does that. ‘Alex sent something for you, too, love.’

As soon as Mirex sees Adri’s head, she moves in close, whether it hindered the packing of the glider or not, and glued her lips to Adri’s in a fierce kiss, trapping her face between her hands.

Adri giggles softly, letting the wings do their thing. She’ll just have to check that the automated system got it right later. She carefully wraps her arms around Mirex, making sure not to get pointy armour bits where it might hurt.

As long as her lips stayed locked with Adri’s, the red head didn’t care about pointy bits or where they went. It isn’t until she feels breathless and flushed that Mirex finally releases Adri’s mouth from her own, “I missed you, so, and am so glad you’re hear.”

She flashes a grin. ‘I think I can tell that, love.’ She gives her a quick kiss back, then comments, ‘Oh, and there’s this for you, from Alex.’ She presses herself up to her lover’s face and kisses her soundly some more.

Mirex hums happily into the kiss, her hands tangling in Adri’s hair as she enjoyed the gift. She giggles, definitely breathless now, when it is finally done, “My…well then… I’ve a tent I stole over here. We..can stay there until it’s time.” She giggles again and kisses Adri again while running fingers through her hair.

She smiles slyly. ‘All right, then. Lead on.’

Mirex giggles with a last press of he rlips, before groping for Adri’s hand to lead the way to the tent she’d set up nearby, half hidden under the shadow of the tree behind some of the taller headstones and part of the half wall. It was low, and would need to be crawled into, but it was concealed at least.

Adri pauses as they get nearer to that spot, looking around. ‘What’s that…? Someone… some presence, at least….’

“Hm? Oh, that’s probably Auntie Dree. I set up behind her headstone. I haven’t been able to hear her since Tori left, but I try to say hello at least. Hello Auntie Dree.” She said to the headstone and the air around it.

Adri moves closer to that headstone, still behind it, and freezes in place, standing up bolt straight. ‘You! You’re Countess Adrielle Jardin!’

At her exclamation, the spirit coalesced from mist into a reasonable facsimile of being present. ‘Indeed I am. And you – I’m afraid I’ve lost track of the generations, but you’re something like my great-great-great-grand-daughter, and the current Countess Jardin.’ The elder countess manages a dry chuckle, which sounds very strange coming from a mist-form. ‘As empty as that title has become.’

Mirex blinks in surprise as Lady Adrielle’s ghost manifested, and she inclined her head as she came to stand beside Adri, “My Lady,” she greets the apparition.

‘Hello again, Mirex,’ answers the spirit.

Adri looks between them. ‘So, fine, this must be part of what Aly was being so secretive about, but… “Auntie Dree”? Huh?’

Mirex giggled, “An affectation from Victoria. The ghosts here are all her ‘aunties’ as she calls them. Lady Adrielle doesn’t seem to mind, at least not from Tori. You’ll have to forgive my slips, my Lady. Tori’s very endearing.”

‘That she is,’ the ghost affirms, nodding. ‘And your ancestor… hmm. I’m not detecting any blood relation here, though I rather expected to. But I don’t mind. Not after getting to used to Victoria. And thanks the inter-marriages between the Houses – rather necessary by some standards to keep the bloodlines going and all – the poor dear is a relative.’

Adri blinks, slowly putting it together as her ancestor speaks, but she keeps quiet for now.

Mirex blinks in surprise as well, “Wait you can tell that I’m…” she chews her lip a moment, “You’re right. I’m a ward of House Eskara, and have been adopted into the family and taken their name. My birth name was D’rillion, which is Krytan from my…father. I…don’t know my Mother’s maiden name.” She glances at Adri, “ I…suspected that Adri would be related to Tori and Valeria…the closeness of the three families made that almost inevitable, really. How close are they related though?”

‘I’m a necromancer. Or was. At least in part. And on this side of the veil, with that for your magic… tracing blood-lines is easier than you’d think. Those Valdis girls and our Adri here are second cousins, through the Cardiffs.’

“Do you detect any of my family’s old ancestor in Adri, by chance? I know you and I spoke of it before, but with her here, and you seeming to have more of your power back….” she prompts while eyeing the ghost thoughtfully. Sure, she’d appeared like this once before, but it seemed much easier this time for the ancient woman. Maybe something to do with the proximity of a blood relative.

‘There’s something there, but it may be only from before. There could have been something from the Valdis side of things, but I can’t be sure.’

Adriwyn tilts her head, pondering that a bit. ‘Mmm. From gutter-snipe to a huge family, complete with an overseeing matriarch.’ She smiles a bit, hoping the ghost doesn’t take offence.

