Chapter 248: Return to Platoiri
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Chapter 248: Return to Platoiri
Tala felt a bit of sadness as she took Kit from the intricate, dedicated alcove that the sanctum had rested in for the last weeks.
She had learned all she could in her time in the city of Croi, though shed basically never gone out into the city itself. Her time had been dominated by tasks and training within the hold, within the world-fragment.
There were so many things that felt subtly different within this place, and shed gotten the impression that most higher-level magics functioned better within a world-fragment.
Magic was both easier and harder. It was more work for her will-power to enact the magics, but it seemed to linger longer, more stable after being formed.
Not that I used much magic within the world-fragment. It did seem like Kit was a bit more stable, but that was likely due to the sanctum being located off the hold.
One of the Eskau she had worked with most, De-arg, had occasionally made comments that implied his power was uniquely suited to the world-fragment. Though, shed not really seen him use his power.
He was really, really fast and accurate, though. His training had been incredibly fruitful in improving her grounding and stability. I do wonder what concept he wields. Maybe accuracy?
-I dont think thats a concept that can be wielded.-
Its no more esoteric than corrosion.
-Fair point.-
Terry had stayed within her sanctum for the duration of the stay in Croi. So, for his sake if nothing else, she was glad to be heading back to Platoiri.
And back to the acquisition of protian weapons. They had intel on a prime target for the eighth one and were seeking leads on the ninth and final weapon after that.
Then, Be-thric leaves with or without me.
-Itll be without if we dont do something about it.-
Yeah. She still had ideas, and she was running them down as best as she was able.
As she moved towards the exit of the hold, she looked down at her white, scalemail armor. She was quite used to it by this point, and it moved with her excellently.
The scales, themselves, were less potent projectiles than her siege orbs, but that was to be expected. They were intended for lesser targets. Even so, their blade-like nature gave them superior penetration to the tungsten orbs she had been using.
And the siege orbs are for things that could kill me with ease.
-For now.-
True. Things that could kill me with ease, for now. Tala found herself grinning. Even without a solid plan, she could almost taste her freedom, and she felt like every improvement to herself moved her that much closer.
-Soon.-
Kit and Flow sat as wonderful counterbalances to one another on her belt, while most of her bloodstar tools rested in the sheath on the back of the belt.
Only four bloodstars were out as she strode through the heart of the House of Bloods power.
Three circled her head, and one rested near the base of her skull, just far enough out to not interfere with her braid. Together, the four gave her and Alat three-hundred-and-sixty degree perspectives of the world at all times.
Always wary.
-For we are in the belly of the beast.-
And it thinks we are of its flesh.
-Thatis apt. Gross, but apt.-
She was pulled from her inner conversation as she reached the entry hall.
Gallof and Thron were already waiting near the open entrance to the hold, and Tala took a moment to greet them before glancing out into the city outside.
Directly across from the entrance to this hold were the gates to the City Lords manor. City Lady?
-CL? That would work either way.-
I think City Lord is better.
-Longer to say than CL.-
Yeah, but I can see it being confusing, and thats beside the point. I figured wed meet her on this trip.
Alat sent over the impression of a shrug. -I suppose we didnt need to. We still have two days to get back to Platoiri before the collar triggers, after all.
-I think its tomorrow at sunset, actually?-
Oh She did some quick calculations. Youre right. Thats less ideal.Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.
They were going to leave nearly a week earlier, in order to allow plenty of time for a less hurried return trip, but Meallain had been insistent on Tala staying longer, even going so far as to procure the services of a specialized dimensional mage for a quicker return at her own expense.
The process was apparently painful, and even more expensive than ballistic travel, but it had quite a few other benefits.
The quickways in the underbelly of Croi were modeled on the same concept, so Tala was quite curious to see how it worked.
Meallain, Reidh, and De-arg had bid her goodbye the evening before, each giving her parting advice.
Reidh had implored her to focus on drawing strength from within herself, rather than from external sources or points of leverage.
Meallain had reminded her that the appearance of strength was often more potent than true, but unknown, strength. The elf also emphasized that the council had reasons for its decisions and that they should be honored.
De-arg had told her to be as stalwart as the sand.
That guy has so much wisdom hes come back around to being obtuse, again.
-Sand does endure. Sure, it shifts, but it is always sand. It gets everywhere, never-ending.-
Huh. I suppose I can see that. Do you suppose thats what he meant?
-I have literally no idea.-
Tala grinned, shaking her head.
Eskau Tali? Thron came to stand beside her. Is everything alright?
