Completed Djed to Rights

[Inoadar]

xxxxxxxSpring 2, 514 AV

Inoadar

Inoadar sat in the Ravosala as it cut its way through the waters of the canal dividing a portion of an NHC housing complex. As usual, he stepped out a few blocks short of his destination, walking past it as he slipped glances at reflective surfaces to be warned of surveillance. He was reassured to see no bobbing shapes atop roofs, or faces coincidentally turning his way right after his back turned to them.

He circled the block to compare the faces in the street after a leisurely ten chime circuit. There were neither figures inexplicably circling the block with him, nor any redundant faces on the few citizens nearby the entry to Miro's building. The last turn was made with an act of realizing some previous directional error as he shook his head with a self-deprecating chuckle and approached the door to the multi-unit structure. He made his way to his recent associate's room and knocked with an agreed pattern.

He'd have used a different pattern if he thought he'd been tailed, and expected a different response. As it was there was NO response. If he then repeated the same pattern, it would mean he was there to pursue his Flux training. He tapped a different rhythm the second time and immediately heard movement in the room. This was clearly recognized for the puzzle it represented.

He did not know if he was expected to pursue this other matter. It had been his understanding that a team from out of town had been implanted in Ravok to take care of the matter, that he had already done his part by locating the site of the potentially hostile project. But a perfectly innocent recent outing along the shore for ingredients had brought him near enough to see that things were still going on there undisturbed. He was puzzled why nothing had been done.

Miro had been very appreciative of his efforts, this was largely how he'd earned his complementary introduction to Flux. He wanted to capitalize on the benefits of this partnership. He had undermined others in the process. And though he felt that he'd definitely traded up, as a professional, he hated to see good intelligence go to waste.

The mage came to the door and welcomed him in. They traded small talk as though it was just a social visit. Inoadar dropped a few key phrases to indicate his belief that there was no surveillance. How Miro responded would establish if he agreed that they could speak freely. In the meantime, Inoadar got out a few sheets of paper and a quill and ink, just in case they needed to keep the real subject hidden from unfriendly ears. More than anything, it was the very fact that no action had been taken against Forus' research site on the lake shore that gave Inoadar cause to worry that there may be some serious opposition to their aims in place.

If Miro spoke openly, it would mean that he had not detected any adversaries nearby either. But for now, as he spoke about the weather, Inoadar handed him a note that simply said:

What is the delay For us?

The capitalization of the "F" was significant, but if anyone had asked, it would have prompted an act of laryngitis, attributed to the recent bout of Flu, and an explanation that it referred to a postponed trip to get Lily Pad Root for medicinal purposes. You couldn't be too careful where a renegade Sahovan mage was concerned.

x

[Miro]

Miro found he had company at the door and welcomed them in. It was Nolan, a pleasant guest to have. This meant finally they could attend to business. So far there had been no luck on the front to catch Forus, but that was going to end here and now. In the end the undead did not wish to include Rayage, because he would not be taking the prize hunt back with him. Rhysol and the Ebonstryfe were going to receive the rogue Sahovan, the artifact which was stolen, and as well a copy of any magical notes on it.

Rayage could take back to Sahova the original research, but that was all. Serving Rhysol was more important than seeing that Rayage is praised by Sahova and never leaves the isle. Even if it meant betrayal, Ravok was the greatest city in the world, and the Defiler was the greatest god. If the Nuit could not see this, then he deserved every bit of betrayal. However when one surrenders to chaos, they are free to receive its benefits. The apprentice would not hold this lowly title forever. Someday the Alchemist would return, and when he did Miro would be somebody in the city.

With any luck Nolan would be as well, and a trusted asset too. "I am unsure if anything here is truly safe to say, but it does not matter. I had made an attempt to make a move, but things seemed unnaturally still that day. However I recently checked on things, and there is definitely something going on. Things are going to end now, and we shall begin on our way soon. Let me know if I can help you prepare in any way." The wizard reached his hand toward his staff and said the command word, "Return," and it flew into his possession. But there was one more preparation that needed to be made.

