Colonizing the Dark Continent (For Weiss Ritter)

[Xatarias]

Something in the look exchanged between the two women tells you that they're not taking your protests into consideration. Alestra quickly takes her leave of you, promising to answer your questions in the morning. The way she regards you, it feels like something has changed in your relationship. Those violet eyes once filled with knowing mischief now regard you warily. Maybe you've proven more dangerous than Alestra originally thought... Or the mere memory of her captor was enough to taint the fragile comradery between you.


 Telai wastes no time in fetching her bedding from her room across the hall and placing it in close proximity to your sleeping place. The lieutenant doesn't seem inclined to entertain your reservations about the arrangement. The warmth so fleetingly kindled between you hasn't returned, far from it. Rather that familiar aura of duty has returned to envelope the formidable amazon. She dismisses your objection with a steely conviction that leaves little room for argument.


"Don't be ridiculous Nathanial, there's no one better suited to the task than me. I wouldn't trust one of these beastmen to not crush you in any case..." She softens for a moment. "I don't want you to think that I don't care for you. We had a disagreement, but we're not children. Despite what... What was discussed earlier won't affect my obligations towards you. I will protect you, Nathanial."


She tries to keep her tone level and professional, but it's clear that Telai still is effected by your argument in the baths. She seems to be trying to convince herself as much as you.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel sat in impotent silence as the pair exchanged a look. The fact that he apparently had no say whatsoever in this matter would have been disconcerting enough even without the complete change in Alestra's posture and tone. He wasn't the prospective apprentice she'd been playfully prodding in Telai's direction anymore, but a potential threat. At least, that was how Nathaniel was inclined to view things, particularly as Laughingwind's warnings about the sorceress sprang to mind. It was enough to make him give the vial Alestra had offered him a second, rather wary look-over and sniff.


In the end, he would drink it unless there was some harmful element that the living goddess of the Hillfolk had...neglected to explain when listing the side effects before.


His gaze wondered back up to Telai as she spoke. For a moment he felt a sense of relief creeping in against all odds, but it swiftly faded as the southerner continued. The Insight that made his Intellect so much more than the mere ability to spout off facts and figures without a library on hand had also allowed him to cut through the lies, bluffs, and innuendo that were all too often the bread and butter of the politics the Brightlands were embroiled in. And right now, painful as it was for him to note...Telai's words seemed riddled with falsehood. It wasn't malicious and she really did seem to be trying to convince herself as much as him that what happened in the baths didn't have to taint their professional relationship, but...


Nathaniel was silent for a long moment and tried to suppress a wince as those painful thoughts ran through his mind. "Thank you, Telai..." the young man said with a sigh that he hoped sounded more relieved than melancholy.


"...We should probably try to make contact with the rest of the expedition shortly," He glanced over his shoulder at the dusky amazon as he prepared to drink the vial and climb back into his bedding. "I'm not sure how long this training with Alestra may take, and if something goes wrong...anyway, they need to know where we are and that we made it safely. I can't say I'm comfortable being away while the Lentani and that Assassin are still plotting against us..."


Hopefully Nathaniel would be able to get some sleep despite that lovely train of thought at work. It wasn't like he could just stop considering these things once they occurred to him.

 

[Xatarias]

Telai props herself up against the wall opposite from you, gathering blankets around herself. "Well we're not going to be much help to anyone if you're at the mercy of this magician assassin. Take your time and make sure you're up to the task of defending yourself. Physical dangers I can deal with, but this sorcery... It scares me, Nathanial. My tribes had seers and medicine men with special gifts, but skinwalkers? Those I thought were just a legend."


Telai shudders, no doubt remembering her possession at the hands of the assassin. Her gaze is cast down in unmistakable shame. It must be hard for her to not only acknowledge her own impotence, but the liability she represents should you face the psychic operative a second time.


"But Alestra must have some means to communicate with the outside world. I mean, she contacted you. Maybe she'll know something relevant our tactical predicament... Then again, that woman keeps her cards close to that over-sized bosom. I still don't trust her and won't until we've safely left this place."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Hmm..." Nathaniel reluctant grunted, conceding Telai's point. He hadn't had the luxury of carefully analyzing the assassin's state of mind when they were locked in their brief mental duel, but it certainly felt like he'd managed to catch her off-guard. She simply hadn't expected him to be able to hit back with such tremendous mental force. That wasn't an advantage he would have next time. Next time, he was certain this assassin who could made even Alestra uneasy would be better prepared to leverage what was probably years of experience against him.


He was going to have to learn very, very quickly, then.


"I'm reluctant to let her get too familiar with our comrades' minds for that reason," Nathaniel nodded and sighed as he pulled his blankets around his body. "I'm not sure how much of Laughingwind's wariness of her was just a misunderstanding and now...she says she doesn't believe that man's memories can harm me, but..."


He spared Telai an uneasy glance. Was he just being paranoid now? If Alestra wanted to have him smothered in his slip at the first hint that something was wrong, she wouldn't have shut down his offer to let her Hillfolk watch over him instead.


"...We should probably just deal with it all as it comes, shouldn't we? I'm over-thinking things...again, and we can't stay up all night worrying..." Nathaniel sighed and turned over, ready to let sleep overtake him.

