Chương 223: The truth of things

"Peony, you have done it again. May the heavens tremble at what your path seems to be capable of," Kite said, only laying on the praise slightly thicker than what he actually felt, given how the now rather famous 'Scavenger of Bastion' still shot vicious glances at his armor. Still, the shield in front of him was a marvel that deserved admiration, and he could feel that Peony herself was more than simply pleased as well.

"Well, you did provide me with another of the treasures from the gate to work with, so I couldn't resort to any half-measures," the magenta-haired woman replied with false nonchalance, raising the elaborate set of lenses from her eyes after finishing her final inspection.

"Tell me about it," her husband, Patient Sun, muttered from Peony's other side.

"It has been I who has had to convey apologies and excuses to others whose commissions have been delayed due to this little project. She's barely been able to take her eyes off the thing since completing it. Just think how neglected her poor husband has been…"

"Oh don't worry, husband. I can ignore you just as well on any given day," Peony replied sweetly without looking at him, even though both of their smiles gave away that this particular exchange was a familiar one.

"But yes, it will be good to get onto the backlog. Sometimes I wish that I could go back to the struggling me back at bronze rank and just tell her that I would soon enough be respected enough that duels have been fought over positions in the waiting list for my work."

"Really?" Kite asked, both surprised and amused.

"Oh yes," Sun confirmed.

"Four, if I remember correctly. The officiator usually shows up at our door afterwards to confirm the result."

"Huh. Well that does confirm more than one prejudice some of my friends and acquaintances from other lands have about our people," Kite said with a helpless shake of his head before directing his attention more fully back to the artifact in front of him.

"Still, your reputation is well deserved. I can't wait to test this one out." The object in question was indeed a shield; rectangular and slightly curved with wavy, sharp edges. It was made of a brass-colored metal with crystal-filled reliefs depicting what looked like a clocktower of some sorts, complete with an actual bell the size of Kite's hand which hung in a cut out section in the upper middle of the shield.

The bell didn't move nor make a sound when Kite picked the artifact up though, hefting it on his left arm and getting a feel for its weight. But from what Peony had already told him, any who opposed him would feel its chiming as soon as he brought it into battle. WWJS: Tower of the Unspeaking Chime Shield Silver rank - Legendary [Effect] Hostile creatures striking this shield or any barriers conjured by the wielder are afflicted with [Discordant Drain].

[Discordant Drain] (Affliction, curse): Any mana draining effects suffered by the afflicted will also drain stamina. The stamina drained is in addition to the mana, but only a small portion compared to the original draining effect. [Effect] When this shield or any barriers conjured by the wielder intercepts an attack charged with magic, such as a spell or special attack, this shield unleashes a retributive, seeking wave which drains the mana of the attacker.

The amount of mana drained increases with the potency of the intercepted attack. The wielder does not gain the mana drained this way. [Effect] When this shield is struck, the wielder may pay a cost of extreme mana to strike the Unspeaking Chime. This unleashes a retributive shockwave targeting a cone in front of the shield, dealing high resonating force damage, with additional damage dealt the less mana each affected creature has remaining. This is an execute effect.

[Effect] Has an internal storage of mana and stamina, which is filled either through active channeling of the wearer's reserves or through the wielder draining said resource in excess of their own maximum. Stored reserves can be used to fuel attacks, to allow this shield to self-repair or be channeled back into the wearer over time, but will start to slowly decay after an hour in storage.

"Most, if not all, of my crafting powers ranked up during the process of making this. I wouldn't have thought it possible due to the cores, but here we are," Peony said proudly as she watched Kite perform slow motions to feel how the bulky shield would fit into his pattern of movement, especially once he had it flickering in and out of his hands with the help of his Void Sheath.

"But heavens, did I curse you at times, Kite. Managing to incorporate some of that gauntlet's effects while scaling them up at the same time I was balancing that dreadful chime and shifting the retributive focus of your previous shield? It felt quite ludicrous. Which you already know, given the value of the materials you have already forked out to make it happen."

"A bout of true tempering for you too then, dear Peony," Kite replied, even though he did make sure to sound properly impressed.

"Hopefully, sect leader Dusk won't be too upset that I repurposed her gift to me. Its effects as a bronze-ranked object just weren't enough anymore. And as for the chime… Well, the officiator orb of the last gate did say it represented the concepts of discordance, change, doom, depths and echoes. It felt fitting for the task, given the materials and our vision."

