The morning sun burned through the fabric of Brio's cocoon, forcing his eyes open. He rolled himself free and stretched. A quick dip in the nearby lake and a trip to the kitchen tent for a breakfast and he was ready for more fun hours of sitting on a horse talking to Leannan and Prince Salem. Lord Kaga was currently talking to Leannan, who seemed to be engrossed by whatever tall tale the old knight was feeding her. Lord Galahad sat shaking his head at his old friend. Brio reached his uncle as Kaga and Leannan left to talk more elsewhere.

"Uncle, good morning. What were those two discussing?"

"Matters of Cysgod. The... voices of Cysgod has taken a personal interest in her."

"For failing the branding."

"Ah, um, yes, the voices were made aware of a player they hadn't considered in their initial calculations. Or rather forgot."

"I take it that means the chances for our success are now greater than ever?"

Lord Galahad nodded. Brio watched as the procession began to move. He whistled for his horse and after embarrassingly struggling to mount the massive beast, while his uncle watched, rode off to find where Prince Salem was among the moving crowd. 

Prince Salem greeted Brio as he approached, slowing his horse the slightest amount, "Good morning, Brioche."

"Prince Salem. You look well rested."

"I cannot say the same for you."

"I slept well regardless."

"Did you dream?"

"No."

"Then you did not sleep well. It is dreams that allow one to rest. The mind cannot relax if it cannot dream."

The procession moved forward crushing grass beneath heavy hoofs, destroying a few fields of crops when they crossed too near the path. They moved at a good pace, faster than yesterday, the rhythm of the group a bit more put together after a day of figuring out exactly who could lead and who (mostly the older and less active nobles) needed to be put in the middle to force them to keep up. 

Leannan eventually rode up to them, face looking like she was deeper in thought than she had ever been. 

"Greetings, fellow Rune User. What's on your mind?"

"I... cannot fully say. I do have news, Brio might be interested in hearing."

"Oh? How so?"

"Turns out that dream, Baron Kaga had was real. Deidre is engaged. A messenger straitwing was sent this dawn."

"Really? To whom?"

"The letter didn't say. Though with the classified info I have a good idea on the lucky woman."

Prince Salem coughed, "And why is this information classified? Above even our clearance."

"Ask whoever gives out orders in Cysgod."

"I see, I know better to dig into things Cysgod deems classified."

Salem tilted his head, "Why? Is it dangerous?"

"Somewhat but also impossible. What Leannan was told is of the same level of secrecy as the Emperor's own secret orders."

Prince Salem nodded.

"Odd about Deidre, I recall nothing about her courting someone. Was it a sudden engagement?"

"No, and yes. But you do know the future second Mrs. Deidre Kaga."

"I do? I'll need to rack my brain more then. Still can't believe it."

"Why? Thought you'd marry first?"

"Leannan, I don't care about that stuff. I'm surprised she kept her courtship a secret."

"I really don't think it was that hard for her." 

"Well, regardless I will have to congratulate her when we get back." Brio said, with Salem voicing his intent to do the same.

Behind them Lord Galahad and Lord Kaga rode together. 

"Seriously, entrusting my Leannan with the blessing? That's a lot of responsibility. Especially if... the dream ends like he says."

"She'll be fine, she'll have the other blessed and my daughter."

"Lyrica? Yes, I suppose the skills my niece have will help- though if Lord Ci'sgo'tte is telling the truth of when she becomes aware, she won't be much help."

"With the blessing, Leannan could awaken her sooner."

"If she joins us."

"You know your niece and my daughter are..."

"Yes. But I'd hope she'd have some conviction."

"Unlikely being related to you."

"Oh, shove it up your ass you old fart."

Lord Kaga grew serious, "This is going to end in failure."

"Yes, but with failure there is no success."

"For the glory of Cysgod and the Empire."

"May they forever reign, supreme and just."

___________________________________________________________________

Deidre watched as Lyrica finished dressing in a rather tight dress her maids had delivered to the room. The news of the engagement had broken as fast as both feared. Lyrica's name had slipped for now, but the head maid had decided both of them needed to be dressed to a standard above where both their usual clothing options were. Lyrica scowled and grabbed some scissors, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail and cutting it to where it was in the center of her shoulders before fixing her bangs. She smiled then turned to her fiancée. "So, I guess... ugh. I hate you for making us do this."