Yes, just trying to parse what Eskau De-arg told me last night.
Thron grunted. Ive never met the man, but I hear his advice isodd.
That is a fair assessment.
Shortly thereafter, Be-thric arrived with the former-candidate Eskau from the House of the Dark Abyss.
Oh, right. I forgot about him.
-What? How could you have forgotten? You were literally in the room when they decided he would come with us back to Platoiri.-
I didnt say I didnt know. I had to have known in order to have forgotten.
-Huh. Ive never really thought of it that way. Okay.-
Tala grinned to herself as she greeted the boy, It was Ganog, right?
The young dragonling jerked slightly, clearly startled to be addressed. Oh, um. Yes. Eskau Tali?
Thats right.
He scratched the steel-gray scales on the side of his neck. I appreciate the opportunity to leave with you all.
The others greeted the boy, and they departed as a group.
There was no fanfare, no farewells. Theyd each said goodbye to everyone they wished to say such to.
It was a cool, if not cold, day, but it was a stark contrast to the weather within the hold. Apparently, the world-fragment had been from closer to the equator than Croi was.
Huh, I didnt really focus on the temperature when we arrived.
-You treated it like entering a building, and after you learned of world-fragments, that dominated your mind. Plus, you know, the weather doesnt really bother you.-
That was true enough. Most of the arcanes around them were of a rank to be unaffected by the weather, but they did seem to be wearing a bit thicker clothing than usual.
Tala, Thron, Gallof, Ganog, and Be-thric didnt stay on the streets near the city center for long. They had too far to go. Instead, they descended back to the quickway nexus nearest the hold.
With a short jaunt through the quickways, they arrived at the northeastern part of the city, near the edge. They came back up the well-traveled stairs into bustling streets.
The pedestrians made way for them, given that they all wore House of Blood colors, and Tala and Be-thric were obvious by their demarcations of office.
There werent many vehicles, either magical or beast-drawn, but those that there were, made way too.
It was a short walk to a middling sized tower, Tala only really noticed its height because it was the tallest thing in any direction towards the near edge of the city, like a lighthouse on a prominence.
I bet that factors into its functionality.
Well, we shouldnt use that method very often then. She smiled slightly, leaning on how Tali would have responded.
True enough. In either case, we cant as it is highly straining onwell everything. It is ill-advised to use such methods more than once a year or so. Though, emergencies do happen.
In less than five minutes, the other three had come through, and the column of power had broken apart.
Tala cocked her head, considering. What would happen if it deactivated while someone was inside it?
Thron huffed. Eskau Tali, it would spread them across all the intervening space, because that is where they would be without the magic holding the working together.
Ahh, yes. That doesmake sense.
Ganog seemed to somehow pale as he heard that, and he swallowed visibly.
I guess he didnt know it was that dangerous?
Without further delay or discussion, they made their way into and through Platoiri without incident, coming to the district of doors barely before noon.
To their surprise, a messenger from the City Lord was waiting outside the holds main entrance.
Gallof scurried forward. My apologies, messenger. One such as you should not have been made to wait outside of the hold. I swear that those responsible will be
The messenger held up his hand, silencing Gallof. There is no need, Adjunct. I am right where I wished to be.
He bowed and presented a slip of paper to Tala.
Tala took it with a muttered thank you.
The note on the page was simple.
The City Lord commanded her attendance of his person that afternoon, or if she could not be pulled away from the duties of her House, the following day could be acceptable.
The messenger did not wait for her reply, and he was already gone by the time Tala looked up.
Be-thric gave her an inquiring look. What do you wish, my Eskau?
She sighed. I will go now. It is almost noon, and I dont wish to be late.
Are you sure?
Yes. We have much to do in the next few days, and a half-days duty is lighter than a full one.
He nodded appreciatively to that.
She turned to Thron. Do you need me to place my sanctum before I depart?
The dwarf smiled and gave a bow. That would make my tasks easier; yes, Eskau Tali.
That determined, they entered the hold, and Tala placed Kits entrance in a garden quite near the holds main gate.
Gallof and Be-thric quickly disappeared with Ganog into another part of the hold.
Thron thanked her and entered Kit.
Tala, for her part, stopped for a long moment, just feeling the hold around her.
Her budding knowledge of Doman-Imithe, alongside spending so long within the world-fragment, caused the fragility of reality in the hold to stand out starkly.
Now that she was looking for it, she could feel that Zeme lay somewhere between the two, closer to the world-fragment than the hold in solidity.
Why didnt Kit feel this weak?
