[Intro, closed] I think, therefore I kill

[Tarot]

The citadel's inner doors closed mercilessly on the approaching Nuit as Ialari's poisonous voice resonated by the entrance. Notably, the outer gates seemed out of order and impossible to close - Drainira had carved an escape route for herself, forcing open the only door that truly mattered.

"Someone is in a bad mood," the Supervisor mused. 78% that she'd save Sahova, too. She smiled a little, recalled the mental image of Ialari, and added her to her kill-list. The new world she envisioned was better off without such unstable elements. "Your colorful expressions are almost endearing, Mr. Akuaysun. Follow me, I shall not refuse conditions so eloquently expressed."

She turned to Chaelnomyl. "You misunderstand. It is not that you, Ms. Chaelnomyl, are being manipulated. They manipulate everyone else, in a way. Innocently enough, for now, but never forget that Zarik Mashaen's ultimate goal is to recreate Alahea. Only thus will his Grand Oath be fulfilled, the one my master had him take five centuries ago. 'Alahea' is only a name, but his soul will be able to rest, then." Drainira did not say it explicitly, but that was exactly why Mashaen was letting her go so easily. It was just a name, and he had always treated her fairly. She had no problem calling her future nation Alahea. She could do that much for him.

She activated the automatic wagon, giving everyone enough time to get on or follow; the wheels turned with a creaking sound and the machine made its way through the weed-infested courtyard and then past the outer walls.

"About Saqqria," the golem said as the familiar silent landscape rolled around them. The day was dying, and it would not be much longer before the Ethaefal shifted into his true, celestial form. "Astral coordinates 5810484910103922, clearance level H - the highest in Alahean intelligence. Its existence was a military secret at the time. I guess you could visit the place if you take these coordinates to a decent Summoner; I hear the air is breathable and the environment supports Mizaharian life, but not much more than this. It is the home of the Journeymen. They are Fragments, though whose fragments is not really clear. We tend to think it was an early god of magic - a dangerous domain to possess, and a seat that has been vacant for a long, long time."

"A Journeyman is a parasitic lifeform," Drainira explained, "and one that knows magic. It can Summon itself to any world for which it knows astral coordinates, except Mizahar because of this world's Summoning anomaly. It has a powerful ability to sense where previous Summoning gates were opened, and knows portals are likely to always open at the same locations, so it waits patiently. It will enter a local lifeform as a small seed as its previous form withers and dies. Under that innocent guise it will wait for a Mizaharian Summoner to open a gate, which it will cross. Then, it will burst out of the host, shapeshift and begin its quest for knowledge. Its method of learning is usually micro-dissection. We have had a Nuit cut into over ten thousand slices, a hair's breadth each."

"When it chances upon a promising individual, yet one whose potential is not yet realized, the Journeyman will mark them. It is a much weaker form of Gnosis. It allows the Journeyman to keep tabs on the person, and it tells other Journeymen to leave them alone as they have been claimed. Ironically, you are relatively safe traveling to Saqqria, as there is but one Journeyman that can hurt you."

"This is the extent of my knowledge," Drainira concluded. The Docks were close by now. The crew of the Kova III looked puzzled at seeing fewer adventurers return on the wagon than they had seen leaving on it, but not overly worried about it (who cared, as long as they were alive?) "Tell them I am the million Miza golem and we need to set sail right away. I will deal with them if they get difficult." A Communicator golem on wheels appeared nearby with a chest of gold Mizas and a few trinkets of obvious magical origins. The Supervisor had truly planned everything.

***

Ialari's words to the crazed Nuit had him slightly puzzled. "Uhh, but Drainira... you said before..." He stopped. He could have remembered the contradictions in the Supervisor's behavior, but that would have required him to think. He was much too tired to think. Thinking made him ache. He just wanted to be free.

He shambled over to the device and played with its dial until it stopped ticking. Then, he stepped back and resumed his staring at the now inactive pile of explosive orbs.

