It had been a long time. Long, for her. But oh, so short as well.<\/p>\n
She had been newly formed when she left Rhir. And though decades had passed since that fateful day, when the hope of the Antinium had died at sea, she was still\u2026how old?<\/p>\n
Antinium did not care. Nor did the Free Queen of the Antinium measure such things. Time, for Antinium, should <\/em>not matter. They had discovered a way to break free of age, even of death itself. Antinium bodies could be rejuvenated, and even their spirits put into new vessels.<\/p>\n At least, if they remembered it. The Free Queen felt every inch of her aging, expanded form some days. Experimental techniques, half-remembered, applied incorrectly to allow the Queens to manually birth once more, to accommodate their straining flesh and chitin. All of it had taken its toll.<\/p>\n She was\u2026the Free Queen calculated. At least four decades old.<\/p>\n At least. But also, \u2018only\u2019. The Free Queen could remember Queens who had left Rhir twice as old as she, and they hadn\u2019t even been as old as Bessachidia, the Shaper Queen who had been oldest and greatest of the living Antinium at the Free Queen\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n If she had been alive, the Antinium would have taken Izril. Even if she alone had been there. She would have overrun the Walled Cities within a decade at most. No, to be fair\u2014two decades. And even if she\u2019d stumbled, she\u2019d have brought at least one Walled City down already.<\/p>\n But after three decades, <\/em>the Antinium were stalemated. And the Queens were aging, and no more were being made. Age, the issue of reforming bodies, creating new Queens, all of it would have been easy for Bessachidia. The Free Queen knew this, because she had learned from Bessachidia, along with the Silent Queen.<\/p>\n But she had died in the water. Along with so many Centenium. And those who had remained, the other Queens\u2014they had died too, establishing a foothold in this continent. Three <\/em>Centenium had perished, unable to be revived. Nine Queens as well. Each one a loss that could not be recovered from. Klbkch had lost his form.<\/p>\n Now six remained. Six, and three Centenium, one weakened from his days of glory. This is what the Free Queen dwelled on, when she did not eat, or when she was not busy. The haunting, clawing thoughts.<\/p>\n She was old. Despite being young. For she had labored in ways the Antinium of Rhir would have never imagined. And\u2014the Free Queen could see it now. How she had despaired. How the other Queens despaired, had fragmented into their old Hives as if they were the primitive Antinium, in the days before the First Queen had unified them, forged them into what the Antinium were.<\/p>\n Despair, decay. Despondence. Something else that started with \u2018D\u2019. The Free Queen even thought in the language of the other races of the world, not in the pure clicking tones the Antinium used. There was no one to speak it with, besides Klbkch anyways. The new Workers and Soldiers had been created with the language of this continent.<\/p>\n So she despaired. An eternal tale, in Liscor, pursuing a dream even the other Queens had abandoned. That was how it was and had been.<\/p>\n Until today. The Free Queen had seen a dream. The Antinium she\u2019d let go, that could have saved<\/em> their race if she had the strength to tear him apart and kill the closest thing to True Antinium\u2014Bird. She had seen him standing on the walls of Pallass.<\/p>\n What shock! What horror. And\u2014what glory. The Free Queen still remembered it. And it had changed everything. Now, she sat in her chambers and heard the tones of the Antinium language again.<\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>You disobeyed my orders! There were to be no Prognugators made! This is a violation of <\/em><\/span>my<\/span> command! Xevccha! Free Queen, an explanation is demanded!<\/em><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The invective in their language\u2014it contained elements no Human could even write, clicks<\/em> and piercing sounds only an Antinium voice could make\u2014made the Free Queen look up.<\/p>\n The Grand Queen stared at her from the mirror. The huge Antinium Queen who led the remaining Hives on Izril was shaking with fury. The Free Queen gathered her thoughts.<\/p>\n \u201cBird is not a Prognugator, my Queen. That was a tactical lie used\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>It has a name! So it names itself! It threatened war, <\/em><\/span>war!<\/span> Am I understanding you correctly? One of your Antinium lied to start a war? Insolence! Madness!<\/em><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The other Queen was shouting at the Free Queen in their language. That meant she didn\u2019t use the royal \u2018we\u2019 and \u2018our\u2019 she had adopted. She was doing it to chastise the Free Queen, but all it did was make the other Antinium nostalgic. She bowed her head slightly, another learned gesture. Her antennae waved, signaling with her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a grave mistake, my Queen. But I repeat: Bird is not a Prognugator. He is part of the experimental Antinium program\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>It sounds like the Prognugator-creation system! My authority\u2014<\/em><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Free Queen\u2019s mandibles twitched<\/em>. She had been harangued for the last hour and she was growing tired of it.<\/p>\n \u201cMy Queen<\/em>. The Individual and Autonomous Antinium are not <\/em>Prognugators. They do not require the expenditure of Antinium lives for formation.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike your wasteful creations.<\/em> The Free Queen could see them lined up. Nearly two dozen Prognugators, or as the Grand Queen had styled them, the Custodium. As if they were as good as Centenium.<\/p>\n What a waste<\/em> of resources. Each one wore the long swords on each hip, copies of Klbkch\u2019s fighting style. But it was just enhanced chitin, not Klbkch\u2019s swords, which had been made in Rhir. And perhaps they could fight like no other Antinium\u2014and level. But the waste<\/em>. Even in Rhir, Prognugators were expensive to make.<\/p>\n The Free Queen saw the Grand Queen shifting restlessly. Her antennae, feelers, posture, and mandibles all spoke her ire to the Free Queen. But the Grand Queen was far too far away to discipline the Free Queen. And\u2014the Free Queen looked at the one speck of color amid the brown and black shells.<\/p>\n Blue, azure, beautiful as the day she\u2019d been made. And from her eyes shone pure, dancing colors. Xrn, the Small Queen, the last of the three Centenium of Izril, was smiling. Her eyes shone with dancing pink and yellow\u2014and a hint of orange mischief. But they shone.<\/p>\n \u201cMy Queen. The Free Queen has given her response. This was clearly an error. An appraisal should be made of the Free Hive, but I am sure the Free Queen must explain the incident to the Liscorian government.\u201d<\/p>\n Xrn\u2019s voice reached the Grand Queen. The huge Antinium stared down at Xrn, then glared at the Free Queen. She switched back to the common tongue.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Drakes and Gnolls must be negotiated with? Why did you not inform us earlier?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy duty is to you, my Queen. I shall begin negotiations immediately if you have no further words for me.\u201d<\/p>\n The Free Queen lied smoothly, grateful for Xrn\u2019s lie. The Grand Queen didn\u2019t understand other species. None of the other Queens did. At least the Free Queen had Klbkch to explain to her. She could see through his eyes and she understood a bit more. Liscor\u2019s Council had demanded nothing of her\u2014Klbkch had no doubt taken care of it. But the Grand Queen believed.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. Go. Placate this other ruling body. But your actions will have consequences! The\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She broke off. The Grand Queen had probably been intending to censure the supply of resources sent to the Free Hive. Or demand a higher tribute. But the Free Antinium had been in exile for nearly a decade. The Free Queen almost raised her mandibles in a smile. Almost. The long struggle alone with Klbkch had been worth it for this moment.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014This matter is not over. Xrn, we shall discuss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes my Queen. Thank you for your\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The Grand Queen turned away and the magical image of her in the mirror disappeared. The Free Queen stared at the blank mirror.<\/p>\n \u201cKrxsching\u2026<\/em>Grand Queen? Undeserved, now. Garry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the way, my Queen.\u201d<\/p>\n An Antinium Worker was already hurrying out of his kitchen with a serving cart filled with morsels. The Free Queen sighed, happy her encounter with the Grand Queen was over. Honestly, the other Antinium\u2019s rage wasn\u2019t entirely misplaced. It had been near-disastrous, Bird\u2019s incident. The Hives had nearly gone to war over his lie. The Free Queen wondered if Klbkch was disciplining Bird. She wondered if he had been hurt.