Colonizing the Dark Continent (For Weiss Ritter)

[Xatarias]

Cynthia strides over to you purposely and makes a quick gesture with her right hand. There is a metallic snick and you feel your bindings fall away.


"I'm not aware of psychic powers with such a vast range. From what Claire tells me of her training, there is a wide variety of manifested abilities, so I suppose we can't rule it out... But no, my agents have not intercepted any communications related to a takeover by a third party. The best we can hope for is that this false-priestess was out of her mind or lying. Regardless, I don't intend on giving up my gains here to anyone. I have contingencies in place and I suggest you take similar precautions. We wouldn't our budding relationship ruined because someone failed to plan ahead, now would we?"


It seems Cynthia considers herself prepared for anything. If you were hoping for some sort of formal alliance, it doesn't seem forthcoming... Not without added persuasion.


Your train of thought is interrupted when Cynthia turns your traditional handshake into a frightfully sudden pull.


"I'm so glad we could come to an understanding, Nathanial. I knew you wouldn't let old rivalries get in the way of good business... I hope all of our future dealings can remain... Cordial."


You feel her tongue trace the edge of your ear before the Lentani retracts with a mischievous smile.


"You might want to keep what happened here a secret from Milly. She tends to get... Sensitive when I sample what she considers hers."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"The woman had a special talent for controlling others with her abilities, both directly and with mental alterations over more extended periods. Perhaps she could have had multiple abilities, but I haven't seen anything like that so far," Nathaniel spared Claire a glance as he rubbed his wrists to see if her experiences contradicted his and what Alestra had claimed.


"She had my bodyguard under her control and me stripped and shackled in her private dungeon with her...'pets' all around us when she made those claims. I'm not sure what she would have had to gain by lying about that, and as for madness...well, she was that, but she was also lucid enough to infiltrate a somewhat xenophobic tribe of Forest Folk and connive a plan to set them against the Hill Folk,"


Nathaniel's faint but concerned frowned contrasted against the confident air Cynthia was exuding. All things considered, this probably was the best he could have hoped to get out of this...negotiation.


"Eep!" The young man cried out faintly as Cynthia suddenly yanked him forward,, her tongue lewdly tracing his ear before she released him. His heart pounded and his face flushed faintly. For a moment, he was once again the squirming plaything she'd suspended from her ceiling before the young Brightland man took a breath to steady himself and reassert his stoic mask.


"...I'll brace myself accordingly," He flinched and fought the urge to sigh then and there. Skipping over such...sensitive details was one thing if done to his soldiers, but to Milly? Telai? Perhaps the contract for such intimate relations existed only in his mind, but it mattered to him and that sort of dishonesty would have been a breach of it. "So, next we'll need to make sure this accord of ours is understood by our soldiers despite...whatever incident started the shooting in the first place?"


Nathaniel paced his former(?) quarters, his eyes flickering about the chamber in search of his clothes even as he tried to move behind his desk to get a peek at his notes. He was curious about what Cynthia took and whether or not it was something best left alone or worth explaining to her in greater detail if she was so interested in them. "Once our situation is stable, I hope to be able to have that fort completed. You have that islet as a fallback point, but it can't hurt either of us to have another backup if something happens to Newport. After that, I may see what I can do to calm down the Forest Folk. They could be invaluable allies but if they turn on us, I doubt anything less than burning down the whole forest will stop them from trapping us along the coast. If it turns out the false-priestess was lying or mistaken, then those efforts will still be a good foundation for getting our actual businesses started."

 

[Xatarias]

You are relieved to find most of your clothes in a corner dresser just as you left them before embarking on your expedition. While Cynthia makes no move to stop you from dressing, she doesn't vacate the premises either, preferring to occupy your desk once more, violet eyes fixed on you through a veil of eyelashes. Claire fidgets silently awhile before leaving at the command of her master's lazy gesture. Their dynamic is an odd one. Your brief contact with Claire's alien consciousness confirmed her strength as a psychic combatant, yet she remains utterly ensnared by the Lentani's comandeerin personality.


"By all means, get your house in order. The sooner things get back to normal around here, the sooner my operation can be set into motion. Speaking of which... There's the little matter of financial compensation."


Quill in hand, Cynthia begins writing on a piece of parchment at a blazing speed.


"Not only did you thieve my rum, you sold it at a breakneck pace in an utterly informal setting, demanding rock-bottom prices. Not only did you cut into my profits, but you hurt my relationship with the local taverns, and the only thing that truly cures a barkeeper's grudge is gold on the counter. Adding on interest for the emotional trauma you dealt to my delicate feminine sensibilities, it comes to..."


She slides the paper towards you. It takes considerable effort not to let your jaw drop at the figure. Considering your overhead costs, Cynthia is demanding the majority of three months of your company's profits, operating on the assumption that the agreement with the Forestfolk goes through.


"Oh come now, Master Brightland, cheer up. I didn't charge you for the munitions that I spent sieging your fortress... Although come to think of it, I do have a few cannons that are in need of repairs..."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel's eyes narrowed at the figure and flickered back up to Cynthia in an unamused expression that bordered on a glare. He was starting to understand why Milly was so adamant that any debt given to this woman was one that could easily last a lifetime. His experience may not have lied in supplying the vices of sailors, adventurers, and the rest of the rough and tumble crowd that would make up Newport's population for quite some time to come, but he was fairly certain that even a shipload of the cheap liquor Cynthia had intended to peddle wasn't worth more than the silks the Forest Folk wove.


"In my experience, 'delicate' and 'feminine' are not two words that go together. Whoever named you the weaker sex must have been the same idiot who said 'money can't buy happiness'" Nathaniel's tone was dry as he sat the paper aside. "While I admit, my actions involving your shipment may have been premature, the threat of a 'political expansion' of yours backed by rifles was exactly why I bothered in the first place. I also have yet to hear my own soldiers' side of this story and any grievances on their part that might explain why both of our ammunition stockpiles are at less than full strength..."


The young man paused a moment. His frown remained but his expression softened. "The condition of your cannons is a concern to me regardless of how we work out the details of who owes who what. If we truly are going to cooperate against mutual foes, whether it's the Syndicate or a small army of Forest Folk, those heavy guns will be invaluable. Do any of your subordinates have the skills needed to repair them, or should I make inquiries among my own followers? If it's metal you need, I might be able to negotiate something with the Hillfolk to acquire it."