"Well, make sure to bring me more such materials in the future. It might feel like wrestling a lightning bolt when you work with them, but the results speak for themselves."

"If I come across more of them, you will be the first to know, honored business partner. And speaking of materials, did you finish the piece for Dragonfly too?"

"Ah, yes I did. Sun can show you where it's stashed, won't you love?" Peony asked with more affectionate sweetness as she turned to her husband, doe eyes on full display.

"Because I really need a short break before taking on the next project in my growing backlog…"

"Of course, dear. Of course. Your humble adventurer husband will ease your burdens," Sun replied to his wife, giving her a quick kiss before leading Kite out from Peony's neat workshop and into a nearby storage room. Perhaps vault would have been a better term though, as Kite noted that both the physical and the magical defenses of the room were quite extensive as Sun led him in.

The shelves were mostly empty at the moment, but there were a few nice boxes waiting there for commissioners to come and pick up their orders.

"She truly is amazing, you know," Sun said softly once they were inside, nodding in the direction of the workshop where Kite could feel Peony's aura focus and condense as the 'short' in short break had been quite literal as she started working on her next project.

"Indeed. Her growth has been marvelous. Had the Geller cousins been back and seen it, I'm sure that their offer of work for their family would have been more than just a few hints," Kite agreed, remembering Phiona Geller's words back at bronze rank.

"It's not just that," Sun continued, smile wistful.

"Peony has to try and learn so much from so many crafts. When she's not working, she's usually off learning from one other crafter or another. Whether she has to beg, borrow or steal to gain that access matters less. Many in her place would probably just have let their magic do most of the job for them, but not my wife. No, she wants to learn as much as she can of the actual processes to shape the items at a deeper level. Much deeper. And between all that, she somehow manages to be a lovely wife and mother too.

Had she not been a silver, I'd honestly have been worried that she would run herself ragged."

"Having you at her side, both in business and in life, does seem to do her good. Especially since you received your essences too. You're aligned now in almost every way, Sun, and will be even more once you reach silver," Kite replied, clapping a hand to the other man's shoulder. Sun did look most pleased at Kite's words, but seemed to think of something else as he hesitated for a moment before seemingly coming to a decision.

"Speaking of alignments and being at one's side…" Sun ventured, seeming to consider his words carefully.

"I hope I'm not overstepping too much, Kite, but I have been meaning to ask about you and Dragonfly in that regard-" He was interrupted though as Kite just couldn't hold in his laughter. It was a deep, honest one too, the pure - if a bit wry - amusement slipping into Kite's aura for all nearby to behold, should they have the sufficient spiritual senses.

"May I know why you found that so amusing?" Sun eventually asked as Kite showed no sign of stopping after quite some time.

"Sorry, my friend," Kite managed to get out, slowly steadying himself.

"I could sense that your intended question was most considerate and earnest. It is more due to the fickle heavens having a sense of humor."

"Oh?"

"You see, you're not the only one who seemed to have decided to broach this particular topic as of late. Which makes me think that Dragonfly and I might have been even more overdue in having a proper talk than I previously thought. With the way this is going, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the gods - perhaps Unity? - would make an appearance just to give us an arched look and tell us to get on with it already. But you can rest easy, Sun. We actually did speak properly around two months back.

Dragonfly is now officially my intended. To nobody's apparent surprise." He proceeded to tell Sun about the conversations which both he and Dragonfly had been subjected to by Jarvan and Will, as well as some of how people reacted afterwards. This took place while Sun picked out a box which contained Dragonfly's commissioned item before the pair continued on to drink tea in the family's parlor, where Peony also joined them eventually for a short break.

"Kite, that gesture with the flowers was almost too sweet. You're making the rest of us look bad," Sun said lightly, even though he was studiously not looking at his wife at that moment.

"It was indeed a move both refined and thoughtful," Peony agreed, even though her smile had a bit of a playful edge to it.

"Where did you come up with the idea?"

"I was actually inspired by how I learned that the people of Estercost - and those of Vitesse in particular - seem to have this elaborate language of flowers and their meanings. While that in itself was way too convoluted for me to learn in such a brief time, I thought that a similar gesture might still convey my feelings well enough.