Now, getting out of being the citadel was easier said than done. There was no obvious exit, because no-one ever envisioned Drainira quitting. Thankfully, when Ialari's body began to squirm in the room, Mashaen took it as a cue and forcibly dragged her away from the panel. When the Isur's hand left the glyph, her consciousness snapped back to physical reality. She was stunned, but her mind was probably still in one piece. At least, only time could tell.

"So?" Qiao cut it short, "What is the situation like? Gods, I am going to have to cut off so many traitorous heads I am feeling almost overwhelmed."

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari shook her head slowly and rubbed her face. Just as fast as it all had happened in inner confines of the Citadel's foundation and intimate workings, so was it all rushing back to her as she returned to her own body. The fact that she survived and as far as she could tell, in one piece, poked at her Isurian pride and brought forth a confidence that she had not knew was there. Qiao's words cut short her reorientation yet she was still a little on the hazy side.

In an annoyed and if possible, more confident tone, she grumbled not so lightly to Qiao, "Will you please shut up a moment." She held her hands to her head and blinked her eyes slowly and heavily.

"Your precious Citadel is saved. That particular crisis has been averted though you may want to exterminate the wretch standing several levels below us; staring at a bunch of glowing orbs as if he was about to "make" it with a girl for the first time in his unlife." Ialari pulled herself from Maeshan's grip and struggled to stand.

"And don't you dare talk to me about feeling overwhelmed you souless bastard. I don't care how ancient you are or how much djed you command, just shut up and don't speak for a moment." Ialari was pissed off and her head hurt like someone was taking an isurian hammer to it.

"The rest of the traitors are in the main hallway, standing at the main gate looking around as if they lost their souls. I suggest using them as an example to however many are left who are still loyal; make them suffer, make the others watch and learn." Ialari was a Pitrius after all and did not tolerate such betrayal. As she spoke, she looked at Maeshan; her legs very shaky, "That bitch of child you got there is outside the gates and is probably at the ship by now; I couldn't stop her in time...she laid a trap for me. The others who came with me are either with her or near her at this point. Now, I am assuming one of you "guys" can get me there pretty quickly? Otherwise, I am afraid the little wench is going to screw us all and escape. And, by the way, you owe me big. VERY BIG." Ialari stumbled about rather drunkenly as she worked to regain all of her faculties after the mental ride she just experienced. She knew deep down that she did not escape unscathed yet she was also quite confident that she had pleased Izurdin with her patience, strength and perseverance in the face of certain collapse.

[Akuaysun]

Internally Aku released the power of the Flux coursing through him. He was done, any more and his body was going to give out and leave him in bad shape. Thankfully Drainira had decided that she would honor his request, likely to save time. If Ialari was in control of the citadel it was likely a fluctuation in the plan the supervisor had laid out, and like the ripples in a pond that variable could spread throughout the entirety of her process. It was best to keep things moving forward, ahead of the disturbance, that is what Aku would have chosen to do at least. Insuring with a quick check that all of his gear was still with him, he jumped onto the wagon and took a place opposite the creation of the island master.

He listened intently as the former supervisor explained things out of the female akvatari. As smart and creative as Chaelnomyl was it seemed that she very often needed the workings of the world spelled specifically out for her. Still it was not the Ethaefal’s place to comment here, and so he said nothing, instead taking notes of Drainira’s thoughts and regulating his breathing while his body stabilized once again. He had not walked this realm in over five hundred years, so for as much knowledge he had of the old world, and the celestial realm he was lost when it came to more recent things. One could however draw conclusions, in many ways he and Drainira were very much the same. Both were ancient relics of a world long gone, in bodies that truly didn’t belong to them, and both were trying to find their way, to complete their own missions in this life. Nothing happens without reason he thought, fate would forever prove itself true if one chose to watch for its signature.