 

[Xatarias]

Cynthia smirks and neatly folds her bill into a p'ocket. "Help is always appreciated when I can get it. Especially where artillery pieces are concerned. Although I don't think that quite makes us square..."


"Tell you what, why don't we resolve our previous impasse with a favor? Fun as it is teasing Claire, things can get a little dull around here and boredom is something I simply can't endure. I would very much like to our... Diplomacy to extend into the future. Claire can even come along for the ride since you seemed to enjoy her company so much."


The Lentani is utterly shameless. You barely fastened your pants and now she is arranging the next time to get you out of them!"

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel expected that it would take more than just repairing the damage his soldiers had inflicted to placate Cynthia, especially when it was just as much in his own interests to get the cannons operational as her's. He matched her smirk with a steely expression, a crushing ultimatum already in mind and standing on the tip of his tongue to compel the Lentani woman to lighten the reparations she wanted to wring from him. He was ready for this.


Cynthia offered new terms without prompting. He wasn't ready for them.


"O-oh...!" Nathaniel blinked and stared in abject shock. For a moment, he halfway expected to jolt awake from the dirty daydream he'd somehow slipped into in the midst of heated negotiations but...not. It was just he and Cynthia in the room together. With her looking at him. "U-uh, I'm flattered-I mean...grah..."


The flustered young man pressed a hand to his forehead and had to take a deep breath before he could form a coherent response. The severe, authoritative air he'd put on before was gone. Where there had once been confidence born of a lifetime of honing his prodigious natural talents there was only unease and bashful uncertainty.


"All things considered, I...um...enjoyed that more than someone kidnapped by his enemies probably had any right to. If we are going to have some sort of accord, then I might not be opposed to continued...diplomatic efforts between us. But I will need to discuss things with Captain Milly and a few others."


Nathaniel shifted his weight from one foot to the other, stopping just short of uncomfortably pacing the room. "You said she would take issue with this, and that was with me being dragged off. I don't want to hurt her or betray her trust. Also, others might take issue with that sort of...erm...arrangement so soon after our forces tried to kill each other. I'm afraid of what might happen if they lose faith in us or their morale lapses if what the false priestess said-"


The Brightland froze once he realized his concerns were devolving into simple babbling. So many thoughts were springing to mind and he was trying to process them all at once.


"Gods, I'm sorry, Miss Cynthia. I'm not trying to find excuses to reject your...offer, far from it. I just...I believe there are feelings involved, and I take those very seriously. I would do the same for you if we became...ah...involved sooner. I guess...ha...I guess I shouldn't be surprised that anything involving a joint Brightland-Lentani venture is...complicated?

 

[Xatarias]

Cynthia smiles but this time, the expression is softer.


"I knew that Milly had taken a real liking to you, but I didn't realize it ran so deep both ways. It's... kind of adorable." She chuckles at your expression. "I mean it in a good way. Swimming amongst the leviathans of the business underworld, I can tell you that lust and possessiveness is rampant amongst the powerful. It's refreshing that you think of your companions as something more than so many baubles in your collection."


"Never fear Nathanial, our little tryst won't reach anyone outside of your confidence. I have a reputation of my own, after all. Although if you get the urge to... Rekindle newfound interests, you know where to find me. You seem to be a man who appreciates the value of applied studies and I assure you I am a very thorough instructor.


She turns back to her paperwork and waves a hand, dismissing you from what was once your office. Beyond the obvious power play of Cynthia seizing your old executive space, it will be a damn nuisance going without a desk in the coming weeks. Not to mention your stock of personal stationary...

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel's body had grown as tense as a coiled spring. Every muscle seemed bunched up with strain that would normally have been reserved for a life-endangering threat. Then Cynthia smiled and spoke, and he relaxed.


"Th-thank you," The Brightland exhaled a relieved breath and offered his Lentani counterpart a faint but earnestly grateful smile. His still-flushed face implied it was more than her discretion and compliments she was being thanked for.


It was almost enough for Nathaniel to overlook the fact that he was being banished from his former quarters. She couldn't have failed to notice the flicker of displeasure that ran through Nathaniel's expression at that. Friends, with kinky benefits not less, but with her undeniably in charge? By now, he could hardly expect anything less from the Lentani. And to be fair, would he not do the same if their positions were reversed?


"I trust you won't mind if I reclaim some of my supplies once this private war of ours dies down?" He glanced over his shoulder at he stood on the threshold of the door, though not before collecting his rapier and pistol if they were available. "Primarily my alchemy kit and supplies. It's been quite useful to my expedition so far, and I'll require it to determine what native compounds can provide the both of us with military and economic advantages."


Either way that request went, it seemed Nathaniel's next step was to convince his followers to stand down and prepare themselves to live with the men and women they had been trying to kill mere minutes before. The only silver lining seemed that, as mercenaries, both forces might prove more open to doing just that than professional ones indoctrinated with patriotism that ensured they remained loyal to a single cause than changing it and their comrades with each contract.

 

[Xatarias]

You hear a thunk, drawing your attention over to the doorway. Claire has cleaned up and retrieved what appears to be a bag of your possessions. In it are your various alchemical instruments and reagents along with any other pertinent adventuring gear, everything that the Lentani vixen has decided wasn't worth keeping. Cynthia's kleptomania is distinctly familiar to the time when Milly engraved the butt of your pistol. For all she decries the pirate's emotionally charged mindset, they might share more in common than she lets on.


"Take care of yourself Nathanial. I wouldn't want you damaged before our next encounter. Claire, would you please take him to Olly? We'd better get Master Brightland across the no man's land before his employees stage some foolhardy rescue attempt."


Clair nods and wordlessly turns on her heel, expecting you to carry your own luggage. Cynthia's lithe attendant must be stronger than she looks because you can barely stagger underneath the weight of your gathered possessions.


At first, walking with her is unsurprisingly devoid of conversation. So much so that when the maid speaks, it nearly startles you.


"You're like me." Her electric-blue eyes regard you with clinical observation. "But you don't need to get inside people's minds to experience emotion. I thought my abilities were what caused me to be different, but you..."


