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4 mos ago
Current Sorry for the delay everyone. I've been absolutely swamped with work these last weeks. I'm getting my replies up slowly.
4 mos ago
Keeping track of things makes it easier to avoid bad experiences! And to not make the same mistake like an idiot... :-/

Bio

"Humanity takes great pride in three things. Their willpower, their greed and their mortality.

Their will and endless greed allows them to grow and accend past other creatures
But their mortality denies them divinity

It's a delightful purgatory between being Fallen and being Divine"


Most Recent Posts

In Avalia 1 yr ago Forum: Casual Roleplay



Location: Just outside the Jotunheim





With Gar'Tan's assistance, after being allowed to use his powers by the Inquisitors, Nellara hoped to be able to explain the humans exactly what was going on. Fortunately, it didn't take much until Ixtaro appeared from inside the ship. Before Nellara could say anything to Ixtaro, Kareet, who was clearly very excited for finally being able to communicate with the humans, asked Gar'Tan to explain her what he was capable of doing.

"Please Gar'Tan, and thank you." Nellara said, nodding her head as she agreed with Kareet's words. Silently, Nellara couldn't help but admire Kareet's deep curiosity and love for knowledge, which prevailed despite the tense situation they were facing.

Not wanting to overwhelm the humans with information, she patiently waited as Gar'Tan connected his mind with Ixtaro and explained the situation, waiting for the humans to get a bit more comfortable before she started to talk.

Other than Ixtaro, Vigdis was the next known human to soon arrive to receive them. Nellara offered a small nod as a greeting to her.

When Vigdis asked about Silbermine, Nellara didn't try to hide her dissatisfaction and irritation as she shook her head negatively, before raising her hand and asking Vigdis to wait for a moment.

Jeon's worry was indeed a valid one, unfortunately, just as he said, there was no means to communicate consent to them with just the few words they knew...

"We will hope they will understand us and forgive us for our intrusion... Explaining 'consent' and asking for it with only a few, simple words and gestures seem to be next to impossible, no matter how much I think about it..." Nellara replied to J'eon with a deep sigh.

When Kerchak asked if there was a way for them to convince Silbermine to back down, Nellara silently shook her head, before she turned to him with a grim expression.

"Seeing the point this situation has reached, avoiding a war against Mythadia seems very unlikely... Unless the king of Mythadia recognizes Silbermine's crimes against the Ascendancy and makes an active effort to repair the relationship between the nations... Which is honestly, very unlikely." Nellara replied. Kerchak would be able to clearly discern in her voice that despite her position as someone who held a good deal of military power and authority on the Ascendancy, she was also not happy with the outcome.

The moment she began hearing Ixtaro's words, clearly understanding them thanks to Gar'Tan's help, Nellara could barely contain her excitement. They were effectively, the first people in Kanth-Aremek that were able to communicate with the humans. For a moment, Nellara could understand how a scholar such as Kareet was feeling right now.

While Nellara and the others already understood some parts of Ixtaro's explanation, she still listened to her quietly, paying close attention as she explained more clearly about themselves, about the ship their built and their origin.

"Pardon me for the delay in replying. I merely wished to not overwhelm you with information for the first few seconds after Gar'Tan began the connection." Nellara finally replied to Vigdis, giving a step forward as she greeted Vigdis and Ixtaro with a respectful nod.

"Before addressing the current issues, I would like to ask your forgiveness for the intrusion. A thought mage was the only means we had to communicate properly. I hope you understand our choice to act and forgive us, seeing the tense situation we are in." Nellara said with a sigh as she gave a small bow as a reply to Ixtaro, after it began clear that there was some discomfort with the situation by the side of humans.

"Regardless, I wish to assure you that Gar'Tan will not pry on your memories or do anything to steal any secrets you might have. Especially since the Inquisitors and the Thought Mages belong to a neutral party and are not directly associated with the Ascendancy or any kingdom." Nellara continued.

"Without more delays, allow me to address your questions and explain the current situation." Nellara continued, giving a moment to both Ixtaro and Vigdis, especially since the latter didn't seem to be particularly comfortable with Gar'Tan's intrusion on her mind... Which was honestly quite understandable, as Nellara had already went through such process a few times before, while she was training to be a Castigator.

"Kareet's explanation is pretty spot on. Silbermine claims that your ship is a temple that was offered to them by their gods and wishes to claim it, according to their own word. After knowing you are the owners of such ship, he wishes to call his engineers to dismantle the ship and take you with them 'under their protection'... Fancy words for taking your technology and yourselves as hostages. All because apparently, they think your fortress-ship rightfully belongs to them, a gift from their gods. Especially after they saw the emblem on the side of Jotunheim." Nellara continued, expanding upon Kareet's explanation.

"Not only Silbermine invaded Ascendancy territory, clearly ignoring the natural borders between mountains and the marshlands, but he also established a military camp and wishes to annex this region as his own. The fact that he also called for an army is already enough of an offense and disrespect to the Ascendancy to justify a declaration of war." she continued explaining, being sure to give both Vigdis and Ixtaro a few moments between her words, allowing her to fully absorb and understand what she was saying.

"The city of Lenkik is governed by the Ascendancy and the Order of Magisters. I am a Castigator, someone who was dispatched to Lenkik by the capital, Arcadea and the order of Magisters itself to help maintain order and deal with any threats to Lenkik." Nellara said, briefly explaining her position and the influence she had on Lenkik, hopefully as a way to show the humans that not only she was someone very powerful, but that she had the means to help and intercede for them, such any issues arise.

"In order to avoid any unnecessary confrontation with Silbermine and his forces, our hope was to communicate with you, so you can clearly tell them that you are not 'envoys' of their god, nor you are willing to surrender your ship and your technology to them." Nellara continued.

"I have already ordered for an army to be dispatched in order to deal with Silbermine and his knights as a response for their invasion of Ascendancy lands. As the one responsible for giving the orders to this army and as a direct envoy of the Order of Magisters from Arcadea, you have my word we will not approach your ship without your strict consent and permission, so I ask you to not worry. Our goal is only to repel Silbermine out of Ascendancy lands and protect the humans, so your rights as sentient beings will not be violated." Nellara said, her words suggesting that slavery wasn't exactly 'uncommon' in Kanth-Aremek.

"I am well aware of how bad this situation might look on your side, but I ask you to believe me when I say our intentions are good." Nellara said, before she took a long glance towards Kerchak, Kareet and her soldiers, before she gave a firm nod, reassuring them that she knew what she was doing.

"Should it help to reassure our peaceful and diplomatic intentions, I am willing to offer myself as an... Ambassador for the Ascendancy for a diplomatic exchange with the humans." Nellara said as she turned towards Kareet and very clearly handed the small pouches she kept inside her armor with both the steel spheres and the refined iron sand, which were the closest thing she had to her actual 'weapons' to the humans.

