Lil-Bon feigned sleep throughout Mezir and the other’s discussion. She kept her breathing steady, face hidden, body loose, but unmoving. By the time Mezir had completed the circle about their dying fire and professed he had no semblance of a plan she was already getting antsy. She usually woke up well before dawn, went on her first walk of the day with two ever-faithful guards by her side. Two guards she figured were laying dead in an alley somewhere. After a good hour holding her facade with the grandest of will power, Lili-Bon was left utterly confused. And with a bladder on the brink of betrayal.

The group had scarcely spoken of a plan at all. In fact, they’d spent a good chunk of time simply laughing at jokes she obviously did not understand. She was used to being left out of jokes, though Lili could at least piece together what was supposed to be funny. Usually. Korrin, Heria, Mezir- even the man who didn’t speak seemed to be laughing at… well, nothing!

Nothing at all! And people have the nerve to call me simple! ‘Simple-Lil’... simple- Oh.

Lili-Bon felt like the lowest, simplest notch on the social post when she realized what was happening. Three of them were speaking in fragmented sentences and multiple times Mezir had referred to the silent man as “Ta’K” in his response to the group's incoherent babbling. Specifically in response to him. Since the man did not speak and she’d not heard his metal hands moving around in signs of any sort she had to assume the most illogical situation she could have imagined.

Their minds are linked? He’s speaking to them and letting them speak to each other? Unbelievable. She could only assume they did so in the event that their prisoner, her, was actually awake. Since Lili was actually awake it seemed entirely logical from the group's perspective but so far as she knew it should have been impossible. White’s academy teachings strictly forbade the linking of minds due to supposedly fatal factors which “no caster could avoid”. Something to do with corrupting your own unique essence. Lili-Bon was scolded severely when she asked one instructor what the difference was between mind links and the comms guards used.

These people seemed fine though. Damn them. Lili-Bon didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of being correct and seemingly divine but her body was beginning to rebel. Both of her legs were numb from inactivity and Lili was certain that she would be pissing down her legs if she didn’t relieve herself immediately.

Lili didn’t even lift her face from the ground. “I need to pee.”

The group fell silent all at once and Lili-Bon struggled not to look up at them. She didn’t think she could bear it. Her emotions had finally calmed after casting for the first time, returned to their rightful place locked up somewhere deep inside. Logic itself was taking the forefront in her mind once more. After a moment she heard heavy footsteps and felt a large, leathery hand on her shoulder.

Heria. Thank the Lords.

She was happy to have Heria as her escort for two important reasons. One, she definitely did not want a man helping her to remove the multilayered straps and buttons of her garments with her hands tied by a chain, for the obvious discomforts. Two, Lili-Bon knew Heria and they got along well. Lili was desperate for her delicate friendship with Heria to sway the woman in her favor, though Lili wanted to make sure to take care of her other necessary business before initiating any conversation. Her hands being tied behind her back meant Heria was going to be very involved in that process.

“Uhm.. can you help me? My clothes are... specially made. Very hard to remove without hands.” Lili looked down, blushed against her own will, and gratefully used the opportunity to appear even more vulnerable as she shook her limp hands. They’d fallen asleep hours ago, hardy even hurt anymore.

“Ri- right. Sorry, Lili-Bon.” Heria came forward slowly and kneeled before Lili.

For what, the chains? No worries. You fuck. “Oh, no, truly, I’m sorry. For…” She paused not just for effect but also because she couldn’t find the words; Lili had done nothing to wrong Heria. All she had done was strike Mezir and run. “For the loss of your friend- Ragoth, was it?” The imposter under Mezir’s mask. She was going to have to ask White about that later. If she got the chance. “I’m not sure what is really going on right now,” aside from the fact that you’ve abducted me, “but I never wanted to see you hurt.”

That last bit was true, actually.

“Thank you, Lili. Now let's get your-”

Heria’s gruff voice stopped dead when she saw that task that lay before her. Lili’s undergarments were of her own design; thigh length, thin, flexible, white cotton was held against her body by six leather straps dyed gold. Each strap was barely two inches wide and had two buckles each. The design was originally intended to appease Lili’s need for repetition and order, though, it also allowed Lili-Bon ample time to make Heria feel as awkward as possible. The woman’s large, animalistic fingers fumbled for at least three minutes straight with the delicate straps made for Lili-Bon’s own nimble hands.