She frowns as if contemplating a particularly vexing mathematic proof.


"Cynthia says you're dangerous, but I think you're interesting."


She nods as if that completely wraps up your one-sided dialogue. Claire leads you around the Inn and through the smoking wreckage of Newport's western edge. There, leaning against a barricade, is the monstrous mercenary Oliver. He busily sharpens his antiquated greatsword with a practiced air, running an eye over its edge before shooting you a wink.


"Hey there, kiddo! How's the noggin?"


He wraps his head approximately where a large lump is sprouting on your own cranium. His cocksure attitude leaves you little doubt who laid you low back in the trenches. If, as you suspect, Olly knocked you out with the flat of his sword, it's a wonder you're not still seeing stars. The thing looks blasted heavy!


Claire quickly explains the situation and starts back towards the inn. Olly prods you in front of him towards the no mans' land.


"If you wouldn't mind going first? You're girlfriend has been a little trigger-happy as of late. Milly and I might have had some disagreements in the past, but I gotta hand it to the little minx, she can put a bullet where she wants it."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Thank you!" It was a little difficult for Nathaniel to remain annoyed with Cynthia as the bag containing all his possessions that truly mattered was lowered to the floor. Perhaps his tune would change once he had to make new living arrangements or the Lentani woman muscled in on some of his projected profits using whatever she'd pilfered from him, but right now his mind was abuzz with possibilities his small arsenal of tools offered him. Again the myriad of threats he and his allies faced, his ability to function as an explorer and alchemist needed to take priority. At least in the short term...


His enthusiasm was swiftly dampened when the time came to actually carry it all around. A rather loud, undignified grunt echoed through Cynthia's office as Nathaniel strained to pull the hefty sack into the air. It was his property, he should have expected this, but after seeing the raven-haired businesswoman's delicate maid heave it around without any apparent difficulty...well...


The young Brightland followed Claire as closely as he could, his teeth clenched and periodically letting out more strained grunts. Aside from exercising enough to function on the frontier and maintain just enough of a physique to inspire some measure of confidence in his soldiers (as well...other emotions, apparently), Nathaniel wasn't one to fret his comparative lack of raw physical might, but it was hard not to feel at least a little humiliated by this display. Even if there might have been some supernatural explanation that might have softened the blow...gods,what would Telai and Milly think if they could see him now?


"Hrm?" Nathaniel met Claire's frown with a puzzled look of his own. "Thank you...am I the first other Gifted individual you've met or did whoever trained you need to go inside others' minds to feel emotion as well?"


No matter what her reply was or if she even offered one, the blond would likely have plenty of food for thought.


As they approached the no man's land, Nathaniel frowned at Oliver's query and shifted the sack so that he could press a free hand to the point on his scalp the hulking mercenary had signaled.


"GRAH!" Pain thrust through his head like a hammered in nail and his bag of belongings fell to the ground. Mercifully nothing was likely to be broken between his shift ensuring the sack had only a short distance to fall and the sand cushioning the impact.


Between time spent hanging unconscious in Cynthia's ropes and the Lentani vixen's...stimulating interview and negotiation, it was no small wonder that Nathaniel had failed to notice what would otherwise have been a throbbing reminder of how he got there in the first place.


"F-fine...still in one piece. Feels like there's even more room for my brain to grow into now..." Between the stinging pain and his efforts to heave the sack over his back once more, Nathaniel's expression was understandably strained. "How's the battlefield been? Gods...how long was I unconscious...?"


Nathaniel's eyes flickered over the barricade separating them from the sharpshooting captain. Given all that had transpired, he wasn't sure whether to impressed and flattered by Milly's rage-driven accuracy or quietly terrified that it was going to be turned on him as soon as he explained everything.


"Of course. Would you mind giving me a hand with this, though?" The scholarly Brightland gesture to the bulging sack over his shoulder. "I took a bit of a bullet wound to my leg on the way back here. Also, it might stop Captain Milly from jumping the gun and assuming you're just escorting me out as a hostage or a joke..."

 

[Xatarias]

Olly rolls his eyes and slings more than half your load over one shoulder in a smooth, practiced motion. He makes a grand gesture, the same a footman might give a lady exiting her carriage... Although you know it for an attempt to mock you, you can't help but notice the motion adheres perfectly to the strict etiquette practiced by Avalonian manservants of the high nobility. Perhaps a hint of Olly's past?


You stumble across the rough terrain towards your half-finished fort, Olly following close behind. It's only a few moments after you break cover that a clamor becomes audible from the other side of the divide. A shot rings out and an almost instantaneous ping of metal on metal follows. Olly drops his load and curses, spinning around to inspect his mammoth weapon.


"Squenching serpents, the bitch shot my pommel!" He sees your incredulous looks and adds, "Oh she did it on purpose, there's not a smith in this piss of a town that can fix the threading on this. She's already damaged my first blade and all but destroyed the spare..."


"Why don't you just go shoot my children, Milly!" He roars. "You're starting to make this personal!"


"We both know you don't have any children Olly, not that you care about anyway." Milly's voice calls back sweetly. "Did I hit your little sword again? I was aiming for your fat head... Now that I'm zeroed in, I think I might go for something even more precious to you."


Milly is barely a red-headed smudge on the ramparts, but you think you can see the barrel of her weapon dip ever-so-slightly.


"What do you say, Olly? Left or right?... Of course you might just placate me by sending Nat over here by his lonesome. We've got some catching up to do."


Olly curses and spins around. "Fine! Saves me the effort of carrying his lordship's bags. Shoots my sword..."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Under normal circumstances, Oliver's mocking imitation of a footman would have been enough to earn a witheringly dry stare from Nathaniel, but the sheer perfection of the motions gave him pause. In the end, an inquisitive eyebrow was raised before the pair began to make their way across the no man's land.


The young Brightland jumped as a shot rang out despite the hulking mercenary's assistance. His pulse felt frozen in his veins as he turned, only to barely resist the urge to sigh in relief when sparks rather than blood or brains flew through the air.


"...Thank you," Nathaniel said with a sigh and a reasonably sincere tone as he reached down to collect the rest of the heavy load, grunting under the strain of distributing its weight to favor his clipped thigh. Getting the cannons fixed would take priority, but if Oliver behaved himself, perhaps an arrangement could be made with the Hillfolk or Ruan to repair the damage Milly's masterful marksmanship had inflicted. They were on the same side now, more or less.