Miro shook his wrist to the side urgently, an action his partner knew the meaning of. Ender released from his master's wrist and assumed his natural form of an icy orb. "Ender, seal yourself on Nolan, keep him safe." It would work well for the two to be together. It would allow Miro to keep tabs on his accomplice and give him a bit of the wizard's power. Together Nolan and Ender would make a formidable team. "I would truly prefer that you take the lead, if that is not too much to ask. I will be happy to deal with any trouble we run into, but I do not even have a hand to open the door with my staff."

The Irylid obeyed his master and moved toward Nolan and prepared to seal himself on the man's wrist, but hesitated to wait for some sign of consent. The Familiar decided that perhaps it would be best that he spoke for himself. "I will protect you with my magic and be able to communicate with Miro at all times. I only need to seal myself on your wrist as a bracelet. I will not be able to speak, but I can hear. If ever you need my assistance, tap on my surface." Ender was quite pleased to be tasked with the responsibility. But he was unsure of many things about Nolan still.

Miro made his way into his wardrobe and pulled out his pack. Inside of it was a pair of manacles, a couple scrolls and paint. He made his way near to the door and stood with his attention anxiously on his guest. He was eager to have Forus in his possession. But perhaps it would not just be the two of them on this journey. It was near the time of day that Lessomm usually arrived to clean and see that his master was taken care of. "I am quite ready to leave, but I think that it is likely we may have a third member to our party arrive. I am expecting my personal servant soon. You are welcome to take him or leave him, but I expect he will be here in but a chime or two."

[Lessomm]

While to most people it was a little too hot to be wearing a double layer of swallowtail coats, to Lessomm it was just one way of doing things. Linked now with an alien creature not from Mizahar, Lessomm needed a way to keep his familiar out of sight while always carrying it with him. He hadn't liked the mask Garine had presented herself as at first and just one black glove would look just silly when worn. And he was sure Garine would not appreciate being one half of a pair of socks. Neither did Lessomm want his clothes disappearing when Garine changed into her darkness form. Carrying the box of groceries, glyphing paint and small brushes at a little distance, Lessomm did his best not to get Garine dirty from the box. The familiar, after it's initial talkative phase had gone into a quiet mode, which Lessomm accepted at face value. Garine was new in a strange world and must have been quite impressed or overwhelmed by everything. "The paint is a special recipe for Miro. He uses it for glyphing mostly but I've come to use it for summoning as well. It breaks less quickly and it's capable of holding stronger magic for longer, although I don't know the actual recipe for it. Trade secret, you know." As usual, Garine just absorbed the information without a word. As he started to take the steps up to his master's room, Lessomm wondered about the familiar. It had changed so drastically the moment it had familiarized with Lessomm. Not for the worse, per se. Just different. It had not gone past the servant that perhaps Garine had put up a show in order to link to a Mizaharian. But it was also true that Ender had confirmed most, if not all, of what Garine had said about their planet. So Lessomm had still not been able to come to a definite conclusion. Balancing the wooden box on one hand, Lessomm knocked on the door of his master's room. Underneath his double layer of swallowtail suits, which hid one of them from sight, mostly, and his white shirt, Lessomm's remaining arms settled in place. There was a bit of flexing and moving and it looked, if there had been anyone to look, like a couple of puppies playing around under a sheet. Then all movement stopped and the door opened. "Good morning, master." Lessomm walked in with the box and had to stop halfway in the door not to run into Miro. A quick look further inside showed the guest standing there. His report of his groceries would have to wait until later. Unperturbed by the sudden appearance of the guest, Lessomm slipped into his professional habit and smiled at the guest, politely bowing with the box in his hands. "Good morning, sir. Would you care for some tea? Or coffee, perhaps?" He put the box on the desk, making sure the corners wouldn't scratch anything, and turned to the guest, continuously smiling as he moved. Neither from his words nor his stance could the guest deduct if Lessomm was making only small talk, like servants were supposed to do or if Lessomm was entirely aware that the man was here to take his master, bring him to an enemy wizard, fight it out, possibly kill the man and didn't want to alert any listening ears to their plans. "Who is this?" Garine's voice rung in his head and Lessomm's smile faded for a moment. He still wasn't used to the voice in his head, even if it wasn't one of those voices that told people to go and kill other people. Usually it wasn't, at least. "I don't know yet. Possibly someone who works for my master. Or simply a visitor, or a person who, potentially, will work for Miro in the future." It seemed that Garine had learned to not call Lessomm master. While to the familiar it was a life lesson passed on by its parent, to Lessomm it was weird and even something he disliked, which had become apparent on their first meeting.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar

Inoadar was not entirely easy with allowing an unfamiliar entity attach itself to him, regardless of his general trust of Miro. It was not necessarily that he suspected Miro of some sort of treachery, though he was a cautious enough man to discount nothing. It was more that Miro had other magic aspects about him, both within his actual physical essence and upon his person as accessories. It was possible this made some difference in the affinity for this...creature.

But he nodded and simply "felt" his allowance for this "Ender" to attach itself, and before he even spoke the words, it was done. Inoadar had a brief moment of concern that this entity would sense the lingering distrust and apprehension, but decided that this alien creature must surely understand the hesitation of a man to submit himself to a djed-craft of which he knew nothing.

Shortly there was a knock and Miro opened the door to a man of sound proportions, with piercing blue eyes and black hair, offset by a scar-triggered shock of white which streaked a vein of pearl the length of his casual ponytail. Inoadar felt an immediate respect for any man carrying such a scar. 'Likely a sigil of either battle or torture,' he assumed. Inoadar's badges of honor were mostly upon his torso and were primarily self-inflicted during his tenure with the Second Edict of Nyka. What scars he had on his face were more patch-like, remains of bruises, light burns, and his use of diluted 'Hag's Mask' poison as a disguise enhancement. He would have had to strip to his small clothes to reveal scars of such a nature as the man before him.

He had never really owned a slave, though his current assistant was technically one such, so he could not have said whether this man's casual conduct was out-of-the-ordinary. He himself would not have objected to a cup of coffee, but first he looked to Miro to see whether the wizard was of a mind to spend time in such leisure as to sit and sip. But there probably were some details to go over before their departure.

It did not escape his notice that this new arrival had a curious set to his shoulders and upper torso. He had seen such a man before, in the fighting pits of the Noble district. He had taken a job from The Spot to rig a fight there. One of those combatants had been one of the exotic swarthy-skinned men of Eyktol. He could not recall the name of the race offhand, but there was no mistaking the bulge of additional limbs, nor the olive complexion. He waited until the man had relinquished his bags and turned, to offer his extended hand. He did not want to come off as if he was attempting to expose the man's non-human features.

"Hello. Nolan Parnell. I am an associate of..." he almost said 'your master's', but caught himself, "...Miro here." The new silver "bracelet" shivered unexpectedly on his wrist, and he tensed briefly. It occurred to him that Ender may have realized that there were poisoned spring-spikes incorporated into the metal reinforced cuffs of his Nettle Cloak. The creature may also find the presence of his mail shirt uncomfortable, though it was of magically imbued light weight.

He reassessed his thought that Miro's accoutrements gave him such a potentially different "feel" to a ride-along entity. A slight grin formed at the thought. He turned it toward the newcomer, "...and you are...?"

x

[Miro]

Just as he was needed Lessomm arrived. It would serve Miro well to have the extra arms. Nolan made his introduction, obviously without trust in Lessomm. The Wizard answered in his servant's stead. "This is Lessomm, my personal servant. Besides Ender, there is nobody you can trust more. He is loyal and quite capable, and I am in need of his assistance today." Then he turned his attention to Lessomm. "I need all of your arms today. Unsheathe them and get ready. Today we have something very important to do, and I can not fail. Your skill in Shielding may just save us all."

