#they gave us much more insight into glaives

[readbythestarlight]

c2e30 (I’m very late and I know it but here it is anyway)

I’m almost a week late but hey that’s fine let’s do this!

Still miss Ashley but I’m gad Travis and Laura are back!

I also miss Keg

I’m so glad they fucked Lorenzo up. I’m sorry for Matt’s plans but fuck that guy.

“Enduring it silently” Yasha my girl

“Case closed” cool make me cry again that’s fine

Nott just has no fucks to give for Fjord xD

Oh, Yasha, my girl.

"I have healing I have healing who are you I have healing" oh sure Jester NOW you wanna heal

“Where’s Molly?” FUCK it’s fine I’m fine

“is he waiting upstairs?”

“He didn’t make it.”

“To… this dungeon? Cause he’s waiting upstairs?”

IT’S FINE IM NOT CRYING

Fjord sounds so exhausted someone hug him

Everyone’s sad I’m sad I don’t wanna live with this again

Fjord. Honey. It’s not your fault.

God Fjord and Jester and Yasha are going to have such a rough time healing and moving on…

This is really hard… like. My heart hurts.

“We learned for the future. This won’t happen again, understand me?”

“Nothing this good ever happens, this is great.” I love him. He’s sweet and he tries.

Jester and Beau back at the cute BFF banter already

B: “I would have laid down my life for you guys.”

J: “I would have tried to heal you back.”

Oh lord guys you can’t just make butt jokes in the middle of my crying.

Oh damn, I forgot Molly and Fjord shared a room the most often. Poor Fjord.

“It’s probably stolen.”

“People need killin’ if that happens.”

Them talking about Molly possibly coming back like that’s what we’re all still hoping for please don’t pull my heartstrings like this.

And the Fjord/Jester train rolls on again. They wasted no time.

“Oooooo, ooooo! That’s all I need to know.”

“INSIGHT CHECK”

oh my god Sam xD

WHISPERS

“Fuck human traffickers, ammiright?” You are so right.

“Please bring me any books” Caleb’s priorities back in place again

Cad cooking food I love him

Matt plz chill with the torture stuff

I love how they’re always finding random potions

Godddd Lorenzo’s chamber…

“Some young creature” it’s a baby Matt just say it

Bag of holding?? IT IS A BAG OF HOLDING?

YAAAS

Please no body parts please no body parts…

Fjord checking the room for books <3

I want Fjord and Caleb to get back to being bros man I miss that so hard

Fuck I forgot Caleb was still injured Jester plz heal him

I adore Cad you guys. Adore him.

“Roots.”

“Do I smell anything…? Nah it smells like breakfast fuck it I go back down” xD Travis

A long rest sounds like a good idea, but is the fortress safe?

“WHAT’S THAT NEW MAGIC YOU USED?” SAAAAM LOL

Cad is gonna be the weird uncle of the team who keeps them all fed and relatively healthy

I’m curious about the bag and what all it can do and stuff

lol Fjord just spilled everything out

“I have deep arcane abilities” lol Fjord

101 PLATINUM NICE

Ooooo a gem!

Oh daaaamn wax sealed envelope

AN ACTUAL ENVELOPE

okay what is it….

omg could they collect anyone 101 platinum?

Oooo Wayfairer’s Cove? Is it Pirates?? Please be pirates.

Also does that mean they’ll go to Nicodranus?

OH.

OH SHIT.

FJORD HAS ONE. IN HIS STOMACH.

“You have 50 rings, do you have a glass bead?”

Nott has the most amazing collection of stuff

Ouch, 5 intelligence check

Fjord my darling why are you collecting a tusk?

Also guys i’m over my annoyance with Fjord I missed him so much he’s back to being one of my faves

“HEY LOOK WHAT I MADE :D” Caleb my son he’s so proud and happy look at him

He’s been working on it so he can protect his friends I’m crying

Cad just makes me smile every time he speaks. Taliesin just knows how to cheer me up with every character he makes.

