Chapter 14

"Still, it's nice to know
somebody isn't dead. Did they tell you what happened after we
left?"

"The orcs killed whoever they found, and then
burned the church down,” she explains evenly.

Oren nods. "I hope some of the
books didn't get burned up, the library there was amazing."

"I
wouldn't get your hopes up,” she says quietly.

"Yeah.. well, that's awful. At
least you got to live there for a while. Did you read a lot of the
books there?"

"Maybe not *a lot*, but I
did read some, of course."

"Well that's good. I
mean, the information is still around, you just have to write it down
some day and you can start a new library,” Oren smiles.

"I'm...not really interested in starting a new library."

"Why not?"

"I just don't have an interest
in it, is all. I never got along with the monks who spent their days
in the library transcribing and researching. It's not a life for me."

Oren looks at her for a moment, before
nodding again. “Oh. Okay. Well, then... you won't like visiting the
tower near Westbridge, that's all we're going to do there, I think."

They sit in silence. Oren shifts
nervously, trying to think of something to say, until Gwen looks up
at him, breaking the silence.

"Which is...why I don't
think I'll be joining you,” she says.

"Oh.. really? Are you going
to stay here?"

"No. I think I'm going to
return to Fallowfield, and see what I can find there."

"Oh...
that's awfully far,” Oren says, looking concerned. “We should go
with you."

"I think I want to...no, *need*
to go there alone. I don't want anyone else to see it like it is."

"I guess... if that's what you
want,” Oren shrugs. “But we could still go with you and just...
wait outside or... somewhere else? I don't know where we're going
after we visit the tower but we should decide as a group. If you
leave, you'll be weeks away in the wrong direction."

He
takes her hand, looking at her with concern. "You don't have to
do things alone. We can help you. I don't want you to get lost."

"I
wont get lost,” she smiles slightly. “The Maker guided me to you
all once before, He can do so again. Plus, we can just set a point to
meet at."

"Okay, if you want. May I mark your
locket?"

"If you'd like."

Oren
reaches for it, then stops. "Uh... do you... want to take it off
first?"

She smiles, removing the necklace and handing it
to him. He holds it in his hands, trying to cast the spell to blood
mark it, but nothing happens. He stares at it with a look of
frustration and confusion, before realization dawns on his face.

"Oh.. I don't.. have the thing I need to cast spells,
it's at that shop still,” he explains awkwardly, handing it back to
her. "Um, I'll hopefully get it back before you go...”

"I'm at least staying to
finish out the money exchange,” she assures him, securing the
pendant back around her neck.

"Yes, we need that money
before we go anywhere,” he smiles. "So, after that we can pick
up the arcane focus and I'll mark you and you can go."

The
next morning dawns to find Eliam leaving Heather's house. He walks
toward the front door as she leans against the wall. "That was
nice," she says. "Perhaps some other time?"

"I'd
enjoy that,” he answers.

Heather steps in front of him to
open the door. She sees Elise on the top step, just about to knock.
"Oh, hey, sis. Good timing, I was... just... um..."

She
looks at Eliam. "Awfully... early for you, Eliam. Isn't
it?"

"Oh, er... good morning, Elise,” he says
awkwardly.

"I... stayed to chat with Minerva last night
and ended up staying over," she says slowly. "I see...
you... decided to switch in?" she asks.

He clears his
throat. "Well... I had some... things to discuss with Heather,
yesterday. So I went to visit."

"Yes," she
says. "I'm certain. You can go now." She turns her focus to
Heather and walks in.

"Right, well... I'll meet you back
at the Lyriad, then?" He says slowly. She ignores him, frowning.

"I'll see you soon, Eliam," Heather calls out as he
goes. Elise closes the door behind her, and Eliam sighs as he walks
away.

"Thank you, sir. I
hope it went well."

"Well... somewhat," he
says. "I must confess, based on appearances, these look to be
the genuine article. But upon having some specialized mages examine
the coins, we determined that what you discovered is almost certainly
fraudulent."

"Fraudulent? In what manner?"

"The metal involved in the plating
is almost certainly within five or ten years old... assuredly not the
thousands it would need to be to be the genuine article from
Thirshalon!" he says. "However, the quality of the fake is
astonishing and the circumstances curious. We are prepared to offer
you fifty gold for the collection, as it's such beautiful work."

"50 gold? I must decline, then. A
shame,” she smiles sadly.

"Ah. That is disappointing,"
he replies. "Well, the offer stands, should you change your
mind. Please be advised that it is policy for national banks to
inform other institutions on any contemporary counterfeiting currency
which may be in circulation; any banks you visit in the future will
be aware of false Thirshalon coins in the world."

"That just means I won't be
going to any banks. Good day." She moves to stand, before
catching herself. "Oh, and I'd like my coin back, please."

"Certainly. Now that you are aware
of its true nature, please refrain from attempting to spend or trade
the coin for face value," he says, returning it.

She nods, taking the money and leaving
the bank without issue.

"Look at what
I found in that cookbook," he says quietly, looking around for
Minerva.

"Oh... this looks nice,” Eliam says, reading
it over. “And fairly easy to make. Why did you pull this out in
particular?"

"Because, she said the dream was nice
because she got to eat her mother's 'omelette'. That's what that is.
Right?"

"Ohhhh, right,” Eliam smiles. “Yeah,
this looks like the same. Are you going to make it for her? I'm sure
she'd love that."

"I mean, I don't know how but I
want to make sure it's right before I bother her. I don't want to
help her cook some poisoned fake omelette."

"Well,
I'd definitely be happy to help! I'm not.. exactly an expert at
cooking, though. But we could give it a try."

Oren nods.
"Maybe we can go buy the things and try it just to make sure it
turns out okay. But we need the money and a kitchen, I guess."
He takes the recipe back, reading it over again before pointing at
it. "I bet the 'eggs' are chicken eggs."

"I'd
assume so,” Eliam shrugs. “I don't have any money, sadly. But
maybe the Lyriad would give us supplies? And let us use their
kitchen?”

"When Gwendolyn gets back we can divide the
money up. I'm sure we'll have enough to afford these ingredients.
Then we can ask to use the kitchen here."

"Good
idea! It's a bit of an issue to not have any money whatsoever.
Splitting it up would make things a lot easier,” Eliam smiles.

The two continue to chat, quickly
changing the subject as Minerva joins them. Eventually, Gwen returns
to the Lyriad base to see the party sitting around a small
lounge.

“Oh, good," Minerva says. "Welcome back.
How rich are we?"

"As rich as we were before,”
Gwendolyn answers simply, tossing the bag of coins to Minerva. "Which
is not. At all."

"Even if it's not proper currency,
it's still *gold,*” Eliam
frowns. “They wouldn't take it?"

"They
offered 50 gold for it all. It's worth more melted down, at this
point. Unless anyone knows someone with a fascination of otherworldly
artifacts."

Oren ponders this for a moment, then shakes
his head. "Maybe we should just divide it up, and we can figure
it out later."

Linea has been listening nearby. "We
can handle that for you, if you like. Give you some travelling funds
now, and pay you next time you're here with the funds we've gained
from melting and selling it."

Linea takes the bag and offers everyone
15 gold in Sylvatir currency. "This should suffice for the time
being," she says.

"*Nice.* Thank you,” Eliam
grins.

"Yes, thank you,” Gwen adds politely as she
takes her share.

Oren takes his 15 gold and pockets it, then steps over to Linea and reaches into the Thirshalon money and retrieves 10 heavy coins, each worth 10 gold, and pockets that as well. Without explaining, he hurries out the door. He wanders down the streets of
Ushad, quietly trying to avoid the heavier crowds. Eventually, he
reaches the jewelry store from before.
He walks in nervously,
awkwardly trying to get the shopkeep's attention.

The jeweler
looks up. "Ah, yes. You. Welcome."

"Uh... hi,
is it done? Did the ring... work?"

"Hm... yes.
Complex and difficult, yes. But manageable. Much time it took. We
nearly lost the magic, but the enchantment persists. It will draw on
your magic when you don it to finalize its effects, but they are all
positive. You will be satisfied I am certain."

He holds
it out: an elaborate golden necklace, infused with magic. In the
center hangs a glass bulb, with several dried lotus flowers suspended
within. On either side is a vial of aether, secured to a thin golden
bar that hangs from a thin gold chain. He refuses to hand it over
without seeing the money, though.

Oren looks at him, confused
as to why he won't hand it to him.

"Payment, sir?"

"Oh,
I already paid,” he says, confused. “Is it more?"

The
other worker leans over and says, "The rings, sir." The
jeweler nods.

"Ah, yes, yes. I must have
grown weary from crafting the piece. Take it, then, take it." He
rests it on the table gently, and Oren takes it with a smile. He
leaves without a word, putting it on immediately.

He
continues down the road, purchasing various items. He buys a small
leather pouch, into which he places several of the lotus seeds. He
stops into a greengrocer's shop at the end of the road, purchasing
several ingredients. As he returns to the Lyriad, he smuggles them
carefully by Minerva, staring at the chef in the kitchen to get his
attention.

"What's that you've got there?" he asks,
upon seeing Oren enter.

Oren pulls out the folded recipe,
holding out that and the basket of ingredients. "Can you make
this?"

He looks at the recipe for an omelette and
bristles. "An omelette. You're asking a chef if he can make an
omelette. What are you, some kinda wise guy?"

"Not
*an* omelette,” Oren frowns. “It has to be this exact one.
It's for Minerva, she wants it just like this."

He looks
it over. "Looks straightforward enough to me. Why don't you just
make it here?"

"I don't know how,” he answers
simply. "How long does it take?"

He shrugs. "Ten
minutes?"

"Okay, awesome,” he smiles, pushing the
basket into his hands. “Thank you.” He skips out of the kitchen,
walking quickly down the hall, peeking quickly into the rooms as he
passes.

He finds Minerva in a large room with a thick oaken
table. She is reading reports of operations in the field and trying
to get caught up on what's happened in her absence.

When he sees her, he smiles brightly.
He scampers away back the way he came, before quickly turning and
peering back in. “Don't leave!” he calls out, rushing back to the
kitchen.

He observes the chef closely, watching over his
shoulder in wonder as he goes through the recipe. Finally, Oren takes
the omelette just before the chef whacks him with the frying pan for
being so close while he's cooking, carrying the plate and the recipe
swiftly back to her office.

Minerva looks up from her papers.
"What's this?"

He sets it on the table in front of
her happily. "For you. It is an *omelette*... "

He
sits down next to her, and she smiles as she looks at it. "Oren,
that's so nice. Thank you!" She breathes deeply and her mind
wanders. "That... this smells familiar..."

"I
found the recipe in your mother's cookbook, so, you should taste it
and see if it's the same..." He looks at her expectantly. "Does
it taste like the one in your dream?"

Minerva's eyes
water a little as she raises the first bite to her mouth. She closes
her eyes as she tastes it. "It...'s like I'm home," she
says softly. "Oren..." she turns to face him, a few tears
falling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, is it bad?” He
asks nervously as he sees her tears, his face falling. “I'm
sorry..."

She hugs him. "Thank you. It's perfect.
How did you know?"

"Oh," he says, hugging her
back. "You said you liked omelettes... the one your mother
made." He holds the recipe out to her, smiling slightly. "Your
cook knows how to make it now, so you can have it any time you
want."

Her hands shake as she holds it. "Is... is
this my mother's...?"

"Yes, from the cookbook
remember? I copied it."

"I... I never thought to
actually look for... oh, Oren," she sobs. "That's so...
thank you."

"Why are you crying?” He asks. “I'm
sorry"

She chuckles. "It's okay. It's a good cry,"
she says. "You did good."

"Okay, um... well eat
it," he says, putting his arm around her shoulder.

Minerva
continues eating it slowly, savoring it. When she's finished, she
kisses Oren quickly. "Thank you." She sets the plate aside
and grabs the files she was reading. "That was wonderful. I
should really get back to this, though."

He blushes after
the kiss, taking the plate. "Okay... have... fun... " he
scampers away down the hall, returning to the chef.

"She
liked it so much she cried,” he tells her happily, placing the
plate on the counter next to the door before leaving once again to
the lounge.

### Gwen and Oren have Breakfast Together

Morning breaks over the city of Ushad.
Oren nibbles on toast and reads a newspaper, making polite smalltalk
with Gwendolyn. The headline reads: Senators Win vs. The Bears. The
article explains how the Elyde Senate planned an expert assault
against a family of bears that had been spotted in a forested park on
the western outskirts of Siraj. The mother bear and her two cubs were
butchered and will be served at a feast for the nobility and the
Elyde Senate in celebration of this victory.

Oren passes the newspaper towards Gwen
and asks, "What does bear taste like?"

She takes the
newspaper, quickly scanning the article. "It depends heavily on
the season and diet, but it's almost like venison. The bears we used
to hunt at home had an almost sweet flavor after they gorged on the
berries we grew."

Oren ponders this as he eats, frowning
slightly.

"I can't imagine those bears
tasted good at all,” Gwen continues.

"Why?"

"Bears
taste very similar to what they eat, but when hey start getting ready
for hibernation, they become less picky. And bears that close to
Siraj...its likely they were from the Bramble, fleeing the monsters.
Its likely they've been picking off survivors, or just simply eating
those who were killed as they tried to escape."

Oren looks away uncomfortably as he
considers this, eating slowly. "I've never seen a bear."

"Really? Not even in your
books?"

He pauses for a moment, thinking. "Drawings
don't count, really.”

"I suppose. I haven't seen one in
a long time, but I remember them being frightening."

Oren
nods. "Eliam said he used to hunt things too. Do you like to do
that? You could have just bought food if you wanted, right?"

"I
could, and we did, mostly,” she explains. “Hunting the bears was
more about keeping them away from ruining our vineyard. My father did
hunt for sport occasionally, though. I joined a few times."

"That
sounds nice."

"It really was,” she smiles. "Is
Minerva going with you?"

"What? Oh, home? I don't
know, she's really busy..."

"That's surprising. With
how close you two have been lately, I would have assumed it would
have just been the two of you."

"No, I think Eliam
wants to come,” Oren answers.

"Hm. Speaking of Eliam,
where's he been lately? I've not really seen him around."

"Probably
busy..." Oren says awkwardly, looking away.

Gwendolyn
frowns. "Oh."

"I'll make sure he says goodbye
before we leave, don't worry,” he says reassuringly, looking
somewhat concerned.

"I wasn't really concerned with that,”
Gwendolyn says, frowning slightly.

"You don't want to
say goodbye?"