 

[Xatarias]

You a firm hand on your shoulder when you lay down. Telai says something, but her voice is obscured as if underwater. Your eyelids flutter and some rational part of you recognizes that Alestra's drug must be taking effect. A few moment's later, Telai's hand is removed and the lantern doused. As blackness crawls across your vision, your fatigued mind gives in and consciousness slips away.


Your sleep can't really be considered restful. It's like being held down by pressing hands. Numerous times you can feel the song's denizens crowding in to your inactive consciousness, but the same chemical haze that keeps you from waking pushes them out. Fractions of thoughts, fragments of dreams come and go in incoherent flashes. The garbled speech that invades your subconscious is meaningless as it is disturbing and results in a rather nightmarish slumber that has you tossing and turning fitfully throughout the night.


After what feels like ages, your cunning intellect begins to assert itself and you bolt upright, gasping for air. Your body feels less fatigued, but your mind is as overburdened as ever, recalling with perfect clarity of last night's events. You don't know how long you can go on with only this substitute for true sleep, but the trade off is preferable to what you experienced without the numbing effects of Alestra's sleep aid.


Telai's bedroll is neatly folded in the corner, its owner absent from your chambers. You turn after detecting someone's presence in the doorway and see Alestra leaning against the doorway. Her nose crinkles at your sweaty, disheveled state. She smiles ruefully, but you can see a certain compassion behind the façade. She knows what you've been through and mercifully doesn't the topic of your dreams.


"Get yourself cleaned up. It's a little higher traffic in the mornings, but I daresay you won't need all the time you took last night." Her cat-like smile widens at your reaction. A stark contrast to her wariness last night, Alestra seems to have reasserted some of her patented mischievousness. "Across the baths' entrance is the chamber I use for meditation. I'll meet you there."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel had been expecting something more along the lines of a truly dreamless sleep. That his consciousness would be cocooned in a soothing black void, allowed to rest unmolested by the Song. What he got was...probably a bit worse than what sleep was like before that man's memories came to the forefront of what the Song tried to share with him. The half-complete jumble of incomprehensible words and images was maddening to witness and made him twist and squirm in his sleep. It was preferable to the lies, sadism, and rape he'd vicariously inflicted through the memories, but...not by much. This barely qualified as sleep.


Eventually, the young man did groggily rise. His head was pounding, his body sweating, and both his bedding and hair were completely disheveled. It was enough to make him wince when Alestra was waiting to see him in such a state. Given how he'd behaved and the effort he took to look composed, dignified, and unflappable even after a lengthy hike through the wilds...she could probably imagine just how uncomfortable all this was for him. Sometimes, leadership was about the presence you wielded as much as your ability to plan and delegate.


"Ah...!" The young man gasped softly and tensed at Alestra's words. If not the for faint blush forming, he might have been relieved to see her willing to banter a bit once again. "Gah..y-yes...thank you..."


Nathaniel rose and swiftly dressed himself. The trip through the tunnels and subsequent bath would hopefully go by just as quickly. After the...dreams he'd had last night, he was just as desperate to regain control of his own mind as he was curious about what he might be able to accomplish with some measure of control over the Song.

 

[Xatarias]

Locating the baths is fairly easy given the sheer amount of noise rumbling from within the chamber. Hillfolk of all shapes and sizes stand in and near the heated pool, their fur matted to muscled bodies. Children play in the shallows, chased by parents with soap and brushes. Weaving throughout the chaos is more than a little challenging and you are forced to duck under a thrown towel more than once.


No one prevents you access to the facilities, although you are treated to several sidelong glances. While they must have seen Alestra nude more than once, being the first human male in their presence, you still are subject of much curiosity. No doubt these subterranean denizens find your form as exotic as you do theirs. You feel less of a display piece when a fuzzy youngster runs up to you and shyly leaves a towel at your elbow, a courtesy, you observe, that is extended to all adults by their younger relatives.


Once you cleanse yourself, finding Alestra's meditation chamber is as easy as crossing the hallway. You slip through a circular portal into an incense-filled chamber. The floor is carved with concentric rings of glyphs and runes. Some of the script recognize form dead languages of ancient cultures while others are completely foreign. Sitting cross-legged on the floor is Alestra, her hands neatly placed on each knee. Her close eyelids don't flicker at the sound of your entrance, but you feel a familiar presence brush against your consciousness. The pressure is persistent and refuses to let up.


The mystic gestures to the empty space in front of her. "Take a seat. You noticed my touch? Good. Right now, I could glean whatever I chose from your mind if not completely control you. If you'd rather I didn't demonstrate, drive me out and maintain your defense for... Say ten minutes."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

The...attention he would receive as soon as he began to strip down didn't quite occur to Nathaniel until the Hillfolk around him got two eyefulls of everything that mattered. The young man froze, blushed, and feebly tried to cover himself with his hands as he inched towards one of the baths. It...could have been worse. At least the Hillfolk seemed curious and interested rather than contemptuous or dismayed? Alestra was something close to a goddess to them and Telai was even more well-muscled than most of their warriors. Nathaniel was hardly out of shape, but how could he not worry that his more toned build and lean rather than bulging musculature would seem...feeble compared to such juggernauts?


