Chương 184: Who would like to begin?

"Mistress, I return with news," Bounding Sagacious Trout, bronze-ranked inner disciple of the Luminous Cloud sect, called respectfully as he fell into step behind his master - elder White Jasmine - in her steady but regal stride throughout the streets of Convergence. The leonid woman was, as always, meticulous and graceful in all things, and the inner disciple did his very best to emulate her poise as he walked a step behind her, awaiting her response as courtesy and their rank dictated.

"Speak, disciple."

"Yes, Mistress. It would seem that the heavens have chosen to test your patience this day. When I arrived, an elder of the Mirrored Mountain sect had just strode up to declare his challenge."

"So we will have to wait, then," White Jasmine retorted with a slight frown creasing her brows, midnight-black fur in stark contrast to her name in a way that Trout found both bold and inspiring.

"Which elder?"

"Elder Eternal Thunderbolt, Mistress."

"Ah, I see. We might have to wait some more then. Win or lose, he always takes his time."

"You believe that he won't succeed, Mistress? Like you, he was away at the time of the outcast curs challenging us. And he has ranked highly in the sect tournaments for the last decade," Trout said, even as he made sure that his tone carried every ounce of respect that he could muster, lest the mistress mistake his question for insolence.

"Disciple, while I did not myself witness these outcasts in action, the fact remains that they did succeed, no matter the purity of their intentions or honor," White Jasmine pointed out where she walked, hands clasped before her and hidden in her voluminous robes.

"We will need to feel them out properly, and bring back word. No warriors are perfect, after all, and you know of the requests from the other sects to coordinate and join forces in the matter. Even should I lose today, there will still be an important lesson learned from it that will bring us one step closer to bringing them down eventually."

"But Mistress, surely you cannot-" Trout began, but fell silent as the aura of his mistress gave him the spiritual equivalent of getting his head cuffed.

"I am not infallible, Disciple. Let the heavens and our paths decide the outcome, not your preconceived notions. You will watch and you will learn. Understood?"

"... Yes, Mistress. Sorry, Mistress."

"Good. We are soon here, although we might need to wait for a while. As I said, Eternal Thunderbolt is-" Trout continued to wait with baited breath while looking up at his mistress, but when he realized that no more words were coming, he instead followed her gaze. Upon his brief run over there, Trout had wondered why a whole city block next to the guildhall had been leveled to the ground, but had been too caught up in his task of scouting ahead to really give it much thought.

Now, though, the edges of the open space flickered with the hints of a defensive array, albeit one directed inwards rather than outwards. It sprung from little more than tiles laid around the large open area, a temporary solution if Trout ever saw one, but it still formed the semblance of an arena. An arena in which Elder Eternal Thunderbolt had just left a small furrow in the ground over twenty meters long, not getting up afterwards.

The human man was still very much alive, from the looks of things, but if he - a silver-ranker - wasn't getting up, his injuries must be grave indeed.

"Thank you for your assistance in tempering my path," the other person inside, an amethyst-haired celestine, said while bowing like formality demanded. Even through the faintly shimmering barrier, Trout still almost instinctively winced away from her look and posture, feeling as if a mere glance could be interpreted as him taking up a challenge from a spirit who was as ready for battle as a naked blade already blooded.

Worse, the celestine noticed their approach mere moments afterwards, and Trout felt a tide of relief wash over him - and subsequent shame at his cowardice - as the woman only had eyes for Mistress White Jasmine.

"Oh, another? Warrior, I praise your name for the bountiful opportunities you provide!" she called, seeming surprisingly happy. White Jasmine, on the other hand, did not seem as pleased. Stopping just outside the array, the leonid drew herself up, and the words which followed felt like they were carrying the first frost of winter.

"And who are you, outcast, to disregard proper etiquette? You stand before Elder White Jasmine of the Luminous Cloud sect. I have come to lay down my challenge to your guild, and to measure myself against this famed Pathbreaker of yours." Even as the defensive arrays dropped while she spoke so that the other defeated elder could be helped out of the arena by his disciples, the celestine did not seem fazed in the slightest. Rather the opposite, in fact.

"Oh? Then I will hate to disappoint you, elder. The Pathbreaker is the right hand of the Guildmaster. If you want to challenge him or anyone else of silver and above in the guild, you and anyone else will have to defeat me first," she stated, seeming most satisfied.

"I see. And who are you then, outcast? Name yourself, and let our challenge commence."