The Reimancer was ready for whatever Forus had, and he knew the man was back to his work. Whatever he was doing there, he had to know Sahova would send somebody. With the amount of resources and the artifact taken, it was likely that there was trouble there. It seemed as if Rayage was trying to warn Miro that Forus might be a threat. There was no way the Chained One could agree to that though. In a fight against another person, there was nobody who could best him. Expect that one time that he got killed, that was the exception.

But after being killed it seemed that nothing could kill him again. It was the reality he chose to believe in anyways. Becoming overgiven and completely crazy was the real threat. Eternity was a long time, and magic truly did take its toll. But it paled in comparison to Uldr's cravings. In the end it all came down to one simple truth. The undead was going to do whatever he had to do to succeed and gain his recognition. Overgiving seemed a small price to pay for a perfect life in Ravok.

"We are going to capture the rogue wizard Forus, and there is nothing that can stop us now. Nolan, I will take the lead, but you shall guide us with the intelligence you have gathered. I trust you are most capable to ensure we can trap Forus. With Ender you will not be bested in combat either. I believe it would be best if Lessomm were to perform his Shielding before we even left. From what I understand it can defend us from magic." Miro looked his servant in the eyes with confidence. "Lessomm, you will stay close to me. I can keep you safe and you can help me to catch Forus. The plan is to Leech him dry and shackle him."

The wizard knelt down and set his staff on the ground. He pulled his bag off from his shoulder and set it on the ground, then took his staff once again. He pushed off the ground with the shaft and lifted himself upright again. "Take my pack, it has the shackles in it. As well it will enough room to take any research he may have. We take our quarry and his artifact and turn them over to the Ebonstryfe. If he is such a valuable resource to Sahova, then betrayal of the city can only result in Rhysol's great favor."

It might take some Hypnotism and a little reeducation, but Forus would be protected as well. He could find a new life in Ravok. "I will give Rayage a copy of the research to take back to the isle, but he will have to claim that Forus was gone and left without any trace. I suspect that Sahova wishes to have him back now, and he is capable of dealing with such a situation from there. I intend to stay in Ravok, and he is not the kind of wizard for this work. Without me, he would not even have the research, so I will not bother to think twice about my decision. If Rayage has any sense left in him, he will do as Forus did and leave. Betray them for Rhysol's praise."

Though there was no way to know how things would turn out. Perhaps Rayage would see serious consequence for this. Maybe Miro would take the artifact for himself, if it were worth it. But in the end he had to have something to deliver to the Ebonstryfe. He needed to gain some prestige in the city. Ravok was the perfect city, and Rhysol the perfect god. The Chained One was claimed by Uldr, a master he loved to hate, but would serve the Defiler as his savior. There was no better place for Miro than here in the paradise upon the lake.

Ender was unsure how to feel about Nolan. So far he seemed to be trustworthy, and hardly seemed to pose any threat. If his intelligence was reliable, he was a true ally. The Irylid would give his partner his best support and see their goal to completion. The wizard addressed his allies one last time before awaiting departure. "After we are Shielded, Nolan, you will guide us using some guise. I hardly have it in me right now to do so effectively. I am preparing myself for something else. Most of what you will see me do involves my staff." Forus couldn't be stronger than Miro, for the sake of everybody involved.

[Lessomm]

