Antebellum

[Ariadne Fyrian]

The late afternoon found Fyrian submerged within the cleansing waters of a bath. Though her body appeared relaxed and fluid, her mind was still reeling from the events earlier in the day; the warning from the Northern giants, Draxus and his bid for dictator, and the return of Parsideon Denix.

It was the last that caused the most amount of turmoil in her thoughts. She had seen the look he gave her... she would have had to be blind not to.

She was not so worried as to believe that his arrival would in any way alter her status, but it still remained to be seen how he would conduct himself.

Moving to the tiled edge, the Glaucan broke the surface of the water slowly, lifting an arm up and out to reach for the glass of wine she had brought with her.

[Csephion Draxus]

"Pascias, copy these documents."

Draxus pushed a half dozen scrolls into his ever-present servant's hands.

"When are they needed?"

"Within the hour" Draxus continued to walk toward the baths as the slave kept pace alongside. "We don't have much time and there's need to be very persuasive to certain people. Where is Denix?"

Pascias didn't miss a beat. "Asleep. He is washed, and his wounds have been tended to. Should I place a setting for him at dinner?"

"Do so. Tales of sanguine exploit and violence are good for the palate. Stimulating conversation."

He paused with a knowing smile.

"And I have uses for him later. Which reminds me, his wife, what is her name?"

"Parsea."

"Send her five hundred aquilae, and a gift of your choice. Whatever you think best for a middle class family. Something useful but not humble, but neither ostentatious."

Pascias's mind was a steel trap.

"Of course. And what of Vatis?"

Draxus paused.

"Who? Oh..."

He waved it off dismissively as he continued walking.

"Am I to keep track of all of my minions' lovers?"

"Minions, domus? Perhaps brusque?"

"Facetious, Pascias. I would rather not impose."

At last they were at the baths.

"Ariadne, you would think us as swine to take to bathing with such practised dedication."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

With her back to him, Ariadne allowed herself a small amount of time to savor her drink. Ever so slowly, the Glaucan lowered it down once more before turning to face the Satrap. She leaned against the walls of the bath, her eyes going up to give him a look of feigned chastisement.

"It is either here or in the sea herself. I choose here. Perhaps you would rather find yourself a woman of your own kind who is not so drawn to the waters?"

[Csephion Draxus]

"I find women, of any kind, share your particular affliction. One then asks if it is best to suffer the peculiarity or not."

He smiled and nodded to a nearby slave to bring her a towel.

"While you have been in your watery repose, I've had a rather productive afternoon. Currying favors can only get so far, I think I shall dabble in open bribery before this matter is settled."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

She watched the slave move away for a towel, and with grace only born from the water, Ariadne moved to the stair that would bring her out. She ascended each step with ease, and reaching up, the Glaucan pulled her hair to one side.

"And I find," far from malicious, her tone was instead one of mirth, "... that I must ask myself if it is best to suffer your penchant for conquest."

Drops fell from her body as she made her way to Draxus, and as the slave returned, she graciously took the towel he offered, drying her arms and upper body before wrapping it around her waist.

"Bribery?" she nodded as the same slave handed her the wine she had left on the periphery of the bath, and with an odd look, offered the remaining drink to Draxus.

"Do you not have enough faith in those below you that you resort to coercion?"

[Csephion Draxus]

"My own faction is behind me. Courting Varo's people takes special measures, especially in the light of the urgency this vote demands."

He politely declined to chastise her political naivete, and accepted her wine.

"Better this than to spend the month roiled in indecision. While we speak, our armies move to the southlands. If we must contend again with the Jarnvid and beyond, we can't afford the luxury."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Ariadne watched him for a few moments more before giving the bath one last final look. Not quite forlorn, but not particularly elated either, her features fell into the neutral setting that the Satrap had no doubt become accustomed to seeing her wear.

"I wish you success in your endeavors then; I would be just as happy to leave that to you. I've not the stomach nor the mind to worry myself with political niceties."

A sweet smile, and she moved to step past him.

"I only pray to Denetion that you do not forget me when you've become the great head of your nation."

[Csephion Draxus]

"How could I ever do such a thing?"

