"[i]Literally [/i]cannot believe I didn't get to blow up that mansion," said Tsane. 
"Cowabummer," said Injimo, nodding.
"Imjimo's right, you are being absurd," said Rurik. "We need to -"
"What? No!" said Injimo. "I was agreeing with her."
"With her desire to fight a [i]castle [/i]garrisoned by an [i]army [/i]of [b]Maid Knights[/b]!?"
"Look, Mr. Vesari, sir," said Injimo. "I fight, like, single combat duels and sometimes those enormous animated doll standins for monsters you make, right? Well, Ms. Tsane's area of expertise is fighting armies and/or castles. She could have taken 'em."
"And now here I am with ninety five percent of my skin taken up by the rune for Meteor Storm," sighed Tsane, gesturing at the elaborate crimson and orange marks that traced in a lattice across her hand, running up her arm to where it vanished beneath her sleeves. "I can't use any other spells until I've cast it."
"You could cast it on that empty field over there?" suggested Cair.
Tsane and Injimo glared at her. Injimo put her hand on the hilt of her sword. Cair slid back away.
"..." said Kalentia Pious as Princess Heron.

Heron sometimes did not speak. They said that sometimes she was struck dumb by the weight of all her past memories. Every word coming from her lips felt as weighty as carving the metal press that would slam it into the pages of a storybook for generations to read afterwards. And so those words trailed away into ellipses, and those ellipses became the shapes of words so clear that they could be heard in the silence. Kalentia could not fight like Heron, could not lead like Heron, could not communicate Heron's mythic stature or gremlin energy - but she could communicate the Princess' silent pain. She did not like wearing the disguise and longed to have it taken from her shoulders, and on some days that made her seem more like Heron than the performances of any of the others.

"Of course, Your Highness," said Rurik, uncomfortably finding that he wasn't acting being chastened either.
"... right," said Tsane. "Uh. Oh yeah, is this an escort quest or a kidnapping? Cair's message wasn't very clear."
"It [i]would [/i]have been clearer if we didn't somehow pick up these busty floozies on the way!" said Cair, petulantly sticking out her tongue at Keli. "Oi! Hands off the merchandise!"
"Oh, are we fighting them?" said Injimo, suddenly very interested in the conversation. 
"If they don't take the hint we are!" said Cair. "Ladies, I'm sure you're having fun in the alternate timeline, but now we're on the award-winning, most-popular Cair Route, and if you don't pull your heads in and leave my employee alone I'm going to have Sayanastia Bad End the two of you!"
"Hmwuh?" said Sayanastia, looking around with a guilty expression and a full mouth. Can't take your eyes off her for a minute, honestly.