There is a rumor going around concerning the temperament of Left Ranks of late. They have always been unshakeable compared to most, but there were limits to this. In recent years, however, I’ve not heard a whisper of retreat for anything short of an overwhelming disadvantage where before impressive beasts or characters of significant reputation would’ve convinced a Left Rank to flee.

I believe I have found the source of these rumours. It is a person, and her name is Terror.

- Envoy Jakul making a report to the King.

“Tall claim.” I said after I was done sighing at Winters’ dramatic accusation. Personally, I think it fell flat. He had been betting on me fabricating my position as an Envoy, and since I’d verified him and myself as genuine Envoys, I took away the set up from his accusation. That I actually was fabricating that position was irrelevant. “Where is your proof?”

Proof was important in these kinds of things if the history books didn’t lie.

Winters gave me a long, even look. “That is a question I should be asking you. You were the one who assumed responsibility for protecting the lady, and not only have you done so in a minimalistic manner, you have lost her.”

So this was about Jevi. It made sense, she was the crown princess after all. But what I needed to do was argue myself a way out of this mess. “That is hardly my fault.” I started.

“Do not point fingers of blame. Vindicate yourself.” Winters said softly. It let me talk over him.

“The only ones that can be considered at fault here and now are Sathteel as well whoever was responsible for locking me up, disarming me, and depriving me of healing.” I was careful not to shout. Winters was using a tactic Mary had used on me several times. I could speak strongly, but this was a battle of self control.

The first to shout lost, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t speak loudly. Or louder than him at the very least. “I could be out there, making my way back to the lady, but I woke up in a dungeon. I know you have my weapons somewhere around here, so what I should be doing is demanding them back, along with provisions for travel, and turn this accusation of treason on you if you don’t deliver quickly enough.”

Winters leaned back in his chair and tapped a gauntletted finger against his chin in thought. “You know where she is.”

I did some quick revision of what I remembered from Jevi’s map. “Yes, I know she is far to the east of here. And that the most direct route there is likely cut off with Sathteel lording over Burden Bridge.”

Winters leaned forward. It was easy to see he thought I had slipped up. “East of Burden Bridge? Where do you think you are?”

“In a dungeon run by bad men.” I deadpanned.

“A serious answer will save you from capital punishment.” Winters said smoothly.

“Wayware is across the river from Burden Bridge, yes? Downstream? Unless my geographical lessons have failed me, I can think of no other place close enough.”

“And how do you think you ended up here?” Winters prompted.

“I washed up on the shore after falling into the river. Would you like me to simply tell a story instead of prying it out piece by piece?”

Winters gestured that he would.

“The lady has picked up a number of companions to travel with.” I said. “I can name two of them, Weldon and Attler. I only know Weldon’s surname, which is Pine. Neither are aware of her true identity. While Sathteel was attacking Burden Bridge, he became interested in me due to my scent, which had been rubbed off on me by the lady. Thus, we were separated. The dragon condescended to me, I punished it for that, and was almost punished in turn but I was already underwater at that point.

“The next thing I know, I’m being mistreated by an Envoy in a dungeon. He’s throwing around baseless accusations of treason, testing me at every turn, and can’t help but think he’s safe because the dainty teenage girl across from him is attached to the table.” I rattled the chain attaching me to the table through the hoop. “That’s the story I’m giving you.”

It covered all the points I thought he’d be interested in without fabricating anything. I could tell from how Winters wasn’t leaning forward anymore that he was buying it for the most part.

“What did you leave out?” He commanded, and I regretted my thoughts instantly.

“I thought I was dreaming after wounding the dragon.” I answered dutifully. “It might’ve been important, but it’s already passed.” It seemed having magic coursing through my listening glyphs was something I’d have to maintain indefinitely with how resistant it allowed me to be.

“And what were you dreaming of?” Winters prompted.

I rolled my eyes. “What do you dream of, Winters? I dream of blackness and reflections, as well as irritating dragons.”