I can’t believe Caleb actually managed to make them a small “home” they can move just like he wanted I’m so proud of him

NOTT PLZ

Jester dragging Yasha in lol

Niiiice magic potion and magic red gem

bad magic manacles no

C: “This has great power.”

N: “What is it?”

C: “It’s a meat hook.”

300 bolts nice

Beau looking for something throwable

Those are creepy manacles 0/10

Caleb please stop being weird about fire YOU’RE SCARING ME

“It’s not my thing” hnnn

Beau honey please keep it for him he doesn’t need it right now

Fjord using Molly’s sword is good

DON’T EAT THE GODDAMN SWORD

PLEASE

Fjord’s actual identity is a bag of holding I’ve solved it

BEAU

BEAU NO

beau plz

Oh Jester… oh honey… I’m crying again

“Why didn’t you come?” IT’S FINE

I’m fine

it’s not fine

Bye Keg WE’LL MISS YOU

Letter for Nott I cry

“Oh, a note… It’s really badly written…” Nott plz

That letter I’M CRRRYYYYYING

“p.s. if anyone hurts you I will kill them” <3<3<3<3

Marisha’s face when she looked at the letter I’m crying

Ashley B is the best I miss her so much

Fjord keeping the glaive for Yasha. <3

Cad offering to help dye the bag pink xD

He and Jester are going to be good buddies

C: “I need to head east at some point.”

Cad: “What is east?”

C: “I don’t know. But I’d like to find out.”

—

B: “He makes dead people tea.”

F: “He makes what?!”

Hmmm okay so what’s making the illusion. the cart itself?

MAGIC ILLUSION CART that could be great

Stealth cart yessss

Happy (late) birthday, Ashley!

Cad should stay with the cart maybe?

They’re very touchy about the cart xD

Ophelia is classy as hell and I don’t trust her but I like her

Oooo smart to remember to bring the glaive Fjord good job

My boy with the Nat20 persuasion ayyyyyyy

No wait we’re keeping it for Yasha

Nice okay good she let them have it

Oh dang I forgot they were supposed to escort her back to Zadesh

“I think ‘hot fuck’ is accurate on a few levels” Beau continues to be THE disaster lesbian

Fjord is creeped out by Cad and I’m loving it

Oh no who’s coming…

Oh okay it’s just the carriages lol I was worried

Stealth check for giggles lol

Money says Beau will try to sleep with Ophelia before the trip is over

SAM NAMED THEM AFTER ABBA SONGS omg I’m crying

Oh oh oh a crick person. What were they called?

J: “Shady deals happening!”

Cad: “Oh is that what that is? I’ve never seen one before.”

Okay we’re in the slums this is where something is going to happen

Driving through slums in fancy carriages is bad

Frumpkin is gone sadly

Oooo Jester has a fancy new spell? Nice

“Next time you use it maybe it will have a purpose” xD harsh, Nott.

Oooo some Beau and Caleb talk! It’s been a few weeks. And yesss give us some Beau backstory!

“Why are you running around with criminals? And me?” Caleb you are just as much a criminal as the rest of them

Beau and Caleb’s friendship and their conversations are my fave

I SAW SPOILERS ABOUT WHAT’S ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND IM NOT OKAY

is his coat there

HIS COAT IS THERE

thank god

I’m not ready for this

Taliesin looks like he might cry, I’m gonna cry, everyone’s gonna cry

Letting Taliesin choose which card Jester pulled I’m weeping

the same card she pulled when they met I’m sobbing now

Fjord with Summer Dance I’m just. A wreck.

Yasha wakes up AT MOLLY’S GRAVE THIS ISN’T OKAY

“What’s going on” noPE MATT HOW DARE

Oh Yasha my dear oh god

“It happened again” stop please I beg you

She didn’t even get to help kill Lorenzo

Oh, oh, Yasha…

Oh fuck.

Oh. Oh, my heart.

She doesn’t even have her sword.