"It's not like it's forever. I just
had something more important to talk with him about, is all."

"Oh,
okay..." Oren trails off, leaning back and looking pointedly at
her stomach. "Are you pregnant?"

"*What?*
Of...of course not. Don't be absurd,” she answers quickly, paling
before blushing in embarrassment. "Why would you ask
that?"

Oren shrugs. "Don't worry, I'm a
doctor."

"I'm not worried,” she says, looking
away.

"Good,” Oren smiles. "Even if you are, it
won't matter for a few months."

"Well... I'm not,”
she insists.

"Good. I mean, I hope it's good. Well let me
know if it happens because I can help you. I mean, if you
want."

Gwendolyn looks down at her stomach self
consciously. "I'm sure you'll be the first person Eliam
tells."

"Don't worry, if he abandons you we can just
get rid of it,” Oren says quietly, touching her arm. “I can get
you some tea, okay?"

"I-*what?* Abandons me?
Why would you say that?” Gwendolyn asks, drawing back. “Everyone
seems to have gotten on board with our plan."

"I
mean if you're pregnant and he gets scared,” Oren explains. “But
if you want, I'll make him marry you. Even if he's my friend it's not
okay to leave a woman and use her. Don't worry, he'll probably marry
you. Maybe."

"Why would he get scared? It was bound
to happen eventually. Not that it has. So don't tell him anything. I
mean... the whole plan *was* to get married. I don't see why
that would change."

"I hope it doesn't,” Oren
shrugs. “But you shouldn't trust him with your reputation, he's...
I mean he's not *bad,* but... he isn't very responsible."

"I
appreciate the warning, though I feel it's rather late, considering,”
Gwen sighs frustratedly, looking worriedly at the door.

"Sorry,”
Oren says quickly. "So... you read a lot of romantic books,
right? So do you know a lot about romance?"

"I think
so? I've never really thought about it, I guess. I've always *thought*
I was fairly romantic, though. Are you wanting to do something
romantic for Minerva?"

"Well... I don't know if she
really likes me like that, but she kissed me and that's a pretty good
sign. But she's impulsive and probably didn't really think about it,
so maybe she already regrets it... I don't want her to regret it or
want to avoid me, I'd rather be friends with her than have her act
like that, you know what I mean? So, I was wondering if I should say
anything to her before I go like 'I'll miss you' or whatever... I
don't want to annoy her, though..."

"I don't think
she regrets it, and you don't really kiss someone if you don't like
them,” Gwen smiles. “She seemed pretty nervous when we were
getting ready before the dance in Thirshalon. I think it's pretty
obvious she likes you. I think you should say that."

"Okay..
if you think it's a good idea,” Oren smiles back, relieved. “I
don't really know how to court someone. I'm glad I have an expert
like you to give me advice.. thanks."

"Maybe get
her a gift, before you leave,” Gwen suggests.

"That's
a good idea too,” Oren nods. “Maybe... what should I get
her?"

"Well, I don't really know her that well, to
be honest, so it's hard to give an answer that's not generic. What
kind of things do you think she'd like?"

"Well, she
*really* likes killing orcs,” he explains. “I was hoping to
find the one we were after when her dad died, apparently he's pretty
awful and deserves it, and even if he's not the one who killed her
dad she sort of blames him. ...And I'm... pretty good at killing
orcs, so that's definitely something I could do, if I could find
him."

"Well that's...not *exactly* what I had
in mind, but it's a good thought, I suppose. The problem being that I
imagine if you did find him, she'd want to be there with you to
confront him, which defeats the purpose of a gift before you leave."
Gwendolyn pours herself a glass of wine, considering him. "But
your heart is in the right place."

"That's true,”
Oren nods. “Maybe I should wait and invite her to kill him herself.
...You're really good at this"

"Thanks. It pays to
have experience, I guess,” she smiles, sipping her wine.

"Yes,
definitely. I don't have any experience at all, and I don't just want
to seduce her or something so I don't really want Eliam to give me
too much advice... if that makes sense... I really like her. I mean,
she probably doesn't want to get married or anything,” he
continues, picking awkwardly at his toast.

"She probably
doesn't want to get married now, with everything that's going on, but
that doesn't mean anything for the future. I doubt Eliam's advice
would be much use, anyway. She *already* likes you,” she
explains. “There's not much use in trying to...seduce her, as you
say, at this point. You just need to be yourself. That's who she
likes, right? So stop over thinking everything, and be confident, and
I'm sure everything will work out fine."

Oren nods.
"Well, we would get married later... If that's what she wants.
She probably doesn't." He pushes his chair closer to hers,
leaning in slightly and grinning. "M-maybe you can find out? Can
you ask her? Don't tell her I asked you to... Please? Would that be
helpful? Because that way if she just wants to be friends I can stop
worrying about it,” he pleads, taking her hand and looking into her
eyes.

"I could, but...I don't think I should. It's not a
question that needs answering immediately, anyway. You two should
enjoy your growing relationship for now, and maybe bring it up after
we've dealt with everything going on. But above all, you should ask
yourself. The answer to the question won't matter otherwise, because
if you aren't comfortable enough to ask it, then you aren't
comfortable enough to get married,” Gwendolyn nods. “Though I can
guarantee she doesn't want to just be friends. Friends don't kiss in
the way she apparently kissed you."

Oren nods, moving his chair back to its
original position. He leans back, sighing. “Okay.”

"It
does give me an idea of what you should get her, though,” she adds
cheerfully. "Or do for her, really. You should take her on a
date tonight. Ever since we got back here she's been cooped up in
here running the Lyriad. And it's obvious the two of you need to
spend time together and get to know her better. Take her out
somewhere nice and just let her be Minerva. Not Minerva, Child of
Destiny, leader of the Lyriad. Freeing her from the responsibilities
of her titles, her hatred, her pain for one night is probably the
best gift you could get her."

"I will try to do
that,” Oren says, looking uncertain.

"Hmm. I'm sure
you two would have fun,” she adds, sipping more wine.

"You
shouldn't drink so much if you might be pregnant,” Oren tells her,
frowning slightly.

"Hey!” Eliam says cheerfully, stepping through the
door. “Good morning, Oren, Lady... Gwendolyn..." his face
falls as he stares at Gwendolyn, as Oren's words sink in.

"Good
morning," Oren says, waving slightly.

"Oh. Eliam.
Um, good morning,” Gwendolyn says nervously, alarmed by his
reaction.

"I thought gentlemen didn't need to use the
title,” Oren says, confused. “Maybe I should call you 'milady'
after all."

"No..." she says cautiously. "Gwen
is fine. There's no need for titles."

Eliam sits down
next to Oren, staring at Gwen. "Are you... You're not
actually..."

"Gwen says Minerva likes me, I'm going
to take her on a *date!*”
Oren says excitedly, putting his arm around him.“It
sounds pretty crazy, but it's true! Then we can go to the tower and
maybe visit your family if you want, it's right there...”

"Oh,
yes, I was going to ask you if you were going to Glenhaven to ask for
your family's support, since you'll be close,” Gwen adds.

"Oh
yeah, that's a good idea,” Oren nods. “We could really use the
support of a rich family if we're going to stop the Elyde and
'Choozy."

Eliam nods back distractedly. "I... We
could. I uh... spoke to my brother, and he advised against it, but he
doesn't really know how much we accomplished yet, so..." he
reaches quickly for a glass and pours himself some wine. "If
Oren's there too, that could be okay. And of course they wouldn't
refuse a visit from Lady Gwendolyn..."

"Don't be
nervous,” Oren consoles him, rubbing his arm. “At least you
didn't do anything bad, they'll be happy to see you. My master is
going to be so upset, you'll be grateful you have real parents when
you see."

"Your family should be happy to see you,
with everything you've accom- wait, your brother is here?"
Gwendolyn asks.

Oren moves away from Eliam, pouring him
some tea. Subtly, he tries to push it closer to him than the wine
glass. Eliam nods in thanks, but takes the wine regardless.

"Yeah,
he works here. He got us the boat. I told him I could stop time and
the Children stuff but he said to wait until I'd actually done
something I could brag about...” Eliam trails off, before clearing
his throat nervously. “Um, if you are, you know, pregnant though, I
think Oren can fix that. With tea or something."

"We
can pick some up at the tower,” Oren nods, sitting back down. "I'll
get some just in case."

"Doesn't your brother run
the company now? We really wouldn't have to go to your family if we
just got his support." She frowns, looking at him coldly.
"...Why would I do that?"

"Er, yes, but I mean,
some of my family is still at home, so...” Eliam trails off
nervously. “My sister isn't married yet, I guess, and it would be
nice to check in with her. And I mean... Nothing is really signed or
official yet between us, so it would... be better, right? To take
care of it now? I don't... think I'm going to be king, so..." He
leans slightly into Oren, looking at the table.

Oren smiles, pulling away slightly and
rubbing his back instead.

"*What?* Why?"
Gwendolyn asks, looking confused. "But everything was worked
out. Everyone was supporting it, even Oren, finally. You can't just
back out,” she continues, alarmed. “Not after...Not after
Illemashi."

Oren stands up and leaves for the kitchen to
make more tea, patting Eliam's shoulder as he goes.

"I...
I mean I know, but...” Eliam stutters. “You dont really have a
plan for ruling, right? And neither do I, so... and then we, you
know, you have to actually get married, and have babies and
whatnot... I know there was Ilemashi, but... I mean hey," he
smiles nervously at Gwen. "You can still be queen,
right?"

Gwendolyn stares at him in quiet disbelief. She
rises quietly, before slapping him, hard.

"You are the
most selfish, pathetic person I have ever met, Eliam Westmonte,”
she says with a cold fury. “I can see now why your family would
disown you."

She leaves quickly, closing the door
behind her.

Eliam sits at the table, rubbing his
cheek gingerly as he downs his glass of wine.

Oren returns
from the kitchen, placing the kettle on the table before returning to
his seat. "Where'd she go?"

"She uh... left,”
Eliam says quietly. “And slapped me... And said I was pathetic and
selfish. Hey... I'm not, right?"

Oren looks away,
thinking deeply. "...You're not pathetic." He fixes Eliam's
hair, checking the red mark from the slap. "At least she didn't
punch you, that would have been bad. She's strong."

Satisfied he's okay, Oren strokes his
cheek. "You'll be fine..."

"Yeah...” Eliam
nods, looking away. “The trip to the tower will be awkward,
though." He grabs the bottle of wine, drinking directly from it.

"Oh... Sorry, I'll try not to be awkward...?" Oren
asks sadly, drawing away. He frowns slightly as Eliam finishes his
drink, and pulls the bottle away. "D-don't, it's not good for
you."

"What? No, you're great,” Eliam says
distractedly, allowing him to take the bottle. “I mean Gwen.
Traveling with her will be awkward if she's upset with me. What do
you mean, bad for me?"

"It'll make you sick, and not
just today, if you drink too much all the time you can die. And it'll
make you do things you'll regret. You should drink tea instead, it's
good for you." Oren pushes the tea closer, placing some milk and
sugar in front of him. "And Gwen isn't coming with us, it'll
just be us! Isn't that great? We can do whatever we want."

"Oh
thank the Maker," Eliam says quietly. He looks at the tea with a
frown, but sips it. "Minerva and Elise aren't coming
either?"

"Elise wants to hang out with Heather I
guess. She said so the other night, while you were out. Minerva is busy, so she's going to stay
here too. Probably to keep an eye on Elise, honestly."

"Oh...
Okay, makes sense,” Eliam says, composing himself. “So you're
going to take Minerva on a date before we go?"

Oren
shrugs. "Maybe she'll want to eat lunch, we can leave a little
later than planned. I don't know, I'll ask her. Gwen thought it would
be nice for her to not worry about things."

"Yeah...
We're not in a rush, so take your time,” Eliam says, leaning back.
“She really does like you a lot, huh? Even after all the stuff with
Kunalchusi."

Oren nods slowly. "I don't understand
it, but I suppose if she likes me I shouldn't worry about
why.”

"Yeah... Just be careful, okay? I mean... I'm
glad she likes you, but... You do want to be careful she isn't trying
to use you for something.”

"What? Why would she do
that?” Oren asks, crestfallen. “I mean, I'm not rich like you,
there's no reason to use me for anything. I'm not even... I don't
know, do you think that's what she's doing?"

"Oh! No
no, I mean, she wouldn't... There's lots of reasons to like you,”
Eliam says reassuringly. “You're nice, you're smart, you're good
looking. I'm just... You know, with what just happened with Gwen and
everything, but... You'll be fine. Don't worry. I mean, you're one of
the few people Minerva can relate to about being a Child as well.
We've all been through a lot together. It makes sense."

Oren
nods anxiously, looking unconvinced. "We should go.. If we leave
now we'll get there tonight, probably..."

"But...
what about your date?” Eliam asks, confused. “You should at least
say goodbye... maybe take her to dinner, have one last night
together?"

Oren shakes his head. "I'll see her soon,
we'll only be gone a week... Or however long it takes... maybe a
month. We'll be back eventually, maybe. I'll leave her a note,” he
decides, standing.

"Trust me... I mean, I know I just
had a bit of a... well, just trust me,” Eliam sighs. “She'll
definitely be upset if you leave and only leave her a note."

"Just
finish eating, I'll be back,” Oren says, leaving down the hall.

He quickly takes a piece of paper and
pen from their room, and writes a note, slipping it into his pocket
before heading to Minerva's office.

Oren knocks on the door quietly, and
after a minute, confirms she's not there. He slides the envelope
under the door to her office, quickly scampering away to leave with
Eliam for Westbridge.

### Gwen and Elise Chat at her Home

Elise sits outside
her sister's home. A chair is set up on a tiny lawn in front of it.
She's got her eyes closed and she's resting in the sun.

Gwen
approaches her house, her anger and hurt quickly apparent. She throws
open the fence gate, rushing towards her.

Elise sees her
coming and tilts her head slightly. "Gwen? Are you all right?"

"Did
you know?" Gwendolyn
asks, looming over Elise.

"Know what?"

"That
Eliam was planning to go back on our arrangement. That... he was
planning on breaking up with me. That he had been lying to me for
weeks."

"...You had an
arrangement?" she asks.

"I..."
Gwen falters, her anger subsiding as her expression softens. "You
didn't know? We...we were together."

"O-oh,"
Elise says, flushing slightly. "Together, like... as in... you
mean..."

"A
relationship,” She explains, facing away in shame. “We had plans
to help lead Iquai together after freeing it from the Elyde... but I
suppose it was all a lie to use me."

Gwendolyn slumps to
the ground next to her, taking a seat on the step leading to the
doorway.