Even for them, the meaning before Nellara's actions and her words were clear. She was basically offering herself to be their hostage for the time being. An easy way to assure them that the Ascendancy wouldn't anything to harm them. It was a gamble. A dangerous one, but she hoped it would be enough to assure the humans of her peaceful intentions.



Location: Just outside the Jotunheim





At first, Nellara didn't try to hide her irritation with the humans' actions. Even if they were trying to make a diplomatic approach, they had no idea of the true intentions Gesith had and their actions were only making things even worse. Especially with the 'gifts' they gave to the Glen.

The more the situation progressed, the more Nellara wanted just to rip that insolent glen's throat off his neck and face the investigation from the Order of Magisters afterwards. The fact that she didn't have a proper sleep yet other than a few quick naps, despite the sun being already high was making her patience run even thinner.

"Your insolence and disrespect to the Ascension will be punished with blood, Gesith Silbermane." Nellara said, almost hissing as she replied to his words.

"I hope you are prepared for the consequences of your actions. Both for you and Mythadia itself." she continued, with a clear and not so veiled threat.

"Although... You might not live long enough to face them yourself. Good luck, Gesith. You will need it." Nellara completed as she walked back towards where her soldiers were.




The next hours were quite tense for Nellara, due to the situation, not only she wasn't able to rest properly, but she had to keep an eye on Gesith's movements, see if the humans had any other wonderful idea that would end up making her life even more miserable or if Gesith decided to attack, which was honestly what she was hoping for... Seeing his lifeless corpse at her feet was honestly just what she needed to calm her ire.

Regardless, there was little time to lose, even as she waited for the thought mage to arrive from Lenkik.

"I want one of you to immediately go to Lenkik as fast as you can. Even if you have to run all the way there." Nellara said with an incredibly serious tone to the remaining soldiers she brought with her.

"Order an army to be immediately assembled and dispatched to this site to deal with the Glen invaders and protect the humans. I also want an updated report about the situation delivered to the highest authorities in Lenkik, with express orders to be IMMEDIATELY taken to Arcaeda. I don't care about proper procedures for requisitioning an army or bureaucracy. I will deal with those after the current crisis is solved. Arcadea needs to know about this as soon as possible. Mythadia has formally invaded Ascension territory and is currently establishing a military camp as we speak. Reinforcements and possibly an army is already have probably already been called by them." Nellara said.

"Needless to say, whoever goes to Lenkik will be compensated for your effort. Feel free to take a few days off to rest with my permission." she said with a sigh. Even though it was highly unlikely Nellara herself would have any days off for the foreseeable future, due to the recent developments, keeping the soldiers well rested and satisfied was still important.

"As you wish, Castigator Nellara." One of the soldiers said, taking a step forward as he prepared to the long run back to Lenkik, taking off as much armor as possible and only taking the necessary in order to not weight himself down.

That particular soldier was one of the smaller among the group and had a relatively light build. Due to that, his decision to volunteer himself wasn't met with any objection from the other soldiers.

Just after the soldier began making his way, starting with a steady jog before gradually increasing his rhythm, one of the humans, Ixtaro, approached their camp, just as Nellara had sat down. In any other situation, approaching them by herself would be incredibly dangerous, but the fact that Ixtaro chose them to do so and not the Glen did make her a bit more relieved. Even if it was rather reckless by Nellara's own standards, to approach a group she barely knew by herself, it was still an undeniable show of trust.

Even though her interest seemed to be more focused on Shirik, Ixtaro seemed to have brought a number of objects. 'Gifts' was the word she used, as she handed them to each one of them, likely a sign of friendship and goodwill.
All the objects seemed to be quite curious. From the strange notebooks and metallic writing instruments, to a small metallic box that could produce a small flame and even a curious knife, they were all quite curious. Upon a brief observation, Nellara was able to notice that most of them, despite the strange materials, seemed to have similar uses to objects that already existed in Kanth-Amerek.

"Thank you." Nellara said, thanking Ixtaro with a small bow as she analyzed the small knife on her hands, curious about the metal it was made with and the strange techniques used to make the grooves and overall form of the blade.

Out of respect for the human, Nellara made no attempts to intrude or interrupt as she interacted with Shirik, even after hearing the name 'Silbermine' being said.
Both the human and the strange Iriad continued exchanging pictures and words for a decent time, before they bid their farewells, promising to 'talk' more on the next day.

Just before Ixtaro was about to leave, Nellara, who choose to say nothing instead of interrupting them, finally turned towards the human, with a serious expression.

"Silbermine, Danger. Take, steal. Careful." she said, turning to Ixtaro for a moment and offering her a small nod before the human left for the ship again.




It didn't take too long until Kerchak arrived from Lenkik with the soldier Nellara dispatched with him and the promised thought mage and the inquisitor guards that always escorted one of his kind. The fact that they arrived earlier than Gesith's reinforcements, possibly a thought mage of his own, were incredibly good news for Nellara, since she would have a chance to communicate with the humans before Gesith did.

"Thank you. Thank you as well, Kerchak." Nellara said, nodding and showing her appreciation for both Kerchak and the soldier who were to Lenkik.

"Gesith has established a military camp and has started moving his forces. We can expect reinforcements, possibly an army to arrive." Nellara said, quickly explaining what had happened to Kerchak while he was away.

"The Ascension will do the same... An all out war between the Ascension and Mythadia seems unavoidable... Unless Mythadia gives the Ascension an official apology and sends the Ascendancy reparations for Gesith's actions... Which will likely include a punishment for the offender." Nellara said with a heavy sigh before she finally turned to the thought mage, brought in front of her by the inquisitors.

"Although I wish the circumstances behind our meeting were better, the feeling is still mutual. Your cooperation is of utmost importance to solve this situation." Nellara said, greeting the thought mage with a respectful nod.

"I assume you already received a brief explanation of the situation. Also, I assume that you know that everything you will hear, see and experience here today should be kept a secret." Nellara asked looking at Gar'Tan seriously before she began explaining.

"Last night, something akin to a meteor fell on the hills behind Lenkik. It's light and noise were enough to send the entire city into a state of alert, going as far as sending a Castigator to investigate." she started to explain.

"This is the 'meteor' you heard crashing. This huge fortress-ship is inhabited by a race of creatures calling themselves 'Humans'. Not only does the language they talk not resemble any known language, but we have received confirmation from the humans themselves that they, in fact, do not come from our planet." Nellara continued, giving Gar'Tan some time to absorb all the information.

"Unfortunately, it seems the crash was loud and bright enough for other people to see it and show enough interest to come investigate it..." Nellara said, nodding towards the camp Gesith made in the distance, with a clear expression of anger and disgust.

