March 25, 2019. 3:01 pm.

Lady Thinnesq’s fancy guard, Atla, leads us to a terraced garden set hundreds of meters above the rest of the small settlement. The garden extends all the way around the tower, with a winding waterway featuring prominently. While the waterway is empty, it is easily large enough for a young M’tari, such as Lady Thinnesq to lounge within. As long as she's not twice the size of Hansome. Honestly, the entire tower seems better designed than Lord Hansome’s setup in Glimmering Sands. Even after the recent renovations.

Perhaps Lady Thinnesq just has better taste.

While we’re shown to an ornate dining table, Atla apologizes and informs us that Lady Thinnesq will still be a while. Tipan acknowledges him and he walks away. We don’t wait idly however, strolling through the garden while keeping our eyes open for a Nexus access. There’s no guarantee we’ll find one here, but Wyonna suspected the M’tari would keep a personal access point nearby.

“I think I see it,” Tipan says, gently directing my vision to a shaded gazebo located next to the waterway. I can’t help but trail my hand in the crystal-clear water as we approach the gazebo. Clearly, our host has excellent filtration enchantments. That or a dedicated Aquamancer.

Inside the gazebo is a simple round table with four chairs set around it, all sized for a typical K’tharn. The chairs even have the extra-wide armrests K’tharn prefer. On the rare occasion they use chairs with armrests.

I take the chair facing the waterway, laying my hand on the table. Nothing.

“This is a Nexus access. Are you able to connect?” Tipan asks, her hands on the table to my right.

“Not yet,” I growl, as I attempt to Focus on the connection. I’ve mostly left my interface alone over the last day, only attempting to reinforce the weakening connections twice. But it’s still decaying. Hopefully, Rufka can get a message to Genitha now that we’re at a Nexus. Because otherwise I’m probably going to lose all access to my System in the next two days.

Least Wyonna’s safe.

Even as I’m struggling with the connection, I feel a spark inside. Confused, I shift my Focus. It takes me a few seconds to realize there’s an empty spot where my Survival skill used to be. When I desperately try to think of the knowledge within my skill, it’s hazy. Everything I knew before I came to Akilo is intact, and everything I learned while here is fine, but everything else is gone.

Okay. That’s a problem.

I’m still trying to figure out what happened when a System notification fills my view.

“Would you like to register the Sovereign City-State of Pelwerd as your Stronghold?”

I’m almost afraid to click yes, but then I feel another spark. This time it’s my Throwing skill, but I catch and reinforce it with Twilight before it can disappear.

Confirming my choice, the notification is replaced by another.

“Congratulations Citizen Pandora. You are now the Queen of Sanctuary Pelwerd.”

“New Quest received: Escape! A System Agent has decided you’re worthy of their personal attention. Find a way to evade their notice 0/1. Reward: Citizen Pandora’s life.”

A twisting pain in my gut accompanies the last message as my Running and Swimming skills attempt to collapse, and I shove more than half my remaining Mana, Focus and Facet into stabalizing them. Not… ideal

I pull my hand away from the table immediately but brace myself as I wait for another skill to start crumbling. After a minute, I’m tentatively hopeful its stopped.

What the heck happened there?

“So… guess what?” Rufka asks, bumping me in the shoulder as a few small crackles of lightning jump between us.

Inclining my head in her direction, I raise my scorched brow, where I at least have my eyebrow and hair after Tipan’s ministrations.

Rufka meets my attempt to disgust her with a light chuckle. “I’m copper-rank now.”

“As am I. It feels… less than I’d expected. But also more,” Tipan says, staring upward as her mohawk sways in an invisible wind I don't feel from where I'm sitting.

“Yep. Like the limiters are off.”

I nod, sitting back in my chair. I don’t want to even check my status. Not if it’s going to gobble up my skills just for being connected.

“I… got a new quest,” I say as I review everything that happened.

“Really? Does that mean you're…” Rufka cuts off at my raised hand. We’d agreed Lady Thinnesq didn’t need to know about my… weakness. At the sight of my raised hand, Rufka’s smile turns into a frown. We’ll need to discuss it when we’re not being watched. Though… I wonder if the static is disrupting the sort of surveillance Vethal had in Glimmering Sands.

“So, you have a new quest? Is it related to your new standing?” Tipan asks, her eyes playing out across the garden as she folds her hands in her lap.

“That’s… not quite. Not in the way you'd expect,” I hedge. Unless she's referring to my new standing as a person of interest to a System Agent, which I doubt. Why couldn’t this have come on the heels of some good news like getting a hint of how to save Smoulder?

Before I have further time to worry about my imminent demise at the hands of the godlike being known as a System Agent or my increasingly fragile System, a more immediate issue appears. Atla is levitating outside the gazebo.

“If the most esteemed Queen Pandora is finished, Lady Thinnesq is ready to see you now,” Atla says, speaking to me directly.