<\/p>\n What strange new emotions! What a strange change had come over the Hive. The Queen stared down as Garry offered her up a bowl. It was tiny to her, but huge, a giant serving bowl he needed all four arms for.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAcid flies, my Queen. I have purchased them from Miss Lyonette.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Free Queen\u2019s mandibles opened wide in delight. She took the bowl and crunched the tiny little morsels, savoring the taste. She nodded as Garry stepped back.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have done well, Garry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, my Queen!\u201d<\/p>\n The [Cook] was ecstatic. The Free Queen stared at him for a second. She would never have deigned to acknowledge his presence a little while ago. But now\u2014she talked with him. Even thanked him.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Are there more?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, my Queen. But there is a limited supply. I have been attempting to secure more, but acid-flies are difficult to acquire. In the meantime, I have stretched what I have\u2014this is a pot of noodles. I have hand-crafted the dough and noodles to be extra-large. I recall you expressing the desire to eat them, rather than the much smaller variety\u2014they are infused with an acid-fly broth and I have done some work with the presentation\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Another platter. The Free Queen stared at the pasta, seeing how Garry had arranged it with all his toppings to create a colorful masterpiece, rather than the huge vats he fed her. She was growing fond of this appreciation of food before it was imbibed.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Good. This is good, Garry. The\u2026noodles\u2026are larger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd they will not bother you, my Queen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Queens are not susceptible to products of wheat. That was an error in the process of creating Antinium. If I had the time, I would correct it, but it was unnecessary until now. Did you say a broth?<\/em> How is it in these noodles?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, they were boiled in it. The broth is very flavorful, my Queen. I did not think it fit for you, but it has received good reviews among my taste testers\u2014it is not nourishing, but it is tasty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBring some.\u201d<\/p>\n The Free Queen saw Garry hurry into her kitchen. She relaxed, regarding the plate of spaghetti. And the large, large pots Garry had made to sate her appetite. Now, this was better. Yes\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cThe issue of wheat-based nutrition was deemed a sufficient oversight in the creation of the first Soldier\/Worker prototypes. You yourself agreed. It was not a flaw at the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Free Queen jumped<\/em>. Well, not literally. But she did drop her plate. Garry hurried out at the crash<\/em> and faltered.<\/p>\n The magical mirror that the Free Queen had recently been delivered was glowing again. But instead of the Grand Queen\u2014Garry and the Free Queen saw a shadowed cavern. A dark form, moving amidst the shade of her hive.<\/p>\n The Silent Queen had always been quiet. But now she had embraced her Hive\u2019s perceived role. And she\u2019d scared the daylights out of the Free Queen\u2014who had not seen daylight herself in over a decade. The Free Queen looked around. Put out, she stared at her food that Garry had worked so hard on lying in the dirt, then at the Silent Queen.<\/p>\n \u201cSilent Queen. Greetings. What is the meaning of your communication? I have not received one since the siege at Liscor.\u201d<\/p>\n The Silent Queen ignored the question. Her antennae waved restlessly as she opened and closed her mandibles. She was the smallest of the Queens, and most timid, despite her genius at shaping Antinium. Normally she was quiet, except in matters that regarded shaping Antinium. But today she was agitated.<\/p>\n \u201cLack of proper digestive fluids was not an oversight. You claimed to be redesigning the Soldier\/Worker forms. Is this another aberrative innovation you have not shared with the other Hives? That is in violation of the Grand Queen\u2019s orders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI do not understand\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The Free Queen stared blankly at the Silent Queen. Then she realized the other Queen had been listening in.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014That was a passing thought. Silent Queen, as the Grand Queen ordered, I have been forbidden from experimenting with new Antinium forms.\u201d<\/p>\n But she\u2019d done it anyways, with Klbkch and Yellow Splatters.<\/em> She\u2019d just lacked the resources the other Queens had to engineer their new Antinium. The Silent Queen stared at the Free Queen.<\/p>\n \u201cI have witnessed your new Prognugator. Optical enhancements? Muscular coordination? You did not communicate your breakthrough. I have shared all\u2014<\/span>all<\/em><\/span> improvements to base Worker\/Soldier forms.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBird? He is not a Prognugator. Silent Queen, I have been chastised by the Grand Queen, but that incident was an accident\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The Silent Queen stared at the Free Queen. She glanced around and the Free Queen saw the darkness rustle.<\/em> The Silent Queen\u2019s camouflaged attendants moved, and the darkness shifted.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you do not wish to share the designs of your new Bird-Prognugator, perhaps a trade can be effected? I did not wish to offend with the delegation. Now a passageway has been effected, I will send a Prognugator. Two. We must communicate. The evolution of the Antinium cannot be personal, Free Queen. Infighting has only weakened the other Hives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Free Queen was very confused. And she was certain the Silent Queen was misunderstanding basically everything.<\/p>\n \u201cInfighting? Silent Queen, as I said to the Grand Queen\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The other Queen twitched.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Yes. Your communication of ordinary Worker slaying Wyverns with physical manipulation of a bow is understood. I will send a Prognugator. Would that be acceptable?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She was very<\/em> agitated. The Free Queen remembered\u2014they had been the students of Bessachidia, and thus responsible for remaking the Antinium Workers and Soldiers. The Silent Queen had been better, which was hard to admit, but she had been as conscious of her inability as the Free Queen compared to a proper Shaper Queen. Now\u2026what was she thinking?<\/p>\n The Free Queen was still a Queen. Her mind could perform on multiple levels, manage a Hive and thousands of Antinium at once. She had been designed for it. Now, her multiple levels of consideration made her open her mandibles slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026will accept an envoy. And I regard the advancement of the Antinium as vital, Silent Queen. Let us discuss advancements.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Queen relaxed visibly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. This conversation is private, of course. Your Bird-Individual is not a Prognugator.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe is not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI shall send a Prognugator. And put forward your case before the Grand Queen. She is angry. Let us converse then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The link cut. The Free Queen stared at the mirror, then at Garry. She wanted to ask, what was that?<\/em> Infighting? But she felt like she knew. It had been a decade since she\u2019d left the Hives, and even before then she\u2019d been the outcast. Without her\u2026the Silent Queen thought she was withholding some new experimental designs that had allowed Bird to hit the Wyverns? And she\u2019d implied that she had\u2014<\/p>\n Before the Free Queen could analyze the situation, the mirror glowed again. Garry, trying to put the noodles onto another plate, scurried back. The Free Queen saw another<\/em> Queen sitting and staring at her.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this a challenge, Free Queen? My Flying Antinium are designed for aerial superiority. What is the purpose of your Bird-creation?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Flying Queen was agitated<\/em>. Her Hive, always a chaos of Antinium moving around her, was in uproar. The Free Queen saw her winged attendants and Antinium buzzing, moving around the Queen at breakneck pace. The Free Queen stared as the Flying Queen restlessly rubbed her feelers together.