I took some particular notes from an old Vitessian tradition of using flowers to propose marriage where one looked for those representing qualities of their would-be intended to incorporate into the arrangement. Even on the other side of the world, it did help the meaning get across most clearly."

"Well, give Dragonfly our regards once you rejoin them," Peony said, eyes twinkling.

"And some additional ones from me. She's a lucky woman. And, knowing Dragonfly, I know that you are most fortunate yourself."

"My aunties always like to say that they named me well," Kite replied with a smile as he started making preparations for his departure.

"May Fortune keep us in her mind even now that we might venture into a place where we are beyond her sight."

"Righteous ones." Dancer on the Broken River greeted as Will and Laevyeth - hand in hand - entered the secluded mountain valley close to Boundary where the group had decided to set up their base camp. From anyone else, the title might have felt like a compliment, but the way River said it left little room for doubt of her actual thoughts on the matter.

"So, we are the first to return," Will noted as he could only see Pain's adherent and Wander currently in residence.

"How have things been in our absence?" The question was directed at Wander, who currently only kept a single one of her rat bodies at the edge of the encampment, seated atop a boulder.

"Well, nothing new with the gate~," the rat squeaked in reply.

"The locals have poked around a bit, but discovered nothing new. And boy, have they been scheming against one another. I've managed to pick up double, triple and even quadruple-crossings in the makings. Choosing to camp out here to avoid them pestering us constantly was a good idea in the end~."

"And I have made some inquiries," River continued from where she sat meditating.

"The locals did not know of the true allegiances of those entering the gates. They just slotted themselves into the local political games, and weren't here long enough to be properly scrutinized."

"Given your choice of methods, I would doubt anything your victims would have to say," Will replied, tone frosty. This caused River to actually crack an eye and regard him, touching down on the ground as she rose from her meditations.

"Given that I, unlike others, have shunned nothing in tempering my spirit, there is nothing they could have hidden from me, righteous one. You are in no position to question me."

"And had I been the one to decide, you would not have a position among us at all," Will shot back.

"Why Kite would tolerate someone like you with us in such unknown territories is beyond me."

"Because unlike you, the annoying one has some sense."

"For putting up with you, priestess, Kite deserves more respect than some scornful title like that!"

"Then you are once again clueless. It takes a lot of skill and a strong path to annoy me. Few others have earned my respect to that degree. Oh? Did that not sit well with you, oh righteous one? Remember how things went when we last clashed properly?" Her words, flat in tone but wickedly sharp in meaning, hit Will like a barbed lash across the face. His aura surging with anger, the spearman took half a step forward before a tug at his hand caused him to halt.

"My Lord," Laevyeth said, eyes locked upon River.

"Do not let her goad thee. If thou wouldst clash, then do so with a clear heart and pure intent. In this, I will support thee with all I have." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Something more, unspoken, passed between them before Will turned back to River, more composed but no less angry.

"You are right, my Lady. Thank you," he said to the outworlder before addressing Pain's priestess.

"And you, torturer. It is clear that you and I will ever be at odds in both spirit and heart. But there is the matter of my path, of which you speak such derision. It is high time to give you an opportunity to retract your previous assessment. And for me to see if you are to be trusted at our side, or if I should finally speak out against your presence. Because I do not doubt who Kite would choose, should it come to that."

"Oh? And conflict will let you do that? Even when it is clear from our spirits who is stronger?" River asked, even though she did start to match the slow circle which Will had begun pacing.

"I know the truth of things through my spear, priestess. Now more than ever," Will replied, with Laevyeth falling into his hand as she assumed her weapon form. Sensing the turmoil in their auras, Wander had turned to regard the two from atop her perch.

"Just keep it casual, guys. We don't want any one of you out of commission for too long, in case the others come back soon. But boy, the two of you sure had this long in coming. All that attention... I don't know if I should be jealous or ask you to get a room~," she called to the two pacing silvers.

"Do not fret, odd one," River replied, not taking her eyes off the spearman in front of her.

"In the case of control, mine is absolute."

"Well, just keep it down, okay. We don't want half of Boundary to come running here just to see the two of you all over each other~."

"Then set us off, Wander. We begin at your call," Will said darkly, assuming a ready stance, Laevyeth's shining spearhead extended in front of him.