I raise my singed eyebrow at him before rising from my seat to follow, Rufka and Tipan flanking me, a step behind to either side.

We fly to another section of the garden that’s been designed for meetings between a M’tari and land-based visitors. Lady Thinnesq is seated amongst a collection of fountains that are aimed so that they collide just above her, coating her in a heavy mist. Yet only two metres away is a table with a single chair set across from her that remains completely dry.

Taking my seat at the table, I try not to show my nervousness. Despite his silly manners, I remember Lord Hansome and the damage he caused even when Ivicka caught him off-guard. I have no doubt that if Lady Thinnesq wanted to, she could end our lives and not even have to pay a significant System price. Seeing Rufka and Tipan being escorted to a table that’s partially obscured by a thin hedge only heightens my case of nerves.

I feel more than hear her when Lady Thinnesq says, “This gentle-being welcomes the one named Pandora to her table.”

Trying not to stutter, I respond as Tipan instructed me, “This gentle-being accepts the hospitality in the spirit it is given and wishes cold currents and perpetual darkness to her host.”

As I finish my line, an unknown K’tharn approaches our table and sets a tray of snacks between us. The tray is split in two, with the much larger portion facing Thinnesq. There’s a variety of fish, though thankfully no calamari, and all the portions are sized appropriately to each of us.

This is the part of the meeting no one was able to advise me on. Ministers aren’t invited to dine. They’re shown to a private throne room where they’re expected to pay homage to the Lord or Lady for half an hour before being allowed to make their case. To say Tipan was shocked when Atla suggested I'd be dining with Thinnesq… well, she hid it really well at the time, but she did spend a few minutes venting about it after.

I glance up at Thinnesq, but her alien features are impossible to read.

As I continue to deliberate with how to approach dinner or conversation, Thinnesq rumbles out, “Ah. I forget myself. My apologies honoured Pandora. You have conducted yourself in accordance with the old traditions so well, I presumed you had access to a memory of a previous visit. Shall we dispense with formalities for the moment?”

Considering her great squidiness, I levitate a piece of white fish toward my mouth taking a small bite, using the time it takes to chew to decide on how to respond, only realizing it would've better to Pause when I say, “That would be agreeable.”

“Very good. I’ve heard of you, you know,” she says, almost making me gag on my second bite. “The Outlander who defied Lord Thansome only to return to his domain and cleanse these… twisted souls and returned them to honor.”

“My role in the first is greatly exaggerated,” I say, trying not to shake. We knew this was a risk. Dealing with Vethal was a step removed from the M’tari, but Lady Thinnesq is a true Lady.

“Yes. I’m quite aware. However, I’ve heard other ripples. Deep soundings that are far more interesting.”

“Oh?” I manage to get out, sounding much more relaxed than I feel.

Thinnesq curls a tentacle larger than my torso around a piece of fish, pulling it beneath the water as she says, “I’ve heard you’ve spoken to the warrior-queen Uthica. That you’ve witnessed her memories.”

Trying to figure out how she heard about that, I don’t say anything, instead taking another bite of the surprisingly tasty white fish. I wish my inventory was working so I could stock up while we’re here. Guess I’ll just have to get Rufka to carry a bunch.

“She was a deep-friend, one of the few ruling K’tharn to ever treat the M’tari with the respect we deserve. Even the Tethil Trade Alliance fails to observe proper protocol.”

Nodding, I continue to watch Thinnesq. And she continues to complain. For the next hour, I listen to her bemoan the falling standards of her neighbours. How when Uthica was around, she never would’ve endured such indignities. It’s only as she’s reaching for her last piece of fish that she pauses. I already finished mine half an hour ago.

“You know. For an Outlander, you’re surprisingly easy to talk to.”

“Thank you,” I reply, somewhat confused. All I’ve done is sit here and listen with an occasional question thrown in.

“Yes. Not at all like that horrible Charles fellow. He didn’t even have the decency to taste pleasant.”

“Err. Taste?” I ask, the nervousness that had mostly fled returning with a vengeance.

“Well, I could hardly allow his body to dissipate just to be reborn after the insults he fashioned about my dear Atla.”

This time, I Pause, using the entirety of it just to phrase my next statement properly in my head. “Right. Not to sound presumptuous, but might I be given guidelines of what to avoid so I do not inadvertently give offence?”

And I still start off weak.

“That is precisely the sort of insightful question I’ve come to expect of you. Atla will provide you with a full list. And don’t worry about tonight. You’ve demonstrated that you’re willing to put in the effort. In fact, if you’d like, I would be delighted to instruct you on the full extent of our decorum personally.”

“That would be wonderful,” I respond, with a slow nod. Having a M’tari as a friend… would help a lot. And she seems like a reasonable person.