Elise leans back
and looks skyward. "To use you? To become king?"

"No,”
Gwendolyn shakes her head, shifting uncomfortably and blushing. “I
don't think he ever wanted to be king. I think he just... would've
said anything, promised anything... to get me in his bed."

Elise looks
similarly uncomfortable. "He and Oren... um... I guess they're
not really very nice people, are they?"

"No,
they definitely aren't. I think...Minerva also knew, though,” she
frowns. "She and Oren have been getting closer. I kind of feel
like they were all in on it. I just assumed you might have over
heard...I'm sorry."

She shakes her
head. "I try hard **not** to hear things. My listening is
a... condition. It's not wanted."

"That
makes sense,” Gwen nods. “It must be awful. I'm surprised you're
outside, even now."

"It's not so
bad right now. I need to get used to it, a little, if we're going to
be back here for good." She sighs slightly. "The quiet of
Thirshalon was... nice. I know it came about in a horrible way,
but..."

"Not
everywhere is a busy city. The church... it was quiet, peaceful. Many
of the monks there were too busy researching to converse much."
Gwendolyn sighs as thinks back. "And there's always traveling,
the roads are fairly peaceful. Have you seen much of Iquai?"

She smiles
slightly. "I always thought about it, but with orcs
everywhere... I'm not exactly an intimidating traveler. I'm sure I'd
be robbed a few dozen times."

The women hear
footsteps as Heather opens the door and steps out onto the porch
where they sit. She closes the door and smiles by way of greeting.
Elise hurriedly looks at Heather, then at Gwen, reddens, and looks
away, hoping not to be noticed.

Heather says, "Just
got a few things to take care of, Elise. I'll be back soon." Her
sister nods, still looking away.

Gwendolyn
smiles at Heather as she leaves, then looks curiously at Elise as
Heather disappears down the road. "...What's wrong?"

"N-nothing,"
she says quickly. "Just ... thinking about ... um ... what you'd
like to do to cheer up!"

"Elise...
please."

Elise stands and
puts her hands on the railing. She tilts her head to the sky and
emits a tiny cough. "I-I'm sorry, what was that? It's so...
noisy, it was hard to... make you out..."

Gwendolyn
frowns in disappointment. “I thought you were better than that. I
guess I really can't trust anyone here."

She turns, looking
incredibly awkward. "It doesn't have anything to do with me. I
learned on accident and it's not ... really my business. But... you
should talk to Eliam."

"I
don't think I'm going to talk to him, ever again. Not after today."

"Oh," she
says. "What are you going to do, then?"

"Drink.
At least, that's my plan for now. Would you like to join me? Assuming
your sister has any wine. I doubt you'd want to go to a tavern,
but... I don't really want to be alone, right now."

"I'm pretty
sure we have some. Fancy a glass?" She enters and returns to the
porch with a pair of glasses and a bottle of red. "I don't
pretend to be an... experienced drinker. I think you'll have to
handle most of the bottle for me."

"That's
my preferred way of drinking, these days, anyway." She takes a
glass, smiling at Elise. "Thanks."

She clinks glasses
and drinks.

Gwendolyn
hurriedly finishes her glass, and pours herself another, this time
sipping it slowly.

"Do you have a
place to stay tonight, then? Are you staying with the Lyriad? Or is
Eliam still there?"

Gwen
leans against the chair as she considers the question. "No...I
think they left, but I don't really want to go back there. Just in
case."

"Why don't you
stay here tonight, then?" she offers.

"I...
I'd like that. Thank you,” she smiles, as she finishes another
glass.

Elise finishes the
bottle by pouring herself a second glass. "Do you want more?"

"If
it's not too much trouble."

Elise rises to
gather a new bottle.

Gwendolyn
sips at her drink, but stops herself quickly. "I think...um, I
think I should go lay down. I'm not... feeling that well."
She stands unsteadily, losing her balance and falling onto Elise.

She awkwardly
catches Gwen and sinks against the side of the house with her. "I
think you might be cut off, Gwen."

Gwendolyn steadies
herself and looks closely into her eyes. A moment passes, and she
leans in. Elise doesn't move. She freezes stock still as Gwen's lips
pass over hers. Elise pulls back gradually, shocked. She begins to
silently help Gwen inside.

Elise gets her to
the bed, where she passes out. The wind mage steps back, closes the
door, and walks away from the room in silence.

The morning
dawns... and passes. Gwen stirs closer to noon, with a moderate
hangover.

She sits up slowly
and steps lightly into the hallway, listening for signs of anyone
there. She continues down the hall when she hears nothing, wandering
into the kitchen. She pours two glasses of water, and calls out
tentatively, “Elise?”

When no one
answers, she peeks into the front room. Through the window, she sees
Elise is sitting on a small bench in the backyard.

Elise starts as she
hears the door open. "Oh! Gwen. You're... awake. Did you sleep
well?"

"I...think
so? I don't even remember getting into bed." She walks to her
and takes a seat beside her, handing her the second glass. Grimacing,
she closes her eyes, trying to remember the night before. "How
late were we up?"

Elise turns
slightly red. "Um... perhaps midnight? I lost track, to be
honest."

"Oh.
That long? That's surprising, I know you don't usually like to drink.
Thanks for keeping me company."

"It was...
um... it was my pleasure," she says with slight discomfort.
"Do... do you know what you plan on doing next? Where are you
going?"

Gwendolyn
looks pensive as she leans back uncomfortably. "I'm not
sure...maybe home. Maybe Fallowfield. ...Elise. What happened last
night?"

"N-nothing. We
drank. You passed out, I took you to bed."

"You're...
really not the best liar," she sighs. Idly, she rubs her
temples. "How badly did I mess up?"

"...I'm still
here, aren't I?" she asks.

"I..."
Gwendolyn looks at her for the first time, and slightly falters.
"That's true. Thanks, I really appreciate that." She puts
an arm around Elise's shoulder, pulling her into a sideways hug. "I'd
still like to know what happened though...It's very disconcerting to
not remember an evening."

"Um... w-we
can... uh..." She stiffens under your arm and reddens.

"We
can what?"

She draws a deep
breath and closes her eyes. "We... um... we can rule out 'being
a bad kisser' as a reason for why Eliam left you."

Instantly,
Gwen's arm drops, and she blushes. "Oh. Oh."

"I-it's okay,"
she stammers. "You were drunk, drunk people do things all the
time they don't mean to do. I was going to let you forget about
it..."

Gwen
shakes her head. "No, no, it's better I know... but maybe I
should go. Before I do anything else."

"You're not
drunk anymore," Elise says. "I'm certain it won't happen
again."

"Are
you? Because I don't... I don't think I can stop drinking."

Elise looks at Gwen
fully, taking her words in. "Do you... want help?"

"I
want a lot of things, none of which are possible. The drinking helps
with it. ...Have you ever been in love?"

"No," she
says. "I... have only heard it. Too much of it."

"I'm
sorry, that must be... quite unsettling. But to not know love... I'm
almost jealous. It's the best feeling in the world. And, yet, the
worst."

Elise sits in
silence for a moment, then rises and turns to face Gwen. "Gwen.
You're a knight, are you not?"

Gwendolyn
looks taken aback, but does not meet her gaze. "I...I don't know
anymore."

"You **are,**"
she says. "Prilla believed in you. And in us. And if you're
going to give up, that's fine. But you don't get to do it until
Kunalchusi is dead. We're going to save the world first. Then we'll
decide what to do with our lives second."

Elise rises.
"Knight. You need a purpose, like you did when you took that
quest for Prilla that led you to us. So I'll give you one: help me
kill Kunalchusi. Help me save the world."

"I..."

"I'm not
giving up. And I need you. And I think on some level you need us,
too." She extends her hand to Gwen. "Help me."

Gwen
reaches up, taking her hand and allowing herself to be pulled to
stand up "I'll help you. But...that's the most I can do. I can't
face the others, not after what they did."

"They?"
she asks. "What did Oren and Minerva do?" Elise shifts her
weight and lets out a short exhale. "Gwen. I'm sorry to say it
like this but... when you... were with Eliam, was it... Did you have
that relation just once or was it over time?"

"We
were a couple. Not a very... loving one, but it was to be arranged
for both our benefits, and Iquai's."

"Ah," she
says. "So for how long?"

"Since
Ilemashi."

"Ilemashi
until... Ushad?"

Gwen
nods.

Elise seems to be
counting days in her head. "Gwen, I..." she says slowly,
trying to find the right words. "I know you had your heart set,
and you wanted this match, but... you dated for, like... a week and a
half? Maybe two?" She pauses to gauge Gwen's reaction.

"Yes?"

"Do you
think... I mean, it was two weeks at the most... do you think it's
possible you put... **too much** of yourself into a two week
relationship? Why was this so important to you that losing it is
driving you to drink?"

Gwendolyn
tilts her head, confused. "Wait...you don't... do you think I
was in *love* with Eliam?"

"You drank a
bottle and a half of wine and kissed another woman," Elise
points out. "You weren't just crushing on him."

Gwendolyn
blinks as her words register, then begins laughing. She wobbles as
her laughing fit ends, and sits back down. "I'm sorry, I'm
sorry. It's just...wow, I haven't laughed that hard in...well, what
feels like years."

Elise looks at her,
confused.

"Our
arrangement was... well, it was kind of like an arranged marriage,
without the say of our parents since we're both, well... not close.
It was mutually beneficial, as together we could claim the throne
that King Rodrick had, before the Elyde. It was never about love. But
after the Rorgh... finding any kind of high born gentleman is rare.
I'm upset with him, because it was all a lie to sleep with me,
knowing that it would ruin me for future marriage within the
nobility. I put my faith in him, in the Child of Aether, that he was
telling the truth. But he lacks any sort of honor."

"And your
hating him for that is understandable," Elise says. "But
why does that mean you have to stop being a knight, or turn to wine?
If you let him change you, then he always has power over you."

Gwen
shakes her head. "I was drinking long before I met this group,
when I first made it to Thirshalon. And I'm a paladin of Fallowfield,
which is destroyed. I'm a knight of nothing. And a failure. I
couldn't protect the Church, and I couldn't even protect all of the
Children."

"And...I
kissed another woman, because I like other women."

"So like other
women," Elise says. "It's not a crime. Love is love.” A
sad expression passes her face. "I admit... we're not... exactly
what I think anyone who has heard the legend of the Children would
have expected. But we're also the best chance the world has against
Kunalchusi. I don't think any of us fails unless we quit. Besides,
you may not be a Child, but I think in some way, the Maker's power
that Votig never wanted has accepted you in some small way. You still
have the orb, don't you? It let you cross between worlds, same as any
of us." She looks skyward. "I think it's calling for you to
do something. Maybe this is a trial the Maker is setting before you."

"I
do. I don't think I like his trials, though, if He rewards His
faithful with their destruction."

"I don't think
that's Her reward," Elise says. "We have free will. We
choose our paths. The Maker has a plan for the world, and sends the
Children His power to help us realize it. But at the end of the day,
it's a plan. We choose to understand and follow it or not. If we
couldn't choose, we'd have no world. To say that the Maker could or
would save us from destruction just because we follow Her would be...
selfish. Sacrilege. All living things die: that's the Maker's plan.
And though we may not like the timing, I don't think we get a
reprieve from the ultimate end to the Maker's plan just because we
have always tried to follow it. If you think about it, following the
Maker's plan means accepting death comes in the end, not trying to
avoid it.

"Yes,
everyone dies. But the slaughter at the Church was... barbaric. If
the Maker can grant power to His chosen one's, why can He not send a
warning? To think that the mindless sacrifice of hundreds of good,
devoted, caring people is part of His plan is just..." She
trails off, looking away.

"It's not part
of Her plan. That's why we're here," Elise says. "**We**
are the plan. And your actions from here forward will decide if you
will become part of the plan, or if you will be the bystander who
allows His plan to fail."

Elise steps off the
porch onto the grass. She stands straight, her head pointed to the
sky. She closes her eyes. The winds swirl around her. "I feel
it. I feel Her power around me, working in every mote of aether that
runs through me, through the world. Do you know why we call His will
a plan, Gwen?"

Gwendolyn stares at
her, awestruck, and shakes her head.

"The word
'plan' implies a future action. It implies agency on the part of
those who see the plan. We choose whether or not the plan becomes
reality." The winds swirl faster, and Elise is overcome with a
purple aura. She rises into the air deftly. "The Maker is a
powerful creator, but not a dominator. Her desire is not to command
us; it is to guide us. When we stray from His plan and destroy Her
world, His heart breaks. Can you not see that in what Kunalchusi did
when we returned to Tezef? Kunalchusi destroys; the Maker creates.
The Maker gave us a plan to maintain and improve Her world. I, for
one, would have us follow it."

Gwendolyn
stands up, tentatively reaching out towards Elise.

Elise reaches her
hand down, grasping hers. "Do you still have faith?"

"I...
I do."

Gwen feels a sense
of lightness spread across her body. Elise seems to pull, and she
rises slowly into the air.

"This
is... this is unbelievable,” she gasps, looking back at the ground.

"Yes. And it's
what I want to protect," she says. "Can you feel it? That
foreboding sense in the back of your heart? Kunalchusi will go to war
with the Maker soon. In imprisoning Her, he will destroy great
swathes of our world. We can't allow that to happen. We need you,
Knight."

"Alright,”
Gwen says quietly. "I'll help."

Elise closes her
eyes and begins to lower them both to the ground. Gwen feels oddly
heavy when the magics have subsided. “Thank you. Where you do feel
you need to go?" she asks.

"Fallowfield,
I think. I was in a hurry, when I got back. There might be some
knowledge, or artifact there, that might be of use that wasn't
destroyed."

"Then let's
go," she says, walking into her house to gather her things. "We
have far to travel."

"Elise,”
Gwen calls, stopping her at the door.

"Yes?"

"Did
you kiss back?"

She smiles a little
sadly. "No... I'm sorry, Gwen. I'm... just not looking for
something right now."

Elise walks inside,
and begins preparing for the trip.

Gwendolyn
smiles sadly as the door closes behind her, and returns to the
Lyriad. She purchases a horse, and rides it back to Elise's home.

That evening, Elise is prepared to leave.

“That's a
wonderful horse," she says, dropping her bag at the fence and
stroking it. "Where did you get it?"

"Just
a stable in town. Her name's Pumpkin."

Elise chuckles.
"She's beautiful. Is she strong enough to pull a cart...?"

"A
cart? I was thinking we could just take her. It'd be faster, at
least. Unless you aren't comfortable with that."