He murmured a quick "thank you" to the young Hillfolk who offered him a towel and began to bathe as swiftly as possible while keeping the bulk of his body submerged at each opportunity. Even then the bath seemed to stretch on longer than he was comfortable with.


Finally, Nathaniel was able to put all that discomfort behind him as he entered Alestra's meditation chamber. His finely honed eyes swept the breadth of the room and noted everything it contained in an instant. The glyphs and runes were of particular interest to the young scholar. The connection between such physical constructs and the chiefly mental powers of the Song was something he hadn't had a chance to even scratch the surface of. Perhaps he could begin if Alestra felt like enlightening him or permitted him to try and translate the carvings he actually recognized at some point.


The pressure on his mind was enough to make all those thoughts scatter and his body tense. With his jaw clenched tight, Nathaniel managed to nod and stiffly lower himself to the seat across Alestra. Even if she was "merely" observing his stream of consciousness, it was all he could do to not shiver.


"Fine. I apologize in advance," The words had scarcely left Nathaniel's mouth before his mind slammed against Alestra's prying tendrils with a tremendous force...or at least, it felt that way to him! He had done it once before to the assassin, so surely the basic principle was the same even if he was no longer quite so fueled by desperation and adrenaline? It wasn't as if he was lacking in raw brainpower, anyway...though for how long that could compensate for actual skill in wielding the Song's gifts, who could say?

 

[Xatarias]

(Intelligence roll: 21)


Alestra's intruding presence evaporates under your brutal mental assault. The force of your attack is so great that Alestra physically reels. There is a moment of sweet, singular purpose when your powers are turned to the single purpose of expelling all foreign influence. But like a lizard abandoning a limb in the clutches of a predator, you come away with only a fraction of Alestra's psychic consciousness. There is nothing for you to push against, nothing to contain and guard against. You search futilely for your sparring partner but can only detect the garbled network of the innumerable Hillfolk around you.


"Well that was dramatic, but I'm afraid your all talent and no technique. Now I realize that's not your fault, but you have to understand that what your doing won't protect you in a sustained psychic battle. Sooner or later... There it is."


Just as she speaks, you are unable to maintain your brutish psychic push and your consciousness retracts. Just as suddenly Alestra's presence returns to give your consciousness a feather-like caress. The violation is made only more disturbing knowing that gentle touch could have easily been an iron-hot dagger to the very heart of your being.


"Mental defense is not a fortress. So long as you are focused on keeping me out, you are like a blazing torch, completely exposed and vulnerable to a precise counter-attack. Unless you eliminate your opponent with the first salvo, they are free to slip away and plot exactly how to overcome the walls you have erected. You must slip into the current of our mental surroundings. Become a shadow. Mimic the song of the trees, the murmur of the animals, anything that is plentiful. Doing so will force your opponent to turn every rock searching for you."


Alestra coaches you in masking your presence. It is difficult learning how to mimic the mental signature of a hillfolk, much less a tree, but you are a quick study and after hours of practice are finally able to hide from the mystic for her prescribed fifteen minutes.


"That's enough time for you to either flee or ensnare your opponent, " She explains. "Once they spring your trap then you unleash that monstrous intellect of yours. Rend them apart. Mix their worst memories with the present. Bring their fears to life. Destroy them utterly and without hesitation, for they intend the same for you."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Tch..." Nathaniel hissed under his breath as Alestra's consciousness evaded his. He'd not only peeled her invading tendrils out of his mind, but sent them reeling back with gusto! And now...they were gone? Honestly, he wasn't expecting his attempt to best Alestra with the mental equivalent of a brutish sneak attack. Even if it did work, it wouldn't have served any real purpose since the whole point of her tutoring him was to learn how to wield his power with actual skill, but the way she just vanished on him was...baffling! Her body was right there and yet her mind may as well have been-!


It was Nathaniel's turn to flinch and gasp as Alestra's consciousness gently caressed his from out of nowhere. One moment all he could detect was the Hillfolk going about their daily lives and the next she was tapping a metaphorical blade against his throat!


"I see..." He lecture earned a frown from the young Brightland even as he moved to try and put her techniques into practice. It made him uncomfortable to admit it, but there were indeed sharp differences between his mind and the Hillfolks'. He could only imagine how stark the difference would be between him and a tree...or insect...or perhaps a whole herd of the beasts the assassin had dominated and sent after him!


Hours later, Nathaniel was drained yet satisfied. If such mental exertions weren't enough on their own to drench his body in sweat, then by the end of the first lesson he certainly felt like they should have been! He rose to his feet to stretch and pace back and forth before Alestra, rubbing his forehead with both hands.The sorceress's advice was as sage as it was ruthless, but Nathaniel paused all the same to give her a look that was almost fearful. Every time his mind had brushed against the memories in the Song, they threatened to intermingle with his own. When the memories of a single, powerful and malevolent, individual made contact with his mind, they threatened to consume it entirely. To hollow him out into and empty shell at best and a recreation of the man who struck fear into even Alestra's heart instead.


"Do I run the risk of becoming that assassin as well, if her memories are mixed with mine? And...what if we fight in an area where life is barren? Then is it a contest of sheer power, or are there ways to hide even then?"