"To make things worse, their goal seems to be much less 'diplomatic' than ours regarding the Humans. Gesith and his knights aim to claim the ship for themselves and take the humans with them for their technology. Under the guise of 'protection', they want to disassemble the humans' ship and take it to their kingdom, with the humans as their hostages... They treat the humans more as objects to steal than sentient creatures." Nellara continued.

"We were the first to have direct contact with the humans. The few words we know of their language and the words we know from theirs were fruit of our small 'exchange'. They were the ones to explain us that they came from another planet, the name of their race, the name of their ship and even their individual name. The commander of this ship seems to be the one called 'Zeynep'." Nellara said, replying to Kerchak's worries regarding how close they were from the humans.

"Our intentions were peaceful from the start. In the other hand, Gesith appeared with a small army, both armored and with weapons in hand. I can safely say the humans have much more reasons to trust us than they have to trust the Glen." She said, trying to assure Kerchak that there wasn't any reason for the humans to consider them as enemies.

"Regardless of how friendly our first contact was, we still need to respect their territory, instead of just entering their ship without being invited. We will approach the entrance to their ship and relay our intentions to communicate by using the help of the thought mage...?" Nellara said, discreetly asking for his name with a hand gesture.

"Time is of the essence. We need to make use of the advantage we have over Gesith. I am sure he will bring a thought mage of himself to try and convince the humans to hand themselves over so he can put his greedy paws into their fortress. If any of you have any questions, the time to ask them is now. I will try to answer all of them as clearly and concisely as possible, while we head towards the Jotunheim entrance, knock and wait for the humans' reply." Nellara said as she stood up.

Staying true to her words, Nellara gave a quick nod towards the Inquisitors, whom certainly had heard her words as she guided them towards the Jotunheim entrance, stopping just outside where the humans had made their barricade, before knocking on the boxes and waiting for the humans to reply.

"Vigdis, Zeynep, Ixtaro. We talk, speak." Nellara said, using both words that she heard Ixtaro and Vigdis exchanging in the previous night.

&
Ríoghnach "Riona"
Reohg Knock




Considering the fact that there weren't that many people who were interested in the hunting competition, Mayet wasn't expecting the Athletic Arena, where the sword competition would be held, was going to be so crowded. Among those present, it was rather easy to separate those who were going to participate in the competition and of just watching. Most of the competitors were either wearing protective equipment or had their personal weapons with them.

The exception to this was, of course, Mayet. Normally, in her daily life, It was honestly hard to say whether she was going to participate in some kind of competition or not, since she always carried her ring-blade with her, but even with her light clothes, no one seemed to have any doubt of what was her objective in coming to the Arena.

The attire Mayet chose for that competition was a rather simple one. No excessive decorations, frills or flowing clothes. Instead, it seemed to be focused on keeping her light and agile. One thing that might draw attention when compared to the other competitors though was the fact that her attire lacked any form of protection. A clear signal that she was more than confident in her own skills.

As it was expected, she immediately drew the attention of both competitors and audience alike as she arrived at the venue together with Nala and even more when her name was called to compete. Murmurs and voices could be heard, pointing to the fact that Nala was accompanying her, some even asking if it was fair for Nala to participate as well, something which made Mayet laugh before she looked to the crowd to address their doubts.

"Don't worry. This is just a friendly competition. We only fight together when we are fighting seriously. She is just here today to watch." Mayet said as she gently caressed the tigress' head as she sat down just in front of the arena while Mayet got up.

With her ring-blade in hands, Mayet waited as the other competitor, Reohg Knock, as the announcer called, entered the arena.

Mayet wasn't familiar neither with the strange name nor the strange figure wearing a headgear, hiding it's appearance. Despite the attempt to hide their identity though, Mayet could easily say that the other competitor was also a woman, judging by it's stature and body shape.

“You must be Reohg Knock… Quite a curious choice of attire…” Mayet said to the woman with a chuckle, analyzing her movements and her reaction.

Riona’s muscles tensed at Shehzadi Mayet’s comment, more specifically, at her choice of words. “You must be Reohg Knock.” It made it sound like she heard the name “Reohg Knock” before. Of course, she could’ve simply been talking about the announcement and decided to make small talk with her opponent (a thing that Riona didn’t expect the warrior princess to do).

But what if, on the off chance, that it wasn’t? Riona did dance with the Shehzadi’s brother last night and she chose the butchered name he gave her because it was mangled enough that no one would recognize it, but Riona would at least know that she was being called. Could the Shahzade have told his sister about Reohg Knock? Why would he? He only had eyes on Lady Mina Blackwood, that much was obvious. No, it was more likely that he forgot the existence of the maid as soon as she left his sight. The only time Shehzadi Mayet could’ve heard the name was when Shahzade Munir was searching for his dance partner. Did she see Reohg Knock’s face? Gods, if a foreign guest could recognize Riona after only seeing her once, did that mean others could too? Riona struggled to swallow, her throat too dry to cooperate.

She had to throw the match. While a match with one or both of the princes would be a valuable experience in its own right, if Shehzadi Mayet could recognize Riona, then Prince Wulfric and Auguste were even more likely to recognize her. If that happened, then she’d be the maid the Danroses knew how to fight. They’d become cautious around her, suspicious even. She couldn’t allow that. No, she must lose.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Riona chuckled at herself. The absolute conceitedness of it all. Stupid girl—she was never going to win, even if she wanted to. Despite her short stature, Shehzadi Mayet displayed the traits of a skilled fighter through her posture, well-toned muscles, flawless skin, and choice of attire and weaponry. She likely spent long hours training, had lots of experience with hunts and skirmishes, and rarely lost. Anyone who couldn’t see that was a fool.

Then there was Riona, a maidservant who spent more time cleaning up after people and serving them for over a decade than actual combat training. Her strengths lay in the less direct, less honorable skills; head-on battles weren’t her forte. That didn’t mean she couldn’t learn from the Shehzadi, though.

Riona crossed her balled fists in front of her and touched her wrists with her forehead as she bowed. <<Peace be upon you, Shehzadi Mayet Ibn Raif Kadir,>> she sang in the Golden Tongue. <<You bring with you the radiance of a thousand suns. We are blessed to be in your presence. Words cannot capture the magnitude of our gratitude.>> Riona relaxed and matched Shehzadi Mayet’s gaze. <<Though I am but a single grain of sand beneath your feet, unworthy of your attention, please, do me the honor of your tutelage.>>

Of all the reactions Reogh could have, Mayet definitely wasn't expecting her to tense up at her words. Normally, considering the event they were participating at, she would have thought that her opponent was looking forward to the fight but Reogh's expression hinted at another, completely different reason. Nervousness? Apprehension? Maybe it has something to do with the reason she wanted to hide her identity. Regardless of what thoughts raced inside Reogh's mind at that moment, Mayet simply waited, either for a reply... or for her to act.

