[hider=A Mission For You]

Mage’s Tower, Nyhem Palace.

Lanaya stood in the midst of chaos. She had only been staying in the tower for a single night before she had decided that it just had to change. Initially, she had not wanted to disturb anything, in the name of keeping Aurelia alive in some perverse manner. Yet after a day of seeing her friend everywhere she looked, and a night of feeling like she had stolen the bed of a ghost, she simply couldn’t take it anymore. And so, her mind made up, she had summoned several strong Steel Fist guards to help her rearrange the furniture.

Though ‘help’ might not necessarily have been the right word, since she wasn’t lifting a single thing. It was far more of her commanding them to move things, them lifting the furniture to a new position, then her changing her mind and repeating the entire process.

Just as the increasingly frustrated guards were moving the immense, ornate desk for the fourth time, there was a knock at the door. The guards looks around at each other, unsure of what to do for a moment. Then they collectively put down the heavy furniture in the middle of the room where they were standing, generating a scolding look from Lana, and one of them went to get the door.

Behind it was the lean, dark haired figure of Arianna. Upon seeing this, Lana quickly stated to the guards “She is expected. Let her in and leave us.”

Lana held a neutral expression as Arianna stepped in, and the guards filed out. “Magister Lanaya.” Arianna said, with a nod that echoed the formality normally expected between them, but also spoke to their familiarity. Yet Lana’s face remained set in stone.

“To who do you owe your loyalty Tidemaster Zerrikan?” She asked sternly, in a clipped tone.

Arianna stepped back, visibly shocked by the question and its suddenness. She was speechless for a moment.

“Answer me. And know that you are a poor liar, I will know if you speak the truth.” Lana said, her eyes locked with Arianna’s in an intense stare.

“Lanaya? What is this?” Arianna began. Lana’s gaze intensified, shocking the younger mage into compliance. “My allegiance is to the Summer Isles, to the Circle, and to you and your cause Magister.” She said, her eyes lowered.

Lana continued to stare for a moment, then relaxed, her face taking on a much more friendly expression. “Good.” She said. “It seems you are one of only very few.” She sighed. “My apologies for stern greeting, and for the disarray of…. My quarters.” Lana was still unused to the idea that she would live here now, even in the short term. She preferred her Manor, but if making this tower a home was what was required to be absolved in Alasdair’s eyes… Then it was a small price to pay.

“What do you know of the state of the Collective?” Lana asked. Arianna looked at her quizzically - it was an understandably strange question coming from the founder of the organization. Yet, after a moment, she answered. “It is doing quite well last I heard. I received a letter encouraging me to meet with the others in Alenius, which seems quite out of the way for most of the membership, but I felt no need to question it. I planned to sail there once I was no longer required here.”

Lana was struck by the strangeness of it all, but also the power that she had held over those beneath her as she listened. She had never considered herself to be the leader of the organization in that manner. “So, you don’t know then.” She asked Arianna.

“Know what? Is this some kind of test?” The younger mage replied.

“You could say that.” Lana said, her tone one of irony. “The Collective has been usurped. Stolen by a Blood Mage. Alice Budwin seized control while I was… captured… by that monster Thanatos Thale.” She sighed again, but kept her eyes on Arianna.

The younger mage was clearly taken aback at the news. “And the others… They followed a Blood Mage?” She asked.

“Yes. It seems I cultivated an atmosphere not only of desire for action against the mundanes, but also of deviance and rebellion against the Circle. This was never my intent.” Lana felt almost like she was on trial. [i]Again.[/i] “I am thankful that you at least, were not caught up in this Arianna.”

Still incredulous, Arianna continued to question. “And High Magisters Barden and Blackwell? They went along with this too?”

“As far as I know, yes.” Lana stated. “I have been unable to investigate further in person. The Emperor wishes to ensure my safety in this dark time, and has requested I remain in this tower for the time being.” She lied, weaving enough truth in to conceal it from prying ears.

Arianna seemed to ponder for a moment, taking it all in. Then, with her classic exuberance, sprang into motion, pacing back and forth as she spoke. “Shall I travel to Alenius and investigate for you? I could be there in a few days and Isles ships are still welcome in their ports.”