 

[Xatarias]

Alestra nods approvingly. "Attacking your opponent's consciousness is incredibly risky and... Intimate business. Everyone has a darkness inside, but we can only assume the Patron's operative is even more unbalanced. People normally aren't born monsters/, they're made into them." Her eyes lock with your own. "That women was broken and remade into a weapon, Nathanial. Merciless and fanatically loyal. What do you think went through to make her the way she is? You need to ask yourself, can you bear such an experience yourself?"


Alestra sighs and leans back, producing a pipe from the sleeve of her robes. She offers you the device after taking a long drag herself. "As for an environment with nowhere to hide, you might be at an advantage there. A scenario with fewer complicating factors favors the raw power you have at your disposal.


"Then again, mental battles tend to take place in close proximity, so the chances of being in a barren landscape without direct line of sight are pretty slim. In that case, I suggest you try more conventional methods of dispatching her. Its pretty hard to pose a psychic threat with your brains scrambled by a bullet."


She places a comforting hand on your shoulder. "I know this a lot to take in. But understand that there is no middle ground. You are a Gifted individual outside of the Syndicate's authority with knowledge of their existence. They will not stop until you have been recruited or killed... If you don't think you can do this, I can help you flee or find a place for you amongst my children... Just know that your previous life will be forfeit."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel's pacing came to an abrupt halt and Alestra could see his eyes subtly widening even as his expression remained superficially thoughtful. He wasn't so naive as to think that people couldn't be trained to be ruthless killers, but this went well beyond the psychological training any soldier worth the title went through to be able to cut down other human beings without hesitation or guilt. Before he came to the Dark Continent, before he was connected to the Song and experience the Patron's memories, Nathaniel wouldn't have believed it was possible to simply train someone to take the joy and pleasure the assassin seemed to in her work as she thought she held his and Telai's lives in her grasp. But...even though he'd seen only glimpses of the Patron's methods, experienced only the thoughts leading up to when he truly began to go to work on his prey...


"I...don't know..." Nathaniel looked down at the floor with a deep frown. "Alestra, we were both afraid that I'd lose myself just from feeling a few of the Patron's memories. If what you're saying about that woman is true, if she was...broken into what she is today, then...maybe. Maybe if she's not so twisted that those memories are still traumatic and I can keep myself from being drawn too far into them..."


Nathaniel sighed and nodded at Alestra's words, his fingertips idly brushing against his pistol and rapier. "I'll keep that in mind. Even if her reliance on her mental abilities has caused whatever conventional killing skills of her's to atrophy, I doubt someone's whose primary purpose is to kill for her master won't be able to put up a fight."


The sorceress could feel the tension just beneath Nathaniel's flesh as her hand rested on his shoulder. The young man glanced over it at her, his tone dry and his frown firmly in place. "I'll keep that offer in mind if I survive my next encounter with them without needing to be put down for both our sake's. For now...I can count the number of things working in my favor on one hand, but I didn't come as far as I have by giving up at the first sign of difficulty or being unable to think outside the box. As soon as I have something resembling control again, I won't be passively waiting for the next crises to happen."

 

[Xatarias]

Alestra agrees with your assessment of the situation. "This is a contest of violence. Safe to say, you're out of your league. But if you are resolved to this, we cannot waver. I will do what I can to help you in this fight, but distance will limit my influence... You'll need to leverage some additional advantage."


She hesitates for a moment before continuing. "You also need to determine Telai's role in all of this. An experienced fighter would be invaluable should you encounter more of her enslaved minions... By the same token, her skills have the potential to be turned against you... I hesitate to suggest this, but it might be better for you two to leave this sanctuary separately. At the very least, Telai wouldn't be an immediate liability to your safety."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"I have some and I will find more," Nathaniel said with more certainty than he actually felt as he sternly crossed his arms. "As far as I know, my expedition is the most familiar with the local terrain and natural resources. I at least have my foot in the door with you and a very large tribe of the...er...Forest Folk...if things escalate that far enough. And they might, from what I've seen of my rival's powerbase here,"


The young man stiffened at Alestra's suggestion. When he looked back at the sorceress, there was a fire and intensity in his gaze that far eclipsed the sternly confident mask he'd worn just a moment ago. "No."


Nathaniel stood as still and unyielding as stone, almost as it challenging Alestra to try and shift him. "Telai may not view me as...someone special anymore. I probably am just her employer, and all that's stopping that assassin from making her choke the life out of me is her commitment to a mercenary contract, but I will not risk my lieutenant to risk running into that woman alone without me to at least try to protect her.


He paused just long enough to take  deep breath. "Besides, what do you think will happen if the Patron's killer take control of her even if we're separated? She could threaten to have Telai kill or mutilate herself if I'm out of her immediate reach. Maybe even have her march right back to my expedition to order them all to their deaths or something if she leaves ahead of me..."

 

[Xatarias]

"I didn't mean for her to leave before you Nathanial. I meant after. A few days after, maybe even a week. That should give you ample time to return to Newport and-"


"Absolutely not."


Alestra stops mid sentence as Telai strides into the meditation chamber and stands next you, her shoulder brushing against your own.


"I'm not going to be locked away in this hole while Nathanial runs off into the wilderness with some psycho on the loose. We beat her once before and we'll do it again. Together."