"Oh? That's not the tone you had last night."

"I said I love you one time, that's not enough to be forced around in a dress that crushes my ribs."

"You get used to them."

Lyrica shook her head. She didn't have much else to do for a few more days at best. Best to enjoy the time she had lucked into with her Deidre. 

Deidre stood up and put on some heels. A gloved hand reached for another and the couple began to leave. A carriage out front carried them both to the Academy, in front of the Royal Guard training facilities. Deidre had decided if she was going to be forced to parade herself and her Lyrica around, it would be best to rub her in the noses of her fellows. 

Immediately a few rivals of hers; a daughter of a minor noble house, the daughter of a diplomat and the son of the local blacksmith ran over. 

"Oi, rather fancy dress, Deidre. What's the occasion?" The smith's boy stated

"Oh, nothing special. Just taking a walk."

"In those clothes? You want to die from the heat?" The diplomat's daughter asked. 

"Oh, no- unlike you I expect most of my day to be inside the nice cool Academy. You can get sunstroke out here in my honor."

"And who is this?" Asked the minor noble's daughter pacing around Lyrica.

"My fiancée."

"You surely jest."

"I do not."

"How much did she pay you?"

Lyrica smiled, "She killed me or tried to, so in a way this is her paying me."

"Oh, like you love her so much you felt like you were dying each and every moment you spent without her?"

"No. I mean she killed me. With her sword. Multiple times, if we are being honest."

The three scowled, "If you're not gonna give us a straight answer, farewell, and happy engagement to you, Captain Kaga."

"Can we please get inside, my love?" Lyrica asked looking up at Deidre.

Deidre could already feel sweat on her back, "Of course.

The two of them walked into the Academy, Lyrica holding tight to Deidre's hand. A few eyes stared at them as they began to make their way to the governmental wing. Some people, who had caught the gossip of the maids, came forward and congratulated the two, which Deidre and Lyrica grew redder and redder with each one. Thankfully classes weren't until the afternoon on the weekends so the amount of times that they had to say, "Thank you," wasn't as bad as it could be. As they passed by the classroom of Professor Galahad, a hand reached out on Lyrica's shoulders.

"I don't care much about you not coming to see me, with you being dead dear- but to get engaged to my late best friend's daughter and not even tell me?" The voice of Lyrica's aunt ringed in her ears. The two of them turned around, Lyrica holding closer to Deidre's side.

"Who told you?" Lyrica said warily.

"Isolde, who else. We're drinking buddies." She looked at Deidre, "My, you look so much like your mother all dressed up like that."

"Please don't compare my Deidei to her mother." Lyrica gave the slightest hint of that smile.

"Yes, of course. I know how you feel about her mother. That fight you had over it ruined our best throw rug."

"Lady Galahad, I wish we could chat some more, but we must be going."

"Yes, yes. Busy day doing what? Snogging in Deidre's tiny office?"

"Actually we haven't, you know."

"Well, not for real. We did... you know for the play when we were younger."

"Yes, Lady Fallworth and Lady Vale. You know, it was fun watching you two shut down after you realized what you had done."

"See you, whenever our paths cross again." Lyrica curtsied.

"Oh, you'll see me tomorrow for dinner. It's rude to not get approval from a bride's family."

"Really? It's not like you'll say no."

"I can still threaten it."

"Very well. Deidre, is that fine?"

"As long as she opens some of your uncle's kegs."

"Please don't get drunk." Lyrica asked as they walked away. 

Deidre's office was in a corner of the north hall of the governmental wing. It was barely big enough for the desk Deidre rarely used, having apparently been an isolation room for punishment back when the academy was a nunnery in the capital's infancy. As such the wall and doors were extra padded, so no noise got in or out. The two immediately helped each other out of their dresses. Deidre threw on some armor, she felt naked without it, while Lyrica hung out in her corset and stockings, laying across Deidre's dusty and empty desk.

"Do you even use this office?"

"To hide and sleep mostly. I may have redirected a lot of my work to Brio." She said sitting in the chair behind the desk.

"Smart. A woman after my own heart." Lyrica scooted off the desk, and walked behind Deidre.

"When your colleague finishes her job, will you be leaving?"

"If she fails, I won't have much choice. If by the twins, we succeed then... Either way I would find it hard to leave."