“The two of us on
one horse with gear the whole way there?" she says, doubtfully.
"I know you're an experienced rider but I... doubt my own
ability. I'm willing to try, though."

"I
packed fairly light. It's still rather warm and dry out, so I don't
think we would really need a tent or anything. I didn't think it
would be much different from the foothills in Thirshalon. I'm sure
Linea might have a small cart we could borrow, though. I don't mind
either way."

"I would be
far more comfortable with a cart to ride in, if that's okay,"
she confesses. "Especially over that distance. I've, ah... never
been great with horses," she admits.

"Of
course. She seems rather docile, though. If you want, I could help
you learn to ride better, along the way."

"That would be
lovely," she says. "It's such a valuable skill."

Gwendolyn
smiles, and helps her onto the horse. Elise holds on tightly, and
together they got back to the Lyriad once more, borrowing a cart from
Linea. Together, they put their things in the back; Gwendolyn
carefully stores her armor next to the seat, planning to keep a low
profile.

"All
ready?"

Elise nods,
cheerfully hopping into the back of the cart, and together they take
off for adventures.

### Eliam Visits the Mayor of Westbridge

Eliam leads Oren onwards to the dock,
finding his brother has arranged an average ferry. Though none
usually travel to Westbridge, the man at the helm informs them that
they can go past their usual stop to take them directly to the small
town. The day passes without event, and the two idly chat until a
large, looming stone tower appears over the horizon, to the west of the river. Soon after, the stone bridge for which the town is named begins to slide into view.

The skipper helming the
boat calls back to them, "Another ten or fifteen minutes, there.
Gather your belongings and be ready for disembarking, please."

The ferry smoothly pulls up to the dock as the two gather their things. A few orcs stand on the shore, waiting to gather a docking tax from the crew, to Oren's surprise.

"I thought you said the
town didn't have orcs?" Eliam whispers quietly as they approach.

"There usually aren't," Oren confirms quietly,
pulling up his hood and glancing curiously at the tower.

The
orcs continue collecting five copper pieces from each of the boat
workers. They approach Oren and Eliam, and Oren holds out a silver.

The orc smiles a toothy grin, then turns to Eliam.

"Do
you have any more change?" He asks nervously. Sighing, Oren
hands him an extra five copper, and he hands it over.

The orc
accepts it with minor disappointment having just received a full
silver and lets them both pass.

Quickly, Oren takes Eliam by
the hand, and leads him under the bridge near the docks.

"There
weren't any orcs here before," he says, looking annoyed.

"Yeah... I mean maybe they just... were up here because
they saw the boat?" Eliam sighs, looking back at where it
remains docked.

Oren walks under the bridge and glances
at the tower, careful to not put himself in view of the window.
"There weren't any in the town at all."

He returns
to Eliam, and takes his hands, looking him in the eye. “Okay... you
go into town and find out what happened since I left, and why the
orcs are here, and if my master is home, okay? Just go into the
village and find the biggest, nicest house. That's where the mayor
lives. He'll let you in, just say your real name and he'll start
grovelling. Just ask about the tower and the orcs but *don't*
*mention me. Don't tell him I'm here, okay?"*

"I mean... you should come
though, right?” Eliam asks, as Oren begins to pull him away to the
dirt road leading into town. “I don't really know the area... don't
you want to see everyone again? It's sort of your hometown.”

"No,
it's not,” Oren corrects him. “There's nothing to know, there's
hardly anything, it's the nice house. You'll know it. Or just ask
for the mayor. His name is Everett Moss." He pushes him gently
towards the road. "You can't see the town from the window, just
the bridge and things to the south and west, really. So he won't even
see you. I'll just hang out here. Go have fun, ask him to feed you.
You'll like it!"

"O...kay,” Eliam says slowly,
raising an eyebrow. “Well... I'll be back in a minute,
alright?"

"Sure,” Oren smiles, and returns to
under the bridge, playing distractedly with the water while he waits.

Eliam begins walking, searching for the
nicest house. He passes several small homes that look well kept, but
clearly built by the residents themselves. In the distance, a home
nicer than the others, built with heavy stones, sits on top of a
small hill. Eliam arrives and walks through a well kept yard,
knocking at the door.

The answer is slow to come, but soon
Eliam hears footsteps. It opens slowly to reveal an aged man peering
cautiously out of the doorway. "Hello?" Everett Moss says
slowly.

"Sorry to bother you. I'm Eliam Westmonte,” he
answers, smiling brightly. “I'm passing through the town, and I was
hoping I could ask you a few questions about the place?"

The
mayor's eyes widen. "Westmonte? The shipping company?" he
asks.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Eliam, the disowned one?" he
adds, narrowing his eyes.

He flinches slightly, but catches
himself. "Oh, no, sorry. That was my brother..." Eliam
looks away, appearing uncomfortable. "It's a bit of a sore
subject, even still. Regardless, may I have a few minutes of your
time?"

"Ah, it was Micah? Pity, though he did always
strike me as a bit of an odd duck," Everett says, stroking his
chin. "What can I do for you, Mr. Westmonte?"

"Ah...
yes,” Eliam starts, stepping inside. "Well... I'm a bit
surprised to see orcs at the docks. I was under the impression they
kept away from this town... is everything alright here?"

The
mayor clears his throat. "Yes, well, ah... they... help keep us
safe, you see. We felt it was... valuable to have them here in our
fine town."

"Ah... I see. Of course. They do do good
work. As do you, it seems; the town seems to be doing quite well, I'm
happy to see. I'll be taking my leave, then, if everything is fine
here. It was good to meet you, Mr. Moss."

The mayor looks
at Eliam suspiciously. "Is that... all you wanted? It is unusual
for a Westmonte to come all this way to ask something so... simple.
Where are your employees?"

"Well, we are only passing
through,” Eliam explains. “My employees are still at the docks.
I've just been trying to make an effort to reach out to the smaller
towns, like Westbridge. It seems advantageous to have a good
relationship with nearby towns like this, especially if they grow in
the future."

He strokes his chin. "Hm... yes. It is
valuable to you, I am certain. Well, would you care to step in for a
glass of wine before you depart?"

"I suppose one
glass won't hurt. Thank you,” Eliam says politely, following him to
a modest dining room, where his family is sitting.

He
withdraws a chair for Eliam next to his daughter.

She flashes
him a pretty smile and says, "Hello."

“Oh, hello,”
he smiles back. “It's nice to meet you all."

"My
daughter, Brie," Everett says, pointing her. "My wife Jana,
and our youngest, Benjy."

"Who might this be, dear?"
Jana asks.

"One of the Westmonte boys,"
he answers, "Eliam Westmonte."

Jana regards Eliam
with a highly suspicious look briefly, but it passes from her face
quickly.

Brie seems to sidle a little closer. "A
Westmonte! We must have really made it in Westbridge if you're
visiting us..."

"I just happened to be passing
through, and thought I'd check in,” Eliam takes the seat next to
her, and Everett pours him a glass of wine. “I think it's important
to reach out to the nearby towns and strengthen relations with
them."

"Oh, certainly," Brie replies. "It
is so very important to... strengthen relations, as you put it. I
agree wholeheartedly."

"We do hear unfortunately
little about these towns sometimes, I'm afraid. How has the town been
doing as of late?"

"Oh, passably well," Brie
replies. "There are certain areas that are livelier than
others... some of the quieter areas in disrepair require some
attention. I would be happy to show you some of the... quieter areas
in town, should you want a walk this evening."

"That
sounds lovely,” Eliam agrees, taking a sip of his drink. “I'd be
happy to see the town with you."

Jana purses her lips
silently. "Brie, could you help me with some of the dishes in
the kitchen?"

Everett says, "Dear, I'd be happy to
help you. Brie can entertain our guest."

Jana glares daggers at him and stands
suddenly, collecting plates and walking with somewhat heavy footsteps
to the kitchen.

Dinner finishes fairly quickly, with light
conversation.

Brie stands, wobbling slightly. "How about
that walk?"

"I would love to,” Eliam says,
offering his arm to her.

Jana says, "Brie, mind you're
back soon. It's dark and the orcs are..."

"Are
completely fine, right dear?" Everett says suddenly.

Jana
storms out in a huff.

"Let me just change into something
more comfortable for walking... Meet me outside, Eliam?” Brie
smiles at him once more.

"Of course,” he says, and
Everett guides him to a bench outside. He sits quietly for a moment
before a flickering light appears in the window of the house above
him.

A woman's shadow appears on the wall of the room. It
moves closer to the window and Brie appears, looking contemplatively
away towards the town. She steadies herself, seemingly unaware she is
watched, and closes the window, moving away as she unbuttons her
dress.

A few minutes later she returns, having changed. She
walks happily to Eliam, smiling warmly at him as he stands to greet
her. “Ready?”

“Yes,” he answers, leaning slightly
against the bench for support as she takes his arm, wrapping herself
around it.

"There are a few places we could go see
first," she says. "Some quiet wooded spots... There's a
fountain nearby, too."

"Why don't we start with the
fountain, then,” he offers, allowing her to lead the way.

She
walks with him for about ten minutes, chatting happily. Soon, they
arrive at a stone fountain that is spitting water somewhat feebly.
"It's been damaged for a while," she says. "It used to
shoot water so beautifully..."

"That does sound like
it must have been nice. What happened to it?"

"I'm
not sure," she says. "I was never good with that kind of
thing. Do you want to see the best spot to view it from?"

"Sure,
why not?"

She leads him about fifty feet away, up a
slight hill into a grove of trees. There's a tiny shed, clean and
well kept, hidden behind a rise in the earth within the grove. She
guides him into the shed, follows, and closes the door. There is a
tiny window that allows some moonlight, but it is dim.

Before
Eliam can speak, she removes her top, and allows it to fall to the
floor. She steps forward, grasping his arm as she pulls him closer,
pulling him in to a kiss. He backs away after a brief moment of
hesitation, choosing his words.

"Um... Miss Moss. It's
not that you're not... you're very pretty, obviously. But I just...
it's... not a good time for me. I'm sorry. Maybe we should.... go
back."

She steps back, wobbles slightly, and turns in
embarrassment to look out the window. She folds her arms over her
chest and stays still a moment.

"Hey... it's fine,” he
says quietly, picking her top up off the floor. “No one needs to
know, okay? We just went for a walk, you showed me the fountain.
That's all."

She sniffs but doesn't turn around.
"J...just go, please."

"Um... are you... is everything
okay?” Eliam asks. “I mean... your father was obviously... did he
put you up to this?"

"I...I used to be...” she
whirls around, taking back her top, her face bright red. “I was...
I just wanted to... you have no idea, and my... my Benjy, I... I'll
never be able to leave, and you, now you've..." her breaths turn
shallow, and she leans against the wall of the shed, closing her
eyes. “I'll never get married,” she adds quietly, and she covers
her face, sobbing.

"Hey, that's not true,” Eliam says,
looking uncomfortable. “But I just... had a bad break up, I guess
you could say. And we've only just met. But I'm not opposed to
getting to know you more. Just... not like this, okay?"

She
takes her top back and puts it on. "I think I'd like to walk
home alone."

"Alright. It was... very nice to meet
you, Miss Moss,” Eliam says quietly, hesitantly leaving the shed
and closing the door behind him.

### Oren and Eliam Meet the Wizard

As Eliam appears on the dirt
road, Oren stands up, hurrying to meet him halfway. "How'd it
go? What did he say?"

“Well... I asked them about the
orcs,” Eliam says haltingly. “It sounds like they have the town
under lockdown or something; they were terrified to say any sort of
mean words about them. And then he introduced me to his daughter, and
things got really weird... The mayor really was trying to push her on
me, and then she just... took me out to a shed by the fountain, and
tried to sleep with me?"

"...What?" Oren asks,
his tone oddly cold. He looks away, trying to hide his anger. "She's
a slut, but did you find out about my master? Is he home?"

"I
mean... I guess? I don't know. She took her top off, and I told her I
wouldn't sleep with her and she started crying? I... it kind of
seemed like her dad was trying to force her to sleep with me,”
Eliam continues, sitting down against the bridge. “It was fucked
up. But I mean... after Gwen I just... what if she got... you know, I
don't know. I mean, she's a gentleman's daughter.

"Oh...
I didn't really... get a chance to ask about the wizard, though.
Sorry. But they had heard of me, unfortunately. I managed to pass it
off, but... maybe I shouldn't use my real name so much, out here at
least."

"If a woman like that gets pregnant, after
acting like that, it isn't your responsibility,” Oren says, shaking
his head. “It's only your problem if you do the seducing. ...I
guess we'll just have to go see for ourselves if he's home."

Eliam
nods, frowning. "That makes sense. I just... don't want to be a
bad person, I guess. But... yeah, we can just knock on the door,
right? I know you said he might kill us when we went there. So we can
be ready to defend ourselves, at least."

"There's no
point,” Oren shakes his head. “If he wants to kill me, he will.
Let's go." He grabs Eliam's hand, pulling him up, and sets off
## towards the looming tower.

Oren creeps up to the wizard's door,
carefully turning the handle. It rattles slightly, but does not give.
Oren tilts his head slightly; after a moment he realizes it is
locked, instead of protected by its usual magics.

"Can
you... pick the lock?"He asks, turning to Eliam. "There
usually isn't one..."

"It won't explode or something
if I do, right?" He asks, looking it over and getting to work.

"I don't know, usually it's a
magical barrier keeping people other than my master or myself out.
But it's actually locked, I think. ...Which is weird."

"Oh...
that's strange,” Eliam says, as the lock gives way. Eliam pushes on
the door, and it creaks open. Oren steps forward, pushing it slowly
and passing the threshold. He looks around, noting a layer of dust
over the objects in the foyer.

Eliam follows him, and Oren
looks back at him, surprised there was no magic to stop him. "You
shouldn't have been able to do that, that's weird,” he says
quietly. “And the blood is gone."

"I
expected more traps from your description, to be honest..."
Eliam trails off, looking around as Oren grabs his hand and leads him
quickly into the apothecary to inspect for signs of people.

"No, just a barrier to keep
people out. I think. Maybe they just don't affect me,” he says,
nervously looking around for his master.

Oren leads him around the empty rooms,
stopping in front of a large library; far larger than the tower would
appear to be able to hold inside. Downstairs, a door creaks open.

Oren pulls Eliam inside past the door,
motioning for him to be quiet as he listens closely. A surge of
aether passes through them; though nothing seems changed, the air
seems suddenly charged. Soft, occasional footsteps approach the
staircase, and the lowest stair creaks as someone begins to climb.