Mirex giggles, “At least we know where you come from now, my darling.” She is careful of Adri’s armor as she nuzzles at her lover’s neck and gives her jaw a kiss before returning her attention to the ghost.

‘As to that,’ the ghost muses, watching the two with a smile. ‘Jocasta knows more of your, hrm, more recent ancestry, grand-daughter, and I’m sure she’d love to see you again.’

Adri looks up at the ghost, nodding. ‘All right.’ She turns a smile on Mirex as well, before looking again to see whether her ancestor was doing something like pointing.

“She’s over there, love.” Mirex points to indicate where she knew Jocasta’s headstone to be. With a parting nod and warm smile to Lady Adrielle, Mirex guided Adri toward where she’d pointed, “Sister Jocasta? As promised, Adri is here.”

It turns out that the ghost of the elder countess manages to stick with her descendant. ‘Hrm. She can hear you fine, of course, but manifesting enough so that you can hear her… – What’s that, Jaine?’

Adrwyn had started to say something to Jocasta (or at least her presumed location), but she stops and turns, looking at Adrielle.

Mirex cants her head as she regards Adrielle as well, and listens to the side of he conversation they could hear.

‘Claire has the Baron in sight. She thinks he’s coming in the south gate.’

Mirex frowns, her expression going serious. “Then we need to prepare. It seems you were right on time, darling. Family reunions and our own will have to wait now. My Lady Adrielle, would you please have the ghosts prepare? I haven’t quite figured out how to lure the baron here yet, but we should make ourselves ready all the same.” She pecks Adri’s cheek almost regretfully, and then makes her way back to her makeshift camp to grab the crystal rod she used to construct her greatsword with when she needed a physical focus to augment her power. She would take no chances and use every advantage.

Adriwyn nods, smiling a bit at the kiss, and donning her helm again while Mirex gets her focus.

Adrielle’s spirit concentrates, keeping her hand on her living relative’s shoulder, and Jaine and Claire become hazily visible. ‘Oh, my…! My dear child, how did you come by this magic of yours? This is lovely! We can boost you as well as Mirex. This will be fun. Tiring, but fun.’

Adri blinks in surprise (thought that’s hard to see with the glamour on her helm), and turns to look up/behind at her ancestor. ‘I… which magic do you mean?’

Mirex returns with the crystalline rod, “Adri seems to have always been able to dabble in little bits of different magic. Very unusual. Is it something else, My Lady?” she asked Adrielle, after smiling in greeting at Jaine and Claire.

‘Your connection to Mist magic, my dear. We can boost you through that easily.’ She nods toward Mirex. Whether the fainter ghosts responded to the redhead’s greeting is really hard to tell.

“So Adri’s conection to the Mists is what lets her cross the boundries and use spells from different schools?” Mirex mused aloud, “Alex will be intrigued by that. At any rate. I don’t wish you all to tire yourselves out. Hopefully I can neutralize the Baron enough that Adri won’t need augmenting as well. How should we go about luring him here, though?”

‘Let him see me here,’ was Adri’s response. ‘By illusion I mean – I don’t have a death-wish. No matter the truth of your suspicion that he felt you freeing Valeria, he’ll probably check his house. I mean, this whole thing seems to be about his greed. Power-mad more than money-mad, sure, but it’s still greed.’

“Hm…that could work. If we catch him before he goes to the house, we might catch him by surprise.” Mirex suits action to words, and her expression grows distant as she summons up her strength and uses her mind to seek out the Baron near the south gate.

One of the ghosts moves closer to Mirex and moves as though to touch her, offering to link her perceptions to the redhead’s, pointing past her as well, trying to hint that she has him in her sights already.

The tall and small Adris wait grimly, and the other “visible” ghost moves to link up in a chain to aid Mirex.

Mirex follows the direction the ghost indicates, reaching your to the ghost and opening her mind to her and the other spirits, which made her zero right in on the Baron.

She looks briefly for a convenient place to construct her illusion, then creates Adri in her old favored red and orange leathers behind a wagon, and has her run from cover into the center of town.

Jaine and Claire link up with Mirex, giving her not only their perception, which helps her spot the living, but also a deeper reservoir of power.

Adrielle seems to be overlapping the living Adri now, and isn’t quite so visible as herself.

The Baron hisses as he sees Mirex’s illusion, and throws a glamour over himself for concealment, which the connection to the ghosts makes futile against Mirex at the moment. He moves along the darker areas, unlimbering what are probably his foci. He seems to be without an escort as he stalks the illusory Adri.