"Good. I wouldn't want you to leave either, Lyrica." Deidre motioned for her to sit down on the desk. It was rather hard to talk to someone behind her.

Lyrica sat swung her legs absent mindedly. Deidre stared intently at her, at the lips her maids had painted a bright pink. She began to imagine those lips on hers and smiled. No, it was too early for that. She wouldn't-

Her hand began to burn. She pulled it under the table and held it tight. The grimace on her face made Lyrica ask if she was okay. Deidre lied and said she was fine, as the pain continue. The oath mark was burning. What had she done? It wasn't burning before, just when she... no. Why would that set it off. Why would that be considered betraying Cysgod? She had to at least try, just in case.

Deidre turned to Lyrica and pulled her into a kiss. A quick kiss. Just enough to fry Lyrica's gay little brain. The burning ceased the moment their lips met. Strange. Unless this was Cysgod giving blessing to Deidre to pursue Lyrica fully. The knight pulled the slightly more than a foot shorter Lyrica into her lap. She had read in romance novels that this was a good way to seduce someone. To hold power over them, and make them feel like you were protecting them. Lyrica of course felt nothing, still in shock from the kiss. So when Lyrica embraced her, holding her like she weighed nothing, the usually annoyed retort didn't leave her lips or even form in her head. Deidre rested her head by her neck, like she had seen in drawings snuck into her room to view late at night. She was supposed to whisper things to Lyrica but at this point she too had short circuited her gay little brain as well. So, they sat in silence, embracing each other for a good few hours, neither willing to move or try something out of fear of embarrassing themselves- to the woman who openly admitted she loved them in a room with no one else in it.

Soon a knock came at the door and in a hurry the two put back on their dresses. Deidre opened the door, her dress still disheveled from being in a pile on the floor. A porcelain faced woman, an agent of Cysgod awaited. "Lady Kaga. Good evening. I see you are having happy relations with your fiancée."

"Y-yes, thank you. What do you want?"

"The will told me to see how you are doing. All is as it should be. All is as it has been foretold." The porcelain faced woman bowed and left.

"You often get wellness checks?" Asked Lyrica fixing her hair out of her eyes.

Deidre shook her head. Her branded hand clenched into a fist. "Well, that was a good- um, cuddle?"

"A cuddle requires both of us to be active."

"But you can cuddle a stuffed bear."

"A stuffed bear is made to hug you back with its softness. And why did you kiss me like that? At least ask."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. You can do it anytime to me, just don't do it like that. I think I reverted to before human's learned to think after it."

Deidre laughed, "May I kiss you then?"

"As long as you can reach me down here. Can that dress even bend?"

"My knees can." Deidre replied crouching to the embarrassment of Lyrica. She tried not to notice the muscles that were slightly revealed in the legs of her fiancée as she crouched. Tried not to imaging how the rest of Deidre's body looked. It was bad enough for her heart that she was currently being kissed for such a long time by Deidre. 

Deidre broke away, smiling. "I love you."

Lyrica nodded, "I love you as well."

Deidre beamed. "Should we go to the cafeteria for lunch?"

"Is the food good here now?"

"Surprisingly, yes. Lady Galahad basically forced your uncle into agreeing to increase the cafeteria budget."

"Fine, let's get going." 

Lyrica put her heels back on, now only ten inches shorter than Deidre, and held her arms as her future wife led her through the now crowded halls, stopping every other step for another round of congratulations, and into the new and improved cafeteria for some food. 

Deidre and Lyrica sat at a table, Lyrica hidden from Deidre's view by the cake the cafeteria had prepared for them in congratulations. Lyrica watched Deidre devour the cake in a few minutes, having turned down her full mouth offers to share. She simply drank the soup she had paid for, protecting it from Deidre's wild enjoyment. 

"The cake good?" Lyrica asked, leaning away from Deidre.

"Delicious. You should have tried some." Deidre replied..

"No thanks, I don't much care for sweets."

"More for me then," Deidre said wiping her face clean. "By the way- if things go bad what are you planning to do."

"I am not going to answer that."

"And I am only going to warn you once, if you try to go against Cysgod or the Empire I'll stop you. And then maybe make sure you don't do it again."

"Rather rude planning on killing me already, Deidei."

"I'm not planning. After all you said, if things go bad."

