The world came back all at once. Solas’ red-tinged rays dominated the sky now, so far as she knew it could have been anywhere from a few hours to a few days since she’d last seen the sky. Even with the scarlet Mother Moon blanketing her rays softly about the world, Amberosin had to avert her gaze after only a few moments.

“Still a bit sensitive, yeah?” Mezir smiled and stood next to her.

“I thought I was getting used to it these most recent days, but after being in there-” Amberosin motioned to the four, now flaccid, lips of dirt and stone which swallowed them during their encounter with the Lumifaen, “- I feel like I’m starting over again.”

“Ha! Young sister, I feel exactly the same.”

She knew Mezir meant it in an entirely different and mysterious way, but he definitely meant it. Mezir didn’t offer so much as a flinch when the walls of minerals clasped shut above them. Before Amberosin or Ta’K could even react, Mezir held out a round gathering of essence- golden, red, and blue throughout- and illuminated their spacious prison.

“Huh. Damn things haven’t changed a bit, have they?”

With that Mezir sat exactly where he had been standing, tapped the ground with three deliberate palm strikes, and closed his eyes with legs crossed. Amberosin looked to Ta’K who simply shrugged in her direction before sitting with his legs crossed, tapping the ground, and going still aside from his visibly deep breathing. Amberosin felt a bit awkward but managed to follow suit soon enough. She watched them each for a moment trying her best to mimic their positions. Hands resting on the thighs was easy enough, closed eyes were no problem, but Amberosin’s spine absolutely refused to unfurl into such a straight line as the other’s.

Suppose I’ve been crouching in the shadows of the Wilder canopy and Blancana for quite some time now. Can’t be too surprised can I? She took a deep breath and sat straight as she could. I should be fine as long as I don’t fall asleep.

Amberosin, however, could never pass up a good daytime nap. Within only five short breaths she’d faded into a place between consciousness and slumber.

Oh fuck me, was her last waking thought.

Just like every other attempt, she’d ever made at meditation Amberosin suddenly found herself unconscious, only to be woken by the sound of a resonating snore. Her own snoring, of course. It crescendoed with familiar jagged skips and hummed out on its dying breath as she peeled her eyes open- and promptly shut them once again to keep them from searing out of her sleep-addled skull.

Then there was shade. Ta’K stood over her with his cloak spread wide. Mezir laughed talking to a tiny golden flying creature- a Lumifaen - and came over to her side.

And there they were. Amberosin, Ta’K, and Mezir. They stood among what looked like millions of glowing, glittering Wilderfolk. Most had heads like the unopened bud of a flower, though aside from that, they seemed to be quite the mismatch or parts. Some even had scars left about their transparent bodies next to unnatural looking wings or clawed toes.

According to what Mezir said before, the Lumifaen were all born without sex or gender, deciding only later in life how they would like to be identified. Nearly all seemed to have settled on “they or them” and sported different variations of “ typical male/female” bodies. Amberosin thought that seemed like a fairly decent way of living one’s life; getting to know oneself before declaring anything to the rest of the world. She couldn’t imagine many people getting away with something like that in Blancana, however. Not any more.

“This is… unbelievable.”

“Yes, yes it is.”

Mezir spoke, sounding much less amazed than Amberosin. Ta’K shook his head in affirmation, though she got the feeling this wasn’t his first time seeing something like this either. He barely reacted to the golden-glittering mass of Lumifaens darting across his body, swirling about him from head to toe. The Lumifaen appeared to be enamored with him.

“Seems they like at least one of us. That has to be good, right?”

Ta’K began nodding his head in another positive motion but stopped as Mezir spoke.

“Honestly, I’m not too sure yet. Though, I have to imagine whatever this is-'' he waved his hands towards Ta’K in a quick, loose motion, “- will come in handy at some point or another while we are here.”

All three companions chuckled together, standing there in front of a mass of gold, an image of the essence of life itself, and stared into the wave of beings before them. Amberosin let her chuckle fade sooner than she’d intended and, being the observant bastards that they were, both Mezir and Ta’K noticed. Each man turned towards her with fading smiles.

“What is it?” Mezir was already tracking her sightline, flawlessly, of course. “Oh, yes… I noticed that too.” He fell silent and looked to the ground.

Ta’K tapped Mezir’s shoulder and held his arms out to the sides, care to explain?

