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[color=#736AFF][b][h1]Ranbu no Izayoi[/h1][/b][/color]
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Not two days in Edren once more, and already a local lord proved more helpful without prompting than Drana Asnaeu's highest authorities. Gods help her, Izayoi may actually have to think rather charitably of an Edreni noble of all things. At least, of one that wasn't directly affiliated with them, so Galahad and Rudolf excepted. 

As the conversation continued on, Izayoi tuned it out in favor of shifting her foot to press down hard on Chisato's after seeing the small viera on the verge of exploding, giving the shinobi a brief raise of her eyebrow. Her attention was piqued, however, when Chisato seemed more focused on...something else in the room? Izayoi followed her countryman's gaze to a blonde woman in traveling gear, suddenly sitting at the table and filling a plate as if she belonged. 

By the time the woman met Izayoi's eyes, the samurai had her short blade drawn, halfway up to lunging across the table. 

[b]"Easy, General. I'm an ally."[/b]

Upon realizing exactly who infiltrated her way to his dinner table of all things, Cadmon could only give a long-suffering sigh and a reluctant nod. 

[b]"Kayliss Lambert, Deputy Director of SEED Operations in Falcon's Nest. Consider me Mathiassen's superior officer and the Dame Commander's temporary minder."[/b]

[color=#736AFF][b]"Then well met, spymaster."[/b][/color] Izayoi ground out, her wakizashi sliding back into its sheath with reluctance. [color=#736AFF][b]"Tell me, what exactly possessed you to introduce yourself as you have?"[/b][/color]

[b]"Expediency. I'll keep things brief. What I'm about to tell you is a Skaellan state secret, above the clearance of anyone in this room. [i]I[/i] hardly know exact details. In summation, you know nothing of this until you coincidentally stumble across it, with my name completely forgotten. But, to sum it up, we've lost Solitude."[/b]

[color=#ff8c00]"...Kayliss, that's hardly news. We've heard even as far up as here that Solitude has been completely silent for two months-"[/color]

[b]"That was a convenient state-sanctioned lie. Overseer Baramoux placed Solitude on complete lockdown to root out Valheimr infiltrators. By all accounts, reports out of Solitude indicate it was going well, until one week ago. All contact stopped, and all agents sent to investigate haven't returned. Something [i]happened[/i]. With Baramoux and over half the Seven still in the city, Skael's in full crisis, albeit a silent one."[/b]

[color=#736AFF][b]"And I suppose you wish for us to be the vanguard for the next attempt at investigating, then?"[/b][/color]

[b]"You and yours have worked miracles already, even as of a week ago. To sweeten the pot, I'll even offer up the location of the Crystal of Wind right now: in a temple at the furthest tip of the continent's southern reaches, past Solitude's gates, walls, and wards. Even if you wanted to ignore the situation, there's no way to reach it without passing through the capital."[/b] Kayliss managed to say all this in between quick bites of food, somehow managing to polish her plate off while giving the briefing. She reached to fill up with seconds.

[b]"When we're finished here, I'm returning to Skael effective immediately to help organize our response. The time for subtlety in our dealings with you has passed. You'll find your passage at the border completely expedited and given free rein of the country. I move faster on my own, but when you do cross the border, make for Falcon's Nest. Now, I'll be fielding questions, if anyone has any."[/b]