Perhaps the cocksure mercenary's incredible ability to incapacitate wounded Avalonians half his size with the element of surprise would even prove useful!


For now, though, Nathaniel was finding it difficult to think in detail over anything but dragging his possessions back to his incomplete fort and how he was going to face Milly after such a...memorable display of what the redheaded captain was capable of when sufficiently angered and stocked up on ammunition...

 

[Xatarias]

As you trudge nearer to the fort, the voices of your followers becomes audible.


"Now that we've got Brightland back, we should be hitting them with everything we've got! Those grunts they've got over there aren't fit to lick my bootheel. Now that our numbers are comparable, we can push them back to the docks."


"Hold up Drail, they released him, which means the commander must have negotiated some sort of terms. Your tearing in there might upset a delicate balance that we know nothing about."


"No offense, Sir, but you haven't-"


Drail and Telai stop mid-argument just as you enter the fort. Your half dozen or so other crewmembers look dirty and tired, but more or less unharmed. The Shen'ri and his Hillfolk brethren immediately lumber over to you, brushing their pelts against your side with such force that you almost lose balance. The golden beastman sniffs you, your link conveying his concern. Apparently your small size has lead him to conclude that you'd be helpless without him.


"It was a hell of a task keeping them inside the walls. They don't have much respect for cannons or muskets, and were quite willing to go charging towards town after we lost you in the warrens," Telai explains. "Good to have you back, sir."


The tightness of her expression more than worries you. You don't have time to consider it however, because a scarlet streak crosses the courtyard and you gasp as Milly impacts with you. The deadly gunmistress shamelessly embraces you, tilting her head up and giving you a hard kiss that feels almost as much a reprimand as it does a greeting.


"Looks like Cynthia decided not to keep you after all." Her impish smirk conjures up more than a few memories for you. "I thought I might have to shoot half the town before she saw sense. What'd you do to break free? Win a game of chess? Match wits engaging in a stirring debate of Avalonian empiricism?

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Phew..." Nathaniel barely had time to let his bag of supplies sink to the ground and exhale a relieved breath before "his" Hillfolk were upon him. He gasped in faint surprise as the burly beastmen rubbing their husky forms against him and stumbled back so far that he almost tipped over entirely. He stared at Shen'ri for an instant, a vague sense of indignation fuming back through his part of the link before the Brightland scholar reluctantly conceded the point for now. Trying to argue over just how helpless he was on his own so soon after being coldcocked and dragged away was probably not the most fruitfully endeavor he could set his mind to at the moment. Not when there was so much else he needed to-


"Mmph!" Again, Nathaniel found himself grunting and wide-eyes in shock as Milly's arms locked around his body, her lips crushing against his and silencing whatever protests he might have had. A barely audible moan escaped his lips and the tension in his body evaporated in an instant along with all thoughts of propriety or shame.


"M-milly..." The young man groaned. His eyes flickered towards his assembled host of soldiers, his face a bright scarlet color. Well...it was too late to worry about how they might react now!


"The latter, more or less..." A few quick breathes to steady his nerves and Nathaniel was able to form and articulate coherent thought again. The blush would take a bit longer to cease staining his face. "I'm not sure how much Telai has been able to share with you all, but she can vouch for me when I say that our circumstances here have changed a great deal. Fortunately, I was able to convince Cynthia Lentani of that was well..."


He intended to fill them all in on everything that had transpired since he first left to gain control of the Song's power. Many of the mercenaries would probably be skeptical at best. Even by the standards of the dark continent, it all likely sounded like something out of a story or frontier legend. Perhaps Telai vouching for him and the presence of the Hillfolk bound to him would make his report more easy to swallow. Perhaps it wouldn't matter once he demonstrated his newfound power to them.


Yes, Nathaniel had deemed it necessary. Agatha had Drail to herself for a full night. He needed to be certain the man had suffered for it even subconsciously. There were any number of ways revealing the existence of the Gifted could hurt him in both the short and long term, but dangers of leaving them in the dark seemed far greater still. They faced a ruthless adversary who had developed an entire system towards the end of breaking down every Gifted individual who fell under his power down into a living tool every bit as twisted as he. Whatever the nature of his "replacement", Nathaniel was certain Agatha would not be the last psychic agent he and his expedition would contend with.


Even if it was impossible to train his soldiers to resist the Gift, he could at least ensure they would not face it blind.

 

[Xatarias]

It takes several hours of conference for you to explain and demonstrate to your followers just how much of the world remained hidden to them. At first you have to quell their disbelief. Somehow subterranean civilizations of dogmen and sky cities of squirrels seem more plausible to them than the existence of psychics living in their midst. When they look Telai and see nothing but stern, seriousness, some begin to pay attention. Grudging attentiveness gives way to revelation and outright fear when you finally showcase your powers, snatching snippets of their thoughts from voicing them to the group. One by one, they grow to understand your powers and the fact that they are others with similar abilities... The only one who doesn't look surprised is Drail.


The gruff soldier confides in you after the meeting. "I knew there was something off about that woman... No matter how... Rough things got, she wanted to got one step further. It was like she couldn't feel anything. At the time I thought she was simply eager to learn what was happening back home, but I'm starting to remember her questioning me for specifics about our operation and... I don't know why I told her. I had this sense that I had to or something... Something bad would happen."


He shakes his head as if trying to recall the details of some dream long forgotten. The man clearly was dominated by Agatha and no doubt provided much of the intelligence that made her so intimate with your goals and methods.


Drail stares at his feet. "I... I'd better help getting the sleeping quarters repaired. We don't want to sleep with the rains coming and I doubt the locals will be happy to rent us a room after all this."


Telai appears at your shoulder, watching Drail join the rest of the men. "He's scared Nathanial. They all are. You just told them about a woman who killed with her mind, and you just showed them you were capable of the same thing... I saw you when you ended those thugs, there wasn't any strain- certainly no remorse. I understand better than most about the costs of conflict, I'm a mercenary for God's sake. Death is my trade but... This power turns people into little more than bullets. It creates a divide: the gifted and a vast sea of pawns. Maybe it was always this way, but..."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel retreated as much as he could in the incomplete fort after the meeting. The soldiers would need time to process all that he shared and not hovering over them like a specter of what was to come. Besides, there were mattered he needed to discuss with his inner circle.


