Chương 95: New direction

A Hollow Reach closed behind Vera as she gave Stillwake a light swing and let the halberd vanish into her Vaultring. Rolling her shoulders, she crossed the Last Hearth common room she'd landed in and wandered over to the railing overlooking a cute little courtyard below, complete with a miniature stream and a cluster of tiny trees that looked suspiciously like bonsai.

She leaned there for a moment, admiring a view that she assumed was one of Syl's additions to the guildhall while munching on the hand pie she was holding. She had never been much of a pie person, but she'd learned they could get surprisingly good depending on what you stuffed into them. This one had some kind of strange meat in it along with mushrooms and a mash of spices that would almost definitely have had her stomach filing a complaint later if she weren't basically fantasy Hercules.

"Can you just always use that no matter where you are to get wherever you want?" a youthful voice asked from behind. Vera glanced over her shoulder at the freckled teen carrying a woven hamper toward a low table set between two couches and a lit hearth. Orbiting her was an excited Serel, practically bouncing in place as a pleasant smell drifted across the room, intensifying as the hamper was set down and the cloth covering it was removed to reveal a spread of pastries, sweets, and little wrapped snacks.

"Not always," Vera said, finishing off the pie with one last bite before turning her back against the railing to watch Serel stare at the food." Hollow Reach is pretty convenient, but it wouldn't work if I didn't have any Resonance." The teen—Moni—rolled her eyes.

"Is that supposed to hold you back? I've literally never seen my sis use all her Resonance."

"That's funny. I can't remember the last time I used all of mine either."

"Must be nice." Moni turned back to the hamper and started pulling things out to arrange them on the table in front of Serel, who had already clambered onto one of the couches. The girl immediately lunged for a candied fruit skewer and bit into the glossy sugar shell with a look of pure delight.

"Try this one next," Moni said, picking up a pastry shaped like little pink flowerbuds—some kind of marzipan thing, maybe—and setting them out on a cloth in front of the girl.

"You'll love these. Trust me." Serel hurried through the fruit skewer only to move straight on to the flower-shaped sweets, her eyes going wide as she made a loud little noise and gave Moni an enthusiastic thumbs-up while trying to force words through a full mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Vera said, trying to give at least the impression of someone strict. Moni snorted, taking one of the flower sweets for herself while grinning at Serel.

"Told you that you'd like it."

"That goes for you too," Vera said. Moni looked at her.

"Wow. Didn't know you'd be so prim and proper."

"I can't have you being a bad influence on my kid. Reflects poorly on Mira, doesn't it?" The teen frowned a little at that, but she did at least seem to make an effort not to answer with her mouth full as she kept recommending different snacks to Serel and getting more dramatic reactions out of her. Vera stayed off to the side, mostly just enjoying the sight.

She had taken Serel out to explore part of the city the evening before, but they'd barely scratched the surface, so she'd taken her out again that afternoon to see more of what Caer Virell and its various tiers had to offer. And since Vera had kind of bailed on the teen before, she invited Moni along too, partly so she could ask her a few things about Mira and partly so Serel had someone around a little closer to her own age.

Moni also knew the current city way better than Vera did, so she'd ended up acting like a guide while they wandered, and when Serel had spotted some of the food stalls along the way, Moni had insisted they had to stop by a stretch in the Lower Tiers that was apparently famous for sweets and street food. The idea of trying a bunch of different pastries and candied nonsense had probably excited Serel as much as anything else they'd seen all day. Vera was just happy seeing the girl smile.

She had been tying herself into knots earlier over what Syl had told her, and it had done a real number on her mood having to sit there and seriously consider what some semi-eldritch god might have designs on her daughter. She couldn't help wondering whether the Graven Daughter's plan all along had been to make Serel some sort of vessel, but she wasn't even sure that made sense with the way the thing had interacted with them before. That uncertainty only made things worse, though.

Not knowing what to make of it meant it was that much easier to consider the worst possibilities. Which was why it was nice seeing Serel happy enough to make the rest of that shut up for a while. It was also nice to see that Serel continued to be so gifted at charming basically anyone who spent more than five minutes around her.

