I doubt Liz would be so conciliatory since it was already difficult for me to agree but hold my tongue because a somber premonition creeps up on me as we sisters lived through this before.

Isn't this similar to when she escaped from the Rykz, leaving me alone and crazed about retaliating at all costs? I love her and revenge has poisoned us enough, there is no reason to allow Roskal or Wraith to cost us.

“This list is thorough, her logistics officer and third in command are on it.” Leomi notes.

“Not the second in command?” I question.

“He died last night.” She replies. “What's your plan for tonight? Are you going to go straight for her once you find her location?”

“It's up to Liz.” I note.

“But she listens to you.” Leomi argues.

“I wouldn't, first we sow chaos by taking out as many as possible and then wait a day or two for it to grow.” I tell her. “We slowly close in on Roskal so that she is pressured enough Wraith feels the need to act, allowing us to catch both in one move.”

“Are you certain he'll try to kill her?” Lance asks.

“As much as I can be.” I confirm. “But that's not to say he's going to be stupid about it or will put himself in danger over it.” I explain. “There's a real possibility he'll simply be watching as we fight her and let us end it to attack us right as we get high on victory.”

“Then what's your plan?” She questions.

“None, this isn't a battle but a skirmish so any concrete plans will get in the way.” I tell her. “I'm establishing a scenario that should unfold in our favor while keeping in mind everything that could go wrong so Liz can read them with her instinct and react immediately.”

“I don't understand how your minds work, my jay.” Leomi says with a sigh that has none to do with the statement.

“What is it?” I ask her.

“You collapsed last night.” She murmurs. “I'm trying to be patient and wait until you're both ready to see an expert but can I afford to? What if your next crisis is the last? Liz had the flow but still exerted herself to the point of collapse.”

I shiver at the recollection of the pain but am confident we've learned to manage ourselves well enough to keep ourselves from the worst of it. We can tell when to stop far better than any so-called expert who wouldn't have a clue on what the Little one did to my heart. Or worse, would know and have to be silenced.

“We'll be fine, kitten.” I reassure. “How about I take your mind off this and teach you a trick or two?”

“...” Leomi purses her lips as she takes a moment before answering. “Alright.”

I shape an air-weave while expanding the segments in size to show her the details of it. I then enhance it with kinetic segments, which isn't what I use but I can't explain how I manipulate that force with unstructured energy.

“It's like braiding, you link air-strings together to make a canvas as strong as an air-shield but with more give as sections can break without compromising the whole, to a point.” I explain.

“Jess, I love you but it would take me two entire minutes to do what you just did in two seconds.” Leomi gently explains with a proud and amused smile. “And I doubt I could integrate kinetics into air segments without a core that accounts for it.”

“Oh.” I mutter, a bit embarrassed.

“But if you want to teach me something, you can help me improve my palm strike.” She says while trying to conceal a certain sadness and longing behind an encouraging smile.

“Sure.” I hurriedly reply.

She extends her hand out and I reflexively take hold of it before realizing she likely meant to demonstrate the construct. I recover my cupping it from underneath to place my thumb on the pit of her palm.

Leomi shapes her construct and allows me to link to it. It's a hybrid of kinetic cube segments with the shredding construct which is only used to concentrate the force of the blow rather than compromise the integrity of the target.

I make changes while showing her what I'm doing every step of the way. She quickly gets the hang of it despite her low opinion of her shaping skills and by the end manages to reliably create the altered construct from scratch.

“See, you're doing fine.” I remark with a smile.

“I am...” Leomi replies, seeming distracted. She suddenly chortles. “Stop, Liz.”

Jess blinks and then realizes that there's a hazy silver color around her head, blowing wind into her hair. She hurriedly dismantles the breeze and tries to rearrange the hair into a decently wild shape.

“Who's the first target?” I ask seriously, acting as if I didn't just bully my dear sister.

“I'd like to talk first, Elizabeth.” Lance responds with a somber tone.

“What is it?” I ask

“I know you hate Nobility but it created as many spoiled brats with excessive opinions of themselves as it did heroes ready to sacrifice all that they have for the good of humanity.” Leomi argues.

“The latter are just as prepared to sacrifice all that others have for the same goal.” I coldly utter.

“... true, for some.” She acknowledges. “But aren't those beliefs worth cultivating? A reform of Nobility would be able to eliminate the negatives while preserving the positives.”

“Why is a Nobility needed at all?” Jess questions. “Many of those who fought alongside us have beliefs just as firm as any Noble yet possess none of the blood, nor have they received the education.”