“Heh, right. Sorry…. But you’re going to kick yourself in the ass for missing it, young man.” Amberosin saw Ta’K’s head cock sideways and a moment later Mezir burst out laughing, causing a wave of fright to jump throughout the sea of Lumifaen. “That is… that is fucking disgusting! Oh, you are going to fit right in with those freaks in Trallengard… but you’re right. Now is not the time. So look, Ta’K. Follow the ground from before our feet all the way out to the nearest tree.”

Ta’K’s bandaged head cocked to the other side before he shook himself and looked to the ground. After less than a full thirty seconds, he slammed the base of his palm into his head. Both Mezir and Amberosin laughed this time, no need for “thought-speak” as Mezir referred to it, when the sentiment was so expertly displayed.

“Ah! See! I told you. I may be only half Ta’ and old as you so kindly pointed out, but I do actually know a thing or two.” Both men patted each other's shoulders and laughed with undulating abdomens. Amberosin smiled but scrunched her eyebrows.

“But… what does it mean? Where are all the trees? This is the middle of the Wilders so far as I can tell…. So why such a big ass barren circle?”

She turned to find both men looking at her once more. Ta’K’s expression was unreadable, for obvious reasons, but Mezir’s eyes went soft and his smile became rueful.

“I do believe we will see soon enough. Unfortunately.”

“What do you mean?”

“Listen.”

Amberosin did as Mezir commanded and found herself with a feeling of unwelcome familiarity. She’d been here before, three times too many in the last few days alone.

“Silent… again. Are they casting on us still?”

“No. Their silence seems to be natural. They speak in unison most of the time so I believe it’s meant to be a courtesy, odd as it is.”

She could see Mezir tense in her peripheral. His right arm rattled with a cold clang from within and seemed to be leaking a pitch-black vapor.

Don’t stare. That would be rude. I think. “Alright, but what is so unfortunate about an odd courtesy?”

“If they aren’t speaking, they are most likely listening. Waiting. Judging.”

“Judging what?” Amberosin turned toward Mezir utterly bewildered. She couldn’t stop herself glancing at his large, restless metal arm, just to see if it had been her imagination. There was no black mist or rattling.

“Our worth. If we can be trusted.” Mezir raised his eyebrow high. He’d definitely seen her glance.

Damn. But… “What does this have to do with Heria?”

Every Lumifaen within sight quickly filled with red, pink, and purple essence that made their small bodies shine to an almost unbearable degree. She held her hands up and grimaced. Amberosin hated to feel vulnerable and her sensitive eyesight felt increasingly like a glaring weakness. Then she felt a warm presence above her left hand and moved it down only to spot a floating metal palm with fingers spread out into diamond-shaped sections. There was a slight hum of essence as Ta’K’s palm captured and filtered the light.

He hadn’t even stopped looking forward at the Lumifaen himself so far as she could tell. And he still thought about me? And Mezir- Ta’K’s other framework metal palm rested on Mezir’s huge shoulder, calming the big man. What a fucking saint. She smiled and sent a silent 'thanks' his way before taking in the scene before her once again.

The light of the Lumifaen had begun to fade back to an almost homogenous golden-glitter of essence held within them but even with Ta’K’s assistance, Amberosin found herself needing to squint. All of their miniature hands were raised high and there was a sudden burst of sound from a choir of thousands.

“Blessed Heria! Blessed Queen! Blessed!”

Amberosin instinctually held her hands over her ears to block the noise but the voices of the Lumifaen seemed to find their way straight to her brain, regardless of her attempts. Mezir stood taller than before and a whimsical look overtook the large man before a new smile spread across his lips.

“Well, Amberosin, it seems this may have everything to do with Heria.”

The mass of golden-lit bodies of the Lumifaen split down the middle in a synchronized motion, clearing a wide set road bordered by their floating bodies surprisingly deep into the large, empty field. Amberosin figured White’s estate could fit into the empty space a few times over and found herself realizing she knew absolutely nothing about the Wilders. She never imagined there would be an area so devoid of life inside the great forest, let alone an area full of absolutely nothing- aside from miniature naked, glittering- enviable- bodies. Amberosin also never considered the fact that she could ever be happy to see Heria alive and well but the sight of the Alta woman walking down the dead center of the newly emptied field sent her body into a frenzy.

She smiled at them as she approached; a calm, natural, and Amberosin couldn’t help but notice, a beautiful smile. The massive dreaded fur hanging from Heria’s arms were adorned with small flowers, buds with full petals of all colors, that each shone with the telltale signs of essence. She wore a fairly thin and airy garb that barely hid her body from their peering eyes- well, Amberosin’s peering eyes.