Nathaniel frowned at Drail's description of Agatha's efforts at sensuality. Alestra had described his...process as producing little more than a puppet for the Patron to project his will through, but even after his close encounter with the assassin, he hadn't expected...that. Perhaps ending her life had been as much of a mercy as freeing her captives, in its own way.


"I'm just relieved she didn't get a chance to do anything worse to you," The young Brightland nodded politely at Drail before the soldier turned away.


Telai spoke and he thought he knew how to respond. Then Nathaniel faced her and saw the southerner's expression, as if the trepidation in her voice wasn't enough to give him pause. For a long moment, he stared at Telai in silence, deliberating over whether that planned response was a tactful way to address her concerns. The fact that Nathaniel had to stare at her so long with an expression that was more gently thoughtful than a mask of uncertainty and regret might have given the husky amazon more of an answer than his actual words ever could have.


"I think it's always been this way, Telai," Nathaniel finally said with a sigh. "It doesn't matter if the power is physical, economic, social, or mental. Some people believe that having it makes them so much greater than their fellows that they are entitled to make pawns of them. All that changes is the means of coercion. As for the killing..."


Despite himself, the young man floundered. He spared Telai a quick yet hesitant glance. The way she looked at him made his guts twist.


"I...I'm sorry. I don't...maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to kill those men. I didn't even think to see if it would have been easier to render them unconscious instead, but...Telai, what would you have had me do? My followers were in danger and I didn't think negotiation was an option at the time. Would you be more comfortable if I found a way to kill them with my sword or pistol? Is killing our enemies with a blade through the throat or bullet through the brain a morally superior option to you?"


Nathaniel's arms were crossed over his chest and his stance a strong one. Yet, his eyes roamed every part of Telai's expression and despite his words, his tone was as uncertain as the frown he wore. The young Brightland clearly wasn't entirely trying to swat her objections down. There was just enough doubt lingering in him after nights of living the Patron's memories that...perhaps Telai could make a point that would collapse those justifications like a house of cards. Or perhaps he was just afraid that he'd already gone too far and was about to dash whatever remained of the warmth between them.


"If...if not, then what difference does it make what weapon I use? The knights of Avalon had their horses and armor, then came the crossbow and muskets....now we have artillery that can obliterate entire scores of men in an instant. How is me using this power to protect you all any worse than that?"

 

[Xatarias]

Telai frowns at you. "Because a cannon can be taken away from a despot. Because if you drew a sword and thrust it at me, I could parry it with my own. Weapons of war are tools that we use to shape our will into reality, whether that's conquering a city or just staying alive... But your abilities, they make your will a reality in ways that can't be stopped by normal people. You can act with impunity with no constrains save for other gifted individuals. It sets you apart from the rest of us in a way that a crown or a cannon can't... You're not declaring yourself superior... You are superior.


"What's to stop you from using your abilities in other ways? Forcing people to agree to disadvantageous business deals? Making people happily give everything they have simply because you fucked some sea creature?... Maybe you wouldn't do those things. But the only one who gets to decide that is you... That's why I'm concerned. I thought I was in control of my own destiny, but now... Now we're all sheep.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"...I don't feel superior..." Nathaniel gestured to the significant lump on his skull with a frown and a sigh. Gods...even he wasn't sure whether or not that was a legitimate point. All the power Telai believed he wielded had been rendered useless by a thug who got the drop on him with a weapon you were more likely to find in a collection than on the battlefield. What was to stop someone else from using a knife in the dark against him?


Gods...Agatha had that and the gift. What if the Patron had more like her? He'd almost failed then too. Even if the desperate plans for escape he'd formulated before Alestra's intervention Telai would have been...


Outwardly, very little in Nathaniel's demeanor had changed. The southerner might have noticed his breathing quickening and his pupils dilating. Yet his heart was pounding and the lump began to throb. Painfully.


Could he have avoided it all if he'd been thorough in his psychic scans of the battlefield? More forceful when they stumbled across the "wounded" Agatha? What if he-GODS! Telai would have hated that! Whatever seemingly foolproof plans his mind concocted, she would view it as proof that he was everything she feared. That he was like the Patron.


The anger surged over the fear the moment Telai brought up his tryst with the siren in those terms. His teeth bared in the star of a scowl that never quite formed, but the stoic mask was shattered. Rage, fear, and uncertainty freely played out across his face as all the trials he'd faced and seemed posed to face in piecemeal seemed to come crushing down on his mind all at once.


"What do you want Telai?" His voice cracked with the swirl of all those volatile emotions competing for dominance. "If I die or someone finds a way to just...magically strip me of this, nothing changes! There were other people with this power long before I got it! We may have been indirectly sent here by one if you believe Alestra's theories on the Syndicate's plans! If what you told me about your people are true, they might even have ways of doing all this too! I'm trying to protect you all, Telai. I told all of our men about what they're up against so they can fight to remain in control. Or at least try...Gods...if they can't...if you can't...Telai, I can't be weak and protect you from this at the same time..."

 

[Xatarias]

Telai's hard expression softens as her tirade prompts your moment of weakness. She reaches for you, her strong arms pressing you to her chest.


"Then you need to find some way to relieve that burden. You're a brilliant man, Nathanial, but you can't be a god. It's simply impossible for you to lend your aid to all those that need protecting. And only protecting what you hold dear is simply selfish... You made the right decision, telling the men. They will be the first to know that this power is real and not just some superstition lingering in the far corners of society. But we need some way to protect ourselves, to defy this power. It's the only way to curb the Patron's powers."


Telai breaks her embrace and leans down so your eyes are level with hers.


"I know what you're afraid of Nathanial. I spent an entire night as you tossed and turned beside me. You need to realize it's this distance you put between yourself and everyone else that makes you vulnerable. There's something to be said for self-reliance, but the more I've been away from home, the more I've realized: everyone needs someone... You're not a bad man, Nathanial and you're not becoming one. I'll make sure of it."


She leans forward to plant her lips on your own.