Telai gives you a fierce look, seeking approval while Alestra looks on, puffing her pipe impassively.


"I admire your... Professionalism my dear, but the fact remains that Nathanial is gifted and you are not. Your last encounter ended as well as it did simply because you got lucky. The assassin will not toy with you this time. She will break your mind and use you to murder your employer... Can you bear that, Telai? Watching on helplessly as your own hands choke the life out of your friend?... Your lover?"


The statement is brutal and clearly intended to rattle the Amazon. Telai bites her lip, fists clenched.


"We're not... That is..."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel looked skeptical at least while Alestra tried to clarify. When Telai made her dramatic entrance he nodded to her and gave the sorceress a faintly inquisitive look. Just what would she have to say to that beyond capitulating sooner or later? Unless she planned to have the towering southerner tied down and himself prodded out of the Hillfolks' caves at swordpoint, there seemed very little she could do to dissuade his lieutenant.


Nathaniel was quite mistaken. Alestra wielded her words like an expert duelist handled a blade, verbally striking every weakpoint of Telai's in blinding succession until the once ironclad statement toppled over before her.


While Telai was still reeling from the assault, her employer looked on in faint surprise. He suspected Alestra could be quite the lethal socialite from the moment they met, but to see it demonstrated in this way, against his second in command was...jarring.


"If the assassin does try to take over her mind, won't it leave her vulnerable to mine now that I can conceal myself?" Nathaniel spoke up over Telai's stuttering, but his tone probably wasn't as adamant as the husky mercenary might have preferred. He was at least open to the possibility, even probability, that he would have to make the trip back to Newport without her.

 

[Xatarias]

Alestra chews thoughtfully on your suggestion for a moment, her head wreathed in a cloud of smoke. It's hard to get a read on the sorceress's emotions squinting through the haze. It suddenly occurs to you that this is environment was by design rather than coincidence.


"That could work... You're correct, an assailant has to expose themselves for mental attacks. If she tried to dominate Telai, you'd be able to find her with ease. Of course that runs the risk of Telai hurting herself in the time it takes for you to kill the assassin. Then again, she'd likely be surprised by your willingness to use your companion as bait. It certainly did for me."


Telai hard expression flutters for a moment before resetting. "All plans carry a certain amount of risk. If this is the most reliable way of removing such a large threat then... Then we should at least consider it."


Her tone is hard, but you sense an undercurrent of... Fear? No anxiety. You get the sense that Telai is more disturbed by Alestra's suggestion that you would be willing to sacrifice her if it expedited the process of removing your enemies.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"No, that's not what I...I meant..." The neutral, thoughtful look gave way to widened eyes and a visibly startled jump in his body. Nathaniel honestly hadn't thought of it like that...but now he wasn't sure if that was a point in his favor. I had just seemed so...logical. He and Telai would be able to protect each other and perhaps rid themselves of one of the greatest threats on this entire continent. It had seemed like...teamwork, not...bait, but...


What Alestra had done to Telai, it seemed she succeeded in doing to Nathaniel as well as the young man grew silent for a long moment. Then his gaze swept back across the sorceress's features almost warily. Was this...planned? Was the surprise she claimed to feel feigned and her words carefully calculated to destroy a viable plan that simply didn't meet her own designs? It was an almost absurdly paranoid notion but again Laughingwind's warnings and the change that fell over Alestra after last night. His capture by the Assassin and her Patron would be disastrous for the Sorceress, but could he be so sure she wouldn't be the least bit relieved by his death if those dreams of his continued...?


"...I'm just afraid of what may happen if Telai encounters that woman alone..." Nathaniel finally said with a sigh while crossing his arms. "I thought I could protect her by eliminating the threat if we went together, but..."


He paused and looked to his lieutenant. "Telai, the decision is yours. I mean that. I may not be an expert in mental dueling quite yet, but I imagine fear or a shaken resolve can be as deadly as any crack in physical armor. If you have any doubts about what I just suggested then maybe you staying here for a time is the safest course of action for both of us."

 

[Xatarias]

Telai looks at you steadily. "While I appreciate the concern for my welfare, I think leaving together is the soundest plan of attack. If my presence will give you the initiative in this duel, then we'd be foolish not to take that advantage."


Alestra pulls herself to her feet. "It's settled then. I'll arrange provisions for you both as well as a map of the area. I'm sure you'll want to return to your duties as soon as possible.


"If you want to preserve some measure of sanity, Nathanial, then I suggest you continue to practice the lessons you learned here. The tincture I gave you isn't a long term solution, as I'm sure you're aware. Preventing yourself from slipping into that sea of memories can be achieved by anchoring yourself to the psychic rhythms of the world around you. Extend your senses before you sleep and attune yourself to your surroundings. By directing your consciousness outward, you may keep the demons inside at bay... It might help to keep something... Intimately familiar close at hand." Her eyes settle on one very flustered Telai.


"Well at least she's back to her old self." Telai mutters as Alestra departs to arrange the preparations for your departure. The lieutenant  turns to you. "Nathanial, I wanted to apologize for what happened in the baths... I asked you a question and ran away when I got the answer I didn't want to hear. It was... It was unreasonable for me to expect a place at your side when we had barely begun to consider... Other aspects of our relationship."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel tried to keep his expression and tone as neutral as possible, but faint traces of relief found their way into both as he nodded and said "Very well, then. I promise, I won't fail you."