Lessomm took hold of Nolan's hand and shook it lightly before letting go. As he did, Miro introduced him with quite a bit of praise but Lessomm didn't feel the usual gratefulness for it. Lately, his master's words had started to mean less to him. While they were still important to the servant it seemed they did not carry the same weight anymore as before, perhaps because he was getting used to them. And then his master went right to the matter at hand, telling Lessomm to bring out everything. "Garine? Would you mind..." While there was no mental confirmation from the familiar, the room seemed to get darker and darker. Garine, as she reformed from her clothing form, attached herself to the back of Lessomm's neck with some of her shadowy tendrils. Her natural ability to absorb light jumped into action the moment she started to shift into her natural form. Around Lessomm the darkness seemed to get thicker and thicker as one of his two swallowtail coats seemed to vaporize into darkness. Covered by the darkness provided by his familiar, Lessomm started to unbutton the real swallowtail coat, making sure to do it properly, without crumpling his clothes. While he had registered the rushed tone in Miro's voice, there were some things you just couldn't rush. Carefully folding the coat on the bed, Lessomm turned his attention to the white shirt underneath, which soon joined the coat on the bed. Covered in his globe of fluctuating darkness, Lessomm stretched out all six of his arms. The globe of darkness moved to one corner of the room, reducing it's impact on the light in the room as Lessomm stretched out one hand towards the corner of the room, giving Garine a path to the ground where she could remain for a while. "It'll just be for a moment. Don't worry." Lessomm smiled to the darkness around him, unaware if Garine could see it or not. "I don't trust him, that Nolan guy. Keep alert around him. He'll try to attack the moment you turn your back." Garine's voice echoed in his head as Lessomm turned towards the two other men in the room. Half naked, with six arms visible this time, Lessomm walked out of the darkness orb now stationary in the corner of the room. While he had been changing, his master had started to explain about their task. Forus, a name that had been haunting his master and the professor for quite some time now. Lessomm was alert as he listened to his own tasks given to him by his master. The moment Miro knelt down, Lessomm was at his side, supporting his master. Ink had taken a toll on Miro's mobility and even movements such as these were a chore for the wizard. He quickly pucked up the bag from the ground and hooked it around his neck, keeping the bag on his hip, underneath three of his six arms. While his master continued to talk about their goal and how the professor was involved in all of it, Lessomm started to focus, turning his attention inward. Inside his being, inside the fleshy, bony, sinewy physical part of himself there was a globe, a pool of sorts where his power resided. It was the core of his magical skill a very private place until recently but now a shared location. The moment Garine and Lessomm had bonded together, Lessomm's Djed center had changed, had grown. Now it was no longer Lessomm's Djed center anymore. He jumped deep into the globe-pool and resurfaced from it, strands of Djed rushing down his body as he manipulated them into following his will. "..." Pulling the Djed up towards his hands, Lessomm split the initial single stream of Djed into six separate ones, each one supplying equal amounts of Djed to his hands. While it wouldn't be visible to anyone, his master, as skilled as he was in the use of it, would most likely sense the use of Djed so close to him as Lessomm prepared to shield them. "Don't move, master." It didn't happen often that he got to command his master but sometimes it was the only way. Reaching for his master, Lessomm pushed his Djed out from his hands towards the undead. "..." When his fingers gently touched his master on the shoulder and free arm, his Djed washed out like a flood, covering the touched areas first and quickly spreading out from there. Lessomm pulled more Djed up from his pool and out of his hands onto his master's frame. Only visible to his own eyes, the shielding Djed moved over his master's arm and shoulder and crept up his face while rushing down his neck and chest, covering his clothes and mask quickly. The placing of the Djed moved easily as Lessomm covered his master completely in it. Closing his eyes for a moment, Lessomm focused on the task at hand. The enemy would use magic to attack them, a battle of wizards. Combining his own instinctual reflex for being so close to a dangerous wizard and the task he needed to put into the shield, Lessomm's command was accepted easily. The Djed solidified in the same pattern as it had flooded his master, from the fingertips first, down the arm and up the shoulder and from there over the rest of his body. Every bit of Djed that solidified, seemed to fall down, pulled down by gravity, draping itself over Miro's body like a large piece of cloth or fabric. "..." With the first shield in place, tasked to deny Djed entry inside of it, Lessomm already started pooling more of his Djed into his hands as he turned to Nolan. "Master Parnell, if you don't mind." Lessomm didn't give the man much time to decide if he did mind or not. He placed one set of hands on his shoulders, one set of hands on his upper arms, just above his elbows and one sat flat on the man's chest. For a second time Lessomm let his Djed flood out. "..." The Djed washed over Nolan's arms, down to his fingertips, at the same time as it covered his shoulders and crept up his neck to his ears and higher up over his hair. All the while, Djed washed down like a waterfall from Lessomm's hands on the man's chest, forming and ever larger area of shimmering, shifting blue visible only to the shielder himself. Once Nolan was completely covered in Djed, front and back completely sealed, like Lessomm's master before him, the servant once again focused on the task. Doing it twice in a row only made it easier, combining that with an almost daily instinctual reflex of shielding himself against the potential magic attacks from his master, and Nolan was quickly covered in a now draping cloth of shielding Djed, tasked the same way as Miro's. Stepping back from his master's new asset, Lessomm panted for air, breathing quickly as if he had been running. The double shielding had taken quite a bit out of him and the servant would require some time to recover all of his expended Djed. "..." Through the whole shielding task, Lessomm had been aware of Garine paying attention to everything he did. It was almost like knowing someone was watching you while you were doing something, except it was a mental feeling, a much more personal and invaded feeling, something he would never be able to explain to anyone without a familiar. It was quite a unique feeling, a feeling he hadn't decided yet if he liked or disliked. "It is done, master." "Yes, Garine? You want to say something?" The familiar remained quiet, like it had been through the whole experience of sharing Djed with a Djed using shielder, but seemed to retreat a little away from Lessomm's presence. Lessomm smiled towards the globe of darkness. "..." Lessomm felt silently aware of what the familiar was thinking and why it had done what it had done and through the connection they shared, he let his new partner-for-life know exactly that. "You shouldn't have wasted your energy on them." It didn't sound as sharp as usual, almost as if even Garine wasn't sure of it.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar

Within moments of feeling reassured by the new arrival's friendly handshake, Inoadar found his skin crawling as an inexplicable darkness slowly fanned out and curled into a ball around the man. Having no detailed knowledge of magic, beyond his single introduction to Flux, he had no idea what sort of craft this was.

Had this shadowy manifestation not taken this spherical form, Inoadar may have thought it was some sort of smoke, possibly marking the man as a reimancer. Then his thoughts ran to...whatever that discipline was that sucked djed from others, the way light seemed to bleed right into it. Even as he struggled for the right term, Miro said it, as he explained they would be "Leeching" the enemy dry before shackling him. The way the dark orb engulfed the man, next gave Inoadar a brief flash of concern that it was a display of voiding. But he dismissed this thought almost as quickly as it arose, seeing that the man would have been risking destroying himself in the process.

As this ball of shadow moved away from him, into a corner of the room, he realized he'd been staring. He felt a flash of irritation. 'Someone might have warned me that he would be doing these tricks in front of me. I might not have stood here staring like I have something to hide.' He shook this off, figuring that if this man was Miro's servant, he should have guessed he'd know magic of some sort. But he felt conspicuous for his lack of insight.

He recovered his composure as the man stepped out of the large orb. He watched as the man draped Miro with his hands. If not for the fact that there seemed to be no ill effect, he might have refused, when the six-armed man turned his hands upon him. But he'd heard Miro mention something about "Shielding", and this seemed a fundamental concept, no doubt a shield against aggressive magic. He could still move and breathe normally.

The fact was, it was only Miro's satisfied look and the servant's claim that "It is done" that gave any suggestion that anything had happened, beyond some sort of weird, hands-on artsy theater. He thought suddenly of Ender on his wrist and tapped the shiny bracelet shape there. "Are you okay there?" he asked his wrist. He looked up at the two men, feeling somewhat foolish. "Uh...look, I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with these things. I need to check something out."

He made a very subtle twitch with the arm and spikes sprang through the cuffs of his cloak to make a small Morning-Star like mace of his wrist. He thought for a moment there was an odd shimmer, but figured it was probably Ender flinching. "I needed to be sure it was still going to work. There's a set in each cuff, elbow, and around my neck. Some of them are poisoned. Nothing lethal, more disabling. I also have darts for my blowgun." He picked his cane up off the bed, twisting the shepherd's hook handle to unlock the removable six-inch stiletto blade attached to it. Once the blade portion was removed, it was easy to see how the main shaft of the cane was actually a blowgun.