"Oh? Oooooh! I can officiate? Wow, I've never done that before. Wait, wait, I got to get into the right mindset~!" The rat atop the boulder made a show of straightening herself, trying to impress as much dignity and poise available to a small rat upon the soon-to-be clashing parties.

"Well then," she said, her squeak slightly deeper than before." I, They Who Wander, I'm honored to officiate this clash. My journey has been a long one, filled with strife, intrigue, and naked people. During this time, I have-""Wander!"

"Odd one…"

"Fine, fine. Have it your way. Do you have any terms for this clash~?"

"No. It is merely a test of strength and purpose," Will replied.

"Indeed," River agreed.

"Let these two righteous ones see the truth of things."

"All right, then. On my mark; ready, set... And now; kiss~!" The rat- woman's attempt at humor was lost on the duelists however, as they both acted with lightning speed the moment she set the conflict in motion." Spear of the heavens, let your image descend! Tide of Penetrating Glory!" The small valley became a churning, shredding mess as copies of Laevyeth appeared in a grand wave to carry Will forward while the spear in his hand started glowing with an even fiercer light.

At the same time, a hail of javelins crackling with lightning shot towards the priestess, screaming through the air in pure judgment. This was all met by a torrent of chains which erupted from River, snaking out to fill the whole area with their twisting, churning motions. Many of them whirled to intercept the projectiles while the priestess herself shifted three times in quick succession only to land atop the floating chains which she navigated with contemptuous ease.

More of her chains shot towards Will, who himself took to the air as well on wings of spears while the weapon in his hand deftly intercepted each of the initial probing attacks. During this madness, the spirits of the combatants were pushing against one another with fierce determination. Individually, River's aura - scarred and hardened - was the strongest by far. But Will was no longer alone, and combined he and Laevyeth managed to keep it at bay.

"Darkness penetrator!" A huge spearhead of shining light tore a tunnel through the mass of whirling links, and while River slipped to the side and away from the more spectacular attack, Will took the opportunity to dive through the opening. For the first time since the start of the clash, spear rang against armored gauntlet, even though the counter attack sent him flying backwards and into a mess of writhing, waiting chains.

But before they could close in on him, entangling him much like during their previous fight as more clear-cut foes back at iron rank, the elf managed to conjure a floating javelin which he grabbed to arrest his momentum. With a shout, his spear-wings scattered outwards, pushing away the last of the chains still in contact with him. This, in turn, ended the ongoing effect hindering his teleportation, and one flash of light later the spearman shifted place with another javelin already in flight towards his foe.

The frantic duel kept on like that, billowing back and forth across the sky over the valley. Both combatants were nimble, their speed only rising as the battle progressed. Both somewhat resisted the other's attempts at hampering the movement of their foe. And both were at their best, surrounded by the incarnation of their paths; masters of chain and spear, leading to a battle of precision and maneuvering. And except for the occasional chant from Will, the clash was held in silence.

Neither went totally all out, of course, given their location and the need to save their abilities with the longest delays should something unexpected happen. But both were gradually pushing each other just that much closer to the edge. But in the end, no stalemate could last forever.

"Iniquitiy's bane!" Laevyeth flashed like the rising sun in Will's hands just a moment before he teleported, switching places with one of his discarded conjurations floating above River. However, the priestess of Pain was much less affected by the brilliant light than he had anticipated.

Just as the tip of his brilliant lance bit a few centimeters into the base of River's throat, Will felt something constrict around his left arm, yanking him to a complete stop in the air as four of the floating chains had wound themselves tightly around the appendage. The battle over the valley fell still, the combatants floating in the air and staring at one another. But not only that as, through contact with Laevyeth, River's spirit was opened to them.

Perhaps more open than it had ever been during the years since the death of her father. After but a moment of connection, the eyes of the priestess widened ever so slightly and she disengaged as a blur which flowed back to the valley floor. Will too let himself drop, landing softly as Laevyeth became humanoid once more, her hand in his.

"What was that?" River demanded, a tension in her voice which would lead one to think that the usually numb-sounding woman might actually have been thoroughly rattled.

"I told you, priestess, that I know the truth of things through my spear," Will replied, turning to gaze adoringly at outworlder at his side.

"What say you, my Lady? You have now properly felt the spirit of this one. Can she be trusted to fight at our side even inside a place such as the Queen's gate; a battlefield unknown?" Laevyeth looked at River, her metallic skin and hair shimmering slightly in the afternoon light, before she eventually noted.