He half-expected Alestra to protest or at least give her consent to the plan only reluctantly. She was taking it all with a pleasantly surprising amount of grace.


"A-ah..." Nathaniel stuttered, freezing mid-nod as Alestra's sage advice ended in a true return to form for the sorceress. Glancing at Telai didn't help much either. She was hardly bearing the woman's gentle teasing any better.


"Apparently..." The young man muttered back as the woman left he and his lieutenant alone. Still, Alestra had given him some food for thought. "Attune" himself to the life around him and keep an...emotional anchor fresh in his mind before going to sleep? It certainly sounded like a logical way to keep his mind rooted in the present, in his identity.


"Oh...yes...well..." Nathaniel took a step back as if driven back a pace by an enemy duelist. His expression was more thoughtful and strained than anything else, though, "It's...at least half the blame is mine too. I could have raised those issues sooner. Before we...ah..."


The young man trailed off and averted his gaze. The blush in his cheeks was undeniable no matter how much he tried to steady his voice or stop himself from fidgeting. "We rushed into things. Whatever happens next, I'm sure we can sort it out. We're both reasonable adults. We just need time...and maybe a few less attempts on our lives."

 

[Xatarias]

Telai grins at your reaction to her offer of reconciliation. "It's that decency that attracted me to you in the first place Nathanial. I just wanted you to know that I don't consider last night a mistake and you shouldn't be embarrassed at what happened. We can't go back to the way we were, pretending like nothing has changed between us because... Well I feel that I have changed since sharing my feelings with you... And I feel stronger for it." She hesitantly takes your hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.


The tender moment is somewhat broken by Telai's next declaration. "That doesn't mean I'm giving up of course. I realize that you have obligations and can't commit to... To an extended relationship. You're not a man to act purely on emotion, but I hope... I hope that one day, I'll be worthy enough in your eyes to set aside the logical choice and... Be a little reckless." She gives a rather uncharacteristic flush and releases your hand.


Before you can respond, the lieutenant turns on her heels calling over her shoulder, "I'd better go and make sure our room gets cleared out. Ruan was eyeing my gun earlier, and I'm pretty sure the last thing we need in the coming weeks is a cadre of Hillfolk musketeers.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"I...uh..." Nathaniel blubbered as Telai squeezed his hand. His cheeks were bright red and plainly visible as the young man somehow managed to meet Telai's gaze. The fact that he was having trouble forming coherent thoughts might have "helped" with that fact.


"I mean...Telai...!" Just when merchant prince seemed to be getting back his wind, the husky Southerner was already at the room's threshold.


"Right..." Nathaniel replied with a frown, unsure if Telai even heard him as he sucked in a steadying breath and lingered in the meditation chamber long enough for his blatant blush to fade. That last sentence from his lieutenant was almost a welcome one. Displeasure and concern over Ruan's distrust of his people, if not he and his expedition specifically, were relatively easy emotions for Nathaniel to fathom and grapple with compared to...everything his changed relationship with Telai made him feel. She was an extraordinary woman.She cared for him. She enjoyed exploring new lands and seeing what the world had to offer probably even more than he did! He just...wasn't sure if he could give Telai what she deserved. What if that place at his side cost everything else he held dear in his life?


The young man clenched a fist.


Perhaps...if his efforts on the Dark Continent were wildly successful enough, was it just possible that he might be able to leverage that into acceptance of his choice in lovers to date? It wasn't a sure thing, but if the purpose of a more politically advantageous union was to secure wealth, power, or prestige, then gaining enough of any could give the Brightlands the breathing room they needed to at least tolerate his decision without risking everything.


...Also, he was going to have to inform Milly about all of this. That was going to be...fun...


Nathaniel exhaled a breath and left the chamber at last. He had a few things to take care of as well. Make sure all his possessions were accounted for, that his rapier was given a fresh application of poison, and that his pistol was loaded...all the precautions needed just in case they did run into that assassin or her proxies once again.

 

[Xatarias]

You ready your equipment without consequence and soon your and Telai's packs are stuffed with the various native foodstuff provided by the Hillfolk. Dried meat and tubers mostly, but more than sufficient for the likely two days travel necessary to take your back to Newport. Included with the provisions is Ruan's book of human war tactics. A not-so-subtle reminder of the diplomacy you and the chieftain engaged in the bowels of his forge. You notice Telai's musket bears an intricately fashioned copper charm hanging from the barrel. No doubt another gift from Ruan for altogether different reasons.


Noticing your attention to the trinket, Telai gives you a rueful smirk. "Never pass up what's given freely, eh sir? You know as rude as that big brute was, I think he has a bit of a soft side. Being amongst these people, especially their children, makes me wonder if they're really all that different from us."


It's not long after you finish packing that a Hillfolk guides you to Alestra who then takes you down a winding passage away from the subterranean settlement. Soon you arrive at a gear-studded doorway, no doubt concealed similarly to the entrance that brought you to the Mystic domain. Beyond was the Dark Continent and all of its dangers, the most deadly of which you know waits eagerly for your emergence.