Mirex guides the illusory Adri through the town, leading the Baron toward the graveyard. Drawing on the older knowledge of the ghosts, she sets up a illusory veil at the entrance that would strip enchantments from any that passed through. She then guided the illusory Adri right for that barrier.

The Baron follows along, still covered in his glamour, and when he thinks he’s spotted the destination, he sprints for his house, with one last quick look before ducking inside.

Mirex lets the illusory Adri dispel once the BAron is out of sight, and brings her mind back to he rown body and her companions, “Well… now we wait.” She comments. She smiles at the ghosts around her, and moves out into the clear path up the middle from the entrance, “Let me make sure he’s contained before you reveal yourself, Adri. I don’t want him to take his first shots at you.”

<All right, love.> She’s not even taking a on chance sounds, now that it’s this close to the line. Adri also nods, for the sake of the ghosts who might not “overheard” that.

It’s not long before Jaine points out two glamoured figures emerging onto a balcony that gives them at least some view of the graveyard. One is, with the mist-born senses of the ghosts, easily identified as the Baron. The other is another man, apparently limping badly. He starts setting up something that, because it’s not living, the ghosts can’t help identify. The Baron has his hand high on the other man’s back while he works, and no words are exhanged.

Mirex eyes the pair <That must be Reg. The Baron must be setting him up with some kind of weapon.> She watches through the ghosts as the Baron has Reg set up whatever it was, and takes extra note of the fact that the Baron was touching Reg, likely compelling him and controlling him.

<Aye. Not sure if it’s a rifle or another mini-ballista, but the movements pretty much limit the choices. Hmm. Touch. Silent communication? Wonder if he’s “talking” without making noise, or something.>

After a bit more time, and both of the men looking as though they were scanning the dark graveyard, the Baron steps back and blinks to the ground, and starts slowly making his way forward.

<I’d say more likely he’s implanting orders into Reg’s mind. As soon as the Baron is almost here, I’ll hit Reg’s position.>

MIrex eyed the Baron through the ghosts’ vision, getting a lay of the man, while inverting the weaves of her strip enchantment barrier. Lastly, she cloaked herself so that the man would not see her or anyone about in the graveyard, trusting Adri’s camouflage and her ultimate ancestor to keep her hidden. Judging by how Adrielle was overlayed on Adri now, she figured it was a safe bet that they were harnessing Adri’s mist connection.

<Pity I’d really prefer not to leave either in a position to explain which it is.> Her “tone” was definitely not in keeping with the word choice. She had shifted position to gain additional cover from headstones as she kept her own watch.

Whatever the man still on the balcony was up to, he seemed almost ready. The sturdy redhead, still englamoured, was coming up alongside in the shadows.

Mirex waited until the Baron was close along the wall, then tossed the crystialline rod away from her, and drew upon the full well of her combined power to channel  a massive quantity of chaos energy into the rod, which formed into a focal greatsword pointed right at the balcony. The Spatial Surge that erupted from it was similar to what Mirex had used against Reg before, only far more powerful, and strong enough to obliterate a sizable portion of the balcony at the very least, perhaps more depending on how much the ghosts pitched in. She’d thrown the focus away from her and Adri so that neither could be pinpointed as the exact source of the blast that lit up the town in a sudden purple flash.

<That’s all right, I didn’t need to be able to see anyway.> Adri’s sardonically amused comment came just as the blast did indeed light up the upper section they were in brilliantly, with traces bringing out details down below as well, should anyone have been looking. The balcony is now smoking rubble, and combined noises of the blast and the collapsed masonry and steel are bringing some guards to investigate, though they get a little cautious as they realise they’re not exactly equipped for such things.

The Baron hunkers down in the long grasses. If he’d made any noise, it was drowned out by the falling rubble and body. It’s hard to tell whether the sniper is still alive, even for the ghosts.

Alive or not, he was out of commission for the moment. The Crystalline rod compresses back into itself once the blast ends and hits the dirt with a faint tinkling thump, and all is quiet again as the after image of the bright blast fades. Mirex doesn’t move. Doesn’t call out. She gives no sign of what had just happened and from where or by whom. <Sorry about that, darling. Still getting used to all the extra help.>

<I had warning, love – barely. Only little blotches because my eyes weren’t shaded enough, but they were closed. It’ll do. I go by shadow and air more than sight in the dark, anyway.> She was also giving no clue, watching the Baron’s position out of the side of her eye, probably with her ancestor’s help.

Some of the milling guards get brave enough to approach the ruined balcony, though they seem more interested in figuring out where the Baron is and whether they should knock, at least at first.

The Baron is still lying low. Perhaps his eyes hadn’t been closed.