"Thou art not noble, Dancer on the Broken River. Not by any sense or meaning of the word. Thou art cold, calculating, and whatever conscience you might have possessed has long since been discarded. But even though thou lack this most bright of qualities, I will have to give thee this; Thou art pure. Dedicated. Driven. This is not a purity of moral, but of focus. So yes, my Lord, as long as her steps lead toward the purpose of her vengeance, there will be no falsehood to find in this woman."

Will didn't even hesitate for a second as he nodded, accepting the word of his spear without a second thought.

"Then my concerns are alleviated, at least for now in regard of that," he said, his face turning wry a moment later.

"But still, this clash was also proof that I am still not your match in a duel. At least not as I am now. Your path of dominion is cruel, but effective. Very effective. We shall have to meditate upon this, my Lady."

"So that was what it was about, then? A test?"

"Indeed, even though I would have been more satisfied had I also come out victorious." With that, Will and Laevyeth walked off to one side of the now thoroughly thrashed valley as what little greenery have been there in the beginning was now scattered to the wind. River was left staring after them with an inscrutable expression when she felt the diminutive form of Wander approach.

"Sooooo.... As officiator, I suppose I am to declare you the victor~?" she asked tentatively.

"Because somehow, it still feels like they won~."

"Is there... Something I should know?" Kite asked as he surveyed the now rather sparsely covered mountain valley. It looked like a hurricane had blown through there, with enough force to blow chunks out of the stone in places.

"That was just my Lady and I measuring the heart of our... companion," Will said without much worry. Through his expanded vision, Kite could see River off in the distance. She looked fine, as did Will, and so he turned back to his friend.'

"And?" he asked, curious.

"And while her methods, personality and morals are reprehensible, her intent is pure. As is her devotion to our shared cause."

"I... see..." Kite finally said as no more explanations seemed to be forthcoming.

"Well I suppose we should all gather around them. Assuming she keeps to her word, Gleam should be back tomorrow. And before then, we have supplies to distribute and introductions to make. You have not met Little Crow yet, after all. Nor Fantina?" The Assassin, portaled to Kite's family compound after having agreed to join the supposed expedition into the subverted gate, was currently inspecting their surroundings with his usual leisurely smile and colorful parasol over one shoulder.

As he seemed content enough for the moment, the trio instead made their way over to where a blonde woman of Estercostian descent was making her way off the ship. Kite had only seen Fantina LanCaire at their home, surrounded by children and - most often - with a distinct pregnant belly. Therefore, the armored robes she now wore, accompanied by a radiant headband set with emeralds and decorated by stylized wings and a no-nonsense look as she surveyed those gathered, made for quite the contrasting impression.

"Fantina, I do not know if you have met my friends here. Triumph of Indomitable Will, son of Indomitable March of Glaciers, meet Fantina LanCaire, priestess of Fertility. And this is Laevyeth, Will's... How exactly would you describe this relationship of yours?" Kite asked, trailing off his introductions to look at the elf and the outworlder.

"We are one, spirits resonating and paths entwined," Laevyeth answered unhelpfully.

"And I greet thee, priestess of the life giver. I come from beyond this world, the spear that pierces iniquity." Fortunately, Fantina was rather unfazed by the odd introduction, instead giving the pair a shallow bow.

"My greetings to both of you. And as to you, Young Master Indomitable-""Just Will is quite alright."

"- Will," the priestess continued, "We have actually met before, although you were in no condition to greet me beyond howling most impressively and flailing your little arms. I hadn't been in Gilded for more than a few years, so it was quite an honor to be present when you were broken out of the birthing vat."

"Oh? Oh! Then Fortune truly smiles upon us in this reunion," Will replied enthusiastically.

"The long lives of us essence-users does lead to unexpected situations. But speaking of the unexpected, I hope you will forgive me when I say that I would rather have expected your husband to be the one joining us for this quest into the unknown."

"It would have been a reasonable assumption. At least my dear Jarvan thought so," Fantina replied, clearly amused.

"That was, until I pointed out all the excursions, small adventures, contract interventions and other varied activities he has been up to over the years which stretched the lines of our agreement. I do agree that now that the last of the initial 25 are born and healthy, we need to look to the future and reclaim some of our old skills. And, given my most persuasive ways and impeccable arguments, he too sees the logic in that it might be my turn this time. At least, he eventually did."