“No.” Lana said firmly. “I’m sure you would be welcome there, but I need you elsewhere. I have two tasks for you.”

Arianna initially looked somewhat crestfallen that her offer was turned down, ceasing her pacing to stand and listen to Lanaya. She quickly regained some of her energy as tasks were mentioned however.

“First, I need you to travel to Ralda and contact the half-elf Dyril Elian. I believe she may be able to provide information on… The Blood Gems. I need you to bring her here, that I may discuss it with her in person. Second, I need you to represent me to Circle. The Emperor wishes to forge closer ties between the Isles and the Imperial Concord... Yet between my duties here and the Circle’s, well, distaste for my policies, I do not believe it would be a good idea for me to be the bearer of this message.”

Arianna nodded. “I am already familiar with Dyril. It will be good to see her again.” Her tone was unsure as she continued. “I will do my best with the Circle, but I fear I will not be eloquent enough to persuade them.”

“It is imperative that you succeed.” Lana said sternly, but her expression softened upon seeing Arianna’s uncertainty and worry. “Here. Sit. I will teach you a few things about dealing with High Magisters…”

Several more hours passed before Arianna left, but when she did it was with a new confidence in her step. She would set sail at once, satisfied at last that she had a task of importance.
[/hider]

[hider=Fishgrove]

Arianna marveled at the extent of the destruction that had been wrought upon Fishgrove as her ship pulled up to the docks. It had never been a particularly impressive town to start with, but the fact that it was still showing clear signs of fire and debris so long after it had been attacked was testament to the thoroughness of the aggressors. There were only a few dockhands waiting for the ship, and they looked particularly harrowed - it was clear that handling ships was only half of their job now, as they scurried back and forth between the dockside and the reconstruction efforts of the infrastructure needed to handle larger ships. She was thankful they’d taken on a full load of provisions at Nyhem, because there were none to be had here.

Once the ship was fully secured on the dock, she left her crew to manage the craft and went ashore, casting her gaze about to spot Dyril as she did so. She had sent her familiar forward of the ship with a message for the half-elf to meet her. She had a schedule to keep and did not want to be stuck searching through the chaos of the reconstruction for her friend.

Dyril nervously collected her dress skirt in her hands. Her fingers wringed it in her grasp over and over, fidgeting at the thought of meeting Arianna again. The docks still looked heavily damaged from the battle that once ravaged the small town.  She glanced over through the dock’s clutter and activity, mindful to remain out of the busy dock hands way, while she searched for her friend. Finally spotted Arianna, her wary lips cracked into a smile. 

Her boots tapped along the wet surface to close the distance between them. In moments, they were face to face when Dyril spoke. 

“I’m sorry about the state of the dock. We’re still working on rebuilding it, but other things have taken priority and took longer than expected,” she gestured for her friend to follow her while she began to lead them away from the busy work area. 

“When your message arrived, I have to say I was surprised.” 

Arianna smiled. “It’s good to see you again Dyril” She began, falling in step with the half elf as they moved away from the docks.

“We? You’ve integrated quickly then. How do you like it here? The people treat you well I hope?”

Dyril sighed, her expression slightly worn from the memories. 
“There was some resistance. Originally I was going to focus on my own plot of land and grow the mandrakes, but the town’s state made it difficult. Kiseo is supervising the planting right now and should be done on time.” 

She then moved on to the next topic, their figures walked through the parted groups and entered the main dirt road into the town. 

“When they started to realize I could help, they began to soften toward me. I can’t say if I like it or not after only being here for a short time, but it’s growing on me.” 

“It could be a lot worse.” Arianna stated. “I’m sure you’ll get used to this place and its people soon enough. In the meantime, however, I have an urgent matter to discuss with you. Is there somewhere more private we can go?” Arianna didn’t want to seem like she was rushing, indeed, she wasn’t exactly looking forward to facing the Circle leadership, but at the same time she was eager to carry out the important mission Lanaya had given her.

Sensing the urgency in Arianna’s tone, Dyril nodded then altered her direction. This time it headed into the only remaining tavern: The Voyage’s End. She held her hand out for her friend to wait while she approached the counter alone. A small whispering counsel was held before the man sighed and lifted the small barrier to allow them to pass. 