"No complaints? Most worthy of you, Elder. Warrior smiles upon those walking to battle without preamble or excuse. I like you," the celestine said, her voice gaining a bit more intensity.

"As to your question, I am Soul. Blessed by Warrior, Bane of the Perfected Step and, as of late, the Champion of the Autumn Wanderer's Guild. With Warrior as my witness, I welcome your challenge."

"Oh dear, is she at it again? Those arrays are only placeholders, you know," Auntie Crow said with a note of concern as she looked out the guildhalls windows, where the flashes of light and hints of clashing auras made no secret that Soul had indeed found another challenger.

"Given the frequency so far, it seems like the sects do indeed view us as an eyesore to be stamped out through any means possible. A shame for them that the particular tactic of them trying to drown us in challenges might just backfire onto them," Kite said with a note of amusement from where he was finishing to gather up his belongings, along with a neat row of assorted pill-packages, courtesy of Auntie Dove.

"Soul did give off quite the impression during her brief stay with us, but will she be up to the task? You did just spend a small fortune in purchasing city property to build an arena for close convenience, so I will assume that you have quite some faith in her abilities."

"Honestly? Yes. Soul is rather terrifying, and this -" Kite said, gesturing out towards the violence in the distance, "- is what she lives for. It is her path and her calling. After getting a taste of our current situation during the last few months, she basically jumped at the chance to join the guild when this was the position offered to her., And her little group of fans are coming along surprisingly well under her tutelage, no matter how much she seems to grumble.

The guild was made with messengers in mind, but it seems that we have a budding little proper combat core in the making here. Heavens, Soul even footed the bill for the whole property purchase herself."

"Oh?"

"I believe that her words were something along the lines of only spending money on things that could help take her closer to perfection. Basically, a personal arena in which to walk her path before Warrior and the Heavens? Apparently, that fits neatly into those sensibilities. And speaking of, thank you once more auntie for setting up the arrays on short notice."

"When my little Kite comes calling for my work, who am I to deny him?" Crow asked rhetorically, a strand of hair reaching out to smooth out part of the cloak Kite wore over his armor, brushing away imagined dust.

"And with the convenient travel offered, even better. While certainly a colorful character, Riz is a gem. Raven has really taken a shine to her."

"I can see worse role models than an eternally cheerful portal courier," Kite noted with a smile, finishing up.

"And speaking of our dear elf, I believe that she should arrive any moment. While the matters are always grave, I'm actually glad for an opportunity to take Gauntlet up on one of their contracts, or they might start regretting all that training put into me. With how hectic things have been recently, both me and the guild will not complain in regards to the added income either."

"Where will they take you this time, then? And when will you be back?"

"As for the first, I'm not at liberty to say until afterwards," Kite replied, checking his pouches one final time.

"But as for the second, expected time for the contract was one week, but you never know with these things."

"I suppose not," Crow noted, falling into step beside Kite as they both went down into the guildhall's extensive foyer, where a small group of people had gathered to see him off. Walker was conversing with, or rather being conversed at by, Riz, the animated elf seeming most engrossed in one of her many ponderings.

Nearby, Dragonfly, Little Crow and Auntie Dove were all trying very hard to keep their smiles under control while observing Glint in her draconian form who was trying - and failing - to give the easily distracted Raven some lessons in proper decorum.

"- yes, that is right. One should walk like that and keep your back straight. You will be the young mistress of your family, little Raven, and- no, wait- Raven! A young mistress does not taste the furniture. It is most uncouth!

And that medallion is not a toy-" Raven was quite unperturbed by Glint's attempts at stopping her, the silver-ranked familiar having to work her silver-ranked dexterity surprisingly hard in order to keep the persistent toddler from simply continuing her climb up the front of her robes to the medallion in question that had caught her fancy.

"Do not fret, dear Glint. I will save you from this little doer of dastardly deeds," Kite called with a laugh, scooping up the initially protesting toddler, although said protests only lasted until Kite started using the arms of his mantle to gently spin and tumble her in every angle possible.

"This young mistress is thankful," Glint commented over Raven's bubbling laughter, straightening her robes.

"Are you finally ready to be off, my bond?"

"I am. Everything is prepared, and I only await our most illustrious ferrywoman to take us across the world in a blink," Kite said with faux gravitas, any semblance of seriosness completely dispelled by the mirth of the small girl still in his arms. Still, Glint did not let that stop her.