"I don't plan to fight you regardless." Lyrica said, memories flying to being killed over and over by Deidre in her Bloody Knight mode.

Deidre nodded, "Good. And regardless as well, I will make sure you stay with me." Deidre stared at her childhood friend, looking for a response from Lyrica. She gave none.

"You're lucky I love you or that would make me concerned." Lyrica remarked, returning to her soup. 

Deidre smiled and relaxed as Lyrica ate. The two engaged in small talk, mostly Lyrica asking about minute details of the Capital and the citizens, every so often nodding and going "oh, it's that way" or "yeah, seems right". In turn Deidre asked her about her travels, which Lyrica happily divulged, minus any questions of Hazel, removing details that Deidre wasn't supposed to know and the whole reset thing. 

"You went to Feenruhe? I thought they were still being isolationist." Deirdre asked

"No, I went to the border. Technically I got inside during the skirmish but a tree is a tree on both sides of the border."

"And then you went back to Aria?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"So if we had been sent to find the Keys last year, I wouldn't have met you."

"There wasn't any danger of that. After all last year the kir'foy'ta would have been asleep still."

"Should I apologize again or?"

"For killing me? I think you letting me be with you is apology enough."

Deidre grinned, "So, you want to go out? Of the capital, I mean. To the old clearing?"

"Sure, if you want to." Lyrica stood up and pushed in her chair.

Deidre told her to wait and ran off the order a carriage at the Academy's stables. After some trouble remembering the number for her Father's academy credit account, a young man agreed to take them out to the clearing. Deidre thanked them, ignoring the man's attempts at flirting, and dragged Lyrica into the now waiting open roof carriage. The man continued to try and flirt with Deidre, who seemed unaware of it even happening. He didn't flirt past the gate of the city when he caught Lyrica spinning a knife in her hands and smiling at him. 

Lyrica leaned on Deidre as they rode, enjoying her smell. Twins, she was gay. She snuck a look up at Deidre, the face that had so often ended her life, tears spilling just as she spilt Lyrica's blood. Her black eyes stared forward, watching the passing people, her mouth stuck in her usual slight frown. Her copper colored skin glistened with sweat. Her yellow-blonde hair had straight bangs covering her forehead with the rest of it being wavier and more unkempt and loosely held back by an unseen thin headband, just to the base of her shoulders. Deidre's mouth moved side to side, a quirk she sometimes did while deep inside her own thoughts.  Lyrica could assume she somehow played into the thoughts, hopefully in a good way. Lyrica spared some of her own thoughts towards Lea, who was at that very moment asleep in bed, enjoying the fact she had nothing to do.

Deidre bit the inside of her mouth. Lyrica's breathing tickled against her arm and she could feel the sweat building underneath her dress. She fanned herself with an open palm, mind still playing out exactly what she wanted to make Lyrica do. Part of her felt guilty for a bunch of things that she was both at fault and not at fault for and wanted to make it up to her by taking her to do things she was sure her Lyrica would enjoy and another wanted to take Lyrica to do things Deidre herself wanted to do together with her. She absentmindedly stroked Lyrica's hair as they rode onward.

__________________________________________________________________

Mors tapped her fingers against her face. The very boring woman at the head of the table droned on about the good an alliance between the Empire and Ruskalyka would bring. It was fluff, not even an actual thing that she should be considering. After all she was insurance. 

"I thank you for offer, council. But again, I will need to send a straitwing to Ruskalyka to see what response they give. After all, I am yet unexperienced in such things."

"We can arrange that, Lady Doch." The boring woman said.

"Excellent. Now shall we move on to the next topic? They have given me authority to authorize a draft of a plan to split up Saitya after it crumbles."

"Perfect. I have a few suggestions here that..." The meeting droned on, Mors barely paying attention and choosing whatever options seemed to best benefit Ruskalyka- even if she didn't agree with them ethically that often. Mors wondered how her parents could enjoy this torture. Her father often touted his wit in political discussions but there was no wit here, only one side giving options and the other picking their favorite one. Maybe if Mors had more experience she could haggle for better deals, but in the end she didn't care. After all, the only Ruskalykans who benefited from anything she could get the Empire's council to agree to would only benefit her own class.

"Lastly, I would ask you agree to not discuss the deals we made with anyone outside these chambers, Lady Doch."

