Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Xaos
Amdirlain introduced Rasha simply with the shortened Ras that Gail had bestowed on him when she was a child. Nomein took his appearance in stride, but the others at times looked at him curiously while Amdirlain finished her tale about the Maze.
“Amdirlain requested a guide, but what type of challenges do you seek?” asked Rasha.
Gemiya gave the barest shoulder twitch. “Know that anything to push our limits is the only thing I seek.”
“Know I’d like to be away from Limbo for a while and to see new places,” Lezekus added.
“I ask because there are some celestials well past the level where they could take a Tier 7 Prestige Class but have not gained a suitable achievement to do so,” advised Rasha. “Seeking to have lots of levels combined into a Tier 5 is different to achieving a Tier 7.”
“But the way Amdirlain explained it, the achievement required is relative to the person’s power,” protested Nomein, and she glanced over at Amdirlain. “Or did I misunderstand the explanation in the monastery?”
“It is indeed relative to the person,” admitted Rasha.
“Well, we’re not celestials with all the extra powers and other factors that go into it,” argued Nomein. “We’ve only got what our classes and dedication provided.”
“Very well. We’ve been clearing the ruins of undead and demons on a world called Cemna,” offered Rasha. “There are some ruins we’ve located but not cleared yet, and its atmosphere would be breathable to you without spells.”
“Know I hadn’t considered that; Limbo generates the air around a person,” Lezekus commented.
“That’s my first suggestion, since most ruins have areas that challenge those not yet possessing Prestige classes. I’ve been to other worlds where you’d need to use magical protections constantly. Otherwise, I’m happy to accompany you anywhere in Limbo and watch your backs,” continued Rasha.
“Know I’d like to see what it''s like to travel on a world, even if only once,” offered Sarith.
“Do we need to rush off?” asked Lezekus.
“I’m going to use this suite as a base of operation for a few years. You’re welcome to use the bedrooms since I’ve no use for them. I just wanted a sunlit place to meditate and relax occasionally,” stated Amdirlain.
Sarith looked around. “Know that you have a modest little place here; I can see how it suits that requirement. Know this suite is a bit bright to sleep in.”
Amdirlain shrugged. “I’ll set an enchantment around the beds to dim the light when you lay down. It wouldn’t even take a few minutes to set up something like that for you. Nomein, the others told me about the obstructiveness that the city elders resorted to, and I offered to physically restore you all to your twenties. Would you be interested?”
“Goodness, yes; more years to see if I can gain Immortal Spirit,” exclaimed Nomein.
“I can’t help you with that one, but I know where you can get advice,” admitted Amdirlain.
“Master Cyrus visited a few times after your disappearance; I’ve recorded all he had to say on the subject, but it was cryptic,” said Nomein.
“So his boss isn’t the only one that tends to offer riddles instead of instructions,” laughed Amdirlain. “Let me handle the age reversal.”
The energy ran through them, rejuvenating them from head to toe. While Lezekus’ grey hair needed to grow out, Amdirlain washed them clean of healed scars and carefully controlled the energy to set them in their early twenties. To force the power to dilute among the healing, two powers clicked into place with each of them—Protean and Inventory.
Gemiya inhaled sharply. “That felt-”
“Invigorating,” interjected Nomein, stretching her arms overhead and twisting about. “Know my right shoulder doesn’t pop anymore.”
“Oh, were you feeling your age?” Sarith quipped.
“I’m not that much older than you,” huffed Nomein.
“Know for a moment I thought you’d regain your capacity for grammar,” noted Gemiya.
Nomein presented her a palm and turned back to Amdirlain. “Is there a reason why you’re in this town?”
“Plenty of lovely sunlight, and it''s the one town in the Outlands I’ve been to,” admitted Amdirlain. “I just need to empty the one bedroom I’ve used as a storeroom, but otherwise, you can take your pick.”
“You’re not here for anything we can help you with?” asked Nomein.
“Part of the reason I picked a town is to redirect a Skill evolution. Hiding away won’t help me with that, but interacting with others might. Did any of you need equipment before I emptied that bedroom?”
“What have you got stored?” enquired Nomein, leaning closer to Amdirlain.