He smiled behind an upturned wine glass as he took a drink.

"You seem resigned to my destiny as a figurehead I am determined not to be. After all, my petition for Dictator lasts only as far as the crisis dictates."

He pondered his thoughts as he swirled the wine about.

"If your stomach isn't for politics this evening, perhaps I can serve a lighter dish?

You should avail yourself to Parsideon Denix and become a friend to him."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

"Not resigned, simply trying to be as forward thinking as possible."

At his mention of Denix, the Glaucan gave a pained frown.

"I doubt that he would particularly enjoy that. The last time that I saw him... "

She paused as if in thought, then reached out to liberate her glass of wine from his hand.

"... I stabbed him."

[Csephion Draxus]

Draxus arched an eyebrow at this news.

"That you're still alive is evidence enough that I believe you will be successful.

He is a trusted subordinate of many years, and I need both of you to become amicable."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

"Well to be fair, he shot me in the back... " she gave a slight wince, "... and in my leg."

Wine still in one hand, she absently reached up with her free hand to wipe away at some unseen speck of dust on the fabric draped over his shoulder. So accustomed to his fastidious habits had she become that even she herself began to exhibit the same.

"But, I will do as you ask."

[Csephion Draxus]

"Very good then."

He smiled genially and turned and looked to Pascias.

"By orders of magnitude I envy you. I myself can only delegate so much flattery, and I fear I may have to get creative with my corruptions."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

It was a strange thing, that she had become so comfortable in such surroundings, yet it seemed that Pascias' presence still had a way of unnerving her. It was something that Ariadne had been able to largely suppress the more time went on, but it was a feeling that still persisted none-the-less.

She certainly did not ignore Draxus' most favoured slave, but she also did not actively seek him out for conversation.

Still though, the Glaucan was determined to be at the very least pleasant with the man. She cast a look to him.

"You should offer to trade places," she spoke lightly, with a hint of amusement.

[Csephion Draxus]

"With candor, Domina, I speak poorly in crowds. It would be a poor substitute, all matter of intellect notwithstanding."

Pascias smiled, and shrank away from the two, departing with the documents he was given.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Ariadne watched Pascias for only a moment as he moved away before turning her attentions once more to Draxus. As they entered his bedchambers, she moved to a small chest of drawers. Choosing her clothing was never as particular as when the Satrap chose his, and she found herself enjoying that fact.

Her mind was still on Pascias' answer however, or rather one word in particular. Domina. She was unable to pinpoint exactly when he'd begun to use it.

She pulled a gown from one of the drawers to lay upon the bed.

"I never know how to feel when he calls me that."

[Csephion Draxus]

"Should he not, then?"

Draxus casually queried her as a pair of slaves fussed over changing his own garment into a fresher one with sharper creases. It wouldn't do to appear somewhat shabby by midday, and he needed to look as stoic as he intended to sound.

"I'll make sure to tell him not to."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

She watched for a few minutes as the Satrap's slaves went about redressing their master, and with steady movements the Glaucan lowered herself to sit on the bed. Her expression light, she still found it amusing to simply observe his fretting over outward presentations.

It seemed to always make her smile, and Ariadne momentarily forgot the matter of her own apparel.

"I am not your wife," she answered finally, "... he need not bother himself with using such words."

[Csephion Draxus]

"You're not my wife, but you are still his better."

The Satrap straightened his shoulders as his garment was fitted.

"Pascias knows how to conduct himself in society. No need to worry about his feelings on the issue."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

She had nothing to say to that, and simply settled for pulling absently at the gown that'd been laid out for her. A slight frown, as the Glaucan wondered if truly, such clothing was proper for her to wear while dining with Denix, and not instead her normal leathers.

And the more she thought on the matter, the more she was convinced that yes, her leathers would probably be more appropriate.

A sigh, and she tossed the garment away.

[Csephion Draxus]

Draxus gave Ariadne a quizzical look as she fussed over her own choices in garment.

"Planning to interrupt dinner to pillage an island village?"

He could read her concerns that were as of yet unsaid.

"I don't anticipate combat being on the menu tonight."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

"Neither do I."

She half-turned to give him an airy smile.

"Which would you prefer?"