Steeling himself, Oren leaves the library, approaching the
staircase. Adani is at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at him,
looking as weary as he has ever seen him. "Oren," he says
simply.

Oren looks away and twitches slightly, as though about
to run; but he stand his ground, and looks down at the wizard. “...
Hi.”

Adani begins climbing the steps slowly. "Two
months," he says slowly. "You disobeyed my orders,
vanished, and left not a note but a pile of blood at my door."
His every other word seems punctuated by his footfalls on the
stairs.

"I'm sorry,” Oren says quietly, pulling his
arms around himself defensively.

He pulls himself up the
stairs, "And I have looked for you for two months, you fool
boy," he says evenly. "Without knowing if you were dead or
captured or anything. I do not handle not knowing things well,
Oren."

"Sorry..." He whispers yet again,
looking away.

Adani reaches the top of the stairs and steps
until he is standing immediately in front of Oren. "You young,
ignorant, fool, fool boy." He puts his arms around Oren and
draws him into a hug. "I'm glad you're alive."

"I'm
sorry, I didn't mean to..." Oren drops his arms, unsure of what
to do with them. "I didn't want to leave, but there was this
flower, and it told me to..."

He pulls back, smiles
warmly, pats his hand on Oren's chest twice and a sudden explosion of
magic blows the wind from Oren's lungs and blasts him backwards onto
a couch in the study. "Leave me without a note again, and I'll
aim for the window next time."

Eliam leaves the study
tentatively, and Adani suddenly glares at him. "And you
are?"

He looks at Oren, who curls up into a ball on the
couch, holding himself still. Eliam frowns slightly, his hand resting
on the hilt of his sword. “Um... Eliam. Sir. ...Oren's
friend."

"Hm. Eliam Westmonte. The banished one. I
know of you, yes. So you've been wandering with my boy, here,"
Adani says.

"Er... yes,” Eliam answers, taking a slight
step back.

"And did you convince him to come home to
check with his worried master, or did it happen by chance?"

"It
was his idea, to be honest,” Eliam explains, relaxing slightly.
“We've been... indisposed for a while; this was the earliest chance
we had to return. I'm sure Oren will tell you all about it."

"Yes,
I am certain he will. Please go sit with him," he
directs.

Eliam complies, sitting down next to Oren, who pulls
his hood over his head. Eliam puts his arm around him, Oren smiles
slightly, sitting up. He looks at Adani and blushes, leaning away and
looking down awkwardly.

"Now. I wish to learn, and I am
certain you have questions as well," Adani says. "Allow me
to begin. Oren, you mentioned a flower. Explain yourself."

"Uh...
so, there was a seed... in the library..." Oren begins
haltingly, staring at the floor.

Adani seems to go a little
whiter but he says nothing.

"And I planted it.."
Oren looks back up at Adani resolutely. "And it grew into a
flower, but the flower was actually a demon and he told me to go to
Thirshalon and bury the flower there. So I went and met some people,
and we went to Saloria to save the Wellspring from the Rorgh, but
then Votig punched it and destroyed it and the monsters came out, so
we left and went to Fallowfield but there was an army of orc zombies
and they burned the church down, but we left through a magic glyph
that took us to Thirshalon and then we went to their Wellspring and I
buried the flower there and it grew into a giant snake monster, and
told us he was Kunalchusi and an enemy of the Maker and he was going
to take over Sylvatir, so then we came back here and he was burning
Tezef so we decided to come to the tower to see if you knew who he
was or maybe how to stop him? And I got you some new seeds,"
Oren says, pulling the blood lotus seeds from his pocket. "These
ones aren't demons... I'm sorry I took yours but I couldn't stop, I
had to do what it wanted."

Adani's fingers are pressed
together as he listens. He closes his eyes to think after Oren
finishes his story. "Kunalchusi. So that was his name." He
reaches for the seeds, examining them for a moment before setting
them aside. "Thank you, Oren. And now, I believe it is my
turn.

"Many years ago- many, many years, well before you
were even born- my father died. He had in his possession a strange
seed. I know not where he found it, though I believe it has been
passed down from person to person through our history. It inspires
madness over time, and those who bear it, but cannot plant it, drive
themselves to desperate and untimely fates in their desire to see its
vision realized.

"When he died, I discovered the seed on
his person. It spoke to me, and I took it.

"I was a young
mage of -- forgive me -- some moderate skill perhaps beyond the reach
of most men, and yet I could not block the seed's visions. My studies
led me to the truth of what it was: a prison for a beast long
dormant. What manner of beast, I could not say."

Oren leans forward, listening intently.

"I think my- forgive me again- rather prodigious skill
allowing me to see that it was a prison is all that prevented me from
succumbing to the temptation to plant it. Instead I sealed it away
within a book that I charmed, for where else can you hide a seed that
it will not germinate? Throw it away? It will return to the soil.
Drown it? It will wash ashore. Give it to another? They will go mad
and die, just as all the others had.

"No, I sealed it
within a book and dedicated myself to learning how to destroy it
safely. I was concerned that destroying the seed would allow the
beast to escape.

"I spent the next fifty years of my life
studying, learning, and becoming the most learned and powerful wizard
I possibly could. I traveled the land, following any lead I could
about monsters, magic, aether, prisons... anything.

"And
yet I knew that should my time come without learning of a way to
destroy the beast for good, another would come, eventually, and the
cycle would start anew. A murder seed, traveling throughout Sylvatir,
leading all those to come in contact with it to their deaths.

"And
then, one day, I found you. A young boy with aetheric potential he
did not understand and was not aware of. A boy I could raise to be
strong, and proud, and to take up my quest when I die, should I
fail."

Oren looks away, blushing slightly.

"I
took you in and began to teach you, all the while continuing to
search the world for any clues I could fine. The seed, of course,
remained sealed within a book which I directed you never to open. I
was convinced that my power would prevent you from ever finding it,
and prevent the beast from ever reaching out to you.

"I
see now that my prolonged absence weakened my seal on the book, just
as my two months gone from the tower has weakened my wards to the
point that your friend could enter.

"The beast-
Kunalchusi?- reached out to you, I assume? Persuaded you to take it
and plant it in an impossible land. And you, you foolish, brilliant,
impossible boy, you managed to actually do it."

Adani
stands. "I would have told you of it, had I thought it possible
you could discover it on your own. I thought not to burden you with
knowledge of the beast until you were stronger, wiser, more ready to
handle the temptation. I worried that telling you as a boy would
encourage you to seek it out... What boy could resist that which he
is by no means ever to touch?"

"Uh... I'm... Sort
of, I planted it here the first time,” Oren explains. “And it
grew into a flower... and... um..."

"A blood lotus,"
he says.

"I wouldn't have touched it if you told me not
to,” Oren adds softly.

"And the beast," Adani
says, "it is some manner of snake?"

"A giant
snake, bigger than a house,” Oren nods.

"Kunalchusi,"
he repeats, turning the word over in his mouth. "Kunal, from the
old word for 'lotus.' Chusi, from the old word for 'snake flower.' If
I had only known...

"And the beast is here now? We must
end it," he says. "What exactly happened after you planted
the seed? Tell me everything."

"In Thirshalon? It
absorbed the aether from the wellspring and grew into vines, and then
turned into the snake, he spoke to us and then left. He sort of flew
away,” Oren explains.

"And he said what?"

"Um..
Something about the maker... She trapped him?" Oren says
uncertainly, looking at Eliam.

"Yeah... something about
wanting revenge on Him, basically,” Eliam nods.

Adani sighs.
"The beast cannot be killed, I know this much. I have felt his
magics for too long. We must entrap him once again. The Maker's power
would be... quite a boon."

Oren and Eliam look at each
other, and Oren looks back at Adani. "Well Eliam is a really
powerful mage... He can stop time..."

Adani turns to
look at Eliam slowly, examining him carefully. "You're a Child?"

Eliam looks once again at Oren,
surprised, and he pulls his hood down over his head once more.
“Well... yes,” Eliam says, looking concerned. “Child of Aether,
in fact.”

Adani looks at Oren, noticing his awkwardness.
"...You're both Children."

"I don't know,
maybe,” Oren says quietly, curling up once more. Eliam squeezes his
shoulder slightly.

"I must admit, I am surprised, and
for me that is a rare gift. Thank you," he says genuinely to
Eliam. "Child of Aether and... let me guess." He looks at
Oren slowly, thinking hard. "Based on a number of factors,
personality one of them... Child of Wind?"

"What?
Why?" Oren asks as he suddenly sits up, looking annoyed. "I'm
nothing like her..."

"Oh, you read constantly. It's
like you've always got your head in the clouds,” Adani says with a
slight smile. "Her? You've met the Child of Wind?"

"Yes
and she's a spoiled idiot!" Oren says, suddenly angry. "I'm
not like that at all! My head's not in the clouds you just, put me in
here with nothing but books, what was I supposed to do, she probably
can't even read!"

Adani seems somewhat taken aback.
"Oren, I kept you safe. And gave you more knowledge than most of
the world will ever see."

He crosses his arms and looks
away, sulking. "I know but that doesn't mean I'm... A cloud
watching baby like her..."

“But you... locked him in
here,” Eliam says, frowning. “You never even let him go outside.
I mean, I'm sure you were trying to protect him, but... that's a
little excessive, isn't it?"

"I-it's okay, I like
it," Oren whispers to him nervously, pulling him back towards
him on the couch. "It's fine..."

"Locked?"
Adani says. "I only put a physical lock on the front door when I
left for two months to find him. Until then it was always open and
just warded. As for going outside..." He gestures toward the
window and steps to it, beckoning Eliam forward. Through the window
can be seen a small treehouse about seven feet up a sturdy tree. "I
conjured that for him when he was eleven years old... Mind you, he
never used it because he fell off the ladder the first time he tried
and was too scared to go back." He chuckles warmly.

"Hey...
I went into the garden sometimes..." Oren says softly, as Eliam
stands up and goes to the window. He looks outside and back at Oren,
slightly confused.

Adani leans down to Eliam suddenly and
whispers hurriedly, "If he's been possessed by the beast for
years, then his recollections of his childhood would be foggy. The
beast has compelled him to stay inside and read to learn how to free
him, and he, unwittingly, has explained his life away by believing
he's been held here. He believes that genuinely.

"Thank
you for being a friend to him. He is not my son but he's as close as
I've ever felt. He needs a good partner, and it seems that's been
you," Adani says, so Oren cannot hear.

"Oh... I...
of course,” Eliam whispers, taken aback. “So I... I take it you
weren't planning to murder him when he returned."

"Of
course not!" Adani says quickly. "Punish for terrifying me
for two months, yes. Murder, absolutely not."

"Oh...
okay, good,” Eliam laughs. “You're... really a lot nicer than I
expected."

Adani turns and speaks loudly again. "Now.
About trapping Kunalchusi. I have one idea, now that I know we have
the Children with us. Oren, have you found the other Children? We
will require all five."

Oren nods. "Votig died,
though...”

Adani's energy seems to radiate away from him.
His shoulders slump. "Died?"

"He... um...
yeah..." Oren looks away.

Adani thinks. "Very well.
You said you traveled to Thirshalon, correct? Were there Chlidren
there?"

"Yes, but they died,” Oren says, as Eliam
looks at him quickly.

Adani sinks into a chair. "A-all
of them? We... we would just need the Child of Earth. Are you sure
that one is dead?"

"Yes,” he says plainly, and
Eliam nods.

Adani sits and frowns. He rests his head in his
hands. "We... we need a... The Wellspring," he says
finally. "The Wellspring of Earth. It's the one most receptive
to the Child of Earth's power. He or she alone would have dominion
over it. Have you discovered any wellsprings in forests in
Sylvatir?"

"The one in Saloria, which Votig
destroyed,” Oren answers.

He sits silently for a full
minute. Then he says, "Votig was the Child of Earth. He, and he
alone, would have had dominion enough over the Earthen Wellspring to
destroy it. Others could damage it, but it would always regrow given
time. If he did it...” He sighs. "I suppose this explains why
the entire south-west lost their magic.

"We need
something aetherically attuned to the Maker's power, something that
resonates with the power of Earth," Adani says. "Have you
come across anything like that?"

"The orb, maybe?”
Eliam suggests. “But... Gwen has that with her."

"Yes,
in Fallowfield,” Oren adds.

Adani's eyes snap open. "The
Orb. The Child's Orb, yes, yes, of course! It contain's the Maker's
power... Who is Gwen?"

"Eliam's girlfriend,” Oren
answers, and Eliam shifts uncomfortably.

"I... wouldn't
go that far,” Eliam says awkwardly. “You'll have to talk to her
about it. I'm pretty sure she's never speaking to me again."

"Why
does she have the orb?" Adani asks.

"It brought her
to Thirshalon. She's a paladin,” Oren explains simply.

"She...
used the Orb to get to Thirshalon? It attuned with her to that
degree?"

"I guess,” Oren shrugs.

"All
hope may not, yet, be lost," Adani says. "Oren, gather your
friends and get this Gwen. If she has the orb and it's still charged
with the Maker's power... Oren, we're going to make a Child of the
Maker."

"Good, okay... But, they all hate us,”
Oren explains. "The girls, I mean, especially Elise. And
probably Minerva now too... And Gwen hit Eliam for being pathetic and
selfish or something."

"Wait... why would Minerva
hate you?" Eliam asks.

"I asked her if she was
using me, like you said. I mean, in a letter. Maybe she hasn't read
it yet."

"I... what? That's... oh. That's really not
what I meant,” he sighs. “You didn't just... phrase it like that,
did you?"

Adani looks at his library. "I am going to
retire with some books to learn how this might be possible, should
you choose this path. I am glad you are home, Oren," he says.
"Eliam, feel free to stay the night as well."

### Oren shows Eliam the Tower

When he leaves, Oren moves over to the
window, looking outside. The window shows a view of the garden, the
road, the bridge, and the fields that stretch outside the small town;
but the town itself is missing. Oren motions Eliam over to him, and
points outside. “See, you can't see the town,” he says with a
slight smile.

"Oh, you're right,” Eliam says
surprised as he looks outside. “That's kind of a shame. Just seeing
the garden is more boring than seeing the town.”

"The
garden is nicer, honestly,” Oren shrugs.

"Maybe... It
did seem a little run down when I walked through,” Eliam looks at
him. “...So the wizard is... nice."

"Yeah,” Oren
smiles.

"I know you called her a slut, but... That girl
in town was nice, too,” Eliam continues.