Mirex waits, and then begins to muster her powers again. This time, her intent is to attack the Baron’s mind in an attempt to cut him off from the majority of his powers to give Adri a fighting chance against him. With the ghosts’ help, she could attempt this at long range, despite how taxing it would be. She begins to ready a half dozen spells at once. A Mirror of Disenchantment. Energy Drain, Arcane Larceny. These she weaves into a Web of Disruption, and takes the web of spells to hold them over the Baron’s head like a spider dangling from her web. And then she strikes fast and hard, stabbing into his mind to attempt to drape her complex web of spells over his brain to cut him off from much of his power, and make using whatever he had left incredibly painful to use.

The Baron’s hunched position in the grasses did him no favours for stability under the onslaught. He toppled onto his rear, even as he sent clones looking for targets, though he did seem to be reeling a bit, based on their relatively undirected casting. Not that it wasn’t dangerous, but their tactics weren’t up to standards. He manages some sort of shielding on himself again, trying to stagger to his feet.

Mirex grimaces under her stealth glamour, and takes the energy surge and Mind Wrack spells she’d held in reserve to bombard his shield about his mind, and tries again to lay her web of distortions and mirror of disenchantment over his mind, while hitting him with arcane larceny again to disable his clone summoning abilities.

He nearly falls again, but gets a decoy up and starts to replace his other clones, the new ones coming over the wall. He’s advancing some as well, but mostly keeping behind them in an effort to avoid taking more direct hits.

<Mists! He has wards like mine! So much for slow vivisection… you get one, maybe two more shots, and I’m going to see how well he digests orichalcum and mithril when it’s inserted from the back.>

<Work your way around him, love. Two or three more shots is about all I can do using this many spells at once. Try not to kill him, though.>

Mirex assaults the decoy with another Mind Wrack, while changing up the Web of Distortion for an Illusion of Pain as she attacks the Baron again. She lets her stealth glamour dispel, and uses the freed up power for an illusory wave to launch his clones back over the wall, while making herself visible to him to distract him.

He staggers a bit again, but he manages to shatter the clones before they get pushed too far, with more offensive ones charging in to replace them. The ghosts seem to manage to absorb most of the effects of the shattering, which makes him swear in frustration even as he tries to get a nullifying field up – an effort which gets interrupted by the sweep of blades on the part of twisting darkness behind him. He drops to his knees and then topples forward, trying to blink out of her range, but she apports along with him, her shadow-blade pointed at the base of his brain stem, poking into his skin, with her more starry blade at the middle of his back.

‘Even think about anything more offensive, and even if I don’t just end you here and now, I will let you enjoy the paralysis that so nearly was my fate. My shielding is better than yours, mate.’

(( The story resumes in the old graveyard of the Ascalon Settlement. ))

Mirex waited until her companions had left, leaving her alone in the graveyard with nothing but the ghosts she couldn’t hear. Exhaustion was setting in, even with just maintaining her clothes, so she used her familiarity among the residence to pilfer the barracks for a tent and clothes. Better to stay in the graveyard form here on until things were over. She didn’t fancy waking up on her trundle bed alone with the Baron.

Using the small crystalline earpiece she always wore, she communed with Cris to have him make the arrangements to get Adri out to the Settlement, by airship in some fashion, he assured her. With that done, she pitched her tent where it could be best hidden by headstones, and settled in for the night.

<Adri…? I love you…> she sent the thought out as she closed her eyes to wait.

<And I love you, darlin’! Aly tells me they’re halfway to the Lionbridge waypoint, and she’s got Tori helping make more minions to scout the bridge.>

<Hm. I’m glad to hear that. I told Cris to come and send you to me. I’ve missed you so, darling.> She thought sleepily.

<And we’ve missed you here! But you sound/feel like you need sleep, love. I’ll be there… well, as soon as Cris drops me off, or at least has the Current do so. Anything in particular I need to bring?>

<Mmm…. weapons would be good. And kisses. Weapons to kill the Baron, and kisses for me> She giggles as she lets the illusions of he clothes fade, tucked under a stolen blanket.

<Easily done, darlin’! Sleep well, but not too well, if you know what I mean. See you soon!>

<See you soon, Adri> she let herself drift off after warding her mind, just in case.

It wasn’t more then a day before Cris was knocking at the door of the place Alex and Adri were staying in the Refuge, the tall man wearing his usual black leathers and coat. It was mid-afternoon.

Adri answers the door, looking only slightly disheveled. ‘Well, hullo there! Coming in, or do I grab my kit and run?’