“Enchanted items that I’ve made,” advised Amdirlain. “You can have any of them that catch your fancy. Though be warned, some of the enchantments'' strength might mean they’re uncomfortable to use until you’re stronger.”
Nomein clapped excitedly. “What sort of items?”
The exuberance of Nomein’s behaviour compared to the others again caught Amdirlain by surprise.
“Weapons, various protective items, flying carpets, scrying mirrors, and a few hundred other things,” replied Amdirlain. “I’ve provided Protean, and Inventory to each of you, to help you out.”
“You explained Protean, but what’s Inventory?” asked Gemiya, and her lips gave the barest twitch. “Know that I don’t look like I’ve suddenly become a shop.”
“Hold up. If Amdirlain explained Protean, it was before I got here,” countered Nomein.
“It’s a Power that allows you to shapeshift, and the primary reason I gave it is that it''s a strong regeneration Power. You’ll need to be careful how you develop the shapeshifting aspect. As for Inventory, here is a quick demonstration.”
Mentally projecting the process to them, Amdirlain retrieved a crystal and displayed it on her palm before storing it again. “Presently, you’ll be able to store about ten kilograms, but it will increase the more you push its limits and find ways to use it.”
“How does it work?” asked Nomein.
“The Power connects to a personal pocket dimension, and in some circumstances, it can be blocked from use. By adding the Power to you, I created it at the initial size I mentioned,” advised Amdirlain.
She presented them with another mental projection cataloguing how she’d used Inventory to force its growth. Amdirlain continued the sharing while she used the Power to shift a collection of enchanted jewellery from the bedroom and placed it on the living room’s low table.
“All those offer various elemental resistances, the colour of the gems indicates the element. These are protective bracers that maintain deflection fields.”
This time, an assortment of matching bracers appeared on the table, each set decorated with a unique pattern to simplify identifying them.
“Fuck,” breathed Nomein, and she ran her fingers across bracers that showed the pattern of a crashing wave. Setting them aside, she checked others and pushed more aside. “Most of these are making my hands buzz.”
“I see I was a corrupting influence,” noted Amdirlain.
“Absolutely,” joked Nomein.
Rasha picked up the first set of bracers Nomein had set aside and examined the pattern curiously. “Is this meant to be an ocean’s waves?”
“Yes. If you like them, you can have them,” offered Amdirlain.
“They feel like there is a storm approaching,” observed Rasha, and he exchanged them for the bracers he was already wearing. “But they aren’t uncomfortable.”
“Most of the things I’ve made might be too strong still; I’ll need to work harder on restraining myself to minor enchantments,” sighed Amdirlain.
Rasha’s whiskers twitched upwards. “You have problems creating weaker things?”
“Yeah, I’ve had a few issues with Power evolutions lifting the limits of what I can do,” admitted Amdirlain.
“We can test them for you,” offered Nomein, and after she ran her fingers across each, pointing to a pair that looked woven. “Those are the least uncomfortable, but I wouldn’t want to wear them constantly.”
Amdirlain checked them with Analysis and sighed. “Defensive rating is twelve hundred on those.”
“And these?” asked Rasha, lifting his arm to let the sleeve fall away from the bracers he’d donned.
“Three thousand,” advised Amdirlain.
Rasha snorted in surprise before he gave a chuffing laugh. “It is, again, such hardship dealing with you. When I met Amdirlain in the Maze, she wouldn’t let me fight in case I had too much fun to want to leave.”
“Please, you were playing with a Hill Giant when I first met you,” retorted Amdirlain. “For those in trials, dying in the Maze is the end; I wasn’t going to risk you.”
“Exactly, you don’t like risking those under your protection, so you create defensive items of such strength and offer them freely,” stated Rasha, and he switched the bracers for the weaker set Amdirlain had identified. “These are still stronger protections, and I’m not relying on the item.”
“Take both, then you have an upgrade, or if you are fighting something that can easily hit you,” argued Amdirlain.
Though his lips curled in amusement, Rasha tucked the pair he set down into a belt pouch.
“You don’t have Inventory. May I?” asked Amdirlain.
“Are you planning to give that Power to everyone?” chuffed Rasha.
“Not everyone, but Gail’s shared it with some people who impressed her,” replied Amdirlain.
