January 27, 2019, 6:10 pm

Tipan's white fur is dappled with oranges and yellows from the setting sun as she steps out of her house, and the colouring almost reminds me of her mother. She has a half-smile fixed on her face and there's a slight stiffness to her movement as she joins us, but neither Rufka or I say anything. What would we say? Your mom’s nice, we should visit again?

Deciding to avoid that awkwardness, we turn away from her home. Directly towards Genitha. I knew she was coming closer, but somehow I'm still surprised to see how close she's gotten.

Unlike Tipan, Genitha's smile feels full and genuine as she strides across the open area of the compound.

"Hey mum," Rufka says, her waving arms managing to shake me enough to almost cause me to stumble as her mother approaches. This could be considered a downside of being so close to Rufka. Worth it.

"Rufka!" Genitha exclaims, stopping a few feet away and reaching out to hug her daughter. Which catches me in the embrace as well.

Her mother's arms are strong, squeezing tight, and I'm reminded again of how much taller she is than her daughter. Which is exactly not at all. Genitha's voice is warm as she releases us, "You didn't tell me you knew people in the Colmb district."

"We were visiting Tipan's mum," Rufka says, motioning over her shoulder.

Genitha's eyes flick between Rufka and I before settling on Tipan, her smile still warm. "This is your home?"

"It... was," Tipan says, with a slight nod of her head. I barely notice the way her voice hitches as Tipan continues, but it’s definitely there. "Anyway, we wanted to see the palace today, correct?"

"Yep. I want to see this courtyard you mentioned," I reply, accepting her choice to change the subject and starting us away from Tipan's home. This prompts Tipan and Rufka to start talking over each other about their favourite features in the courtyard one of which is a specially curated garden that the nearby vendors all use spices from for their food.

As we move towards the centre of the city, I listen, but my attention is drawn to the flows of magic running beneath our feet. As we draw closer to the palace, it becomes more noticeable. Just the street we’re walking down has more magic flowing through it than I might channel in a day. It's a little overwhelming. Like walking on a high voltage power line.

When we first arrive in the courtyard, I almost don't notice, I'm so lost in tracking the mana. But doing so leads me to stare directly at the… transfer point? Source? The spot where most of it passes through, at least. It’s a great stone carved with runes, standing taller than my old apartment building, an obelisk that dominates the centre of the courtyard. In a way, it reminds me of the standing stones. The glowing glyphs carved into its surface are certainly similar. But instead of a circle of complementing rune-carved stone, this Nexus stands alone. It would be a mistake to think that means it's less complex though. Even a cursory inspection has me amazed at the number of glyphs overlapping each other.

There are a pair of Fallen in the courtyard standing in front of the obelisk, one of them wearing a set of leather armour that looks like it was designed for someone much shorter than her. Her companion is more suited to a battlefield, her thick armour painted in dark colours and adorned with what looks like skulls. They don’t seem to notice us, which isn’t a total surprise with all the other traffic in the area.

My eyes wander away from the two Fallen as I take in the rest of the courtyard. There's several small waterfalls and a series of steps leading up to the obelisk itself. The walls surrounding the courtyard are made of white marble engraved with gold leaf. No magic running through that though. Pure ornamentation.

As we move through the courtyard, we pass the Fallen. I look back at them, finding both of them watching the crowd. They don't seem particularly threatening, but then again, they're Fallen. It's been a long time since I've been afraid of Fallen. Even if I hadn't had a shot of moonshine this morning, I'd probably be fine.

"What do you think?" Rufka asks, catching my attention. Her smile makes my breath catch for a second.

Then I lean forward, giving her a peck on the lips. "It's amazing."

Rufka's smile is almost as bright as the sun setting behind us as she sneaks another kiss. Then she glances over at the obelisk. "You'll have to tell me how it works when we get inside."

"Oh? You think I've figured it out already?"

Rufka elbows me, chuckling as she asks, "You mean you haven't?"

Shaking my head, I give her a half smile as I reply, "Not even close." Not that I'm not interested. And now that she’s basically given me an excuse, I pause time, taking notes for later examination. Considering what I learned from the standing stones, I can only imagine what secrets the obelisk in front of me holds. After half a minute of real time, I've recorded everything I can from the obelisk. Which feels like nowhere near enough. There are depths I can’t reach with my current skills, buried under the complex web that makes up the surface.

Time to investigate it on the System side. As I connect to the Obelisk, I find most of the usual Nexus options, though notably it lists transport as restricted to Aetherium citizens. Which is different from System Citizens. Which would be inconvenient if I couldn't just teleport wherever I want.

Once I'm finished poking at the rather boring System functions of the obelisk, we take a short tour of the area. Genitha and Tipan work together as tour guides, as they coax us into the first alcove on the side of the courtyard. They take us past a dozen different landmarks, each with a System message attached, describing their significance. Mostly incidents with mana-warped beast swarms or old incursion threats, uncovered by someone stumbling across a ship buried for centuries. At every landmark, Genitha informs us of how it actually happened, and what was changed to keep people calm. And Tipan explains how she was taught, which is completely different from Genitha and the plaques. It's rather entertaining, and Rufka and I remain as mostly passive observers, snuggling as we learn about the history of the Aetherium. All three versions of it.