Mezir bowed and coughed. Ta’K had already stepped a few feet ahead of them and taken the same bow. Again, Amberosin was behind. Again, she cursed herself before slamming down to one knee. Unlike Ta’K and Mezir, however, Amberosin kept her eyes on Heria as she approached. Not even a few weeks before Heria had been trying to kill her, and Amberosin hadn’t felt much better about Heria at the time as it was, but now… she couldn’t stop staring.

Heria really is beautiful. Even with those teeth.

Amberosin smiled directly up at Heria with a slight, intentional rise in her eyebrows and saw the woman blush as she stopped before them. Amberosin wondered if her eyes looked as hungry for Heria as she felt. She didn’t understand how Ta’K kept his eyes on the ground so respectfully with Heria right there.

Damn respectable man… though he did peek at me before, didn’t he? Hm. So I’ve got some options. She felt her grin widen and tried to tone it down. She knew she must have looked entirely mad. She felt entirely mad. Be still, my beating heart. For fucks sake.

Heria raised a hand high and tilted her head forward. She looked at home in her new role, to Amberosin at the least.

“Dear Lumifaen, you have brought to me the allies I requested in an absolutely expeditious manner. For that, I praise you. I thank you. I appreciate you, ever so much. And with that, I bid you rest. Our allies and I have much to discuss.”

A small golden glow swirled about Heria for a moment as a single Lumifaen darted up her length and sent a willowy trail of golden smoke into the air from the tip of their extended finger. As soon as the smoke rose above Heria all the Lumifaen bowed while in the air and seemingly vanished all at once. Amberosin was sure they still had to be there, unseen, but present. There was nowhere nearby for them to hide. Nothing except empty land pocked with long emerald blades of grass between patches of dark brown dirt- Noctra’s first layer of thick skin.

The dirt…

Amberosin lost focus of Heria and the others for a moment as she bent her head down to the ground beneath her and closed her eyes. Listening. Waiting. And sure enough, directly beneath their little group, she could hear the hushed whispers of Lumifaen. She tried desperately to make out any words or phrases but from where she was everything sounded foreign, barring the obvious tinge of excitement that rattled conspicuously loud atop their whispers.

“Amberosin?”

Mezir was standing now, as was Ta’K. Both men, along with Heria and the single remaining Lumifaen, were staring down at her.

“Ah, sorry- I mean, my apologies,” Amberosin stood and faced Heria, gave a swift, lazy bow, of sorts, and smiled,“My Lady.”

Heria blushed fiercely and Amberosin could see her physically purse her lips against a larger smile. “Just Heria will do, my Lady.”

Amberosin felt, and displayed genuine confusion.

“I am undoubtedly no Lady of any sort- oh. Right.” She was. She was Grand Lord White’s legitimate daughter. “Shit.”

She suddenly felt sapped of all joy and playfulness. Amberosin gave a quaint smile to Heria before resigning to look at the ground for a moment. She remained silent as they started their walk with Heria across the barren field. Mezir and Heria spoke quietly a few steps ahead of her but Ta’K had immediately fallen in beside her. He didn’t try to stand closer to her or touch her, didn’t even look at her, though, Amberosin appreciated him. His presence. Because he was there because Ta’K had chosen to be there. Beside her. In a position that let her decide if she wanted his comfort. And she did. Amberosin moved closer to Ta’K and let her arm touch his own. The small warmth coming from beneath his wrappings sent a thin layer of peace over her growing concern. She was able to reason a bit better.

Everyone is anxious to leave, to escape White’s domain, everyone has been anxious to do so for quite a time now- but the reality of their revolt was just now truly catching up to Amberosin.

Patri was dead. Gone. He’d never made his way out. After all those years of dragging himself through the grime of Blancana’s streets, after rising to the top of the one and only surviving guild left in White’s “grand new world”, Patri’s chance at a life of wealth and grandeur had been stolen by Senfe.

Senfe who Patri had been utterly devoted to. Senfe, who he loved with everything.

Senfe, who Amberosin had gored to a muddied pulp with her own two hands.

She knew better than to look down at her hands, but she did so anyway, unable to keep her eyes from falling down. They were shaking, pale, and still healing over more than a few scrapes and cuts, but they were hers- yet the sight of them at the end of her wrists made her feel unexpectedly sick. Amberosin could nearly see the blood again, thick and fresh, scattered with chunks of dirt and clumps of skin, bone, brain- the remnants of Senfe. Of a woman, she’d spent a lifetime admiring.

A stark mad, raving bitch who killed one of the only good men left in Blancana. Patri!