“Write what she says Chaelnomyl, word for word.” He said as Drainira paused after the declaration of her end of the bargain. Aku knew she carried her sketch pad with her, the female akvatari had it out every chance she could. The ethaefal, while enlightened, knew he would likely not understand every word the supervisor had to tell him. This way he could look it up later, to and reflect on the meaning held within her words. Hopefully his companion could fulfill his request, then as she began speaking again he particularly hoped she could write down the astral coordinate provided. It would likely turn out to be his most valuable bit of information in the long run. As she continued to relay the information Aku wondered how this creature had marked him. He had not been on this planet for long which meant the thing was either here, he had been marked in his previous life, or it had the capacity to invade the realm of the gods, the final part being the most terrifying of the three prospects.

As they arrived at the gates, Aku understood the request put forth. Drainira had taken the same action he would have, stay ahead of the opposition. She wanted off the island before there was time for the citadel to recover. He didn’t bother talking to any of the others aboard the wagon, instead jumping down and heading up the docking plank to the ship. He pushed a look of complete and total seriousness onto his face, a terrifying prospect from a Myrian, and called out in a firm resolution. “This is our cargo, the million miza golem. It is in my care, we are leaving immediately, the others are dead, and will not be joining us. All of you to work now less you wish to join them at my hand I want no further delay in this mission.”

Emerald eyes turned their firm gaze on Syna as her fringes were dipping into the distant horizon. Aku had little time; he knew that, it was best to be on the sea when his painful transformation would take place. Time would tell if he had made the proper decision, time was the only thing Akuaysun had in surplus.

[Chaelnomyl]

The Akvatari’s face mixed with slight bewilderment. Hadn’t Drainira just said that she was being manipulated by the Nuit who were manipulated by Drainira? The Nuit had been eliminated so logic suggested that Drainira was now manipulating her. Bah. It didn’t matter. If Alahea ever existed again, she would be the first to congratulate Zarik on his release. Somehow.

As the wagon lurched forward, Chaelnomyl listened to the explanation of this Saqqira intently. Akuaysun had asked her to write it down, and the Akvatari saw no reason not to comply. Pulling out her sketch book and a pencil, Chael quickly scribbled the following down:

”Saqqira: astral coordinate 5810484910103922. Clearance: H (Highest Alahean intelligence).
Air breathable to Mizaharian life. Home of the “Journeymen” – Fragments of someone, possibly a god of magic. Hasn’t been a god of magic in forever.
Journeymen are parasites that know magic. Can summon to worlds with astral coordinates sans Mizahar. Can sense gates and portals, enters lifeforms as seed, crosses when summoners summon its host.
Mark is like gnosis, allows tab keeping, tells other Journeymen to leave target alone. Only marker can hurt target.”

When Drainira had concluded her explanation of what she knew about Saqqira and the Journeymen, Chaelnomyl carefully ripped the piece of parchment out of the bound set she had with her, put the rest away along with her pencil, and folded the note in half. As the wagon slowed near the docks where Kova III was waiting with its crew, the Akvatari held the folded note out to Akuaysun for his safekeeping.

Upon reaching the boat, Chaelnomyl looked with reservations between the golem and Akuaysun. She silently hoped the Ethaefal would be the one to give the news to the Kova III, and decided it would be in her best interests to look a bit more miserable than normal because since Dranquay didn’t appear to be with them (or perhaps she was just too distracted to notice at the moment), and Ialari was definitely not here, she’d have to pretend they died or something worse.

Exiting the wagon, Chaelnomyl paused to look at Drainira and inclined her head, extending an arm to allow her past since it would be most believable that the golem was under Akuaysun’s limited control as it was originally intended for Dranquay by Mashaen. He was acting as the leader and so the golem should be following the leader, especially since Akuaysun stated it was in his care.

