[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/2FbT5VA.png[/img][/center] [hr] [hider=Revidian Meeting][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjM2LmUwMTQyMi5WR2hsSUZOMWJXMXZibk0uMA/angel-bandit-demo.regular.webp[/img] What an ungodly hour to be stirred from the land of dreams. Evander's eyes cracked open, still heavy with the thick weight of half-sleep as the chirps of a tethered reverberated in his head. "You're. Summoned. No. Delay. No. Questions." A groan threatened his throat, the fleeting temptation to bury himself beneath sheets once more. The thought only to be obliterated by the sharp knock at the door. "Evander!" Duke Foscari's voice was low and insistent. "Up. We've been summoned." Evander swung his legs off his bed. The tone was not to be ignored. Only a few occasions had he ever heard his father use such a tone. Each time, he was under some distress that he was unable to control. But at this hour? The only reason to be called at this hour was when shadows moved faster than answers. He opened the door, still putting together his clothes. The Duke was already dressed, his boots wet with the night's dew. They exchanged no pleasantries. Yet, Evander did not sway from challenging the time of their summons. "They do realize it's not yet five?" "And?" Duke Foscari stood tall. 'Our enemies don't wait for sunrises." Evander huffed, "Neither do Vincenzo's riddles, apparently." "Riddles, keep things secret, and if Vincenzo is waking us before dawn, then someone's about to bleed, and we're the ones likely cutting." Evander glanced sidelong, "Or he's to betray." Foscari stopped for half a heartbeat. Long enough to be noticed by Evander, not by most, "Don't be sentimental." (edited) [5:56 PM] "I'm not. I'm practical. And practical men don't like walking into dark rooms without knowing who's behind the curtain." "You're not walking into a curtain," Foscari resuming his pacing, "You're walking into an opportunity. He wouldn't be contacting us like this if he was not giving us some degree of his trust. Remember who Vincenzo is and why he matters to our plan." Evander couldn't argue. He stayed quiet. They crossed the final archway out onto the mist-choked street. Lanterns flickered on iron hooks, and the canal beside them gently lapped against the stones. "Who do you think we're going after?" Evander asked, his voice lower, cautious. "I don't know." "Yeah, I can't seem to shake. Somehow, we're still pawns and one of these times we're walking into a trap." "No, son, we're blades. Pawns bleed. Blades are the reason why." "Until the blades serve their purpose and are treated like pawns, disposable." Ahead the warehouse loomed out of the mist, one lantern burning at its upper window like a waiting eye. "Drop your skepticism and stay sharp while we're in there, show Vincenzo your useful, and you will only continue to gain his trust and prevent us from being disposed of, understood?" "Understood." And with that, they stepped through the door. [img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjM2LmUwMTQyMi5WR2hsSUUxbFpYUnBibWMuMA/angel-bandit-demo.regular.webp[/img] Inside, the air was hushed and heavy. The kind of stillness that weighed more than it should. Vincenzo stood alone within the dim space, lit only by the glow of lanterns placed carefully at the edges of the room. Enough to cast shadows but not reveal the shapes behind them. He gestured to two waiting chairs, his gloved hands making no sounds as they moved. Evander and Foscari sat. No names, no questions. Vincenzo spoke plainly. "I will be brief: through our channels, we've discovered that the Virangish blockade in Palapar has seized two Sawandi vessels near Palapar. This presents us an opportunity to pull Sawand into the conflict and turn their weight against Virang. If we succeed, Virang will be forced to divert their forces, creating gaps the rebels can exploit. I've called you both because I need your l'Denti to...inflame the situation. Sawand must come to see Virang as a threat, or at the very least, as a power that dares to challenge their standing. Do you understand?" Foscari spoke first, his voice measured. "So you want us to stage a provocation. A false flag. Pin the blame for a Sawandi injury on Virang?" "Precisely." "Evander leaned forward, "And the end goal?" Vincenzo allowed a