In the way of things, Selys Shivertail found she was bored.<\/p>\n
Not just \u2018bored\u2019, like she got during a slow period working at the Adventurer\u2019s Guild, back in the \u2018good old days\u2019 when Liscor didn\u2019t have a single Gold-rank team, much less five. Or the bored you got from being stuck in bed with a fever.<\/p>\n
Or even the bored that came from doing something monotonous, like helping your grandmother, Tekshia Shivertail, sort beans by color. All those boredoms were, well, temporary. Not philosophical. But Selys\u2019 new boredom was the worst of all.<\/p>\n
It came from having lots of money. And it was a slow, insidious thing.<\/p>\n
At first, Selys bought whatever she wanted. Clothing. A new apartment. Little artifacts. Then she realized that the amount of pleasure she derived from buying things was proportional to how much of her money she\u2019d spent.<\/p>\n
A handbag or vial of perfume from Baleros she\u2019d saved for had been infinitely more valuable than the same bag she could buy twenty of. Money devalued objects. On the other hand\u2014it was still money. Selys could go to Pallass\u2019 spa, rent a horse, eat well\u2014those were fun things to do.<\/p>\n
The problem was that it didn\u2019t feel meaningful. Selys, as a [Heiress], had money. She wanted to do something with said money. She confessed her problems to her friends and found\u2026little sympathy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just that I don\u2019t know what to do with all the gold, Erin. I could keep it with the Merchant\u2019s Guild or\u2014invest it. I mean, I\u2019m building an apartment area.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh huh. So\u2026make two of them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Erin gave Selys a blank look as she poked a pot of boiling clams. The shells were mostly clean, but some scum was being boiled off. Erin poked at one, looking as disgusted as the clam was to be in each other\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to just<\/em> be a landowner, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. So do something else. I wish I had lots of gold. Can I get a loan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Be serious, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake watched a clam pop open. Erin was making clams; she\u2019d gotten them imported from the markets. Pallass imported all sorts of things, even seafood. As did Invrisil. But even so\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you making clams, Erin? They have to be extremely expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah. They were a gift. Okay, so you have money and you need to spend it. What about\u2026about\u2026investing in a business?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, like the Golden Triangle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026hey, can you pass me that plate?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys did. Erin took the clams out and put them on a plate. She eyed them and then reached for the knife at her waist.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, the trick is to not<\/em> cut off the fingers. I thought you went to that bigwig shindig with all the movers and shakers a bit ago?\u201d<\/p>\n Her Drake friend rubbed at one earhole.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026I have no idea what you just said. If you mean, Sir Relz\u2019 invitation\u2014I didn\u2019t enjoy it. There was an auction, and they all wanted me to, well, back their projects. You know, give money to their projects?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInvest. Why didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014it was just I was watching the auction. And there was this potion on sale. And um\u2026I\u2019m not that<\/em> rich, Erin. That was a lot of money being thrown around.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Heiress] felt awkward admitting that. She had more money than she could have ever dreamed of saving and it was change compared to that auction. Hence her state of having too much and too little.<\/p>\n Erin was\u2014unsympathetic. The [Innkeeper] glanced up.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, but if you want to make more money, you invest in stuff. Or buy stocks, but we don\u2019t have them. So\u2026ew.\u201d<\/p>\n She stared at the halved clams and the insides. Selys looked dubiously at the clams.<\/p>\n \u201cLiscor doesn\u2019t eat clams, Erin. We do get water, but clams don\u2019t survive the spring and they can\u2019t migrate. You sure these are good to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople eat clams. And oysters. I\u2019ve had them. Okay\u2026I think you just get some hot butter, which I have here, with garlic. Let\u2019s lever one out and\u2014ew.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Both young women recoiled from the clam Erin pried out of the shell. Clams, to the uninitiated, had an uncanny resemblance to slugs, snails, and other members of the mollusk family.<\/p>\n \u201cErin. That\u2019s disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo it\u2019s not. I think. This\u2014this is a delicacy. Yum. Hold on.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin gingerly dipped the clam in a bit of the hot butter and nibbled at it. She brightened up.<\/p>\n \u201cHm. The butter really helps, you know. I can work with this. I\u2019ll ask Lasica for a fancier clam-recipe. But this works. Hey Selys, want\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake had backed out of the kitchen by the time Erin turned around with the tray in hand. Erin sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d still take an investment in the inn!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She shouted after Selys. The Drake saw Erin leave the kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! Anyone wanna try a clam with butter?\u201d<\/p>\n She waved one hand. People looked around. Mrsha came racing out of the garden\u2019s door, took one look at the clams, and raced back the way she\u2019d come.<\/p>\n That was conversation one. But as Selys saw Menolit, Bezale\u2014who liked seafood, since it reminded her of home\u2014Montressa, and a few others gather around to share thoughts, she did have a thought.<\/p>\n All of Erin\u2019s \u2018bigwigs\u2019 had indeed been into investing. They had cornered everything from Pallass\u2019 spas to local agriculture, trade\u2014Selys had been dismayed to see how fast they\u2019d jumped on the opportunities in Liscor. They hadn\u2019t come to visit, but a number had bought space in Liscor for construction projects.<\/p>\n Even a certain Wall Lord in Salazsar had purchased land, which had led to a number of representatives flooding into Liscor from Salazsar, Manus, one from Fissival and Zeres\u2026<\/p>\n Liscor would have its elite class, even if a good number wouldn\u2019t ever visit the city. But that meant Selys wasn\u2019t on the ground floor by herself. Actually, her apartment already had six floors thanks to Antinium labor and a lot of Human tenants. But while it was steady\u2014buying a second area of land wasn\u2019t very tenable. It was long-term income and Selys wanted something exciting.<\/em><\/p>\n She looked around The Wandering Inn, and then at Erin. The Drake\u2019s eyes narrowed. Well\u2014some things were obvious. And if Erin had<\/em> been serious\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Wandering Inn was hopping. And not just with the clientele. Lyonette had taken credit for, well, developing the inn\u2019s actual income source in clientele, both guests and regular diners. She had made great strides, even if there were complications.<\/p>\n \u201cBelgrade\u2026Pawn\u2026I don\u2019t know how to say this. But no. Please undo that.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Princess] rubbed at her forehead. Belgrade and Pawn looked crestfallen.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Lyonette, the stables are done!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Belgrade pointed at the stables. Lyonette stared at it.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. And it\u2019s\u2026good. But\u2014and I don\u2019t know how to say this\u2014you can\u2019t have a stables with two floors.\u201d<\/p>\n The two Antinium looked at her. Pawn raised one hand.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHorses don\u2019t like heights. I realize you two wouldn\u2019t know this. Uh\u2026it\u2019s not something I usually have to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut there is even a ramp. See? Thus, twice as many horses can be stored due to vertical design. I came up with it myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but\u2014no. Belgrade, please make it one floor only. We can store fodder on the second floor or use it for something else. But no second-floor stables.