-It was likely because it was attached to the world-fragment, pulling stability from that anchor.-
She bit the side of her lip in thought. Maybe
-Are you intending to start a new habit?-
Hmm?
-Biting your lip.-
She stopped. Ive done that before. Its not new.
-Yes, but you seem to be doing it more, recently.-
Huh. Might be so. She shook her head and set off.
Stepping out of the House of Bloods hold and back into Zeme let her feel the solidifying of reality yet again. It wasnt as precise as using her voidsight, but she was growing in her ability to sense what that form of vision showed.
Its exactly like the books say. Shed not had time to review all the advanced texts shed copied into her personal portion of the Archive, via Alats incredible perception and ability to grab the pages nearly instantly.
What she had gleaned made it clear that the feel of reality was the easiest means of determining where one was in the worlds.
The world-fragment felt like a sheet of steel.
Zeme was wood. In the most stable places, it was a hardwood that could almost be mistaken for metal; in the weakest, it was softwood, easily marred.
Holds were generally as paper, mere shavings of reality, shaped by cunning hands.
And the Doman-Imithe is a tight net: cords of flexible strength riddled with holes.
She shuddered.
Even her limited understanding of reality made the very ideadisconcerting. Not that Ill get a chance to explore it.
She was waved through the City Lords gates and followed the same path up to his tower that shed used previously.
Nothing seemed to have changed in her time away.
He even seemed to be wearing the same clothing, though she couldnt actually remember him wearing anything else, so it was possibly magical clothing. Or he has multiple, identical sets.
Eskau Tali. So, you decided an afternoon in my company is better than a full day?
When I have many demands on my time, City Lord? Yes, reducing my tasks is a boon.
He huffed a laugh. Still confrontational with your betters?
Tala didnt like the way the conversation was starting out, so she tried to change tack, Are there any assassins you wish brought low? The bat-gargoyle, perhaps?
You mean Bruce?
Tala hesitated, uncertain if he was joking. You named your gargoyle?
Of course not, dont be silly, child. The sculptor tried to name it Fear, but that was ridiculous, and so I decreed that another name be chosen.
SoBruce.
Would you have preferred man-bat?
I suppose not. Why are we talking about this?
Before she could rethink her conversational choices, he reached to take a drink from a cup that wasnt there.
With a barely contained sigh, Tala went to get his food and tea. It was going to be a long afternoon.
The time passed as she would have expected.
She attended the City Lord, and he largely ignored her.
Finally, when her service was nearly at an end, he turned to face her. So, Eskau Tali. Your very being is resonating with a desire to ask something. It is gettingdistracting.
My apologies, City Lord.
He waved that off. Dont apologize. Ask.
She swallowed. She had, in fact, been trying to find a way of bringing up her question. Well, this is as good a time as any. My House is going to send mPillar Be-thric off on a dangerous venture without me.
That is not a question.
She swallowed, straightening her spine and hardening her resolve. Will you remove my collar when he is sent, so that I might follow him?
The City Lord leaned forward, steepling his fingers. Against the wishes of your own House?
Yes, City Lord.
He tilted his head to the side. Fascinating. Tell me why.
Here goes nothing.
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Chapter 248: Return to Platoiri
Tala felt a bit of sadness as she took Kit from the intricate, dedicated alcove that the sanctum had rested in for the last weeks.
She had learned all she could in her time in the city of Croi, though shed basically never gone out into the city itself. Her time had been dominated by tasks and training within the hold, within the world-fragment.
There were so many things that felt subtly different within this place, and shed gotten the impression that most higher-level magics functioned better within a world-fragment.
Magic was both easier and harder. It was more work for her will-power to enact the magics, but it seemed to linger longer, more stable after being formed.
Not that I used much magic within the world-fragment. It did seem like Kit was a bit more stable, but that was likely due to the sanctum being located off the hold.
One of the Eskau she had worked with most, De-arg, had occasionally made comments that implied his power was uniquely suited to the world-fragment. Though, shed not really seen him use his power.
He was really, really fast and accurate, though. His training had been incredibly fruitful in improving her grounding and stability. I do wonder what concept he wields. Maybe accuracy?
-I dont think thats a concept that can be wielded.-
Its no more esoteric than corrosion.
-Fair point.-
Terry had stayed within her sanctum for the duration of the stay in Croi. So, for his sake if nothing else, she was glad to be heading back to Platoiri.
And back to the acquisition of protian weapons. They had intel on a prime target for the eighth one and were seeking leads on the ninth and final weapon after that.