“Thank you,” she said as she slipped him a small tip for the trouble. 

“Yeah, I suppose. Just make it quick,” he grumbled, his good eye sized Arianna up a moment before he returned to cleaning his filthy mug. 

“All right, Angus is allowing us to use the backroom. Let’s be quick about it before he changes his mind.” 

With those words, Dyril led Arianna into the only solitary room in the bar. Within there was recently ordered barrels of ale to beer distilling in wooden confinements, followed by a strong odor of mold and stale bread. The half elf wrinkled her nose, but said nothing to draw attention to it.

“This is as private as you can get in Fishgrove at the moment.” 

Arianna looked around and suppressed a grin. She had had some interesting adventures in bar back rooms like this one. “It’ll do.” She said, before producing a piece of parchment from the folds of her clothing.

“Magister Lanaya has sent me to request that you meet with her to discuss this.” She handed the parchment to Dyril then. It appeared to be a page from a mages notes, clearly depicting a crimson gem, along with notes on theoretical energy output.

As arianna continued, her tone was businesslike, and she was careful to keep accusation out of her voice. “We had been led to believe this was a new innovation, but it has recently come to light that it is of a darker nature - a blood gem. The Magister would like to know if you, as an expert on magical artifacts, have any knowledge of this, and if you would be willing to disclose it to her.”

“What fool would use blood magic? Don’t they understand the damage that can be caused by this?” Dyril blurted out, her skin paler than it should’ve been.

Arianna was slightly taken aback by the reaction. She hadn’t expected Dyril to have such strong feelings on it. “Certainly none of ours.” She quickly replied. “I am unsure of what I am allowed to tell you, other than that we seek a way to destroy them. Blood magic is outlawed in Formaroth, but we have little experience with counteracting it.”

Dyril took a moment to pull a sack of barley from its position then lowered herself to sit. 

“In days, they will either kill themselves or no longer be the people you once knew. I’m not sure if that’s of any comfort or concern on your part,” Dyril explained with a deadpan expression. 

“This magic is only allowed to be practiced under extreme watchful eyes and only with the approval of the Empress herself. I don’t even know how this individual got the information, but they are playing with fire and likely to be burned by it. I’ve only read documents over it. Not a single one ended well.”

“I see.” Arianna replied, her expression now grim. “Then I must ask you to travel with me so that you can relay everything you know directly to Magister Lanaya. It is of utmost importance to the safety of the realm that we learn how to destroy Blood Gems.”

“That’s going to be the interesting part. I’ll come and see what I can do,” Dyril began to lift upward onto her feet once more. However, her balance shifted into a brief wobbly fashion and abruptly righted itself. 

“I will be honest. I don’t believe we have ever discovered or wanted to find a way to destroy whatever blood gems we produced. For elves, even dark Magic serves a purpose. Usually to learn more.” 

Arianna instinctively reached out to help steady her friend, then spoke. “I see. Well, anything you can tell us will be helpful… Is there anything you need to get before we travel? My ship will be ready to depart whenever we are.”

She went to get the door, then turned back for a moment. “Oh, I should tell you that we will be traveling by way of the Summer Isles. It will take several days more, but I have important business there as well.”

“I’ll need to collect some clothes and pack. I’m not keen on leaving Kiseo here, but there’s little choice. We can not risk the crop failing and she’s still supervising them,” Dyril stated. 

She touched Arianna when the woman adjusted her balance, grateful for the assistance.

“Thank you, I’m afraid to say I hadn’t eaten today. I’ll have to fix that later,” she looked to her friend as if ask if they were finished or there was more bad news.

“Kiseo seems quite capable. I’m sure she will manage. There is plenty of food on the ship… Though I hope you don’t get too seasick. She’s a bit less stable than some of those bigger ships you might be used to…”

As they left the back room, Arianna paused only to ask “Shall I meet you at the ship then? There will be plenty of time to catch up once we’re under way.”

“I traveled to Formaroth in a ship from Elven lands and that’s a few months. I believe I can stomach a week,” Dyril chuckled lightly. 