As soon as the garments fell to the ground Lili-Bon took a few steps over and immediately released a heavy stream that was steaming as it tore through the morning chill. Heria held Lili-Bons' frilled uniform skirt up and out of the way. Gratefully, she kept her head turned until the splashing at their feet ceased, saving Lili any actual embarrassment. Everyone assumed the ‘ever-honest, simple Lil’ was bashful, shy, untouched. Truth was, she was just discreet. A sneaky little liar who folded to the whim of logic and logic alone- and loved a good romp. Only in the dark though, mind you.

“Heria? Could you grab my…” Lili let the question trail and turned her head away from the Alta woman. Playing the bashful little Lili-Bon that she was sure Heria perceived. There was a clearing to the right, just large enough that she could slip through and disappear. The Wilders were winding forests that could swallow Lili whole. They were also Lili-Bon’s only hope of getting home.

“Yes, Lad- Uhm, Lili-Bon. Sorry.”

“Thank you.” Just a little smile.

Heria released the hem of Lili’s skirt and held her massive hands on the little woman’s waist, helping to guide Lili away from her miniature lake of urine. When Heria released her waist and turned to grab Lili’s undergarments she noticed they were dangerously close to a thicket of thorn ridden vines spotted with yellow blooms. She took her chance. One swift, not at all hard enough kick, planted square on Heria’s buttocks. The impact barely nudged her into the thorns and sent Lili sprawling to the ground. Branches, leaves, plants, and insects- she hated bugs to a deathly degree- met Lili’s bare bottom. She squeaked.

Crete Da Tore….

Squeaked. Some great escape- Simple Lil. Such an embarrassment.

A flux of emotions struck her all at once, a gale of feelings she’d rather not have- that she was sure she’d never had before. Lili-Bon knew sadness so grand it kept her bedridden and unable to function some days, casting her mind astray with worries and qualms that were entirely illogical. She’d accompanied that damp dark depression for so long and suffered horribly for it, so eventually, she’d decided it better to survive in apathy. Apathy was her solace and logic her god. Lili didn’t want the emotions. She despised them. And yes, she noted the irony- but she couldn’t care- refused to care!

You are not mine! Out with you!-

“Out!”

Lili didn’t mean for the word to escape her mind, though it came out with instinctual ease; louder than she’d ever spoken, however, not strained or afflicted by any emotion. The insufferable gale of feeling rode out of Lili’s body with the little word, one simple command, and slammed into Heria with a visible heft. Heria lifted from the ground and flew a few gracious feet into the thicket of thorns. Lili-Bon wasn’t stunned or confused, she was devoid of all concern. She was at her best.

Regardless of having nothing on beneath her skirt, she ran straight for the small clearing to her right. It was lined with odd trees that seemed to be growing entirely upside down. Their bark stretched off in thin, leaf-like appendages, but there was no green anywhere to be seen about its massive trunk. Each bark leaf had a sharp tip with colors spiraling down that changed from a root-like white to an off-putting hue of blue. Lili did not stop to gawk or gape at them, to marvel at the essence running through them- she was more concerned about the essence that had coursed through her. That sent Heria flying away. And it had been essence. She was sure of it. She couldn’t see her own face but she knew if there happened to be any reflective surface around she would find the area around her mouth entirely aglow. The tree's appearance was of no concern to Lili, she simply hoped they would slow Heria. She only needed a small advantage, then she could get home.

Then she could get back to Lord White.

Lili had no idea what all of this meant for the Crucible and her advancement as a White’s guard but her Lord would know. He knew everything. It was White who had told her about looking into the estate's architecture throughout the ages and exposed to Lili an entirely new world. All of Blancana was riddled with secret tunnels, passages, crevices- all of which somehow connected to White’s estate directly. She knew there should be a passage to the estate somewhere along the border wall, she’d seen the day the logs were updated. Lili figured it must be nearer than further given where they’d run from. It had to be.

Two… one…. Two… one… two… o- She kept her breathing even as she ran. Lili-Bon expected it may be quite the sprint to her destination. Two….one…..two….one….two...o-

Lili-Bon heard a deafening crack from her left. She tried to look and see the source but everything went dark. Some creature was braying or screaming, in the distance.

She could hear a stream nearby.

***

Korrin was elated, gleefully struggling for breath between wheezing laughs. She’d only just came to check on Heria when she saw her flying backward, flailing like a sail torn asunder. It was just like Ta’K showed them during their little circle meeting, which she’d chuckled at fairly profusely, but it didn’t curb any of the humor for Korrin. Especially considering the vision he shared didn’t show Heria with her ass pointing straight towards the sky and head in a narrow burrow. Yet, here she was. Exactly as such.