“Because, much as I support the idea of people ruling themselves, I've already seen the excesses of it. I've witnessed false rumors rile crowds to the point of unthinking rage.” She presses. “People are able to rule themselves but when the majority opinion rules, then often those with the loudest voices can gain undeserved sway where they would be shunned for their arrogance or deceitful behavior within a smaller group. There are plenty of warnings and examples of demagoguery in ancient texts, most from Sathens but not all.”

“You make a good point.” I utter.

“But such things come with being free.” Jess explains. “Maintaining Nobility in any shape or form will put limits on this freedom. If you require a more base argument based on gains and losses, then your reforms would do naught to combat the division plaguing the Empire.”

“But it would ensure a more stable society where there are controls on people like me who didn't have my parents or you to teach them about morals.” Leomi humbly explains. “If we make reputation and achievements the basis for Nobles to obtain any kind of title, then they would have every motivation to preserve their integrity.”

“If the majority rules, then pleasing the crowd would be their objective.” Jess says.

“Not if it is an assembly of Nobles which decides who is promoted rather than a parliament of the people.” Leomi quickly counters. “Old values that already have weight would not only be enforced but ingrained in any new member.”

“Thus crippling any push for change.” Liz snarks.

“Is the Empire to remain stagnant for another thousand years after your reforms? What it lacks the most now is equality but who is to say what it will need in the future?” Jess questions. “Giving people the utmost freedom to determine their fates is the one way to ensure our arrogance doesn't doom them.”

“...” Leomi falls silent, thinking deeply on our words. “That doesn't prevent the Empire from happening upon its own doom.”

“It doesn't.” I acknowledge with a shrug.

“I see.” She murmurs with a sad tone. “We've found another point where we cannot see eye to eye. I cannot detach myself from humanity as you have.”

It doesn't hit us very hard because we've known for a long time it was the case but it seems Leomi hadn't entirely grasped how this simple fact shapes many of our decisions and ideals.

“It's time to go, Jess plans to start with the third in command and then the logistics officer if that doesn't work before moving on to lesser targets.” I speak up as I grab the map.

“It's near the Temple so be careful but I'll be in the area.” Leomi replies. “And try to be careful, I don't want you to collapse like last night.”

“I didn't collapse.” I grunt. “I fell asleep, Jess is the one who crashed.”

Leomi makes a small smile and doesn't respond. I shift my weight to show discomfort, weakness, causing her to pass her pink tongue over her upper lip. I take advantage of her slight distraction to lion's step behind her.

I pass my arm around her torso and seize her left breast while pushing her right up with my forearm, causing her to tremble as I push up with my toes to lay a kiss at the very base of her neck.

“You're so predictable.” I tease.

“Uhm.” She acknowledges with a soft sigh.

I let my fingers trail down her muscular stomach and then push them down into her pants to slip inside her laced panties, experiencing her lower stomach's smooth shaved skin.

“You'll have my back tonight.” I whisper, convinced of it because of my mistake in distrusting her last night.

“I won't let anyone threaten you from the dark. Slaughter them all for me, my berserker.” She affirms with a shivering voice.

Leomi leans back against me and her thighs open by the smallest fraction. I explore further down until I find an erect bud and tiny petals covered in a thin layer of sticky dew that I firmly caress.

Her womanly flower pulsates in response, causing Lance to completely rely on me to stay standing as I penetrate it with my major. Her intimacy closes around my finger and draws it further inside.

“You're so tight.” I compliment as I relish the sensation.

“Rhm.” Lance clears her throat, unable to speak.

“I'll be taking you later.” I promise as I slowly pull out of her.

Leomi's legs falter from my words and actions, they grow more unstable the less of me she feels inside of her until she finally collapses to her knees when my finger leaves her sex.

She hangs her head back to look up to me with reproach on her sharp traits but I feel too confident, I am too satisfied about what I just did to her for it to deter me. I reach out and seize her throat in my palm.

I lean down and keep her in place while I kiss her. Leomi responds to my invasion of her mouth by closing her eyes. Our tongues dance together for a while and it feels great until I decide to separate.

I straighten up and lick her metallic lemony dew off my major while she watches me with her dazed gray eyes. The golden jay suddenly falls into the room through the ceiling to land on her left shoulder with a chastising expression that is quite disconcerting for a bird.

I focus myself on the task ahead and leave the room and grab my gear. I first put on my mask and sleeve-glove before shaping the framework of my left arm. I fit the black hard leather armor and Vuskyt chain-mail which I both reinforce with different defensive constructs.

Leomi joins me in her plate armor just as I finish to silently give me three hundred portions of her energy which I gratefully accept and integrate while she ties my hair with the blood-red ribbon she gifted me. I grab my liangi and, with night fully descended on Kruzser, fly out of the building.