Caleb and Nott please don’t make me cry either

TALIESIN DONT

IM

I CANNOT

He’s gone.

He’s really, forever, never coming back, gone.

“I made the earth remember him. Something will be here.”

Like… like I had this vague hope that somehow he’d come back, ten, twenty episodes from now. Hell, maybe close to the end, he’d just come back. He’d return to life and maybe he wouldn’t remember at first, but they’d help remind him who he is. But no… he’s gone. Tal gave him the best goodbye he could.

C: “Come, everyone. Molly wanted us to keep living.”

B: “And make things better.”

I’m glad they all got to say goodbye but my god, none of them had ever die, because I can’t handle anything like this ever again.

Goodbye, Molly. For real this time.

“Those ideas I had have come to fruition” oh god what does that mean

Caleb worries me

New feat is cool but he still worries me

Ophelia and the Gentleman, huh?

PFFF SHE BIT HIM. kinky.

I like Ophelia more and more tbh

Cad just grins

also the Gentleman doesn’t have Cad’s blood that’s probably good

Hey @ the Gentleman don’t be a dick “that’s just the way of it” i’m gonna kick you

LOL Nott and the moisture thing again I’m cackling

How much money? I don’t remember

“mostly platinum” O_O

600 platinum NICE

250 gold

6250 alksjdlaksjflkjsdhfkjasdhg

+50 platinum for the loss of Molly HE WAS WORTH SO MUCH MORE HE WAS PRICELESS

Nott explaining “money” to Cad lol

“I can’t think of four things I’d like to get, that’s nice.”

A tea set, a skillet, more cups.

Fuck okay he’s gonna get his blood sigh

WHISPERRRSSSSS

Cad and his bugs alksjdlkas

I’m actually glad that Caleb lied about Molly… I’m not sure why but I’m just glad. Molly didn’t want to be tied to Lucien, even in death.

Metagaming pigeon lol

GO SEE PUMAT SOL I just want him to meet Cad desperately

Tal rolling to determine how Cad feels about milk lol

Tal wants to strangle Sam/Nott for their tragic lack of knowledge (r their total deception) about how whiskey is made lol

Introducing Cad to alcohol lol

Fjord is so baffled whenever people flirt with him I love it

“Here is to fucking making it work” <3

Beau I don’t think he wants to talk about it, darling

Alright Fjord needs a goddamn hug. Like a big one.

They think Jester is fine but guys she’s not fine keep an eye on her. This is how she copes but she’s gonna fall apart. There are cracks.

Caleb is right about her. She’s suffering.

Cad: “I’ve had six drinks. I’m in the biggest city I’ve ever been in. Everything tastes TERRIBLE.”

—

N: “Have you not thrown up yet?”

Cad: “Is that part of the—are you supposed to?”

—

Oh boy intruding Jester to alcohol too let her be sweet and innocent and not a useless drunk like all of you smh

Jester is going to have so much fun introducing Cad to pastries

“What’s a smut shop?” Oh lord.

C: “To that purple devil. To Mollymauk Tealeaf.”

B: “And now to our new… tea leaf…”

Travis just suggested shopping the world must be ending

Matt just keeps ducking his head and giggling I love him

Nott my dear you are not subtle

I’m so glad they all back together (minus Yasha—come back soon, Ashley!!). I missed these happy nights of goofiness.

And I’ll always miss you, Mollymauk.

“FOR MOLLY!”

Goblight lol

“Caduceus Clay, we are your destiny!!” xD Caleb

Oooo some downtime episodes coming! Some time to get to know Cad, that’ll be nice.

THEY EACH HAEV OVER 1000 GOLD

amazing

“Just one 10 hour Critical Role episode, please.” Someday, Liam, someday.

Good episode. Good, good episode.

[the-house-of-the-nine]

The Void Forge: Insurrection Part 3

Elsewhere in the valley below, down the narrow pass toward the exit. . .