smirk, "Sawand retaliates and strikes Sabu. Virang reels. The rebels seize the moment." Evander settled back in his chair, folding his arms. "To provoke that kind of retaliation, we'd need something that enrages Sawand. Something public, ugly, undeniable." Vincenzo nodded, "Hence why you're here, what can you do with your l'Denti?" Evander couldn't see how it would be possible to create such a catalyst without exposing Revidia's hand too far into the light. Vincenzo could see the gears turning in Evander's head and nudged. "Spit it out." Evander nodded, "I don't know if we can execute such an event without risking full exposure. I propose a more subtle approach that may not cause a direct conflict but it will strain the relationship. Enough that Virang must reallocate resources to contain Sawand's fury or at least its suspicions." Vincenzo raised an eyebrow, "Go on." "The l'Denti infiltrate the seized ships. They have the talent to taint the food and water, nothing fatal, enough to make the returning Sawandi sailors appear abused. Sick, visibly mistreated. " Vincenzo leaned back, processing the plan, "I see; Sawand sees the sailors returned blistered, coughing, and fever. There will be no explanation from Virang that will satisfy that image. It won't dig at the exact level of response I had hoped for but it will breed outrage." He massaged his chin, continuing to think, "Enough to force Virang into a reactive posture. Enough for the rebels to breathe and gain the initiative." Vincenzo looked to Evander, "Are you sure you can get this done?" Then, he skeptically shifted his gaze at Foscari to see if Foscari was apprehensive about his son taking the lead. "Yes." Evander sharply responded. Foscari nodded, "if the l'Denti can't, no one can." Vincenzo approved and stood up, "Ok, I will use our tethered network to contact Alejandro and Guiliana."[/hider] [hr][hr] [hider=The Dragon Squad][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjM2LmUwMTQyMi5WR2hsSUZCc1lXNC4w/angel-bandit-demo.regular.webp[/img] Three women stepped out of Ertan Kashani’s well guarded abode south of Sabu with a fourth cloaked one waiting for them by the gate. [color=#E5E4E2]“Any word on Tariq?”[/color] inquired Zarina, the tallest of the three and standing at the front of the group, to the hooded girl. [color=#8f1117]“No signs of life.”[/color] Lina answered with a light rasp. [color=#2e2d2b]“A veritable gaggle of harpies.”[/color] Nilay remarked with palpable snark. [color=#E5E4E2]“Brute force isn’t an issue here anyway.”[/color] reminded Zarina as she continued her march with Lina integrated in their flock. [color=#8f1117]“Did the Viceroy give instructions?”[/color] Lina prodded. [color=#2e2d2b]“T’was really the Major. And the basics.”[/color] answered Nilay, more talkative than her normal when surrounded by familiar faces. [color=#2e2d2b]“We get the job done and adapt. We’ve got less than ten hours.”[/color] A quick gait had brought them into Sabu proper in no time. The setting sun was traded for torches lined up through the streets commandeered by the Virangish forces. Fatima had remained conspicuously discreet the whole walk. [color=#E5E4E2]“We’ll round up the captives, deliver them with the boats and discuss any restitutions once the exchange is done.”[/color] Zarina summarized as they passed through one of the many checkpoints, nearing closer to the harbor. [color=#E5E4E2]“We’ll split up and I’ll keep an eye in the sky.”[/color] Lina didn’t add anything. Nilay seemed completely impartial. Fatima on the other hand … [color=#739c4e]“Right.”[/color] [color=#E5E4E2]“Got a problem, Gursel?”[/color] Zarina slowed down and peered at her squadmate. [color=#739c4e]“I do.”[/color] deadpan and to the point. Zarina regarded her expectantly like Nilay squinted. [color=#2e2d2b]“You didn’t say camel shit with the boss. What in Eshian’s hole, Fatima?”[/color] Fatima shrugged. [color=#739c4e]“Crucial information passed through ambitious hands is a gateway to unadulterated ambition.”[/color] [color=#8f1117]“You don’t trust Selma?”[/color] a surprised Lina asked somewhat sheepishly. [color=#739c4e]“I don’t trust her circles. I trust you people.”