I land into a deserted alley between a shop and a house. I take out the map which I lay on the rim of a barrel containing detritus like rags and sawdust. With directions, I launch running through Kruzser while mostly propelled by kinetic force and air.

As I flash along the streets, I go past a few patrol of Hospitaliers far outside their usual range as well as several dozen imperial guards who each sound the alarm after my passage.

I quickly arrive in front of a small stern-looking house near two warehouses and a barrack. There are six soldiers standing guard on the porch with another fourteen spread around on balconies and at windows.

I narrow my eyes and shape a lightning sphere behind me over my head. Way to try to make yourself look taller. It's merely practical. Speaking of practical, they'll be prepared to deal with lightning bolts. That's fine.

I charge the air around me and use a construct to keep these currents swirling around me as I angle my liangi to the side. I shape a sundering and perception construct, activating them as I charge the soldiers who immediately draw their weapons as they activate their defensive constructs.

“It's Elizabeth Vil!” A soldier warns.

The first two raise their swords in a defensive stance optimized for blocking slashes so I lean down and launch a thrust at the one to the right. She quickly reacts but not so fast she catches up to my liangi which plunges into her throat.

Her irises grow huge, revealing the habitual shock and surprise that the soon dead almost always reveal, and slashes at my chest. I slide back, avoiding the blow and pulling the blade out before using a backhanded lion strike to swirl the aft-blade of my liangi at the soldier to my left.

The man had his attention on the bloody fore-blade which was never going to reach him so he lowers his weapon to parry and protect his legs, missing the other side of my liangi which falls from above to slice through his torso.

I use the momentum to advance while spinning on my right foot, propelling the fore-blade into an arc that slices through two more confused soldiers. I keep my movement going, resulting in the aft-blade slaughtering the last two guards as it comes around.

Their lack of training, poor reflexes, and lack of analysis won me this battle. I front-kick the door, cracking it open, and lion's step inside to find a dark hallway. I flick my gaze around to look for threats.

Golden runes that were engraved inside the walls appear on their surface fully charged with flow. I notice more silver runes behind myself and flick my liangi back to have the aft-blade rest flat at the ready between my shoulder-blades.

As expected, air-blades and air-needles take shape in my surroundings while a haze of flow spreads out to form the basis of a disruption construct. I aim the targeting segments of my lightning construct at these projectiles.

The air constructs suddenly flash at me but I wait until the last second before these blades and needles can no longer be stopped. I activate my lightning sphere and a half-dozen bolts launch to jump between constructs to shatter them.

A split moment later, as a hard breeze of altered air harmlessly crashes into me, the disruption construct activates and destabilizes my defenses. I recover the energy without fighting the field which would cost me some flow.

As I peer around to consider my next move, a mass of energy begins taking the shape of a construct inside the hallway despite the disruption effect. It suddenly bursts into flames which begin rolling towards me like a tidal wave. Shit, someone's very skilled at using fire.

Crash. This sound of breaking glass came from the second floor. Thmp. The dull noise of a hard landing reaches me from the other side of the structure. Had that officer been just a bit more confident in his defenses and stayed, the setup could have caused me some modicum of trouble.

With my target escaping, I lion's leap out of the building and avoid dealing with the fire construct. A few tongues of flames reach for me but I easily deflect them into the ground with a thin air-shield once outside of the disruption construct's range.

I launch around the structure to rush after my fleeing target but the alley is blocked by three dozen soldiers. I scowl. I have no time to deal with them. I stomp down on the pavement to propel myself over them.

I land behind the troop and follow the sounds of my fleeing target while also suspecting an ambush. It makes me nervous even though I've chosen to extend my trust for Leomi.

It gets to the point where, as I turn the corner of a street, I almost slash at the beam of a house I took for a threatening mass. In the end I catch sight of my target's back as he flees into an avenue.

I boost my speed with a burst of kinetic force gathered from the soldiers pursuing me, causing many to trip. As I flash at the Noble's back, I detect a silver lance construct flying straight at my left flank from above.

I twist mid-step and barely dodge the attack which ruffles the ribbon in my hair. Leomi's lance construct impacts a building but, instead of bursting into pieces like it should, it remains stuck into place.

My fiancee leaps across the avenue from a roof, making it seem like her plate armor weighs naught more than a feather, and lands before her weapon construct in a loud steely cacophony. She seizes the golden lance by the handle to draw it out of the wall and turns to face me.

“Elizabeth Vil.” She coolly speaks up.

“Kh, kuh, khua kaka ka!” I erupt in mad laughter.

I tighten the Moebisus loop swirling inside my head to shorten the construct's activation cycles to prepare for a hard-fought bout with my loving fiancee, and skewer her into the pavement if she has betrayed me. You can't be serious, Liz. Trust but verify as they say.