"Hey Nat, what do you say we go on the town and rub it the Lenani's faces that we-"


Milly freezes as she catches you and Telai engaged in what is most certainly not proper etiquette for coworkers. Her mouth twitches in something of a grimace and those emerald eyes, always gleaming, for once seem dim.


"Nevermind..."


She turns, fiery braids whipping behind her, and flees to the half-finished barracks. A gunshot rings out from within. The rest of the crew vacates the premise hurriedly, thankfully none looking like the victim of Milly's discharged bullet.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel felt numb as Telai pulled his smaller form against her's.They actually agreed then? At least as far as ways to break the Patron's power? That was a relief, but an actual solution coupled with everything else faced seemed so far away.


The Patron certainly seemed to thrive off the ignorance of what he and his followers were capable of. Granting people the knowledge that there was even such a wolf among them who could warp their very minds was an excellent start but...what then? Was there some alchemical concoction he could produce one day that might hold the secret? Some...trick to using the Song that connected at least he and the Patron that could restrain all this power manipulating the world from the shadows? But when was anything ever that easy...?


Nathaniel didn't pull back from the kiss, but he was less than enthusiastic about returning it. He didn't hurt anymore, but the numbness remained. And then Milly turned the corner to see him.


She fled before he could say anything. The sound of the gunshot ringing through the air made his heart skip a beat. Could she have-? No. No! How could he even think something as awful and self-centered as that?! Since when had he ever immediately assumed the worst possible scenario to anything?!


...Perhaps this was simply the first time he'd done so in regard to something other than numbers on a ledger.


"I need to fix this..." Nathaniel said after exhaling a weary breath. With Telai's consent, he would have turned to make his way to the barracks. "...I probably deserve whatever happens, so please don't panic, Telai,"


The numbness he'd felt before felt more and more appealing with each step he took towards the structure. Yet he didn't hesitate to rap his knuckles against the wood standing between he and the smuggler. "Milly? Can we talk?"

 

[Xatarias]

After determining a muffled grunt is about the best you're going to get for answer, you duck under the low doorway and enter the log cabin. No doubt in their haste to defend the fort, your men neglected to apply finishing touches to their spartan living quarters and light spills in from gaps in the interlocking logs of the walls. A beam cuts across the room, splashing against Milly's blazing tresses.


The smuggler stares dispassionately against the far wall, eyeing a crude chalk scrawling of Olly which has been riddled with damage from low caliber pistol shots and throwing knives. One of the caricature's eyes has been reduced to a smoking bullet hole and quick draw from Milly makes adds a crater to match on the other side of the target. She tosses aside her second pistol with a snort.


Your temperamental lover then slouches with chin on knees, refusing to look at you. She isn't the wailing wreck that so many other ladies back in Avalonian's high society were reduced to after being spurned by a lover, but her deadly quiet is just as unsettling. No conversation forthcoming, it seems that you'll have to begin the dialogue... Carefully. Milly still has plenty of loaded arms holstered about her person.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

What was the expression? Out of the frying pan and into the fire?


But this wasn't about how he felt. Not truly. Milly's expression and deliberate silence told him everything he needed to know and hurt only slightly less than a shot from the master markswoman's weapons.


...Probably.


"...I didn't cast you aside, if that's what you're thinking," Nathaniel's eyes flickered over the chalk image of Oliver. On nearly any other day, he would have struggled not to laugh. "How much do you know about Avalonian culture? We practice polygamy, but that doesn't change the fact that I wronged you."


He had to suck in a breath to steady himself. Young man's head felt disorientation light now. Coupled with the numbness still lingering his his body, it seemed like all it would take to knock him over was a stiff breeze.


"I should have consulted you first. I never should have acted without your consent, but I...I was stupid. And I'm sorry."

 

[Xatarias]

"It's not like we had some sort of prearrangement," Milly mutters bitterly. "You're free to be with whomever you like. I'm no blushing virgin, Nathanial, I know how things work... I just..."


She exhales, frustrated and pulls a knife from her boot, hurling it at the target and nailing the fictitious Olly right in his privates.


"I just thought I'd be enough for you! I don't know, most of the men I've been with never treated me like you do." She whirls to face you. "I've either called the shots or been made to play second fiddle to some asshole's ambitions. But you... You made me feel like I was going to be a part of what we were building here... Special..."


She snorts. "How ridiculous does that sound? Fucking you doesn't make me own you any more than you do me, but... Seeing her kiss you hurt, and I don't think that's going away... I assume you... You know..." 

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Milly's psuedo-absolvement was met with a deep frown and crossed arms. No, they hadn't come to an explicit arrangement, but common sense should have dictated what was and was not acceptable in a relationship where actual feelings were involved. Apparently not common enough in his case.


Once again he found himself unable to enjoy the sight of Milly so creatively abusing her artistic rendition of Oliver. If only he could adorn such a masterpiece in his chambers back in Avalon.


Nathaniel flinched when Milly spun to face him and again when she described what they'd done as "fucking". It wasn't the crassness of the word that disturbed him. He'd certainly heard far worse from the sailor's mouth. It was...when Telai and Milly used it, they reduced all the feeling, all the discover and minor awe of those moments they shared to...fucking.


"It's not about you or anyone else being 'enough' for me, Milly. It's...feelings. That I've been doing an abysmal job managing lately..." His outburst to Telai immediately sprang to mind. It might have made his point far more effectively than a calm, measured reply could have, but what if he'd allowed himself to crack in front of his men, enemies, or allies he whose confidence he needed to maintain?


"Whatever you decide to do with our relationship, you are a special part of what happens here as long as you choose to work with me. I told you and everyone in this garrison what we may be up against now. Honestly, it's...definitely more than you bargained for. I'd understand you being wary of staying with me from a purely professional perspective, but now more than I ever I need people I can count on and trust."


He knew this line of questioning was going to pop up sooner or later. If it hadn't, he would have had to make it all clear to the fierce redhead in the near future regardless. "Yes. And I think you meant to joke about it, but Cynthia Lentani took advantage of my...predicament as well."


Nathaniel's body tensed in a futile attempt to brace himself for whatever blows Milly might unleash, emotional or otherwise. "I don't want to hurt you. It hurts me to see you like this. I can talk to Telai once everything here is settled. I created this...tangle. I should be able to fix it."

