Roxie idly waits to the side of a conversation, barely paying attention to Vetrelous or the Marian governors.

“Ah, Roxie!” A slurring call comes from behind her, their intoxication clear.

Roxie flicks around to find the smiling face of a cordian noble, clad in lose fitting gilded armour instead of the usual fine fabrics draped in gold threads “Hello there, I don’t believe we met”

He uses the servant trailing him to steady himself, taking a deep breath before smiling wider “I didn’t have a chance to meet you yesterday, too many nobles wanted private meetings” he reaches a hand out before realising he’s still holding his glass and switches hands “Tandrus, Vandrus, Mallward. Owner of the cordian military”

Roxie perks up as he introduces himself “Roxie, Altflight. Groomed of strength, sadly not for my strategic brilliance” they share a chuckle, Tandrus doubling over as far as his armour allows “I have to say, you seem to be enjoying the party a lot more than many others”

He takes a breath and straightens up “yes, I got all the political, excuses my language—” he raises a hand to hide his mouth to hide his language “Bullshit out the way on the first day and have informed everyone pertinent that I intend to enjoy myself. After all, it’s not everyday that you get to enjoy a drink with the gods” He indicates to the massive dragon made of fire, sticking halfway out of its own mural, barrel of some kind of alcohol in one hand and wildly gesturing with the other “It’s at least every other year”

They watch the spectacle for a few moments before Roxie idly asks, “Want to meet the others with me?L

Tandrus polishes off his glass and hands it to the servant who replaces it with one of the ones he’s carrying “I’ve been introduced to them, the little bird one is nice and the large monkey one is too much like the other diplomats” he leans close to Roxie and brings up his hand “between you and me, the scorpion one is a bit intimidating” he looks across the crowd before spotting Vetrelous in the conversation next to them”.

“Who? Lous?” Roxie tilts her head and chuckles as she states “He’s a big softy, though can probably drink this ball dry if someone lets him”

“I might just have to say hi then, seems like my kind of man” Takes a sip of is new glass and mulls something over “Though the boy following him around seems like he has stick up his ass”

Roxie bursts into a fit of giggling and snorting “He does! He does!”

He waits for Roxie to recover, looking at the bottom of his glass with a smile before asking “I’ve heard that your reason for joining our little alliance is not for the benefits of our trade and friendship”

Her expression hardens, but she keeps the smile “Yeah. A dying population makes people go to many lengths”

“Oh, I didn’t hear that” he sobers as he says this.

“Yeah the old gods cursed us with primitive intelligence and hindered breeding. But like any curse it faded with time—” She shrugs a little “And so they ingrained what was left of it into our flesh” She sighs, downing all the wine in her glass and swapping it for another one the servant is carrying “Coupled with all the shit out in the outer realms were at war with”

“It makes for hard times. My apology for bringing it up” He waves the servant away to collect more wine “Try getting a bottle instead”

She shakes her head “It’s fine, you’d find out sooner or later”

The ball continues on without note, with Roxie and Tandrus continuing to chat. Eventually leading to Roxie and his servant dragging Tandrus through the castle to his room. Roxie stumbles through the hallways to her own room, settling onto her bed with a thump before pushing herself up again and dragging over the letter on the night table.

'Dear Roxie Altflight.

I am writing to thank you for attending my ball. I understand that you were midway through a job but still took the time to visit. So, as thank you I had a full set of blade catcher guards and weighting rings made for you. Whilst I would recommend you to a reputable blacksmith, Sir Ox has already shown you to one such individual.

Best wishes, King Allthorn Maritas.

Attached to the note is a receipt.

Roxie puts away the note and in a short moment is kicking up the sand floor of the blacksmiths shop, coming to a stop at the customer end of the blacksmith’s worktable. Hendreal doesn’t stop his work on the belt grinder, finishing up the edge he’s working on before putting it to the side, taking his googles and bandana off as he asks “What ya’ doing here beasty—” He looks out the window and gawks “Saints, it’s midday” He shakes his head and rubs his eyes with a yawn.

Roxie pushes forwards the receipt “Wondering if this is finished” She places the receipt on the table.

“Cas’t beasty, that stuff was commissioned two days ago” He leans against the worktable and yawns.

She smiles and purrs “why, I thought such a skilled blacksmith would only need one day”

“Aye’—” He peeks out from between his fingers as he rubs his face “But I have other things to make and I didn’t get paid rush fees”

Roxie’s smile turns to a frown and she droops a bit “We—” She’s interrupted by the sound of collapsing buildings and an absolute pressure on their shoulders.

The pair rush out to find one off the buildings of the grey, perfectly cut out of the ring with the foundations, floating off and away from the plateau before a flash starts behind it and the entire landmass shoots off and away leaving no trace. The pair continue rushing to the spot where a crowd of people from the neighbouring adventurer and research building have gathered.

All that had been left behind is a perfectly square hole.

“Bloody abyss?” The words roll out of Hendreal’s mouth.

It wasn’t long before others started arriving at the scene, most from the nearby offices and homes but some of the nobility from the castle also came down, including the beasts that could fly who all head straight for Roxie.

