Chương 244: Let us tell you all about it over some tea

It had been a long time since Ametrine Dreams Wreathed in Silk had had a smile on her face beneath the mask as she exited her portal returning her to her living quarters. But today was such a day, as the council had spent quite some time handling the fallout from the failed operation alongside the Builder's cult.

Ametrine had to admit that Verses being captured was a setback, as the silver had been an excellent agent thus far and had carried a newly-made artifact inspired by the one young master Valor had wielded - of which Ametrine would very much like an evaluation. But such was sometimes the fate of her pawns.

And seeing Black Wood mask and Gold mask on the back foot for once, trying to justify their pushing for the operation which had now led to their subordinates being captured and potentially leaking information, had definitely been enough to soften the sting.

"And now to actually capitalize on our so-called misfortune," she mused to herself, as she started preparing to see her King. Because these developments - with the band of outcasts being summoned for an audience with the diamond-ranker - had indeed opened up an opportunity which she had not expected. Perhaps not for their operation as a whole, but Ametrine was not beyond some personal gains as well. With her position as the favored courtesan, she had never had problems in gaining access to her King.

And that still held true as he immediately sent his gathered visitors - members of several prominent Heavenward families - away when Ametrine slid into his meeting chambers, leaving the two of them alone.

"Ametrine," he greeted as she seated herself behind him, her hands starting to massage his neck with practiced ease. While he still kept his ever-ready posture, Ametrine could feel how his aura - dangerous and superior - did relax somewhat at her touch, long conditioned to associating her presence with a lot more pleasurable things.

"My King," she greeted in return.

"How do your duties fare?"

"Under control. Preparations for the Grand Proving are well underway. What about your little whispers? Anything interesting of which I should be aware?"

"The incident in Boundary up north remains on the lips of almost everyone, the tale growing with each passing. While the speculations for the proving are also coming to life, they are still greatly overshadowed by the former."

"Of that, I am not surprised," King of the Pure Firmament said as he leaned back into her touch.

"Like plenty before them, those who were here before you were all here with regards to that. Ostensibly for other matters, but it always seemed to come back to that matter and that band of outcasts."

"I see," Ametrine commented while she let her fingers climb up to the back of her King's head, massaging his scalp in that way she knew he loved.

"What did they want then?"

"Honestly, I am unsure if they knew themselves. Some seemed to wish for the outcasts to be punished for stealing such an opportunity from more honorable warriors while others hoped to gain insight and my blessings to tie them closer to their houses. There were even talks of marriages and the like, and I think they tried gauging if I would disapprove, given the polarized views of their peers. Bah, for those mighty to focus so much on mere outcasts to the north.

They should be honing their paths and reaching towards the heavens instead of bothering me. Your arrival was very timely in that regard."

"I do aim to please, my King," Ametrine replied with a smile of painted lips.

"How do you intend to act, then? In regards to the outcasts?" Ametrine did already have a solution in mind, of course, but as was always her way she needed to make sure that her King was in an agreeable mood. Not that she herself didn't feel the inclination either, of course. She had a lot to celebrate, after all. So as she had asked her question, she had also let her other hand slide ever so slightly down the front of her King's chest, just slightly into his rich robes.

A gesture that immediately led to the expected result.

"Right now, I intend to forget about the matter entirely for a moment," King said, rising from his seat as he turned to embrace her.

"Thus, I require a distraction." Said distraction would come to occupy them both for the better part of an hour, ending with them both laying entwined on one of Ametrine's conjured clouds of shimmering smoke.

"Mind back to your duties?" she asked her King as she could sense his wandering mind through his aura. During their long rise to power together, his spirit had ever been an open book to Ametrine, even though - contrary to King's own belief - hers still retained some secrets from him.

"Such is my burden, even though the glory and satisfaction does make it easier to bear," King responded, gently brushing aside a few locks of bismuth hair as he admired her perfect features.

"What would you do in my stead, Ametrine? With the outcasts and the gates? You have ever had the mind for these kinds of balancing acts." Ametrine made a show of thinking the matter through thoroughly even while she inwardly smiled in satisfaction.