“Dreams have significance.” He stated. As much as it pained me to not antagonise him, I had to agree with that point.

But I did have a counterpoint. “Only the ones you remember.” I smiled. “So, what boulder are you going to drop on me now that I’ve told you my story? The lady should be safe with the two I mentioned before, unless they’ve found new trouble since I was forced to separate from them.”

“You are not in Wayware.” Winters said.

My eyebrows raised in false surprise. “Truly?”

“Do not patronise me. I know you’re hiding something.” Winters all but growled. I smiled innocently, but in that way which told him I knew I was anything but. “There is a small gathering of buildings on the eastern bank of Lake Luzi.” I had to restrain my eyes from rolling when he repeated word for word what Serfle told me. “It is not a town, but a handful of villas and mansions that nobles enjoy using for vocational purposes. It also has a connection to the lake itself, and is about to become a place of strategic importance for the war.”

Well, that explained why I’d seen so many large buildings. I didn’t speak and let Winters continue.

“First, the lake. For whatever reason or purpose, beings of higher power enjoy depositing their Chosen on the nearest shore. This has caused the nobles to create a game of sorts, competing with each other to offer hospitality to the Chosen Ones first and vie for their good graces. Of course, villains are just as common as heroes, so it does not always work out. Yet by watching the shore, the Vitorian Envoy has been able to identify villains here and put a sudden end to their stories.”

“Ah.” I realised. “So you believe I am Chosen.”

“Indeed.” Winters did that thing where he steepled his hands again. “And yet your name is not recorded in Juvel’s Archive of the Chosen.”

I had no idea what that was, but the name was a large enough hint for me to realise Winters believed this enough evidence to condemn me. It was hilarious how many holes I could pick out of that accusation.

“Consider that I am undercover.” I said calmly, comforted by the building heat of the badge in my pocket. “And that I might have only been Chosen recently. Perhaps the greater being you refer to responsible for depositing me here at…” I trailed off for the name of this vocation town.

“Luzi Lake.” Winters said, which wasn’t confusing at all.

“Perhaps they are simply shy, or don’t want to have their actions censored by the Archive of the Chosen.” I finished. “I grow tired of this farce, Winters. I have things I must do.”

Winters smiled like a beithir that had just found its prey. “Then tell me a simple fact. Who gave you their blessing?”

I gave him a taken aback look. Did he think that was useful information? “The Heavens. Who else?”

The satisfaction on Winters’ face slowly receded. “You have an unknown patron.”

“I’m no warlock. But yes, I cannot truly name that which Chose me.”

Winters tapped his fingers on the table again. I watched as he observed me intently, then flicked his eyes past my shoulder. A normal person would not have heard the soft hiss of metal sliding from a well oiled scabbard that came shortly after, but I heard it well enough. Considering we were the only ones in the room, that alarmed me.

Of course, confidence was how to win such encounters. That was what the badge was nudging me towards believing anyway. It was guiding me less, but instead of immediately checking behind myself to find whoever was about to attack me, I smiled at Winters with a confidence I did not entirely feel.

“Winters.” I said. “Do you recall what you said about me?”

Winters looked at me impassively, though I heard the person behind me stop moving.

“You said, ‘you are exhausted, battered, and restrained.’” I put on a gruff voice to mock him. He didn’t react, but I could tell it worked as intended. “And do you remember what I said in response?”

“Yes-” He spoke softly, allowing me to interrupt him once more. Only this time I didn’t do so with words.

I pulled my arms back from where they should have been trapped by the iron loop attached to the table. It did not resist for even a second as I pulled it clear of the wooden surface, making splinters fly everywhere. In a flash I was on my feet, looking behind at where my would-be assailant was supposed to be, only there was nothing there.