After having gone through dozens of exhibits, Genitha and Tipan are arguing back and forth as Genitha leads us to an open food court though there's no real heat in it. But once Tipan realizes where we’re going, she interjects. “I know a better spot.”

There’s almost a note of triumph in Tipan’s smile when Genitha bows her head, allowing Tipan to lead the way.

She takes us to a hidden food cart parked along a narrow walkway that runs towards the top of the outer palace wall. There's a long line but I'm so relaxed, I’m able to just enjoy my time with Rufka as we listen to Tipan elaborate on the logistics of getting enough fresh meat into the city for the entirety of Aethire's million plus population. Something Tipan's mother used to play a large role in before her most recent promotion. And apparently a lot of the rest of her family before her. It's nice to hear Tipan talking about Aethire. She's proud of the work her family's done here, and I can understand why.

When we're leaving the plaza, we come across a K'tharn who moves to block our path. She's short. And if not for the brace of daggers and unfamiliar symbol pinned to her bandoleer, I'd probably have guessed she was a child. Then again, maybe she is.

"Archmage," the K’tharn says, bowing slightly towards Genitha. Who just raises an eyebrow and steps to the side. I move to follow, but the K’tharn is already backpedaling, attempting to stay in front of Genitha.

"Archmage, I'm sorry to disturb you, but the K'mintar has requested your presence," the K'tharn manages to get out, all while shuffling backwards. That she does so without seeming awkward impresses me more than a little.

While I'm trying to figure out how exactly she's shuffling like that, Genitha asks, "And has the K'mintar forgotten the last time we spoke? She never did apologize."

The K'tharn doesn't miss a step, even when another pair of K'tharn come from the bridge, carrying a crate taller than they are and nearly walk into her. Instead, she just sidles to the other side of Genitha as she responds, "If you've spoken with the K'mintar, you know she doesn't apologize. You also know, I can't go back to her until you agree to come with me." I can hear the frustration in her voice as she says that, her ears flicking forward as she closes her upper eyes.

"Hmm. You're correct. What is your name?" Genitha asks as she leads us onto the bridge.

"My name?" the K'tharn asks, stumbling for the first time as she narrows all four eyes.

"Yes. Your name."

"I am Kellica of clan Pelmor," she says through clenched teeth. "Now, if you could come with me, please archmage?"

"Kellica? That's a beautiful name."

"Uhm. Thank you?" Kellica says, clearly confused at this point. I'm already chuckling though.

"So, Kellica of clan Pelmor. You said that you can't return without me, correct?" Genitha asks, stopping as we reach the far end of the bridge, allowing Kellica to stop dodging other K'tharn.

Instead of answering immediately, Kellica stares at Genitha for a few seconds. Then she nods slowly as she responds, "Yes. I can't return without you."

"It is unfortunate for you that we both know you can't force me to attend, isn't it? So, I suppose you had best inform your superior that you'll be going on a trip. If you perform well enough, I may even meet with your K'mintar," Genitha says, nodding as she reaches out and hands something to Kellica. "Meet my daughter here in two hours. Alone, please. No need for all your friends to join us."

As Genitha says this, a wave of mana passes through the area. It slips right over my glamour, but it disrupts no less than twelve other K'tharn who were in the area. All of whom jump as if they've been stung. Not that I don’t also jump at their sudden change.

Kellica's ears go flat as she crouches, all four hands reaching for daggers. So do several of the K'tharn who surround us. While I prepare to stop time, just in case, Genitha just raises her eyebrow at Kellica in response.

I have to stifle my chuckle when Kellica growls at one of the others, waving them closer. She steps away from us and we continue on our way. When we've made it to a familiar cross-street near Tipan's, Rufka turns to her mom. "Mum, why is she reporting to me."

At this, Genitha frowns. "If the K'mintar is trying to talk to me instead of sending someone to kidnap me... something serious is going on. And I'll need to talk to her. But not without some preparation."

"Okay... but that doesn't explain why she's reporting to me. She's just going to get in the way. I don't want a Taken following us around."

"Of course, you don't, kitten. But I forced her to follow you around anyway. Why?"

As Rufka narrows her eyes, I try to imagine what reason Genitha might have. Does she want us to befriend the Taken? Maybe learn her secrets? Does she want us to convince her to help us with something?

While I'm pondering, Rufka claps a hand over her face, dragging it downward over her eyes. Then she looks up at her mom. "You're kidding."

Genitha's smile gives me zero clue as to what Rufka's figured out.

Sighing, Rufka turns to me with her 'I'm sorry I stepped on your foot' smile. The one she used this morning when we were rising from bed. Morning's really not her best time of day. "So, I'm being punished."

"Ahem.”

"Sorry," Rufka rolls all four eyes, glaring at her mom for a second. "I'm being given an opportunity to learn a crucial life skill."

"Much better," Genitha says, squeezing Rufka's shoulder which earns her a grimace from Rufka. "And?"

Rolling her eyes, Rufka turns to me. "And I'd appreciate your help."

Genitha tilts her head to the side, regarding Rufka. "Not what I was going for, but... it's an excellent idea kitten."

"Mum, I'm not a kitten," Rufka complains even as she leans into Genitha's scratching behind her ears.

Trying not to let my smile show (and failing horribly) I clasp Rufka's hand in mine. "I'd love to help."

It's not like I was going to ignore the super spy that had been thrust into our lives anyway.

Absolutely no way this could all go wrong.

Nope. None at all.