“Yes, I’ll collect my things and we’ll be off. I just need to worry about the anxiety that’s going to be dogging my every step with this trip.” 

“Relax. You believe in Kiseo don’t you? You might even have fun on the Isles.” Arianna grinned. “I wouldn’t be much of a host if I didn’t show you around my home after all.”

“I’ll tell you a little secret. It’s not Kiseo I have anxiety about, it’s me without her.”

When Arianna’s grin turned into a confused look, Dyril sighed then explained, “I don’t like being left alone for long periods of time. My [i]family’s[/i] past time was locking me inside my room where Kiseo or her mother couldn’t get in. I would be completely isolated in a small area for weeks. As a child, that’s a nightmare.”

Arianna listened intently, it was a grim fate indeed for a child. But when she responded, it was once again with mirth. “Well, then you really do have nothing to worry about. It’s a small ship, and you have me. You wouldn’t be able to get rid of me even if you wanted to.”

Dyril’s smile quickly returned, “Well, let’s not delay any longer. I’ll meet you at the ship within an hour if all goes well, two if it doesn’t.” 

“Good. I’ll see you then.” Arianna said, then strode back towards the docks to make the ship ready.
[/hider]

[hider=An Encounter At Sea]

The sky was lit up foreboding red as the sun went down over the empty horizon. The [i]Sunfury[/i] was approximately halfway to the Summer Isles and there wasn’t a single piece of land or ships mast in sight. Arianna was at the helm, allowing her usual steersman to rest. The ship didn’t usually stop at night, but it did run on a smaller crew and slow while the mage portion of the crew slept.

Dyril walked up the captain's cabin steep steps onto the deck. The salty air drifted into her nose and followed by the distraction of the skeleton crew at work. A few men and women skirted from starboard to port, securing ropes to straightening sails. Each had their own job as night began to fall.

Determined to remain out of their way, Dyril turned to face the dying sunlight. It's red light painted not only the sky but her clothes too and indicated the end of the day. Sorrow seeped into her core at the sight. It drew forth a flickering frown. Her line of sight lowered to the ocean itself. The waves swayed and turned a glossy dark, distorting any reflecting light. Her focus lingered a moment longer then pulled away toward Arianna.

Her frown turned into a small, warm smile upon seeing her friend manning the helm. With courage and comfort drawn from the image, Dyril walked to the ship's rear. She wedged herself against the rail to avoid the sailors' paths when she paused. Something caught on the outskirts of her vision.   

A broken piece of driftwood darted past the ship's side before it vanished into the wider sea. Dyril's lips tightened in silence trying to debate on if what she witnessed was real or her imagination.     

Arianna looked to the side only briefly as her friend joined her on the slightly raised platform where the helm was located. She was mostly focused on the ship - they had a favorable wind and she was trying to make the most of it despite the time of day and general slowing down of travel.

The ship still felt eager to move beneath her, but there was a sense of foreboding in the sea. The water reflected the sky, and a crimson sea was never a good sign.

Just then, the sailor on watch shouted “Debris in the water, off the starboard bow.”

As soon as she heard it, Arianna stood taller and was more aware. Far above, a black shape coalesced into being, unnoticed by those below, as her Albatross shade materialised. She focused, looking through its eyes to get a better view.

Sure enough, there was a jagged mass of wood floating in the distance. She willed the shade it move, flying out in front of the ship. The further away it got, the harder it was to see through its eyes - darkness closed in around the edges of the shared sight and everything got blurrier. Yet, through the haze, she could still see enough.

It wasn’t just one piece of wreckage, it was many. Broken masts, torn sailcloth and a preponderance of shattered wood littered the surface of the crimson sea.

Then, she spotted something that sent chills down her spine - an intact sail partially wrapped around a piece of wreckage bearing the symbol of the Summer Isles Navy.

Immediately, her mind snapped back to her own body and she began shouting orders. “All hands to stations! Unfurl all sails and prepare to make full speed! Eyes on the horizon for threats!” With practiced precision, the crew leapt into action. Not a single one of them dawdled, and orders were quickly carried below decks to the few crew that had chosen to rest there.