[VD] Along the narrow hill climb toward which the exit of the valley was, Verzatea and the group of spellcasters eagerly awaited with hexes drawn and spells at the ready.

They would have no idea what was coming at them at this point.  The only mission they were given was to ensure that whatever came down that pass was not able to leave.  It could be the entire force coming at them.

Verzatea nervously swallowed a lump in her throat.  She was The Confessor.  It was her duty to not only safeguard the fears, and concerns of her fellow cultists.  But ensure their safety on all levels was at maximum.  She was a gentle girl, fragile and innocent at the start.  But years of abusive magics and mental conditioning seemed to have taken its toll.  She was hardened now, and much more versatile than when she was a naive spellcaster.  She would never let herself or those she cared about succumb to harm.  And as she struck another rune across the ground, her dark eyes peered up toward the growing threat racing down the valley.

“Confessor. . .”  spoke a blonde haired girl, no older than the Confessor was when she started with them.

“I see them, steady yourself dear.” Verzatea stated in a calm tone as her eyes elevated and her turned up nose would glance away from the threat. “There is nothing to fear, we stop them here.”

Boots and armor clashing against one another would be the sound as it echoed from the heavy stone walls of the valley.  Thunderous, quaking, there was a great foreboding dread that soon rushed across the group of casters.

“Steady. . . steel yourselves.” Verzatea hissed again as her glowing fingers ripped through the air again, a dark rune would race across the ground and slam into the stone wall just at the bend, embedding itself there. “They will not get the drop on us.”

“What if it went wrong?” asked one of the students.

“What if something happened to tip them off?” asked another.

“What if The Inquisitor failed?” cried a younger man, shaking in his robes and clinging to himself.

-SNAP-

Verzatea spun her head around and the look she gave that man.  If he could have felt the burning of her eyes on his flesh, it would have melted him where he stood.  Her anger and wrath of such a statement being made nearly caused her to slap him across his face for such treachery.  But as she peered to him, it was clearly evident that his fear for the coming enemy was soon outweighed by the fear he felt for those eyes staring back at him.

“I did. . .didn’t. . .i didn’t mea. . .I did. . .” stumbled the same man.

“You’re correct, You - did - not.  Remember what you were told. . .” Verzatea snarled in her own dry and miserable manner.  Choosing to use his own naivety against him. “The Inquisitor does not allow failure. . .not from his students, his order, from us. . . or himself.”

Those who were present began to turn and look at her.  They were her children, these youthful spellcasters were taught by her.  In the weeks leading up to the siege Kross and Verzatea had worked with these students to prepare them for this.  She knew as she spoke they would listen, and listen they did.

“You are here because you are our family.  You are the children of The Nine, the future. . .and you are the key to this victory.  We are here to ensure that those soldiers. . .” she tore her calm stance for just a moment and faced the empty pass with her profile, her hand jutting outward and with a narrow finger pointed down the corridor. “Those cultists . . . do not break through this line.  For if they do, we will watch as a sea of their brothers and sisters consume every last one of us. . .We hold this line, We ensure that every last one of our own lives this day. . . We are The Nine. . .”

Her chance of being a leader.  Did she fail miserably?  There was a shaking silence that swept through the chatter of her students.  They were not speaking or questioning her anymore. 

The sounds of the armor and boots racing down the pass soon growing louder, as were the screams of fear and panic that were being ripped from them.  It was clearly evident that they were only a few minutes from turning the corner and finding their position.

Verzatea remained still, her finger still pointing toward the pass as her glowing fel fire eyes glanced from face to face that was standing around her.  Did they respond?  Were they inspired?

One set of hands slowly raised up in the fashion of the spellcasters, hands opening and igniting a pair of runic symbols from his flesh.  Another set.  Followed by another.  And another.  Soon the entire collection of students were flowing energy into their hands and standing ready to engage the enemy.

Verzatea offered a smirk.  She curled her lips and nodded her head.  And just as she turned to face the pass once more, the sound of the students coming together overtook the screams of the enemy.  They stood as one force and would attack the second they turned the corner.