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is <\/span>my<\/em><\/span> work you are jeopardizing. What is the purpose? No\u2014ranged Antinium? Is this an overture to the Armored Antinium? The Grand Queen is attempting to punish you, you know. We are in communication. Please explain. Also\u2014what is that? That is food. Why is it so colorful? Are you attempting a new nutritional mix?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her words spilled over each other. The Free Queen didn\u2019t even have a chance to get in a word edgewise until the Flying Queen stopped. But that was good. It gave the Free Queen a chance to think.<\/p>\n Unlike the Silent Queen\u2019s conversation, this time the Free Queen sat back in her chambers. She waved at Garry to bring her more food. And she controlled her antennae, waving them intentionally as she spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, yes. Bird.<\/em> He is one Individual, Flying Queen. Not an attempt to jeopardize your Hive at all. This? This is food, developed by another Individual. Garry, present yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy\u2014I greet you, Flying Queen.\u201d<\/p>\n Garry shivered forwards. The Flying Queen stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Not<\/em><\/span> an attempt to replace my Hive\u2019s capabilities? Intellectual. But the purpose of your defiance to the Grand Queen?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAccidental. Truly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNaturally.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The other Queen\u2019s antennae were beginning to wave in sync with the Free Queen as she calmed down. The Free Queen was thinking faster and faster. Three of six. They were probably waiting for the mirrors to stop being used. What should she say to\u2026the Armored Queen was one thing, but the Twisted Queen disturbed the Free Queen. Even so\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cLet us discuss my Individual project, Flying Queen. The Grand Queen has declared some merit. But if you would consider discussing the matter further\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe tunnel is completed, or so Pivr tells me. Let us talk. The Armored Queen has sent Prognugators? Why were more not sent from the Flying Antinium first? We will bring resources. Tell me about your new capabilities. More. I was not told of your Hive\u2019s superiority in my report.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, there have been advancements. By the way, Garry\u2019s food has taste. It is better than even raw food for taste. Far better than celdes-<\/em>paste. <\/em>If you send a Prognugator, I will deliver some to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Really?\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The Free Queen looked at Garry. He stared up at her, mandibles agape. The Free Queen wanted to open her mandibles wider and higher than she had in recent memory.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do the Flying Antinium wish to discuss, Flying Queen? Privately. The Free Hive has something to offer. If the discussion is amiable.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, the Free Queen understood. The other Queens were waiting to talk to her. And they\u2019d all seen Bird. And misunderstood. But she didn\u2019t need to correct them, even if they believed. After a decade of suffering in neglect, the other Hives were sitting up <\/em>and looking at the Free Antinium. Some warily, some approving.<\/p>\n Either way, if the Free Antinium\u2019s value were a stock, it had broken through the glass ceiling, through the roof of the Antinium stock exchange, and was now busy constructing a satellite bombardment laser in orbit.<\/p>\n The two Queens began to chat. And the Free Queen was focused\u2014and despairing, still. This was good for her Hive. Terrible for her people. The Antinium were not united any longer. If Bessachidia had lived\u2014<\/p>\n The Grand Queen was not the same as the First Queen had been. Disloyalty in the other Queens was a sign. She had to speak to Klbkch.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Walled City of Manus was quiet after this morning. The citizenry still didn\u2019t know what had caused a silent but perceptible panic<\/em> in the ranks of their elite. The inner keep in the heart of Manus had been filled with officers and commanders. But\u2014ironically\u2014news was just spreading.<\/p>\n There had been an attack<\/em> in Pallass? And it had been fought off? What had gone on? Many had just heard the [Messages] being sent from Pallass, and there had only been a few, briefly reporting the battle.<\/p>\n They hadn\u2019t seen the spectacle. And word was only now trickling down to them. The world hadn\u2019t yet faced full-on mass media consumption. Anyways, it had been the inner war councils of Manus who called the shots, not some democracy<\/em>.<\/p>\n They were already finished for the day when the Drake with beautiful teal scales strode out of the inner keep. She sighed, flexing her wings and turning her head in the sunlight. Those who saw her, Gnolls or Drakes, had to pause to stare.<\/p>\n Wall Lady Rafaema was young, in the prime of her life, and beautiful. She stuck in the memory of anyone who saw her. She was as famous in her way as Spearmaster Lulv. Not in experience; she was young, and she\u2019d grown up in Manus. Well, she\u2019d come from abroad\u2014she\u2019d entered the city when she was what, sixteen? No one quite knew where she hailed from, but her ancestry had been certified. She was an inheritor of the original founders of Manus. That<\/em> was obvious.<\/p>\n Rafaema had both wings and the ability to breathe magical energy. Her power was lightning, and people said her manifestation of the Oldblood was the strongest in living memory. As strong as Luciva Skybreath, the Dragonspeaker of Manus. Everyone knew<\/em> that Rafaema was going to be a [General] or a [Commander] when she enlisted. She certainly trained enough in the practice courts each day.<\/p>\n Oh, and she was being courted by half of Manus\u2019 eligible males. The other half had been rejected soundly, and Rafaema swatted suitors like flies each week. Now, the Drake sighed as she looked about.<\/p>\n She was a Dragon, by the way. Although that was the kind of secret that only a few people knew. Like Manus\u2019 inner war council. Even some of the [Generals] and trusted commanders had no idea who Rafaema really was. Like everyone else, they thought she was a gifted young Drake, politically kept from fighting on the front lines due to a complicated family dynamic.<\/p>\n And that was what they\u2019d continue to believe, as Rafaema got older. Until she died or\u2014had an accident in her forties. And then some new, young Drake, probably with different features, an entirely different backstory, would appear.<\/p>\n Probably not as beautiful this time. And she\u2019d have to remove her wings. Rafaema slumped. If they let her, she\u2019d make the next \u2018her\u2019 be male. It would at least keep one kind of suitor away. And that pest.<\/em> She sighed. As she walked across Manus\u2019 inner walls\u2014the Walled City had two layers of walls\u2014she felt someone coming up behind her.<\/p>\n \u201cThen again, pests accumulate no matter what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rafaema. Pest number one, at your service.\u201d<\/p>\n A Gnoll caught up to Rafaema. He wore casual clothes\u2014but full-body, not the light clothing Gnolls usually preferred, that left their fur exposed. He walked with an easy stroll, unlike the military [Soldiers] that Manus was famous for. He was offering Rafaema a flower, much to the disgust of the other males who were planning on the same. Rafaema eyed the green petals, took the flower\u2014and tossed it over the wall.<\/p>\n It fell, and Rafaema stared across Manus. The inner walls of Manus contained a city, but the outer walls lay distant.<\/p>\n And below. Manus had been built so that anyone who finally claimed the star-shaped city\u2019s walls\u2014which provided overlapping fire, combined with outward slanting walls that made putting a ladder up impossible, machicolations, and every conceivable defense designed to give an attacking force a bad time\u2014they\u2019d celebrate\u2026<\/p>\n Only to realize Manus had a set of inner<\/em> walls and it had been built such that the inner walls had both height and positioning on the outer walls. Manus could literally bombard anyone who took the outer walls into oblivion and then retake their defenses. And if, if<\/em> you took the inner walls, you still had a city full of choke points and fortifications designed to favor the defender against impossible odds.<\/p>\n It was the kind of city that begged people to attack it. And sure enough, Manus was called the City of War not because it had a strong economy or agriculture or industry, but because it was good at one thing. And it bordered the Antinium Hives\u2014in fact, it was one of the reasons they\u2019d failed to expand in both wars.<\/p>\n But as a result, Manus had to use space wisely. Rafaema threw the suitor\u2019s flower over the inner walls and watched it fall down the hill on which the inner city was built. Terraced farms were being worked there, and Rafaema watched the flower fall amid the crops being busily tended to.