[Csephion Draxus]

"We're all pretending to be some civilized assembly of people, and I would hope that you too would participate in the fiction."

Draxus paused in the middle of his fitting for a drink of water from a slave.

"Perhaps it is a side of you that my friend Denix has not had the chance to consider."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

She seemed to consider his words, and after a moment of thought, nodded. Perhaps he was right; perhaps it would do some amount of good for Denix to see her not in the normal leathers and wear of her other life, but in the fineries of Necian cloth.

Ariadne reached for the garment that she'd so recently tossed to the side.

"You may be right," was her absent response while lifting the soft silk up for inspection once more.

"I suppose in the interest of civility... "

[Csephion Draxus]

"For reconciliation's sake."

The slaves, at last concluded in the task of fitting, brought a mirror around for the Satrap to examine himself.

"Hm, yes. That will do."

He shooed them away with a brush of his hand as he continued onward to another slave, carrying a correspondance addressed to him.

"If it were civility's sake it would perhaps be easier to explain. Politics put excessive motive into what should otherwise be trivium."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

The soft linen she'd wrapped around her waist after leaving the bath was untied and pulled off, and with a wave of her hand Ariadne declined the help of those slaves who'd begun to approach her. No, she was perfectly capable of dressing herself.

"It doesn't seem to me that you are disturbed in any way due to such a fact."

The silken gown fell over her body's curves like a shimmering cascade to accentuate her form.

"I'd actually wager that you take a bit of perverse pleasure in all of it."

[Csephion Draxus]

"Only when it confounds my enemies. Where as when I was a younger man my enemy would be some foreign prince in a distant land that I could face in honest combat, I find myself with greater shares of enemies who are denied such treatment through decorum."

Pausing to sign his mark onto a document, he dismissed the slave who had brought it to him.

"Perhaps some irony in civilized living is that there is not a decrease in violence, but only an increase in the subtlety of it's perpetration."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

"I see."

Giving him an appraising look, the Glaucan stepped over to a bureau that held a myriad of jewelry; some given to her by the Satrap, others which she had from before coming to Necia. Delicately she perused the choices which lay before her. Silver? Gold? A combination of the two? Or perhaps pearls? Maybe turquoise?

Her hand fell to the familiar contours of the waterstone that she had always worn - the circle quartered by the cross. It was a comforting companion these days, and never failed to remind her of Denetion's waters whenever she stared at it.

"And Denix? Will you be including him in your scheming?"

[Csephion Draxus]

"Denix is a curiosity, in that he is honor bound and loyal. Those are unique qualities among people in my lofty company and influence, and I cannot defer his presence in my plans."

Draxus almost seemed regretful as he said this, as he paused in the middle of reading and looked up.

"I nearly trust the man. I have as of yet not determined if this is a virtue or a downfall."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

A sly grin, and Ariadne continued to examine the selection before her as her voice took on a tone that was somewhat teasing, and her head ever so slightly ticked to the side.

"If 'honor bound and loyal' men are unique to those around you in your current position... " She plucked up the waterstone pendant and a necklace of thin silver cords.

"... what sort of a man does that make you... ?"

[Csephion Draxus]

With a coy expression, Draxus rolled up the scroll at last.

"A complicated one."

He set the document aside at his desk and politely deferred the invitation Ariadne had set to evaluate the many contradictions of his station.

"Have you decided then?" He changed the subject.

"I would relish the opportunity to dissect our own many peculiarities, but as Pascias can attest, my schedule before dinner is simply too crowded."

He smiled politely as he evaded.

"I will make my leave until then. I can trust both Denix and yourself not to skewer each other in any way that would make your company unbecoming tonight, yes?"

[Ariadne Fyrian]

The Glaucan was no fool, and the look she gave him spoke volumes. His attempt at deflecting her question was temporary at best. Perhaps not now, but he would answer her at some point in the future.

She held the necklaces she'd chosen up, an unspoken request for him to clasp them around her neck.

"I shall endeavor to be the model of your Necian civility, wrapped around a core scratched out of seafaring barbarity."

[Csephion Draxus]

Draxus took the opportunity to adorn his Glaucan companion.