The first is a chimera who was stuffed into his clothes, one head looking at where the building went, another down the hole and the third at Roxie.

But before he could open his mouth, Roxie shot out “Was visiting a friend and came cuz' of the noise”

The snake head of his tail huffed and said “Of course you don’t know anything” Before they pushed closer to look down the hole.

It's by this time that people in armour with Oath's symbol lacquered over them arrive and start pushing people away from the hole, setting up a space where the scholarly amongst them set to examining the it.

“What in the abyss is happening here!” the next to ask the question is an elf who looks to have been on receiving end of a fiery explosion, evidenced by the burnt robes and hair. Despite that, he's physically fine “Is this why those Tanurie nut cases kept having those meetings, so no one would suspect—” He waves his arms at the scene “This!”

Roxie shrugs and heads over “We know less than you apparently, any of them make any excuses for these meetings you’re talking about?”

The elf sighs and rubs his face, spreading the ash of his facial hair “No, just that something was—” He scrutinises her for a good moment before moving closer and speaking in a hushed tone “They just said that something was wrong with the organisms in their crystals, that they were all acting up and needed to be gathered together to soothe them”

“That sounds like total crap” The elf’s’ quirked brown bids her to elaborate “My brother has those crystals embedded in his head—” she gestures to the back of her head “Never said anything about a meeting”

The elf nods, a hand finding their way to his chin “By any chance is he currently seeking employment?” It’s Roxies’ turn to raise a brow “Their ability to simulate any material and create spell worthy scrip makes them invaluable to my group’s experimentation”

She says “I’ll ask and send him along” Noncommittedly whilst giving him a sideways look.

“Tell him to look for the banners of a book depicting a soul print” He then takes as deep breath before throwing his hands up.

With the Oathguard investigating and pushing the crowd back for space which dissipates, including Roxie who heads back up to the castle with the chimera in tow.

Roxie wakes the next day to a servant knocking on the door and offering her a newspaper, the front page of which is all about the Tanurie headquarters disappearing, stating that no information has been found other than that a large amount of mana and spirit was used in moving it. Taking the paper with her, she tracks through the halls to the dinning room where the handful of nobles that remain are gathered, most from Maria. The few from outside the Maria kingdom include Tandrus, enjoying early morning drinking and Renlin, the Yeti elder of Wisdom who Roxie takes a seat next to. He’s currently playing a game of chess with the one other noble of note, a woman currently in a massive black dressing gown with a diminutive bird person nearby, currently chained to a massive book which is used to boost him up so he can see the table.

Renlin doesn’t look away from his game, hunched over it and towering over the woman who looks to be suffering from a headache “My dear, if you wish to stop playing—”

The woman sniffs before making a move “No, fucking, way. Not happening”

He gives her an awkward smile before addressing Roxie “Did you enjoy your time here?”

Roxie’s first response is to grab the edge of the table and bend her back, causing several cracks to sound out “Yeah, pretty good, got a sore jaw from all the talking though”

The woman chuckles “Yeah, the Cordian pomps sure know how drag a conversation”

“I do have to agree, their words are flowery, but it is all—” He thinks for a second, silently clicking “Bullshit”

The woman laughs again and looks up “This is why I like you. Despite sounding like you ate a dictionary, you’re not spouting crap” She takes a moment to look past him and to Roxie “Hey there love, would have said hi during the ball but” She gestures to herself with a sniff.

“Think I would have too” Roxie nods as she pours herself some juice.

Renlin makes his move and sips his tea as he says “I have to thank you for your efforts so far, as a first impression you have made a somewhat excellent start, other than the incident by the statue before your first job. Everyone had heard of your exploits, especially the cordian nobles who seemed interested in hiring your kin”

The woman laughs out loudly as she makes another move “Fuck manticores. No offence to you”

“None taken. I know there are plenty of wild ones about who give me a bad name”

“seen plenty of wild ones of you too Renlin” the woman nods to him.

The pair go wide eyed and lean forwards, causing her to flinch back. Renlin then asks “Did they have black fur, with a large red welt above their heart”

The woman looks between the two before elbowing her servant than seems to think it over “Yeah, they’s black with that lump”

Roxie steps over and kneels besides the man, baring her teeth and failing to stop her wings from spreading out “Where”

The woman puts a hand up “Can you please tell me what the fuck is going on. Also, don’t fucking touch him” She glares at Roxie who lowers her wings but continues to bare her teeth “Good”

Renlins’ age seems to catch up to him, his already crooked posture bending further as his body sags “If you were to ask any other beast they would call them the yellow backs, a large portion of my kin who have betrayed us and joined one of the cults that find refuge in the outer realms”

“Back when we were starting out, we gave them a world for their own and to protect. When they betrayed, it was a massive breach into our territory which resulted in. Well, you can tell” Roxie slumps back into her chair.

The woman sniffs and wipes her nose “Noted. Anyways we handle them, they're in my territory. Want me to send any bodies back to you guys or?”

Renlin stays quiet whilst Roxie leans forwards to respond “No, just burn them”

“Ok” the woman chuckles as she move a piece.

Renlin solemnly points and says “It was my turn”