"Well, my King, there is one idea that comes to mind…"

"So this is the artifact which dealt such a grievous blow to you, young Kite?" Gleam asked while several smaller arms and tendrils were inspecting a familiar ring which lay on a workbench. The ring Verses Sung Twice had worn was now inert, as it had been ever since she had used it to bring forth that potent beam of roiling destruction. But apparently the construct - who was still all too happy to play host to Kite and his companions even three days after the Queen's departure - could still tease out its secrets.

"Unsurprisingly, the concept of discordance is the dominant one in its construction, but there are others too. Pure and potency, but originally channeled towards empowerment. And something else… A hint of the divine? This has probably received some divine help in the making. Although I can say that the artifact in itself isn't too old. Approximately a year, probably less."

"So perhaps gifted to the priestess for this particular operation?" Kite mused where he, Little Crow, River and Fantina stood at the construct's side.

"But if it is freshly made, then it is also something we need to be ready for when we root out the rest of Discord's church," River noted, her flat voice carrying the intensity it always held when speaking of her vengeance.

"How fortunate then that we too have received a bit of a windfall in the power department," Little Crow added cheerfully.

"We may not have been able to test much, but I can definitely get used to almost possessing Mighty Strength at times. Oh, and that increased mana recovery from you, Kite? Just splendid! When are you all moving to Heavenward? Because I am loath to see the potency of those shared boons diminish." The celestine was of course referring to the armbands and regalia of Elevenfold Unity, which the group had actually managed to start testing in the days past.

While binding the items to themselves had provided the normal instinctual understanding, the trial runs against a few constructs supplied by Gleam let them get a lot more actual practice. It turned out that each of the members could choose an ongoing effect which currently affected them which they then shared through the bond.

Most obviously this worked with active boons, but other effects like Kite's increased mana recovery through Spirit Singularity worked as well while the entirely passive abilities like Mighty Strength were unavailable. Once shared, each member could choose which of the effects offered that they wanted to take part of, though it turned out that learning to sense and correctly interpret what was on offer through the bonds of the artifacts was a skill that needed practice.

The group knew that these effects would diminish once they weren't all gathered in one place, while the cost of the attribute boosts which the artifacts also offered would grow. But the range was apparently decent enough, as they had yet to feel said reduction even when spreading out across the whole floating island that housed the Queen's palace. And as to the aforementioned attribute boosts, they were as straightforward as they were useful.

For an ongoing mana cost, one attribute was simply enhanced for a time, with a delay between activations once one ended the effect. Every path could benefit to some extent, even though things also became a bit more complicated here as each individual had to take into account their current set of powers.

An example was Dragonfly, who with her Mighty Strength and ramping boost to the power attribute would benefit little from enhancing that particular side of herself, but the increased magical power and perception from an enhanced spirit attribute could instead complement her nicely.

This left Soul - with her special abilities already raising aspects of each attribute passively - as the person least able to take advantage of that particular feature of the artifacts, but the blessed of Warrior had not seemed to care much. Or at all.

"May I instead come with a counter-offer of joining the guild and moving north?" Kite replied with a smile.

"There are a lot of us up there already after all, while you are but one."

"And leave behind all the wonders metropolitan life has to offer? The fashion? The shows? The intrigue? Alas, I will have to endure. Even though I do find it unfair, as I have grown used to a certain standard of living during these past days. At least attribute-wise."

"Cease your blabbering and back to the important matters," River cut in, clearly annoyed as she turned to Gleam while pointing towards the ring.

"Resplendent one, do you have any more insights as to how to counteract this weapon? Or lessen its impact?"

"Oh don't stop on my account. It has been a long time since any good banter echoed throughout these halls, and I will surely miss it once you depart tomorrow," the construct replied before proceeding to answer River's question.

"As for the artifact, it does seem quite unpleasant, at least to living magical beings. Having the magic of your body start warring with itself like that? Not something which I recommend. But the enchantments of this one do seem to allow for the discordance to be used more like a boon too, increasing capabilities at the price of a similar damage over time as the internal balance is overturned. Given its potency, I would say that counteracting it would be challenging."