The moment Reogh did the traditional Alidasht bow and began singing on the Golden Tongue, Mayet was definitely caught by surprise, raising her eyebrows with a surprised expression, especially since it wasn't a half-hearted attempt at the Golden Tongue either. Reogh had an almost perfect pronunciation and diction... Especially considering the the choice of words.

“It is the second time I hear a foreigner speaking the Golden Tongue. Impressive, I have to say.” Mayet said, with a satisfied smile.

“Every grain of sand, no matter how small, is still part of the great desert.” Mayet said with a smile as she gave a few steps forward, approaching the center of the arena.

"Titles and formalities are good for balls and social gatherings. While we are sparring in this arena, we are both just warriors." Mayet said as she assumed a combat posture.

"Ready? Since you asked for my tutelage, I will start with something simple and raise the difficulty as we progress." Mayet said with a smirk as she dashed towards Reogh.

Just as Mayet spoke earlier, her first strike was a simple, diagonal slash. Despite how 'simple' her attack was, the force behind it was rather deceptive for someone of her stature. Not only due to the size of her weapon, but also to the fact that she used the weight and momentum of her entire body on each attack.

As the Shehzadi’s weapon came crashing down, Riona raised her own weapon to meet the incoming attack. Their blades collided with a loud clang, causing sparks to fly off the metal. The impact reverberated through Riona’s arms and left her briefly shaken. However, she managed to hold her ground with the sword absorbing most of the strike, and strikes that followed soon after. With a sudden twist of her wrist, Riona subtly diverted the last attack and used the Shehzadi’s own momentum against her to slice down towards her legs.

Mayet would already be reasonably satisfied with Reogh merely blocking her first strike perfectly, without being thrown off by the strength of her blow, but when she managed to regain her composure immediately after and even use the momentum from Mayet's own attack to make a quick slash aimed at her legs, Mayet definitely was curious.

Despite her last attack being diverted and used by Reogh to launch her fast counter-attack, Mayet was able to reply to it in time by continuing the circular slashing motion of her previous attack, making her ring-blade clash against Reogh's sword, stopping it's trajectory before it could reach her legs.

Her expression was one of visible surprise and excitement as she gave a jump back, looking at Reogh.

"Impressive! Not only you weren't thrown off by the weight behind my attacks, but you were still able to use it's own momentum to launch a counterattack of your own!" Mayet said, laughing, visibly satisfied by the result of her initial 'test'.

"Let's take it up a notch, shall we?" Mayet said as she once assumed a different combat posture, holding her ring-blade in a diagonal around her, at neck's height with both hands, her left one in front of her and her right one behind.

Unlike the previous, more 'relaxed' posture, this one was more aggressive, with her center of gravity lower to the ground.

Riona recognized the stance, as it mirrored that of her grandmother, and it was the sole reason she anticipated Shehzadi Mayet’s next move.

In the blink of an eye, Mayet was already near Reogh again. Her first came unbelievably quick, a downwards, diagonal slash as she used her right hand to spin her ring-blade, carrying a huge amount of momentum with it.

Immediately after the first one, Mayet continued the movement of her first strike, transferring her ring-blade to her left hand and extending it outwards, spinning her body for a second wide, horizontal slash while at the same time, weaving a spinning kick between her first and second slash, in the middle of her spinning motion.

It quickly became apparent to Reogh that it was only now that she was seeing Mayet's real way of fighting.

Her strikes were much faster and more fluid than her previous ones, each attack seamlessly connecting with the next one as she made use of their momentum to keep going, one attack after another as she weaved kicks between them.

This fluid fighting style, while beautiful to watch, was undeniably terrifying to her opponents both due to the constant, quick and heavy strikes, with her entire body weight behind each attack and the unpredictable kicks weaved in between them, covering the openings some of the wider, sweeping strikes.

Riona’s body was a blur of motion as she instinctively dodged, weaved, and spun through the unrelenting assault. Her movements were in harmony with the rhythm of the Shehzadi’s attacks. In moments where she had no time to evade, Riona parried the incoming strike, her sword flashing in the sun like a beacon of defiance.

Despite the intensity of the battle, there was a savage elegance to the deadly dance, a hypnotic grace that made it impossible to look away—each step precise, each attack a carefully calculated risk, almost choreographed in its perfection. The women moved like wild animals, fierce and unyielding, and yet the beauty of their movements was unquestionable.

But not even the most beautiful of dances lasted forever.

As the fight raged on, Riona found herself struggling more and more. The standard-issued sword, heavy and unwieldy, was becoming a burden. It wasn’t her weapon of choice (just something provided by the arena to contestants who didn’t bring their own), the unfamiliar weight and balance of the cheap blade felt awkward in her grip and caused her arms to ache. To make matters worse, her back was throbbing from the wounds Lady Morrigan inflicted the previous night. Each sudden movement sent sharp jolts of pain through her body. She gritted her teeth and pushed through it, knowing that her time in the competition was coming to a close. Riona wasn’t the kind to give up without a fight.

She watched carefully, studying Shehzadi Mayet’s movements and searching for a pattern; a habit. When the Shehzadi launched another flurry of attacks, she finally saw it. Just as the ring-blade left one hand to travel to the other, Riona smacked it off course with the tip of her sword and slashed at the Shehzadi’s waiting palm.

While Mayet knew it was just a friendly competition, seeing how Reogh was still able to dodge and block her blows made Mayet quite curious to see until when exactly would Reogh be able to keep up with her. Maybe it was because of that or her excitement for being 'testing' someone that had genuine talent, but Mayet got careless. Careless enough to get relaxed for a small second when she was transferring the ring-blade from one hand to the other, between attacks.

It was on that very moment, less than half a second of carelessness that Reogh took her move. Making perfect use of Mayet's mistake, Reogh used the tip her sword to divert Mayet's ring-blade, throwing it off course.

Mayet's eyes went wide with surprise as she felt the weight of the ring-blade pulling her arm back. Even if Mayet was just testing Reogh, amidst the flurry of blows, she was able to keep calm, analyze Mayet's movements and patiently wait for her chance... And her patience had indeed paid off.

Mayet knew she wouldn't be able to block Reogh's slash in time. The weight of the ring-blade made sudden adjustments to it's course quite difficult, especially if it was already carrying such a huge amount of momentum as it was right now.

In any other time and place, such situation would mean certain death and Mayet knew that very well. The shock and surprise from Reogh's sudden movement, seeing the situation of risk she was in right now was enough for Mayet's instincts take over.

As adrenaline flowed through her veins, Mayet's muscles tensed up as her instincts yelled at her… 'Move or die'.

Her previous, smug expression of excitement immediately disappeared, giving place to a cold gaze of someone who was prepared to kill.