"Lovely, as always."

Done with the task, the Satrap kissed at Ariadne's cheek and brushed her hair slightly.

"I will pass the next grueling hours in hope of seeing you just as beautiful as you are now. Good afternoon, Aridane."

With a nod of his head, the Satrap exited, escorted out by a pair of slaves to a waiting litter.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Watching him leave, Ariadne took a last moment to smooth any unseen wrinkles in her clothing. There was some small amount of worry, yes, in what the immediate future would hold for her and Denix, but she'd not shirk the request made of her.

Eventually satisfied, Fyrian wandered from the Satrap's room at a casual pace. She would no doubt find Denix in the atrium, and her path was made leisurely. There was no hurry, and she traced her finger along the walls as she walked.

Erifa it seemed was nowhere to be found; no doubt gleefully enjoying her time in the waters on the coast.

Up ahead, sunlight filtered in through an open archway like some celestial gateway to the world outside, and Ariadne slowed her stride. She did not stop, but as she passed out into the open air the Glaucan pulled in a long breath in anticipation.

[Parsideon Denix]

Ahead, Denix was being attended to by two slaves of Draxus's home. He stood nude, his bare body treated with ointments where occasional battle wounds were still healing. His skin still glistened from aromatic oil that had been applied after an extensive regimen of hot and cold baths, which the Satrap had insisted upon. He obviously wanted his Imperator to look every bit as battle-capable as he could to impress company that evening.

A Glaucan surgeon inspected a laceration at Denix's side that was starting to pucker with the reassuring signs of a speeding healing. Denix gently eased him away as he saw Ariadne approach.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Her eyes she kept to his face, studying the lines of age that had not been present the last time the two had been in one another's presence. As she approached, Ariadne folded her hands before her, fingers intertwining.

An expression crossed her features then; not a smile, but not a frown either, as she slowed to a stop before him.

"I've been asked to avail myself to you," she started carefully, yet not a little bluntly, "- and become... friends."

[Parsideon Denix]

His eyes fixed on her in a severe expression.

"If that is the Satrap's wish, tell him to consider it done."

Denix spoke taut-lipped, and was obviously displeased with the second-hand suggestion.

A slave handed him a tunic, and Denix quickly slipped it over his head, cinching his midsection with a belt as he walked, brushing by Ariadne as he went inside.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

A scowl, and Fyrian turned to watch him stalk through the archway.

It was an answer she half-expected. What Draxus wished for would not be easily obtained.

She didn't follow after the Imperator - did he expect her to? Was he of the mind that she would badger incessantly after him? No. They were both rational adults in some form or another, and the Glaucan had very easily taken up the same patience that is seemed Draxus possessed.

Moving to a stone bench, she slowly lowered herself to sit.

[Parsideon Denix]

Denix re-emerged into the atrium, now with his sandals on, and a full pack arranged into a bundle at his side. He brushed by Ariadne again, this time seemingly intent on leaving the villa.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Calm green eyes followed him as he passed her by, and Ariadne lifted a hand to idle toy with the waterstone pendant she wore.

"You make this more difficult than it already is. Do not think I dwell easily on the thought of being around you."

Sweeping up to her feet, the Glaucan kept one hand on the familiar medallion she wore, and her other at her side.

"If you leave now, Imperator, the Satrap will be disappointed."

[Parsideon Denix]

"You've repeatedly demonstrated a talent for doing what it takes to stay alive. It must have been some task to keep you from being thrown off the Rock of Justice."

Denix paused and looked back.

"I spent a year bringing you to task, and many of my men paid a far more costly price than I. Don't mock me with the Satrap's disappointment. I'm intimate with the emotion."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

"Very well then."

The pendant was released.

"What would you rather I mock you with? The fact that I was the one to deliver the Lantern to the Satrapy? Or that I was the one to roll my father's head along the floor of the Oratorium?"

[Parsideon Denix]

"That you chose those things over death in combat or by your own hand is what comprises the gulf between us, friend."

Denix shook his head.

"I have a wife and a child who have not seen me in over a year. Don't fret, it is not simply your presence that drives me from this place."