Oren nods. "I
shouldn't have said that, she's really not. I'm glad you didn't sleep
with her though. I should have warned you about her. Her father
would love to have you for a son in law, so it's not surprising she
tried to charm you."

"Yeah. He was awful, I think,”
Eliam nods. “And sort of creepy. He made it pretty obvious that he
wanted me to talk to her, but I'm worried he tried to force her to
sleep with me, too, to trap me there or something."

"That
sounds like him."

"Maybe we could help her,
somehow?” Eliam suggests. “We could take her with us. Minerva
might give her a job at the Lyriad, maybe. Her situation as it is now
just seems pretty messed up."

"Do whatever you
want,” Oren shrugs. He turns around and walks through the library,
looking for books; Eliam follows.

"Alright. I might need
your help, though,” He adds. “Are you... okay, by the way? Coming
home and everything? I was kind of worried when he hit you like
that."

"I'm fine,” Oren shrugs. "He didn't
seem that angry, I guess he knows it's not entirely my fault."

"I
mean, of course it wasn't your fault. None of it was. You weren't in
your right mind. And you didn't know what would happen when you
planted the flower, so it's not like it was on purpose,” Eliam
says, looking around at all the books.

"That part is
true, I really thought it would just bloom,” Oren says somewhat
sadly.

"Hey, when you think back to your memories of
growing up, do any of them seem kind of... off? Or wrong somehow?"

"Everything seems pretty off, based on what I know of
normal lives,” Oren says, looking at him confusedly. “Why?"

"Well
yeah, but I mean...” Eliam thinks. “The wizard said that your
childhood memories of him were wrong, and the flower had altered
them. But that doesn't really sound... Right, I guess. He's trying to
look good, but he hit you when he saw you."

"That
wasn't really a hit, he just pushed me into the chair, it didn't
hurt. ...I mean, not really. And the flower didn't affect my memory.
I mean, I don't think it did,” He clarifies, looking annoyed. “What
did he say was different?"

"I mean, you were curled
up on the couch immediately after, terrified. That's not normal. He
said he'd been nice to you as a kid, mostly, and you were allowed to
read or do anything you wanted. But the flower wanted you to stay
here, so it made you think Adani was the one locking you in."

"I
know the door wasn't locked,” Oren says, shaking his head.

Eliam
nods, and puts his hand on his shoulder. "I know. I mean... I
think he might be trying to get us to like him, so this plan works
out to collect all the children here. But he hit you, so... It's hard
to believe his story. I know he's your guardian, but do you think we
can trust him?"

"Of course we can,” Oren answers.
“But you're right, he does collect magical things as well as books.
 Do you think he knew what I was when he bought me? Maybe that's why
he did it." He begins walking once more, examining the titles as
he goes.

"Maybe. He said he bought you because of your
'aetheric potential'. That could have been what he was referring
to."

"Yeah, maybe. ...Well, we shouldn't run off and
fetch the girls yet. It's not safe to go to Ushad until Minerva calms
down. Remember the vampire thing?" He stops at the medical
section, looking through the books.

"Calm down? What do
you mean?" Eliam asks.

"She's going to be mad, I
mean I asked her if she was only pretending to like me so I'd kill
the orcs for her. She won't like it whether it's true or not. So it's
probably best to avoid her for a few days..."

Eliam sighs. “Why would you ask her
that?"

"You said she was probably just using me and
I thought about it, it really makes more sense than her suddenly
liking me. Remember she was always so mean ...but then after I killed
all those orcs, she made me a sandwich and tried to be my friend.
Ever since then she's been flirting with me and kissing me. This is
better really, if she loves me she won't mind much and if she doesn't
she'll be relieved she doesn't have to pretend anymore. It's better
than finding out after sleeping with her that she actually didn't
want to. I don't want to do that."

"I mean... You
didn't just... Phrase it like that, though, right?” Eliam asks.
“I'm sure she's not just openly using you like that. I mean, yeah,
she's been acting weird, but... She wouldn't just do that on purpose,
right? I didn't want you to insult Minerva, I just wanted you to
be... You know... Careful. Since I kind of tried to use Gwen, I
guess. I really shouldn't have done that. But I didn't want you to
get hurt, too."

Oren stops looking at the books for a
moment, thinking. "I tried to be pretty clear about it."

"Oh...
Okay. Well... She knows you haven't really had any relationships
before. So... I'm sure she'll read it in the best way possible, and
give you a little leeway. But you know you're kind of supposed to
trust her on these things, right?"

"I know, and I'll
believe her answer, but she did seem fine with seducing people, even
orcs, to get what she wants. And she lied to us about the vampire
thing. I don't want to distrust her, but I don't want to be naive
either." He pulls out a book, skimming a page at random.

"Okay... Yeah, that's fair. And honestly, now that
we're home we don't have to be quite so vigilant about making sure
everyone's happy and sticking together anyways,” Eliam nods. “If
she gets mad and leaves again, at least it's in a place we know."

Oren nods, then brings the book to him,
grinning. "If you read this, you won't have to worry about
babies anymore." He pushes a book into Eliam's hand: *Hysteria:*
Prevention and Treatment*.*

Eliam pushes the book back at
him, somewhat flustered. "I know how it works. I just panicked,
I guess. I mean, we still have to fight and everything... And she
said she didn't have any ideas for how to rule, and she expected me
to figure half of it out..."

"Right, maybe she'll
still want to marry you even if you're not king,” Oren nods. “You
should have asked her that." He flips through the book again,
then hands it back. "You should read it, then you'll be able to
please whichever girl you want."

Eliam sighs, putting the
book aside on a nearby table. "Maybe you should read it, after
you accused Minerva of just using you. And honestly, half the point
of marrying Gwen was to get money so we wouldn't have to worry about
camping out and wandering from inn to inn the way we have been.
...I... guess that's sort of bad though, isn't it."

"That's
how most rich people marry, right?” Oren shrugs. “Because of
money and status and breeding?" He picks up the book from where
it was discarded, placing it neatly back on the shelf.

"Yeah,
pretty much,” Eliam says, sighing. “Though usually its the
families that arrange it. Obviously, mine really can't, and she
mentioned she hasn't even been home in 8 years."

"I
guess you can marry whoever you want to be with, then."

"I
guess. I don't think she'd want to marry me anymore, though. I didn't
mean to make her so upset. And she called me those things... how do
you just... not be a bad person, I guess?"

"I'll
tell you when I figure it out,” Oren answers, shaking his head.
“...So, you want to be with Gwen?"

"I... don't
know,” Eliam says, picking up a book at random and skimming through
it. “No, I think. I don't think I want to marry anyone right
now."

"That's fine too,” Oren smiles. "You
don't have to get married if you don't like anyone that much. You can
just live with me and we'll heal people, okay? You might meet someone
you do like eventually. You can probably marry anyone you want, once
you decide you like them enough."

"Maybe. Healing
people is pretty easy. It'd be good, I think. We can just find a town
somewhere though, and you can live with Minerva. If you want to,
anyways."

"Hopefully. We'll see,” Oren nods,
leading him through the library. He points to a large window facing
south. "There's light coming in even though it's dark out,
because it's magic. You can't see out of any of the windows, except
the ones by the door and the big one in the study."

"Oh...
wow, I didn't even notice!” Eliam says, trying to look out of it.
“How does that even work?"

"It's magic, like an
illusion?" Oren explains, gesting to the nearly endless rows of
books. "The inside of the tower doesn't match the outside
anyway."

Excited, he takes Eliam's hand, pulling
him away from the window through the library. Past several shelves
they reach a huge floating chandelier, suspended from an impossibly
high ceiling. "See, it's all lit up even though there's no
candles, sort of like your arcane lantern but all the time. All the
lights are like that, you just turn them on and they work without
fire.

“Oh! Yeah, we should find some
books,” he says happily, hooking Eliam's arm and pulling him to a
shelf. He pulls out a book on fire arcana, and pushes it into his
arms. "Maybe you can improve your magic if you read this!"
Eliam takes it, and he skips off towards the section on healing
arcana.

"This is... really disorienting, now you mention
it,” Eliam says, looking around dazedly at the geometry of the
room. “How did you even get used to that? And how do you know when
it's time to sleep if you can't look outside and see if it's night
out?" He takes the books as Oren piles them into his arms,
smiling slightly as he keeps finding more. "I don't suppose
you'd be willing to just summarize these for me, would you? ...Also,
do you still have the book on hysteria? We should probably take that
with us for you, since you and Minerva are getting so close."

"There
are clocks," Oren nods, retrieving and handing him the book on
hysteria. "I've already read it, and I doubt that's really
something to worry about now. Maybe she wants to wait until we're
married."

"Somehow, I doubt that,” Eliam
says, trying not to laugh. “Though now you mention it... you've
probably read every book in here ten times over, huh? I can't imagine
just... being in here with nothing to do but read. I mean, it's a
nice tower, but... you must have been incredibly bored. And the
wizard seems to think it was a good thing to do that to you. I'm
sorry."

"I haven't read every book, there are too
many. I wasn't really bored all the time. Sometimes. I think he was
trying to protect me, he always said it was dangerous outside. He's
right that I wasn't really locked in, but I remember asking if I
could go play by the river and he said no. Sometimes he would send me
into town on errands though, when I got older... And there wasn't
anywhere I wanted to go anyway. It's really nice here, much better
than where I lived before."

"I guess."

"I can show you the garden
tomorrow, that's pretty great...” Oren smiles. “Are you hungry?
Did that mayor give you some food?"

"Yeah, he
invited me to dinner. But you said you had some kind of magic that
just conjured food out of thin air, right?” Eliam asks excitedly.
“I *have* to see that."

"There's a magic
table!” He confirms. “And..." he looks around, "Ummm...
let's go downstairs." He pulls the pile of books from Eliam's
arms, setting them on a table in the study. He leads him down the
stairs through the living area, and pulls him into a dining room.

"Ok, sit down,” he says,
pulling out a chair. Eliam sits, and Oren takes the chair next to
him. He pulls out two plates from the center of the table, putting
them neatly in front of their seats.

Dinner appears instantly
on the table, complete with place settings for them both. The meal
comes with wine, and food for at least five people. Oren smiles at
him proudly as the meal appears, freshly warm.

"This is
amazing. How did you even get this?!" Eliam asks, taking a bit
of food. He bites into it tentatively to test it, then begins eating
in earnest.

"It was here when I arrived, maybe he made
it,” Oren shrugs, serving himself as well. He pours out wine for
them both.

"I thought you said not to drink anymore?"
Eliam grins, trying a sip. "This table is amazing though. Do you
think we can take it with us somehow?"

"Just don't
get too drunk, and it's okay. With dinner anyway. And no, even if we
could we can't steal my master's table,” He answers, drinking some
as well.

"Alright... Fair enough. Maybe we can learn
whatever magic it uses anyways. Do you want me to try to teach you
some magic, by the way?” Eliam offers. “I think you mentioned you
kind of... technically never learned it. I mean I've never taught
anyone, but I could try."

"Oh, uh... That's really
nice... I don't know if I can learn other magic. I'll probably go see
if there are any books, now that I know how to do it I can probably
learn more of the arcana I know. I was able to improve the shadow
wall and learn blood magic from that book so, it shouldn't be too
hard. Thank you..."

"That should be good. Hey... Do
you think there's books on Kunalchusi in there? Or something that
might help us?"

"Maybe, if he was really researching
it there are probably a lot,” Oren nods. “We can check. Maybe you
can write a letter and send it to Ushad to ask the girls to get Gwen
and bring her here. Do you know where Heather lives?"

"I
think so. I can, but do you think that's a good idea? If they're mad
at us? It might be good to talk to them in person, first."

"I
think letters are much easier, and you could go send it tomorrow...
It might not get there for a few days, then they have to wait for
Gwen and come here. We can stay here and relax and research demon
slaying."

Eliam thinks about that for a second, and nods.
"Alright. That does sound nice, to be honest. Though if we have
some time... I was thinking we could visit Glenhaven, sort of."

"Oh
of course, we can definitely go there. It's not very far, you should
visit your friends and family. If you want to." Oren smiles as
he finishes his wine, and his eyes glow blue as he manipulates the
liquid still in the bottle. The wine sails into the glass neatly, and
Oren leans back proudly.

"Wow! You've really gotten
amazing with that, huh?” Eliam says, impressed, and takes another
sip of his own drink before continuing. “... The thing is, my
brother made it sound I wouldn't really be... welcome, there. But
maybe you could trick them, somehow, and get my sister to meet us
outside the house?"

"I don't know if I'm very good
at tricking people, but I'll do whatever you want."

"Well,
it's only if you want to. You don't have to do everything I say,
remember?"

"I know, but I probably will anyway,”
Oren nods.

They continue their meal, and as they
finish, Oren grins excitedly. "So, to clean it up you just leave
the room and it all disappears. It's pretty great." He stands
up, taking Eliam's hand and pulling him with him. They cross the
threshold back into the living area, and Eliam peeks back into the
room.

Inside, the table is clean, as though
they were never there.

"We should *definitely* try
to figure out how that works,” Eliam says excitedly. “It would be
great to have in the future."

Oren nods. "You can
ask tomorrow, it would be easy for you to learn it." He tugs on
his arm, and guides him back to the library. He piles the books from
the study into Eliam's arms, then grabs yet more: a book on shadow
arcana, a book on the lute, and a book on etiquette and courtship.

As they head to where Oren tells him their rooms will be, he
points out the more interesting curious around the tower. “That's a
wil-o-wisp,” he says happily, pointing to a gilded birdcare with a
floating, glowing ball of gas in it. “And that's from a Roc.
They're like big eagles that fly around The Valley,” he explains,
pointing to a gigantic feather mounted to the wall.

"There's
art, too...” he adds, as they pass a large tapestry. “I don't
really know a lot about it, though."

The Tapestry
presents a masterfully designed image of a human and a dwarf. The
dwarf is striking down the human. The artwork relates to the killing
of the human Gust Sprayedyear by a dwarf in Riddledslings in The Axes
of Gates in the midwinter of 2085 during Etosp Spuspo, the Siege of
Thorns.

It is studded with gold, woven from cave spider silk
and the fittings are encircled with bands of bituminous coal, rubies,
and cat leather. This object menaces with spikes of llama bone.

"Are you tired?” Oren asks,
as he leads him back to the stairs. “There are bedrooms upstairs,
oh and you haven't seen the faucets yet, those are really great. You
turn it on and water comes out, hot or cold..whatever you want.. you
don't have to heat it up."