"Most excellent. This young mistress is also ready to step back out in the wider world and bring some karmic draconic justice down on the head of the wicked," she said, head held high. The socializing continued while waiting the final quarter of an hour for Riz's portal cooldown, where Dove took the opportunity to pull Kite aside.

"Be careful, little Kite," she said after giving him a proper, warm hug that had been her signature throughout his life.

"I know that you usually are, but us parents will rarely cease our worries."

"I will, auntie. And Glint will also be with me, remember."

"Oh, I know, I know. It's just…" Dove said, giving the familiar a thoughtful look.

"She just seems so different as she tries to find her way. It's as if she, in some way, had to grow up all at once and is suddenly speeding through her teenage years in some ways, but with the capabilities of a silver-ranker. Just… take extra care of her, alright? You know how impressionable you were in those years."

"I- I was? If I may protest, you have always praised how I comported myself," Kite protested, sense of self a bit shaken by this sudden parental jibe.

"Oh, you sure were. But it also took exactly one book of romantic poetry for you to add 'sage' to your future warrior epithet and run off serenading Brook," Dove noted with a raised eyebrow.

"Which was most adorable and earnest of you, little Kite. But just… keep that in mind now that Glint is in the process of finding herself as well," she continued, as Kite could only stare at his aunt with the faint, abject horror only a parent reminiscing of past times can elicit in the young.

"Well, good mistresses and masters!" came a cheerful voice, saving Kite from any further reminiscing from his auntie.

"I, the great Riz, am now ready to ferry our fearless warrior and his most pretty companion towards their adventures. Do I remember correctly that the esteemed ladies wanted to stay here in Convergence until his return?"

"Indeed, mistress courier," Auntie Crow answered the elf who had taken the center of the floor, preparing to bring forth her portal.

"We might as well see the sights and do some shopping now that things seem to have stabilized."

"Please take care," Dove added, having retrieved a somber Raven who waved to Kite and Glint with the serious gravitas of a toddler on a mission.

"We'll hold the fort while you're away, Kite," Dragonfly chimed in.

"Or rather, Soul will do most of the holding. She sends her regards. Probably. Oh, and don't forget to bring me something tasty!"

"However could I forget, my ardent Dragonfly," Kite responded, giving a low, informal bow to all of them.

"Please stay safe, everyone. I will return to you soon. And additional thanks to you, Little Crow, for prolonging your stay. I do understand the call to return to hearth and home."

"Oh, it was no trouble, dear adopted brother," the smiling celestine retorted from where he had taken a seat near Walker.

"You go and show the world some Hua-Xi prowess now, and make the Tengu's legacy proud." Cliffwalker swore under his breath when he felt the ambush trying to close its jaws upon him. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"I suppose that's what I get for coming too far down from the mountain. Shouldn't have, but here we are," he morosely thought to himself, bringing up another set of stone pillars behind him to slow down the stone troll apparently having laid in ambush among a small pile of rubble which Cliffwalker had previously thought too small and insignificant to be of any danger. An assumption that both turned out to be a faulty one, in addition to leaving him with three trolls to fight rather than two.

Trying to calm his wildly beating heart, he instead looked to his path for salvation, mana flowing through him as he cast a spell while using his Peakstrider to make the earth and stone hidden beneath the greenery at his feet to lend him its strength and speed." Jaws of the earth!" the runic man called, stone spikes emerging to injure and hinder the two trolls ahead of him, even if the damage would mean little to their regeneration.

Still, it would let him double back towards the lone ambushing troll and hopefully rush past it to have a chance at escaping, hoping to outrun the three predatory monsters. For good measure, he also tapped the three stone pillars behind him, turning them to shrapnel which was sent hurtling towards the final monster, slowing down its charge somewhat.

"It might be close, but as long as I can evade its stone shaping, I can-"" Blooming Ruin, Gale hides blades unseen!" The voice was light, feminine and definitely not coming from one of the roaring, grunting trolls. Rather, their gruff voices growled in pain and surprise as a strong wind suddenly came roaring into them from above, cutting them open through some kind of shredding effect.

That was not all, however, as the gale also carried large, shimmering pollen which seemed to stick to the trolls and detonate into poisonous bursts that seemed especially devastating when it came into contact with the open wounds of the very cutting winds that had carried them to their targets.