And Korrin could do nothing to stop herself from bursting like a strained dam that suffered its last crack. After everything Korrin had discovered about herself over the previous days, she felt like cracking and bursting were very apt metaphors for the flood of laughter and hideous joy that escaped her person. Even as Heria removed her head from the burrow, with an audible pop of escaping air, and rose ripping thorns from various places about her body, Korrin was crying. One hand slamming down onto her knee repeatedly. Her stub of an arm waved without a hint of sense. Heria scowled through a tiara of layered dirt that swam with tiny writhing worms and beetles freely falling off onto the woman’s large shoulders.

Korrin stopped cold when she saw Heria’s face through her tears. Korrin had seen the eyes of animals and killers far greater than she had ever realized and just for a moment, a split-second at the start of a breath, Korrin saw the look in Heria. As soon as it had appeared, it was gone. The Alta woman smiled and began laughing with Korrin as she stepped out from the thorny thicket. Her laugh was sincere so far as Korrin could tell but it did nothing to change how unnerving the transition from murderous to joyful was.

Is it just because of how she looks? Was it just plain ole fashioned embarrassment that I saw?

Korrin didn’t have much experience with Altas outside of Heria and as she recently learned, that term didn’t exactly explain what or who Heria was. Heria, a long time friend and confidant, suddenly became a stranger who she knew absolutely nothing about. To be fair though, she didn’t much know herself either as it turned out.

“What is it?” Heria's laugh was fading out as she turned her head in a quizzical slant, “You look like you’re the one that got thrown on her ass.” She smiled and grimaced only when the tips of her teeth dug in above her upper lip.

Come on Korrin, this is Heria. Snap out of it. I mean, look at her! She’s gorgeous!

“Oh, sorry, nothing just… shouldn’t we get after her now?”

“Yes! Right… Lili-Bon… never would have thought she could cast or would cast, against me at least. We’ve trained a lot together, ya know? Weak as shit in a fight but that brain of hers makes her terrifying. Now that she can cast….”

She's a threat. Neither of them said it. It would make it too real. “Right, which way?” Korrin smiled making sure to look directly into Heria’s eyes. This is my friend. No matter our pasts, we move forward together. Heria is all I have.

Korrin had to turn away to hide the tears in her eyes, feigning like she couldn’t see the one obvious clearing in front of them or remember what Ta’K had shown them. Heria would probably know it was for show, though it wasn’t really for her sake, was it?

“There, Kori. Let me go first and I can push some of these spinimoro out of the way.” Heria’s body was aglow in small patches of blue, underlit by a soft red when she walked ahead of Korrin, already healing herself and without so much as slowing.

“I bet you know the names of all the plants and animals and… things out here, don’t you?” Korrin poked fun at Heria for her immaculate wit all the time. Is that because I think she looks like she shouldn’t have any wit? What kind of friend am I? What kind of person?

“Oh-ho, no. Definitely not all of them, I mean there are millions of species and subspecies and things we aren’t even sure how to classify. All living on Noctra, together, connected by things as huge as entire regions and as minuscule as a blade of grass. Not even Argonia…” Heria went on a tangent about nature, history, and the greatest natural locales for each great nation as she used her massive, glowing arms to push against the spinomoro which promptly closed up their odd extended petals of multicolored bark and literally slid apart leaving the ground behind them as if they were never there. “Heh, love these little fellas- all-male by the way, no female variation in their line- if you push em’ the wrong way they spring their bark swatches into a rigid state, fairly gruesome defense honestly, but tickle them just right…” She squeaked as trees on either side of her slid back to safer zones away from the two travelers. The squeak was an odd sound coming from behind pointed teeth that muffled everything the woman said; Korrin relished it. She couldn’t give a rat's ass about any of the names or history but she always loved listening to Heria, to share in her passions for just a moment. It seemed to help calm Heria as well. Korrin could see the muscles in her back relaxing as she spoke.

Do I have any passions left? No Jorrick… No Lord… No idea where I am going.

Figuratively, at least. Literally, Heria and Korrin knew exactly where and how this small trek through the Wilders would end. Mezir had speculated that Lili-Bon was awake the whole time, as she seemingly was before stabbing him, and Ta’K readily confirmed that she was indeed faking slumber. Poorly at that. Korrin wondered if the woman had ever seen another person sleep; they did move sometimes. From there as Mezir told them, as a disembodied voice inside their minds, what path Lili would likely take Ta’K gave them visualizations. The images were amazingly close to real life, except for the eyes. Ta’K had added a bit of flair around everyone's eyes, saying it was better than the alternative. If their predictions were right, as they had been thus far to an almost terrifying degree, they would find Lili-Bon unconscious near a stream not too far past the clearing.

From there, they would wait somewhere in the underbrush for the woman to wake up and make her next move. Ta’K had guessed she would be out for at least two days.