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Rafaema, you wound my heart! I searched for that for ages. <\/em>Won\u2019t you at least consider it a moment?\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll clutched at his heart, gesturing imploringly at Rafaema. She ignored him; he was a picture of one of the many suitors she got. This one was particularly insistent, one of the ones who refused to give up after she rebuffed him. She looked around. No one was within earshot and anyone watching them would assume this was another suitor wasting Rafaema\u2019s time.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can drop the act now.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll paused halfway down towards bending a knee. He straightened; he\u2019d already known they were alone, Rafaema guessed. The Gnoll nodded at her.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Coloseuvia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t call me that. I barely remember my last names anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Rafaema snapped. The Gnoll nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you wish, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019d dropped his act. Now, he stood like a [Soldier]. Rafaema had chosen an empty stretch of Manus to walk through; she knew the patrol routes by heart, and which parts of the city got empty when. This was her<\/em> city after all. She had lived here all her life.<\/p>\n \u201cStop following me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know I can\u2019t do that, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll walked after Rafaema. He turned his head now and then, just as if he were looking around, but Rafaema knew he saw everything. The Gnoll wasn\u2019t tall or short, and he had a terribly nondescript way about him. Rafaema was sure it was a Skill. When he wasn\u2019t acting, he was just\u2026bland.<\/p>\n And terribly efficient. Terribly so. Rafaema was used to the efficient people who followed her around wherever she went. At least he was open about it. And he was the latest in the line of her\u2026protectors.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re new.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you spotted me within a second of me meeting you. My disguise needs work. I apologize, Lady.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cName?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFerris Thycarl.\u201d<\/p>\n No rank, no affiliation. Rafaema didn\u2019t ask further. She knew what he was. People liked to joke that Manus was full of war-minded idiots, but the training schools in the City of War produced more than just officers and [Strategists]. Some, like Ferris, performed duties in secret. But he had to be good, if he knew who she was.<\/p>\n The Gnoll looked sideways at Rafaema. He still looked innocuous as any Gnoll. Except for one thing.<\/p>\n \u201cMay I ask how you picked up on my identity, Lady Rafaema?\u201d<\/p>\n She snorted and opened her wings restlessly, feeling the breeze catch on them. She enjoyed having wings. Other Drake forms were so\u2026restrictive.<\/p>\n \u201cYou all look the same to me. Your eyes give you away. Your lot always stares<\/em> the first time you see me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh. Not in a love struck way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLove struck suitors stare at other things.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris had to grin at that. He bowed, slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cAt your service then, Lady Rafaema. If you want me to present myself some other way\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to the last one? The female Drake.\u201d<\/p>\n He paused.<\/p>\n \u201cReassigned, Lady Rafaema. If you have an issue with my presence\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll get me a new one. Anyways, I wanted you to talk to me which is why I left the note. So\u2014talk. Do you know what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll who called himself Ferris paused. He was<\/em> smart, because he didn\u2019t waste time.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not aware of the full scope of Manus\u2019 decisions, but I\u2019m aware of the Pallass situation. May I ask what the war council decided?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re going to approach the other Walled Cities for joint funding on some operations against the Hives. And they want to look into Liscor. Some of your friends will be heading there. They\u2019re probably already being briefed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n That was all Ferris said. No \u2018is that wise?<\/em>\u2019 or \u2018what do you think?<\/em>\u2019. He was trained not to ask those questions. If he had an opinion\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you wished to see me, Lady Rafaema, because\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow much do you report to your superiors, Ferris? I remember one of your people said you have to make a weekly report on how I\u2019m feeling<\/em>. And of course, you\u2019re the one responsible for me. Rather than a team. Because I\u2019m old enough not to need one.\u201d<\/p>\n Rafaema\u2019s tone was pleasant, but if you looked at her eyes, you would notice two things. That Rafaema had two differently-colored pupils. Heterochromia, the phenomenon was called. Also\u2014that said eyes were glinting dangerously.<\/p>\n Ferris paused. He thought about his reply and went for the truth, which was wise\u2014Rafaema could cast spells as well as many [Mages] and she\u2019d mastered [Detect Lies] long ago.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m trusted enough to make my own decisions, Lady Rafaema. I do make a weekly report. If you have any desires\u2026you need only ask me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ll pass it along.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot if it\u2019s an easy request. I am here to serve, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I said I wanted to leave Manus today?\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris\u2019 gaze flickered.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d have to ask my superiors, Lady Rafaema. That\u2019s not within my power to grant.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence. He was eying her. Rafaema, like many of Manus\u2019 officers, wore a sword at her side. But the Gnoll didn\u2019t look frightened, and Rafaema guessed he was as dangerous without weapons as with whatever secret weapons he had on him. But she was unique.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you are new.<\/em> How much did they tell you about me? Everything? Did they tell you about Kelis? Or Amessia?\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll didn\u2019t blink. He smiled politely.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are mandatory case-studies now, Lady Rafaema. If you have an objection to me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t decided yet. Some of you annoy me. Like your predecessor.\u201d<\/p>\n Rafaema\u2019s eyes glinted. Ferris nodded. Keeping her happy was an important job. He\u2019d been chosen for it.<\/p>\n \u201cSo how much do you know? Have you read my file? All of it? It\u2019s not that well hidden. If you know to look for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris sighed through his nose. He straightened, adopting a military pose for a moment as he clasped his paws behind his back.<\/p>\n \u201cI know everything, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n She paused. Rafaema went to the battlements overlooking Manus. She stood there, on the inner walls. Then she looked suddenly at Ferris.<\/p>\n \u201cHow old am I? I forget.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA hundred and twenty-three, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh.\u201d<\/p>\n She hadn\u2019t known that. She\u2019d thought she was around a hundred and eighteen. But there it was.<\/p>\n Rafaema was over a hundred years old. Old, for any species in the world. Only half-Elves could face that so easily. But Rafaema had lived it. A hundred and twenty three years of\u2026growing up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel so long. But I\u2019ve stopped taking naps. When was the last one?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty-seven years ago, Lady Rafaema. If you are feeling\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Shut up.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll fell silent obediently. Rafaema stared over her city. And for a moment, the young, vibrant Drake looked a bit lost. She looked like someone in her early twenties. And that was accurate. She liked looking how she felt. Well, she might be old, even for this appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cSleeping\u2026bothers me. Not regular sleep. I\u2014didn\u2019t I sleep for seventeen years one time? And\u2014how long was the other time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNine years. Among other periods. Your latest periods of slumber have grown shorter, Lady Rafaema. It is a natural\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He shut up as Rafaema looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cDo your books tell you about Dragonspeaker Telimer, Ferris?