The mechanism grinds into motion and the stone door opens. You squint against daylight that streams in. Before you can leave, Alestra pulls you aside.


"You know, I'm not quite sure training you was the right decision. You are powerful Nathanial. And I don't just mean your Gift. If my intuition is right, your decisions likely will set the course for my family's future. You're ambitious and capable, but you also lack direction. You want wealth and prestige but for what purpose you haven't decided. Indulge an old woman and the next time you conduct one of your brilliant business maneuvers, consult your conscience and really listen to what it tells you... I came to this land thinking I was fleeing a monster, but the Patron is just a man, one who's motivations weren't all that different from your own at one point... Don't make regret not killing you, boy."


Despite the harshness of her words, there is no hatred in Alestra's eyes. The mystic looks like a statue, grace and beauty still very much present but weathered over the countless years. Her face speaks of a melancholy that you know only a few can empathize. She looks like a mother sick with worry. She turns back into the gloom, leaving you alone with Telai and the light beyond.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Finding Ruan's book among the provisions gave Nathaniel pause. There was a slight change in his movements as he reached down to pick it up and look it over for any hidden notes or items stuffed inside. They more calculated and slightly tense.


As far as diplomatic gestures went, "I think I know how to kill you and your soldiers if I need to" wasn't exactly the most comforting or welcome implication given the numerous other threats this continent already had to offer. Granted, he and Drail had hypothesized about their company's ability to face down Brokenstream's tribe if needed, but that seemed a little different from chatting with them about ways to burn down the forest right after they'd struck their trade deal. Perhaps this was Ruan's idea of being candid? The Hillfolk had been a race of brutal warriors not so long ago, and sophisticated though they were, they didn't seem naturally inclined to the intricacies of diplomacy Avalon and its contemporaries would consider "tactful" anyway...


"I believe he cares about his people and his family a great deal," Nathaniel replied in a tone that, while not overtly upset, was lacking in the cheer Telai's had. He put the book back with the over provisions. It probably wouldn't hurt for him to do some more learning on that front himself. "I don't think they are all that different either. Certainly not enough to stop us from becoming friends. But there probably are differences that go more than just skin-deep. Best to keep that in mind, if only so that we don't unintentionally insult them."


Finally, they were packed and ready to return to Newport. Nathaniel grunted and averted his gaze as the sunlight painfully poured in through the open door. As dangerous as the forest was, it would be a welcome change of pace from a purely aesthetics standpoint coming from the caves.


And then Alestra pulled him aside.


At first he was surprised. Then thoughtful of what the sorceress had to say. Nathaniel's jaw clenched almost imperceptibly when she compared him to the Patron, mused that he may have been better off to her dead, and called him a "boy". He didn't say anything in return. A dozen possible replies sprang to mind, varying wildly in tone, but Nathaniel wasn't able to decide which one to go with as he stared back at the matriarch of the Hill-Folk as stone-faced as she.


The young man swiveled back around on his heel and silently began to walk down the path back to Newport. His fingers rapped against the hilt and pommel of his rapier too swiftly to be a tic implying idleness or boredom.

 

[Xatarias]

Having spent so much time underground, the sunlight reflecting off the vibrant greenery of the jungle is almost overwhelming for you sensitive eyes. You step onto a causeway nearly twenty feet aloft the forest floor, carved into the Cliffside you so periously scaled a few days earlier. The descent is gradual and after rounding a bend, the roar of rushing water meets your ears.


The path runs behind an enormous waterfall, cascading from its source hundreds of feet above your head. Flocks of tropical birds burst from nests situated in the nooks and crannies of the rock formations to your right. Their chromatic patterning is a dazzling sight as they take wing under blazing sun. Telai approaches from behind, having been forced to catch up after your rather abrupt departure. The amazoness lets out a delighted laugh as the beautiful scene unfolds before you.


The lieutenant stands next to you at a respectful distance. "Maybe not as exciting as giant wasps, but I think I prefer this... Are you alright Nathanial? Was it what Alestra said? You know that woman flits in and out of that gracious demeanor at the drop of the hat."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

The sunlight, raging waterfall, and birds cheerily soaring through the skies were gorgeous, awe-inspiring visions once Nathaniel's eyes had adjusted enough to actually appreciate them. Yet even in the wake of it all he was dangerously close to frowning and the sensations of wonder and joy felt all too fleeting deep in his chest. Her employer's conspicuous lack of reaction to the beauty that greeted them was probably more concerning to her than anything the young man actively did.


"Ruan read a manual on at least some of Avalon's tactics-I'm not sure how outdated the book is- and left it for me as a 'diplomatic' gesture. Alestra is afraid I may turn out just like the man whose memories I experienced and considered killing me," Nathaniel only managed to spare Telai a swift glance before returning his gaze to the path ahead. There was a hardness in his gaze and tension in his jaw.


"...They're worried about their families and their people. I understand that. I am not sure if I wouldn't be thinking and doing the same things as them if our positions were reversed, but..." The young man was clearly speaking as much to himself as Telai. His lips curled in something akin to a snarl as he struggled to refine the tangled mess of emotions and half-baked thoughts into coherent words, all while staring straight in front of himself.