Blocking wasn't an option and just moving her hand wouldn't be fast enough to dodge Reogh's slash. Due to that, Mayet immediately bent her entire body backwards, moving her free hand up just after her ring-blade passed in front of it, in a starting position for a back handspring, making Reogh's blade miss Mayet's hand only by a hair's breadth.

At the same time, the ring-blade, which continued it's momentum was already over Mayet's shoulder. With a small movement of her wrist, Mayet made a minor adjustment it's course so it would continue moving down, parallel to her back. When it was already in the middle of her back, Mayet bent her right leg backwards, until the back of her feet touched the inner rim of the ring-blade.

An that moment, Reogh would clearly be able to see the muscles on Mayet's legs tensing up almost like a spring. The very moment her other hand touched the ground, she would let go of the ring-blade, twisting her body and letting her leg pull the ring-blade in a diagonal, upwards slash containing the entire weight of her body and the momentum behind her back handspring towards Reogh.

Not much creativity was needed to imagine the terrible consequences such a powerful slash would have if it struck Reogh's neck... Even if it struck her across the chest, the momentum of the attack, coupled with the weight of the weapon was sure to deliver a devastating outcome.

Time… slowed… down. Riona’s senses became acutely aware of every detail of Shehzadi Mayet’s ring-blade. She noted the masterful craftsmanship; the love and care that went into its maintenance; the way the metal gleamed in the warm sun; the wind that carried its movements; the sharp whistle the blade made as it cleaved the air. Even though she registered the imminent danger as the ring-blade hurtled towards her neck, Riona’s mind remained calm and collected, almost serene in its acceptance of what was about to come. She wondered if there was enough force behind the blow to sever her head as cleanly as her father’s did.

Fortunately, Nala, who was watching the fight just from outside the arena, noticed Mayet's expression and behavior changing. As someone who hunted besides Mayet for years, Nala knew very well how Mayet was when she was going for the kill. Normally, Nala wouldn't care about it, but Mayet had reminded her again and again, both before entering the arena and on their way to the Sword Competition that it was just 'sparring', in order to be sure she wouldn't try to 'defend' Nala when she was just sparring with the other competitors.

It was only thanks to Mayet's insistence to make Nala understand that fact that Nala decided to let out a huge roar to alert Mayet, who only after that noticed what she was about to do.

Thanks to Nala's interference, Mayet had enough time to control her kick, putting both her hands on the ground in order to support her weight instead of completing the back handspring and making the blade stop before the blade got too close from Reogh's neck, keeping it there for a moment, before she silently got back up again in a normal posture, giving a few steps back, taking a few moments to calm herself down due to the rush of adrenaline.

The weight of silence fell like a blanket over the arena, muffling the murmurings of the crowd as they struggled to make sense of what happened (and what had almost happened). Even the seasoned referees were hard-pressed to keep track of the lightning-fast exchange. One moment, Riona’s blade was slashing at Shehzadi Mayet’s hand, and the next, the Shehzadi’s ring-blade was plunging towards Riona’s neck, only to be halted in mid-air. Neither strike drew any blood. The referees exchanged furtive glances, unsure of what call to make. In the end, it was Riona who made their job easier.

Without a word, she sank to her knees, lowered her head, and offered the cheap-a** sword to Shehzadi Mayet, as if it was a priceless heirloom. “Victory is yours, Shehzadi Mayet Ibn Raif Kadir.”

The arena erupted into a tempest of thunderous applause and ecstatic cheering. Riona held the posture as she thanked the Shehzadi for the fight, but the cacophony of the boisterous crowd erased her words before they reached the other woman. Undaunted, she bowed one last time in the Shahazadi’s direction, a final tribute to the victor. Then, with a graceful turn, she made her way offstage as quickly and casually as she could. Not once noticing the faint scorch marks that marked where she was standing when she was a heartbeat away from a beheading.

Riona extended the borrowed sword to the arena personnel, who scurried over to collect it from her. Just as their fingers brushed the weapon, they recoiled as though they touched something scalding hot. With a hiss of pain, the employee’s fingers shot up to their mouth while the other hand clamped their earlobe. The sword clattered to the ground with a metallic clang. In unison, Riona and the employee uttered apologies and reached for the sword. But a voice stayed Riona’s hand.

“Reohg.” Mayet said, calling the woman as she raised her hand in a signal asking for silence from the crowd.

She spun to face the speaker, Shehzadi Mayet. Riona inclined her head. Her skin prickled as she felt the unwanted attention of others. In the corner of her eye, she saw the staff scoop up the sword without any further problems and trotted away, wishing she could do the same.

"You have a very dangerous talent, Reogh... Even though it's unpolished, it's still dangerous enough to make me forget we were just sparring, even if for a moment." Mayet said, with a serious tone as she calmed herself down, still panting a bit due to the rush of adrenaline. Despite her serious tone, it wasn't as if Mayet was chastising Reogh for her peculiar 'talent' or if Mayet was angry at her. Instead, it was almost as if Mayet was impressed by it in a good way.

“You should feel proud. Not many people are able to get that reaction out of me. It was a wonderful duel” Mayet said with a satisfied smile after a bit as she extended her hand towards.

Shehzadi Mayet’s hand came into view and Riona blinked at it like she never seen a hand before. It took awhile for her to realize that the Shehzadi was offering a handshake. She reached up to reciprocate, then abruptly stopped. Riona withdrew her hand silently and bowed her head further down.

“Wouldn't you consider going back to Alidasht with me? I know a few people back in Alidasht that would be overjoyed in teaching you. Besides, only a fool wouldn't recognize the value of having someone with your talents by their side.” Mayet said as she looked at Reogh.

“Don't feel pressured to accept, but think about my offer. If the people you are working for here in Caesonia don't recognize your talents or give you reason to hide your identity like this, they're nothing but fools.” Mayet said with a huff as she turned her eyes as she mentioned Reogh's employers.

While Mayet didn't know exactly who that woman was, she knew that she worked for the Caesonian high nobility, judging by her words and mannerisms.

Riona’s grandmother would’ve been proud of her right now and just as equally disappointed for what her granddaughter was about to do. She could see her now, arms akimbo. “Tut-tut. Reyona,” she’d say (a nickname she preferred over Ríoghnach, because the name wasn’t “Alidasht enough” for her tastes). “At least pretend you took a moment to think about it.”

<<Your gracious words have touched me deeply and left me humbled beyond measure, Your Royal Highness. I will treasure them, for there could be nothing more valuable than those words from someone as accomplished as yourself.>>

<<However, with great regret and a heavy heart, I must decline your offer. I am…>> Riona hesitated, her nails dug hard enough into her palms to leave crescent moons, <<… bound here and I do not see that changing in the foreseeable future. Please forgive my presumption in declining such a valuable opportunity, and know that I am forever grateful for the honor you have bestowed upon me.>> She bowed even lower than before.