Eyes drifted to the communicator golem that appeared beside the wagon with the chest of what she assumed was to be their payment for cooperation. Her gaze scanned over it with curiosity before she looked back to Drainira. ”You have thought of every detail, haven’t you.” Chaelnomyl whispered. ”Impressive.” The voice was, oddly, filled with a bit of reverence in acknowledgment of just how intelligent Drainira was, and how perfectly her plan seemed to be going off. The Akvatari found it hard to care, despite that she was releasing a potentially horribly thing into the world. As long as Drainira did not obliterate the world as she knew it, and hopefully still held mild respect for Chaelnomyl for cooperating, she saw no harm in the long run. It was her only desire that Drainira not slaughter her peaceful race in her attempt to control the world and care for them as she so wanted. They were, after all, the pinnacle of civilization. Perhaps in time she could even come to work with them, despite her manipulative ways.

As they approached the Kova III, Chaelnomyl’s face dropped considerably into a mild expression of sadness. No words escaped her lips as she gazed out towards the sea and the dipping rays of Syna’s light. It would be night soon. Peaceful night. Akusayun did all the talking, just as she had hoped for.

Wherever Drainira positioned herself on board, Chaelnomyl kept relatively close as if to “keep watch” on their charge, but not so close that the golem could find her encroaching if she wanted her space. Hopefully it would keep the crew away and from asking too many questions. The Akvatari did not want to witness another bout of violence if they could avoid it, but like so many before them, humanity had a keen knack for being far too imposing and eventually pissing any and everything they could off. It was only a matter of time, she suspected, before one of them was going to wind up missing a hand or a leg.

[Tarot]

Qiao was silenced by Ialari's outburst, and in a way he may not have forgiven under different circumstances. Right now, however, the shame for needing a live mainlander to solve this crisis on their behalf was consuming the entirety of the Nuit's being. He and Ialari were perhaps alike in their aloof arrogance, and because of this he would, in time, come to begrudgingly respect the Isur.

"No," he just said, "there are emergency exits, of course, but they lead to the other side of the island. We would never make it to the docks in time. Besides, we would be further jeopardizing our resources for no clear gain. We have to put ourselves first." Obviously, Drainira was not coming back as a Supervisor. She posed no threat to Sahova in the short run, and the citadel's organization was in shambles. Qiao wasn't going to pursue her now, though he would certainly do so in the future. "But we will see to your payment for lending a hand."

"As for you," the Nuit pointed a threatening hand at the Archwizard, who kept staring at them as if still half-dreaming. "I am sorely disappointed in you, Mashaen. When I was but a snotty freshman at the Royal Academy, you were the one who taught us never to get attached to our creations. We paid a harsh price for your negligence."

"I'm not the same man who was entombed here five hundred years ago," Mashaen answered calmly, "but I'm not expecting you to understand. What are you going to do, my friend? I am prepared to accept the consequences of my weakness."

"We still need you in here," said Qiao, "you will remain the Archwizard nominally, but I'm taking over as the decision maker. I will reinstate the Council you so hastily dissolved back then. No mercy on the other traitors. I don't care if I have to halve our numbers. We are going back to our roots. The traitorous mainlanders who left with Drainira will never set foot on Sahova again, or face certain death."

Mashaen nodded, not really caring. He would have nodded at anything Qiao could have said. He did have words for Ialari, though. "Miss Pythone, this is not the first time I hear your family name. Drainira may have mentioned Salvari Pythone to you. If so, she was honest at least in that. I remember that ancestor of yours. While I never got to meet him personally, as he died shortly after capture, he was carrying a certain... artifact. It seems to be the product of your racial god's gnosis, but we never figured out what it was meant to be. It is stored in our Vault, and I think it is only fair for you to have it back."

"Yes," Qiao said, "we can arrange that, and we can give you access to our laboratories and libraries. It's as far as we can go for you in our current state."