[Erifa Nimshi]

As silent as the whispering wind, Erifa appeared behind Denix, her hair still damp from her time in the sea. Unlike Ariadne, the younger Glaucan wore a rather elaborate priestess' robe; indeed, it was evident that she had been communing with Denetion. It had become a daily ritual for her, and each afternoon upon her return she and Ariadne would retire for hours, disturbed by none. Even the Satrap Draxus had never been allowed to interrupt.

Standing just behind the Imperator, the girl looked up at the back of his head.

"You are awake."

Her voice was serene and calm.

"Good."

[Parsideon Denix]

Denix turned to regard the child, nodding his head just slightly.

"I will be leaving now."

Another look back to Ariadne, and the Imperator turned to depart.

[Erifa Nimshi]

Erifa held no emotion in her features as she reached out a hand, fingers grasping at the sleeve of his tunic.

"No."

Her crystalline blue eyes locked with his own, and she kept her grip firm. It was curiously strong for such a young girl.

"Denetion requires one more day of you before you return to your family. He would not have allowed you to survive his wrath if he did not wish such a thing."

[Parsideon Denix]

"Then even the Gods have an interest in my misfortune."

Denix turned about, to return back to the villa.

[Erifa Nimshi]

Smiling at the puzzled look Ariadne was giving her, Erifa released Denix to fold both hands together in the sleeves of her silver-lined robe.

"Misfortune is an ugly and unnecessary word. It would be better to view this calling as an opportunity to begin the first steps into your future. That my great father granted you another chance at life means that he has seen your true will and spirit."

As they walked, the young Glaucan motioned for Ariadne to join them.

"Our times are changed these days, and our roles have been set on their ears. It is a change that none of us ever thought possible, but is taking place regardless."

Her face angled upward to glance sidelong at him.

"Kariun is dead, and with him died the old ways of the Fold. You should be kinder to Ariadne. To Fyrian."

[Parsideon Denix]

"I will not presume to question Denetion's wisdom, as a God sees things that a man cannot."

The child of Denetion had a haunting wisdom, and Denix was not so far bound up in hubris to miss it. He looked to Ariadne.

"What is to come of this gathering, then?"

[Ariadne Fyrian]

The elder Glaucan look strangely at Erifa, then at Denix as the trio continued their way through the atrium. She gave a mystified expression to him. Was Erifa intent on including him in their normal afternoon seclusion? If that was the case, their immediate future dealings would be enlightening at the very least.

Ariadne shook her head in response to the Imperator's question.

"Only Denetion and Erifa know that answer."

[Erifa Nimshi]

Out of instinct and habit, Erifa took Ariadne's hand in her own, holding it tightly. It was often a common sight in the Satrap's villa to see the two Glaucans holding hands.

"You are far more agreeable than Mako," she thought aloud.

[Parsideon Denix]

"Cneidon Mako?"

Denix arched an eyebrow at mention of one of Draxus's captains. He had only a professional relationship with the fellow Pontifect.

[Erifa Nimshi]

"Yes."

They passed through the archway that led inside, and Erifa gave a slight frown memory of her interactions with Mako. She supposed that his behavior - or any manner of Necian behavior for that matter - was something to be expected and tolerated. As it was, she had, over time, come to understand more of how the people of Necia conducted themselves, and while her exposure to Draxus she kept to a minimum, she was not above surrounding herself among those Glaucans that called Necia their home.

"You at least listen; he did not. But, you have also journeyed through my father's anger and been tempered by your ordeals. He has undergone no such thing, and therefor his soul is not open."

She thought for a moment, looking up to regard the man.

"Which I find to be so strange of my father; that he chose you, a man of Igneon Lux, and not one of his own such as Mako.

"Yet, even I do not question my father."

[Parsideon Denix]

"All of the collegia interact in some fashion."

Denix nodded in agreement.

"Though my family's hearth is enshrined to Igneon Verix, he is kin of Lux and a facet of Igneon's collegium."

He slowed as he walked, deep in thought.

"I can give sacrifice and prayer to Denetion, but I cannot share any deeper communion. If it is as you say, then I am inclined to be near those who can."

Something prior made him wonder, exactly what dealings they had with Captain Mako.