Mayet couldn't help but let out a deep sigh as she heard Reogh's reply to her offer, although it didn't seem to be a reply motivated by Reogh's own desires, but instead due to her circumstances… Be them whatever they were.

“Very well, Reogh. I promised I wouldn't pressure you on this matter, so I won't insist… But I want you to remember exactly who I am. Breaking your bonds should be relatively simple for someone like me. So you should make your choice according to your own desires.” Mayet said, with a serious expression as she looked at Reogh.

“If you ever change your mind… You know who I am and how to find me.” Mayet said with a chuckle as she waved to Reogh, leaving the arena.

<<May the sun grant you continued success and happiness, Shehzadi Mayet Ibn Raif Kadir.>> Riona recited to the Shehzadi as she departed with her big black cat.

Nala, who was still waiting for Mayet, let out an annoyed growl as she pushed Mayet with her head, almost as if chastising her for what almost happened.

“I know… I know I was the one that kept reminding you to mind your manners… Thank you, Nala.” Mayet said with a chuckle as she gently caressed the tigress.


Location: Just outside the Jotunheim





The moment Nellara heard Gesith's insult, she couldn't help but to laugh. It was honestly a terrifying reaction, considering the situation they were in. Especially since it wasn't a sarcastic laugh, but a genuine, amused laugh. To think a pitiful, arrogant and conceited little lord such as him had the audacity to not only invade Ascendancy territory, but to challenge a Castigator? That situation was so ridiculous it was almost comical.

"I seem to have made a mistake by treating you like a knight or a noble then! No wonder why we are having difficulties communicating with each other..." Nellara said, laughing as she looked at Gesith.

"After all... If you take away the honor, ethics and civilized behavior of a person, you are left with nothing more than a wild beast... A beast that moves solely by instinct and greed. Takes what it wants to take, not thinking about the consequences their actions can have..." Nellara said, giving a step forward until she was two steps away from touching Gesith.

"And we all know that beasts, especially beasts of burden, listen better to the bite of a whip than laws, ethics or words, am I right?" she said, with a cruel smirk as she looked to Gesith.

"I ask you once again, Gesith. Are you ready to act like someone of the position you so proudly claim to have?" Nellara asked, with a threatening tone.

Despite how hard Nellara was working to maintain the situation under control, the lack of proper communication... and maybe the stubbornness of some humans was about to make things even more complicated... As soon as Nellara noticed that Zeynep didn't heed her warning and instead continued approaching Gesith and his knights, a twinge of irritation briefly appeared on Nellara's expression. She didn't even need to think to be sure that somehow, Gesith would twist the situation and somehow use that to justify his words and actions.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't take much to make Gesith's voice and expression to fill with arrogance and excitement as he pointed out the humans' approach... Something which only made Nellara want to pounce on him and slit his throat even more than she already wanted before. The strict investigation from the Order of Magisters, including having her mind searched by Thought Mages, which would more likely take place if Nellara ended up killing Gesith, almost sounded preferable to continuing hearing the Glen lord's nonsense.

"Safe? Spare me from your cheap tricks. We all know that you want nothing but to claim and steal their fortress to yourself. Neither you nor your knights even tried to hide the greed in your eyes as soon as you looked at it." Nellara said.

When his knights gave a step forward and Gesith himself said that they were in Sudenúr as he began 'talking' with the humans, Nellara immediately put herself in front of Gesith once again, blocking his path, purposely dropping the entire pouch of metal spheres on the ground as she raised her hand in a signal for him to stop, feigning it as an accident.

"You will not take a single step forward, Gesith Silbermine! This is my last warning. The Sky People might not understand your petty tricks, but we know your greed very well." Nellara said with a loud and firm commanding voice.

"You invaded Ascendancy territory, claimed it as your own by ignoring the clear natural borders and you are challenged a Castigator's authority inside Ascendancy territory! The offenses you committed today are enough to warrant a severe retaliation towards Mythadia from the Ascendancy. Your insolent behavior today might will have serious consequences if you not stand down right now." Nellara said as she looked directly towards Gesith. Both of them only a few meters away from each other.

"If what happens today is known by the Ascendancy, your king would have to offer our nation your head in a platter as reparations to avoid a war. I suggest you to think about your next words very carefully and think even more carefully about your next actions." Nellara finished looking towards Gesith and his knights with an expression that made it clear that there would be no more exchange of words, depending on their reply.

"Zeynep! Listen!" Nellara said, without taking her eyes away from Gesith and his knights.

"Enemies. Take Jotunheim. Take 'guns'. Not friends." she said, purposely using the human word for 'guns' as she pointed towards the glen knights, then to the Jotunheim, making a grabbing motion with her hand, almost as if she was trying to grab the entire ship and aggressively taking it back near her own body.

With the tensions as high as they were and the heavy words she spoke, it would be highly unlikely someone would notice the metal spheres (which blended in quite decently with the metal shrapnel from the Jotunheim's crash) that she had dropped earlier slowly moving through the ground, positioning themselves in a line between her and Gesith, with three spheres stopping in front of that line, each one pointing towards Gesith and the two knights that were behind him.


Location: Just outside the Jotunheim





The subtle threat in Silbermine's words as he mentioned that he commanded a squadron of wallbreakers wasn't ignored by Nellara.

"Was that a threat that I heard, Silbermine?" she asked, looking at the Glen noble with a clearly hostile stare. Silbermine's arrogance and his constant threats were finally taking a toll on Nellara's patience.

"Do not let your arrogance blind you. Take a look around you. Not only you have invaded Ascendancy territory, and directly challenged a Castigator's authority, but you are threatening to steal and 'claim' the fortress of sentient beings. Your words and actions are more fitting of a pillager than a noble knight. Please, conduct yourself as someone fitting of your status." Nellara said as she looked at him.

"I hope you haven't forgotten who exactly I am... Silbermine. You speak with a Castigator. I have enough authority to mobilize an entire army if I so deem necessary. If I told the Order of Magisters what happened here today... What you and your knights tried to do today, retaliation against your house, maybe even your nation would be certain..." She said, threatening Silbermine back.

"There is no need for anyone to die, Silbermine. Nor there is any need for the Ascendancy to pick-up arms to retaliate for the grave offenses you have committed here today. There is still time to salvage this situation and avoid an all-out war between both our nations... I assume I can count with your cooperation, yes? For your sake and your nation's." Nellara said with a very serious tone and a piercing stare.

"You claim to have no quarrel with the Sky People, but they barricaded themselves immediately after you arrived, while they seemed to be fine with letting us enter their ship and communicate with them. Do you need any more proof of how barbaric your actions, words and intentions are?" she said, pointing towards the entrance to Jotunheim, which was now barricaded by boxes, with only a small entrance left open.