[VD] The cowards hadn't stood a chance, for the moment they even recognized there was danger afoot were the casters upon them. Vicious spells were sent their way, men and women bursting into flames or falling apart as though the threads holding their limbs together had suddenly slackened, one even having a burst of spiders explode from his insides and consume him inside out. The first onslaught had easily demolished eighty eight of their foes, and it was the final blow away of runes on the ground, mere feet from their salvation, that two of the eight unknowing,

[VD]They stumbled onto in their desperate effort to save themselves. They both would be paralyzed. Tensed and solidified in their looks of horror and agony. With a final nod from the Confessor had one of her students chanted the appropriate incantation, both of these stones crumbling before their eyes like a sped up erosion of wind whittling down stone. Among the eighty eight to perish, six remained cowering in bushes or behind trees along the mountain paths, spared of any horrors inflicted upon them-- Yet. For Verza’s casters wasted no time in detaining them.

They were victorious, and the spellcasters and students took the six remaining Twilight Hammer cultists into custody.  They would move them to the flank of their group and lock them in a heavy cage of magical energy and spells.  A total of 7 would be taken, the one Arakoa and the six here.  Her job was not finished though, Verzatea would keep the vigil until the Raven took to the sky once more to give the victory call.

Back in the valley at the entrance of Grim Batol. . .

The two thousand or so Wildhammer dwarves that had been amassed to try and reclaim this area were finally reaching the bottom of the mountain pass.  They had chattered and spoke during the entire descent to the basin.  It was clear now that they were there, that their suspicions were confirmed.  The cultists were killed, and badly.  Most looking like they’d done themselves in.  But many looked to have been felled by their own cultists.  This act confused the Dwarven commanders and soldiers who were looking about trying to make sense of all of this.

Koltun slowly walked over to the edge of the cliff side and peered down.  Beside him was a fallen dwarf.  The man had killed him earlier and without saying a word, placed his foot against the chest of the corpse.  Vari watched him with a mild interest as he grabbed the wrist of the dwarf and began to pull.  The demon flexed his upper torso as his body wrenched backward.  And using the glaive of his craft, straightened the dwarf corpses arm and sliced it clear through the bone just above the elbow.  As he reclaimed his blade to his back, the fingers of the hand would be pried away from the war-horn it was holding. 

“Give the signal, my dear.” Koltun said as he held the horn in his hand, peering back at Vari.

Pyravari could only chuckle softly under her breath.  She knew he was a demon, and still coping with his own darkness, but the act of slicing off an arm to get the horn, rather than taking the horn made her smile.  It was an act of cruelty that she knew all too well.  And the fact that these two forces had reunited, actually caused her to smile, it was not often she did.

Her blade was raised into the air, and suddenly several dozen archers would ready their bows and arrows. She looked toward The Speaker who was also prepared to go.  And without saying a word, tore her blade through the air to begin the siege. 

Koltun blew the horn to break the attention of all those in the valley, hoping to insight confusion and madness through their ranks.  That would be the dwarven horn, the one sound they knew meant ‘help’.  And after clipping it on his belt, the demon leapt into the air; spread his wings and grabbed the hand of his lover.

Vari and Koltun then glided down into the valley like a terrible storm of darkness.  Their soldiers were racing down the pass of the mountain to meet them, and the archers let out a volley of arrows to start picking off the dwarves.

They landed, blades drawn, and a pair of fel fire and lich fire eyes peered at one another.

“If we die. . .” Koltun began but was cut off.

“We don’t die.” Vari corrected with a snarl.

“But if we do. . .”  he took a step toward the dwarves who were still collecting themselves and realizing the enemy was there.  They began to charge. “I wanted to tell you. . .”

She looked toward him.  She tilted her gaze, her eyes searching for him.

“I’m responsible for the two dozen bushels of pomegranates Kross is currently in the process of filling your room with. . .” Koltun yelled quickly and flashed her a grin then leapt into the air toward the dwarves.