"I... oh, a bit, I
guess. I think I had too much wine,” Eliam explains cheerfully,
somewhat overwhelmed by what he's seen in the tower. “The mayor
gave me a bunch, too. I want to see the faucet first, though. That
sounds incredible. I thought your stories were exaggerated, but...
wow."

Oren laughs a little to himself, sorting the books
once they arrive upstairs. He separates the books to two separate
rooms, and leads Eliam through one into the bathroom. He turns on a
metal faucet on the sink, and immediately, heated water begins to
flow.

“See? And tomorrow I can show you the clothes washer,
it's pretty great,” he smiles, looking around the room. “Do you
need anything else?”

"I should be okay, thank you,”
Eliam says distractedly, as he turns the faucet off and on, marveling
at it. “And thanks for showing me around. This place really is
amazing."

"Good night," Oren smiles, leaving
the room and shutting the door behind him. Eliam looks at it,
somewhat surprised, but shakes his head slightly and begins to read
through the books Oren picked out for him.

In his room, Oren sits down for a long
bath. Finished, he runs the tap, enjoying the comforts he'd sorely
missed. He changes into familiar clothes, and sits down in front of a
large mirror, cutting his hair short. He takes the book on shadow
magic to a large, comfortable bed, and settles in, happy to be home
once again.

### Oren and Eliam Leave the Tower

The wizard spends the better part of
the night reading old tomes and researching. He burns through a
number of candles, and dust flutters about the room as he strides. By
the following morning, he has several pages of handwritten notes. He
sits at a table, reviewing them.

Eliam sits in his room in the
morning, penning several letters. Oren knocks on his door as he adds
the finishing touches, and he leaves with him as the letters dry,
complimenting his hair as they walk downstairs together.

Adani
sips from a glass of water as he notice Oren and Eliam are awake.
"Ah. Good morning, you two. Did you sleep well?"

Oren
nods and quickly puts away the books he read the night before.

"Yes, thank you,” Eliam
answers.

"So," Adani says. "I've
been studying all night. Have you considered your plans?"

"Yes.
We're going to send a letter to the girls..."

Eliam nods.
"We'll tell them about the situation, then go get them to meet
back here."

Adani says, "And this Gwen? Do you think
she will take on the Child's power?"

"I'm... sure we
can get through to her, once we talk to her,” Eliam says
confidently.

"Splendid," he says. "Will you be
off today, then? We really should be quick." Adani turns to Oren
presumptuously. "Now, Oren, while Eliam leaves to get the girls,
you and I should be doing some research..."

“Uh... Oh,
okay," Oren smiles.

"Er... to be honest, I might
need Oren's help,” Eliam says, frowning slightly. “Lady Gwendolyn
uh... isn't exactly my biggest fan right now. I can't guarantee
she'll be willing to listen to anything I say."

Adani
sits down somewhat heavily. "She will not be persuaded?"

"Oh!
No, I'm sure she can be. Just... not by me,” he clarifies.

Oren
nods. "I can help..."

Adani's shoulders slump
slightly. "Oren, the orcs are everywhere. You may be a Child,
but you're not immortal. You must surely realize by now how dangerous
it is out there?"

"Don't worry, Eliam will protect
me."

Adani looks at Eliam with suspicion. "I suppose
he will."

"Don't worry. I'm one of the best fighters
I've ever seen, anyways,” he says with a confident smile, and Oren
nods in agreement.

Adani leans forward. His fingertips press
together as his elbows rest on his knees. He rests his chin on his
hands and thinks. Then he pierces Eliam with a serious gaze. "Eliam,"
he says. "Oren is betting his safety on you. He trusts you.
Yes?"

"I... yes.”

"I
would like to trust you, as well," Adani says. “So tell me. My
Oren trusts you. Why does Gwen not?"

Eliam shifts
uncomfortably, looking flustered as he tries to figure out his
answer. "Well... she sort of... wanted me to be king, after all
this was done. But I'm not really sure I can do that. I'd planned to
just break it off quietly, but then she er... told me she might be
with child, and I panicked, and we left to come here."

Oren
looks at him, surprised. Adani's gaze narrows. His gaze remains
unbroken. "Your child, I assume?"

He looks at Oren
anxiously. "She hopes!" Oren answers, smiling.

Adani
stands. "Mr. Westmonte, with respect, you had best dearly hope
the lady is not with child, for if she is, and you have run, that's
the trust of both mother and child you will have lost." The
wizard steps slowly from the room. "If you value your friendship
with my Oren, you must consider carefully how many people's trusts
you can lose before you one day lose his."

After he
leaves, Oren smiles slightly, and leans over to Eliam, whispering.
"That won't ever happen."

Eliam sighs, looking
relieved. "Okay. Thank you. I... I did write her a letter. And
if she wants we'll talk when we get back."

"Go send
the letters, then we can go to Glenhaven! Okay?" Oren smiles,
rubbing his shoulder lightly.

Eliam smiles, and they return
to their rooms to collect their things. Oren packs several sets of
his own clothes, his earrings, and some packets of tea.

Adani
meets Eliam and Oren at the door. He places his hands on Oren's
shoulders and says, "You are in control of your own destiny,
Oren, but also in control of everyone's. You must return here with
the girl and the other Children no matter the cost. Do you
understand?"

Oren nods. "Don't worry, we'll get
her."

He nods. "See that you do. Safe travels, my
boy."

Eliam gives him a concerned look as they pass
through the door outside, Adani closing the door behind them. Oren
leads him to a gate that leads down into a lush garden. "Did you
want to see the garden? I said we'd look but we can do it when we get
back I guess. Maybe the girls will like it."

"Oh! I
don't mind seeing it. I wanted to ask you about something
anyways."

Oren opens the gate, pointing to the different
plants as they walk. "It's a pretty big garden, and most of the
plants are useful for medicine and magic, but some just look nice.”
He points off into the distance. "And over there is a little
foresty place, and beyond it is a pasture for the horses," he
turns and points to a glass shed. "And, that's a greenhouse
which is like... where some plants... they're in there, I don't know
why."

Eliam looks around, smiling. "This really is a
great garden. I can see why you wanted to spend so much time
here."

"Yeah, it's a lot better than just staying
inside all day. If the weather is nice you can sit outside and read
instead of just sitting by the window. ...What do you want to ask
me?" He stops walking.

"Well... it's about that
girl I met last night,” Eliam explains. “I was hoping you'd come
with me to see if we can convince her to leave. Her situation
seemed... bad, to say the least."

"..Brie?"

Eliam
nods.

Oren looks away uncomfortably. "What
situation?"

"I mean... her dad seemed pretty intent
on getting her to sleep with me, despite knowing me for about five
minutes. And having no proof that I was who I said I was. And she
just sort of... broke down crying, while we were alone."

Oren
crosses his arms, looking at the ground. "Well, that's... not
good... why was she crying?"

"I don't know... but I
sort of got the impression it was because her father was making her
sleep with me. And I mean... it might not be the first time. I don't
know,” Eliam explains awkwardly.

"Why would he make
her do that? That's weird,” Oren says, annoyed. “Did you ask
her?"

"No, she was pretty insistent I leave. But it
was... really weird. I was thinking we could send her off to the
Lyriad. I mean, they're supposed to help the downtrodden in theory,
right?"

"If you think it's what she wants... if it's
what you want,” Oren shrugs. “I won't stop you."

"Great!
I mean, we'll ask her about it, of course,” Eliam says cheerfully.
“It shouldn't take long. Then we can visit Glenhaven."

"You
can ask her," Oren says quickly, leading him back to the gate.

"Wait, won't you come with?" Eliam asks, walking
quickly to keep pace.

"Probably not, you go talk to her
alone." He holds the gate open expectantly, waiting for Eliam to
leave.

"I mean... if you're sure. I'll be back soon.”

"I'll meet you under the bridge, just send the letters
and talk to Brie, then we can go."

Eliam nods, and sets
off down the road, back to the mayor's house.

### Oren Talks with an Orc

Oren makes his way to the bridge,
watching the river as he waits for some time to pass. At the docks, a
lone orc stares boredly into the distance, and after waiting, Oren
approaches him.

"Hey, excuse me, Mr. Orc?"
Oren calls, careful not to leave the cover of the bridge.

The
orc turns with an irritated expression.

"Sorry to bother
you, may I ask you something?" Oren says politely, waving a
little.

He's still. He grunts, which Oren assumes to mean
yes.

"Do you enjoy being a police officer? Do you like
upholding the law?"

The orc works his jaw slowly, as if
mulling a response. He finally shrugs and turns away wordlessly. He
lumbers and down the dock.

"Can't you speak?"

He
looks over his shoulders and says, "Busy. Move along."

Oren
cocks his head to the side. "Busy with what? What is your
job?"

He turns and steps toward Oren. He looms over Oren
as though attempting to intimidate him. "What the Elyde
say."

Oren nods. "Have you met the Elyde?"

The
orc attempts to turn back to the dock. "Not your concern. Go."

"Do you like working for the
Elyde?" Oren asks, looking annoyed.

The Orc stomps
forward. "Yes. We have food. And power enough to squash
meddlesome things like you." He reaches out for Oren with a
large green hand, but he swiftly moves back, avoiding it.

"So
that's why your people work for the Elyde? For food? Or power? You
didn't have food before? If you could have food and live peacefully,
without working for the Elyde, would you prefer that?"

"And
obey your laws? And allow your cities?" He spits on the ground
at your feet. "We travel the land. All the land we see is ours.
You stole it and built your huts and walls and towns and thieved away
our way of life. Orcs wander the land. Orcs own all they catch. The
Elyde give us the strength to wander even though your cities. Our
land is returned to us. What can you offer greater than this?"

Oren
thinks about this, looking slightly confused. "What do you mean
we stole it?"

"No more questions. Ask more, be
arrested."

"Is asking questions illegal, or do you
just decide who gets arrested on a whim?"

The orc drops
his shoulder and slams into Oren in a full body tackle. Oren flies
backwards and slams into the ground heavily.

The orc advances
on Oren, not realizing that a wave has reached out to him from
behind. He does not turn until the water has enveloped him and pulled
him into the river. For a moment, Oren can see his body just below
the surface, but then it darkens and shrinks from view, and is gone
in a flurry of bubbles which lessen into stillness.

### Eliam Talks to Brie

A short way up the road, Eliam reaches
the mayor's home. As he gets close, he sees an orc at the door.

Eliam is unable to make out all of the
conversation, but a few snippets of words make their way back to him:
money, pay, bribe.

He stands away from the road, trying to
look inconspicuous as he waits for the orc to leave. Two minutes go
by. The mayor seems increasingly flustered. The conversation ends
when the orc punches him hard in the cheek. The mayor flies back into
the house, and the orc turns and leaves. The door slams shut.

He
waits a few minutes more, and finally approaches the door, knocking
lightly. There is no answer.

"Excuse me? It's Eliam
Westmonte,” he calls out, knocking again; but again, there is no
answer.

Brie steps to the window above as he
begins to walk away. "...Eliam?"

"Oh! Miss
Moss. It's good to see you again,” he calls out cheerfully.

"...I
hadn't expected to see you again," she says.

"Yeah...
I'm... sorry, do you think we could speak out here?"

"I...
think it would be best if you just told me what you have to say,"
she says.

"Just a few minutes of your time. I promise you
I won't be long,” he says, giving her a charming smile.

"I've seen that smile before,"
she says somewhat tartly. "Do you have something to say or
not?"

"Okay... look. That got... weird, the other
night. But it made me a bit worried about you and your situation."

"My situation?" She asks,
sounding somewhat confused.

"I would like to help you,
if possible. Would you please come down?"

"You're
not giving me much reason to," she says, leaning against the
windowsill. "Just get to the point, already."

He
sighs, beginning to look annoyed. "Do you want to leave? I can
get you a job somewhere. And you won't have to be... pressured into
what happened again."

"Pressured how? A job
where?"

"It wasn't hard to figure out we got seated
next to each other on purpose. And I mean... you didn't even know me,
or if I was really who I said I was. I have a friend in Ushad who
could help, most likely."

"That didn't answer my
question, though," she said. "So, like... the night after
spurning me, you're asking me to run away with you, leaving my family
behind, to go to some 'mysterious job' in a faraway city and--"
She freezes.

"O-oh Maker," she says softly. "Are...
are you...? Are you asking me to run away with you? Are you proposing
to me?! Is that why you wanted to do this alone?!"

Her face is hard. "Is... is this how Westmonte boys do it? Hurt them, then
marry them? Did you think your chances would be better if my heart
broke first?!"

Eliam coughs, looking flustered.
"I... no. Look, I lied. I'm the one who got kicked out, okay?
And honestly, it looked like your father was forcing you to sleep
with me to try to trap me into what he assumed would be a good
marriage. Which is pretty awful in every conceivable way. I'm trying
to give you a way out, if that's the case."

"So
you're trying to prevent me from being trapped in a marriage by
proposing and running away with me?"

"I-- no, I'm
not going to marry you, I'm just trying to help,” he insists.

Her
face twists into rage. "So first you take me out on a date, and
then you cut it off and reject me... and now you propose to me, and
then take it back and reject me?! You are the absolute worst, Eliam Westmonte!" She grabs the closest object, a hairbrush, and
throws it at him. "Go away!"

"I... what kind of
date with a gentleman's daughter ends with fucking them?!” He
yells. “Why would you even want to marry someone who got
disowned?!" He steps aside, narrowly dodging the hairbrush.
"Look, never mind, okay? I'm sorry I came back here. Good day,
Miss Moss,” he calls out, leaving quickly.

### Oren and Eliam Arrive in Glenhaven

Eliam arrives up the road, looking
annoyed. When Oren sees him, he hops back up on the docks to greet
him. "How did it go? She didn't want to come with us?"

"No,
she's... I think you might have been right about her. I assume she
would prefer to stay here. We can just go whenever you're
ready."

"What do you mean I was right?" Oren
asks, looking somewhat confused.

"I guess... we can send
the boat ahead with the letters?” Eliam suggests, ignoring him.
“It's not a far walk, though maybe we can find a ferry or
something."

He pulls him to the ferry, informing
them that they're ready to go to Glenhaven. The ferry sets off, and
they both stand at the side railing, watching the water go by.

"It's
not that surprising that Brie would want to stay there with her...
uh, family?” Oren says. “I mean, that's normal. Right?"

"Yeah,
just... I really got the impression she didn't try to sleep with me
willingly,” Eliam sighs. “But I guess I was wrong. I mean, I'd
assumed she was just told to trick me into a marriage, but... she
just got really excited I was asking her to run away with me. Or at
least that's how she took it. Even after I explained I lied about who
I was, and I was disowned."