\u201d<\/p>\n It was amazing how the Antinium were both more efficient than any other species and simultaneously, more inept. They\u2019d somehow put up the framework for the entire stables in a morning, before Lyonette had been able to see it. Belgrade\u2019s antennae drooped.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. But perhaps if we lifted the horses with\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not the problem, Belgrade. Excuse me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette had just seen her second headache of the day. She waved at a group of [Porters] walking with a wagon up the hill. It was filled with sealed barrels, but the smell was still fishy.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHello! Excuse me\u2014<\/em>this is bound for House Sanito, isn\u2019t it? Preserved fish? Not the front, please! We have an unloading area. Around back.\u201d<\/p>\n A Gnoll leading the group gave Lyonette a blank look.<\/p>\n \u201cHouse who? We were only told by the warehouse owner, Reira, to deliver this to the inn. And to collect our pay.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette groaned.<\/em> She waved at the Gnoll, pointing.<\/p>\n \u201cGo around back! Some of our workers will unload the wagons. And you\u2019re not being paid by us. Look, I\u2019ll give you a receipt! Reira will get her pay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA receipt? She won\u2019t like that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The [Cargomaster] was dubious, but Lyonette convinced him to take his things around back. There, the Gnolls and Drakes met a new addition to the inn\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n \u201cPut everything there. Yes, just in there. The Workers will take it from there.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Porters] eyed the Antinium Workers who were waiting for the barrels. Lyonette had, with permission and some help from Pawn, \u2018hired\u2019 eighteen Workers. They weren\u2019t Painted Antinium.<\/p>\n They were Bird\u2019s crew, who had worked on the inn. Now, they were both construction and general labor. They rolled the barrels into the basement, through the loading ramp. Meanwhile, Lyonette took one of the receipts, noted down the details of the cargo\u2014tonnes of fish for House Sanito, dated it, signed it, and gave one copy for the [Cargomaster].<\/p>\n Loading ramps. Receipts. This was the changing inn. And\u2014ironically, it wasn\u2019t all Erin\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n The trade between Liscor and the other nobles houses was. Lyonette gestured at the Workers.<\/p>\n \u201cMove the door over to the basement and we\u2019ll roll a few barrels through and give it time to recharge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Miss Lyonette.\u201d<\/p>\n The Workers obediently walked into the inn and came out carrying the magic door, much to the annoyance of people wanting to visit Esthelm, or Celum, or\u2026Lyonette went over to reassure them, then communicate with House Sanito.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me. We have about two thousand <\/em>and two hundred pounds of preserved fish. We have your delivery\u2014do you have payment for the food?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Princess] opened the door to House Sanito. The woman standing on the other side gave her an open-mouthed response.<\/p>\n \u201cA-already? But we ordered that just an hour ago!\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette gave the woman a strange look.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. It just needed to come up from the warehouses. We can probably give you four hundred pounds\u2019 worth at a time. But I\u2019d like to collect the payment as well, if that\u2019s alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, excuse me, Miss. Dear\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Belatedly, Lyonette realized she\u2019d been speaking to Lady Edere Sanito. The woman hurried off, very flustered, and Lyonette reflected that they had better move the door; she doubted Lady Sanito wanted barrels of smelly fish rolled through her carpeted hallways.<\/p>\n Oh, so busy. Lyonette got a few barrels through as Lord Sanito hurried out to see the cheap food he\u2019d bought with his own eyes. The rest stayed in the basement until they could be shipped out via door\u2014the inn was part warehouse now, given Erin\u2019s new Skills and the Antinium expanding the already-large area.<\/p>\n It was all money to Lyonette. Money she would reinvest and use in the name of The Wandering Inn. She\u2019d nearly paid off her fine from Zevara with her own income; she could have done it easily with the money from the inn, but that wasn\u2019t hers.<\/em> This money would make more projects possible. It had already opened doors and curried favor\u2014literally.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Lyonette, wanna clam?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin offered Lyonette the clams she\u2019d received from another of the noble houses. Lord Toldos of House Everight had some coastal holdings. He\u2019d sent the clams to Erin as thanks for her getting him some much-needed tools, cheap from Esthelm.<\/p>\n House Everight did border the sea, but since his lands were on the eastern<\/em> side of Izril, it wasn\u2019t part of the Baleros-Chandrar-Terandria circuit that [Merchants] liked to get to. Hither to this point, Lord Toldos had relied on Invrisil for trade.<\/p>\n All this to say that when Selys found Lyonette, chewing on a clam and remarking that it was lacking\u2026everything\u2026in terms of actual seasoning or preparation to Erin, the [Princess] should have jumped at the suggestion that Selys invest in the inn.<\/p>\n \u201cOoh. You mean it, Selys? I told you I was serious. Lyonette\u2014we could build a park.<\/em> Or the water slide! Huh? Huh?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Princess] blinked at the Drake [Heiress].<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to give money to the inn for a share of the profits?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Or something. Erin says you could use the gold.\u201d<\/p>\n The Terandrian [Princess] thought about this. She looked at Selys\u2014then she laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cHah.<\/em> No. Never.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin and Selys were both surprised. They shouldn\u2019t have been. The Wandering Inn was like a castle to Lyonette; it was certainly built of stone as well as wood and modeled after Terandrian designs. And no self-respecting [Princess] went in for [Merchants] buying shares of their<\/em> kingdom.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can fund everything within reason<\/em> on the inn\u2019s income alone, Erin. If Selys had ten times as much gold as she does\u2026or a hundred times\u2026we\u2019d talk. Now, if you\u2019ll excuse me\u2014I have to get someone to deliver this gold. Ishkr!\u201d<\/p>\n The [Princess] shouted for Ishkr by reflex. The Gnoll, who was masterminding the kitchen and common room of the inn, looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m busy. Send Welle.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette stopped as he gestured to a Drake [Server]. She hesitated, and then nodded.<\/p>\n Everything changed.<\/em> Ishkr was a [Head Waiter] and Lyonette\u2019s second-in-command since Drassi was now moonlighting as the announcer for Wistram TV. Drassi still did the night-shift as [Bartender], but Ishkr had won the coveted position in the bloodless, not-very-contentious \u2018war\u2019 behind the scenes.<\/p>\n Welle went for delivery instead of Ishkr. And Selys realized she was no better than when she\u2019d started. She went looking for more advice in regards to spending her money.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She\u2019d just reached Liscor to talk with her grandmother, when an unwelcome perspective strode over to her.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Selys! How\u2019s my favorite girl with scales?\u201d<\/p>\n Hawk appeared next to Selys so fast she didn\u2019t see him. As always, the Courier moved like lightning. The [Heiress] turned her head\u2014and scowled.<\/p>\n \u201cHawk. I thought you were working!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was.<\/em> But I had to find you. Someone just got attacked! In the streets! And I knew you were around the inn, so I had to check on the love of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawk gave Selys a deep look of caring. Selys propped her claws on her hips.<\/p>\n \u201cAttacked? By what? A monster?