 

[Xatarias]

Milly jumps on your statement with a no doubt well prepared counter to you predicted statement, but her tirade dies off mid syllable as the pirate's brain actually comprehends what you just admitted to her. Milly's usually animated hands flop to her sides and her jaw drops in disbelief.  You flinch as her fingers dance, for fear of those dexterous digits pulling some unseen weapon in a fit of jealous rage... But it appears to just be a nervous tick. Milly seems calmer now, her eyes glacially cool in fact. Maybe now would be the time to-


"You. Did. What!?..."


That's when the temperamental redhead screams like a fury and throws herself at you. Those outside without proper context would assume an angry lioness had somehow infiltrated the compound, so fierce is Milly's roar. Her shoulder thuds into your midriff, bearing you both to ground.


Milly can't be much stronger than you, but her limbs are fueled with the angry power of one betrayed. She straddles your hips and delivers you a forehand that thoroughly stuffs whatever placation you might have voiced back down your throat. Your lapels are seized in an iron grip and Milly shakes you like a rag doll, yelling in your face.


"You fucked Cynthia Lentani!? After I told you how dangerous the woman was? After everything she did to me!? After she stole my fucking ship!?"


She releases you with an air bordering on contempt, rises, and spins away. Milly pinwheels her arms like a boxer warming up before a grudge match, directing her speech towards the rafter as if seeking commiseration from some unseen deity observing the unfolding drama from on high. You've seen Milly angry before, but never this irate.


"Don't worry, we'll find a way to work through this. Oh by the way, I let Cynthia have her way with me, cause I seem to be in the habit of fucking any woman related to my business plan, hinderance or otherwise." She spins back to scowl at you. "Please tell me you didn't do it thinking you'd get some sort of emotional leverage out her. That woman is cold as stone, pretty boy. She's a manipulator to the finest degree! She got her start by seducing her father's approved suitor and slitting his fucking throat--just to prove that she was tough enough for the family business!


"She's not going to let you off just because you happen to be good between the sheets! She... You..."


Milly lets out a frustrated sob and slides to the floor, face in hands.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel expected Milly to be upset. She'd done nothing but demonstrate what she could do when she was angry since he'd entered the half-finished building, and he didn't doubt Cynthia Lentani's warning about the fiery pirate from the start.


What he didn't expect was for Milly to slam the air out of his lungs before he could even begin to elaborate on what had been done to him rather than by him. His vision blurred as she shook him with strength born of white hot rage, shouting loudly enough to sting his ears. Nathaniel tried to speak when the redhead finally released him, but all he could manage was a breathless gasp.


His eyes narrowed for a moment as Milly continued her tirade. She thought he planned to do this to her?! A mistake had been made with Telai, and perhaps he could have been more blunt about what had transpired with Cynthia, but now she was using that to accuse him of trying to sleep his way to victory?!


Enough air to speak filled Nathaniel's lungs as he forced himself back up. His body and expression were tensed with a surge of anger, though it paled in comparison to what Milly had felt. Her sobs peeled through the air and all of it faded. The numbness and pain rushed to embrace his body once again.


"She suspended me from the ceiling of my former room to 'interrogate' me, Milly" Nathaniel said at last with a weary sigh. He didn't expect it to make things better, at least not significantly, but Milly deserved the truth. That's why he tried to tell her before she violently cut him off. "She was...tormenting me that way to get information about the expedition and was going to do worse before I convinced her that the Syndicate is a mutual threat too large to ignore. Then she stepped back so her maid could put on a show with me."


Even so, Nathaniel frowned when Milly explained what happened to her last suitor. It...certainly fit with what he'd seen and learned of the woman even if he wouldn't have guessed that aspect of her history. Gods...if Cynthia hadn't decided he was worth toying with in that manner, just how would that interrogation of her's ended...?


"I know, Milly. She's been doing a fairly good job of making sure this truce is as weighted in her favor as possible. I believe she's everything you say she is, but the Syndicate...the man leading it...Milly, I haven't been able to sleep without reliving his memories ever since I gained these powers. He's...his thoughts have overridden mine. I've felt the pleasure he takes in causing as much suffering as he can. If Agatha was telling the truth, more of his minions are coming to claim this entire continent for him, and probably us with it."


Nathaniel approached Milly, cautiously extending a hand towards her shoulder. If she let him touch her, it would have been a gentle thing at first...then flashes of those memories came lunging out of the darkest recesses of the young Brightland's mind. Milly's broken sobs...a noise not unlike the tortured groans he remembered in the Patron's private dungeons. The look of shock and betrayal that had been on the woman's face before he began to break her...this was nothing compared to what would await Milly, Telai, and anyone who took the Syndicate's fancy if he kept failing them.


If she had permitted it, the grip around her shoulder would have suddenly grown painfully tight. Nathaniel's knuckles would be white as Milly experienced what it was like when he was the one being driven by some of their species most primal emotions. He would barely seem to be even looking at her anymore, with his widened eyes and suddenly pale skin.

 

[Xatarias]

Milly lets out a ragged breath, trying to reassume her composure after her emotional outburst. She doesn't object to your touch, but the contact doesn't carry the same effortless familiarity as it had a few days ago when your relationship- and life in general- seemed more simple.


"That scheming little strumpet." She seethes. "Nothing seems to stop her, no matter how many people she treads on, she just keeps winning. It's what she lives for... Nathanial, you're hurting me. "


The pirate deftly removes your grip from her shoulder even as the last of her tears roll down her cheeks. The physical stimulus seems to restore that cavalier competence in Milly and she rises smoothly while retaining her hold on your wrist. Her emerald eyes regard you with evident concern.


"You're really scared of him. This Patron guy?... Enough for you to throw your lot in with the Lentanis? It's not like you to buy into a deal slanted out of your favor, much less one arranged by your family's archenemy..."


Well at least she isn't hitting you anymore.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Wha-?!" Nathaniel jumped and his eyes snapped back into focus as Milly peel his hand from her shoulder. Suddenly, he was back in the half-finished barracks again, the scattered memories of the Patron retreating back into the darkest recesses of his mind.