And unlike how the girl was with most adults—where she usually started off at least a little shy—Serel was way more open with younger people, and that bright, eager energy of hers had pulled something almost sisterly out of Moni, who Vera had originally pegged as more of the rebellious teenager type who'd be too cool for sweets and the sort. The minutes slipped by while the two of them steadily worked their way through the pile of snacks.

After a while, Vera felt a familiar pulse of Resonance approaching from down the hall and glanced toward the room's entrance. Then she pushed off the railing and walked toward the table just in time to snatch up one of the last honey buns—a squat little roll glazed with honey and dusted with cinnamon—just before its days were numbered. Serel immediately sent her a tiny pout that made it very clear she'd been eyeing that one next.

Vera laughed, ruffled her hair—earning an adorable little protest—and headed for the doors. They opened just as she reached them, revealing a tall figure in dark armor, vermilion hair spilling over one shoulder, and a pair of bright, burning eyes that settled on Vera.

"Here, try this," Vera said, holding out the bun. Elaria's gaze dropped to it and stayed there for a few seconds before lifting back to Vera.

"Come on. Try it," Vera repeated, giving the bun a little shake.

"I only just about saved this from getting devoured by that bottomless vacuum we call our daughter, so you should feel honored."

"Mama!" Serel's voice rang across the room, sounding like she'd only just finished chewing, followed by quick footsteps. Vera stepped aside just in time for the girl to go barreling past her and straight into Elaria's midriff in a full-force hug. Vera couldn't imagine that was especially comfortable with Elaria being in armor all the time, but Serel clearly didn't care. Elaria rested a hand on the girl's head and patted it lightly before looking back at Vera and the bun still held out to her.

A few seconds passed where she only studied it. Finally, she seemed to relent and took it from Vera with her free hand.

"Thank you," she said.

"Don't mention it," Vera replied.

"That'll be four ninety-nine." Elaria arched a single brow at her.

"I take both cash and letters of credit." The woman shook her head and took another bite just as Serel let go of her and drifted back over to stand beside Vera.

"So, done with work for the day?" Vera asked, giving Elaria a quick once-over.

"No. Not even remotely," Elaria said.

"I merely chose to take a brief break and flew here with Vorthalor."

"Oh? That's great. I've heard breaks are good for you."

"Yes. I'm sure that you have." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Vera thought she caught a hint of dryness in that, but chose not to touch on it when she heard more footsteps approaching behind her. She turned to find Moni coming over more slowly this time, looking between all three of them with open confusion.

"You're… the Flamebearer, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes settling on Elaria. Elaria shifted her attention to the teen and studied her for a moment with a sharp, measuring calm. Then she nodded.

"I am. And you are?"

"I'm... Moni. Just Moni."

"She's one of Mira's," Vera cut in.

"I think I mentioned her yesterday? She came along when me and Serel were out seeing more of the city." Elaria glanced at Vera.

"I see." Moni stayed stuck on the woman for a few more seconds before finally looking down at Serel.

"Hey, Serel... did you just call her 'Mama'?"

"Hm?" Serel looked back at her.

"Mmm. I did. She's my Mama."

"... I thought she was your mom." Moni pointed at Vera.

"Mmm, she's Mommy," Serel said, as if that explained everything. Moni's expression shifted, confusion giving way to disbelief, like she was trying to work out whether they were messing with her. Vera couldn't really blame her. The way Serel said it with absolute certainty, like there was nothing remotely unusual going on, could probably catch anyone off guard.

"Don't think about it too hard," she said.

"Just roll with it." Moni eyed her.

"…Alright. Sure." Vera draped an arm around Serel and gently steered her nose in the direction of the table and what remained of the snacks.

"Kiddo, mind giving me and your Mama a minute? You've still got important dessert business to finish, and we've got grown-up stuff to talk about." Serel tipped her head back to look up at her.

"What kind of grown-up stuff?"

"The boring kind." The girl seemed to consider that, chewing lightly on her lower lip, before eventually nodding.

"Okay." She slipped free of Vera's arms and scampered back to the table, while Moni gave both Vera and Elaria one last uncertain look before following after her. Vera gave Serel a little wave, then took Elaria with her into the hallway, letting the doors swing shut behind them. After a second's thought, she summoned Stillwake again, cut a Hollow Reach through the air, and brought Elaria with her into a room swallowed in darkness.