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope. Some thug. Looked low-level. Just grabbed the poor kid\u2019s moneybag and ran. Gave him a blow; he\u2019s alright. The Watch is already on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys peered at the crowd clustered around the Watch officer taking a description from the dazed\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cOh no. Welle?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake had gotten to Liscor just before Selys. And the unlucky young man had been got. Hawk blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes! Erin is going to throw a fit.<\/em> I\u2019d better let her know. Wait\u2026if you saw what happened, why didn\u2019t you do anything?\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake rounded on Hawk as she reached for the door. The Courier raised his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoa! Selys! You know I\u2019m a Courier.<\/em> I can\u2019t get involved in beating up criminals. There\u2019s professionalism of my class to consider. I know you\u2019re used to\u2026Ryoka and other Runners, but I don\u2019t make enemies. If I\u2019d known Welle was Erin\u2019s friend, I\u2019d have stopped the mugger, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUgh. That is just so like you, Hawk! You could have saved Welle, but you stand back because you won\u2019t do anything. Erin would, and she\u2019s not even a fighter! Or P\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Selys stopped. But Hawk\u2019s ears had already twitched.<\/em> He folded his muscular arms.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on, say it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes you were. You said \u2018P\u2019. You mean, Pisces.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Or Ceria, or Yvlon or\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always Pisces this, Pisces can do that. <\/em>I\u2019m sorry I don\u2019t animate the dead,<\/em> Selys.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just that! You didn\u2019t even do Erin\u2019s delivery!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah? Well, you<\/em> seem to take every opportunity to complain about being with me. Is it just me or do I think that\u2019s unfaithful?\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake gasped in outrage. The moment of reflection that Hawk might be correct turned into fury.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfaithful?<\/em> We\u2019ve been seeing each other for less than a month! I thought it was casual, but you\u2019re always like this! You know what? If that\u2019s how you feel\u2014we\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em> Selys\u2014wait\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Hawk\u2019s angry face turned into one of shock, then astonished hurt. He tried to pursue Selys. Meanwhile, Welle, forgotten, groaned as he tried to give a description of the attacker\u2014some Human\u2014to the [Guardswoman].<\/p>\n Which, to be fair, was a bit more important at that moment in time. He had<\/em> been mugged. The [Guardswoman] was taking it seriously too. Mainly because she had a good idea of what was about to happen next.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSomeone mugged Welle? Numbtongue! Bird! Palt! Let\u2019s go!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin grabbed a frying pan. Lyonette grabbed her and dragged her back.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no you don\u2019t, Erin. I told you\u2014you can\u2019t overturn the city every time!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Welle!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a bump on his head. If you explode a building or cause another fight, Zevara will eat<\/em> you. Not to mention, it\u2019s dangerous. It just takes one idiot with a knife.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin hesitated. She lowered the frying pan and the [Guardswoman] relaxed.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is just a standard mugging, Miss Solstice. Looked like it was unplanned too, so the criminal\u2019s probably not got a hiding place planned. Rest assured, we\u2019ll get him. With Mr. Soot gone, the underworld is in chaos. Our Gnolls are on his scent already.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2014okay. As long as Relc and Klbkch\u2014oh. I mean, Relc gets on it! Tell him I\u2019ll give him free dinner if he gets the money back tonight!\u201d<\/p>\n The [Innkeeper] saw the [Guardswoman]\u2019s face change at Relc\u2019s name. Erin stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuardsman Relc\u2014was reassigned to another city, Miss Solstice. A week ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Huh?\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman and Lyonette both turned to look at each other. The Drake [Guardswoman] hesitated. She sensed\u2014too late\u2014the equivalent of a [Dangersense] going off in her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you knew. Er\u2014he was reassigned after the Golden Triangle incident. I heard his apartment was burned down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe never told me that. Where\u2019s he been living? I\u2019d have let him stay at the inn for free! For a while, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked around, shocked. She saw the [Guardswoman] slowly<\/em> step back. Erin\u2019s head snapped around.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is Relc?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr\u2026I have to get back to duty, Miss\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere. Is. Relc?\u201d<\/p>\n There was no helping it. The [Guardswoman] stepped backwards, towards the magic door. She opened it, blurted the answer, and slammed the door.<\/p>\n \u201cHe already left, Miss Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n For a minute, Erin just looked at the wood door.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he didn\u2019t tell me. He should have\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Her emotions flickered between shock, hurt, sadness\u2014and then Erin looked at the door. This time Lyonette didn\u2019t try and stop her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou know I\u2019m always happy to take\u2026donations to the Watch, Selys. But frankly, it\u2019s not something you can invest in.\u201d<\/p>\n Zevara played awkwardly with a quill as Selys sat in her office a little bit later. The [Heiress] sniffed.<\/em> After a second, Zevara offered her handkerchief.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Here. Er, Selys, if you need time\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019b fine.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake was crying. She and Hawk were officially quits. But it had not been an amicable breakup. She\u2019d thought it wouldn\u2019t affect her, but Hawk had said some pointedly\u2014accurate\u2014things. And she\u2019d done likewise and the end result was that the Courier had gone to Pallass to drown his sorrows at Tails and Scales.<\/p>\n And Selys was here. The Drake wiped at her eyes as Zevara coughed and shuffled her papers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just so hard. <\/em>What am I supposed to do, Zevara?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Enjoy your life?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, as if I could just do that! I want to have a purpose! I can\u2019t just\u2014just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Selys blew her nose, which was really her nostrils. With Zevara\u2019s handkerchief. The Watch Captain opened her mouth and closed it slowly. She decided not to press Selys for an upgrade to the jail, which the Watch needed. Oh, and they wanted to build some actual watch towers outside of Liscor. And there was the enchanted arms budget\u2014Zevara was calling in and buying favors, but\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it\u2019s not Liscor, Selys. Pallass has more to\u2026invest in than we do, frankly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut everything in Pallass is taken!\u201d<\/p>\n The younger Drake\u2019s tears were slowing, proof that her breakup hadn\u2019t been the most shattering thing ever. Zevara shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cPallass, Esthelm, Celum\u2014Selys, think outside Liscor. I know I\u2019m a traitor to my city for saying that, but frankly\u2014Liscor\u2019s economy was never huge. It was based on our army. Still is. We\u2019re transitioning out of it, but until then\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She coughed.