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n She was in a bad mood. Ferris\u2019 fur tried to stand up on end. Rafaema gazed across her city, moodily. There was an outer city as well; Manus\u2019 outer walls had only been taken twice. The Walled City was huge, but it felt small to her.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt took me four decades to figure it out. Four decades. I know I was a fool when I was that small, but I didn\u2019t understand. They kept putting me back to sleep, and I kept waking up and wondering where everyone went. I didn\u2019t understand it until I was\u2014forty. I kept thinking they were out there<\/em> somewhere. In another Walled City.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe\u2026records indicate that it was a mistake to do so, Lady Rafaema. The Dragonspeaker thought\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Rafaema looked at Ferris and he went quiet. She was the image of a Drake. If you stared at her shadow, it was just her. She wasn\u2019t concealing anything. Her body was the size of a Drake. But the magic only went so far. Her eyes sparked.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t step outside the keep until I was fifty years old. And when I did, they put an entire army on watching me. I like Manus, Ferris. I really do. I know how much I owe the city\u2026did they tell you what I did for my eightieth birthday?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris was watching her now. Rafaema grinned. She had a toothy, perfect smile.<\/p>\n \u201cHow good are<\/em> you, Ferris? Exact level and class?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t say, Lady.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think that if you tried, you could get away before I threw you off the walls? I don\u2019t have levels, but I\u2019m still me.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll wasn\u2019t sweating. Which was really impressive at this point. He looked past Rafaema.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe I\u2019d survive that. Lady Rafaema, if you dislike my presence\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m thinking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Moodily, Rafaema turned back to the view. Her tail was lashing the stones. Ferris watched her and wondered if the transformation magic was bothering her.<\/p>\n In previous generations, the Dragonspeakers had dealt with their sacred charge in different ways. Some had made mistakes. Others had done well. But the growing Dragon entrusted to them had never been an easy<\/em> charge. She had been a child. Intelligent, but a child<\/em> for decades. And her wrath on finding she\u2019d been deceived was written in the history books.<\/p>\n But that was the thing. At age eighty, Rafaema had thrown what could only be described as the worst case of adolescent tantrums in Manus\u2019 entire history. But she had been\u2026a teen.<\/p>\n Dragons were considered young adults, able to strike out on their own when they were two hundred years old. They were immortal, able to live forever, gifted with more innate magical ability than any [Mage], far beyond that of even half-Elves. Their scales could deflect arrows. They could fly, transform, and had a diversity of abilities second to no species in this world.<\/p>\n But they paid a price for their power. And it was only in one thing: they gave birth to precious few. Their young aged so, so very slowly. For that reason alone, there were almost no Dragons left. There were rumors, and people knew<\/em> there were Dragons. Somewhere.<\/p>\n That was what they said. But if you were trusted, trusted beyond reproach, you could go into a vault only the Dragonspeaker and a handful of others knew about. Like Ferris, who was the best out of every graduate in his academy, and whose loyalty and ability had been tested to a degree not even Manus\u2019 [Generals] were expected to meet. He had read the document.<\/p>\n There were only two in all of Izril. Only two left. And one of them was a moody young\u2026woman. After a century and a quarter of waiting.<\/p>\n Part of that century, actually, a lot, had been sleeping. It had terrified the scales off the first Dragonspeaker when the baby Dragon had slept for a decade the first time. But apparently Dragons slept for long periods if they needed to.<\/p>\n Their bodies were masterworks of perfection. Rafaema might have been transformed, but she kept her strength, speed, and toughness. She could probably throw Ferris a long<\/em> ways if he let her catch him. She didn\u2019t need Skills, and in fact, it was just as well that she couldn\u2019t level. If Dragons had been able to level, they\u2019d have ruled the world forever.<\/p>\n Whatever was bothering Rafaema, she hadn\u2019t shown it in the war council. Ferris was aware of the decisions that Dragonspeaker Luciva and the others had settled on. Rafaema had been part of those discussions, and a respected voice, since the war council knew who she was. They listened to her now. But when all was said and done, Rafaema was still their ward, their charge that they had faithfully kept safe for generations until she was ready.<\/p>\n The hope of Dragons and Drakes, known only to two Walled Cities, was staring blankly ahead. Ferris waited. One of the reasons he\u2019d been chosen was because he was very<\/em> good at his job. The other was his personality. No one wanted a disaster like Kelis, or Amessia again. Those two agents who\u2019d been assigned to Rafaema fifty and thirty years ago had nearly caused disaster.<\/p>\n Managing Rafaema\u2019s mood was\u2026tricky. She\u2019d been angry ever since her friend, Dragonspeaker Luciva\u2019s daughter, had died. Rafaema made few friends to begin with. She had once been a social child, apparently. But Ferris had read that she\u2019d made fewer and fewer friends with each decade.<\/p>\n That too, had concerned previous Dragonspeakers. Ferris had read their thoughts and the times when Rafaema had reacted to the deaths of her friends over decades. Her entire history was in a book in the vault where she had been protected as an egg.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, even though I didn\u2019t think about it for a long time, Izril doesn\u2019t really change. It\u2019s been over a hundred years and I\u2019ve seen the Humans attack, lose, win, the Walled Cities fight\u2014they nearly took Fissival one time, you know? Pallass. We had wars with the Gnolls, a war with Baleros\u2014I think. Even the King of Destruction. But it never really changed to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris was silent. Rafaema went on.<\/p>\n \u201cThe King of Destruction never made it past Zeres. The Goblin King scared everyone, but there was the other one. The Hundred Days one, in Terandria. All of that was the same. To me. I\u2019ve seen it all before. But the Antinium? They\u2019re new.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She glanced at the Gnoll. Rafaema did train in the practice courts. She was rated highly with a blade, even if she pretended to use Skills. Ferris had heard that Spearmaster Lulv was teaching her to use a spear against the advice of the others, who wanted Rafaema to use a sword.<\/p>\n A Dragon with a sword. But since she wore her transformed body, it made sense to let Rafaema learn to use a weapon. The young Dragon shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes your book talk about when I was\u2026ninety, Ferris? Right up until the Antinium arrived?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n The Dragonspeaker at that time had not <\/em>been happy. Rafaema had, among other things, entered into a number of relationships, tried almost every illicit substance she could find, and caused a lot of trouble for her wardens. But Dragons couldn\u2019t mate with lesser species. Well\u2014bear offspring.<\/p>\n Rafaema must have read the unspoken words crossing Ferris\u2019 mind. Her eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cI was lazy.<\/em> But when the Antinium attacked\u2014they sieged Manus. Even Manus. I wasn\u2019t allowed to fight. Not in the first war, or the second. So I started training. Do you know how long it\u2019s been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo decades.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. But I<\/em> don\u2019t level. But I trained because I realized the Antinium are a threat. The war council decided to send spies to Liscor. To figure out what\u2019s going on. We thought the Hive there was planning to take over Liscor. But instead\u2014there was that one. Bird. The Hunter. But that\u2019s not what I care about. I want to know about the Human.\u201d<\/p>\n Ah.<\/em> She\u2019d gotten to the same topic Ferris had seen underlined in a dozen reports. The Human.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want me to find you a summary\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve read<\/em> the summary. It\u2019s all Wyvern crap. A Human who appeared in Liscor. No one knows her nation of origin. She employs Hobgoblins. She\u2019s an [Innkeeper] who led a Goblin army<\/em> against the Goblin Lord<\/em>. She\u2019s got ties to the Antinium. She has bear teeth. She can spit blood, arm-wrestle Minotaurs, and she runs about barefoot! I saw her in the battle with the moths. Why doesn\u2019t anyone know about her?