"Of course." Mors replied having retained absolutely nothing of anything worth discussing from the hours long droning the council had barraged her with. The council dismissed her and the Ruskalykan royal made her way to her room. Rabo was waiting for her.

"Did your meeting go well, my lady?"

"I assume it went well."

Rabo nodded. "There are rumors that the serial killer on the outskirts of the Capital's farming villages is now outside the walls."

"Are you concerned?"

"Yes, after all, such killers are hard to catch in a dirty and crowded city like this."

"Seems roomy enough for me."

"Not where the riffraff and servants live."

"Of course. But still, a serial killer? From the papers seems more like random killing."

"Yes, but serial killer sounds scarier. I would not like to return you to your mother and father in a casket. Stay safe when you go out."

"If you'd come with me I'd be fine."

"No, I have my own business to deal with. Perhaps Lyrica or Deidre could join you?"

"And split up the happy couple? Not likely. And don't ask me to bring both, I am not a third wheel girl."

Rabo chuckled, "Fine. Just don't trust anyone that much."

"I am not a child, I can tell danger just fine."

Rabo conceded the bed he was sat on to Mors before leaving her alone. Her mind was still bored, her body was sinking into the soft and comfortable bed. Her work here was done, and yet until the ones sent to the Tune Somnia told the kir'foy'ta their dream she was stuck here with nothing to do, or at least nothing she could figure out to do. She wished Faira and Zurah were with her. They always found things to do when she was with them. Things Mors wouldn't have considered or overlooked. Zurah in particular was good at knowing exactly what Mors would enjoy and what she would hate, like she had already seen how Mors would react before even deciding what to do. 

She shifted in her bed, kicking her body under the thinnest sheet. The room was too cold to enjoy laying on top of them and yet too warm for her to consider any blanket thicker than that one.

 Faira. She knew Rabo had a thing for her slightly older friend, though if Faira had returned the feelings was hard to say. Rabo was her type, or at least matched enough what Faira had told Mors her type was. Zurah on the other hand... well, she wasn't Mors's type. She was pretty. The scary kind of pretty you get when looking at a wild animal. She always had an air of danger around her. It didn't help that she was... well, Mors thought, even if she was fully human and never lazed on her disguise runes that wild beast look still came in through her red hair, short and sloppily cut bangs and sharp teeth. She hadn't seen Zurah since she began traveling after Faira's banishment. Zurah had refused her offer to join her on her travels, and hadn't contacted her since. If not for rumors of a read headed demon girl, she doubted she would have been aware of Zurah's continued existence. 

Mors didn't understand why her thoughts drifted to her old friends, especially after all this time. They had for most of the time since their departure been nothing more than infrequent guests in her dreams. It wasn't like she had tried to forget or ignore her friends, it was just her mind was on other things, other things had merely taking precedence over constant thoughts of two women she had drifted away from. She closed her eyes for a nap

----------------------------------------------------

Lyrica's lips pulled away from Deidre's as the two sat on the large stump that they had carved  their initials in as a kid. They had just arrived, sending the carriage back to get their own privacy. After all, the only reason to be in the clearing was to be free of other's eyes. 

"Lyrica. I love you." Deidre said hugging Lyrica. 

"Deidre. Can we talk?"

"I suppose."

"When did you fall for me, either definition of the word? Lyrica that is."

"I... think it was the first time I saw you in one of my dresses for that play we did for school. I think that was when my brain separated the boy you pretended to be with the real you- even if I didn't know it."

"Flattery will get you everywhere with me dear, lucky for you. I think if had to realized I liked you the first time I saw you shirtless after a training session."

"Oh? You pervert."

"Do you want me to not enjoy how ripped you are?"

"Oh, I assumed it was like a sweat fetish."

"I can break off the engagement. But, if you had one, I would have one."

Deidre laughed, "I don't."

"Oh, thank the Twins."

Deidre kissed her again, "Lyrica. What are we going to do when the others return?"

"Well, I really don't plan to stay here."

"You assume you have a choice." Deidre said, seriously.

"You could come with me."

"And you could stay with me." Deidre hugged her lover close.

"I'll... consider staying." Lyrica said, struggling not to make her nervousness clear.

"Good." Deidre grinned. She'd take that as more than a consideration.