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry. Listening to Olesm\u2019s lectures to the Council. They\u2019re working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys was nodding. She stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Zevara. I\u2019ll wash this\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s fine. Just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The two Drakes were arranging for an after-work dinner together somewhere, maybe with Krshia or Drassi. Zevara had been talked into it and she had to admit it was nicer than her work-eat-sleep schedule that had been her life before this. That was when\u2014it happened.<\/p>\n \u201cWatch Captain! It\u2019s the Solstice-alarm!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Zevara heard a shout from below. She looked up. So did Selys.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Solstice alarm?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere? And how bad?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Zevara bellowed as she reached for her sword. The voice came, urgently.<\/p>\n \u201cLook out the window.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Selys and Zevara turned.<\/p>\n In the street outside the Watch House, a young woman stood in the street. A Hobgoblin stood behind her. Already cause for alarm. There was Bird, Palt, looking exasperated\u2014and a crowd. Of course.<\/p>\n Erin had a frying pan. With her other hand she made a fist. She shouted at the barracks.<\/p>\n \u201cGive us back our Relc! Give us back our Relc!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The crowd murmured. Rumors spread like wildfire. The Watch had kidnapped Relc?<\/em> No\u2014they\u2019d exiled Relc? Or was he in prison\u2026?<\/em><\/p>\n Selys slowly put her face in her claws. Zevara stared out the window at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cEven when he\u2019s gone, he\u2014Ancestors damn it.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She strode from her office before Erin could set fire to half the city. Some idiots had actually picked up her chant. Then\u2014the Watch Captain hurried back into her office for a moment. Selys saw her go to a little ringed calendar. The hand-written note on top said\u2014<\/p>\n \u2018Days Since Crazy Human Incident: 8.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n Zevara gloomily reset it to zero. Then she stalked out of the office again. But the funny thing was that things changed even here. Selys watched as Erin Solstice waved her fist and shouted. Zevara appeared in the street, flanked by a few [Guards]\u2014but far too few for the crowd. She pointed as Erin ran towards her.<\/p>\n \u201c[Freeze, Criminal].\u201d<\/p>\n Erin fell flat on her face as her body locked up. Zevara looked happier than Selys had seen her all week. The former [Receptionist] decided to take her advice and visit another city.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Well, where to? Really, there was only one option. Celum was a wreck. Esthelm was still a tiny mining town. And Invrisil had Magnolia Reinhart, who was not<\/em> inclined to like Erin Solstice or her friends at the moment. Selys didn\u2019t know these other noble\u2019s lands and she didn\u2019t really want to deal with them.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, your logic is that because you don\u2019t want to invest in a city literally rebuilding itself, or one of the most populated Human cities in all of Izril, or explore new areas, you came to Pallass.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t say it like that. I\u2019m not good <\/em>at business! I was a [Receptionist]!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIneptitude must be contagious. You know, Erin asked me how to make clam<\/em>-based dishes via [Message] spell?\u201d<\/p>\n Lasica shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cJust ask someone or buy a cookbook. What am I, her personal teacher?\u201d<\/p>\n Even so, she\u2019d come to The Wandering Inn, or rather, Selys had met her in the street. Now the [Chef] gave Selys a long look, not missing the telltale signs of crying.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I suppose you\u2019re the reason there\u2019s now a drunk Rabbit Beastman in our bar at midday?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Selys flushed. Lasica shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cJust don\u2019t go to the bar, alright? By all means, ask if anyone wants you to invest. Hah, good luck though. You do realize that if you\u2019ve heard of a good idea, someone\u2019s already invested in it? That\u2019s why you find new things.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut this is the City of Invention. New things\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur [Engineers], [Alchemists], and [Blacksmiths] are loyal to Pallass and their investors, Selys. I have to go. I want some of those fresh clams.\u201d<\/p>\n Lasica left and Selys sighed.<\/em> It was true. New things could be like\u2026Octavia\u2019s shop. But guess who had Octavia acting as her [Alchemist]? Erin. In a way, Erin had already invested in the good things.<\/p>\n She had a Hobgoblin who mined precious stones for fun, a Stitch-girl [Alchemist] who made medicine and matches\u2026Antinium builders and Wistram [Mages]! Erin had a lot of talent at her disposal.<\/p>\n Selys just had money.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll just buy slaves or something.\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake muttered. That was a joke Erin would not have appreciated. Selys had never actually seen slaves. They were obviously banned in Liscor…Selys assumed. She wasn\u2019t sure about other cities.<\/p>\n She walked along, wondering if that [Sharpener] that Erin had mentioned\u2014Lorent?\u2014wanted to upgrade his business. How did you do anything? Give them money and get like, ten percent of their earnings? That was all long-term stuff. No, you wanted someone to have something you could sell now.<\/em><\/p>\n If she had lots<\/em> of money, she\u2019d literally hire an adventuring team to hunt down the other parts of the Heartflame set. Which she was sort<\/em> of doing.<\/em> Or maybe finance a [Merchant] to buy and sell goods?<\/p>\n None of that really appealed to her. Who would you trust, anyways? Trust was what mattered.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe Numbtongue wants to be financed to mine for treasure?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys made a fist and smacked it into her palm. That was an idea! The Hobgoblin might actually go for that. Not that gemstones were as valuable as Selys would want given Salazsar\u2026<\/p>\n She sighed. Selys was about to go for a dip into the spa\u2014Pallass\u2019 spas, now, those were amazing. They had magically infused waters, personal masseuses, experts at scale, fur, or<\/em> feather or armor care who could tend to you.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll make a spa on my land. Beat out the public bathhouses\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Dreamily, the Drake imagined that. But only in that way you had of daydreaming, not connecting it with the actual money she had that could make the project happen. She wasn\u2019t super passionate about that anyways\u2026<\/p>\n It was as Selys was walking through Pallass when she heard a familiar voice. Not Magus Grimalkin, as it turned out, who was heading towards the inn but casually ignored Selys since she wasn\u2019t germane to his plans. Or Jelaqua or Maughin, who were on a date, but also avoided Selys on the basis that she was connected to Erin and they just wanted a quiet time to themselves.<\/p>\n No\u2014this voice was female, brisk, familiar. Selys\u2019 head turned.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are cracking down,<\/em> Mirn. I don\u2019t know who put an ember under Chaldion\u2019s tail\u2014I don\u2019t think it\u2019s him. It\u2019s just after the riots\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n A Drake was stalking through the crowd with her friend. She stood out with rose and cobalt scales\u2014bright, vibrant. Her companion looked much rougher. He had a scar across his mouth, and he looked like, well, a criminal.<\/p>\n But Onieva seemed exactly as Selys remembered her, out of place among the rich elites of Pallass. Now\u2014the Drake was clearly in a bad mood. Onieva\u2019s tail was clearing a path as she walked through the crowd with how much it was lashing. Drakes were like that. Selys hesitated\u2014and then raised her claw and called out.<\/p>\n \u201cOnieva! Hey, Onieva!\u201d<\/p>\n The two Drakes started. The effect on Mirn was immediate. He whirled around and confronted Selys as she strode over.<\/p>\n \u201cHey. I don\u2019t know what you want with Onieva, but get lost, Miss. She\u2019s busy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSelys?\u201d<\/p>\n Onieva blinked as she recognized the [Heiress]. She pulled back Mirn, who was poised to chase Selys off.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on, Mirn. Selys is\u2026an acquaintance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. You sure, Onieva?\u201d<\/p>\n Mirn looked Selys up and down. His eyes, far from friendly, focused on Selys and then something else. Not past her, precisely. He gave Onieva a look.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, she\u2019s all yours. Nothing to do with me either way. Take her or leave her, Onieva. But don\u2019t bring her with you when you find me. I have to\u2026find somewhere.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n With that he stalked off. Selys stared at Onieva\u2019s rude friend, wondering what that was all about. Onieva shouted after Mirn.<\/p>\n \u201cStay classy, Mirn!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShove it up your tailhole, Onieva!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake shouted back. A number of people glared after Mirn. Onieva, used to the phenomenon, beckoned Selys over.<\/p>\n \u201cOff to another fancy party?\u201d<\/p>\n She gave Selys a smile that instantly managed to be needling. The [Heiress] glowered.<\/p>\n \u201cHardly. You were right. I don\u2019t care for parties. Or\u2026that kind of society. I don\u2019t fit in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou looked like you were doing okay. But fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Onieva raised her claws as Selys glared. The Drake woman grinned.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014What\u2019s up? It\u2019s rare you caught me; I\u2019m usually inside.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t go out much?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEh, I\u2019m not a society person. I\u2019m just the black sheep of the family. The [Layabout]. That\u2019s even my class. But as long as Saliss and Chaldion pay for me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She winked. Selys grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I had that problem. Actually\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take her long to explain her woes to Onieva, who promptly laughed at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have too much money and that\u2019s your problem? Give it to me and I\u2019ll make that go away. It\u2019s great that\u2019s your one problem<\/em> in the entire world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t mean it like that. I know other people have bigger problems. But this one is mine. If you\u2019re going to be a Lizard, leave me alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys swatted at Onieva, but the Drake leaned out of the way nimbly. She was quick on her feet!<\/p>\n \u201cPoor you. But fine. I guess it beats my<\/em> problem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? What was that? Something about places?\u201d<\/p>\n Onieva hesitated and waved it off.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2014that was for Mirn. You know how it is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t seem to like me.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys glared in the way Mirn had gone. Rude Drake. No wonder Onieva liked him. The [Layabout] looked amused.<\/p>\n \u201cMirn just didn\u2019t think he had anything in common with you. And he\u2019s almost always right. Mirn gravitates towards people he needs to protect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m not one of them? Well, thanks for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys felt at her high-power wand. Onieva laughed, but nodded along.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he\u2019s rude to you, that\u2019s Mirn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you mean, \u2018sorry, that\u2019s just Mirn\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope. That\u2019s Mirn. It\u2019s not my problem. Anyways\u2014he actually runs a bar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Him?\u201d<\/p>\n Then again, Selys had met some rude bartenders and she could just imagine Mirn operating one with [Toughs] and so on in the crowd. She scowled and kicked along the ground. And Onieva\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Looked at Selys. Unlike Mirn, Onieva wasn\u2019t only interested in people she needed to protect. And unlike Mirn, she did feel for Selys. The Drake was clearly unused to the things that Saliss had lived through. Sudden fame, wealth, power\u2026<\/p>\n But more than that, Onieva was curious about<\/em> Selys. For two reasons. The first was that she and Mirn had been looking for a safe place to establish his bar.<\/p>\n A literal safe place where some [Guard] wouldn\u2019t kick down the door, arrest anyone they caught, and have everyone inside exiled or put to death. That was hard.<\/p>\n The riots had put the Watch on full-alert and they tended to go after the criminals and deviants<\/em> when they were mad. One got lumped with the other, to mutual disgust, generally. Which made finding a good spot harder and harder.<\/p>\n They couldn\u2019t use Saliss\u2019 laboratory. Safety and all that. And neither could they go outside the city. It had to be convenient, easy\u2026<\/p>\n Strange. Onieva tilted her head left and right, chasing a thought. It had always been too bad that Rufelt and Lasica weren\u2019t at home with their people, or so Onieva had believed. She hadn\u2019t decided to risk it. But it occurred to her there was another fortress of a building she had never considered.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026But that damned checkpoint. Still\u2014safety in numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys looked up. Onieva grinned at her. And she decided Selys was a good test. She\u2019d have to\u2014well, Erin was another and more important. But Selys interested her for another<\/em> reason.<\/p>\n A personal one. So Onieva glanced at Selys and coughed.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. Say, you are Selys Shivertail,<\/em> right? How well did you know your\u2026I want to say, uncle? Zel Shivertail? I actually met him a few times.\u201d<\/p>\n Onieva saw Selys freeze. The Drake looked up, and Onieva felt guilty because Selys\u2019 expression had gone bleak for a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cYou did? I mean, I know Uncle\u2014General Shivertail\u2014visited Pallass a lot. He used to tell me stories of all the Walled Cities.\u201d<\/p>\n The female Drake laughed at Selys.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he visited. And of course I met him. I\u2019m Saliss of Light\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She froze. What a slip!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201c\u2014\u2019s cousin! I badgered him all the time to introduce me. I talked with Zel. He was a good person. Actually\u2014Mirn met him too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYup. They got along.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Selys frowned, disbelieving. And it was true, Mirn hadn\u2019t met Zel Shivertail, but the Drake who had taken over the underground meeting place before him had. She was fairly certain Selys wasn\u2019t using lie-detection Skills or magic. The story was true enough anyways.<\/p>\n If only you knew. <\/em><\/p>\n Onieva wanted to reintroduce Mirn and remind him this was Shivertail\u2019s niece. Well, that might be a disaster of another kind. But yes\u2014Zel Shivertail had known more of the Walled Cities than most Drakes. Including their community. It was one of the reasons why they shunned him.<\/p>\n But now, here was the question. How much had he told his niece? Zel had even mentioned to Onieva that his only good relatives lived in Liscor. So\u2026Onieva pressed Selys.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a good Drake. I was devastated to hear his passing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I mean, thank you. I\u2014the Heartflame Breastplate came from him. I didn\u2019t expect that. But I always liked it when he was able to visit.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys was far away. Onieva hated to do it. But\u2014Ancestors take it.<\/p>\n \u201cStill. He wasn\u2019t perfect. He had his flaws.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She saw Selys\u2019 shoulders hunch. Onieva\u2019s eyes locked on Selys, her tail, her face, the way she stood\u2026<\/p>\n Oh yes. You knew.<\/em><\/p>\n Zel Shivertail\u2019s secret had been the most open secret of any Drake in Izril. In high society, they\u2019d known. Only the Tidebreaker could be tolerated. How could his family have not known?