[/color] Within one of the hills was a natural and cooled space for storage. The prisoners were there with their own beds and food about to be served. The flock of military women passed through to assess them while keeping their speech between them through a sonic bubble and in a deep, bucolic accent of inner Virang. [color=#E5E4E2]“What’s your gambit, then, Fatima?”[/color] asked Zarina, still walking with purpose as they moved on to assess the boats. Before providing her answer, Fatima delivered the order, writing in a scroll, to the foreman in charge of the specific twin ships. [color=#739c4e]“We have you, Zarina Al-Nader, and your arsenal of awe-inspiring magic.”[/color] she stated as if the implication was obvious. [color=#739c4e]“The most likely time to strike for any of our enemies is during the transfer. In the end, goods can be replaced, but the Sawandi will retaliate if blood of their kind is spilled.”[/color] [color=#2e2d2b]“Ah.”[/color] Nilay was the first to get it. [color=#2e2d2b]“We don’t actually move them. Not the normal way, anyway.”[/color] [color=#739c4e]“And finding suitable lookalikes among our own should be simple enough.”[/color] added Fatima. [color=#E5E4E2]“A portal to transport over twenty people?”[/color] Zarina stressed her facial features and pursed her lips. [color=#E5E4E2]“Doable if we’re fast about it. In theory, nothing changes from the plan other than how we move the real Sawandi.”[/color] Fatima nodded. [color=#739c4e]“One of us keeps things under control here. If something goes awry, we send a loud signal.”[/color] [color=#8f1117]“So, we need a tethered.”[/color] concluded Lina. She was rebutted by Nilay. [color=#2e2d2b]“Too far. A lightshow in the sky should do the trick.”[/color] [color=#E5E4E2]“Good enough for me. Let’s get to it, the hourglass is running low.”[/color] [img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjM2LmUwMTQyMi5WR2hsSUVOaGNIUmhhVzQuMA/angel-bandit-demo.regular.webp[/img] Zarina assessed the state of the prisoners. Well fed, healthy and with clean accommodations. They were Sawandi, they were privy to comfort at the risk of awakening the Colossus of the West. She stepped into their barracks and noticed most were men. Some were playing cards, others napping, a couple were exercising. All spoke their peculiar tongue she recognized from her inn and the local market she’d occasionally visit with her manager. They all took notice of the tall woman who stepped into their den. Even a couple of rugged females. It had been a while since they’ve had a girl even close to their personal bubble. Zarina did her best to conceal her discomfort with all these eyes on her. The captain, a veteran among mostly young men with a couple of ancient exceptions, was sitting with a few of his older mates in the middle of a game of cards. The whole circle was the only group that did not immediately acknowledge her. [abbr= You’re fucking me again, Patel.][color=#ad7e40]“तुम मुझे फिर से चोद रहे हो, पटेल।”[/color][/abbr] the captain tossed his cards in the pile. Zarina stood by the seated King of the twin ships. It took a few seconds for the man with the well-kempt moustache to twist and look her way. [abbr= Good morning.][color=#E5E4E2]“गुड मॉर्निंग।”[/color][/abbr] started Zarina with the only greeting she knew. The one her manager, Ashok, used every morning. Some of the men chuckled, the captain was unfazed. [color=#ad7e40]“What is it that you need my good woman?”[/color] he inquired in a heavily accented Avincian as he guided his attention back to his cards. Clearly, he wasn’t enthused by her presence. Zarina cleared her throat and composed herself. [color=#E5E4E2]“You will be given your ship back as well as a safe return to your home country.”[/color] [color=#ad7e40]“Freedom. Should have given from the start. We’re no outlaws, no?”[/color] the captain shrugged and regarded his men. Most had no clue what he was saying. [color=#E5E4E2]“We’re at war. Supply lines of our enemies cannot-”[/color] [color=#ad7e40]“War? Don’t care. I need to live.”[/color] with his cards partially revealed, her gesture toward his crewmates. [color=#ad7e40]“They need to live, my good woman. Palapar is life from us. A good deal will not be broken.”[/color] Zarina inhaled. [color=#E5E4E2]“A deal can be discussed once we’ve brought you safety.”[/color] [color=#ad7e40]“Discussed. Safety.”[/color] he once again turned to regard her. [color=#ad7e40]“A Divine Spider is breathing in your neck, yes?”