Amberosin was suddenly dizzy with rage and found herself leaning more heavily into Ta’K beside her. She no longer heard Mezir or Heria speaking and she was entirely unable to tear her eyes from the bloody mess about her hands, the gore she knew was not there. Amberosin’s heart raced faster and faster, begging her to give in to the throes of rampant anxiety and despair, though all it managed to drag out from her was pure, primal rage. She clenched her fist and watched the blood vanish in an instant.

I killed Senfe. Me. With my own hands, I started a vengeance in Patri’s name.

And it’s only just begun.

***

Mezir was conflicted about leaving Ta’K and Amberosin outside of Heria’s quarters, he definitely wanted them involved in any planning if it was at all possible, but they all understood what had frozen Amberosin. It would be best if someone was there with her when she came back to the reality at hand, so Heria suggested Ta’K stay by her side and enter when they were good and ready. An expertly level headed response if he’d ever seen one.

Or do I only think that because she looks…. Different? No-No; Well…

“Mezir?” Heria shot him a high-browed look, “You’re starting to look like Amberosin out there, are you well?” She offered him a slight smile and held her arm towards a large table with two chairs sat directly next to each other. There was also a pair of cups and a pitcher full of steaming brown liquid that gave off a thick, sweet smell; Mezir was certain neither had been there when they’d entered.

Alright, Mezzie. Focus.

“Thank you.” Mezir sat and leaned back, legs wide, arms slack. “Ah- fucks sake- I haven’t felt a chair this plush in ages, whatever is this made of?” He gently patted the arms of the large, padded seating.

“Honestly-” Heria leaned back in much the same manner as he, despite the open bottom of her dress, and let out a genuine sigh of relief, “- I’ve got no fucking clue. It is wonderful though, is it not?” She smiled, he could see her teeth rising, but it was soft. Burdened. Mezir could still feel the conflicting emotions of Heria from when they’d connected in the field. They’d never met before, but he knew her. And she knew him.

“Good to see that your new prestige has not gone to your head quite yet, dear Lady.”

“Ah, yes. The pompous demeanor and reckless behavior of true nobility all come in good time, I imagine.” Again, a layered smile. Forced. Somber, though no less genuine. No less welcome.

“Yes,” Mezir’s smile burned hot on his cheeks, looked as real as he wanted it to, “ it took me quite some years to become a large enough ass to mingle with the nobles of Blancana. Other nations were hardly so…. Posh?”

“Ha!” Heria’s laugh was as real as any, “ You’ve got that right! No other nation, in all of Noctra’s history, was ever so obviously divided by class. By material wealth. Extravagance.”

They each chuckled at her limp, flamboyantly waved wrist.

“Wonderful things, material wealth and extravagance, both technically infinite and readily available to everyone, but hoarded and bastardized by the noble class. It was never meant to be restricted to the few, not even in my father’s twisted view, you know? He didn’t want a noble class to begin with. One of his ‘necessary evils’. Ha. Bastard.”

“Ah, yes. I am expertly familiar with Lord White’s twisted views.” Heria sat, staring forward for a moment as her smile softened second by second. “The whole time he cut, stitched, unstitched, recut, tore, and disposed of the body I was born with, the body of Helena De Seires… He kept telling me he was exposing my true beauty. Chiseling the rough, neglected stone into a living masterpiece. Fucking prick.” Her eyes welled with tears.

“Yet,” Mezir leaned forward, speaking softly, keeping his eyes locked on her own, “he has the audacity to attempt small retributions for his own sake, to prove he is a good man. For example, he kept the tenants of Matrius intact after reducing every city to nothing but rubble. He slaughtered them all, regardless of age or ideology simply for residing in Matrius- but in his eyes, it was redeemed because, in his magnanimous wisdom, White kept rape and forced servitude outlawed across his great new nation. Punishable by immediate death, even. A fantastic tenant in my opinion, only the meager and cowardly feel the need to resort to such heinous acts, and they do deserve death. But I hate it. I hate that he’s done something I wholeheartedly agree with. That I would do myself if in the same scenario. He corrupts all the good in this world with his touch, whether by choice or some rampant invisible sickness, Blessed Queen. But he did not corrupt you.”

Heria’s tears spilled over and ran down her face, outlining a pained smile. She kept her eyes on Mezir’s and was leaning forward now to hear him better, to get closer.