"I'd prefer that we be allies with them. The last thing we need is even more enemies out to kill or subvert us. But if they feel that the survival of themselves and their people may so easily come into conflict with us then...then...I will just have to plan accordingly."

 

[Xatarias]

Telai nods sagely, reaching out a hand to the shimmering rush of water in front of her. "Reminds me of back home when my mother was still grooming me to be matriarch. Northerners often lump all the southern clans as a whole, but the truth is we're pretty fractured. Alliances are fluid and threats often come in the same breadth as complements... Meeting other clan leaders was never a simple affair, but one thing you never did was expose your own weaknesses. Whether a longtime ally or hated enemy, showing them a display of strength is paramount.


The dusky beauty gives you a reassuring smile. "The differences between peoples is what makes diplomacy so hard. If everyone in the world was respectful of one another and shared the same values, I'd have to find a new job. I think you can take heart in the good things you experienced meeting with the Hillfolk. After all, Alestra said she would help you and she did. What benefit would she gain from training you if she didn't have some faith in your better nature?


"As far as I can tell, Alestra is scared of you and your plans for this region. If you feel that's a wasted sentiment, then prove her wrong and continue improving relations. Trade baubles, make money. Isn't that what Avalonians are good at?" She gives you a mischievous wink, inching a little closer. "And if things break down... Well, it's not like our position here wasn't tenuous to begin with."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Hrm..." Telai's reverie reminded Nathaniel of another train of thought he had been entertaining not so long ago. Laughingwind's species were seemingly divided into tribes as well and the Hillfolk had apparently existed in the same manner before Alestra came along. Were there divisions among either of them  that he'd have to be more mindful of in the future?


Still, Telai's cheer seemed to be infectious. Her reassuring smile proved to be exactly that as the tension slowly left Nathaniel's movements and expression. The thoughtful look remained, but at least the young man was musing over mutually beneficial trades and closer ties rather than hypothetical wars and betrayals.


"The Hillfolk, or at least Ruan, seem exceptionally adept at blacksmithing. Unless there is yet another species that does all their mining for them, I assume they are talented at that too. Given how many metal tools Laughingwind's people were interested in bartering for, we may be able to make some profit working as a middle between them," Nathaniel mused, his gaze lingering on Telai for the first time since they left the cave.


"There are some potential issues, of course. Laughingwind made it clear her people are distrustful of Alestra over an incident involving some of their warriors, and until recently the Hillfolk were apparently savage warriors who probably would have been as pleased to kill strangers as each other. There might be some backlash against even indirectly trading with each other and we may find ourselves cut out of the deal if their relations improve enough to just start trading with each other. Also, I'm a little concerned over what the current warchief of that clan may do with that much metal. Advanced forging techniques may be beyond his people for now, but they didn't build that small city of theirs by not being resourceful..."


The torrent of thought was indeed flowing freely, perhaps too much so for Telai's enjoyment, but it had to be an improvement over the brooding young man he was before.

 

[Xatarias]

Telai smiles amicably, perhaps not wholly taking in your winding train of thought, but willing to function as your sounding board. Her rich contralto rings out in laughter when you spare a moment to breath.


"That mind of yours just keeps turning like clockwork." By her playful tone, you know the teasing is well-intentioned. Your warrior companion nudges you, the brief contact of her strong hand on your back is warm and reassuring. "You can walk and talk at the same time, can't you? We've got a lot of ground to cover, so you'll have to theorize along the way. Just keep an eye on where you're stepping. We don't want any twisted ankles."


You pass under the waterfall and find a switch back that descends to a clearing bisected by the stream fed from the flow of water overhead. The waterway isn't quite large enough to clear an open space in the canopy in the forest beyond, but it is partially filled bed will make for a passable trail. Its slippery, rocky contours won't make for the easiest hike, but following the stream would certainly expend less effort than bushwhacking a more direct path to the coast. Telai has reached the same conclusion.


"Looks like this our ticket back to the coast. We'll have to be careful though, traveling through open ground makes spotting us easy for our furry friends. That and the woman that attacked us on the bridge... I don't know how we prepare for her."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"I'm somewhat better at the latter than the former," Nathaniel replied with a faint smile of his own before doing exactly as Telai requested. His movements were markedly swifter and more energetic. The young man didn't seem to be dreading the decisions he would have to start making once they were back at Newport, likely with terrible news regarding the Lentani presence, now that his private war seemed to have yet another front. His eyes even found time to drink in the splendid sight of the waterfall truly for the first time even as he grunted from the effort of the hike, possibly to Telai's bemusement.


"We can't truly prepare for her, not yet at least, but I do think this will be a safer route than the jungle," Nathaniel spoke while still maintaining his current pace, even sparing Telai a glance as soon as there were no more trees or branches for him to walk face-first into.


"Unless this continent has sea monsters capable of living and striking from this close to shore, she shouldn't be able to send another beast at us without dragging it from further into the forest without the element of surprise. If she somehow manages to control either of us, that's dangerous no matter where we are. She could just as easily try to make us cut our own throats or bash our heads against a tree trunk as march us headfirst into the ocean," Somehow, Nathaniel managed to shrug almost casually.