[/color] he scoffed. [color=#ad7e40]“Not out of good business or kindness. Only power. Always about power. Power to take life.”[/color] Zarina remained silent. [color=#ad7e40]“Only lives I care for are they.”[/color] the captain turned to gesture toward his crew - his pride. [color=#ad7e40]“You? Don’t give bakavaas about. Is okay. Just follow path for you to live. No money, no favour. Just the power. Like you decide to take freedom, not for law or business, because you can. Because you're stronger.”[/color] he shook his head. [color=#ad7e40]“Power is power, as them say. Makes the world turn, whether it likes it or not. Keeps people alive, too. Better keep word, because mine has power of death now, my good woman.”[/color] Zarina patiently let the man speak, waiting for her opportunity to relay her message. [color=#E5E4E2]“Be ready in three hours. Your belongings will be waiting for you in the ships. You have my word, I will get you to your people safely.”[/color] The barracks were now marked and the crew warned. And in a short time, she knew the sort of man he was. One that liked to talk, one that liked to rub in the state of things to a perceived oppressor. But, most importantly, a man that puts the lives he was responsible for first. As Zarina stepped out, dinner was being delivered to the captives.[/hider] [hr][hr] [hider=The Serpents][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjM2LmUwMTQyMi5WR2hsSUVKbGJHeDVJRzltSUZOdmJXVjBhR2x1WnlCdmNpQlRiMjFsYjI1bC4w/angel-bandit-demo.regular.webp[/img] The surf was quiet, lapping gently at the sand with none of the day's violence behind it. Still cold and deep. Alejandro broke the surface first, his dark hair slicked flat, sea salt stinging his eyes. He moved slow, smooth, a shadow among waves. Behind him, Guiliana emerged, cloak clinging to her like a second skin, her face unreadable save for the tight focus in her eyes. Reaching the shoreline, the sand sucked at their boots, brine soaking through their cuffs as they dropped into a low crouch behind a jagged line of sea rock just below the barracks ridge. Giuliana gave the order, "We stay low. Break east along the slope. There's a drainage culvert spitting out near the storage annex." The barracks loomed above them, tall stone walls, tiled roofs, iron torch cages flickering. Two guards patrolled the southern edge, talking loudly enough to betray their boredom. According to their source, the Sawandi sailors were inside, and Virangish soldiers were on high alert. "You ready?" Giuliana whispered. Alejandro nodded. The two made a small break toward the cliffside, using their kinetic gift to keep their feet silent. Overgrown brush allowed the two to climb noiselessly up and slide in behind a narrow stone courtyard wall. Twenty paces ahead, a wooden side door into the storehouse wing was visible. "There." Alejandro tapped Giuliana's shoulder to point toward their target. At first glance, it appeared there were no visible guards or windows, but it didn't mean there were no eyes. Alejandro slipped a sliver of glass from his belt. A mirror-like contraption he used to gain better sight around corners he didn't want to expose himself around. "Empty." They crossed the yard like lions stalking prey. Low, focused, and quiet. Arriving at the door, Giuliana worked her magic to pick the lock. Click. The door eased open. Inside: silence. The room was full of rations and barrels of fresh water. The room was small, tight, and lined with racks of sealed bundles of dried lentils. The two looked at each other, Giuliana softly commanded, "Let's be quick." She set to the water jugs first—a masterclass in the subtle art of transforming water into toxins. Half way through the barrels of water, Alejandro warned her, "Two minutes," he said, eyeing the flicker of torchlight outside the high slats. Giuliana moved to the rations. Her fingers delicately ran over what would later be meals dished out to the Sawandi sailors. She was tainting the well, so to speak, nothing life-threatening, but these sailors would experience agonizing indigestion, mouth ulcers, intestinal fire, gas, and rashes. "Footsteps," Alejandro slipped behind a barrel. Outside, voices again. A pair of guards passed close. One stopped. "Smell that?" Alejandro sniffed under his armpit. It was bad. The other grunted. "Old bread. Maybe rats. It's for the Sawandi dogs; no