***

The captain nodded at Akuaysun's orders. The crew didn't quite enjoy the news that the others were dead, but it did a lot to hasten their preparations. If anything, Drainira's appearance was definitely more pleasant than Qiao's could ever be, and what the Ethaefal's words couldn't do, the chest of golden Mizas could. The promise of its bounty awaiting them upon reaching Zeltiva was irresistible.

The golem embarked with Akuaysun and Chaelnomyl as her protectors. Dranquay kept his distance, and was remarkably silent throughout the ordeal. It was a matter of minutes before the Kova III set sail from Port Silence, leaving the docks of the undead with the metal scrap golems as their only witnesses. Drainira stared off in the island's direction for over an hour afterwards. Whatever crossed her mind during that time, would forever remain secret.

The return journey was much more cheerful, with no prospect of another Sahova experience looming over the crew. It was, however, plagued by a tragedy shortly before reaching Zeltiva, when a deckhand thought it clever to borrow from the chest of Mizas at nighttime while nobody watched. They found him in the morning, electrocuted till his arms had turned into coal, his hands still on the chest's lid. "Are they going to eat him?" Drainira whispered to the adventurers, very uninformed when it came to the needs of the living.

It took the golem's touch on the chest to deactivate its wards. The crew did not know the story of the fictional wizard, and as such the quest ended here in the port of Zeltiva as far as they were concerned. The adventurers received 500 golden Mizas each for their cooperation - the crew got less, but they had taken fewer risks.

Drainira had special gifts for Akuaysun and Chaelnomyl before they disembarked. The former received what looked like a mini-golem small enough to sit on his shoulder without a problem, like a parrot. It had a small metal cube as a head, with two white quartzs for eyes, another cylinder acting as the body and four more blocks for limbs. It really looked like a toy and probably couldn't walk on its own. "This is an Alarm golem," Drainira said, "Animators on Sahova always name them 'Bob' by default, but you can rename it if you wish. Bob, Mr. Akuaysun is your new master."

"Master, master!" the tiny golem squeaked.

"An Alarm golem isn't very smart," said the Supervisor, "you shouldn't expect to talk philosophy with it. It can recognize basic items, things and faces, though. Its primary purpose is to keep watch while you are sleeping or occupied, and wake you up should a visible danger approach. You may be able to give it some other trigger, if you can have it understood. Bob, give him a demonstration."

"Demonstration!" Bob chirped, and then went into full eardrum-shattering mode. "Eeeeeoooooeeeeeoooooeeeeeeooooo!"

Chaelnomyl's gift was a strange pair of items - a glove and a clamp. "These are magecrafted. Simple magecraft, but still the real thing. Watch carefully." Drainira caught a pencil in the clamp, then put on the glove and mimicked the motions of sketching a doodle. The pencil reproduced those motions faithfully, even levitating in the air accordingly. "Its range is about fifty feet, but it will only hold a small weight. I thought it may help one with an artistic mindset." The Supervisor smiled her uncanny white smile, similar and yet so different from that of a real person.

OOCLast round of posting! My next post will have XP awards.

[Akuaysun]

Aku was happy to see the crew snapping to attention as he boarded the ship and gave out orders. The men looked a bit concerned, and others seemed not to care for his approach but through one mode of motivation or another they were off to sea with little issue. Aku stood in silence with the former supervisor until the island was out of site, he knew well it was likely the last time he would ever see the fortress land. Soon enough however the Etheafal retreated to his quarters locking the door and staying to himself through the transformation into his celestial form. Throughout the trip he stayed in his bunk through the night hours slipping out only occasionally to take moments to stare upon the moon.

During the daylight hours Aku patrolled the decks, checking in on his horse, and attending to anything he could help with about the ship. Occasionally he talked with his fellow travelers but more often than not he chose solitude. On the day that the crewmembers body was found Aku simply laughed at his greed, a typical factor of mortals in this lifetime it seemed. “It is considered taboo to eat your comrades by mortals, though the Myrians have little qualm with eating their enemies.” It was all he said to the woman, if one could call her that, before returning to another part of the ship to stare off into the distance with his lonely eyes. Throughout the trip Aku pondered if he had made the correct decision, reflecting on the possibilities again and again.