The two leaned on each other and listened to the woods around them, breathing in unison. As kids they had used the clearing as a place to play and fight away from the capital, away from the eyes of adults. The trees still had cuts in them from Deidre using her swords to do the types of unrealistic moves Lyrica had seen in plays when in Aria, and there were still a few holes from the times Lyrica had tried using a caster. Though mostly the two just talked out here as kids. After all, both were to some extent unable to speak when in the capital as freely as they wanted, being children of high ranking officials and just children in general. Deidre discussed with Lyrica the knights she idolized, all of them women. Lyrica would make remarks about the Empire that Deidre knew were right but also were not allowed. It was just surface level things, many of them ones others in the city- even some of the royals had noticed and complained about.

Deidre's eyes gazed into the sky. She wished she was a kid again. That she was back where she and Lyrica had no worries about the future. Twins, one day with Lyrica and she was like this. The fact she had managed to keep it together in Aria was only because of the things Cysgod had done to her. Even then she knew she remembered her heart aching and her face blushing. Then again, even if she didn't love Lyrica, she would have blushed. Deidre hated to admit it but she was weak to teasing and Lyrica, cute asshole she was, loved teasing. She hadn't teased her much since they admitted they loved each other however, which instead of Deidre feeling relieved only made her fear the amount of teasing she'd receive once Lyrica normalized to them being engaged. 

Engaged. Why didn't she just say courting? That would have been better. They could actually get to know each other again. Although it felt like Lyrica already knew her more than she knew Lyrica. Like it actually mattered, Lyrica seemed happy to accept the engagement much to Deidre's joy. 

She looked down at Lyrica who was spacing out at the trees. Deidre stretched out her and yawned before laying back and staring into the sky once more.

_________________________________________________________

The masked woman wandered through the streets, gleefully imagining each way she could kill each person which passed her by. Her mask had been discarded at the gates,

Not allowed into the city with it, she had tossed it away like the garbage it was. Her blood-red hair and yellow eyes made her stand out, even more so with the sharp-toothed grin she sported. A few people swore they saw horns peaking from the front of her heads, other swore the red twintails on the side of her head looked more like ears than hair. No one dared to ask her or take a closer look. The woman would have been happy to give them the look, it wasn't such a big deal. Of course the payment for such a look wouldn't be one most would agree to.

The Capital was making the masked woman excited, all the bodies ready to be sent to the goddess for her resurrection around her, unguarded and unaware. Zurah had said to wait to begin the killing, but surely a few deaths before wouldn't hurt anyone. 

She walked, eyes out for potential sacrifices, people that she could kill easily and quickly. She walked through a more and more rough looking part of the Lowers, the citizens not looking more rough but the atmosphere feeling less controlled. 

Passing by a corner she heard a man whistle. "Hey, girlie. I've got a pearl necklace that will match that pretty hair of yours."

The masked woman smiled. "Oh? How kind of you, sir. Perhaps you could show me?"

The man grinned, happy his awful pick-up line seemed to have worked. He lead the woman into the alleyway, all the way to the back. He pushed the woman against the wall, his breath hot on her face. "Come on babe, you gotta get me in the mood before we talk a deal."

The masked woman grinned, showing off her teeth. The man felt his pants grow wet, not with the liquid he expected. As he tried to move away the woman grabbed his hands and slammed them onto her head. He screamed as something pierced both his palms. He pulled away and stared at his hand in shock. The woman moved her finger, a rune appearing in the air and burning into the man. Suddenly he felt his hands start to pump blood at a rate unfit for the wounds in them. Blood began to pour from his hands like a faucet. He struggled to hold his hands under each of his shoulders to stop the flow of blood. His head felt light, the blood loss already a significant amount. The woman still just grinned, then said. "I thought you needed some new gloves. I was thinking red, but the purple you have is nice too."

The man looked down at his armpits, his fingers bloated and purple. He froze in fear. And then- one popped. Squirting blood and other human liquids across the alley's  wall. One by one each finger became the scraps of skin and muscle around a bone. He let go of his palms and stared at his fingers, not paying head to his bleeding. Nor to the fingernail of the woman carving a rune into his forehead. He froze and then began to stick what was left of his fingers into the holes in his palms, over and over rapidly. Each thrust expanded the hole and increased his blood loss, each thrust sending immense pain through his body. But he kept going, over and over- vision growing blurrier and blurrier until he fainted. The woman stared at him and then produced the caster she had taken, placed it in his wound and shoved it up his arm. His body weakly twitch as she began to stop the caster and his arm, sending glass and wood shard all inside of his arm. After stomping his arm into a pancake she left him to finish dying alone.