"I think she wants to
get married. That's not that weird. Most women are married by her
age."

“It is a bit unusual,” Eliam
agrees. “But I mean... for someone of her station to just be so...
aggressive about sleeping with me is a bit odd. I mean, she had no
proof I even was who I said I was."

Oren nods. "That
does seem unusual, especially for her."

"Especially
for her? Have you met her before?"

He nods again.

"Oh... how so?"

"It's a small town,
I've met a lot of people who lived there."

"Oh...
yeah, that makes sense. Especially as the town healer."

"When
my master was away, yeah I guess I was. Better than nothing, anyway,”
Oren smiles. “That's sad she's so desperate to get married she'd do
that. It doesn't seem like a good way to secure a husband, I wonder
if you're right, and her father did pressure her. He'd definitely
want you for a son in law if he could manage it. He probably would
tell her to sleep with you if it'd help. But I guess they didn't
think you'd run off after doing it, another reason why ladies
shouldn't be so quick to hop into bed with some stranger. Why would
they assume you're honorable? It seems risky."

"Yeah,
that's... really not what I would have expected from a mayor's
daughter. And I did assume he had encouraged her to sleep with me. He
was acting so strangely that night. I can't imagine why anyone would
want to stay somewhere under those conditions." Eliam sighs,
leaning on the boat's railing. "I'd assumed she would be
grateful for the help."

Oren nods, thinking. "I
guess you're improving if you offered to bring her along. Better
than what you did in Saloria. Maybe Gwen was a good influence after
all."

"Do you... really think that?" Eliam
asks, smiling slightly.

Oren shrugs. "You really didn't
sleep with her?"

"No,” Eliam shakes his head. “I
mean... I do want to be better. At the very least, I'm not sure I
want to risk another... awkward situation like with Gwen. Especially
this close to home."

"Well, that's probably smart at
least,” Oren smiles.

Just as the sky begins to get dark,
the boat pulls in to Glenhaven. The man in charge of the boat asks
for a few silver when Eliam tasks him with delivering the letters to
Ushad. Sheepishly, he asks Oren for some small change; rolling his
eyes, he hands it to him.

"Thanks... maybe we can buy
something in town, and I'll get some change too."

“Sure,"
Oren says, laughing slightly. "So what's the plan?"

Eliam
leads him off the ship and pauses, looking around at the town. "I
didn't really... think I'd be back. Back like this, if nothing else,”
he shakes his head. “... Anyways. I was thinking maybe you could...
trick my family into letting you in the manor, somehow. Maybe pretend
to be a scholar looking for books? ... Though with the Church
destroyed, that probably wouldn't work. But anyways, then you can
maybe convince my sister to meet us somewhere? I just... want to let
her know I'm okay, I guess. And I mean... we don't really... know
what's going to happen, soon."

"Whatever you say," Oren
nods. He looks at him for a moment, then gives him his cloak, hiding
Eliam's face to make him less recognizable.

"Thanks,”
Eliam smiles when he's done. “I know you can handle it. And maybe
after I can show you around! ... A little. The cloak should help, but
I don't want to be recognized."

"Where should I
bring her?"

Eliam closes his eyes, thinking. "There's
a tavern that's... well, not close, but I'd rather not risk getting
recognized in the closer ones. The Shippin Lad. Can you meet me
there?"

"Sure,” Oren nods, and they set off down
the street into the town. Eliam tells stories as they walk, pointing
out landmarks he remembers from his childhood as they pass.
Eventually, they reach a more upscale part of the town, and Eliam
stops them.

"Um, so... which house is yours?" Oren
asks, looking at the buildings around them.
"It's... well,
that one,” Eliam says, pointing to a large manor behind a tall
stone wall.

Oren narrows his eyes. "...Behind that
really big building?" He looks at Eliam askance.

"I...
the big building is it,” Eliam explains, half smiling at him.

"Oh,” Oren says simply. "...and it's some sort
of... apartment... complex..? Your parents work in a nice hotel?"
He smiles hopefully.

"Um... well, no. The whole house
was for us. And some staff. I did er... warn you it was a bit bigger
than Minerva's house. I... kind of forgot just how big it was,
though."

Oren sighs somewhat judgmentally. "Can't
wait to see what kind of place **your** chickens have," he
says under his breath as he walks away without a goodbye.

Eliam sighs, leaving to the tavern.

Oren approaches the gate, and smiles
politely at one of the guards standing before it. "I need to see
Mr. Westmonte. May I go in?"

The guard looks at Oren.
"Name and time of appointment, please?"

"I
don't have an appointment. My name is Oren Lane, I've come from
Westbridge on an important errand. Um, my master is... a wizard
and... well, Mr. Westmonte might have heard of him..."

The guard writes on a strip of paper
and hands it to a runner hidden behind the gate. The runner jogs to
the house.

"A few minutes, please," the guard
states.

Oren nods and examines the buildings as he waits,
trying to avoid staring at the mansion in front of him.

Ten minutes pass. The runner
returns.

The guard reads the slip of paper. He says, "Mr.
Lane, here you are."

He holds the paper out to Oren, who
takes it.

'Oren Lane, three days hence, 4:37 afternoon'

"Is
there any way I could speak to Mr. Westmonte's steward?” Oren asks,
looking annoyed. “I only need to see his library, to confirm
whether or not he has any rare books which my master may wish to
purchase. I don't need to see the man himself..."

"Well,"
the guard chortles, "you could jump the fence and sneak in, but
to be honest, you'd probably be stabbed on sight. We'll see you in
three days, sir."

"His steward is that busy? What
about the housekeeper? Or someone else in the family."

"The
housekeeper is preoccupied keeping house. The family all have
particular roles to fill. They will be happy to entertain you... in
three days. Have a lovely day, sir."

Oren rolls his eyes,
leaving. He hurries back to the tavern, frustrated at his treatment
by the people at the house. As he enters the tavern, Eliam stands up
excitedly from a table he reserved.

"Did it work?"

"No,
your guards are very rude."

"Really? ... I'm sorry.
What did they say?"

"To come back in 3 days,” Oren
explains brusquely, taking a seat. "I asked to speak to a
servant, not even your father, and they still said I had to wait.
It's ridiculous."

"I suppose they've gotten more
busy since I left...” Eliam sighs, sitting as well. “Even then,
that's a bit rude. I'm sorry. ...What did you think of the house? I
wish I could have showed it to you."

"It was very
fine, from what I saw. I'm sure I'll be overwhelmed once I see the
interior,” Oren says, annoyed. “Can we stay at this place or do
we need to find an inn?"

"Um... no, but I'm sure we
can go find an inn,” Eliam says quietly. “... Are you
okay?"

Oren shrugs.

"Okay well... are you hungry?
We can get some food before we go, if you'd like."

"Sure,”
he answers, picking up a menu hastily.

They eat dinner, and Oren orders a few
drinks with his. Eliam pays, receiving change, and they take off down
the road to the inn.

"There's an inn up the road, but
it's pretty bad,” Eliam explains. “We can find a better one but
it's a bit of a walk."

"Whatever you want, I don't
mind,” Oren shrugs.

"You're allowed to say what you
want too,” Eliam shrugs. “I'd like to you be happy as well with
what we do."

"I'm happy, don't worry about me,”
Oren smiles.

Oren leans against his arm as they walk through
the town, stumbling slightly. Well into the night, they arrive at The
Westerly. It's a nicer inn to the west of the town on the
outskirts.

"Um... did you... want separate rooms again?”
Eliam asks haltingly as they enter. “Either is fine, I don't mind.
It's your call."

"I don't know,” Oren shrugs.
“Sure. What do you want?"

"I really don't mind
either way,” Eliam shrugs and smiles. “You're the one who said
you didn't want to be lonely, right?"

Oren nods.

"Er... so... one room, then?"
Eliam asks.

Oren shrugs.

Eliam sighs, and walks up to the
innkeeper. "Uh... two rooms, please. If you have any
open."

"Certainly," he says. "Two rooms
will come out to four gold for the night."

"I'll
just sleep on the floor,” Oren slurs, half asleep. "We gotta
stay for three days. But i guess you can afford it. Since you're
rich."

"...I'm really not, anymore,” Eliam says,
slightly hurt. “You know how much gold we each have. ... I can't
really afford 3 nights here with what Linea gave us. But tonight is
fine."

"It's okay,” Oren sighs, leaning against
his shoulder. “I like you, you're not a mean snob like Gwen."
He smiles slightly, sliding the four gold back to them. "Can we
sleep in the barn for free?"

He turns his nose up. "Why
not just go stay at the Port Annail?"

Oren shrugs. "No."
He adds two gold to their pile, and gives it back to the innkeeper
for a single room. "Give me an extra pillow, and I'll give ya a
silva too."

"You're not sleeping on the floor,”
Eliam insists.

"Th' days are included, right?" Oren
asks.

He sighs as if in pain. "Clearly."

"Thanks,”
Oren says, pulling at Eliam's arm. Eliam quickly takes the key and
Oren's extra pillow, and follows him up.

Eliam finds the
appropriate door, opening it, and Oren falls onto the end of the bed,
taking the pillow from Eliam and curling up against it. Eliam sighs,
placing a blanket over him, and falls asleep next to him on the bed.

### Oren Visits a Library

The days pass, and twenty minutes
before the established time, Oren arrives at the Westmonte's estate.
The guard sits up as he seems him approach, and nods at him. “Yes?”

Oren holds out the paper, and the guard examines it and
checks a clock. He opens the gate. "Welcome, Mr. Lane."

He steps inside the gate and is lead
into the home. Within twenty minutes he is face to face with Rolan
Westmonte.

"Mr... Lane, was it?" he asks. "I'm
Rolan Westmonte. Welcome to my home," he says, extending his
hand.

Oren looks at his hand, and slowly extends his own.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

He shakes Oren's
hand firmly and lets it go. "What is it I can do for you today,
Mr. Lane?"

"I wanted to see your library. My master
collects rare books, and with the destruction of Fallowfield, many
books which were previously unimportant may now be the only copies
left. It's important to document them, and if you do have a
one-of-a-kind tome it may be very valuable."

"A
noble goal," he replies, approvingly. "And this master of
yours would be...?"

"His name is Adani Pender. You
might have heard of him, he's a wizard... he lives in a tower near
Westbridge, a town to the northwest of here... it's not far. He's a
skilled healer and many gentlemen and aristocrats have traveled to
visit him to purchase spells and such... though I don't think anyone
in your family has been a customer yet.”

"Ah...
Pender's work is known to us, however. Brilliant man," Rolan
says. "Perhaps-- forgive me-- slightly eccentric, but brilliant
all the same."

"He'll be glad to hear that,”
Oren nods.

"If you should like to examine our library
and work on making copies of certain books, I would be happy to
arrange your access," he says. "However, I would have to
insist on none of the books leaving our home."

"Of course, I only need the
information, not the actual books."

"Very well."
He rings a bell, and a young woman enters. "Shera, this is Mr.
Lane, an associate of the Wizard of Westbridge. Mr. Lane, this is my
daughter, Shera. Shera, can you show Mr. Lane to the library, please?
He has business to attend to with our collection."

He
smiles at her politely, and she bows her head to Oren. "It is a
pleasure, Mr. Lane. May I take you this way?"

She walks
with him toward the library. "So, you're a scholar, then?"
she asks. "That's an admirable job."

"Well, I'm
sort of a doctor,” Oren nods. “But my master collects
books."

"Really?" she says. "That's
fascinating. Have you practiced long?"

"About ten
years, I guess."

"You must have seen much in your
time," she says.

"I guess so."

She pulls
open a door and leads Oren into an exquisite library. Though it is
much smaller than the library in the tower, the space is well-kept
and decorated.

"I believe you'll find everything you need
here," she says.

As she turns to leave, Oren steps closer
to her. "Um... Miss Westmonte, are you uh..."

She
takes a half-step to the side to maintain a proper distance without
appearing to move away from him.

"Do you... want to uh...
see Eliam?"

She stares at him for a moment, trying to
read him. "... how do you know Eliam?"

"He's my
friend."

"Explain, please."

Oren
shrugs, and lowers his voice. "He's at a bar called the Shippin'
Lad, which is incidentally the stupidest name for a bar in history.
He wants me to tell you so you can sneak out and see him."

"...How
do I know you're telling the truth?" she asks supiciously.

"Why
else would I go to all this trouble to be alone with you? Just to
sneak you off to some pub?"

Her tone drops. "Well...
my family is worth quite a bit of money, and would pay a ransom to
get me back were some unscrupulous, nefarious criminal to kidnap me.
Forgive my bluntness," she adds.

Oren thinks for a
moment, and nods. “Oh... okay. ...Do you think that's what Eliam is
doing?" He asks, looking slightly concerned.

She sighs.
"I'm sorry. Provide me with proof that my brother is here, and I
will happily go."

"I bet that would have been a good
thing to request before coming here. Um... oh, he always talks about
you. He said you let some horses go. And... he cut some brother's
hair off, and... um, I know your father kicked him out for kissing
some girl? Hm... I don't know what to say to prove I know him. He's
really nice, and he's generous and handsome and nice..." Oren
trails off, looking around as he thinks.

"Oh, and he's
kind of a lazy, selfish, vain harlot,” he continues. “And he
thinks boys can have sex with boys but I'm still not convinced.
...But I mean, he's still great! Despite all that. But you know him
so, you know... what he's like. But he's really nice even though he's
rich, he's not like other toffs- he doesn't look down on poor people
or have prejudice, he's patient and kind even to people who are below
him...” Oren sighs.

She sits down and puts her head in one
hand. "... Dad kicks him out for sleeping with women so he turns
around and starts sleeping with boys instead? Is this a rebellion
thing...?"

"He didn't sleep with that Lyra girl,”
Oren clarifies, sounding annoyed. “He said she kissed him and
everyone walked in- he didn't actually do it... and, I'm not
convinced he sleeps with boys anyway.”

"You know a lot
of things," she says, "but the story about the horses...
and the hair..." She stands suddenly, and looks at him with
conviction. “Okay. I will go see him. Where is he?"

"The 'Shippin Lad,'” Oren
answers distractedly, skimming the titles of the books in the
library.

"Thank you, Mr. Lane. I have missed my brother
dearly. Please enjoy your stay. If you should need anything, the bell
here," she gestures to a bell by the door, "will summon a
servant."

"He missed you! You're the only thing he
misses, I think."

She pauses, a little choked up. "I...
thank you." She turns to leave the library.

The large
doors close behind her, as she makes plans to slip off to the
Shippin' Lad.

Chapter 15