Vari actually froze.  Her eyes wide, her gaping mouth unsure of what to make.  Why did he always do this. . .

“Dammit Kolt!” she yelled as she charge in after him. “Why!”

“Kisses, dear!” laughed the demon as he drove his glaives through the first, second and third dwarf he found.  They would soon begin to separate and the sound would be too much to hear one another.

[AS] Asphodel watched as the harbinger and her lover cut through the dwarves with their forces currently on their way down to join them.  A smirk, small at first, came to life on her lips as her magic swirled around her, her body like its own thunderstorm as sparks of violet energy began to cascade from her form.

[AS] As the dwarves continued to fall one after another it would only add to the collection of corpses already waiting for her.  She raised her hands toward the bodies of the dead, her fingers reaching toward them as they outstretched.  It was a second nature for her, she would raise those that were dead as easily as she breathed.  Her runic tattoos slithering about her skin as she laughed uncontromablely.

[AS] She laughed and laughed, in an almost musical sound, especially as she danced about with the song the bells hanging from her earrings would make.  She was mostly alone on the top of the mountain pass as she looked down at the chaos below.  Corpses of cultists, dwarf and more would begin to reanimate and start cutting down any she would point them to.  As a wildhammer shaman tried to rush her from behind, perhaps a survivor from their first assault, on of the dead that they’d cleared grabbed hold of his ankles and tripped him onto the dirt.  As he laid there, struggling and writhing, another set of hands tore at his flesh.  He cried and screamed for the ancestors to offer him pity but as his throat was split open by the sound of crushing teeth, his words were over.  Blood shot from his neck, the dead corpses swarming him would begin to devour the dwarf while he was still alive, and soon enough; after his passing, she would animate him as well.

[AS] The Harbinger and Demon below were like a pair of intricate dancers on the battlefield.  Neither one needing to think about their actions of their partner, it just came natural.  Dodging one axe and grabbing the hilt, spinning the enemy and finding the other had ended its life.  They worked like a well oiled machine.  As she The Harbinger spun her massive rune blade cutting down anything that was in her path, the demon was right there by her side, leaping from left to right, and bounding over and about cutting down any that dared to try and approach his lady.  The pair had a bond, and it was intense; this much was clear.  The ease in which they fell into battle was like poetry to those who were allied to them.  But the wave of death and fear to the wildhammers only caused their body count to rise.  they were no match for such a talented pair.

[AS] By this time, The Speaker had descended onto the battlefield below.  As she walked through the death and destruction with a legion of shambling corpses behind her, she continued to cackle and hum like a child playing in a field of wild flowers.  Her fingertips would brush against the corpses she raids, each becoming a new slave to the death that had taken them, becoming a new wave of enemy to crush their former brethren. 

[AS] “Rise. . .Rise. . .Rise!” she sang, power flowing through her veins as she cut a swath of mayhem through the remaining enemy.

[AS] Those who did remain could not help but look at the oncoming wave with fear in their eyes.  They were pinned.  Stuck in the middle while facing off against cultists of the Nine and corpses of The Hammer.  The Speaker was raising fresh dead that they cut down and it seemed they were being encroached upon by The Harbinger coming from one side with her demon, and the Speaker and her legion from the other.

[AS] Yet despite the successful pincer and closing in darkness that crept upon the Wildhammer, one slipped past the tide of dead and before the Speaker nor the Harbinger realized and could do anything, one of their own was felled.  An axe through embedded in his throat; a warrior under Vari, one she had trained herself.  As much as The Speaker could feel anger coming from the lich, She would try her best to calm her under normal circumstances.  Now she simply stepped aside.  The Harbinger let out a banshee like war cry.  Her own necromatic energies raising above controllable levels, and the final half of corpses that were still yet to come to life would rise.  A legion combined with their own living forces would be bolstered by some nine hundred or more from the entire army of dead that were now standing around the enemy.

