12 Immortals

The Fang deals with the immediate aftermath of the Game in the glade.

***"I will one day be worthy of love."***

The fire in the Glade went exactly as the Lost Hand had set it to. The Glade was utterly destroyed, both by the fire and by the deluge that had been used to douse it. It didn't spread beyond the Glade's boundaries, leaving the onlookers unharmed. Only the Lost Hand were victims of the blaze, and though none of them died, Fleuvienne is facing a few days minimum bedrest, and Pyres is limping from wounds of his own. While Pyres and Fleuvienne are sent to the infirmary, the rest of the Fang is informed that they will be confined to their quarters until their full culpability is measured, and the school's response readied. Before their confinement, though, Gale parts from the fang to follow the trail of Vieren and Juwinn. Though she can determine that at least one of them made for a return to the school grounds, it's hard to be sure which it was.

The Lost Hand gathers in the infirmary to assure each others' safety, and to strategize. They quickly agree that attempting to pin the fire on Vieren would cause more problems than it would solve. Gale concludes that Vieren may have been walking a manifold path to advancing his own career - if he knew of Juwinn's secret status as one of the Anathema, any way the game went would end with him rising in esteem and status if he has any control of the public perception. Since Vieren's plan is going strong, the Lost Hand settle on playing along until they can secure some kind of advantage.

Garavel the medic, finished attending to Fleuvienne, comes in to treat Pyres' injuries. His healing arts have only a small effect on Pyres' many wounds, but with unknown dangers lurking around the school, every little bit counts. Ever given to compassion, Garavel offers to hold the entire Lost Hand for 'medical observation', delaying their confinement to their heavily-observed quarters. With some more time to plan ahead unobserved, the Lost Hand turns to the question of handling Juwinn. Gale and Oresta find themselves at bitter odds on the topic: Oresta believes they should make every effort to kill the Anathema before it goes to ground, but Gale wants to pursue a larger agenda, and to use the Anathema's seeming confidence to gain information they can use to better the Realm's chances against the many others beating down the Scarlet Empire's gates. When Gale finds no support for ambition, she storms out of the room.

Bracken the librarian appears to check in on the Lost Hand. She does not care for their humility and reservations, and spurs them to strive onwards in spite of their admittedly difficult situation. Since Gale is alone, Bracken sees her one-on-one. She's a bit more stern with Gale, but she leaves her with a gift: a Gateway board set up for the Reflective game, the rare variant that she had taught Gale days prior. After Bracken leaves, Gale searches the board and finds a hidden note that reads "Vieren's quarters have been searched".

Sientelle mills about in a few one-on-ones in sequence. Pyres and Sientelle commiserate on the latest developments in their respective love lives. Sientelle and Oresta joke about Pyres and his particular approach to public relationships. With Gale, Sientelle's conversation is a bit more serious. They briefly revisit Sien's position as a secret agent, but the talking quickly gives way to a game of Gateway, which gives way to cuddling on the bed before anyone even touches a game piece.

While Oresta and Pyres relax with idle chatter, they're surprised by Single Edge sneaking into the window with a rose and a very sincere desire to help Pyres recover his vigor. Unfortunately, Oresta gets very protective of Pyres, and though she has no intention of preventing him from enjoying a fun night, her mentions of serious relationships make Single Edge decide to do something else with her night.

After such a contemplative evening, the Lost Hand returns to their individual rooms in the infirmary to get some rest. One, however, finds that a good night's sleep is not in their stars. Pyres awakens to see Vieren standing over his bed. The Gamesmaster's intent is not lethal - he hopes to cultivate the ambition he saw in Pyres, and draw him into a hunt for the Anathema. But Juwinn is not his goal; he intends to take out Bracken.

### Student Comments

The following are reactions from viewer's non-canon students.

* “Thought I saw Single Edge hanging out outside the medics window talking to Orestes. Odd, never took Oresta as the type that would go for Single Edge.” Tepet Aoife, 6th Year
* "I finished and delivered it.  My letter, more a tactical report really, to the Commandant.  To assure her that we are on her side, the side of the House of Bells, ready to do whatever is asked, and that we don't want to Cathak Vieren continue to betray the principles of the House of Bells." Tepet Voren, 5th Year