"I've also got a crossbow in my dufflebag, along with a variety of bolts. There's some herbs and bandages, some clothes and gear for disguises and a few other odds and ends. I assume this shielding lasts all day? We should be heading out. The site is a hundred yards or so off the southwest corner of the cattail farms. There are a few dozen workers in shifts completing the building and filling in around it, but it is not completely underground yet."

x

[Miro]

Ender was comfortable on Nolan's wrist, but he could feel some uncertainties in the man. Something noted on the living hosts he was worn on was their pulse. While attached to the wrist it was possible to feel the beating of the heart, which seemed to coordinate with things like exertion and stress. There were times that subtle changes in the rhythm hinted at something, but the Irylid could not be sure what. At the very least the man was prepared. Poison couldn't kill a creature of metal and ice, right?

By the time the Shields were finished being applied, Miro was ready to be out the door. "Lessomm, the door." And though he told Nolan to take the lead, he made an attempt to walk ahead of the rest. Though with his terrible limp, even with his staff, he was hardly able to sustain such a position. Finally when they were out of the complex and to the road he gave another command. "Nolan, hail a Ravosala, if you would. We can't miss the ferry, so please, do hurry." He would give these orders, but hardly give any effort apart from this.

The trip along the Ravosala, after the destination was given, the undead gave a subtle nod to his party. He casually took the only seat, but with a serious look in his eyes. He wanted to throw off the Ravosalaman, so he weaved a tale of deceit to satisfy prying ears. "I haven't been out of the city in some time. Franky said he needed me out in the Post to help him though. I'll bet he is going to Malfasar's to go try at Sandra some more. Damn fool, he is never going to learn. But as long as I am an apprentice of the Ebonstryfe, I've gotta do as he says. Won't be long now and I'll have my own apprentices to push around." The irony clearly escaped the undead as he spoke.

Ender could not help but to see clearly how his mater was treating his very willing help and began to worry. Things could fall apart if this kept up. "Zlynge! Miro, master, do you not see how you are acting? You are mistreating your help, your very capable and willing help. Keep this up and you will cause their morale to decay. You have relied on them to get you this far, and now that you needn't manipulate them, you instead command them. Now they are relying on you, and you are failing them." Immediately it was apparent the speech did not go over well. A mix of insult and anger could be felt across the bond.

Miro pouted behind his mask and looked down. There was some amount of repressed shame there, but only because he did not know any better. "You know Ender, I am not used to dealing with such things. People work for me, people work toward my goals, but rarely do I ever work with people. Though, I will admit, this could be an exception. Lessomm is hardly just a servant, and Nolan is more than just your average asset. I might consider them my partners. But when I am serious, this is how I am. There is no room for mistakes, no room for kindness, but I can certainly raise morale."

The trip to the ferry was not a long trip, but the ferry trip was long indeed. The trio had arrived at their destination, and it seemed they were on schedule. The ferry was visible on the horizon and would arrive within half a bell, but the trip back across would be somewhere from three to five bells long. It was always hard to be sure exactly how long. Long enough, that was for sure. Normally there was enough space to have some privacy and talk, which would be perfect. The Hypnotist had a speech to improve the morale of his companions.

The time until the arrival of the ferry Miro spent in silence while he prepared. He prepared his words with meaning, his presence with Djed and his heart with passion. When finally they boarded, the wizard made his way to a secluded area and let out a sigh. He looked his partners in the eyes and began to pass his hypnotic signals. He drew close to them and began his feat of encouragement. His voice was powerful, his body expressive, and his dull grey eyes were oddly radiant. He pushed emotions of courage, resolve and loyalty. As well a single suggestion, "I can not fail."