[AS] The battle was over within minutes.  The massive force of dead made short work of the remaining dwarves.  And soon after the screams and cries had finally died down, they were left with a pile of dead and the remaining shambling corpses.  One by one they would die off, no longer needed.  The two necromancers released them to death. 

And then there was silence.  Silence as the forces started to tend to the wounded, and move the dead from their general area.  Silence as the smoke would slowly recede from the scene.

To be continued. . .

@pyravari

@whatadarkbitch

@lyvraynefloralis

@thebladeitself

@suncrest-legacy

@daltalah

@lady-dawnblood

[alia-turin]

Title: Broken Bonds [Chapter II] Previous chapters: Chapter I 

Characters: OC, Libertus Ostium, Cor Leonis, Luche Lazarus (mentioned), Titus Drautos | Glauca (mentioned) Warning: SFW for work, next chapters might not be but there will be warning. Notes: Second chapter takes place right after the first one. Not much happening here but gives more insight on the OC and how things are running in Lestallum (thanks Square for not going into these details). 

Tagging: @birdsandivory  @yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy @jojopitcher @fromunseeliecourt @xanxusthot @lazarustrashpit @littlestfangirl

If anyone wants to be tagged (or untagged, I won’t take any offence I know it might not be your cup of tea) in the future please let me know.

The Marshal was called away at the gates due to some sort of trouble and Libertus was kind enough to take her to his own ‘home’. He was living in one of the buildings within the barricade, a small apartment that probably before all that was a bigger apartment but now was split so it can accommodate more people. Even with that he had pretty much everything needed. Bedroom, a bath and even a small kitchen which he said he never uses since food is usually distributed to everyone and people ate together in improvised canteens as much as possible.

“Can I take a shower?” she needed that badly and the idea of just being around water made her more than excited.

“Sure. Just have in mind the water is cold. We don’t have enough power to heat it.” He said apologetic. “I will see if I can find you some clean clothes. I doubt anything I own would fit you.” He gave her one of his cheerful grins. He was just this type of guy, capable to take every situation easy without stressing so much. The first time she had seen him probably really angry was after what happened with Crowe…

He left her alone and Ada sighed in relief. Part of her enjoyed having company, especially someone she knew, however the funny thing about being alone was that eventually you get used to it. It becomd so familiar that it hurt you when somebody was dragging you out of this bubble of loneliness even if you wanted to be free from it.

The water was cold, but she didn’t mind. It was better than nothing. Once she was done she looked herself in the cracked mirror in the bathroom. She had lost so much weight. All the muscle had fallen from her body, and she was just skin and bones. She hated it. The scar that Luche was given her just below her collar bones was still there, with time it had just changed its colour from red to white. Her fingers clenched the sink unintentionally. Few inches up and he could have cut her throat. He obviously had been willing to kill her why didn’t he do it? It was pointless to think about that now. She had thought about it every single day since Insomnia fell and she still didn’t have an answer. What troubled her more was the question would she have killed him if she had the upper hand. She certainly did, but if she had been in situation where her knife was at his throat, what was she going to do then. Part of her was happy she never found out the answer to that question.

In one of the drawers she found pair of scissors and she used them to cut her hair. The red hairs falling in the sink reminded her of blood drops and as soon as she was done she cleaned them almost hysterically. At least now she was a bit happier with her look. Her hair was shoulder long, the front part a bit shorter and she proceeded into birding few locks and tying them at the back. She almost looked like her formal self, minus some sleep and significant weight loss.

Ada wrapped a towel around herself and walked in Libertus’ bedroom. He was back there and pile of clothes was on the bed.

“They should fit. With the way things are, we cannot be picky about things like size and colour.” He tried to give her a warm smile but then his eyes fell on the scar under her neck. “What happened there?”

“Luche.” She responded quickly and grabbed the clothes closing the bathroom door behind herself. He had brought her pair of black jeans, a red t-shirt and a jacket. It was more than sufficient and the only issue was that the jeans were too long, but it was the misfortune if a short person.