“We have a few moments, my Lady, but we can’t dally long. Nas is prepping her ship right now to get you there once night has fallen,” Cris replies as he steps inside to take a look around, having never actually been in the dwelling before. “Is Alex here?”

“Yes I’m here,” popping her head out from around the corner of the small sideroom on the right side of the small house, she smiles. Stepping out, the simple teal sundress she wore rustles with the slight breeze that blew in from outside. “I hear you’re coming to take Adri away from me,” she says with a pout, closing the distance between them to give her brother a hug.

He smiles fondly as he embraces Alex. “Just for a short time, little sister. Mirex made the request. I’m just being a good commander and helping her with the op the way she wants to run it. Shouldn’t be too long.”

‘The only real worry there would be if the Baron is away too long, but Aly’s been visiting with the Valdis ladies, and they know of no reason why he’d be gone more than three days – most of which is already up.’

“Indeed, I received word that the Valdis girls had been brought in. They’ll be kept safe along with the assassin Sam Ingrems until this is taken care of. Be careful out there, His partner, this Reg, is still at large.”

“I know, I know,” waving her hand dismissively, there was only a slight hint of annoyance in her tone. Grumbling, she walks over to Adriwyn and hugs her tightly, giving her a kiss. “You be safe, okay?” Looking into the younger woman’s eyes, she fusses with a few loose hairs before giving her another kiss. “Give that to Mirex for me when you see her, and tell her I love her and I’ll be waiting for both of you to come back.”

Adri smiles, enough for once to bring out dimples, and kisses Alex back. ‘I will, love! – And yes, Exemplar, I know Reg is still to be assumed at large. That’s why what time Alex could spare I’ve been working on my camouflage.’

“Hm, very good, then” He waits patiently for the lovers to say their farewells and to be sure Adri had all the gear she needed. He crosses his arms more for something to do with them then any hurry to get going.

“I got a letter from Naxxa too Crissy. So once Adri is back safe, we can have lunch and I should have some new data to go over with you all.” Grinning, she moves over to the chair closest to a shelf filled with leather binders containing reports and invoices. Looking at Adriwyn, she smiles fondly, glad that she had chosen to sit away from her lover so she didn’t try to keep her here. “All three of you better come back in one piece, and with good news, got it?”

“Oh, i’ll be back once Adri is safely aboard, Alex.” Cris clarifies, “Whenever you are ready, my Lady”

‘Aye, aye, darlin’!’ She giggles and apports over to the corner, picking up her kit. As she lugs it out of the shadows, it resolves into something eye-twistingly dark that’s hard to look at, though it wasn’t so odd seeming in the shadows a moment before. It looks too large for her, until it becomes evident that it’s her armour as well as her weaponry, and a pack. ‘Ready enough now, m’lord. Even the Current has some flight time, and I can put this on while under way.’ She turns to blow another kiss at Alex, then turns for the door. <And after already chewing Mirex out, you can be sure I’ll be in touch, love!>

<I said I was sorry!>

<Take care of our Adri and yourself, Mirex. I’m sending a present for you along with her, but I want you to know that I love you, and I miss you.>

<{impression of a giggle} Yep! I just don’t plan on being chewed out myself for the same thing! And now you know I’ve had my boarding call.>

Cris nods once, “Very well, let’s be off then” he turns to lead the way from the house, and the trek back up to the main level of the Refuge, “Nastya will remain in the area for a short time, in case things go ill and you need to get out quickly. If you two succeed, though, you’ll be free to find your way back here as you see fit. Unless you convince Nas, of course.”

‘We’ll see how that goes. I’ll only be so happy about traversing open spaces in the Arch again unless we also account for Reg.’

<I love and miss you too, Alex. I’m waiting in the graveyard, Adri. I can’t wait to see you.>

“Very wise. If Reg is not disposed off during this encounter, then have Mirex alert me and I’ll send pick up.”

<Good! Because that’s where I’m best suited for landing. And Aly says I’ll get a nice surprise there, but she’s being a tight-lipped so-and-so about it.> ‘Will do, m’lord.’

Mirex doesn’t say more, while Cris leads Adri to the docks, where the scarlet hull of the Spectral Current waited. On the ship’s deck at the end of the gangway, a tall woman in a red leather coat that was just this side of too snug waited, wearing a broad brim hat.

“Ah, so you’re the one. The one what’s as was relaying the orders during our little outing int he Fen,” the woman drawls, shooting Cris a brief, reproving look.

The Blade seems unfazed, though, staying on the landward side of the gang way, “Good luck, my lady Jardin.”