With a pulse of Resonance, several pale candles flared to life around them, revealing a chamber done almost entirely in dark grays and deep reds, draped in thick carpets and a few heavy tapestries that really didn't seem to do more than make the place feel moodier. Other than that, the room held little beyond a bed tucked into one corner and a wall hung with several framed paintings. No desk. No wardrobe. Nothing that made it look especially lived in. Elaria's gaze moved slowly through the room, taking it in.

"Where is this?" she asked.

"My quarters here in the Last Hearth," Vera answered, dismissing Stillwake.

"Sorry if it's a little underwhelming compared to Sablewatch Hollow. I never really bothered doing much with it beyond throwing some color on the walls and hanging up whatever paintings I had lying around." She wandered over to the wall and glanced across the paintings and their frames. Each one showed a different landscape she recognized from Ashen Legacy, done in different styles, different levels of detail, and, if she was being honest, wildly different levels of quality. Still, they weren't bad.

She wondered if the original Veralyth had genuinely liked these too.

"And why did you bring me here?" Elaria stepped up beside her, inspecting the paintings. Vera glanced at her.

"I was just trying to think of somewhere decent to talk for a minute, and this was the first place that came to mind. That's all." Elaria turned to look at her. Then her gaze shifted, briefly, toward the bed. Vera caught it and immediately felt heat creep over her face.

"Hey. Don't go getting weird ideas."

"I am not," Elaria said coolly, looking back to her. Vera narrowed her eyes and let the silence sit for a couple seconds.

"Alright. Sure." She turned back to the paintings.

"Anyhow," she said, trying to sound casual, "how'd things go after I left this morning? I didn't dump you in a mess, did I?"

"You did not. And it went well."

"Really?" Vera couldn't quite keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Yes. Really."

"…Neat." Elaria's gaze rested on her.

"Did you expect me to reprimand you for threatening members of the Cinder Council and the Ember Conclave?"

"Maybe."

"I can, if that is what you would prefer. It was a very reckless display, after all." Vera scoffed.

"If you're leaving it up to me, then obviously I'd prefer if you didn't. Despite what it might seem like, I'm not actually a masochist." At least not most of the time. Elaria gave her a look that was just skeptical enough to be irritating, and Vera thought she was pretty mature to ignore it.

"I will not reprimand you, then," Elaria said.

"Instead, I will thank you." Vera blinked, turning to her fully.

"You're thanking me?" Elaria inclined her head.

"Yes. Your threats appear to have been effective, and that proved useful to me. I am often forceful in my dealings with the Council and the Conclave, but my station does not allow me to go as far as you did. In this case, I believe your approach may have produced the best outcome."

"Huh." Vera's eyes stayed on her for another second.

"Okay." She turned back to the painting in front of her, following the brushstrokes that formed a narrow reach of black water filled with shipwrecks sleeping beneath a splintered cliff face that rose hundreds of meters into the air. She wasn't sure why hearing a sincere, proper thank-you from Elaria had to catch her so off guard like that.

"Is something wrong, Vera?" She paused at the sudden mention of her name, then wet her lips and cleared her throat.

"Nope. Nothing wrong. I was just thinking that if you ever need anyone else threatened into good behavior or taught a lesson, give me a holler and I'll be there." She shrugged.

"I can be your heel whenever you need one."

"Heel?" Elaria echoed.

"…Why would you want to be my heel?"

"It's a figure of speech. Means I'll act the villain. I can kind of be your bully or attack dog."

"You want to be a dog now? Mournvale, it's not my place to judge your preferences, but some of your tastes are—""No, that's not what I meant—" Vera turned back to cut her off before she got any stranger ideas, only to stop when she caught the tiniest hint of what might have been a smile pulling at the corner of Elaria's mouth. She stared.

"… You're pulling my leg?" Elaria, of all people? Did she even know how to make jokes? The woman's brows rose.

"I am not touching you."

"Oh, screw you." Vera glared at her.

"You know what that means." Elaria held her gaze a moment longer, then let out a light chuckle.