Lady Thinnesq is visibly excited by my acknowledgment, her tentacles thrashing in a manner I imagine would be seen as unseemly to some.

Thinnesq is beyond thorough in her explanations, showing me the correct order to eat the fancy fish dinner we’ve already finished, explaining how each bite in certain orders heightens the taste for a M’tari. Even as more samples are brought out to show me the difference, I don’t really notice it. Still good though.

This is followed by fifteen different methods for meeting with foreign guests. She instructs me on the protocols for being the host, the guest, or a theoretically neutral arbitration party. As she goes, I continually spend Focus, ingraining her lessons in my mind as completely as I can. At least I can still use all my resources, even if my status is bunk. Several hours later, when she’s testing me, she trills with what she explains is delight.

“You’re learning this so quickly. Do you have a diplomatic subclass?”

I shake my head, but I do pause time to check my interface in case I have a new skill forming. Or in case another of my existing skills is nearly gone. But there’ve been no changes to my skills.

Except… there’s a new network of connections, completely disconnected from the System interface. Prodding at the network with Facet reveals a perfect recollection of everything Thinnesq’s taught me. A sort of crystallized memory fragment unbound by the System.

Before I can consider it further, Pause ends and Thinnesq takes me on a tour of her garden.

“It’s rare to have someone worth talking to. I have Atla of course. And Sherine is a delight.” Thinnesq waves her tentacle in the vague direction of the tower, but this Sherine doesn’t materialize. “But it’s always nice to meet another enlightened individual. I do hope you’ll make these visits a frequent occurrence.”

“Well, I’m actually trying to get home,” I say while crossing a bridge of woven branches, a series of blooming blue flowers its only ornamentation.

“Oh, will you be ascending to the core-worlds then?”

“Ascending? You mean going through the portal? Pretty sure that’s sealed off. No, we have another idea.”

Thinnesq stops, the water around her slipping over the edge of the channel as she turns toward me. “You have another way beyond the void-shield?”

I laugh. “The barrier outside? No. That’s an issue we’re still working on.”

She trills, a tentacle as thick around as I am tapping me lightly on the shoulder, with less force than if Rufka were to give me a playful nudge. “If you do find a way, please tell me. After all. What are friends for?”

Nodding as we resume the tour, I take a moment to respond, “I imagine it’s worth a lot?”

“It would certainly be valuable. Especially for the M’tari who presents it before the Deepest Court.”

“Well, I’ll keep you in mind,” I reply honestly. It could be useful to be owed a favor by one of the M’tari. And Thinnesq seems pleasantly disposed toward me. Though, that might be an act. Either way, I think I’d rather deal with her than Hansome.

Our tour of the garden soon comes to an end with Thinnesq insisting we stay for the night.

“And about the refugees who wish to stay here?” I ask. Throughout all her explanations, she never once explained the proper time to address issues of governance or other practical matters. I'm just glad it's not inconveniencing too many people. Less than a thousand people had decided to leave by the time we arrived.

“Oh, I’m certain our aides have handled the matter,” Thinnesq rumbles as she circles about a large pool that leads deep into the tower, luminescent light revealing a chamber full of statues, massive sculptures of aquatic life stranger than I’m used to seeing. She dodges deftly around them before alighting on a coiled sculpture of a serpent, her large eyes closed as the sun falls on her crest.

“So they have permission to enter?”

“Of course. A Lady must never turn away a Sapient willing to join the M’tari Ascendancy.”

“Uh, what if they’re just looking to stay here?”

“If they do not wish to join, Atla will arrange for their return to the Aetherium. Or whatever arises from its remains. I was not chosen to take part in the resettlement efforts.”

I incline my head a fraction to indicate my understanding. A motion Thinnesq instructed was appropriate for a recognized leader-of-state to defer to an acknowledged superior on a specific topic. “That makes sense. Can’t have people living here if they’re not bound by your rules.”

Thinnesq stretches a pair of her tentacles pressing them against her head in the sign indicating her knowledge was hard won. “Well, I would. But it causes problems. They start demanding their own System rights or what have you. This is without contributing to defence or upkeep. It’s all terribly bothersome. I had to involve myself personally once. It took me days to restore the magnificence of my membrane.”

“It is magnificent,” I demure, crossing the fingers of my left hand in what she's assured me is an acknowledgement of truth.

“Thank you,” she trills, flexing her tentacles in a way I’m pretty sure doesn’t have any deeper meaning than a desire to show off.

We continue to trade small compliments until Atla appears to inform me that my room is ready. Which is excellent timing. I have no idea what the appropriate response is to being told that my missing eye, “Is an absolutely bold proclamation of your unbending will in the face of adversity.”

Not like I can tell her I’m planning to get my eye restored as soon as I get back to Roberts.

Or that my will isn’t nearly that unbending.

Better to bend than break, afterall.