"You mentioned Captain Mako, was there trouble with him?"

[Erifa Nimshi]

Both Glaucans looked at one another, but it was Erifa who answered.

"Captain no more - he is an Imperator now."

[Parsideon Denix]

"That's impossible. There can be only..."

Denix realized what had happened at that moment. The months away. The aftermath of the storm.

"...so then, Mako was named Imperator when it was assumed that I was killed."

Denix frowned and stopped walking entirely.

"Then it seems Draxus has to decide which of us will legally remain as Imperator."

[Erifa Nimshi]

Letting go of Ariadne, Erifa moved to stand before Denix. Once more her hands folded into the wide sleeves of her robe. Her eyes studied every facet of his features, then down to his hands and the idle motions each finger made. A nod, as she seemed to confirm some inner conclusion, and her gaze swept back up to lock with his own.

"Nevermind the Satrap for now. Is your post one that you wish to keep?"

[Parsideon Denix]

The Imperator's jaw tensed a little. He wasn't sure exactly how much of his professional life he cared to discuss.

"My post is at the pleasure of the Satrapy. I serve Necia, in whatever way I am asked. Before being raised to Imperator, I too was a Captain of Pontifects, in service of Draxus when he was at the time a General."

[Erifa Nimshi]

Her expression hardened - not something normally seen of a girl her age - and it cast about her a suddenly foreign and severe bearing. She did not care for what the state wished of him, or what Draxus wished of him. Erifa desired to know what he wanted.

"That is not what I asked. How would you wish to serve Necia."

[Parsideon Denix]

Denix's featured softened somewhat.

"I've spent seventeen years in campaigns. I am a veteran of six wars, and decorated higher than some field commanders. I have the eye of the Satrapy itself, and have defeated many of our enemies. The natural extension of my military career would be politics, but I have no talent for it. I command or am commanded. There is no place for me in higher citizenship. When my wars are concluded, I hope to be sent home."

[Erifa Nimshi]

Erifa nodded in satisfaction.

"A noble desire."

She seemed to consider more, but voiced nothing else on the matter. Instead, the girl turned on her heel and started off once more.

"Come. My father has asked that I show you some of that which is to come."

[Parsideon Denix]

At this, Denix hesitated. While many were inclined to seek oracles on the foreshadowing of the future, it was known that attempting to cheat an ill omen was the ruin of many a man, and many more grew mad in the anticipation of such terrors.

"I'm not sure if I should venture. The future will soon become the present, and only then will I have any say in it."

[Erifa Nimshi]

She turned somewhat to look over her shoulder at him. It was a strange thing to see him hesitate; many men often begged her to tell them of Denetion's future wills, and Denix' cautiousness caused a smile to form on her lips.

"It is nothing so definite and singular to you. But you must be prepared for what will be asked of you, and my father desires me to help you along your new path."

The young Glaucan shifted her eyes to Ariadne momentarily, then unfolded one hand from her robes and extended it out to the Imperator.

"If you wish for privacy, Fyrian will leave."

[Parsideon Denix]

Denix looked to Ariadne and slowly nodded.

"I wish it."

He turned again to the little conduit of Denetion, unsure exactly what to make of this bizarre turn of events.

[Erifa Nimshi]

A nod to Ariadne, and the elder Glaucan gave a slight bow to both, retreating back the way they'd come. Erifa knew that her guardian would perhaps question her, but if Denix wished for such privacy, then what transpired during the coming time would remain his alone.

With Ariadne gone, and only the two of them left standing in the hall, Erifa took his hand. She lead him quietly deeper into the villa, and finally into a darkened room that she had chosen as her own when it became apparent that Ariadne held no intentions of leaving the Satrap. And wherever Ariadne chose to be, so to did Erifa.

Her free hand passed before her then, and a soft glow began to fill the small room. It came from the several small basins that lined each wall in regular intervals, each filled with water that, at her command, came to life in hues of gentle blues and whites. And in the centre of it all rested a pool of serene water, also giving off illumination as the water-lamps did. No other decoration could be seen, and it was as if it was simply an empty, unused room towards the back of the villa.

This was her sanctuary; simple and sparse, yet comforting and inviting to all despite whichever affinities they kept.