"I do. I thought I would try to be as light-hearted as you always are. I did not think it would provoke such a strong reaction."

"Of course it would!"

"Evidently." Elaria's mouth almost shifted again, but then a slight frown touched her brow.

"That said, I truly am unfamiliar with that earlier phrase. Where exactly did you hear it?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Vera turned away from her again, folding her arms across her chest. She expected Elaria to keep pressing, but the woman didn't. Instead, she fell completely silent, and the air between them gradually settled back into something more serious.

"What was it you wanted to discuss, Vera?" Elaria eventually asked.

"There was something else, was there not?" Vera exhaled, then nodded.

"Yeah. I talked with Syl earlier today, and she thinks I should go find Mira as soon as possible."

"Ah." Elaria seemed to immediately understand.

"Did she detect something dangerous?"

"Maybe, yeah. We're not entirely sure what, exactly, but she seems to think Serel might be extremely suitable to be a vessel of some kind. Which is concerning, so I need to find Mira and figure out what's actually going on."

"That is reasonable. When do you intend to leave?" Vera paused, looking back at Elaria.

"You're going to accept it just like that?" Elaria met her eyes.

"Would there be any point in my not accepting it?"

"…I guess not." Vera considered her for a second.

"I'm not sure when I'm leaving, but the sooner the better, given I only roughly know where Mira even is."

"If there is anything I can help with, you need only ask."

"Thanks. I'll probably do that. But is that all you've got to say?"

"Is there something else I ought to have said?"

"Well, first of all, we've got to decide what we're doing with Serel."

"You aren't taking her with you?"

"What?" Vera couldn't help staring again.

"Why would I take her with me? I'm going to be crossing half the central dominions into what could be a literal war zone. I'm not dragging my daughter into that." Elaria blinked once.

"I thought you would insist that you were."

"And I thought you'd insist that I shouldn't." They watched each other for a few seconds.

"One of our terms was that I couldn't expose Serel to undue danger," Vera said.

"You wrote that clause yourself."

"You cannot expose her to undue danger without my knowledge, so that I may ensure you take reasonable precautions," Elaria replied.

"I recognize that it may not be possible to wholly shield her from danger considering the circumstances surrounding her birth. And I do believe that you would be able to protect her from the vast majority of threats even while traveling. I also assumed that you were unwilling to leave her side."

"Oh." Vera rubbed at the back of her neck.

"Well… you're wrong, I guess. Or, I mean, you're right, but also wrong. I probably could protect her against almost anything, and I don't want to leave her. But what's the point of taking any risk at all when I've got a perfectly acceptable alternative right in front of me?" Elaria gave her a slightly questioning look.

"You," Vera clarified.

"I'm talking about you. You're the perfectly acceptable alternative."

"I had gathered that, but it was an unnecessarily roundabout way of expressing it."

"I'm an unnecessarily roundabout person. What're you going to do about it?" Elaria regarded her silently, then sighed.

"Nothing."

"Good." Vera's gaze drifted back to the paintings, then in the direction of the guildhall where she knew Serel to be.

"So, do you think you'll be able to take care of Serel while I'm gone?"

"I will do my utmost. I still have my duties as Keeper and Flamebearer to attend to, and that will mean I may have to leave Caer Virell at times. But I can make arrangements. When I cannot be with her myself, she will remain either within Ashfast or in the care of those I trust most. She will be watched over. The only thing I cannot guarantee is that she will not be left wanting in your absence."

"I think she'll be fine. You're underestimating how much of her happiness just comes from having either of us around." A few moments passed.

"Is that so…?" The words lingered between them.

"Actually…" Vera said.

"Before I leave, do you want my help with anything? You wanted to send me off to help a bit against the Silence and all that, didn't you? I don't know how long I'll be gone, so maybe it wouldn't hurt if I gave you a hand real quick."

"That would be appreciated. However, I believe there is also another matter you should address before leaving." Vera frowned.

"There is? What?"

"Are you familiar with a legate of the Ember Conclave named Nigel Marlowe?"

"I don't think so, no. Should I be?" Elaria's gaze narrowed slightly.

"Yes, since it appears he has helped you in some fashion, and you are in his debt."