need to be alarmed; let's keep moving; we got a lot of ground to cover tonight." A few long seconds passed. They moved on. Giuliana's eyes rolled back at Alejandro. "It would be you smelling like a rat to get us caught." She performed a final touch on the last loaf. "We're done." Alejandro checked the door. It was clear. "Back the way we came then." The two slipped out silently. The door closed behind them with a soft click. Giuliana relocked the door, unmarked it, and they dropped low again into the underbrush. But they didn’t make it far. A beam of torchlight cut across the courtyard. Fast. Too fast. Alejandro yanked Giuliana down behind a low stone trough as two guards turned the corner, "-heard the lock click. You didn't hear that?" "I thought it was just wind. Or the wood swelling. You sure?" "Doors don't swell and click, Idran." Boots crunched closer. Giuliana couldn't tell if she was smelling stank from Alejandro or the guards sweeping their light in quick arcs. The beam passed within inches of her boots before Alejandro gently eased the edge of his over her feet, masking the pale fabric from view. The other guard grunted. "If someone's down here, they're about to get a spear in the ribs." Giuliana held her breath. Her heartbeat was so loud she was certain it would be what gave them away. The guard stepped onto the gravel right beside them, shifted his weight- And then a voice called from up the yard. "Idran! Vano! Report in; we need it at the western post!" The nearest guard cursed softly. H turned, jogged a few paces back, and the light vanished as quickly as it came. Alejandro didn't move until the final echo of footsteps was gone. He exhaled, "That," he whispered, "was uncomfortably close." Giuliana adjusted her cloak, eyes still sharp. "Too close." The two traced their way back from where they came. The job was done. Now, all that would need to happen is for the sailors to be fed and watered on schedule.[/hider] [hr][hr] [hider=Fifty Thousand][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjM2LmUwMTQyMi5SbWxtZEhrZ1ZHaHZkWE5oYm1RLjA/angel-bandit-demo.regular.webp[/img] [color=#E5E4E2][i]Ten minutes until arrival.[/i][/color] Two Sawandi merchant ships sailed, one before the other, toward the armada that had taken Palaparese waters. A figurative guillotine to Virang that had to be neutralized before anything else. Zarina hovered over the both, high enough to get a birds-eye view but low enough to be noticed by any invaders. A warning that the dragon was watching. So far nothing to warn. At the ten minute mark, she was joined by Nilay, who had been in charge of the first ship. [color=#2e2d2b]“At this point we won’t be attacked. We’re in range of their tethered.”[/color] [color=#E5E4E2]“We still have to get there, and exchange the decoys for the real merchants.”[/color] remarked Zarina as she anxiously looked behind her, toward the barely visible coastline. [color=#2e2d2b]“It sounds like routine for you.”[/color] said Nilay with purposeful nonchalance, a clear effort to appease her colleague- No, her friend. Zarina pursed her lips. [color=#E5E4E2]“We’ve smart enemies. Enemies we don’t really know. Because I cannot see either Virangish or Palaparese screw this.”[/color] [color=#2e2d2b]“Are you afraid?”[/color] [color=#E5E4E2]“Kind of. Fifty thousand people …”[/color] the young dragon sighed. Nilay shrugged. [color=#2e2d2b]“We’ve always had that weight on us. It’s just more in your face here.”[/color] the gulp betrayed the cool air she was trying to give. [color=#E5E4E2]“Bullshit. This is way worse.”[/color] [color=#2e2d2b]“... It kind of is. I was trying to help you relax.”[/color] [color=#E5E4E2]“Thanks. About eight minutes now-”[/color] Both turned around. Whether it was a gut feeling or the mild echo reaching their sensitive sonic reception that got them first was uncertain, but they both saw the flare. Lina did as well from the second ship. A red flare popped in the sky for all to see. [color=#8f1117]“Zarina! The flare!”[/color] called out the bloodchild from the bridge. Without hesitation, the temporal wildblood vanished in an instant while Nilay regained her ship. All hands on deck. [color=#739c4e]“It’s poison.”[/color] Fatima spoke up the moment Zarina manifested in the harbor, right where she was meant to, right where the flare was shot. Both walked together toward the barracks where the Sawandi were sealed. [b]“Captain Al-Nader, what to do with the clothing?!”