His guess had been spot on. Both women had sat in silence for a little while on the first day, each with their own revelations and nightmares to pick apart, but that night Heria broke the awkward quiet around them.

“I heard you apologize, to Ta’K, I mean- I think… I think that was the right thing to do. I think- no, I am positive, we are on the right side now, Kori. This is all confusing and scary as shit, but we’ve always got each other, yeah?” Heria looked at Korrin with eyes pleading for an answer and she could hardly refuse her friend.

“Of course… of course, Heria. But... I- I don’t know who I am… at all. Lord W- he broke me. Early. I may not be the easiest to get along with for a while to come.” Korrin smirked at her dear friend as they chuckled, remembering a time not long ago when they’d fought about who was harder to deal with; Heria because of her appearance or Korrin because of her attitude. Out of love for one another, they’d never decided.

“I know, Kori. I saw what… what you saw, I think.” She stared at the ground for a moment in her own head before turning to Korrin, “Isn’t it weird how the truth just feels like the truth, like somehow… we knew?” The woman stared intently into Korrin’s eyes, pleading for an answer. Unfortunately, Heria had effectively read her mind and Korrin didn’t know what else to say.

So she just smiled and nodded. That was enough for Heria.

Much of that first night was spent relating to one another, giving one another foundations to hold to once more. They trusted Mezir almost compulsively, as everyone seemed to, he’d certainly proven himself to all of them in days past. Ta’K seemed to be entirely honest, and without much of a filter, so they knew they could trust him as well… but they still didn’t know either man very well and it was nice to know they each had a trustworthy friend.

Neither dared bring up what their trustworthy non-friends were up to, should Lili-Bon be awake and casting to hear their conversation. Entirely unlikely, but not impossible.

Who would’ve ever thought sweet Lili-Bon would end up being a serpent sleeping in the grass? “World is a lot different when the veil has been lifted, huh?”

After a few moments in silence, as night crept across the sky and brought out the starkly bright grey-blue rays of Luna’s moonlight canopy Heria sighed and shook her head.

“Are we really here? Doing this? I mean… I know everyone in that estate. I should feel bad for them… but… this is…”

“War.”

Korrin laid on the ground with her head in Heria’s lap.

“This is war, Heria. It's always been war… we just aren’t addled pawns anymore.”

“Aren’t we though? Aren’t all soldiers pawns for greater men and their purposes?”

“Not if we are allowed to have our own ideas and beliefs. Not if we have some control over our choices. White never gives anyone a real choice, I can see that now, Heria. He finesses you into the path he wants to be taken… or he forces it on you. And you never even know.”

“So..” Heria looked over to Lili-Bon’s slumped shadow near the bank… “Some choice or no choice?”

“The lesser of two evils.”

Korrin looked up to the night sky. Staring back at her was one huge moon with a crater pocked face and blue-grey light wrapped around it. Stark against an empty sky. There were two more moons up there, somewhere, but nothing else; aside from the supposed domain of ‘The Creator’, The Eye of All. A massive metal ball that had floated on high, remaining utterly useless since the dawn of Noctra. It was an ugly stain on a lonely vista… but that night she didn’t mind it. Not like when she had traveled with Jor…. traveled alone. No, that night she was glad to be there. Glad for the company.

“No… No Kori. Not the lesser of two evils… the greater of two great men, great leaders. Well, White’s obviously not great, great, but… “Great”, ya know?”

Korrin chuckled and turned her face to Heria’s abdomen. “Greater of two leaders... Two great men…two great evils, whatever.”

Nothing to be done about it.

Korrin nestled her head into Heria’s warm lap and slept.

***

“Hey. Hey… uh, you!”

A sharp jab in his shoulder nearly made him shout. The injured one? Why the injured one? I have two shoulders! He would have yelled out in frustrated pain if a hand was not slapped over his mouth.

“Oh… sorry, guess that’s why you’re in here… right. Sorry. Would you believe I came by to check on you?” He recognized the voice but couldn’t quite place the name, he was always better with faces, though was quite afraid to open his eyes. The past week had made him much warier of… everyone. Everything. He decided to squint and peek through his lashes but this familiar stranger noticed immediately. “Ah, shit. Do they have you that drugged up? Just for one measly little flesh wound? Hah!”

Measly?! Flesh wound?! A hit from Lord White himself you heathen!

Fledgling White’s guard, Rhui Enchan, nearly sat up ready to savagely berate whatever stranger it was that had decided to take a midnight stroll specifically to mock and offend infirmary patients but as soon as his muscles tensed to rise an armored hand shoved Rhui against the uncomfortably all-metal cot. His left shoulder screamed as it pressed against an infallible cold; Rhui tried to do the same but the stranger's armored hand didn’t relent when he bucked up again.