“He didn’t hold back, did he?” Libertus shouted from the other room.

She didn’t know the answer to that. He didn’t, but yet she was alive. So maybe he did.

Ada walked out of the bedroom all dressed and looking more like herself than a muddy orphan.

“Now you look amazing!” Libertus gave her a friendly wink and she responded with sad smile. That did remind her too much of home, her second home, Insomnia. They all used to joke and laugh during training, make fun of each other or tease each other. When she looked back at that time, it seemed like everyone got together and they were really like family. Of course, that wasn’t truth. They had their differences and conflict but every family did.

“Is the Marshal back?” she asked trying to stop thinking about how things used to be.

“Yeah, I saw him while I was picking the clothes for you. He should be in the Leville, he has made his office there. He would be expecting you.” Libertus offered her an encouraging smile. “Maybe we can grab some food after that? To catch up.”

Ada didn’t answer but nodded in agreement. Food right now seemed amazing especially since her stomach was hurting from hunger.

 Cor the Immortal had made the manager’s office of the Leville his own. As she walked into the room he was staring at a map placing pins at what she assumed was important locations for whatever he might be planning. She never had the honour to meet the man before, although she had seen him around the Citadel. She didn’t think about it when Libertus told her he was working with the Marshal but now that she was with the man in the same room she felt intimidated. He was after all the Marshal and she was just a Glaive no one cared about.

“Yes?” the Immortal final asked since she had not opened her mouth for probably two minutes after she walked in.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, sir. Libertus send me to introduce myself.” At the back of her head she was freaking out. Since a child she knew who the man was and admired him and now she was here with him talking like an idiot. “My name is Adelais Ardens I used to be with the Glaive. You can call me Ada.”

“The new girl Libertus told me about.” He turned toward her, his arms crossed. “He says you are pretty good with magic.”

“He probably exaggerates my abilities.” Ada wasn’t selling herself short, but the truth was she lost probably the most important fight she ever fought. What good were skills if she couldn’t do her job?

“We will see about that. Monica is one of my Crownsgards, you can find her in the city center. Speak with her about accommodations. We are a bit short on equipment, but if you need anything, ask her she might be able to provide. Most stores work with cash or for exchange so if you run into something valuable during your hunts you might want to bring it with you. We have few main objectives for now: finding more meteor pieces, saving refugees, opening as many outposts as we can sustain and looking for the Prince. The hunters and the crownsguard are looking for the prince so you don’t need to bother with that, focus on the rest.”

“You don’t trust the Glaive?” the words just came out of her mouth without thinking.

“It’s a work in progress.” He answered dryly.

It was amazing how much he reminded her of the captain. Same no-nonsense type of aura, straight to the point, not holding punches back. Then it hit her. These two have probably been friends or something similar enough. The Glaive didn’t just betray the King and the kingdom. The Marshal was betrayed as well. That at least put them in the same boat.

“You up for some work?” he asked her.

“I need to grab some food I haven’t eaten in days, but after that I am free.” Ada didn’t like the fact she had to admit a weakness, but the idea of venturing out now when she barely stood on her legs seemed terrible.

“Good. There is a group of refugees, south of here.” He made a sign for her to come closer and look at the map. Just now she realized how much taller than her he was. “We will leave in two hours to pick them up.”

Ada was sure he had other things to do and that somebody else could be send to pick up these refugees. There was no need for Cor the Immortal to do it personally, but he didn’t trust her and she didn’t blame him. At that point it was probably easier to trust someone who was in the Niff’s armies than a Glaive that just randomly appears half dead. Libertus vouching for her has earned her the right to stay here for now, but the Marshal was pulling the strings of hunters, crownsguard and glaives and it was understandable if he wanted the last word on how reliable somebody is. Ada was surprised he wasn’t beheading them all given that even their Captain was involved in what turned to be the end of the kingdom.