‘Aye, that would be me.’ She nods to the captain, then waves with a free pinkie to Cris. ‘Thank you, m’lord – though I’m trying to minimise the actual luck required.’ She turns back, pausing at the edge of gangplank. ‘Permission to come aboard?’

Nastya smirks, with a nod of approval, “Permission granted. Welcome aboard the Spectral Current. I’m Captain Nastya.”

‘Thank you, Captain. I’m Adri – with longer titles and names you’ve heard, but only so relevant for being on a mission.’ She steps aboard so as not to further delay things.

Nastya gives her a look over, up and down, “You’re cute. I see why Mir likes you. Just Nastya will do for me, Adri. Not one for formality like some folk.” She shoots a last look, a mix of affection and annoyance, at Cris before turning to head across the deck. “Gron! Cast off!”

The ship becomes a bustle of shouts and movement as the crew of pirates surge to life, under the bellows of the first mate, Gron Skyclaw, a massive black charr with one empty eye socket.

Among the crew of Norn, Charr, and Asura are a couple Sylvari, and one human. At first glance it almost looks like Cristian has stowed away aboard ship, if not for the fact that he still stands on the dock as the ship begins to lift away into the air.

She looks about, waiting for a pause in which she wouldn’t be distracting the captain too much. ‘Got an out of the way spot I can gear up, Nastya? I need to be wearing this stuff by the time I’m dropped off.’ She notes all the people she sees, just because she does that, but she doesn’t stare at anyone.

“Aye, you can use my cabin,” the pirate replies, “This way. Ozz! Keep a watch!” She calls to a slightly crazed looking Asura sitting up by the captain’s chair.

“Keep watch…keep watch..What do you think I do up here? Huh!? I built this RADAR, and none of the rest of you…”

Nastya motions Adri to follow her as the elderly Asura seems to be launching into a well practiced rant, heading down into the belly of the ship to the gunnery deck. “Don’t mind him. Ozz is always going on about something, but he’s a crack pot old genius, even for an Asura.” She laughs as she leads the way to the prow, where there wasa hatch opening to another narrow stair deeper into the ship, and another door. Through the hatch was a spacious cabin, the far walls made of windows nestled right underneath the spear-like nose of the open air deck above. “I know you won’t be aboard long, but make yourself comfortable. Bath is in there, if you need it.” She indicates one side door to the left of the hatch they came in through.

‘Thank you! Though I took care of that a bit ago, when we went swimming.’ She chuckles softly, and starts getting into her armour. She doesn’t look at it while doing so, which is probably a requirement at this point, given how much it wants to be blending into any bit of shadow or other darkness that falls across it.

Nastya crosses her arms, perching a hip against the ling, dark oak desk strewn with charts that was set just in front of the windows. “That’s some curious armor there. Hard to look at. Some kind of shadow magic on it?” she asks curiously.

‘Shadow mixed with illusion. I have a really hard time doing illusions without shadow getting into them, and this time that’s for the best.’ She appears to have had practice getting into her armour. She’s making fairly short work of it.

“Huh. Never heard of someone that can mix em like that. I’m impressed.” She nods thoughtfully as she watches Adri get her armor on, sashaying across her cabin to offer help with the last couple pieces. “So you and Mir, huh?” The pirate looks Adri over again with perhaps a hint of interest amid her curiousity.

Adri offers a ‘Thanks!’ for the assistance. ‘And for this mission, yes. Otherwise, that’s Mirex, Alexandria, and me.’ She smiles, for despite the minefield the topic can be, calling them to mind even as she’s focussing on “mission” makes her happy.

“Aye, so I heard. Haven’t talked to Mir much since she was here with me. Seems she’s got a bit of a type” she teases, “I bet you get it a lot that you and Alex could be sisters. Don’t think I mentioned that when we spoke at the house that one time.”

‘Aye. Or a lot of comments about “twins”.’ She chuckles softly, attaching her weaponry with the various belts and snaffles she’d brought along for the purpose, carefully doing it all by feel because she’d enchanted all of it for her night/shadow camouflage. ‘It’s mostly amusing – at least so far.’

“I bet it’ll get annoying before long.” She laughs as she tightens a last strap for Adri. “What is it about the two of them that’s got you so interested? I can definitely see the appeal of you, my dear, but Alex and Mirex are rather different flavors. You just like variety, or something about them?”

‘There’s… hnh.’ She checks her gear, re-doing a cinch on one of the gauntlets, then checking her pouches and strapping them on as she ponders and resumes answering. ‘I suppose some amount of variety has always been part of things for me, but it’s not for the variety. It’s… well, they go together, at least by history, besides both making me feel that right kind of special and loved.’