<\/p>\n What mattered was how Selys reacted. The Drake inhaled and kept her face calm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What did Onieva mean? No\u2014she had to mean something else. Selys chose her words carefully. She remembered digging up Sserys\u2019 grave in the darkness, the urn\u2026<\/p>\n No, that was something she would never talk about.<\/em> Never think about, really. She had fulfilled her beloved Uncle\u2019s wishes. Selys nodded, but stiffly. She looked at Onieva, and felt a flash of irritation enter her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wasn\u2019t perfect. But he was still General Shivertail.<\/em> The Tidebreaker.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. I didn\u2019t mean to say\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s all there was to it, right? No need to talk about his flaws.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he was more than a [General].\u201d<\/p>\n Selys felt her insides twist. She glared.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe he was. But I knew him. How well did you <\/em>know him?\u201d<\/p>\n Onieva hesitated, and then lifted her claw.<\/p>\n \u201cNever mind.\u201d<\/p>\n What did that mean? Selys calmed down. Onieva frowned. The word hung between them, unspoken, though neither knew the other was thinking it.<\/p>\n Turnscale.<\/em><\/p>\n If only you could be sure. But Onieva had not lived this long by taking risks. The two walked on, and conversation resumed stiffly, and then with natural grace.<\/p>\n Onieva followed Selys to The Wandering Inn.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin was still being lectured by the time the two Drakes walked in. Onieva sized up the inn and looked around.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, but it would be perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cErin\u2019s not looking for a [Bartender]. Well, she might be with Drassi gone, but I doubt your friend Mirn could take Drassi\u2019s place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll let him apply. He\u2019s a one-Drake show, anyways. Hm.\u201d<\/p>\n Private rooms. Basement\u2026Onieva frowned as she heard scraping sounds. She left Selys to remember, belatedly, that she\u2019d been going looking for investments, not walking about with Onieva! As the Drake groaned and headed over to Numbtongue\u2014who wasn\u2019t interested in her offer, and Mrsha the Adventurous, who was\u2014Onieva peeked downstairs.<\/p>\n \u201cAncestors damn it!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Workers looked up at the barrels of fish that were being rolled through the door. Onieva snapped her claws and closed the door.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I can always get a deeper<\/em> basement. Or\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t about space. They could settle in a place twice as large as a bedroom. They had before. It was safety.<\/p>\n And The Wandering Inn\u2026could be quite safe. Not, perhaps, from monsters, but those weren\u2019t the kind of enemies Onieva worried about. But how did she test<\/em> Erin?<\/p>\n As Onieva walked back to the common room, she saw the usual bustle around the room. She tried to remember that she didn\u2019t know anyone here; dead gods, but she\u2019d have to reintroduce herself to Erin as Saliss\u2019 cousin. She hated<\/em> that. It was always the same introduction and dance\u2026<\/p>\n How to do it? As Onieva pondered, trying to figure out how to test Erin without alerting anyone else\u2014and that was a tall order because Erin could be very<\/em> oblivious, on purpose or accidentally\u2014she heard a voice from the stage.<\/p>\n \u201cRose! Help me brainstorm plays, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n Galina was there, with the Players of Celum whom she had been drawn to like iron to a magnet. The theatre-girl from Earth was happy as could be.<\/p>\n By contrast, Rose was a bit of a Kevin in that she was aimless, but satisfied being aimless. Joseph was \u2018soccer-guy\u2019 much to his displeasure, and Leon and Troy were a team who did their own thing. Imani practically ruled the kitchen when Erin wasn\u2019t doing something in it; she\u2019d even learned to deal with Mrsha, mainly by offering the Gnoll treats to leave her alone.<\/p>\n But Kevin and Rose were amiable helpers. Kevin was especially amiable at the moment, thanks to Palt.<\/p>\n In one corner of the inn, Grimalkin was waiting for Erin too. Waiting to confirm his theories of time travel. But all that was beside the point. Galina had a problem.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a few plays we\u2019re adapting to the stage, Rose. But a lot of them don\u2019t work. You know more than the others. Brainstorm with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure. What plays are you guys making?\u201d<\/p>\n Galina had a list. All of Erin\u2019s, plus the new ones she\u2019d suggested. Some, like Chicago,<\/em> needed adaptation, but they\u2019d been hits among the Players and both Liscor and Invrisil\u2019s groups were trying them out and adapting them.<\/p>\n The problem was that Galina had yet to get Erin\u2019s recall ability. Mainly because Galina wanted to act<\/em>, not just produce.<\/p>\n \u201cIf only I could remember everything like Erin. Okay. There are some like Angels in America<\/em> that just don\u2019t work. You know? Way too much of\u2026everything from home.\u201d<\/p>\n Rose was nodding. It was true; a lot became too topical. Stuff like Long Day’s Journey into Night <\/em>worked\u2014that was about the Human condition, more than the era, which was really the condition of people everywhere\u2014although there were interesting differences.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, there are a lot of movies that do work. Titanic\u2026<\/em>uh, Hunchback of Notre Dame\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot just Disney<\/em>, Rose, or blockbusters. I want to bring something new! Fresh!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Here\u2019s a play. Have you seen Rent,<\/em> the musical?\u201d<\/p>\n Galina had. Her eyes flickered, but she frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cRose. That\u2019s Broadway, though. Not exactly the Bard of Avon. Also\u2014not my favorite play.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I liked it. You wanted help\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman rose to go, huffily, and Galina dragged her back.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m sorry! It\u2019s just that we\u2019ve used our rotation of plays and the Players want to do something fast.\u201d<\/p>\n Rose glanced at the [Actors] on stage. They were set to do Juliet and Romeo<\/em> tonight, or so it said on the placard next to the stage. And the audience, while it was there, wasn\u2019t as large because a lot of people had seen the play already. Or five times.<\/p>\n Rose smiled at the Juliet and Romeo<\/em> title, though. She had laughed every time she\u2019d seen it for the first week at how Erin had flipped just the name. And that gave her an idea.<\/p>\n \u201cWell…I do have one idea, Galina. Remember how Jasi pushed for Lady Macbeth<\/em> and how you rewrote some of the plays for a female lead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but before you start, they\u2019re doing that with a lot of plays already.\u201d<\/p>\n Galina held up a hand. It wasn\u2019t like the Players of Celum weren\u2019t also willing to innovate. Rose grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cBut what if we put on a play that catered to a wider base? Listen\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She walked over to Temile, who turned to her, always willing to listen to Erin or her \u2018group\u2019. The [Actor] didn\u2019t know what they shared aside from a place of origin, but he knew that he knew and was fine with that.<\/p>\n Background. Onieva was looking about, waiting for Erin when she saw two [Actors] upon the stage. They were performing the famous and most oft-quoted scene of Shakespeare to the plebeians.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cO Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?<\/em><\/p>\n Deny thy father and refuse thy name.<\/em><\/p>\n Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love<\/em><\/p>\n And I\u2019ll no longer be a Capulet.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n It was the same lines. The same play. For a moment, you couldn\u2019t even tell what Rose had changed about it. There were two Drakes, not, scandalously, a Drake and a Gnoll, or a Drake and a Human.<\/em> Especially a male, Human Romeo and a female Drake Juliet, as Erin had learned once.<\/p>\n But then Onieva\u2019s head turned. And something ran through the inn. A few casual watchers looked up. Frowned. Blinked a few times.