Then, Be-thric leaves with or without me.
-Itll be without if we dont do something about it.-
Yeah. She still had ideas, and she was running them down as best as she was able.
As she moved towards the exit of the hold, she looked down at her white, scalemail armor. She was quite used to it by this point, and it moved with her excellently.
The scales, themselves, were less potent projectiles than her siege orbs, but that was to be expected. They were intended for lesser targets. Even so, their blade-like nature gave them superior penetration to the tungsten orbs she had been using.
And the siege orbs are for things that could kill me with ease.
-For now.-
True. Things that could kill me with ease, for now. Tala found herself grinning. Even without a solid plan, she could almost taste her freedom, and she felt like every improvement to herself moved her that much closer.
-Soon.-
Kit and Flow sat as wonderful counterbalances to one another on her belt, while most of her bloodstar tools rested in the sheath on the back of the belt.
Only four bloodstars were out as she strode through the heart of the House of Bloods power.
Three circled her head, and one rested near the base of her skull, just far enough out to not interfere with her braid. Together, the four gave her and Alat three-hundred-and-sixty degree perspectives of the world at all times.
Always wary.
-For we are in the belly of the beast.-
And it thinks we are of its flesh.
-Thatis apt. Gross, but apt.-
She was pulled from her inner conversation as she reached the entry hall.
Gallof and Thron were already waiting near the open entrance to the hold, and Tala took a moment to greet them before glancing out into the city outside.
Directly across from the entrance to this hold were the gates to the City Lords manor. City Lady?
-CL? That would work either way.-
I think City Lord is better.
-Longer to say than CL.-
Yeah, but I can see it being confusing, and thats beside the point. I figured wed meet her on this trip.
Alat sent over the impression of a shrug. -I suppose we didnt need to. We still have two days to get back to Platoiri before the collar triggers, after all.
-I think its tomorrow at sunset, actually?-
Oh She did some quick calculations. Youre right. Thats less ideal.Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.
They were going to leave nearly a week earlier, in order to allow plenty of time for a less hurried return trip, but Meallain had been insistent on Tala staying longer, even going so far as to procure the services of a specialized dimensional mage for a quicker return at her own expense.
The process was apparently painful, and even more expensive than ballistic travel, but it had quite a few other benefits.
The quickways in the underbelly of Croi were modeled on the same concept, so Tala was quite curious to see how it worked.
Meallain, Reidh, and De-arg had bid her goodbye the evening before, each giving her parting advice.
Reidh had implored her to focus on drawing strength from within herself, rather than from external sources or points of leverage.
Meallain had reminded her that the appearance of strength was often more potent than true, but unknown, strength. The elf also emphasized that the council had reasons for its decisions and that they should be honored.
De-arg had told her to be as stalwart as the sand.
That guy has so much wisdom hes come back around to being obtuse, again.
-Sand does endure. Sure, it shifts, but it is always sand. It gets everywhere, never-ending.-
Huh. I suppose I can see that. Do you suppose thats what he meant?
-I have literally no idea.-
Tala grinned, shaking her head.
Eskau Tali? Thron came to stand beside her. Is everything alright?
Yes, just trying to parse what Eskau De-arg told me last night.
Thron grunted. Ive never met the man, but I hear his advice isodd.
That is a fair assessment.
Shortly thereafter, Be-thric arrived with the former-candidate Eskau from the House of the Dark Abyss.
Oh, right. I forgot about him.
-What? How could you have forgotten? You were literally in the room when they decided he would come with us back to Platoiri.-
I didnt say I didnt know. I had to have known in order to have forgotten.
-Huh. Ive never really thought of it that way. Okay.-
Tala grinned to herself as she greeted the boy, It was Ganog, right?
The young dragonling jerked slightly, clearly startled to be addressed. Oh, um. Yes. Eskau Tali?
Thats right.
He scratched the steel-gray scales on the side of his neck. I appreciate the opportunity to leave with you all.
The others greeted the boy, and they departed as a group.
There was no fanfare, no farewells. Theyd each said goodbye to everyone they wished to say such to.
It was a cool, if not cold, day, but it was a stark contrast to the weather within the hold. Apparently, the world-fragment had been from closer to the equator than Croi was.
Huh, I didnt really focus on the temperature when we arrived.
-You treated it like entering a building, and after you learned of world-fragments, that dominated your mind. Plus, you know, the weather doesnt really bother you.-
That was true enough. Most of the arcanes around them were of a rank to be unaffected by the weather, but they did seem to be wearing a bit thicker clothing than usual.