\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll nodded slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an oversight, Lady Rafaema. I assume that the [Strategists] didn\u2019t place a high level of credence on the rumors about her. And she was located at Liscor\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur border city with the Humans! Does everyone forget they stopped the Antinium twice?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe the Walled Cities disagreed strongly with the decision to place a Hive under Liscor. That decision went against all the Walled Cities at the time. And since the trade road was overtaken by the Bloodfields\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told them to figure out a way to burn it. But they thought it was fine. And the war council and the Dragonspeaker make the decisions. I\u2019ve only been allowed into the war council recently, because I\u2019m responsible <\/em>now.\u201d<\/p>\n Rafaema snorted and the air grew charged. Ferris felt his fur standing up on end. He\u2019d have to buy an anti-shock ring if he was going to work this job. But Gnolls had been rare attendants of Rafaema. Few were trusted with this much knowledge. He coughed lightly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Dragonspeaker and the war council respect your opinion greatly, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut they look at me like I\u2019m still a child. And I\u2019m older than any of them by decades.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Dragon\u2019s eyes were flashing. Oh yes, she was a Dragon, even if she had only ever met one other of her kind. And she did not like condescension, among other things. Part of Ferris\u2019 job was to clean up after\u2026problems. Or prevent them.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rafaema, I\u2019m sure the war council doesn\u2019t mean any disrespect. If you have an issue, Dragonspeaker\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuiet.\u201d<\/p>\n And he was. Rafaema drew herself up. Dragon.<\/em> Secret hope of the Drakes, even if most of them didn\u2019t know it yet. She still had time, over half a century to go. But look\u2014<\/p>\n She was real. Rafaema looked at her home, the only city she had ever known. A pleasant cage. She had gone beyond the walls before, but never long. And since the Antinium\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cI want to go on a trip.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can arrange a visit to another Walled City\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot another Walled City. I want to go to Liscor.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris paused.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid that\u2019s impossible, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh really? Because of the Antinium?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAmong other considerations, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I can\u2019t protect myself? Is that why I still can\u2019t leave Manus?\u201d<\/p>\n A delicate pause. Ferris didn\u2019t feel like flying today. He bowed his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI am only doing my duties, Lady Rafaema. And I have clear instructions. The Dragonspeaker\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n Rafaema turned away. Ferris blinked. And then immediately grew wary. The young Dragon looked back at Ferris.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand.<\/em> I\u2019m not a child. And I can understand Manus\u2019 need for security. But I\u2019m also older than I was. And I want authority. This is my city. And I\u2019m going to do what should<\/em> be done. The war council is making their decisions. And I\u2019m making mine. So if I can\u2019t go to Liscor\u2014I want that Human to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cErin Solstice?\u201d<\/p>\n The young Dragon smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Bring her here. Manus is going to send her an invitation. And you\u2019re going to help bring her here. Tell your [Infiltrators] or [Spies] or whoever else is going to make that happen too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rafaema\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She stared<\/em> at him. Rafaema\u2019s tone never grew less pleasant.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to meet her. She\u2019s an asset to the Antinium or she knows about them. I want to meet her. You\u2019re going to get her to come here so I<\/em> can appraise her. She\u2019s just an [Innkeeper], right? I\u2019ll make her an asset.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt might be difficult. We cannot kidnap a Human\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho said kidnap? Just get her here. Offer her gold. I don\u2019t care. But bring her here so I can make plans. This is my<\/em> operation, by the way. Which no one is going to know about. You\u2019re assigned to me, so you\u2019re under my authority.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris paused. Each generation, and each handler had their struggles. He was sure his would be an eventful entry. Even if it was\u2026short.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if, hypothetically, I found reason to take issue with your request, Lady Rafaema?\u201d<\/p>\n She shrugged, smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cThen the Dragonspeaker will be finding a new minder for me. Because the old one went flying with all his fur burnt off by lightning and his bones broken. Before<\/em> he landed.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris stared at Rafaema. The beautiful, old and young, gifted and levelless, experienced and sheltered Dragon of Manus looked back at him. The Gnoll considered his options and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m part of a rotation of your security detail, Lady Rafaema.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. But you\u2019re in charge. Tell the other three they can cover for you. By the way, I know who\u2019s on my detail. I have access to everything. I also know where you live. My 80th birthday isn\u2019t anything compared to the trouble I can make now. And if I really don\u2019t like what I hear, I\u2019ll fly over those walls right now.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll paused, but there wasn\u2019t really an option. And Rafaema and he both knew that. He looked pretty competent. Manus didn\u2019t assign idiots to her, and the Gnoll was<\/em> a [Soldier]. Rafaema watched him hurry off. And then she turned back.<\/p>\n Her city was a cage. But she was tired of it. She wasn\u2019t about to wait eighty more years, not with the Antinium. Not when she knew her duty. Yes, duty. Investigating the Antinium and making the right <\/em>decisions was something Rafaema could do. After all, she was a Dragon. And she could wait, at least until it was time to make her move.<\/p>\n She had forever, after all.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAlright! We\u2019re not in trouble! There\u2019s no war! And I am back! Cheers!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n There was a lot of plotting in the world. Lots of big, dramatic speeches, underhanded ploys, schemes\u2014and you know what? It was all stupid. Erin Solstice knew what mattered. Sometimes it was about preparing for the future. Sometimes you had to think ahead.<\/p>\n But if you did that too long, you forgot to smile. And she had stared into the depths of her guilt and sadness. And she had seen her happiness. One was preferable to the other.<\/p>\n Erin Solstice raised her mug filled with apple juice and stood on a table. The inn cheered as her friends and family raised their mugs. The [Innkeeper] smiled and drank the sweet juice.<\/p>\n Lest the present slip away and be lost, smile. That was what she did on her first real day back. Erin drank the juice, sighed\u2014and grinned. Around her, people drank deeply. But Erin wasn\u2019t an alcohol drinker, mostly. Not only did she have [Immunity: Alcohol] until she turned it off, she didn\u2019t really need it.<\/p>\n After all, she liked being in the moment. Erin climbed down from her table as Mrsha finished her cup of milk and smacked<\/em> it onto the table. Next to her, Relc finished his substantially stronger drink and slammed<\/em> it down.<\/p>\n \u201cHah! That\u2019s right! This is how it should be! Whoo!\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake was in good spirits. He cheered and Erin stared at his broken mug.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! Stop that! Restore!\u201d<\/p>\n She waved her hands and her [Partial Restoration] Skill activated. Relc went cross-eyed as the mug in his hand fixed itself. He grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cI love this place. Hey Erin, can I break a chair? Just for fun?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo! Stop that! Put it down!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin Solstice laughed. And that was it. She was back, and the long-delayed celebration was happening at her inn. Relc paused in picking up a chair.