"I can attest to that," Kite said, glancing at his still crystallized arm.

"The blast was affected by my dispelling powers, but was too potent to be completely nullified when discharged all at once like that. And before that, the touch of the priestess could mostly bypass my armor while my barriers crumpled. My shield was the most effective means of warding it off."

"Hmm, so it sounds a bit like disruptive force, but taken to the extreme and somewhat modified. Interesting," Gleam mused.

"But given that, I'd agree with Kite that solid, physical defenses might be best. Ones that are somewhat removed from your body. Or just dodging, I suppose. You seem apt at that, young River."

"Nevertheless, this will also be something for my family to look out for. Director Temren will surely be quite pleased with this little tidbit. Perhaps enough to overlook that we didn't bring any prisoners to her in person," Little Crow said, his meaningful look hidden from the construct by his open parasol.

"I fully support the Queen in her decision to execute the prisoners after questioning. They have seen her palace, after all, and are not a loose thread which Mistress dare entrust to silver or gold-rankers. Although I am sure that she did not mean any disregard for your particular group."

"Of course, honored Gleam, of course. And as I said, my clan is already most grateful for these developments. Kite's guild should be busy too, given the information we received of all the other cells and hidden nasties of which this Verses was aware."

"I will be handling them too, Pathbreaker. You cannot stop me," River said, turning to Kite as the matter of the future came up.

"Many of them may just be Discord's puppets, but I care not. They will break all the same for their collusion." This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"You are right in that I cannot stop you, River. And outside of the trial, I claim no authority over you," Kite replied.

"But I would still ask you to at least coordinate with us, so that you might go after the targets most suited to you. It would be a waste for either of our sides to attempt to strike at one of them only to realize that they have already been dealt with. Or worse, get in each others' way. While I still hold to the belief that you and I will always have some irreconcilable differences on certain matters, I've found the cooperation we managed to build upon inside the trial to be something worthwhile. Don't you agree?"

River's first response to Kite's words was silence, as well as that odd expression which had come over the woman from time to time recently. But then she frowned somewhat, muttering her reply.

"Fine. I will not deny it, annoying one. I would be… open to such cooperation," she began.

"But you and yours better not slow me down, or I will keep forging my own path forward."

"I ask for nothing more," Kite replied with a faint smile, and was about to speak again. Except that it was then that he truly noticed that Gleam's huge head had gradually been lowered towards them, her colorful head now close enough to both him and River to reach out and touch.

"Ehm… Mistress Gleam?" he asked pensively, with River also seeming to notice, indicating that some trick of aura was involved. The construct lacked a lot in aura control, but she was still a diamond-ranked entity. There was apparently still enough nuance to what she could do with her spirit.

"Oh, my apologies, young ones. I was just so engrossed in whatever was going on here. In young River especially. So complicated… Internal conflicts seem quite bothersome." Her words had the scarred young woman stiffen, even though she didn't dare lash out towards their host, while Kite just sighed. The construct meant well, but moments like this just served to point out that she was still far removed from the struggles of mortals.

"I believe that we are done here for the moment," Kite said, choosing to brush past the social faux pas.

"We'd best rejoin the others and make preparations for our departure. While the hospitality of Mistress Gleam and the Queen has been beyond compare, I believe that most of us are still longing for home. Both for comfort and to pursue opportunities that have now been revealed for us in the lands below."

River sat in meditation atop a low roof of the palace of the Queen of Jade and Sky, a place which she had often returned to during their stay in the majestic residence that - to River - felt like a gilded trap given the lack of power she possessed here. If the construct Gleam, or worse, the creator herself should ever change their whims, River would never leave.

So while the spot at least offered a modicum of privacy - if one did not count the small servant constructs which scuttled around the palace, that is - she still had trouble finding her inner calm. Much to the delight of her god.

"Ah, such delightful conflict inside you, child," Pain's voice echoed inside her mind." Tell me, what is the source of this subtle agony?" Hearing her god's words again had been comforting since River's emergence from inside the trial space, even if it had brought some fear too. What would Pain think of her mental state? Of all the odd thoughts going on inside her head which the god could surely feel, should he put his mind to it.