Unbidden, a memory of Angelica telling me ‘You can’t even see invisible people’ came to fore, making me grit my teeth. Thankfully, they let out an unintentional gasp, and I knew exactly where their head was in relation to me. I swung my arms to hit them, aiming just below where the sound came from, and slammed the bracelet band of my restraints into whoever was there before two full seconds had passed.

Whoever they were came into full view as they lost whatever was obscuring them. I whipped the short chain at the shortsword I saw in their hand and twisted back as soon as I felt purchase. Then, without taking the time to take a proper look, I struck them again, moved behind them, and wrapped the chain around their neck. I wasn’t physically exerting myself coming to the end of that, but the magic invested in my magic manacles certainly was.

Hands pulled at the chain in an attempt to release the neck. One of their feet kicked back, hurting my leg. I winced and pulled the chain down, forcing my attacker to one knee with force I shouldn’t have been able to exert. Then I held them there with the same, as they overbalanced on the one knee they had beneath them.

“I said Yes. With manacles.” I grinned at Winters over my hostage’s shoulder, showing teeth. He hadn’t reacted, being one that enjoyed being dramatic, and honestly, so did I when I got the chance. The crucial difference being that I only succumbed to such flair when I was doing something that I could do effortlessly. Being dramatic without being impressive was stupid.

Winters stared at me. I stared back. The hostage made strangled sounds as they tried to release themselves and failed. Tension started gathering on my strings as I came closer and closer to killing the person who tried to attack me and I could hear the clopping of hooves through my enhanced hearing. That damn deer was around somewhere. Not for the first time, I cursed at the stupid curse preventing me from killing.

As much as I hated it, Sanjak had been right. Not being strong, thus not being able to kill in Kreg’uune was courting death. I still thought that saying was stupid, but it got the point across.

“Let Scout go, or you will actually be committing treason.” Winters said with a strength of voice I hadn’t expected from him.

I did so with relief that I did not entirely show. Going by how much tension I could feel draining from my strings, I had been seconds away from revealing my curse. My attacker fell to the ground and started gasping for air while holding their neck. I looked down at them, they were human and dressed in leathers. She had a crystal orb attached to her belt, telling me just how she’d been invisible.

A thought occurred to me and I glanced at Winters, then back to the woman called Scout. A knowing smile spread across my lips. “You know, having a relationship with someone under your command is a-”

“Shut it, Amber. I’m aware.” Winters spoke over me for the first time. I stopped talking, but let my bemusement continue to show.

I picked up my chair, found my badge, and sat back down as I placed my badge opposite Winters’ badge. “There. That should clear away any more misunderstandings.”

Winters hummed, leering at my badge.

“By the king’s left teste, where did they pick you up from?” Scout asked, still gasping as she picked herself up.

“From my home.” I replied blithely.

“I want to live in your house.”

I frowned, but didn’t reply. Instead I directed my attention back at Winters. “So, now that we have finished posturing, what serious matters are we going to discuss? I refuse to believe an Envoy would pull what you just did without preparing something to talk about.”

Winter responded by unfurling the scroll he had placed before him. It was a map, specifically one that spanned the duchy of Cavaan and Sequester going by the upside down title I deciphered. His gauntleted finger landed on the town of Burden Bridge, which was barely on the edge of the map.

“Right now, you’re the only one here who has an account of what happened at Burden Bridge. There’s little you can say that will impact our decisions, however, seeing how Sathteel burned down both of the bridges making it a location of strategic importance.”

“He’s half blind, you know.” I said abruptly.

“Shit, really?” Scout asked as Winters gave me an evaluating look.

“He was monologuing at me after he failed to find the lady, so I threw my dagger at him. I saw it connect, and the blood spray a moment later.” I frowned and snapped the chain of my manacles taught. The hoop from the table spun for an annoyingly long time after the motion was finished. “Speaking of, where are my weapons? I’ve already said that I know you have them. Return them to me!”

Scout coughed in an attempt to hide her flinch. Winters nodded at her, then she reached behind herself and pulled out a weapon and scabbard that had not been there when I was strangling the woman. That impossibility I quickly dismissed. The state of my weapon I quickly moved to verify.