Tala, Thron, Gallof, Ganog, and Be-thric didnt stay on the streets near the city center for long. They had too far to go. Instead, they descended back to the quickway nexus nearest the hold.
With a short jaunt through the quickways, they arrived at the northeastern part of the city, near the edge. They came back up the well-traveled stairs into bustling streets.
The pedestrians made way for them, given that they all wore House of Blood colors, and Tala and Be-thric were obvious by their demarcations of office.
There werent many vehicles, either magical or beast-drawn, but those that there were, made way too.
It was a short walk to a middling sized tower, Tala only really noticed its height because it was the tallest thing in any direction towards the near edge of the city, like a lighthouse on a prominence.
I bet that factors into its functionality.
Well, we shouldnt use that method very often then. She smiled slightly, leaning on how Tali would have responded.
True enough. In either case, we cant as it is highly straining onwell everything. It is ill-advised to use such methods more than once a year or so. Though, emergencies do happen.
In less than five minutes, the other three had come through, and the column of power had broken apart.
Tala cocked her head, considering. What would happen if it deactivated while someone was inside it?
Thron huffed. Eskau Tali, it would spread them across all the intervening space, because that is where they would be without the magic holding the working together.
Ahh, yes. That doesmake sense.
Ganog seemed to somehow pale as he heard that, and he swallowed visibly.
I guess he didnt know it was that dangerous?
Without further delay or discussion, they made their way into and through Platoiri without incident, coming to the district of doors barely before noon.
To their surprise, a messenger from the City Lord was waiting outside the holds main entrance.
Gallof scurried forward. My apologies, messenger. One such as you should not have been made to wait outside of the hold. I swear that those responsible will be
The messenger held up his hand, silencing Gallof. There is no need, Adjunct. I am right where I wished to be.
He bowed and presented a slip of paper to Tala.
Tala took it with a muttered thank you.
The note on the page was simple.
The City Lord commanded her attendance of his person that afternoon, or if she could not be pulled away from the duties of her House, the following day could be acceptable.
The messenger did not wait for her reply, and he was already gone by the time Tala looked up.
Be-thric gave her an inquiring look. What do you wish, my Eskau?
She sighed. I will go now. It is almost noon, and I dont wish to be late.
Are you sure?
Yes. We have much to do in the next few days, and a half-days duty is lighter than a full one.
He nodded appreciatively to that.
She turned to Thron. Do you need me to place my sanctum before I depart?
The dwarf smiled and gave a bow. That would make my tasks easier; yes, Eskau Tali.
That determined, they entered the hold, and Tala placed Kits entrance in a garden quite near the holds main gate.
Gallof and Be-thric quickly disappeared with Ganog into another part of the hold.
Thron thanked her and entered Kit.
Tala, for her part, stopped for a long moment, just feeling the hold around her.
Her budding knowledge of Doman-Imithe, alongside spending so long within the world-fragment, caused the fragility of reality in the hold to stand out starkly.
Now that she was looking for it, she could feel that Zeme lay somewhere between the two, closer to the world-fragment than the hold in solidity.
Why didnt Kit feel this weak?
-It was likely because it was attached to the world-fragment, pulling stability from that anchor.-
She bit the side of her lip in thought. Maybe
-Are you intending to start a new habit?-
Hmm?
-Biting your lip.-
She stopped. Ive done that before. Its not new.
-Yes, but you seem to be doing it more, recently.-
Huh. Might be so. She shook her head and set off.
Stepping out of the House of Bloods hold and back into Zeme let her feel the solidifying of reality yet again. It wasnt as precise as using her voidsight, but she was growing in her ability to sense what that form of vision showed.
Its exactly like the books say. Shed not had time to review all the advanced texts shed copied into her personal portion of the Archive, via Alats incredible perception and ability to grab the pages nearly instantly.
What she had gleaned made it clear that the feel of reality was the easiest means of determining where one was in the worlds.
The world-fragment felt like a sheet of steel.
Zeme was wood. In the most stable places, it was a hardwood that could almost be mistaken for metal; in the weakest, it was softwood, easily marred.
Holds were generally as paper, mere shavings of reality, shaped by cunning hands.
And the Doman-Imithe is a tight net: cords of flexible strength riddled with holes.
She shuddered.
Even her limited understanding of reality made the very ideadisconcerting. Not that Ill get a chance to explore it.
She was waved through the City Lords gates and followed the same path up to his tower that shed used previously.
Nothing seemed to have changed in her time away.