"Nolan, Lessomm, truly I owe you greatly. You have done so much for me in these past seasons, and I would not be here without you. You have done all I have asked of you and more. Despite what I am, how I appear, you have carried my will and burden on your shoulders. It has all led up this point. Soon will see the fruits of your labor. Soon you will be rewarded for your trouble, and have proven yourselves. Not just to me, not just the Stryfe, but Rhysol himself. And your bounty will be greater than you could have imagined. Apart from the immediate spoils, I shall offer unique recompense for your loyalty."

[Lessomm]

Lessomm held open the door for his master as he took his time to recover from the shielding. He still had to shield himself but it could be done later on. For now, his master and the asset were both shielded against any Djed based attacks. For the rest, things were up to them. Donning a large cloak to cover himself, leaving his arms free for whatever need his master had warned him about, Lessomm followed the two men out the door. It was hot under the cloak, but there were no people staring at him because of his six arms, at least. Lessomm stepped in the Ravosala first and offered a hand to his master to help him in it as well. The thought of seating himself hadn't even crossed the young Eypharian's mind. He knelt down near the back of the Ravosala, holding onto the side of the small vessel to keep himself from toppling over the edge and into the endlessly deep waters. His master's words made no sense to the servant as he spoke about Franky and Malfasar but he put them aside, attributing it to some larger plan the undead had. When they got to shore again, Lessomm was the first out and held out one hand to both passengers to help them out should they require it. While his master most likely did require his aid, the asset, Nolan, wouldn't unless he had trouble standing on the moving surface of the Ravosala. While the ferry slowly made its way to the anchor location they were waiting at, Lessomm was as quiet as his master, simply waiting. Words wouldn't help anyone. Once again Lessomm remained close to Miro and provided all the help and support needed as they crossed onto the ferry. If his mask hadn't been there, people would have been surprised to see that the apparent old, skull masked individual boarding the ferry with the help of the cloaked human was in fact not an 80 year old man but a young man of roughly 24 years. Once they had boarded the ferry and found themselves a private space on the boat, which Lessomm made sure of by advising people who came close that it was indeed a private gathering, his master started to speak. Lessomm felt proud that his master thought of him in such a way. But also, somewhere, nagging in his mind, he could hear Garine. "Don't listen to him. He's just trying to make you feel good for being his slave. He's not grateful you did what he asked, he's only more powerful because you did what he asked. Let that Nolan guy believe it. You shouldn't. Fight it. Don't believe him. His words are like poisoned sweets. Now they are good and nice but in the future you will feel their venom kill you."

[Inoadar]

Inoadar

Inoadar didn't truly have much trouble disembarking from a Ravosala, but it was only courteous to accept the offered hand from the man Miro had called Lessomm. The mage's acknowledgement of their valued assistance and the promise of extraordinary rewards suited him quite well. If he had not felt that he'd earned such, he might have suspected the use of hypnotism.

Wrenmae had enjoyed exceptional success with the same craft, but when Inoadar had finally shaken free of its influence, he had borne a significant grudge against the maledictor for "playing" him. He would not appreciate being used this way by anyone else. But there was nothing about Miro's "nudge" that was likely to trigger any such recognition of its use.

The prior act revolving around "Franky and Malfasar" was taken for exactly that. Inoadar was well-schooled in the necessity of spontaneous playacting. He even offered a nod of the head, and a "Yes, sir." to add legitimacy to it.

He had a horse at the Lakeside Stables and wondered if his companions did as well. It would be several bells to reach their destination on foot. He suggested that, if they did not have mounts, he could take his and scout the position ahead of them. If Ender's range of communication allowed, the familiar could relay any unexpected obstacles back to them so the wizards could prepare.

"The information I coaxed from Miss Lark may be outdated by now. I would like to be sure they haven't added any protection that might take more planning before we strike. She sold them out, but her desire to prevent her family from committing treason may not be shared by everyone else involved."

He'd explained before that silencing the woman, or keeping her detained, would have tipped off the Family. So all he could promise was that in exchange for her information, he would swear not to turn in the conspirators as traitors. He'd promised his support for a report indicating that the materials and labor were being applied to some other, more loyal, endeavor. He'd made a joke about a fairground.

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