Nellara nodded softly as she heard Kareet's words. At least for now, communication between the Glen and the humans would be as difficult as it was with them so even if the glen demanded to talk with the humans, there wouldn't be any results coming from that. Besides, she still wanted to, if possible, to continue being the humans' sole allies, in order to monopolize the knowledge traded from them for as long as possible.

When Zeynap was spotted leaving the fortress-ship, apparently with the intention of joining the 'negotiations' Nellara had to think fast on how to steer that negotiation so things would go according to her desires and to the benefit of the Ascendancy. For now, the best she could do was to stall as much as she could until the thought mages arrived... Or until Silbermine ended up losing his patience and saying or doing something he shouldn't have done in front of Zeynap... Something which could easily consolidate Nellara and her group's status as allies for the humans and the Glen from the Silbermine house as enemies... Regardless of what happened, she would have to be ready for anything.

Before Zeynap could approach them even further, Nellara looked to her with a serious expression, raising her hand in a 'stop' signal as she shook her head as she pointed to the Glen knights behind Silbermine.

"Wait. Enemies." Nellara said to Zeynap. A word that they had already exchanged before and one Zeynap would hopefully understand taking in consideration the situation they were right now.

"How can we trust you to not try doing anything with the Sky People's envoy, considering the fact that you clearly stated that you wished to steal their fortress before? What are your intentions with the Sky People and their fortress?" Nellara asked as she looked at Silbermine.

"We need to guarantee their safety before we even consider continuing this negotiation." she finished as she waited for Silbermine's answer.
Karina Frost


Upon hearing Octavio's reply to her plan, Karina couldn't help but let out a satisfied smirk. She knew that there was no one better for that task than Octavio himself. In silence, she watched as Octavio entered the stage and the play began to unfold. Taking the role of a Priest, Octavio began raising concerns about the current situation and especially, the safety of the population who lived near the prison.

It didn't take long until murmurs started echoing through the tavern after the other patrons heard such valid concerns being raised by the priest. The very moment Karina heard the murmurs start, she knew that Octavio already had the other patrons' full attention. Fortunately, be it due to the pressure or the chaotic situation he was in until now, Lord Ru'Tev's words did little to nothing to alleviate the worries that were raised by Octavio.

The very last piece in the puzzle came from a single voice coming from somewhere in the tavern, a single voice that was raised in a staged outrage caused by the situation. Chres's voice echoed through the tavern stirring up the emotions and feelings of the other concerned patrons.

One voice, even if staged, was enough. Chres' growls, were like a spark igniting oil. His was the first one, followed by another random patron, then another and another. The moment Chres mentioned the word 'change'. Lord Ru'Tev should know exactly where the situation would go if he didn't do anything right now and as such, he had no choice but to slam his fist on the table before he addressed the concerns of the other patrons.

With all eyes and ears on him, Lord Ru'Tev opened his mouth again after a moment, giving reason to the concerns raised, before he quickly tried to control the situation and lessen the damage to his image by offering a monetary compensation for everything that happened. Like any other Lord, Ru'Tev was sly enough to know how to 'control' the normal people. Unfortunately for him, Octavio and Chres wouldn't let things go his way.

Even if Octavio and Chres weren't successful in making all the patrons agree with them when they mentioned that money wouldn't bring back those who died, the number who did was enough to make it impossible for Lord Ru'Tev to ignore. That very conflict of interests between those who wanted money and those who wanted action, in the end was what made Lord Ru'Tev finally give up...

After a deep sigh, with an already exhausted expression, Ru'Tev said exactly the words Karina wanted to hear the most...

“I will… use my clout with the royal family to look into better solutions.”

That was Karina's cue to act. Her time to take her role on the play Octavio had started. Slowly getting up from her seat, Karina walked towards Ru'Tev, not caring about hiding herself anymore.

"What an opportune timing, Lord Ru'Tev." Karina said as she approached Lord Ru'Tev, stopping just in front of him.

"I couldn't help but hear the commotion... I believe I can help you with your... predicament." she said, looking at him with a satisfied expression.


Location: Just outside the Jotunheim





The more Nellara heard Silbermine and his knights speaking, the more she knew she would have a hard type trying to talk with him and his type. His arrogance and religious fanaticism made him blind to the truth and only able to see exactly what he wanted. Regardless of anything she said, no matter how obvious, Silbermine would only see and hear what he wanted to.

Despite Silbermine's arrogant, loud shouts as he replied, Nellara kept silent, carefully assessing the situation and paying attention on Kareet's words as she approached her.

"We should indeed start carefully positioning ourselves, Seeker Kareet. Solving this situation without fighting might be harder than I previously though..." Nellara said, her mind racing as she thought on the next course of action and what she could do to both protect the Ascendancy territory, their relationship with the Humans and at the same time, minimizing any possible losses from their side, should a conflict with the Glen knights really arise.

"Whether we end up in a fight against Silbermine's knights or not, the cooperation from the humans will be instrumental to solve our situation." Nellara said, agreeing with Kareet and Kerchak's words.

"Kerchak, If we want any hope to solve this conflict without having to spill blood, we need a thought mage as soon as possible. I will try keep Silbermine busy, please take one of my soldiers to Lenkik and tell them that Castigator Nellara requested for a thought mage to be dispatched urgently." Nellara said as she looked to Kerchak before she turned toward Silbermine once again.

"Look around you, Silbermine! The border between the Ascendancy territory and your people's territory, the exact line separating the mountains from the marshland is clear! For you to lay claim to this hill would be the same as if I took an army and laid claim to a hill just besides one of your cities." Nellara said, looking to the Glen noble and his knights with an undeniably threatening gaze.

Soon as Nellara said that, Both J'eon and Shirik spoke with Silbermine as well. The first questioning the honor of the Mythadian Knights as they sought to steal the ship from the humans and the latter bringing into attention the fact that the 'painting' on the side of the ship didn't depict a Glen, but in fact a human riding a beast.

Silently agreeing with Shirik's words, as he, much like Kareet mentioned that a Parley could bought them the time they needed, Nellara once again directed her attention towards Silbermine.

"There is no lack of evidence that your reason to claim this ship as yours is unfounded, Silbermine! But if you still think you have enough reasons to do so, I ask for parley! A chance for us all to settle this dispute without spilling blood, either ours, yours or the Sky People's." Nellara said as she started walking forward, stopping exactly halfway between the ship and Silbermine's knights.


Location: Inside the Jotunheim





With the situation outside having been dealt with, which became clear with her soldiers confirmation, Nellara turned her attention towards Tyreese, who still had his weapon pointed at her and her group. Fortunately, Vigdis put herself between both Nellara and Tyreese as soon as she returned from the outside and put her hand on his weapon, lowering it towards the ground.