[/b] [b]“We’ve managed to create a parameter, Major. Will you conduct interrogations?”[/b] [b]“Special Inquisitor, Viceroy Kashani sent a message!”[/b] Pandaemonium. A cacophony of titles and requests, only one of the former being accurate. Zarina, taken for the leader of this operation by reputation alone and minimal formal merit, did not stop to address one thing. She had to see this for herself. [color=#E5E4E2][i]Fifty thousand …[/i][/color] There she saw it. The plague-riddled mess that was her only bargaining ship to keep Sabu safe. Medics were hard at work with Fatima joining the healing endeavour. [color=#E5E4E2][i]Fifty thousand.[/i][/color] In a matter of seconds, Zarina was covered in sweat. Forehead wrinkled, jaw clenched and body heating up. She didn’t move from her position, the perfect view was exactly where she stood. Vomit, feces, men once tanned were now pale as ghosts. There was even blood in the worst cases. [color=#E5E4E2][i]Fifty. Thousand.[/i][/color] Scales on her body swelled and sprouted unpredictably. Stress levels and fury led to unadulterated chemical imbalances in the chemical mage’s form. With it came thicker horns. The horrid pain that came with the metamorphosis added fuel to the stress pyre she was doused with. [color=#E5E4E2][i]FIFTY FUCKING THOUSAND![/i][/color] The young dragon nearly stumbled from her own weight, clawed hand raised to her temple in a vain attempt to pacify herself. A seething growl was barely contained in these mutated, overstressed teeth. Six minutes remained. [img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjM2LmUwMTQyMi5SbTl5SUU5MWNpQlFaVzl3YkdVLjA/angel-bandit-demo.regular.webp[/img] There was one man that stood out. One, while sick, withstood it best. A man that had seen plagues before and survived them all. Both who held responsibilities to their people met once more, only sharing their indomitable glares. The Captain felt betrayed, Zarina felt cornered. Both were wronged, and both held the fates of thousands in their hands. And they both knew it. In a stiff and brisk pace, the special inquisitor marched through the sick and suffering to confront the seated lord of this plagued cesspit. [color=#E5E4E2]“What happened?”[/color] Zarina inquired first, eyes almost bloodshot. She wanted to cry in rage. But she couldn’t. There was no time. The captain chuckled dryly, and then let out an even drier cough. [color=#ad7e40]“My good woman,”[/color] he rubbed the saliva off his lips. [color=#ad7e40]“your people have betrayed us for the last time.”[/color] he was not fazed by her appearance. [color=#E5E4E2]“We did not do this.”[/color] she retorted immediately. [color=#E5E4E2]“We did NOT do this!”[/color] [color=#ad7e40]“Maybe.”[/color] he shrugged. [color=#ad7e40]“You let it happen. In your land. To your guests. You uh,”[/color] he raised his hands. [color=#ad7e40]“may have as well let it happen.”[/color] A chill ran through Zarina’s spine. What could she say to that? They had failed. They had let this happen. Her eyes remained wide, her lips partially parted to keep those vicious pearly whites visible - a perpetual mega-bitch face. [color=#ad7e40]“And now we all suffer.”[/color] the captain laughed wryly. The dragon got onto one knee, to get to his level. In spite of the hygiene, she got closer to him. [color=#E5E4E2]“Fifty thousand.”[/color] she uttered. [color=#E5E4E2]“Fifty thousand. At least.”[/color] she spoke in a hushed tone, sounding more like a whimper. [color=#E5E4E2]“Virangish. Palaparese. Sawandi. Fifty thousand.”[/color] she leaned in a little closer. [color=#E5E4E2]“They all die, because of us. Because of me.”[/color] The captain, for once, had nothing to say. He instinctively leaned back as the Zarina demonstrated herself as increasingly unhinged. [color=#E5E4E2]“I-I can’t.”[/color] she affirmed with weakness in her voice. [color=#E5E4E2]“I wouldn’t survive that. I fucking can’t, captain Bhavik.”[/color] And so Zarina’s own service pistol was slammed onto the dirty table by the man, where he had been resting his arm. The man, once confident, flinched. [color=#E5E4E2]“Do it. Blame it on me. Shoot me. The crazy dragon. Show it to your people.”