But the deity had not remarked on them at all so far, simply welcoming her back and reveling in her triumph and the pain she and her companions had inflicted against the followers of Discord and the Builder's cultists. And this just made River worry more. A lot more.

"I…" River began, words faltering as she felt a bit like when she was standing before her father early in her training, about to report a concise list of all her shortcomings during a training session and knowing what the response would be. But River had faced it and been tempered by it, and as such she would face this too.

"I am worried, Lord Pain."" Oh?"

"I am… changing. I'm noticing a shift in my thoughts. Of my focus. There is so much to consider. Experiences to process. The others… It is just… Overwhelming." The first of the murmured words almost faltered, but River managed to power through as the rest spilled out of her in a way that lacked her usual control, a sensation bringing deep discomfort in and of itself." And why is that, little one?"

"I… I am straying. At least it feels like it. This is not what father taught me. I am losing my focus, instincts betraying me. I was to be the weapon, yet I find myself having worked alongside others without being in control. Even submitting. It was for the cause, for vengeance… But it… Worked. Worked well. I was not in control, not the one dominating the situation, and yet I succeeded."" And had you tried something else? To wrest control from those around you?"" Then I would have failed. Been cast out.

Or struck down."" And how did it feel then, little one? River started at the question.

"Feel, Lord Pain?"" You speak of success, little one. Of prevailing even though you went against your teachings. But how did it make you feel? To work alongside the others. Being among them? To relinquish control?" Seated at the rooftop, River found herself instinctively reaching out as if to steady herself even though it had been several ranks since she last would have been able to lose her balance in a situation like this. She did not have the words. But she spoke anyway, forcing herself like she had been taught.

"I… Lord, I am afraid."" Why?"

"Because I do not understand."" What?"

"Wh-" River began, centering herself. Then spit out the words as if they burned her mouth.

"Why did it feel… Why did it not feel bad? To be among them? Why could I share their triumph and take it as mine? Why was I worried when the annoying one and the passionate one were gone, having traveled through the storm? Why was my weakness rewarded?" Silence.

"Lord? Why?" River pressed, and this time she eventually got an answer." Do you think I will give you an answer, child?"

"But I need to know!"" So you do, child. And not knowing is hurting you, as the cracks in the mirror widen. Thus, all is as it should be. I would not rob you of this blessed experience."" But…"" Change is an agony best lived, child. The suffering needs to have been suffered through. You may be torn from your experiences not aligning with your father's teachings, and while he was an excellent vessel for my purview, many of his teachings were his and his alone. Live, little one. Live and embrace this agony.

To be born is pain. To live is pain. To change is pain. And to trust? Now that is something exquisite to add to my tapestry. Throughout all of this, know that you serve me and my purview." As Pain spoke, his presence in River's mind kept growing in intensity until it was deafening, with even River's scarred spirit trembling beneath the spiritual pressure.

That made the moment the god disappeared even more jarring, as River was ripped from the turbulence of a spiritual hurricane to the serenity of seeing the setting sun from atop a rooftop. Alone. Both Brave Walker of Paths and his second-in-command-turned-lover Second Spring fell silent mid-sentence as the auras of the people in the city around them started changing.

The spiritual hustle and bustle of Convergence was usually something easily tuned out as the people went about their business, but the ripple of awe mixed with fear that suddenly spread around the closest few city districts was enough for the pair of silver-rankers to notice immediately.

Both Spring and Walker were on the move almost immediately, blurring past Clarity of Wit - the guild's archivist - who seemed to likewise be moving to investigate with the assured, calm pace of someone who knew what they were doing. And given the holy symbol of Knowledge adorning the human woman's robes, one could safely assume that she did.

It was just as the guild's two leaders exited the doors of the main guild hall that several other auras suddenly revealed themselves as well, eleven silver ones of which Walker recognized most at the spiritual equivalent of a glance.

"They're back! He called joyously, ignoring the summer rain outside as he set off towards Soul's arena that lay adjacent to the guildhall.