<\/p>\n \u201cAw, come on. For old time\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo! Put it down!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBreak it, Relc!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua shouted across the inn. The Halfseekers had come through the door to Pallass at the promise of parties and cake. She was sitting next to Maughin. The Drake raised it over his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo! Stop it! Don\u2019t encourage him!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin pointed at Relc. She could have used her aura\u2014but she wouldn\u2019t. She saw people ducking as Relc turned. Then\u2014Mrsha leapt at him.<\/p>\n \u201cOw! Hey! Stop that!\u201d<\/p>\n Relc yelped as Mrsha climbed onto his shoulders. She hung onto a neck spine and began energetically beating him with one paw. He tried to get her off\u2014gently, despite his curses\u2014and the laughter intensified.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha, stop that!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette scolded. But Mrsha hung on. Relc eventually pried her off and handed her to Lyonette.<\/p>\n \u201cHah! Ow. That little kid\u2019s got some good muscle!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry about that\u2014Mrsha, apologize! You\u2019re not a [Thug]!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? No way. She\u2019s like Embria at that age. You\u2019ve gotta teach them to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Relc waved off the apology. Lyonette was angrier than he was. She scolded Mrsha, who fled behind Relc. Erin laughed. She looked around her inn.<\/p>\n Not everyone was here. The Players were still absent, having yet to appear through Celum\u2019s door. Klbkch and the Antinium had left, save for Bird, who was in his room, punished. Erin didn\u2019t see Numbtongue, but the Goblin didn\u2019t like crowds. Olesm and the Council were still missing\u2014<\/p>\n But Selys was here. She was chatting with Drassi. Yet\u2014the Horns of Hammerad were gone. They\u2019d left. Erin felt a pang.<\/p>\n New came with the old, though. Palt, Montressa, and Beza were all present, all of whom wanted Erin to discuss matters of import with them. Erin wasn\u2019t sure she liked the trade-off in guests, but she smiled as she saw a new crowd.<\/p>\n The Halfseekers, Rufelt, Lasica, Maughin, and Pelt<\/em> were all present. They\u2019d come through the door, although Moore had been forced to charge it up. The tired half-Giant was being plied with a large vessel of wine at this moment by his friends for his hard work. And indeed, today was a celebration of the heroics in Pallass as much as anything else.<\/p>\n \u201cTo the Halfseekers, for their hard work!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin raised her apple juice and everyone toasted the Gold-rank team. Jelaqua got up and took a bow. Seborn just grunted as he drank from his cup. Moore smiled and Mrsha bounded over and leapt on his lap.<\/p>\n \u201cCheers! And to not having a war!\u201d<\/p>\n Relc laughed, ignoring the moment of silence his words caused. Erin sighed, but then grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cCheers to that too. And to Relc<\/em>, who\u2019s a hero!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Hey, stop that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Relc turned red<\/em>, much to Erin\u2019s delight as she got another cheer. The Drake [Guardsman] covered it with a long drink. But it was true.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In Liscor, the city was toasting more than just the aversion of war. They\u2019d heard or seen the battle\u2014mostly heard, since scrying orbs were expensive and rare\u2014but those who had watched it had seen Relc and Olesm defending Pallass. Lism, in between arguing in the Council\u2019s meeting room and sending [Messages] to other cities, had an incredibly smug look on his face. Undeserved, but proud.<\/p>\n As for Wing Commander Embria, she was smiling widely for no reason whatsoever.<\/em> The High Command had gotten on her tail hard about Bird, but you wouldn\u2019t know it to look at her. And indeed\u2014nothing could dent Embria\u2019s mood.<\/p>\n Because 4th Company was being bought drinks, or being stopped on the street as they patrolled or as they relaxed off-duty. And all the questions were about Relc.<\/em> Relc, whom everyone knew as Senior Guardsman, that idiot Relc. But also as Relc, the Gecko of Liscor and former [Sergeant] in the army.<\/p>\n Normally, his name was mud and<\/em> dung in 4th Company\u2019s books as someone who\u2019d quit the army. But at this moment, the Drake who\u2019d gone into Pallass and faced the Wyvern Lord was a hero. And the [Soldiers] had been faced with the same choice as Liscor\u2019s Army. Embrace Relc or\u2026not.<\/p>\n \u201cSergeant <\/em>Relc? Of course. We heard all the stories about him. He was actually 4th Company\u2019s secret weapon. Back in the day he\u2019d take out the enemy officer. Even a [Commander]-class once or twice! Just charge in, cut his way through, get away. Hit and run. Classic tactics. Of course, Captain Wikir served with him. Credit to the army. [Spearmaster]. Just like Wing Commander Embria. She learned it from him.\u201d<\/p>\n Captain Pielt was speaking loudly to a crowd of listeners. Embria smiled as she finished her drink\u2014she was getting countless requests for war stories about Relc. And reluctantly\u2014reluctantly answering them. She\u2026couldn\u2019t stop smiling.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n There was time to laugh. Erin found herself sitting at a table with Rufelt, Lasica, Selys, Relc, and a handful of others. Pelt was happily getting drunk\u2014Erin had promised him a maximum discount and the Dwarf seemed as content as Erin had ever seen him. Right now, though, Erin was just smiling.<\/p>\n She\u2019d deal with the rest later. Including her [Garden of Sanctuary] which hadn\u2019t appeared, even outside. Maybe she needed actual dirt and stuff? Lyonette had the flower pots in her room upstairs. And they were blooming well\u2014half had been lost in the inn\u2019s destruction, but Mrsha had helped bring them back.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re not in trouble? Promise? You\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Lasica nodded. She was having a juice, like Erin. Rufelt had provided drinks for the others. Lasica took a few fries from the bowl and dipped them into Erin\u2019s ketchup.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Assembly is hopping mad, but no one\u2019s calling for your head. Or\u2014Bird. Really, if the Walled Cities were organized, they\u2019d probably do something, but they\u2019re all fighting. Half are blaming Pallass for the attack.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t their fault. I could have told you\u2014Wyverns can do nasty tricks like that frost attack.\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua sighed. She was chewing happily, and feeding Maughin\u2019s head fries. It was a funny sight. Lasica shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know the cities. Erin, those are decent fries.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut why is it so salty? Do we need to have another cooking lesson?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey! Maybe! But this is fun<\/em> food.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreasy, is what I call it. Come to the bar later and I\u2019ll give you another lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019ll teach your [Bartender] more tricks. We owe you, Erin. I\u2019m sorry about, er, everything during the battle.\u201d<\/p>\n Rufelt looked embarrassed as he hugged his wife. Erin smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! No problem. And congratulations<\/em>! How do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Both husband and wife coughed. Relc looked blank as he drank from a mix of Antinium Rxlvn<\/em> and a very sweet syrup. It was apparently the only thing that could make it flavorful. Also\u2014Relc was one of the few people it wouldn\u2019t knock out instantly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s not a matter of knowing, Erin. We ah, you know interspecies couples have to purchase specific charms? It\u2019s\u2026effective.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you buy the right ones. And I\u2019m only a few weeks into it, so someone <\/em>can stop treating me as if I\u2019m glass!\u201d<\/p>\n Lasica glared at her husband. He blushed again under his fur. You could tell by the way it rose. Erin laughed in delight.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still so great! But you\u2019re so sure? When\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we had a conversation\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. You two had sex.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Relc burped, finally catching on. The table exploded into laughter as Jelaqua leaned back, howling. Maughin had turned bright red. The Dullahan cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cThat may be an inappropriate topic with children around.