Nastya absently traces a finger over Adri’s armored pauldron, unbothered by the strange magic that coated it, “Yea, I heard about that. Alex broke Mirex’s heart once before. Kinda surprised they’re back together now.” She smiles with a small giggle. “You’re sweet. I wonder if she feels special like she makes you feel. Nothing wrong with having more then one as does that for ya. Been a few girls in my time that meant something. One man, too.”

‘I … probably have broken too many hearts in my time. But I’m pretty determined to learn from my mistakes, and not to fuck up this time. Well, not in a big way that ruins everything, anyway – no getting over being human and making mistakes, after all.’

“Aye, ain’t that the truth.” The buxom pirate laughed. “Well, if you’re ever looking to make a little mistake, you come look me up, beautiful.” She flashes a grin and a wink as she sways toward the hatch back out into the companionway.

However, the hatch has a knock at it and opens a bit before Nastya reaches it. “Mother, we’re just about there.” It was the white haired youth Adri might have spied earlier, a young, less scarred dopplganger of the imposing Blade.

Adri nods to herself, filing away that she’s now seen that particular offspring, but not giving an excess of notice. Checking her gear over and settling her glider pack into place, she steps forward. ‘Didn’t much seem to matter to ask before, but is this a set-down or a jump?’

“All right, Crysti, we’re on our way,” she assured the teen. “Jump. I’d have you use the teleporters, but they’re a little loud and flashy for this. Best to just have you fly in yourself, Adri.” She flashed a winning smile over her shoulder and followed her son from the cabin to lead the way back up on deck.

Adri nods with a brief but sincere smile, following along. ‘Good. I like gliding, and this stuff is perfect for a night drop. Echoes the stars when seen from below.’

“Too bad I’m gunna be on top tonight then,” she teases as they make their way back up. It wasn’t full dark yet, but the sun was definitely set, the lights of the Settlement inview ahead and below. To their eyes, the ship was all there. But to those on the ground, they’d see nothing. Only the sharpest eyes might detect the faint, occasional shimmer from the glamour shield.

Adri chortles as she gets her hair up out of the way, making it into extra padding for her helm which she gets into place. ‘Gloaming rather than night isn’t ideal, but I can just make a wide sweep and come into the graveyard low. That’ll give me time to talk to the ravens to make sure of my approach.’

“Hey, we can circle a bit if you’d rather wait. I don’t mind.” She leads the way out onto the open air part of the deck, the ship moving at a brisk pace at a fair altitude that would put them over the Settlement in another couple minutes.

‘I’d appreciate it. The darker it gets, the better for me. The shadows help me see at night, anyway. Well, “see” might be the wrong word, but it’ll do.’

Nastya arches a curious brow, but complies. “All right. Crysti, have Gron take us a little higher into a holding pattern for the next hour or two. Should be long enough to give our guest time.”

“Aye, Cap’n.” The boy salutes and strides back into the ship, leaving Nastya and Adri alone on the deck at the rail.

‘Thank you.’ She looks around and takes a deep breath, smiling some more. ‘I really like flying. Almost was crew on an airship – lookout. But the ship didn’t come back.’ She sighs, losing the smile for a bit.

“Ah…flew with the Pact, eh?” The pirate prompts curiously as she leans against the rail in a pose that threatened to burst some seams.

‘Oh, I was a gunner for the Pact, during the final push on Zhaitan, but I don’t count that as being proper crew. No, this was… well, the captain of that ship probably ran afoul of pirates. She’d had run-ins before, I understand. Don’t know for sure – it wasn’t just the ship that didn’t come back, after all.’ She appreciates the view, though it might not show much with her melancholy remembering.

“Whole crew went with her, eh? That’s a shame, but if it were my boat…well, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Captain always goes down with her ship. Ya did a nice job handling me ‘n’ mine though. Out there in the Fen. Reminded me o’ the Battle o’ Lion’s Arch against Scarlett’s vultures. I liked you as Admiral better, though. My ship didn’t need to get floated to safety after getting shot full o’ holes.”

Adri nods, listening, then smiles with a dry chuckle at the end. ‘Thank you, and, aye. Avoiding that is always good. None too fond of “shot full o’ holes” m’self. Unless I’m the one shooting, anyway.’

Nastya laughs heartily, “Now there’s the truth of it. Not much I like better then poking holes in other people’s hulls. Say, if you’re a gunner, I might be able to use you, you know. I’ve always got a couple spots open for some useful hands. And you’ve got the experience. And we don’t ever touch the ground unless we have to.”