<\/p>\n It was a mark of how Rose and Galina had entered this world and been sheltered that they thought it was a good idea. And, perhaps, how plays were seen by the [Actors]. It was, in the end, a small change.<\/p>\n However, the Drake Juliet speaking to the Drake Romeo\u2014both of them, in fact, were male.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is this, Rose? Galina?\u201d<\/p>\n Temile was staring nervously at the two leads of the play. So were the other [Actors]. Rose was smiling, oblivious to the attention drawing to the stage.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, Temile, just roll with it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have two male actors. It\u2019ll be a hit, trust me! I haven\u2019t found the GSM crowd yet in Liscor, but I haven\u2019t had the chance yet. We can change the script, like Lady Macbeth.<\/em> How\u2019s this? We\u2019ll call it: Romeo and Romeo.<\/em> Or Juliet and Juliet!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Rose spread out her hands, smiling hugely. Temile looked at her. He stared at the two leads. The pieces fell together.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean\u2026two male leads. Falling in love with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n His voice was a bit too loud. Or perhaps he hadn\u2019t realized that the inn had gone silent. Rose didn\u2019t see the two [Actors] had frozen on stage, in the spotlight of every eye.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not? It\u2019s a true story! It\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDisgusting!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Someone shouted the word and Onieva started breathing again. She stared at the stage.<\/p>\n What followed was just ringing in her ears. The Drake [Alchemist] sat there, staring at the two [Actors] who\u2019d hurried off-stage. Rose must have been convincing or they didn\u2019t understand what she was suggesting. And she of course didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n She was arguing with the Drakes and City Gnolls and Humans<\/em> who\u2019d stormed to the front of the stage to protest this\u2026this disgusting, deviant display.<\/em> Onieva didn\u2019t need to hear that. She had heard it a thousand times.<\/p>\n What she saw, in her mind, were the two actors, one professing his love for the other. It was just a play. But Rose had come up with it. And Onieva\u2014<\/p>\n Looked at her.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fine.<\/em> You\u2019re being disgusting. Has no one heard of\u2014has no one heard of LGBT+ rights? Gay rights?<\/em> This is insane. This is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Rose looked around. And her outrage faded when she realized rather than a minority confronting a majority, she stood alone. Galina was looking around, wide-eyed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a word for that. Turnscales.<\/em> Also\u2014illegal. Miss Solstice will hear of this! Apologize to those [Actors]!\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake who was so offended was actually offended on behalf of Temile\u2019s Drake [Actors]. She was pointing as Rose confronted her.<\/p>\n \u201cApologize for what?<\/em> I didn\u2019t assume anything! That was four lines! It\u2019s a play.<\/em> You know\u2014what\u2019s Turnscale? Does it mean gay? You know, it\u2019s okay for a man to love a man. Or a woman to love a woman! Or both! Back home\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n That was as far as Rose got. The Drake woman listening recoiled. Then her eyes narrowed. She raised a fist and struck Rose. The young woman hadn\u2019t been expecting that and stumbled backwards with a shriek. She would have been struck again, by the Drake woman or someone else.<\/p>\n Onieva knew this. And she had a cup in her claws. And in her claws\u2014it was a deadly weapon. Grimalkin was watching, half-risen, unsure. The inn\u2019s staff was pushing forwards. But Onieva would have protected Rose and damn the consequences. She was poised to take out the entire crowd.<\/p>\n Then\u2014Erin stomped her foot.<\/p>\n \u201cHey!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The shout knocked the crowd flat. Literally. Onieva almost saw<\/em> the aura flash across the inn. Maviola\u2019s training hadn\u2019t been for nothing. Erin Solstice strode forwards.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s attacking Rose? I\u2019ll attack you! I\u2019m in the mood to punch someone and it\u2019s not me!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She was angry. The [Innkeeper] was furious. She also had two tissues stuffed up her nose from where she\u2019d gotten a nosebleed when Zevara had used her Skill on her. The bleeding had stopped with a healing potion, but Erin was still peeved.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cErin! Oh my god\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Rose fled behind her, face white. The crowd began babbling, pointing at the stage, furious\u2014Erin shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cShut uuuuuuuuuuuuuup!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n And there was silence. Well, a few kept talking.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014most disgusting display I\u2019ve ever seen. I was defending\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin strode over to the Drake woman. This time she took a page out of Bird\u2019s book. She opened her mouth, inhaled, and screamed.<\/p>\n \u201cAaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaaah! Shut up! Shut up!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake woman\u2014shut up. Erin looked around, ready to scream everyone else\u2019s ears off. She looked at Rose.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. What is this about? It\u2019s just a play! What made you all so mad?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe was making the [Actors] act like Turnscales!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n A voice bellowed, despite Erin\u2019s aura weighing everyone down. Erin\u2019s brow furrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike\u2026it was two men, playing Romeo and Juliet, Erin. They\u2019re mad because\u2014oh god.\u201d<\/p>\n Rose stared around the room, afraid. Erin gave her a puzzled look.<\/p>\n \u201cSo what? Oh. Oh.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes widened and she lowered her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean they were gay?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman nodded slowly. And now she was watching Erin\u2019s face. Onieva was listening, invisible in the crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cErin, these people don\u2019t know about homosexuality at all. I mean\u2014they do, but they don\u2019t. They\u2019re intolerant!\u201d<\/p>\n A rumble ran through the room. Erin lifted a hand. She tugged Rose out of the crowd, and the two\u2019s voices continued, as Lyonette began to disperse the crowd with help. But a few people were listening, including an [Alchemist] who had potions to enhance hearing.<\/p>\n \u201cOh. I get it. They don\u2019t like\u2026well, that\u2019s wrong. Everyone deserves equal rights, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Rose almost fainted with relief. She clutched at Erin\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one knows about LGBTQ rights. That\u2019s why I haven\u2019t met anyone! This entire world is\u2014is in the dark ages!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was nodding, but her brow furrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, what\u2019s that last bit? LGBTQ\u2026? What\u2019s the Q?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQueer? Like\u2026GSM? DSG?\u201d<\/p>\n Rose gave Erin a look. She was naming acronyms. Erin gave her a very blank stare.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGender Sexual Minorities?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2026is that a movement? I mean, I\u2019m all for gay marriage. I think I met someone who was gay once. They said so, which was my big clue. But I don\u2019t keep up on or know about, about\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The [Innkeeper] waved her hands to indicate everything and anything. Rose hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Rose was looking at Erin. Looking around the room, at Galina, who was glancing at her, a few others. And realizing\u2026everything.<\/p>\n She was not the only one. Selys was standing uncomfortably, not exactly nodding to the mutters, but definitely not painting herself as a target. She saw Onieva walk over.<\/p>\n The Drake was wide-eyed. Even quivering a bit. And Selys interpreted it the wrong way. Or the right way? Not as Onieva was actually feeling, anyways.