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Mrsha, who was wandering the tables. Jelaqua nudged Maughin cheerfully.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Maughin. It\u2019s just sex<\/em>. You don\u2019t have a problem with it, normally.\u201d<\/p>\n The Dullahan turned even redder at her wink. Erin felt a bit hot around the ears. She looked at Mrsha\u2014but Mrsha was a Plains Gnoll. And she was totally uninterested. She hopped up onto a bar stool and stared at the Dwarf.<\/p>\n Pelt was older than Dawil. He was also grumpier than Dawil. Drassi leaned over the bar as Pelt motioned for another whiskey.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Pelt, right? Do you know Dawil by any chance? He\u2019s the only Dwarf I\u2019ve ever met. Member of the Silver Swords?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Smith] paused in reaching for another drink. He stared at Drassi and his eyes widened.<\/p>\n \u201cDawil? You mean, the<\/em> Dawil? The adventurer? The one who won the axe-throwing competition in the mountains back at home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know him?\u201d<\/p>\n Pelt nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I do. Listen up. Dawil is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He waited until Drassi leaned over, then shouted in her earhole.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother damn Dwarf! What do I care? Serve me my drinks and fuck off!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Drassi recoiled. She glared at Pelt as he downed another drink. The Dwarf laughed to himself as Drassi huffed over to Selys. Then he turned his head. A pair of brown eyes in a white-furred face stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cEh?\u201d<\/p>\n Pelt flinched back from Mrsha. He stared at her. The Gnoll cub stared silently back. At Pelt. Then at the complimentary bowl of peanuts. Roasted with a bit of sugar and then salted.<\/em> The Dwarf eyed Mrsha. He vaguely tried to shoo her off.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like brats. Get lost.\u201d<\/p>\n Mrsha stared at him. Pelt noticed her looking at the bowl.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want this? Take it and go away.\u201d<\/p>\n He shoved it towards her. Mrsha grabbed the bowl and vanished. Pelt was clearly a good Dwarf. Best Dwarf. Mrsha scampered over to Seborn and Moore to share her prize. Apista flew over and grabbed a peanut. Because even a bee wanted a beer snack.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s random if you don\u2019t have a charm to ward against pregnancy or buy one that encourages it. Mine was random. Gotta be careful!\u201d<\/p>\n Relc was talking to the table about sex. A conversation that would have probably done the impossible and wiped Embria\u2019s smile off her face if she\u2019d been here. Erin was laughing. Maughin looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t tell me, Relc! At least we\u2019re safe! The other cities are really fighting?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes. Pallass embarrassing itself by letting an Antinium and the Wyverns onto its walls is just as important as the rest. Why do you think the Wings and Grimalkin and everyone else are nowhere to be seen? They\u2019ll argue about it, but I think you\u2019re fine. At least for now.\u201d<\/p>\n Lasica rolled her eyes, exasperated. Rufelt had to nod along.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Walled Cities are always competing. But then\u2014Drakes. You know the saying, surely?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin glanced around the table as Lasica elbowed her husband. Maughin, Jelaqua, and Beilmark, who\u2019d come over since she wasn\u2019t part of the Council, all laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, what saying?\u201d<\/p>\n Rufelt looked at Erin, eyes twinkling as his wife glared. Relc was just laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a saying about Drakes. If the entire world was reduced to dust and there were two Drakes left, they\u2019d fight over who had the most dust, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Chef] glared, but Erin laughed with everyone else. Then she frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard that one, actually!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait\u2014wait, I know another!\u201d<\/p>\n An eager voice rang out. Erin saw a female Gnoll waving a paw. Only\u2014it wasn\u2019t a Gnoll. It was Ulinde! The newest member of the Halfseekers was happier than Erin had ever seen her. She spoke, laughter in her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Do you know how to tell the difference between a Drake and a Lizardperson?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d<\/p>\n Relc glared. Erin pushed him in the shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, how?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrakes are the ones who complain about being asked!\u201d<\/p>\n More laughter. Relc and Lasica glared around the table. Selys, who came over with a mug in one hand, caught the last of the joke. She pulled a chair up.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, very funny.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s true!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s tons of sayings about Drakes. Any about other species?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was genuinely curious. The others nodded. Beilmark grinned. Erin didn\u2019t know her well, but the Senior Guardswoman was friendly.<\/p>\n \u201cTons! I know one about Gnolls, yes? It is a bit of an inside joke\u2014but shall I tell it?\u201d<\/p>\n The others nodded. Beilmark took a grin, and then began.<\/p>\n \u201cHrr. Okay, a Plains Gnoll and a City Gnoll walk into a bar. The Plains Gnoll says she\u2019s never seen so much alcohol in her life. She asks how something like this can come to be.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded at Rufelt. The Gnoll smiled, a rueful look on his face. Erin stopped laughing. Beilmark went on.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City Gnoll says it\u2019s because she worked hard all day and night and distilled the liquor and built the bar they\u2019re standing in. The Plains Gnoll says that\u2019s all very well, but the City Gnoll\u2019s forgotten her roots. And both are arguing so loudly they don\u2019t notice the Human [Thief] stealing all the alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n The silent table erupted into guffaws. Even Erin, who\u2019d been worried the saying was getting pretty political. But Beilmark and Rufelt were laughing harder.<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely a Gnoll joke.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys smiled over her cup. Erin laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Humans are the punch line! Hey! We\u2019re not all like that?\u201d<\/p>\n Lasica raised her eyebrow. The Drake put down her cup of juice and looked around.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah? How about this, then? If someone drops a gold coin on the ground, a Drake will take it and never give it back. A Gnoll will bring it to his tribe. And a Human will plant a flag on the ground and claim this was their land forever and that they\u2019ve always lived there.\u201d<\/p>\n This time Relc choked on his drink, he was laughing so hard. Jelaqua pounded the table, and even Maughin chuckled. Erin put her hands on her hips. Some of the Gnolls sitting at another table were chuckling.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! That\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She wanted to say inaccurate, but knowing the history of Izril made it a tiny<\/em> bit hard. Selys was laughing next to Erin. She raised her claw.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Erin. But really\u2014okay. Here\u2019s one. The only thing a Human won\u2019t mate with is a Creler, and that\u2019s only because the ones who tried got eaten!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey! That\u2019s not<\/em> funny!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin protested. Some of the others agreed, but even Seborn started laughing. Erin looked around. As one of two Humans in the room\u2014discounting Moore, and maybe Seborn who both seemed to find it funny\u2014she felt a bit hurt. More people began calling in jokes. Erin stared as Seborn shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cMy turn. What\u2019s the only difference between a Human and a Selphid?<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of them only steals <\/strong>bodies.<\/strong><\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua sprayed her drink out. She began hitting the table as she and Ulinde howled with laughter. Erin glared.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! Hey! I don\u2019t have to stand for this!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow many Humans does it take to conquer a Walled City?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Half the inn shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cHow many?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know! They\u2019re