“This dagger’s a real piece a’ work, you know.” Scout said conversationally as she handed the scabbard to me. “Could swear it was angry at me, but then it just stopped after a while.”

“How long ago?” I asked, looking up to find Scout placing my sword on the table in front of me.

“About an hour. Maybe a bit less.”

That was when I woke up and started investing my magic in the manacles instead of this. The timing worked out, but there was something strange about the blade that I noticed when I pulled it out of the scabbard. I didn’t get it the entire way out thanks to the length of chain limiting my movement, but I did see the black and red steel had a sheen to it.

It shouldn’t have had that sheen. It wasn’t magical right now.

“Real impressive dagger besides.” Scout continued. “Would’ve tried to claim it if we ended up killing you. Who made it? Never seen one like it.”

I thought back. “Ammegurvna Giiliya. A fiend. I think he’s dead.”

Scout seemed disappointed. “Aw.”

“As interesting as this topic is,” Winters began to say.

“Have you done anything with my stuff other than hold on to it?” I demanded suddenly.

Winters sighed. “We used identification magics on your items. Your bag is useful, but unimpressive compared to other artefacts like it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I said dismissively. I knew that already. “This dagger shouldn’t be like this. When I threw it at the dragon it was a completely normal blade. Speaking of, how is this here? I threw it at a dragon.”

Winters raised an eyebrow at me.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m aware the dagger is made of fiendish steel.”

“Then there is little I can say on the matter.” Winters said, tone clearly saying that he wanted to talk about more important things. “But consider where the dagger was, what you did with it, and where and how it now is. Perhaps that will clarify a few things.”

“Hm.” His suggestion was reasonable. I threw it at Sathteel and it punctured his eye, then I had fallen off the bridge, confident, if not happy, that I’d never see it again. Yet here it was, more magical than it was supposed to be. “Fiendish steel infused with dragon blood.” I mused.

It sounded impressive, but what that meant was hard to say. There was likely a blessing from Serfle involved as well, since it was the one to bring me here.

“Not just any dragon.” Winters said, attempting to segue into a topic he actually wanted to talk about.

I let him, since I was also interested. Unless he was just repeating things I knew already.

“Sathteel is a grey dragon.” He said, caused immediate regret for me.

“A steel dragon we think.” Scout added, making me frown. She had finished cleaning up and placing my things on or beside the table Winters and I were at. Now the dark haired woman was standing off to the side without leaning against a wall. I recognised the behaviour was similar to where Adjutant used to place herself. “I think the name is a bit on the nose.”

Thankfully, this adjutant had a personality that wasn’t hard wood.

And as much as I agreed about the name, I was busy thinking about the implications.

“There are two locations we are considering in regards to the origin of Sathteel.” Winters said, bringing the conversation back on track. “The first is Cavaan itself. It’s built on top of a massive cavern, one large enough for a titan to walk through without crouching, and one that leads down into the bowels of the earth. Metal inclined dragons tend to spend their younger years in such places, and move there for breeding if they don’t simply dig their own. Or so the scholars claim. Failing that, the Kreon Mountains are another place fraught with resources such creatures enjoy hoarding, though a dragon travelling from such distance would be difficult to cover up.”

Once I was done giggling at the name of the Kreon Mountains- you needed to know dwarvish to understand the joke- I decided to speak up. “Dragons have too much pride to fly that far without getting noticed. Nor would this one burrow such a distance. The only other thing I can think of is one of the five Kingdoms Under meddling.”

“Something we have considered, but ultimately decided is unlikely.” Winters said, nodding along. “An Envoy in Obendirk has confirmed that the shallowest kingdom wants nothing to do with our conflict, but we will not know for sure until they reach the deeper kingdoms.”

At least they were verifying that.

