The sword is Redana’s herald. It announces her arrival with the hiss of a torn veil, lashing out like a torn hawser— and it kisses Sagakhan on the throat. Say what you will about Redana Claudius, her sword hand is careful and controlled.

The blade stops there, wet against her skin, and Redana steps in closer. Her knuckle presses firmly against Sagakhan’s chest as she tries to utilize leverage against the larger, much more ruthless woman.

“It’s over,” she says, reaching across her guard and pulling her mother’s heart from Sagakhan’s keeping. Her voice is firm, giddy triumph threatening to bubble up from underneath. “Order the Kaeri to stand down, and you can walk away from this. This blasphemy will be destroyed, Bella [i]will[/i] be released from your custody, and the only choice I am giving you is whether you keep your life or whether your final legacy is making sure that more people die senseless deaths down there.”

Historically speaking, that’s not an argument that would work on many generals, particularly not when servitors are being used as soldiers on either side. But she has to try. Maybe the terrifying ghost owls can just go home and sulk. Maybe without them standing in the way of the Starsong Privateers, it will be simple enough to push through that deathless horde below and destroy the pyramid. Maybe more people won’t die. Maybe she won’t even have to kill the Master of Assassins.

Because that doesn’t fix anything! It’s terrible and vicious and stupid! War isn’t supposed to be about life and death, it’s supposed to be about convictions, and courage, and the challenge! It’s about sword duels and cunning stratagems and the pulse pounding through her body! It’s about Athena’s glory and Ares’s provocation! Everything down below is stupid and terrible and blasphemous and she hates that she can’t trust this woman without a blade set to her throat.

“Well? [i]Well?[/i]” Hurry up! Every moment you stand there smirking is a moment where someone’s dying down there, clawed by owls, dragged down by the dead, or being battered by that hideous champion! Every moment you lean against that blade is a moment of hideous fear and panic down below, and each one is a moment too many. “[i]Surrender![/i] Or I’ll— I’ll—“

[Redana Claudius rolls a [b]6[/b] on her Get Away. However, she always gets to choose an option, and so she chooses to Get Away with the Heart in her possession.]