"Fun, fun. The goddess will thank me for that one. Such filth isn't welcome under her glory." She wiped her foot off on a wall before exiting and continuing to walk among the sacrifices.

------------------------------------------------------------

Prince Salem sipped his tea as he chatted. Rather weak tea, he had to admit. And lukewarm as well. He would need a word with the fools who had made it. Lord Galahad and Lord Kaga were drink from a large flask, passing back and forth between each other. 

"So, your highness, has your trip been comfortable thus far?" Asked Lord Galahad.

"I assume it is as comfortable as it could be without you putting one of the castle beds on wheels."

"Rather hot for that."

"Yes. Still a comfortable bed."

Lord Kaga nodded, "Prince Salem, you are prepared to shed blood, correct?"

"Of savages and foreigners? Of course. All who stand in the way of my Father, the Empire, Cysgod must be dealt with."

"Good. The mark of a true leader is willingness to do what is necessary, no matter what the cost of such actions shall be."

Lord Galahad shook his head, "It would be helpful to minimize fighting and death, my friend. We have a dream to fulfill, not time to waste on pointless battles."

"I doubt that bloodshed can be avoided."

"It can be minimized."

Prince Salem sipped on his cold brown water, "We shall see what shall be done when we get there. Maybe the others will be trying to be stealthy and not have brought an army as we have."

"The natives probably did. They are smart. But the Ruskalykans probably sent an army as we did." Lord Galahad replied.

"Yes, that's where the blood will start spilling. With them. With us. After all, when's the last time Ruskalykan or Empire Soldiers spilled blood?"

Prince Salem thought then said, "Four years, in that war."

"Yes, and since then we've had an uneasy peace since then. Our soldiers have grown lust-filled for battles that they have not felt in years, or ever."

Prince Salem smiled, "Then they shall be satisfied by the end of this, shall they not?"

"Such affairs will be nothing more than conjecture and speculation until tomorrow."

"Yes, the day our dream become reality."

From across the camp Leannan was practicing drawing runes in the dirt, faster and faster, slowly morphing into incomprehensible lines. Why was it so hard for her to do runes at any sort of speed above moderate? Prince Salem and Brio could both draw them in an instant like it was nothing. It wasn't probably healthy to compare her talents to others, but she couldn't help it. Rune Magic helped her survive, so she felt a deep need to be the best at it- nay better than the best, to be so far above everyone else that when future generations came every "greatest rune user" comment would have an unspoken "outside of Leannan Sioga" attached to it. However it wasn't like she was hopeless when it came to speed. Simple runes that were mostly one or two strokes were easy to do rapidly. They of course were less powerful and specialized and any Rune User worth a damn could use every finger and thumb they had and pump them out at two hundred and forty a minute.

Leannan stretched, a voice in her head telling her to go for a walk. She had been sitting all day. She looked out at the nearby woods, telling a knight she was going to stretch her legs- just in case somehow she was left behind. She crunched the floor of the forest beneath her feet. The shadows and lights mixed, making her pupils expand and dilate with every other stride of her legs.

The voice in her head spoke, "So, what do you expect out of this? You want the same people who killed your village to have a wish?"

She shook her head and responded, "I know, but one shouldn't blame one person for an entire people."

"If that is what you believe, so be it. I just assumed we would be more angry. After all, that is all we felt to them at first. They who trapped us and controlled us. And here we are now, loyal pets to those same bastards."

"I serve those worth serving, the rest of them are nothing more than trash."

"And yet the trash and worthy mix and mix all the same."

"I am beyond those doubts."

"Then why do I still speak."

"Because I am beyond doubt but not rage. I can admit if I saw some of the men and women here being attacked and about to die, I would not produce a drop from my inker for them."

"Rather cold for a future leader."

"That is not my place. I understand not why Lord Kaga would claim such things. That I am to lead Cysgod next? Cysgod, from what I know has no leader."

"And our knowledge was wrong. Accept the gift. After all, with such power you could easily purge the trash, those who care not about the people you once walked among."

"Yes, I suppose I could. In the next world."

"That's the more unbelievable part. That if we fail, the world just returns us to the past."