[/color] The man hesitantly seized the gun. He didn’t hold it in a manner that indicated he would be using it, instead confusedly stared at the weapon. [color=#E5E4E2]“DO IT!”[/color] commanded Zarina. All eyes were on them. The healers, Fatima, the crew. Most were scared. [color=#E5E4E2]“Don’t let them destroy everything. Don’t let them kill everyone.”[/color] she begged. The older man, taken completely aback, appeared frightened. Initially by her, but then by the weight of her words. He looked at his crew, and then at the people who worked their best to help. He called some of the local kids playing near the harbor - a ball game similar to what his son played. His son. A memory he had buried. Lost at sea, and a feeling of complete hollowness that never truly went away. The captain tossed the gun away. [color=#ad7e40]“Fix this.”[/color] ordered the captain. [color=#ad7e40]“And the Divine Spider will never know.”[/color] Zarina, breathing heavily and not holding back any tears, looked up to her. No more whimpering. Captain to captain. [color=#ad7e40]“We never meet again, my-”[/color] he inhaled, then coughed. [color=#ad7e40]“good Dragon. And we keep our work.”[/color] Wordlessly, Zarina stood and gave a singular, curt nod. They had two minutes left. Zarina added to the effort, so did the captain. With the exchange imminent, they could only hope that Nilay had a plan to delay the Sawandi, if only for a few precious seconds.[/hider] [hr][hr] [hider=Cometh the Empire][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjM2LmUwMTQyMi5RMjl0WlhSb0lIUm9aU0JGYlhCcGNtVS4w/angel-bandit-demo.regular.webp[/img] In the end, it was negotiation: the purest form of stalling, and the Sawandis knew it. [color=#E14101]"You are in no position to make demands of us,"[/color] Lady Simran replied curtly, [color=#E14101]"It reeks of stalling."[/color] Her eyes narrowed. [color=#E14101]"Why are you stalling us?"[/color] [color=#2e2d2b]"Is asking for guarantees of our safety stalling or is it common sense?"[/color] Nilay countered. Her goal was to buy them two minutes. She needed to do that without antagonizing the Sawandis. It was not off to a great start, but she was already one-third of her way to the goal. [color=#E14101]"Sawand does not enter into agreements with lesser nations. We state our terms and abide by them so long as you do."[/color] She glanced at her pocketwatch. In the background, in repose, perched Admiral Khalsa, on a stool. He was, apparently, forbidden from lowering himself to speak with a mere representative. Perhaps that was true, or perhaps he simply was not good enough in foreign tongues, and the Admiral of the Fifth Fleet could not be allowed to embarrass himself. [color=#2e2d2b]"And, again, what guarantees do we have that you'll do so?"[/color] Nilay prodded. This woman was giving her nothing. [color=#2e2d2b][i]One minute to go.[/i][/color] [color=#E14101]"You have none but our word,"[/color] replied Lady Simran, as Sawandi sailors began to move about in the background. Signal flags were raised and lowered. Something was happening, but she paid it little heed. [color=#E14101]"and our history. We keep to our side of things and we do not start wars. We only finish them."[/color] [color=#2e2d2b][i]Jerk your country off any harder, lady?[/i][/color] Nilay began to think, but she was running out of ideas. [color=#E14101]"You know, you don't exactly have much of a position,"[/color] the Sawandi was saying, [color=#E14101]"so I'm going to say that you have..."[/color] She studied her pocketwatch, lifting it up. [color=#E14101]"Until this minute hand reaches -"[/color] Admiral Khalsa shot to his feet. All around, sailors dashed over to the gunwales before commands rang out. They hurried about, tugging ropes and operating pulleys. Guns levered into place. The [i]Nyaay ki Talwar[/i] hummed with energy and purpose, its dread crimson flag flapping and snapping in the stiff breeze. Lady Simran and Nilay alike craned their necks to look at the horizon as it turned into a forest of masts. Great ship after great ship appeared and, as the admiral held his spyglass to one eye, he scowled. There were at least fifty of them, and each flew the flag that he least wanted to see: a black fleur-de-lis mounted on a gold sun over green fields. Le Troisième Flotte had arrived and, with it, an empire to rival even mighty Sawand. Nilay could not resist the act of clearing her throat. [color=#2e2d2b]"You were saying, again, Lady Simran, about our bargaining position?"