[Parsideon Denix]

Denix said nothing, deferring to the gifted child and waiting intently for her to commune with Denetion. She obviously had something important to show him, and he would be patient to let it be revealed in due course.

[Erifa Nimshi]

Erifa moved to sit, motioning for Denix to do the same. Her bare feet she dipped into the still waters of the pool, letting the coolness envelope her entirety.

"I was on the Chiron, during my father's storm. I remember your fleet fast behind. Through the water between us I could hear your orders and your curses."

She reached forward to pass a finger just over the top of the water, and though it made no contact, ripples still followed her motions.

"Kariun believed the storm had been sent against you, but I knew better. In stealing the Lantern, Kariun showed great insult to Igneon Lux, and in doing so brought shame to Denetion. The storm was for the Fold. That you and your men were taken up as well... "

A pause, as she seemed to think on the next words she had been given to pass on.

"My father wishes to express his sorrow at your loss, but it was necessary. Your eyes are now opened to the greater powers that awake from beyond your normal perceptions, and the changes that, even now, are sweeping across Asga."

[Parsideon Denix]

"Changes?"

Denix questioned, curious at the meaning. He thought back about that fateful end of the chase, and of the hurricane that could not be quelled.

[Erifa Nimshi]

Her fingers lifted from the water, bringing with them a small swirling pillar of liquid. She glanced sidelong at him.

"I know my great father has allowed you to see many strange sights in your time away, but even on your return you continue to bear witness to that which is uncommon and unheard of. When did you last see a Northern giant in Demos? Or any of the Fyrian blood living in the house of a Necian Satrap? And did you know, that a single Mer absorbed the Lantern's power? These are things that do no happen every day; indeed, they are things that do not even happen for centuries upon centuries."

[Parsideon Denix]

Denix remembered the Glaucan water mage's failure to still the waters around them.

"You are saying there is a disturbance in the affinities themselves?"

[Erifa Nimshi]

She nodded.

"It was only made worse by Kariun's theft, and though the Lantern is once more returned to Necia, the imbalance is far too great. The ripples are spreading outward, coalescing into Necia casting herself in two directions to battle two foes."

[Parsideon Denix]

"On the journey through Asga, I met other companions who shared this view."

Denix thought back of the mysterious black-shrouded traveller, as well as the foreign travellers. One, a blind seer from Dalriada, another a Fian woodshaper, and another still a fire mage from Ankarizad.

"There was a woman named Molly, also a far-travelled follower of Denetion, who told of trouble within the affinities."

[Erifa Nimshi]

This bit of news gave her a sort of comfort.

"Then others across the continent know. That is most heartening. Even with Necia fighting on two fronts, it will be a great boon that other parts of the whole seek to realign the balance."

Her hand grew still then, as did the small water-pillar she'd conjured.

"There will come a point in all of this when you must make a choice. Your honor and loyalty have proven your worth to Denetion, and he does not place his trust lightly; especially during such times as these. Trust what you know within your soul to be the truth, and not what you may simply see or hear. Those can be deceived easily, but your mind's eye cannot. Let what you've experienced so far be your guide and you will be assured in all you do."

[Parsideon Denix]

Denix frowned.

"What sort of choice?"

It was sounding more and more that the issue of his continuation as Imperator was already decided.

[Erifa Nimshi]

A cryptic smile, and she released her hold on the water so that it fell back into the pool.

"The choice to do what is right. No one, not even I know when this will be, but when the time comes, you will."

Erifa stared long at him, trying to pick apart his thoughts, but if she held any guesses at them she kept quiet. He had much to ponder, and she knew that their time was nearing its' end.

Presently she inclined her head.

"If you wish, I can show you your wife and child in the waters so that you may watch over them until the Satrap returns."

[Parsideon Denix]

A small smile and Denix shook his head.

"Seeing them before I could do the same in the flesh would be too much to bear. I've waited this long, and I will wait another day. I thank you for the kindness."

[Erifa Nimshi]

An understanding nod, and the girl carefully rose to her feet.

"Then let us rejoin Fyrian, and perhaps conversation can be found that is absent of any ill disposition."