He even seemed to be wearing the same clothing, though she couldnt actually remember him wearing anything else, so it was possibly magical clothing. Or he has multiple, identical sets.
Eskau Tali. So, you decided an afternoon in my company is better than a full day?
When I have many demands on my time, City Lord? Yes, reducing my tasks is a boon.
He huffed a laugh. Still confrontational with your betters?
Tala didnt like the way the conversation was starting out, so she tried to change tack, Are there any assassins you wish brought low? The bat-gargoyle, perhaps?
You mean Bruce?
Tala hesitated, uncertain if he was joking. You named your gargoyle?
Of course not, dont be silly, child. The sculptor tried to name it Fear, but that was ridiculous, and so I decreed that another name be chosen.
SoBruce.
Would you have preferred man-bat?
I suppose not. Why are we talking about this?
Before she could rethink her conversational choices, he reached to take a drink from a cup that wasnt there.
With a barely contained sigh, Tala went to get his food and tea. It was going to be a long afternoon.
The time passed as she would have expected.
She attended the City Lord, and he largely ignored her.
Finally, when her service was nearly at an end, he turned to face her. So, Eskau Tali. Your very being is resonating with a desire to ask something. It is gettingdistracting.
My apologies, City Lord.
He waved that off. Dont apologize. Ask.
She swallowed. She had, in fact, been trying to find a way of bringing up her question. Well, this is as good a time as any. My House is going to send mPillar Be-thric off on a dangerous venture without me.
That is not a question.
She swallowed, straightening her spine and hardening her resolve. Will you remove my collar when he is sent, so that I might follow him?
The City Lord leaned forward, steepling his fingers. Against the wishes of your own House?
Yes, City Lord.
He tilted his head to the side. Fascinating. Tell me why.
Here goes nothing.
Chapter 248: Return to PlatoiriTala felt a bit of sadness as she took Kit from the intricate, dedicated alcove that the sanctum had rested in for the last weeks.She had learned all she could in her time in the city of Croi, though shed basically never gone out into the city itself. Her time had been dominated by tasks and training within the hold, within the world-fragment.There were so many things that felt subtly different within this place, and shed gotten the impression that most higher-level magics functioned better within a world-fragment.Magic was both easier and harder. It was more work for her will-power to enact the magics, but it seemed to linger longer, more stable after being formed.Not that I used much magic within the world-fragment. It did seem like Kit was a bit more stable, but that was likely due to the sanctum being located off the hold.One of the Eskau she had worked with most, De-arg, had occasionally made comments that implied his power was uniquely suited to the world-fragment. Though, shed not really seen him use his power.He was really, really fast and accurate, though. His training had been incredibly fruitful in improving her grounding and stability. I do wonder what concept he wields. Maybe accuracy?-I dont think thats a concept that can be wielded.-Its no more esoteric than corrosion.-Fair point.-Terry had stayed within her sanctum for the duration of the stay in Croi. So, for his sake if nothing else, she was glad to be heading back to Platoiri.And back to the acquisition of protian weapons. They had intel on a prime target for the eighth one and were seeking leads on the ninth and final weapon after that.Then, Be-thric leaves with or without me.-Itll be without if we dont do something about it.-Yeah. She still had ideas, and she was running them down as best as she was able.As she moved towards the exit of the hold, she looked down at her white, scalemail armor. She was quite used to it by this point, and it moved with her excellently.The scales, themselves, were less potent projectiles than her siege orbs, but that was to be expected. They were intended for lesser targets. Even so, their blade-like nature gave them superior penetration to the tungsten orbs she had been using.And the siege orbs are for things that could kill me with ease.-For now.-True. Things that could kill me with ease, for now. Tala found herself grinning. Even without a solid plan, she could almost taste her freedom, and she felt like every improvement to herself moved her that much closer.-Soon.-Kit and Flow sat as wonderful counterbalances to one another on her belt, while most of her bloodstar tools rested in the sheath on the back of the belt.Only four bloodstars were out as she strode through the heart of the House of Bloods power.Three circled her head, and one rested near the base of her skull, just far enough out to not interfere with her braid. Together, the four gave her and Alat three-hundred-and-sixty degree perspectives of the world at all times.Always wary.-For we are in the belly of the beast.-And it thinks we are of its flesh.-Thatis apt. Gross, but apt.-She was pulled from her inner conversation as she reached the entry hall.Gallof and Thron were already waiting near the open entrance to the hold, and Tala took a moment to greet them before glancing out into the city outside.Directly across from the entrance to this hold were the gates to the City Lords manor. City Lady?