“Something I brought up was that the Kingdoms under aren’t the only ones living underground. Could'a been someone closer.” Scout said petulantly. Her tone told me that her idea had been dismissed.

“I don’t think the dwarves are involved on that front.” I said. “There was an announcement made through magic just before the attack truly began. It mentioned the commencement of revolution, Duchess Mantium herself, and went on to say how Burden Bridge had been sacrificed to Sathteel.”

“I have a transcript.” Winters acknowledged. Which was good, since I forgot the specific wording. “It may have also been misdirection.”

“I don’t think so. It leads me to believe that the dragon made a deal with the duchess.” I continued. “Likely a not insignificant amount of coin or other resources in exchange for help cutting off a valuable route for Kreg’uune’s supply line. Then the Duchess let the dragon keep the town since she gets nothing but benefits. I don’t think researching their relationship is going to find you any silver daggers you can use to hasten the war. The deal is done and Sathteel is where he is.”

Winters gave me a long look. It was the kind that challenged me, made me dare to square my shoulders in the face of scrutiny and implied I had done something wrong.

“For the most part I agree.” He said finally. “Although I find it curious you would trust us with your unshaking loyalty to the crown so easily in this time. Everyone is being scrutinized, even Envoys.”

“You opened this meeting accusing me of treason for losing the lady.” I deadpanned.

“And as we discovered, it was an act.” He countered. “Yet you still led her directly to the heart of the coming conflict.” When I didn’t have anything to say to that, since it wouldn’t have mattered if we were on opposite sides anyway, he continued. “The effects of Sathteel taking Burden Bridge will be felt for years to come. Allow me to be brief for this next part.” He pointed at and around Cavaan. “An army has been mustered and is currently marching from the city into the surrounding area.” He gestured to the west.

“Why are they reinforcing land that the rest of Kreg’uune’s armies cannot travel through?” I questioned. Destroying the bridges that made Burden Bridge as important as it was meant that the only place they could be threatened from was the north and east.

“Securing supply and quelling resistance.” Winters explained, no doubt lamenting his loss of levity. “Not everyone has bought the idea that Cavaan is better off on its own. And monsters must be dealt with.”

“It’s not their largest army either.” Scout added. “Most soldiers are reinforcing the northern front, setting up defensive lines. These ones are only meant to put down militias where they appear.”

“And now you tell me why this is important?” I questioned.

“Sequester.” Winters tapped the city. “It’s a small duchy, but one that’s difficult to assail and one that’s famously neutral for civil disputes. So far I’ve heard nothing of Sequester aiding Cavaan, but there is a chance that they will march south then east, and this army is intended to be able to respond to that. Likely they will be adding bodies to themselves from every village they visit.”

“Makes sense.”

“And there’s also the matter of refugees from Burden Bridge.” Winters continued. “Some have, despite nearly dying, found that they agree with the cause for rebellion. The rest are travelling north to Sequester.”

I traced the route that would take. “That would lead them here, briefly.”

“It would.”

“The lady and her entourage won’t have traveled deeper into Cavaan.” I went on, smiling as I realised what that meant. “They would travel with the refugees. It seems All does not want us divided just yet.”

“I gotta say, the whole ‘disguise yourself and ingratiate yourself’ tactic is one that I wouldn’t have thought of. Good. But weird.” Scout said. “Don’t you feel weird pretending to be that young?”

“No comment.” I said immediately. That was something I hadn’t realised they might think. What was the average age of an Envoy, anyway? Just what had Bubbles given me?

“Regardless of your… habits.” Winters said, failing to grasp at my inner panic. They must think this kind of thing entirely normal. “Actually, because of your eccentricities, I have an idea in mind that will allow you to reconnect to the Lady in a way that will obfuscate our involvement. I presume she still wishes to believe herself on an independent adventure.”

“You presume correctly.” I said stiffly, a foreboding feeling growing inside.

“Then this will work out perfectly.” Winters’ vindictive smirk sent a shiver down my spine.

\V/