Déjà vu drifted into Dyril’s heart once more.  

It was all familiar. The rush of the crew and the sounds of sails slapping free, then the ship’s surge forward into the incoming night. Wood thunked against the ship’s bow as they pushed closer toward the wreckage. Dread filled her heart, but her lips pressed tightly to seal her thoughts from the air.

The only difference was they weren’t running from the danger but toward it. It took a moment for Dyril to convince herself this was the present, not the past. Her hand pressed against her chest to steady her heart before it returned to the railing.

[i]Why did I think it was my imagination?[/i] The thought etched into Dyril's mind as she joined the others. Her palms gripped rails and her eyes sought the horizon for signs of danger.

“Bodies in the water Captain!” One of the crewmen shouted. It brought a new sense of unpleasantness to the occasional thuds as the ship struck objects in the water.

Arianna turned to Dyril then, noting that her friends hands were gripping the rail far more tightly than their speed necessitated. “It looks as though whoever did this is long gone. And even if they aren’t, I’d wager we can outfight or outrun them. We’re quite safe.” She said, doing her best to reassure the half-elf.

Distracted by her friend, Dyril nodded in a meek fashion. Her posture immediately relaxed as her fingers loosened on the railing. 

Arianna turned back just in time to see two halves of a mighty castle galley appear from the gloom. The timbers of the central hull were sliced neatly through on one side, with only minimal evidence of the usual splintering that occurred from a ship breaking apart. The decks were sloped down on a sharp angle - they had begun the slow process of sinking below the waves, yet the stubborn warship still held on to some semblance of life. It’s name was still mostly visible above the water on the bow - [i]Stygian[/i].

The [i]Sunfury[/i] began turning towards the wreck as Arianna adjusted course. It was the most likely place they would find survivors, and it was her duty as a Tidemaster to investigate any loss of Navy warships.

“What could’ve done this…” Dyril’s question voiced what she thought to be a universal thought on everyone’s mind. 

“I… Don’t know.” Arianna replied, genuinely surprised, but doing her best to suppress it.

Dyril turned her head to face Arianna, a hint of fear and worry below the surface in her eyes. The answer was not one she wanted to hear. 

“That doesn’t reassure me we are safe. I don’t want to linger here any longer than we need to, especially in the darkness.” 

“We won’t be here long. Once we search the wreck, we’ll make full speed through the night. The Admiralty needs to know about this.”

It didn’t take long for them to pull alongside the wreckage. Even suspended in the midst of a slow death, the massive structure of the Castle Galley towered over the [i]Sunfury[/i], lending a sense of grim scale to the scene.

Several of Arianna’s crew deftly threw ropes up to high portions of the wreck before dexterously clambering across to the other vessel. Arianna herself left the helm to a crewman and quickly disappeared into her cabin, retrieving a fleet register to confirm which ship it was they were boarding. When she found the name on the register, her face went pale. The [i]Stygian[/i] was the ship assigned to Grand Tidemaster Mirabelle Laurent, Admiral of the Irman Fleet. She rolled up the document and quickly returned it to its place in her cabin.

Returning to the deck, she pointed at two of the mages on her crew bringing them aside and quietly issuing another order. “I need you to search for Grand Tidemaster Laurent’s body, or any sign of her seal. If you find any other sensitive materials, retrieve them, and destroy them if you cannot.” The mages nodded, then began to cast shapeshifting spells.

It took the crew fifteen long minutes to search the sections they could reach above the water, and another ten more for the mages to search the portions blocked by water. The time passed agonisingly slowly, but once everyone was back aboard the [i]Sunfury[/i] it became clear they had at least met with some success.

They had found the Grand Tidemaster’s seal, but not her body or any of her charts and documents. More importantly, they had a survivor. Presently unconscious, the man appeared to have been an archer, seemingly having survived only by virtue of being knocked out and left in one of the Castle sections of the ship.

As soon as the two mages had set foot back on the deck, the ropes were reeled in and the [i]Sunfury[/i] began to speed away from the grim remains.
[/hider]

By [@Sundered Echo] and [@Fallenreaper]