As Fantina spoke, Kite had to do his best to not wince in sympathy as he remembered the forlorn look of utter longing in Jarvan's eyes as they were leaving after having said their farewells.

"And besides -" the priestess continued, "- given what I've been told of the little fellowship you have gathered, I thought that having a proper healer among your ranks might be more important than just another set of beefy armor on the front lines. It will be good to practice my powers again, at least on more than scraped knees and stubbed toes."

"A true blessing then! Your presence will be a boon to all of us-" Will continued, and Kite left them to their conversation, making a round to check in on everyone. Eventually, a small surge of his aura had everyone gather alongside him, looking out over Boundary below. Dragonfly, Will, Laevyeth, River, Little Crow, Wander, Braid, Soul, Fantina and Kite himself; 10 silver-rankers - with Glint too, of course - who, if Kite was any judge, were some of the most skilled in their area in all of northern Hua-Xi.

"Thank you all for coming, especially those of you who were not already part of our little endeavor," Kite began, turning to address the others.

"If mistress Gleam can truly create something which would allow us to go into the gate after the intruders, then we might find ourselves in a situation unique in the history of our kingdom. As you know, I have ventured into two of these challenges already. And as I have told you of those trials, I'm sure that you can all appreciate the severity of the situation."

"And the potential, junior brother," Little Crow added lightly.

"While some among my clan has indeed entered the Queen's gates, it is not something we encourage. To have the opportunity to do so alongside allies and with the express blessing - and promised reward - from the herald of a diamond ranker? There's a reason that my commission was so cheap this time!"

"Ooo, I wonder what she can give us when we succeed~?" Wander mused.

"If we succeed," Braid corrected.

"Don't be such a downer, Braid. Of course we will! We are all pretty awesome after all. Heck, even Soul came. They won't stand a chance~." The celestine seemed unperturbed by the comment, instead looking thoughtfully down at the city below.

"The houses and their champions won't like this," she mused.

"Do you think that they would mean to hinder us? They did act quite defensive before. Had Gleam not intervened, we might have found ourselves fighting a few clashes before we got to approach," Kite remarked.

"Honestly? I hope they try. It would do them well to remember the Blessed of Warrior. I was more pondering if we should go down and settle the matter beforehand?"

"Let us not," Kite said with a smile as Soul once more stayed true to her nature.

"We have plenty of things to discuss and some preparations to make. We may not know what awaits us inside, but we can speculate. And certain tactics should work no matter where we end up."

"Do you really think that will be needed? The perfection of my path needs no support if I want to temper it to the fullest."

"If my time with Gauntlet has taught me anything, it is the power of purposeful, coordinated action. While I do have some national pride, I am more and more convinced that our kingdom would benefit from a bit more collaboration among our warriors. Given the dangers involved I hope that you can still acquiesce to my suggested plan of action?"

"Don't fret, Pathbreaker," Soul replied before walking off to join the others.

"I will. But you will owe me plenty of rounds in the arena after this." Soon only Kite and Dragonfly were left, and he stepped closer to put one arm across her shoulders.

"I wish we knew where Serene lives these days," she murmured as she leaned into his embrace.

"Having her with us would somehow make all of this feel more complete."

"Indeed, my ardent Dragonfly," Kite agreed.

"We can only pray that Fortune will keep watching over her. Along with Song, of course. I doubt the goddess would let our friend out of her sight."

"I guess you're right," Dragonfly agreed with a sigh.

"And besides, she wouldn't have been thrilled to meet River here. Honestly, I still am not either, but I can look past that. Gods, even Will seems to have found some kind of acceptance to her presence. But given Serene's history? Perhaps it is best that she is spared experience." At her words, Kite could only nod, looking thoughtfully to the west and the lands beyond of which he had seen but glimpses even given his travels along with Gauntlet.

"Then perhaps we should go visit her, once this is done and over with? If we ask nicely, I am sure her church can guide us in the right direction. And it would be nice to make a trip, just you and me." Looking up at him, Dragonfly stood up on her tippy toes and kissed him softly, letting the embrace linger for a while before finally pulling apart.

"Oh Kite, you know just how to motivate a girl. Gods as our witnesses, we have a deal. Let's get to it then. It's time to bring some much needed violence to those who would ruin our homeland from within."