‘I’ll keep it in mind, but… well, my jewelry business was doing nicely before I started having to duck assassins. Though flying… tempting. I’d have to talk that over with Alex and Mirex, anyway, though – and I’ve a mission to think about. I’ll lose focus if I think too hard about that offer just now – but thank you.’

Nastya shrugs, which made the threat of popped seams all the more imminent and more interesting, “Suit yourself. I’m planning on making my way in the Refuge, if you’re gunna be staying there a while. Think it over.” She winks at Adri and falls quite for the time being, while the ship’s engines hum as they circle above Ascalon Settlement.

<We’re circling over the area of the Settlement now. I’m not sure what fuels this thing, but I hope it’s cheap. Still, I’m glad Nastya’s holding for me to jump after dark.> Adri returns the smile, then takes up her own scan of the landscape below, making sure she knows where the potential obstacles and watch-points are.

<Alright, darling. As far as I can tell, the baron hasn’t returned yet. Let me know when you’re on the way down.>

The ship slips higher above the town, making a slow, lazy sort of spiral as it circles, and they watch the sky slowly darken. A sort of peace comes over the ship as they wait, the crew ready at a moment’s notice, but unconcerned. Crysian even comes back out on the deck to join his mother, who only had a couple inches on him in height still. She drapes an arm about his shoulders and hugged him to her side.

“What will you do when you are free again, Adri?” she asks at last into the night breeze.

Adri blinks, then shakes her head. ‘I’m torn on some things, and some of that will depend on just how it all turns out. The guy behind the assassination attempts on me knows more about who I am than I do. By ancestry, I suppose I mean. And I’m not sure whether I want to do anything about that ancestry. I may just let fate decide that – depending on whether there’s any documentation found to prove anything. But otherwise? I’d like to go back to making jewelry for people, and just have a bit of relative peace for a while.’ She shrugs with a quiet chuckle. ‘And then I’ll get restless and crave a bit of adventure again, I’m sure.’

Nastya giggles a bit, “You can always find adventure up here,” she replies with an inviting wink, “There’s something to be said for a lil down time too, though. I think it’s nice you want to just ply your trade. I can respect that. We’ve gotta make our ways, we independent girls. I hope you learn what you want to know though, about yourself. If you’re some big noble woman, will that change your plan at all?”

‘Oh, that’s why he wants me dead. I am one. But proving it might be another matter – and thanks to the history of this problem between Houses, I wasn’t raised to it. So that’s part of why I’m not sure I want to do anything about it.’

Nastya shrugs as she toys with her son’s hair until he complains and she giggles, “Well, I guess that’ll be your call. Between Cristian and Mir, they can teach you all the social graces. I don’t think it matters if you were raised all hoity toity though. Might even make a better noble since you weren’t. Never know.”

A grin and a chuckle greet that last. ‘Oh, aye. That kind of thinking is the only reason I haven’t just said I don’t want to deal with it. Maybe not being a Reach-bound fop would be good for something.’

“Well, you seem like the reliable sort, just from the little bit we’ve spoken now. Beautiful and dependable. Sounds like the makings of the sort of noble Lady I could get into.” Another sly wink came from the pirate, and Crysian snorts an amused sound that earns him some hair tossling.

“Keep yer opinions to yourself, Mister Eskara. Captain can do ‘n’ say what she likes.”

“Yes ma’am,” the youth replies primely while smoothing his hair back.

Adri chuckles, grinning and shaking her head with amusement. ‘I do try. Sometimes better than others, of course.’ She looks again to see whether it’s dark enough for her landing.

“Trying’s all you can do, Adri.” Nastya looks out into the darkening night. “This look dark enough to you, Lady?” she asks, jutting her chin at the stars coming out.

‘Aye, it is. To both.’ She squares up and re-checks her straps. ‘Stars make it all work.’ She looks about ready to just vault over the side.

Nastya certainly wasn’t objecting to that, but she produces a small device with a belt clip. “Here, take this. In case your glider doesnt fire. Don’t want you splattering the ground. You’d make a pretty mess, but I’m betting there’s better and prettier messes you’d make without falling five thousand feet.” She grins and winks again as she hands the item over.

She chuckles, taking it and attaching it to her sword belt. ‘I’m guessing this is how Cris keeps making his way back aboard?’

“Aye. It’s the sort of beacon the Aetherblades used so the teleporters could lock on to em. Handy to have considering all the Aether tech we got onboard. Good luck to ya down there, Adri.”

‘Thank you, Nastya. Fair winds to you!’ She gives a cheery wave to both of them with a flash of smile, then is suddenly all “mission” serious again as she vaults over the side, dropping clear of the ship before easing her glider out into her slipstream and starting her descent.