"But I wonder why they went straight to the…" Turning a corner, the pair who had started as one also faltered as one as they came into view of the arena surrounded by its low let of stone walls. Walls that were entirely insufficient to block the view of something as equally majestic and terrifying as a multi-colored construct looking much like a winged centipede towered above them. Walker couldn't feel even an ounce of spiritual pressure from the thing, but he didn't need to.

He had already heard Kite's telling of his encounters with the diamond-ranked artificial creature, as had Spring. Neither of them resumed their sprint, transfixed by its presence as they entered the arena. They weren't alone either, as most in the surrounding neighborhoods had started gathering outside the walls albeit keeping their distance.

"Uncle!" Walker had already sensed him, but still felt a wave of relief as Kite waved to him from where he was currently walking down from the construct's back with the help of his air-walking power, descending on small panes of force as if on a set of stairs.

"Little Kite and.. Uhm. Mistress Gleam, was it not? This old man humbly greets the honored herald," Walker said, turning and bowing deeply to the towering presence. Kite had always described the being as quite sociable, which turned out to be true when the creature replied.

"Ah, you must be Brave Walker of Paths! My Mistress, the Queen of Jade and Sky, told me about you!" Her voice was hollow but melodic, but it was more her words than her pleasant tone that caught Walker's attention.

"W-what? The Queen, Mistress? She… knows of me?"

"Yes! Of you and your guild. She made some inquiries during her brief stay back on this world to handle this little… issue that arose with one of the gates. That is all cleared up now though, through the help of the brave members of your guild! She even seemed quite intrigued. So keep up the good work and the heavens shall surely bless your path!"

"I… see. Thank you, Mistress. This old man is most honored," Walker replied, even though he also felt not an insignificant amount of pressure at the implications.

"As you should," the construct agreed, seeming to find that all was right with the world as she turned to the disembarking group of silver-rankers.

"Now, brave champions, I must bid you farewell. The last of your number requires passage to her home, and after that I have eleven treasures to begin working on. Truly a joyous occasion to allow me to temper my own skills!"

"Farewell, Mistress Gleam. And the same to you, Fantina," Kite replied, calling up to the lone woman still seated atop Glint's back.

"Please give Jarvan my regards!"

"Oh, I will, Kite. I will," Fantina replied with a smile that was definitely as mischievous as it was genuine. Then Gleam's wings blurred again as the construct took off, vanishing out of sight in mere seconds. It was only once Walker managed to tear his eyes away from the retreating form that he finally managed to notice a certain detail uniting all of the people who had just returned home.

"Pray tell, little Kite, what are those armbands? And how did things go? Did you find the trail of our target? The rumors flowing out of Boundary were quite something, and we've had several people turn up at our door demanding to see you in the past few days."

"Oh? Trouble?" Kite asked, even though Soul seemed to perk up at the mention.

"Nothing our dear Soul here can't handle, I'm sure."

"Then we are truly grateful for the presence of the blessed of Warrior," Kite smiled, glancing at the celestine who only nodded once in return before heading over to her arena where her students were gradually creeping closer now that the imposing construct had left.

"And as for our trials… Well, they were something out of the ordinary in many ways, even for the Queen's gates. Let us tell you all about it over some tea."

"Noooooooooo!" Rupert Versis, deputy director of the Adventure Society's Gilded branch, heard Jarvan's cry of anguish even from a few corridors away. He felt it in the man's aura too, a spirit which was suddenly as unstable as Rupert had ever felt it. The leonid blurred into motion, the stack of papers he was holding left fluttering to the floor while the iron-ranked society staff in the building reeled slightly from Jarvan's uncontrolled aura.

"By Justice's jiggling jugs it cannot be! It cannot!" Bursting into the room, Rupert found Jarvan kneeling before the wide panoramic windows of his office in a posture of utter defeat. The leonid came to a dead stop however as his mind finally managed to process what towered outside; a huge insectoid head made from metal shimmering in every color imaginable. And atop said head, a very familiar blonde woman sat primly with a smug smile on her face.

"Why hello, Rupert!" Fantina called, waving a hand that wore an armband made from an odd metal Rupert thought he recognized.

"I'm home!"