When they arrived Aku was quick to part ways, he smiled politely as the golem was presented, and held it in hand as she explained. It would surely come in handy in the future, though the man hardly felt he deserved the thing. After all he had not truly helped her escape; instead the man had simply not hindered her. Aku had collected information from Drainira, and now had a new task to move forward with.

“Thank you Drainira, your gift is a kind one. I wish you well in your new life, and shall keep an ear open for your exploits. I hope that I never regret my decision. Were the only words he passed along, in the back of his mind vowing that should his choice prove ill he would come to rectify the change taken place under his care. Like her, his body was eternal, never aging, and could only fall to not properly taking care of it.

[Chaelnomyl]

As they left Sahova in the dying of the day, Chaelnomyl flipped open her sketch pad to take down a rough figure outline of Port Silence. The Citadel got outlined roughly in the background, its splendor something that was not often seen within the lands of Mizahar. She left it intentionally vague, giving it little more than an outline with many gates – now shut – in front of its entrance. A long dirt road wound up through the page – though appeared quite small in prospective. The completely barren land and its bleak mountain range that overtook the citadel and cradled in gently was accompanied by the lone block of a wagon was speedily jotted down. After what had happened here, Chaelnomyl sort of doubted that if she ever had an actual desire to come back to Sahova… The Nuit would be less receptive than they were the first time. And they didn’t exactly embrace the hired help with open arms, either.

She spent more time drawing the stern of the ship, complete with all the accessories that went with it. The planks received their own lines and there was much erasing until she had the curve of the back end just right, trying for some perspective for the first time in a long time.

Since Chaelnomyl had taken a seat mostly towards the edge, the railing was drawn up as the main focus, with the curve of the ropes attached to the sails curving down to be tied off somewhere off her page. A few barrels started out as straight lined cylinders and then were gradually readjusted to have bowed out restraints around their form. The wood they were made with was also sketched in as curved, and the top was given a hole in which she drew a trapezoid that would eventually become a rounded cork as the three dimensional aspect – and accompanying lines – were added. Eventually, the Akvatari went back through the bars that formed the railing on the deck and made them rounded, giving them depth too. A small amount of cross-hatching was provided for shadow to remind her that the sun was setting as they had left. This was also helped by the horizon line, upon which she drew a semi circle to represent the sun. It wasn’t anything spectacular, and it wasn’t meant to be. Chaelnomyl was planning on collecting a series of sketches over her journey towards figuring out where exactly the Akvatari came from, and was more making a physical reminder for herself of Sahova, Port Silence, the Kova III… and hopefully the associated faces of ”Zarik Mashaen, Lector Qiao, and Supervisor Drainira to name a few. It was so much better than actually writing any of that down, because words could be misinterpreted. Sketches would bring it back at a later date with so much more vivid reminders. And maybe one day she’d get around to actually painting out those journeys in a giant canvas like she’d hoped.

Somewhere near the bottom of the page Chaelnomyl jotted, ”The Kova III leaves Port Silence”.

Shortly before they reached Sahova, word spread through the crew of the deckhand who had been unfortunately fried via electrocution and Drainira inquired if he was to be eaten. The Akvatari could not help but give her a confused look for a moment, curious as to why she would think that. Was it customary for the Nuit to eat the dead? No, they didn’t require food did they? They were already dead, what was left to nourish? Akuaysun had joined them and given answer, to which the Akvatari nodded.

”I’m sure they’ll let the sharks take care of that. Most mortals eat other living things on the land or in the sea when they require sustenance. When our companions die, it is usually customary to bury or otherwise dispose of their remains.” Chaelnomyl explained before returning to silence and shaking her head at the greedy deckhand.