“Just look at me, ya scolly.”

Scolly? Who the hell says scolly? “Fernwick?” Rhui’s eyes shot open as the hand fell from his mouth.

“Yes! What a pleasure to have a pub mate who actually remembers your name… uh”

“Rhui.”

He smiled at the sea-worn madman he’d met only days after his initiation into the guard. Couldn’t have known him longer than a month or two now, maybe three, Rhui wasn’t one for math and the like, but that didn’t stop Rhui from enjoying the man’s presence immensely. Admittedly it was mainly due to the fact that he appeared even more clueless than Rhui about all the etiquette and hierarchical social web of the guard.

“Rhui,” Fernwick backed away and gave a small bow, “my apologies for poking your injured bit there… and forgetting your name… Uhm, pal.”

He smirked as he stepped into the moonlight caught by nearby windows that extended from floor to ceiling. Sunspots littered Fernwick’s face and broke his naturally red-dark face with lighter red-brown splotches. His hair was long, braided in massive ropes that hadn’t been uncoiled or washed, in quite some time. Salt had wrinkled the skin around Fernwick’s plain brown eyes and there was a permanent ruby raw mark on the top of his nose… but Rhui could see an attractive man beneath years of abuse from the sea. With his nearly perfect smile and set of teeth Rhui figured Fernwick could be quite the bachelor in the next ten to twenty years if he cast enough essence to stay healthy… well, enough to get healthy and hopefully stay that way.

“Not a problem, shift captain Fernwick. You don’t bow to your subordinates, pal.” Rhui smiled and shifted on his cot, letting himself relax a little more. He’d not known him long but he trusted Fernwick, albeit partially because the man was always either too drunk or too hungover to formulate a lie worth believing.

“Hah! That is what I am here to talk to you about, Rhui!” Fernwick put his own hand up to his lips and smiled. His whisper-yelling assaulted Rhui’s nose with a huge waft of pure-black liquor. Might as well have dumped a gallon of one hundred proof spirits down his throat.

Why does it burn so badly from so far away?

Fernwick side stepped lightly to Rhui’s cot and leaned in close. He hoped the tears burning in his eyes from the man’s smell weren’t too obvious, though that was about all he could do to stop them. Hope.

“Yo-ooo-ou,” blown directly in Rhui’s face, “ Rhui, pal, have been promoted to honor...haunary… honorary Serpint, second class, of course, first-class must always be earned through “valor”... or a deep enough pocket… or an in with the banks of Blancana..” Fernwick patted Rhui’s good shoulder. Still too hard. Still hurt like hell. “But you, dear friend, got in the old fashioned way! Surviving an “accident” involving Lord White that he felt responsible for! Ha! What's it they say about luck?”

Rhui was still too stunned by the ex-seafarer’s noxious breath. “Wait… what? Step back Fernwick! What did you just say?” He scooted to the middle of his cot and sat straight up staring directly at Fernwick.

Fernwick stood taller for a second, stronger, more stable, but only for a brief second before he went back into his usual lazy swagger and snickered. “Aye there Rhui, if ole Fernie is too much for you to handle, you’ve just got to say so.” The man looked quite pleased with himself.

Isn’t that what I just did? “Fernwick. Focus. What are you trying to tell me?”

Rhui stared at the man as hard as he could, trying his best not to winch and give away just how bad the pain in his shoulder had gotten. Physicians said that he would recover soon enough but the past week the injury had only begun to hurt more and more. It burned and tore with every movement. Rhui swore the pain made it’s way all the way down his back on one side. Fernwick didn’t take any notice. Just took a swig from his flask, which was always handy, and held out a piece of parchment stamped with the seal of Lord White.

“Ah!” the shift captain let himself enjoy the burn of his drink while Rhui read the letter. He must have seen how wide Rhui’s eyes had gotten because, at the end of his noxious coughing fit, Fernwick nearly yelled.

“Yes! You, dear Rhui, ole pal! Your whole life is about to change!” The man leaned on a small drawer next to his bed and smirked. “Hope you don’t mind but I went ahead and signed myself as your second, in your penmanship, of course.” Fernwick gave a playful wink and flicked his eyes down to the paper Rhui held in hand. “You know what this means?”

“No. Not really. A private room, hopefully?”

Fermwick nearly doubled over in a tipsy fit of pleasure before he looked up at Rhui, eyes red from straining to drag in one sane breath.

“Oh, my boy. You are in for quite the surprise.”