"Yes. Though I wonder what it will be like if I am..."

"Yes, that is a fun thought."

"And add in those three being with me."

"Of course that is assuming she joins you."

"I can set it up so she's happy."

"Neither her nor her brother comes to the capital if they're happy."

"To an extent which allows them to still be adopted. I was thinking more in lines of that."

"Are we also planning to make Brioche less of a dick?"

"Would that be Brioche then?"

"Perhaps, a test for her would be in line? See her convictions?"

Leannan laughed at her own inner voice, "Perhaps. But these are the thoughts we should have after tomorrow, what ever form it may come in."

_________________________________________________________

Lyrica and Deidre re-entered the capital on foot, having elected to walk back. They chatted casually, Deidre doing most of the actual talking with Lyrica happily listening to whatever her girlfriend was ranting about. Deidre lead Lyrica to the bakery she had visited the other day to enjoy a bite before she dragged her to Bridget's for drinks. As they passed by the pub with the lucky guards Lyrica stopped her. The two seemed deep in conversation. 

"Poor sap. I know he wasn't the most upstanding guy, but those wounds looked brutal."

"Inhuman. I don't even think one of the girls he did and swindled would be that brutal in retribution."

"And did you hear the rumor that they found a rune carved on him?"

"That's bullshit, what Rune User would do this?"

"Isn't the Ruskalykan one in town?"

"I sincerely doubt that Ruskalyka would attempt to start a war with us over some one like him."

Deidre walked over to the guards, "Hail, what's the news?"

"Captain Deidre. Tomas Brigand was found dead."

"Drink or?"

"Murder most foul. Holes in both his palms, fingers left as basically nothing more than bones, and caster shoved up one arm that looked like a horse trampled it."

"How awful." Deidre responded.

Lyrica scowled, "You said that he might have had a rune carved on him, correct? Exactly what type of rune was it?"

"I think the investigators said it kind of looked like one's in the old- er, well such terms aren't proper around ladies."

"I see. Thank you." Lyrica left with Deidre following after. Lyrica stewed in silence until they sat at the bar at Bridget's. 

"Hey, Deidre. Been a minute. Thought you found a new bartender."

"I was busy with other things. Like getting engaged."

"I heard that. This is... ah, you're the one she keeps talking about like a girl in love."

"Yes, but let's not do this. After all I know you don't want this time's Zurah to move on."

"No, she's too violent. Heard she killed already?"

Deidre interjected, "What are you discussing."

"Our jobs, Deidei."

Deidre stared at her fiancée, until Lyrica hurriedly told Bridget to water her with the hardest stuff she had.

"I feel like this one is going to end up a failure on all sides." Bridget said. "Too many new variables. That's what the divining tells me. You're like the Priestess, right?"

"Yes."

"You notice any differences?"

"Some rarities like Mors being here, but the biggest changes are Lea and Leannan co-existing ad um..." She glanced at Deidre.

"You two are awfully friendly for her working with an enemy of yours."

Bridget pour Deidre another stein. "It's almost like when your aren't working, you can enjoy the company of enemies."

"Oh. By the way, if either of you have information on the murder of Tomas, you kind of have to tell me, legally."

"I'd prefer not. Z's not really a girl I want you to send people after."

"How so?"

Lyrica considered lying for the briefest second, before swallowing her fears about her path, "She's... well, this one is just a Rune User."

"A rune user? You mean the terrorist?"

"No, that's... ah, never mind they don't matter."

"A rune user would be quite a dangerous prey."

"Which is why I don't want you to send anyone after her?"

"And yet you want me to let you after her?"

"I can handle her."

"You can't even use a caster, how are you going to beat a Rune User?"

Lyrica shook her head, "Just trust me. I told you I had a job here, and this is part of it."

"Even so, if you go looking for her, I'm joining you."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it."

"So, are we going now I'm-" Deidre slumped over passed out drunk. Bridget looked over at Lyrica and told her she had called a carriage on standby when they arrived. She thanked the bartender and helped Deidre into the carriage, then held her from rolling on the carriage floor on the way to the mansion, and then into the mansion and into their shared bed before passing out on top of her from the exhaustion of carrying the six foot five muscular ragdoll up the stairs. Tomorrow would bring the end, in one way or the other. The fates were already twisting as they dreamed.