"What?" Cliffwalker thought a bit dumbfounded, both him and the last troll finally noting the silhouette that came gliding in from above to land gracefully on a nearby boulder, keeping her high vantage while unleashing another similar salvo like before upon the two stuck trolls. As for the woman in question, she had a lithe and petite frame and was clad in a sleeveless combat robe to better let the conjure membranes she used for flying move freely.

Her features were clearly transfigured, the features of her face, accentuating streaks of soft, grey fur and the long, bushy tail giving a clear indicator as to one of her essences.

"A squirrel," Cliffwalker mumbled, almost unable to clear his mind of her most distracting form to react to the troll snapping out of its surprise as well.

Whatever she was, it was clear that the woman was no mere hatchling when it came to combat, as she started to glide around the pair of previously stuck trolls while bombarding them with a constant barrage of wind attacks supplemented by the exploding pollen which seemed to manifest some kind of hostile, parasitic plants onto its targets that gradually sapped them of life as new plants grew from the wounds.

Any worry that Cliffwalker might have previously felt quickly vanished, as taking down a trio of trolls with another bronze-ranker at his side was a much more comfortable prospect. A few minutes of blood and sweat later, the last of the monster were felled, barely recognizable beneath all the hungry plants sprouting from its body. Still, even a relatively easy battle was quite exhausting, and Cliffwalker sat down heavily against a nearby set of boulders.

"Greetings, adventurer," the woman called to him as she landed on another set of stones across from him, giving one of the most well-executed proper bows that Cliffwalker had ever witnessed.

"I was on a delivery nearby when I felt your aura surging, and hope that my intervention did not cause offense."

"I… No- It's…" Cliffwalker began, initially having a hard time finding his words in face of the squirrel woman whose tail looked soft as a cloud and-"Focus," he thought sharply to himself, a trickle of mana causing a bit of stone to dig into his arm in order to jolt himself into some semblance of dignity. Gathering his spirit, the woman either not noticing or kindly having overlooked his previous staring, Cliffwalker rose and gave his best bow in turn, feeling like a graceless country bumpkin in comparison.

"I assure you that I took no offense, young mistress," he said, her overall poise and dignity meaning that he was taking no chances with the title.

"I missed the troll lying in ambush, and would have been forced to flee had it not been for your help. I am, of course, glad to give you an equal share of the bounty on the contract once I get back to Boundary."

"While you are most flattering, I am no young mistress of some important family or sect," the woman replied, politely but firmly waving away any attempt at spluttered apologies.

"My name is Second Spring, hallmaster of the Autumn Wanderer's guild, and I firmly believe that us outcasts should look out for one another. One should not climb towards the heavens alone." Cliffwalker felt honestly surprised at her revelation, but a closer look did confirm that Second Spring wore no sect medallion and that her clothes and armor were utilitarian rather than carrying some kind of color scheme to indicate allegiance.

"C-cliffwalker. My name, that is," he managed to splutter, having to keep his aura in a spiritual vice so as to not let too much flustered embarrassment leak through.

"It was given to me by the villagers among the mountain, as I am one of the few who has stayed out of the local great families seeking champions in their squabbles and kept clearing their contracts." The last was said with not a little amount of pride, as Cliffwalker tried to muster whatever pride he had left. But that was also when part of the woman's introduction seemed to properly register in his mind.

"Wait, what did you say just now? A… guild?" He was worried for a moment that his blurted statement might cause offense, but to his relief he felt no such thing from the squirrel-shifter. Instead, she gave Cliffwalker a calculating look before speaking again.

"Yes, indeed. But before I elaborate, you were heading back towards Boundary, correct?"

"Ehm… yes?"

"Good. That gives me plenty of time," she said, gliding down from her rock and gesturing for Cliwwalker to follow.

"There is a bit of a story to the guild, you see. And maybe even an offer for you at the end of it."

"- and as such, our new path is chosen with two in favor," the man in the golden mask said, not bothering to hide his satisfaction.

"We will pull back the rest of our projects in the north, minimizing damage and focusing on the core of our operations. With this, we should be able to move up our timetable too, perhaps from eighteen to twelve or thirteen years." And while the woman in the mask of black wood nodded along, her posture indicating her being deeply in thought, the priestess in the white porcelain mask couldn't help but to speak out.

"I will still hold to my claim that rushing will lead us nowhere. Only in time can our Lord's garden grow-""And your patience and little project has lost us three more priests within the sects as well as most of our gardens and growing assets in northern Hua-Xi," gold mask shot back.