[/color] She tilted her head. [color=#2e2d2b][i]Two minutes.[/i][/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/uMIS5tc.png[/img][/center] If Lady Simran was nonplussed, she was one of only a handful. The Sawandi mariners were professionals, through and through. Calls sounded, guns levered, and they took their places on high alert. Up above, seagulls still circled in the breeze. The sun shone. Waves lapped just the same. It was humans - and some yasoi - who were in conflict. [color=#E14101]"This is a needless provocation, and it will not dissuade us."[/color] the diplomat snapped, recovering herself somewhat. The pair of Sawandi merchantmen had slowed their approach but, at a signal from the fleet and a second one from Nilay, they continued. [color=#2e2d2b]"I would argue that it is [i]your[/i] actions that stand as needless provocation,"[/color] Nilay replied, now with more of a bargaining position. Virang had been caught with its pants down, plain and simple. Most of its fleet remained close to home, covering the vital Bin Ada strait against Tarlonese incursion, and the rest was enforcing its blockade of these islands. It had, perhaps, a half-dozen for Sabu's defense. Perrence's sudden and wholehearted support was a very welcome thing. [color=#2e2d2b]"Your people are, even now, on their way. They'll be returned unharmed."[/color] Indeed, the exchange rapidly neared. Zarina and the others were frantically at work: healing stomachs and sores, restoring vitality, extracting poisons. The Revidians were nothing if not unscrupulous, and they played [i]hard[/i]. If it took fifty-thousand deaths, then at least those deaths were not theirs. Better somebody else; [i]always[/i] better that it was somebody else. Yet, what they did not count on - what they could [i]not[/i] have counted on - was Ciro Volta. He had been baited once by the Perrench already, during that awful business in Mezegol, and his senses told him that he was being baited once more. Such was the House of Pellerin. Instead of orchestrating an attack that he couldn't help but sense played into his enemy's hands, he had his agent - unseen and known only to himself - issue a command to a very specific sort of demon. It swam up during the standoff, when the attention of near-everyone was focused elsewhere, and adhered itself to the hull of the Sawandi flagship, already heavily laden with eggs. It quickly became one with the planks and prepared to propagate and be carried back to Sawand when this crisis inevitably blew over, as nearly all such Sawandi actions did. What a prophet was he! As sailors of two navies mean-mugged each other across a kilometer of open ocean and sent angry messages by flag and tethered, a quick exchange was made by Zarina. A handful felt the flash of temporal magic, or at least its echoes, and were prepared to cry foul, but then the pair of fat-bottomed vessels pulled up alongside their martial allies and a flurry of inspections took place. [color=#2e2d2b]"And they are all well, just as promised, despite violating our embargo,"[/color] Nilay continued. [color=#2e2d2b]"You must understand that we can hardly allow this murderous rebellion to continue."[/color] Lady Simran pursed her lips. [color=#E14101]"One people's rebellion is another's fight for freedom."[/color] She shrugged. An orderly ran up and the exchanged rapidly in their own tongue. The senior diplomat turned back to face Nilay. [color=#E14101]"But that is hardly a concern of ours."[/color] She nodded. [color=#E14101]"They are... well enough."[/color] Her eyes narrowed. [color=#E14101]"And they have declined to press the issue."[/color] There was a pause. [color=#E14101]"Do not infringe on the rights and safety of our people, and we will not raise so much as a complaint in your direction. Break this promise, and..."[/color] She glanced over the fleet, pointedly. There were more words after that, but they were few. The danger, when all was said and done, had passed. [b]FIN.[/b] [hider=Crawling]It was only half an hour before the first egg hatched and the second mollusc-like demon attached itself to a second hull. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/OdBIofC.png[/img][/center][/hider][/hider]