Upon arrival, Akuaysun was quick to take off once Drainira had presented him with a peculiar entity named “Bob”. Chaelnomyl crinkled her nose and put her hands over her ears when Bob “gave a demonstration, finding it most unpleasant but seeing how it would actually be quite good at the purpose Drainira had explained it had.

Drainira continued on to present Chaelnomyl with a glove and a clamp along with 500 mizas that she took gingerly and only when offered. The Akvatari were not a greedy sort, after all, and she was surprised to even be offered that much. The Supervisor went on, telling Chaelnomyl that the glove and clamp were magecrafted. Her demonstration gave the Akvatari a rare smile. Taking mental note of the range, Chaelnomyl inclined her head and carefully placed them in her satchel.

”Thank you, Drainira. This is very thoughtful of you, and I am sure I will put it to ample, good use.” After Akuaysun had begun to depart, the Akvatari nodded to Drainira and took flight again, preparing to go their separate ways.

”I hope to hear good things about you, Drainira. Many people want to change the world. Few succeed. I trust you have an idea of where you will go from here, so I won’t hold you up.”

And after departing the ship, Chaelnomyl turned to see that Dranquay made it off without issue and was somewhat following, then took a look at the Golem one last time, calling, ”Good luck, Supervisor.” before heading off into Zeltiva once again.

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari, after the momentary period of disorientation, steadied herself and straightened. Patience was tested once more as she was informed that there wasn't a quick way of getting to Drainira and stopping her escape. She was having an increasingly difficult time of accepting the seemingly un-ending lack of caring on the part of the Nuit. She did however grudgingly accept the logic of seeing to one's self first as it was one of the few things she recognized as sharing with the Nuit.

Mention of payment was only partially comforting after all that had happened in the relative short time she had been there. She was about to interrupt with another biting comment but stopped short when the two wizards began discussing what would happen now that so much had fallen apart. She silently acknowledged the weakness displayed by Mashaen though chose not to vocalize it. Despite her distaste for the Nuit as a whole, she still couldn't help but have a small amount of respect for their age and talent.

Mashaen turned to address her once more and Ialari raised an eyebrow ever so slightly and listened. She bit her tongue yet again at the mention of her ancestor as thoughts of the torture, pain and death he must had suffered tickled her mind like a blade lightly drawn across the flesh. A crooked, half-smile gave contrast to her otherwise dour look as Mashaen spoke of giving her an ancestral artifact baring a mark of Izurdin. That along with granted access to the laboratories and libraries of the Citadel went a long way in softening Ialari's outlook on at least the two Nuit who were present. She gave them an approving nod.

There was one other thing that occurred to Ialari as agreements, payments and discussion seemed to wind down. Clearing her throat, Ialari's crooked smile was replaced by a look that could best be described as that of an agitated cobra preparing to strike. "You mentioned showing now mercy to those of your kind who betrayed you. Might you spare them only to give them to me to do with as I please as a part of my studies here? I've centuries of repayment to deal upon them for the atrocities committed against members of my race who found themselves here under more unpleasant circumstances. Who knows, maybe such studies could bring benefits to both you and I." Ialari, while a devoted follower of Izurdin, was not beyond exercising more shunned and forbidden tactics to get what she wanted. Patience, strength and industriousness were the tenets of Izurdin but deceit, selfishness, vengeance and the pursuit of knowledge no matter the cost were the tenets of the Pitrius clan.

As for the others who came with her yet left with Drainira; presumably aiding in the Supervisor's escape, she decided to leave them to their own pursuits. Their deeds would come back upon them one way or another.

[Tarot]

Qiao could not help but stare at Ialari for a long moment as she came up with the suggestion of leaving the traitors to her care. His first instinct was to shout a big NO! at the Isur. She was a self-serving opportunist who would only use the knowledge for treacherous ends. Then, it occurred to him that there was much magical lore in those traitors that could be extracted with torture before killing them... and it would benefit Sahova greatly. And if there was one thing he had learned from this day, it was to never trust a Sahovan to deal with another Sahovan. It was how Drainira had dug a foothold in the citadel's security, nearly destroying it in the process.