“Nor did he complete you. Or ‘expose’ you. Or make you better than you were. True, White used his touch to change parts of you physically, tried to sculpt you to fit some purpose or another in his never-ending scheme- but you refused to relent. You let your indomitable spirit shine the moment you learned the truth. You fought back, using the tools that bastard-prick thrust upon you, and you helped to vanquish one of his greatest assets. And became a fucking Queen!”

Heria laughed and her tears fell down onto Mezir, still warm as they splashed against his own bearded cheeks. “Thank you, Mezir. I am not the sum of what has been done to me, I know… but it can be nice to be reminded now and then.” She shot him a coy smile and scrunched her nose before she shook her head.

“You know, with or without that connection in the field… I think we would have made fast friends, whether as Helena, or Helena, or whoever the hell you choose to be.” Mezir gave his own boyish grin in return and leaned back a bit.

“However,” Heria rubbed her eyes dry and sat straight almost like a skewed reflection of Mezir himself, “the time for such pleasantries is over, isn’t it?”

Mezir conceded with a short nod as he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Ta’K and Amberosin had arrived and it was time to discuss the business of their escape. “Yes, Blessed Queen, we must now look forward. Though, before we do so, I feel obligated to tell you, in regards to Ragoth-”

“No need, dear Mezir. I know of his fate. He spoke to me from the shadows of my terrinhive, well, mocked me more than anything, but it was undoubtedly Ragoth.”

Mezir was legitimately stunned upon hearing the news. Amberosin let out a sigh from behind him, glad to hear of her uncle's survival, despite his deceits.

She is one truly admirable young person. As is Heria. As is Ta’K. They are Noctra’s true future, aren’t they?

“Right…. Well then, where shall we begin?”

“Your ship.”

“My ship?”

“The one set to carry us all to Trallengard.”

Right. Dumbass. “Oh, yes, right. Um… what about it exactly?”

“It is gone. Obliterated to a searing pile of ash and scorched oaks. The Lumifaen reported seeing a group of heavily armored soldiers with a white ‘W’ emblazoned on their chest plates before seeing an ominous tower of black smoke. By the time they found the wreckage, White’s Serpints were long gone.”

Mezir sat for a moment, face stern, shaking like quaking stone that refused to falter to Noctra’s immense will, despite an unstable foundation. His metal arm rattled once, twice, three times- there was a black mist seeping from between the stacked metal plates that made up Mezir’s false arm. I need to breathe. To think. This was always a possibility, I knew it was. It is hardly important. We’ve got to move on in a way a father would never expect.

Ta’K’s light framework hand rested on his shoulder and Mezir felt a natural calm begin to nest in his tightening chest. He sighed.

“Of course. I was worried Fernwick’s crew might be followed or bribed, though, I did think I’d have a bit more warning. When I posed as a tavern owner I usually ended up one step ahead of any development. White’s guards have loose lips when around the familiar company.” Mezir shook his head. “Aside from Captain Fernwick’s fate, however, we cannot allow ourselves to dwell on this for the time being. I wish him the best. We move on.”

“And how do we do that?” Amberosin took her seat at a newly added chair across the table. Grimaced at the cup of liquid before her.

That Lumifaen that was with Heria, are they bringing the chairs? The drink?

Mezir looked to the pitcher on the table, the full glasses that no one had poured themselves. Ta’K grabbed the one before him, peeled back his wrappings, casting a shadow atop his actual visage, and downed his brown drink in one swig.

Heria eyed him with apparent surprise before smiling.

“Much braver than I when I first saw and smelled that concoction. I abhor the taste honestly, but it is unequaled in its energizing potency. I’ve been here nary a week and with the aid of that brew I’ve reformed an entire kingdom. Careful, though, Venerable Ta’K, the crash is quite severe.”

Where are they?

Ta’K held up a hand and shook his head. “Not my first time,” he insinuated.

“Ah, yes. Of course. My apologies- For everything.”

Heria glanced between Ta’K and Amberosin. Each nodded in turn. Amberosin’s question hung in the air over the quartet in uncomfortable silence, though, as awkward as it was for Mezir to witness them fidget their way into fast friendship, it gave Mezir ample time to listen. To find the answer to his own question.

Where are they? The pitcher was full again.

When? A single flower adorned the center of their table now.

How? Just as Heria moved to speak again, he finally heard it.

A gasp. A slight crackle that ended with a nigh imperceivable sigh that faded into the air. Essence, fading essence, which could mean only one thing.

Casting! Of course! Mezir was barely able to hide his inherent jubilation.

Wilderfolk were a damn near mystery to him, despite his filling of multiple journals on their anatomy and behaviors, and always made him uncomfortable if he was being honest. Casting? Casting he understood. Casting, he loved.