<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Onieva, are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n Onieva jumped.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Yes, I\u2014who\u2019s that Human, Selys? The one with Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRose. Look, Onieva\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Selys trailed off. What did she say? And before she could come up with something, Onieva was gone. To Pallass. Onieva\u2019s mind was racing.<\/p>\n If you were smart, you picked up on more than just what Rose\u2019s beliefs were.<\/p>\n Back home.<\/em> And\u2014she spoke so knowledgably. Onieva had to know more.<\/p>\n It could be a trap.<\/em> It could be dangerous. She\u2019d approach this with all the caution in mind. There had been traps before and she could not get caught.<\/em> But\u2026<\/p>\n Mirn had to know. They had to know.<\/p>\n Onieva looked back at Rose, just once. The way Rose looked around with horror, as if seeing something clinging to this entire world that terrified her. With fear<\/em>, too. For herself. And at Erin\u2019s confused face.<\/p>\n It told her a lot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grimalkin of Pallass had notes. He had lots of notes. He also, incidentally, was the [Sinew Magus] of Pallass. He had fought in wars. He had travelled the world.<\/p>\n He took lots of notes because he was a [Magus] and a scholar and he believed in gathering evidence, proving theories. He did not act incautiously.<\/p>\n But he was also<\/em> a warrior. So he acted.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Grimalkin. That was something, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n It had taken an hour for Erin to restore order, and she\u2019d kicked out half a dozen people. More had left of their own volition, swearing to boycott the inn. Most didn\u2019t want to talk about it.<\/p>\n Grimalkin did too, but it was a\u2026lesser consideration. He needed to know more.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been an eventful year so far, hasn\u2019t it, Miss Solstice? Will you sit for a moment?\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake pulled out a seat. Erin hesitated. She suspected a trap and she was right. But Grimalkin was an ally, and a friend of sorts.<\/p>\n She sat. And the showdown commenced.<\/p>\n A note-taking Grimalkin appeared in front of Erin. He had a hypothesis. And he used it in one move. The Drake leaned back in his chair, looking pensive.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, as I\u2019ve made so many breakthroughs in my studies, I can\u2019t help but think of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe\u2026future?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin blinked. The Drake nodded as he gestured around.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat might the world look like in a thousand years\u2019 time? Ten thousand? Will there be a world? How might weight training have evolved? Perhaps\u2026agriculture, architecture, magic\u2026one does wonder. But there\u2019s no way to know, <\/em>after all, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cY-yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin tried to dodge the question\u2026and failed. True, it was for reasons perpendicular to the ones Grimalkin suspected. But he saw it.<\/p>\n The Drake\u2019s face was smooth.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, Miss Solstice, that unpleasantness with Miss Rose\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s from elsewhere. Er\u2014far away. I can\u2019t say where.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was sweating. She\u2019d walked into a trap! Her eyes darted around, looking for an escape rope. But Grimalkin didn\u2019t press her on the weak point. But that was only to keep her off-guard.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, naturally. But there are, after all, different nations with different sensibilities. Selphids don\u2019t care. And of course\u2014you two do have your different perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Grimalkin had cast [Silence], so he said this next part smoothly.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t help but overhear a bit. Perhaps the issue of\u2014Turnscales in society is not so contentious. Merely Drake culture. We must seem so\u2026backwards to other people. Even, perhaps, left behind in time?\u201d<\/p>\n Another wince. The Magus sighed. Erin was close to fainting. Or running away. Or hyperventilating. She looked around. She had to\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cAha! Kevin! My guy! <\/em>Switch with me, would you? Sorry, Grimalkin! I\u2019ve gotta get back to work!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin used Kevin, shoving him into the seat. It was super-effective! At least, in slowing Grimalkin down. But she\u2019d just exposed her weak points.<\/p>\n The [Sinew Magus] looked at Kevin and he tried the same trick.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you feel as though you\u2019re\u2026lost in time sometimes?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin froze mid-step. Kevin blinked at Grimalkin. He was unguarded. Erin had to warn them all! She spun\u2014and Kevin nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the time, man. I mean\u2026what is time? Time. Is it a river or a whirlpool or is it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He trailed off. Grimalkin stared at him. Kevin\u2019s unfocused gaze came back to reality.<\/p>\n \u201cTime? You know, if it goes backwards, does it go up or down?<\/em> Those are the real questions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr. Yes. [Chronomancers] do exist and they\u2019ve postulated\u2014I mean, what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes I wonder\u2014you know, the word? Some times. That\u2019s an interesting word when you think about it. Some of the times. Which is what it means. But what about\u2026alltimes? But that\u2019s not one word, right? But it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Sinew Magus]\u2019 mouth opened and closed as he ran straight into the most logical wall of illogic he\u2019d ever heard. He peered at Kevin, and then he and Erin both smelled the distinct scent in the air.<\/p>\n \u201cDreamleaf.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake sighed, disgusted. Erin fled, resolving to thank Palt rather than scold him. His quarry escaped. Grimalkin folded his arms.<\/p>\n \u201cEven so. That<\/em> was no anomaly. I\u2019m sure of it. But what do I do with the knowledge?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the question, dude. What do you do with knowledge?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, shut up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the end, it had all been a failure. A big waste of time. But why\u2014why did it matter? Money could just sit around, right? Did it lose value if you didn\u2019t touch it? Surely not.<\/p>\n It was all about Selys, after all. And she told Erin what the real problem was.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just worried about the future, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin gave her friend a suspicious look, then glanced towards Grimalkin\u2019s table, but he\u2019d already left.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I mean, no. What are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm. Whether I\u2019ll die in the future, whether I can defend myself or Mrsha\u2014what I want to do with my life, how to invest my money in case it runs out, safeguarding my stuff\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Selys ticked off the points on her claws. Erin clutched at her stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cOoh. Now I get it. That makes me feel bad just thinking about the future. Or maybe it was the clams. Did I boil them long enough?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Heiress] laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cErin, you\u2019re the worst<\/em> at committing to things. At least I try. But that\u2019s why you have Lyonette. I just wish\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey! I plan for things! I had all kinds of stuff I\u2026introduced.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked around for Grimalkin again and leaned over sneakily to Selys.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember the hamburgers?<\/em> Or pizza? Or stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou just copied that, Erin. That\u2019s short-term stuff. It matters, I\u2019m talking about the future.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin raised a finger and had to concede\u2014Selys was right. The [Innkeeper] leaned on the table with a sigh.<\/p>\n \u201c