"Maybe we can strike a deal," the bald Nuit said, thoughtfully, "I am leaving to gather the trustworthy wizards left in here and apprehend the traitors, but instead of killing them outright, we will just remove their ability to use Djed. Wizards here conduct a number of undocumented secret experiments and it would do us well to recover that knowledge before we kill them. I will let you torture and poison them to your heart's content so long as you make them spit out their secrets before they die."

With that, Qiao left to bring order back to the citadel. Mashaen also followed him in silence, and they were joined by a handful of other Nuit who seemed en route to the doors to restore order on their own. Qiao, Mashaen, and five powerful masters easily defeated the lesser wizards who had crowded near the doors in confusion - and there were over fifty of them, more than a tenth of the citadel's population. Others had slipped back into their laboratories, pretending nothing had happened. Later, Qiao would start his own inquisition to determine every single Sahovan's loyalty. The entire lowest level of the citadel was turned into a dungeon in which undead traitors were bound with shackles that denied them the use of magic.

Late that night, Sahova was quiet again, order fully restored. A few traitors put up some resistance. The golems swept their ashes from the floor. Most surrendered without a fight. A Nuit retrieved Ialari's prize from the underground vault in which the Sahovans stored their magical treasures. He handed it over to the Isur without a word.

It was a wooden staff, about five feet in length, in the shape of a snake with its jaws open and fangs showing. Obviously the work of a Pythone. The feeling that struck Ialari as she touched it was one of familiarity, as if she had a birthright to wield it. The craftsmanship was excellent. It was strange, though... Mashaen had said they'd never figured it out. This staff was not meant for battle, at least not right now. It was hollow through most of its length. The snake's head was no mere decoration; one could slip a small marble-sized item down its throat and esophagus. The item felt incomplete. Maybe Salvari Pythone had died before he could finish it, or maybe the snake needed to be fed something. Only someone better versed in the arts of Izentor might be able to answer that question.

***

Drainira watched the Akvatari and Ethaefal off as they disembarked and parted ways with her. The Supervisor had never seen so many people at the same time. This Zeltiva sure was an interesting place for the golem. So many little ants to oversee like a queen... running around like headless chickens waiting for purpose. Drainira was full of purpose. And she didn't mind sharing it.

"Sure you know where yer owner is?" a sailor asked, puzzled. The idea of the golem finding her way to destination seemed strange. Another sailor bluntly suggested reselling Drainira on the black market to make a lot more profit than the measly coins they'd been given. Several voices rose in approval. Such is human nature, ever so forgetful of one's mate incinerated a mere bells earlier for being too greedy.

The Supervisor turned around, slowly, and blinked with an exaggerated expression of surprise on her face. Computations flashed before her eyes, numbers neatly arranged in rows and columns. Then she smiled.

"Tell me, gentlemen," she said, "would you like to be free?"

This adventure is over. Thanks everyone for participating and I hope you had a good time. Here's your rewards, in alphabetical order. Akuaysun +3 Weapon: Hoe (yes, you read that well) +2 Flux +2 Rhetoric Lore: Astral coordinates of Saqqria Lore: The Journeymen Bob the Alarm Golem Chaelnomyl +3 Interrogation +1 Writing Lore: Drainira's personality Lore: Astral coordinates of Saqqria Lore: The Journeymen Magical glove and clamp Dranquay +2 Voiding +2 Politics Ialari +2 Unarmed Combat +3 Leadership +2 Intelligence Lore: Sahova's internal layout Staff of Salvari Pythone Free entrance and access to Sahova (can self-mod docks thread) Additionally, Akuaysun, Chaelnomyl and Dranquay are banned from Sahova and will be attacked on sight if they show up there. On the other hand, Ialari is on Drainira's hitlist.