-CL? That would work either way.-I think City Lord is better.-Longer to say than CL.-Yeah, but I can see it being confusing, and thats beside the point. I figured wed meet her on this trip.Alat sent over the impression of a shrug. -I suppose we didnt need to. We still have two days to get back to Platoiri before the collar triggers, after all.-I think its tomorrow at sunset, actually?-Oh She did some quick calculations. Youre right. Thats less ideal.Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Novl--B1n.They were going to leave nearly a week earlier, in order to allow plenty of time for a less hurried return trip, but Meallain had been insistent on Tala staying longer, even going so far as to procure the services of a specialized dimensional mage for a quicker return at her own expense.The process was apparently painful, and even more expensive than ballistic travel, but it had quite a few other benefits.The quickways in the underbelly of Croi were modeled on the same concept, so Tala was quite curious to see how it worked.Meallain, Reidh, and De-arg had bid her goodbye the evening before, each giving her parting advice.Reidh had implored her to focus on drawing strength from within herself, rather than from external sources or points of leverage.Meallain had reminded her that the appearance of strength was often more potent than true, but unknown, strength. The elf also emphasized that the council had reasons for its decisions and that they should be honored.De-arg had told her to be as stalwart as the sand.That guy has so much wisdom hes come back around to being obtuse, again.-Sand does endure. Sure, it shifts, but it is always sand. It gets everywhere, never-ending.-Huh. I suppose I can see that. Do you suppose thats what he meant?-I have literally no idea.-Tala grinned, shaking her head.Eskau Tali? Thron came to stand beside her. Is everything alright?Yes, just trying to parse what Eskau De-arg told me last night.Thron grunted. Ive never met the man, but I hear his advice isodd.That is a fair assessment.Shortly thereafter, Be-thric arrived with the former-candidate Eskau from the House of the Dark Abyss.Oh, right. I forgot about him.-What? How could you have forgotten? You were literally in the room when they decided he would come with us back to Platoiri.-I didnt say I didnt know. I had to have known in order to have forgotten.-Huh. Ive never really thought of it that way. Okay.-Tala grinned to herself as she greeted the boy, It was Ganog, right?The young dragonling jerked slightly, clearly startled to be addressed. Oh, um. Yes. Eskau Tali?Thats right.He scratched the steel-gray scales on the side of his neck. I appreciate the opportunity to leave with you all.The others greeted the boy, and they departed as a group.There was no fanfare, no farewells. Theyd each said goodbye to everyone they wished to say such to.It was a cool, if not cold, day, but it was a stark contrast to the weather within the hold. Apparently, the world-fragment had been from closer to the equator than Croi was.Huh, I didnt really focus on the temperature when we arrived.-You treated it like entering a building, and after you learned of world-fragments, that dominated your mind. Plus, you know, the weather doesnt really bother you.-That was true enough. Most of the arcanes around them were of a rank to be unaffected by the weather, but they did seem to be wearing a bit thicker clothing than usual.Tala, Thron, Gallof, Ganog, and Be-thric didnt stay on the streets near the city center for long. They had too far to go. Instead, they descended back to the quickway nexus nearest the hold.With a short jaunt through the quickways, they arrived at the northeastern part of the city, near the edge. They came back up the well-traveled stairs into bustling streets.The pedestrians made way for them, given that they all wore House of Blood colors, and Tala and Be-thric were obvious by their demarcations of office.There werent many vehicles, either magical or beast-drawn, but those that there were, made way too.It was a short walk to a middling sized tower, Tala only really noticed its height because it was the tallest thing in any direction towards the near edge of the city, like a lighthouse on a prominence.I bet that factors into its functionality.Well, we shouldnt use that method very often then. She smiled slightly, leaning on how Tali would have responded.True enough. In either case, we cant as it is highly straining onwell everything. It is ill-advised to use such methods more than once a year or so. Though, emergencies do happen.In less than five minutes, the other three had come through, and the column of power had broken apart.Tala cocked her head, considering. What would happen if it deactivated while someone was inside it?Thron huffed. Eskau Tali, it would spread them across all the intervening space, because that is where they would be without the magic holding the working together.Ahh, yes. That doesmake sense.Ganog seemed to somehow pale as he heard that, and he swallowed visibly.I guess he didnt know it was that dangerous?Without further delay or discussion, they made their way into and through Platoiri without incident, coming to the district of doors barely before noon.To