"It is clear that waiting for too long will only cost us more, and the north is sparsely populated at best, so even with the little momentum they have gathered, that little guild won't be able to do any more substantial damage."

"Besides, I still believe that Unity might have had a hand in things, at least through her mortal instruments," Black Wood mask added.

"The gods opposing us are surely doing everything they can to strain their limited ability to act now that we draw closer to our goal. We'd best be careful not to throw more of our acolytes into their clutches."

"But-""The council has decided," gold mask said curtly, cutting off the new protest of his younger colleague.

"And while our lord revels in disagreements, this forum is not where they belong. You will follow our decisions and re-distribute your assets with a greater eye towards the capital. All of our stirring things up has caused locals to have started keeping an eye out, and our operations and preparations here in Heavenward cannot be allowed to be discovered yet. I'm sure that there must be dozens of scandals you can use to make sure that the local sects keep being at each other's throats?

It is only five more years until the Grand Proving, and it will be an important first step for us." Keeping silent this time, porcelain mask simply nodded, her normally languid posture stiff with indignant, smoldering rage.

"Good. Then the council will move on to discuss the project in regards to the local Adventure Society branches; how they can be used and what weaknesses we have uncovered in order to further cement their status of contention. Who would like to begin?"

"Pathbreaker."

"Hua-Xi boy! Good job! See you in the future! We totally need to spar some day!"

"..."

"Mister Kite." One after another, with approaches varying between stern acknowledgements, happy well-wishes or simply a mute glance, the different members of the team put together for the latest Gauntlet contract all said their farewells as Kite made his turn for the portal square of the local Adventure Society.

His portal back home was scheduled the earliest, and as he still chafed at being away from home so soon after the recent troubles with the sects, Kite didn't mind one bit that it caused him to miss the celebratory dinner. But he didn't have the time to walk more than a dozen meters after his turn, when his final temporary team member chose to make an appearance as well.

"Mistress Celeste," he noted calmly even as the shadowy raven flew in to perch at his shoulder, knowing that the familiar usually showed itself to act as a mouthpiece for their elusive scout.

"Kite. Thought that I at least say farewell," came the celestine woman's voice from within the darkness of the bird.

"Much appreciated. From your absence earlier, I had guessed that I might not have the opportunity to deliver mine. And let me once again voice my appreciation for your path. That dimensional tracking of yours is the sole reason that the head summoner didn't get away."

"Well, back at you. Trying to summon something with you around is just plain useless. That wave of yours is a fast one, too. Almost clipped my position before I could reposition."

"Oh, my apologies, I-""- could probably not see me. Hard to know in that case," came the retort. Celeste Rayn had been their scout for the mission, a fellow void essence user, albeit with a notably different power set from Kite's own.

Combined with the dark and dimension essences, she was even more mobile and stealthy than Emilio - the scout from Kite's training team during his induction into the task group - and combined with her familiars and dimensional tracking, Celeste became a supreme scout that Kite hoped would be assigned to his team in the future.

"Glad to know that the particular transgression has been forgiven, then," Kite chuckled.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I believe that I best go save that poor merchant from Glint. Take care, mistress Celeste. May your path take you to the heavens and beyond. And may our paths cross again."

"The same to you, Kite." With that, the raven departed on silent wings as Kite hurried his steps to catch up to his familiar, the now draconian-shaped Glint seeming to be in the heated discussion with a local merchant woman.

"-outrageous to even try to charge a young mistress of my standing such a prize-""- honored customer will have to understand that, while the necklace would suit your perfect more most spectacularly, I have seven children to feed -" The words that reached him were only fragments of the conversation, but as Kite didn't want to just bowl through the mostly normal-ranked crowds, he could only remain a witness as the transaction finally concluded, defeat clear in the merchant's aura as she accepted coins from Glint, the familiar promptly turning and walking towards Kite.

"Glint, do I have to remind you how intimidating you can be to the lower rankers?" he tiredly asked as she drew near. Instead of answering, the familiar just walked up to him and deposited the newly bought necklace into the bottle at Kite's belt before shifting to her smaller form and floating in after it.

"I am ever in need of pretty souvenirs, my bond. And I could feel that merchant's defiance in her aura all through our haggling. She was not as helpless as you made her sound," came the retort, echoing out from inside the vessel.

"Still, it is a habit that you should be wary of," Kite noted, before a thought struck him.