“Now-”

Mezir snapped his fingers, a sound that echoed off the gutted innards of the unending gigan-pine and cut Heria short. On the table before him was a lone Lumifaen frozen in place with a rigid mask of shock over their face. Their own fingers were also in a snapping pose as if they had notice Mezir’s attention shifting hand and moved to counter at the last second.

Too little, too late.

“My apologies, Blessed Queen-”, Mezir bowed his head in Heria’s direction, “-friends-” he nodded towards Amberosin and Ta’K who each sat forward staring at the Lumifaen that had surely not been there a moment before, “- I do hate to interrupt, truly in this case, but I simply cannot focus on the matters at hand knowing there is someone unseen in the room. No matter how courteous they may be. By appearances, may I assume they work under your direction, Heria? Are they allowed to listen?”

She nodded away the interruption with ease, not even a tightening of her jaw; Heria didn’t miss a beat, “ Apology not needed, sir. No matter my station among the Lumifaen and Mukeko, I am still but a soldier in your vast coalition against Lord White. Standing before you is Ji-Hu, my second in command- if you will. A liaison between myself and the vastly varied Lumifaen culture since my arrival here amidst the Wilders.”

So the Mukeko live? That is a small relief. Somewhat.

“So, Ji-Hu,” Mezir replied, “ is to be trusted, Blessed Queen?”

Heria eyed the Lumifaen for a brief second before smirking, “Ji-Hu can be a bit overzealous, often forgetting their place when their Blessed requests to be left unaccompanied in her meetings. But… I do trust the Lumifaen there before you, enough at least to allow them to stay in our company. For the time being.” She smiled at Mezir who snapped once more. A disembodied gasp announced Mezir’s release on Ji-Hu, who upon having a will of their own once more, bowed low before him and Heria.

“Forgive my enthusiasm, I am not yet acquainted with the intricacies of freedom. To both of you, my Lord, my Blessed Lady, I beg your forgiveness in my indiscretion-”

Ta’K slammed his twice emptied slender cup of wood on the table before an entirely empty pitcher.

“Forgiven, entirely forgiven, so long as you do not bring out any more of… whatever that is to our friend here.” Mezir gave his friendliest of smiles and offered one finger to the tiny creature. ‘“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Ji-Hu chuckled in return and shook Mezir’s finger without so much as another word before flying over to sit upon Heria’s left shoulder.

Ta’K pointed at Mezir with a stern metal finger but his forearms trembled like he was trying to shake off his skin. Once he saw his shaking arm, he laid his hand on the table and looked to the side, away from Mezir.

Amberosin smiled, shook her head, and asked her question once again.

“This is nice and all, truthfully, but… where do we go from here? What do we do?”

Everyone situated around the table looked to one another, offering no words or thoughts on the matter, staring blankly into the future. Finally, Mezir cleared his throat.

“I… I did have one contingency for a situation somewhat similar to this... Though I am not sure that any of you are going to like it.”

“Oh, great, that means it’ll fit right in with the last few years of my life.” Amberosin smiled at him but a quiet worry sat upon her cheeks.

Heria and Ta’K chuckled, though neither took their gaze off of Mezir. Ji-Hu’s face was expressionless, but they too sat forward. Curious and intent as the others.

“Well, and this is going to sound like an utterly obvious, useless sentiment, but the best thing to do is what your enemy least expects, correct?”

All around the table heads nodded slowly, Amberosin and Heria shared a rather concerned look. Ta’K fidgeted with his empty wooden cup.

“Good. So we must take into consideration the string of events thus far, mainly, what was our last big move?”

“Escaping- or, helping me to escape, from Lord White.”

“Yes! Yes, good, Amberosin! We just escaped his grasps, so what would he least expect us to do?”

Heria raised an eyebrow high and glanced at Ta’K and Amberosin in turn before smirking and looking back to Mezir.

“Care to speed this along a bit, meister?”

Mezir cracked a savage grin and nodded.

“Yes. Right.” He sat for a moment without saying a word, his eyes on the table. When he looked up he put on his most impish and confident smile. In short….

“We are going to turn me in. Just give me right to him. No tricks or traps or plans of the sort.”

None of their party around the table seemed too keen on the idea, as he expected, and warned. Mezir bellowed a hearty, deep laugh into the thickly silent room before he turned to Heria. “Oh, yes. Also, Heria?”

She gave him a dumbfounded, slack-jawed nod as an answer.

“We are going to use the Mukeko to do it. Ha!”