their surprise, a messenger from the City Lord was waiting outside the holds main entrance.Gallof scurried forward. My apologies, messenger. One such as you should not have been made to wait outside of the hold. I swear that those responsible will beThe messenger held up his hand, silencing Gallof. There is no need, Adjunct. I am right where I wished to be.He bowed and presented a slip of paper to Tala.Tala took it with a muttered thank you.The note on the page was simple.The City Lord commanded her attendance of his person that afternoon, or if she could not be pulled away from the duties of her House, the following day could be acceptable.The messenger did not wait for her reply, and he was already gone by the time Tala looked up.Be-thric gave her an inquiring look. What do you wish, my Eskau?She sighed. I will go now. It is almost noon, and I dont wish to be late.Are you sure?Yes. We have much to do in the next few days, and a half-days duty is lighter than a full one.He nodded appreciatively to that.She turned to Thron. Do you need me to place my sanctum before I depart?The dwarf smiled and gave a bow. That would make my tasks easier; yes, Eskau Tali.That determined, they entered the hold, and Tala placed Kits entrance in a garden quite near the holds main gate.Gallof and Be-thric quickly disappeared with Ganog into another part of the hold.Thron thanked her and entered Kit.Tala, for her part, stopped for a long moment, just feeling the hold around her.Her budding knowledge of Doman-Imithe, alongside spending so long within the world-fragment, caused the fragility of reality in the hold to stand out starkly.Now that she was looking for it, she could feel that Zeme lay somewhere between the two, closer to the world-fragment than the hold in solidity.Why didnt Kit feel this weak?-It was likely because it was attached to the world-fragment, pulling stability from that anchor.-She bit the side of her lip in thought. Maybe-Are you intending to start a new habit?-Hmm?-Biting your lip.-She stopped. Ive done that before. Its not new.-Yes, but you seem to be doing it more, recently.-Huh. Might be so. She shook her head and set off.Stepping out of the House of Bloods hold and back into Zeme let her feel the solidifying of reality yet again. It wasnt as precise as using her voidsight, but she was growing in her ability to sense what that form of vision showed.Its exactly like the books say. Shed not had time to review all the advanced texts shed copied into her personal portion of the Archive, via Alats incredible perception and ability to grab the pages nearly instantly.What she had gleaned made it clear that the feel of reality was the easiest means of determining where one was in the worlds.The world-fragment felt like a sheet of steel.Zeme was wood. In the most stable places, it was a hardwood that could almost be mistaken for metal; in the weakest, it was softwood, easily marred.Holds were generally as paper, mere shavings of reality, shaped by cunning hands.And the Doman-Imithe is a tight net: cords of flexible strength riddled with holes.She shuddered.Even her limited understanding of reality made the very ideadisconcerting. Not that Ill get a chance to explore it.She was waved through the City Lords gates and followed the same path up to his tower that shed used previously.Nothing seemed to have changed in her time away.He even seemed to be wearing the same clothing, though she couldnt actually remember him wearing anything else, so it was possibly magical clothing. Or he has multiple, identical sets.Eskau Tali. So, you decided an afternoon in my company is better than a full day?When I have many demands on my time, City Lord? Yes, reducing my tasks is a boon.He huffed a laugh. Still confrontational with your betters?Tala didnt like the way the conversation was starting out, so she tried to change tack, Are there any assassins you wish brought low? The bat-gargoyle, perhaps?You mean Bruce?Tala hesitated, uncertain if he was joking. You named your gargoyle?Of course not, dont be silly, child. The sculptor tried to name it Fear, but that was ridiculous, and so I decreed that another name be chosen.SoBruce.Would you have preferred man-bat?I suppose not. Why are we talking about this?Before she could rethink her conversational choices, he reached to take a drink from a cup that wasnt there.With a barely contained sigh, Tala went to get his food and tea. It was going to be a long afternoon.The time passed as she would have expected.She attended the City Lord, and he largely ignored her.Finally, when her service was nearly at an end, he turned to face her. So, Eskau Tali. Your very being is resonating with a desire to ask something. It is gettingdistracting.My apologies, City Lord.He waved that off. Dont apologize. Ask.She swallowed. She had, in fact, been trying to find a way of bringing up her question. Well, this is as good a time as any. My House is going to send mPillar Be-thric off on a dangerous venture without me.That is not a question.She swallowed, straightening her spine and hardening her resolve. Will you remove my collar when he is sent, so that I might follow him?The City Lord leaned forward, steepling his fingers. Against the wishes of your own House?Yes, City Lord.He tilted his head to the side. Fascinating. Tell me why.Here goes nothing.