With Vigdis' action visibly making Nellara calm down, she turned her attention back to the situation at hand...

While her idea seemed to be the one that would best respect the tenuous 'trust' that both the humans and her group had created after all this exchange, it seemed that much like Nellara's own group, there was some kind of misunderstanding between them, judging by the harsh tones they used as they spoke with one another.

After a brief... 'discussion', Ixtaro once again started using the strange floating images to communicate. 'Weapon', Ixtaro said as she showed a spear, then a bow and a sword. Little explanation was needed for Nellara to understand such a simple concept. Simple objects made for a simple objective. To kill. The words Ixtaro taught them next though were something a bit more complex... 'Broken' and 'Repair', she said as the the sword was put into an anvil and smashed, before it was made whole again.

"It seems that their main objective is repairing their ship, this Jotunheim... They seem to insist quite a bit on this part." Nellara said to herself, an observation as she continued paying attention to Ixtaro's images.

Curiously enough, after Ixtaro expressed the humans' desire to fix their ship, the next question was one that made Nellara a bit more... cautious. Using the same word from before, 'weapon', Ixtaro produced an image of a Tekeri, with spheres spinning around them and after that, one similar to Shirik, with flames jumping from the image. It was clearly curious about the metal spheres Nellara used and how Shirik was able to conjure flames, once again reinforcing Nellara's theory that the humans had no knowledge of magic... And they seemed to be quite interested by that knowledge...

That question, by itself wouldn't be something that would make Nellara careful, but the fact that Ixtaro conveniently didn't explain that the metal objects on their hands were also 'weapons' made her a bit more... careful regarding how she would approach that subject.

"Whatever it was that made these humans able to build such things, like this fortress-ship or these strange tablets that can conjure magic images... It doesn't seem to be magic..." Nellara said, replying to Kareet, which seemed to be quite shocked after being confirmed that the humans didn't know what magic was.

"Tyreese, weapon... Teach." Nellara said, pointing towards the metal object Tyreese had on his hands, making it clear to them that she knew what those were and using the same word Ixtaro used afterwards. The message Nellara wanted to pass wasn't hard to understand. If they wanted knowledge, they would have to give them knowledge as well. An equal exchange.

"The humans are still hiding things from us. Neither one of them showed how their weapons work, yet they want to know about ours..." Nellara said with a serious tone.

"Knowledge can be extremely dangerous... We should be careful in sharing what we know." Nellara said, with a sharp stare as she looked towards the humans.

Turning back towards the humans, Nellara thought for a bit, trying to find a way to explain them at least about the spheres, since they seemed to think the metal spheres were weapons themselves instead of being mere tools. When Nellara saw one small piece of metal in the ground, apparently coming from one of the many boxes that either Vigdis tripped earlier or that the metal spiders had opened, she calmly walked towards it, picking up from the ground and showing it clearly to the humans.

"Nellara, weapon." she said, as she dropped the small metal piece, making it float above her hand and raised her other hand in a closed fist, before opening, making her claws touch each other and slide, making an arc of electricity appear for a moment and then disappear.

After that small demonstration was done, she made the small bolt she got from the floor earlier to stop floating and put it back on the ground where it was before returning to her initial position.

Even though that exchange of 'knowledge', or at least the attempt of doing so by the humans made Nellara a bit wary, Vigdis, who previously cooperated with her, grabbed a piece of one of the boxes and made two drawings on it. One of them depicted two figures holding each other's hands. 'Friend', Vigdis said, as she held hands with the human named Tyreese, in what appeared to be a friendly exchange.

The other image was quite self explanatory. The two figures, which were holding each other's hands before, were now attacking each other with swords and spears. 'Foes', Vigdis said as she looked towards Nellara, before giving a step forward and offering her hand, repeating the word related to the friendly exchange she demonstrated with Tyreese.

Even though it seemed to be a simple enough question, Nellara still took quite a bit to reply. She had no idea of what the humans expected of a 'friend'... or even if they idea of 'friends' was the same of theirs. It was only after a good two minutes or so that Nellara finally replied, approaching Vigdis.

"Neither one of us seem to have the intention of fighting... There is much that can be gained with a fair exchange of knowledge..." Nellara said as she give a step forward and took Vigdis' hand, imitating the gesture she did earlier with Tyreese. Although her reply to Vigdis seemed to be a bit more... careful, than what she probably would have expected.

"Not foes." Nellara said, shaking her head from one side to the other as she repeated the word 'foes', before dropping the second board Vigdis had given her on the ground and breaking it under her feet.

"Friends...?" Nellara said, this time as a question as she shook Vigdis' hands. While she was still a bit wary about the humans, that demonstration was clearly showing that she was more inclined to be their 'friends' than their foe and she asked a confirmation of their friendly intentions as much as they did ask hers.

It was exactly at that moment that Kerchak and the soldier that Nellara had dispatched with him to Lenkik suddenly came back with worrying news... An entire platoon of Glen was approaching the Jotunheim... After hearing the soldier's report, Nellara gave a step back, letting go of Vigdis hand as she heard the soldier's words with a worried expression.

"Good job, soldier. Thank you, Kerchak." Nellara said, thanking both the soldier and Kerchak.

"It might be better for both of you to not go to Lenkik just yet. While we still need the presence of a thought mage... We might also need the presence of an army..." Nellara said with an ominous tone.

"They know this is Ascendancy territory and still they came with an entire platoon... I fear we might need to prepare for the worse..." Nellara said as she looked to the group.

Just as she finished saying so, the sound of a horn from the outside announced the arrival of the Glen platoon and a voice arrogantly asked for safe passage, expressing their intent of 'claiming' the fallen star.

Before going out, Nellara turned towards Vigdis and the humans once again, with a serious expression.

"Not friends. Humans, stay." she said as she pointed outside, insinuating that the new group outside was definitely not friends, although they couldn't be called foes yet, while asking the humans to stay inside.

Walking outside, Nellara stepped forward until she could be clearly seen by the Glen of the House Silbermine.

When she got outside, J'eon, whom she thought had left, could be found already speaking with the Silbermine knights, denying their request of safe passage.

"Knights of the house Silbermine, you stand within Ascendancy territory, in the presence of Castigator Nellara, assigned to Lenkik under direct orders of the Ascendancy!" Nellara replied, with a loud, authoritative voice as she approached to back J'eon's words.

"There will be no claiming! This fortress-ship is neither yours to claim nor ours to have! This ship and it's inhabitants are under the protection of the Ascendancy. Acts of violence or aggression against them will be considered as a violation of the Ascendancy territorial hegemony and a direct aggression to the Ascendancy itself!" Nellara shouted with a commanding voice, letting the Glen know that what they were seeing wasn't a 'fallen star' and it couldn't be claimed, as it already had owners, which weren't the Ascendancy.

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