"I..." His train of thought had been completely derailed. It would take a moment for him to get it back, but he had to. If he couldn't explain his thinking and argue his case to Milly, then how he could expect to convince anyone who had not personally experienced the Patron and his minions' evil? Nathaniel shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again was able to pretend he felt calm and collected now.


"Yes. The evidence points to he and his Syndicate having deeply entrenched connections and resources in my homeland, as well as more people with...powers like mine. Enough that they may have been using both the Brightlands and the Lentanis as pawns in their plans for this continent. Agatha wanted...when she tried to abduct me, she made it clear she wanted to soften up the Forest Folk and the Hillfolk by having them fight each other because of some historic rivalry. If she were still alive, I'm sure she'd be thrilled at the idea of Cynthia and I doing the same until her reinforcements arrive without her having to lift a finger..."


Nathaniel paused as much to let Milly process his explanation as to take another steadying breath. Some of Agatha's word words sprang into his mind unbidden. Her "generous" offer to take Milly with them if he was "good". The thoughts that had driven him out of this world and into a nightmare created by his own imagination run wild pressed forward again.


"Milly..." The dignified mask was cracking again. His eyes darted almost fearfully over her form while his voice cracked for a moment. "Agatha thought about dragging you to him too. Maybe that was just empty sadism but my family is almost certainly near the heart of the Patron's powerbase! I don't even know if they know about these abilities I have now or just kept it a secret from me, but if it's not enough...I know what he'll do! I've done them in my sleep almost every night since-! They'll do so much worse than kill you, Telai, and a-anyone else that-!"


Nathaniel abruptly cut himself off, lightly gasping for air. He'd been talking too swiftly to have time to breath.

 

[Xatarias]

"Slow down Nathanial! Gods, look at you."


Milly grabs ahold of your shoulders and forces you to straighten and look her in the eyes. She places a steady hand on your chest, as if to quell your hammering heartbeat. The panic that threatens to consume you is made worse as your mental defenses waver and memories that are not your own bubble to the forefront of your consciousness. Tender moments that you wish you could escape to beckon like a siren while horrific scenes fill you with an insidious dread about what the future might hold for you and your companions. Was this worth it? If only you weren't burdened with these abilities or invested with your families ambitions. If only-


"Nathanial!"


Milly's hand pushes on you, forcing you to stumble backwards. The push isn't kind, but it isn't meant to be. What it does do is turn your thoughts away from the hopelessness of your situation. Before you can even move to recover yourself, Milly advances, pushing you firmly back again.


"So you've made enemies. They've got more resources, more men, and are nigh untouchable, right" You find yourself being herded towards the far wall, Milly hurling her statements with each measured step. "Well join the fucking club, pretty boy! Nothing in life comes without a price and we've each got personal baggage to drag along the way. Sometimes the weight of it all gets to you and you just want to give up... Well you can't."


This pep talk comes at an awkward time considering Milly was an emotional wreck a few moments before... Then again, maybe it just serves her point. The buxom corsair plows ahead, advancing towards you until your back is pushed against the rough timber of the cabin wall. She seizes your collar and glares at you, eyes still puffy from her breakdown.


"You've been knocked around. Some fish woman screwed with your head, you were forced to put down a crazy nun, and Cynthia Lentani used you for her own amusement. That might break most people, but you aren't most people, are you pretty boy? They're expecting you to bury your head in the sand and wait for them to make the next move, but they're going to be disappointed. You've got promises to keep and people to protect. "


This isn't Telai's calm, measured therapy. Your heart beats even faster as Milly gets into the swing of her tirade, but it's not because of fear. This is the woman that ripped you from the bosom of civilized propriety with that winking smile. Hurt and confused as she is, she can't bear to see you so weak and dejected... This is Milly rallying to you, in spite of all the distance put between you. It isn't quiet, loving forgiveness, but then again, Milly has never been what you would call gentle.


"Show me the man that abandons his cushy life for this god forsaken jungle because he wanted a challenge." Her fierce, smiling lips are inches from your own. You can't help but breath in the smell of her and it wipes away the voices of the song that were so distracting moments before.


"Show me the man who steals from a Letani underboss with a smile and a wave, the guy who dares fuck an Amazon when I'm not looking."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel flinched when Milly called out his name. Some part of him recognized how ridiculous he was being. This twisted tangle of fear and dread served no purpose. No matter how grim things looked in the longer term, nothing but the crushing defeat that terrified him so was going to come to pass if he just gave in to it all. He should have been better than this, stronger than this, but...gods, the visions were returning! He felt about to choke as the Song's power began to flood through the cracks of his weakened defenses. Once again he was numb and blind to the real world. Once again the Song tried to lure him into its currents as the siren gave him the Gift had his body. Would it really be so bad if someone-something else-slipped into his hollowed out form to take up this burden in his stead...?


Milly shouted again and her shove pushed all of it back. The Song's tendrils were forced back through the wall that separated his consciousness from its currents and the holes they crept through were swiftly sealed...for the time being, at least.


All Nathaniel could do was stare at the fierce redhead as she trapped him against the wall, seizing, shouting, and finally smiling at him all at once. He...wasn't used to this. Not at all. Respectful corrections or the very rare stern lecture? Certainly. But this? Tearing him from the mental mire he'd fallen into through force, summarizing it all in a way most people he knew would consider crass and blunt, and topping it all off with a reminder of all the things he'd done that clashed quite vividly with the the image of a bookish Brightland quietly accumulating wealth from some well-fortified counting house.


...It was exactly what he needed.


"Milly..." Nathaniel fought hard not to laugh when he said her name this time. His heart still pounded in his chest, but right now it felt so light he wouldn't have been surprised if it lifted his whole body into the air.


His lips pressed forward to join her's. If the pep-talking pirate permitted it, it would have been a passionate yet swift display of affection. It was not born of carnal hunger, but thankfulness and the sort of intoxicating joy and affection that could only come after such a pure reminder of why he felt he loved her despite-no-because of the differences between them.


Something close to an electrical current felt like it ran through his body as his arms reached forward to pull Milly into a tight, lingering embrace. Some of the numbness he'd felt in the grip of the crushing despair remained, but it too was lighter now. The nightmare he had been trapped in had given way to a dream. Perhaps not a happy one, but there was light at the end of the tunnel again...