"Wait a moment. How many trinkets have you put in there by now?" Unclasping the bottle from its belt loop, Kite lifted it to his face and peering inside, his expanded vision allowing him to keep walking during his impromptu inspection.

"Not nearly enough," came Glint's answer, even as he saw the little carp resting inside on a small mound of glittering things, like a little island of riches popping out of the otherwise mostly water-filled space.

"Now take us home, my bond. I wish to show my latest acquisition to Dragonfly, so that she may bask in my splendor." Taking in the sight, Kite could only mutely shake his head, smile torn between amusement and surrender.

"It seems like we'll need to buy a bigger bottle. Again," he murmured, words lost in the bustling crowds as the pair made their way towards where Riz was no doubt waiting at the portal plaza. And through her, back home.

"Well, that's a lot of adventuring done in one week. If only I had someone to just portal me out, get almost straight into the action, and then back just like that a week later," Dragonfly said, only half-complaining from where she had already snuggled up close to Kite in the bed they shared, letting her fingers comb through his hair.

"Should that come to pass, dear Dragonfly, you might just be able to empty the world of monsters eventually. Leave some heroics for the rest of us," Kite countered with a chuckle while thoroughly enjoying the attention.

"But speaking of, I have started to set aside some funds for us to eventually try and raise at least one portal-user within the guild. But as expected, the essences that produce such a path somewhat reliably are most expensive. Seeing those auction listings almost made me cough blood."

"Oooh, for me? You shouldn't have," Dragonfly replied jokingly, the pair sharing a laugh as their conversation devolved into all kinds of silly uses one could find for portals. That particular line of reasoning did go on for quite some time, before Kite finally managed to drag the topic back on something resembling a proper - or rather dignified - track.

"Dimensional lavatories turned weapons aside, the contract did go well. It was another attempted summoning, something really unpleasant from the looks of things. They tried bogging us down with lesser summons to finish up, but.. Well…"

"Dissolve the patterns of power!" Dragonfly called in her best, overly-earnest Kite imitation, earning herself a sneaky tickling through a hastily conjured spectral arm as payment for her antics.

"Jokes aside, you're not wrong," Kite chuckled, finishing his telling.

"Long story short, our scout managed to keep tracking their leader even after teleporting, and we got them good. Some paths sure are terrifying, given enough time spent hidden away in some nook or cranny of the world. A few more months, taking on that little operation would have been quite the venture. Which meant that our supervisors were all the happier. It wouldn't surprise me if I will be picked out as part of the teams disrupting quite a lot of summonings in the future. But enough about the contract.

How have things been here at home? Have the sects made any trouble for you?" At his question, Dragonfly sighed.

"No, things have been… Well, fine. Splendid even, if you ask Soul. There has been nothing but attempted challenges. And when the silvers want to delay their own defeat, they bring their disciples to face Soul's little fanclub. Some have won, some have lost, but they all seem quite happy nonetheless. Even though Soul wouldn't admit it. The rest of us have taken turns going out on contracts, but it has only been a week." Sensing something in tone and aura both, Kite chose to go straight for the heart of the matter.

"And yet you sound so despondent. Is it the thoughts regarding that most elusive goal of yours?" At his words, Dragonfly stopped and gave Kite a long look.

"Heavens, Kite. Was it that obvious?"

"We have been together for just over five years, Dragonfly. Some familiarity is to be expected," Kite noted, suspecting that Dragonfly's next response would be either more deflection through humor or to seek comfort.

"Well, you're not wrong," she said, proving his latter prediction to be true as she slid down and snuggled closer to his chest.

"I know I can't just magic it up and decide on something. Like I said when I talked about it with Master Force; I need to have patience. It's just that I'm terrible with patience."

"And yet you're taking the time to explain things to me. The heavens will surely count that as something," Kite noted, stroking her hair.

"Hmm… That is true. I am pretty great, aren't I," she replied, some of her usual humor and smugness returning.

"Still, when I can't tackle something head on and have to wait, I need a distraction. And you, Kite, might prove to be a most excellent one," Dragonfly finished, a certain tone leaking into her voice which - combined with the fact that her hand was tracing his chest and moving ever downward - made her intentions rather clear.

"Oh. I suppose that comfort is a concept with quite diverse… expressions," were the last coherent thought Kite felt forming in his now most distracted mind, before things thoroughly devolved from there.