When Rasha nodded, Amdirlain quickly mingled the Power’s theme into his music. Finishing the song, Amdirlain waved at the bracers and repeated the example for him. Effortlessly following her instructions, Rasha playfully stored and retrieved the bracers.
“I’ll let Wisp know that you’re to be registered as guests. Please make yourself at home,” said Amdiralin. Using Inventory, Amdirlain reached out and stored all the equipment from the bedroom before she headed for the suite’s door. “I’ve cleared the bedroom.”
Dropping downstairs, Amdirlain found Wisp playing the same game with the die and cups. “Can you also register my visitors as guests in the suite?”
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“The four Githzérai and the cat?” asked Wisp.
“Yes,” replied Amdirlain, and she provided each of their names once Wisp was ready to write them down—though she stuck with using Rasha’s alias.
Wisp spun on the spot momentarily when the last name was added. “That means there are six of you upstairs and only four bedrooms.”
“Correct.”
“Oh, decadent,” buzzed Wisp. “I’ll let Fanya know that the suite has nearly full occupancy.”
Keeping her laughter in check, Amdirlain nodded politely. “Thank you. I won’t expect her to review the suite’s fee while the additional guests remain.”
Five new guest tokens appeared on the counter. “Please feel free to do many things that I can’t do, but remember: too messy, and there is an extra laundry service fee.”
Not sure what to say, Amdirlain retrieved the tokens and hurriedly retreated.
When she reached the suite’s living room, Amdirlain found Rasha had a map of a circular city projected over the table.
“Planning the city’s clearance?”
“I was going over the approach we normally take before we adjust it to suit their tactics and abilities,” advised Rasha.
“Mind if I listen in?” asked Amdirlain. “I only worked clearing out canyons, not fought house to house in a city.”
Nomein perked up and patted her lap. “The view is fine from here.”
Amdirlain rolled her eyes and returned to her chair. “Behave.”
“Badly?”
Snorting, Amdirlain considered what to do with the items she’d created and deposited them in the suite’s library.
“Know Amdirlain asked you not to flirt,” reminded Lezekus.
“Sorry Amdirlain, but I’m not good at not flirting. I’ll try to follow your request, but I learnt that sometimes you need to seize life by the throat and live,” said Nomein.
Amdirlain used Far Hand to deliver an entry token to each of them. “Entry token for the suite’s main door.”
* * * * *
Amdirlain paused mid-conversation with Rasha when a Message created by True Song whispered in her ear. It contained a summary and a burst of critical notes that was enough to find any being. “The scales have been provided to a Mortal. Their name is Kóri Hálfrormr, and they possess the classes High Priest / Trickster / Fighter / Thief. Detected affiliation is Loki.”
The latest news shocked her into stillness, and with her lips parted to speak, Ras looked at her curiously.
“I need to tend to something urgently,” advised Amdirlain, and she motioned towards the darkened bedrooms. “Take care of them, please; I’m not sure how long I’ll be.”
“We’ll continue the planning tomorrow at least. I might spar with them a bit before we venture out to get a feel for their capabilities.”
“Sounds wise,” said Amdirlain, and she teleported far away from Xaos and appeared beneath the canopy of a large tree.
Concentrating on the music the Message had provided Analysis, Amdirlain tried to focus on his history rather than statistics.
[Name: Kóri Hálfrormr
Species: Human (Norse Ancestary)
Class: High Priest / Trickster / Fighter / Thief
Level: 52 / 52 / 52 /52
Details: High Priest of Loki. Kóri’s family was killed during the Gods’ War. His ambitions for the Temple of Loki have been repeatedly curtailed—both before and after the war—by the influence of Tyr and Amdirlain’s Cadre. Though he tried to manipulate Jarl Tiúemundr’s eldest son (did you ever bother to learn his name?) into activities to counter them, that puppet was put down by the cadre’s leadership. He has since been working on various plots to distract the leadership of both groups while gaining influence over the township to cast off their ‘tightening’ rule.
Note: Still using Analysis to look at the microdetails?]
Releasing the Message, Amdirlain considered options and pulled out a crystal to prepare a few enchantments. Using the song that had accompanied the Message, Amdiralin confirmed he was still present on the Elemental Plane of Fire. Her song reached across planes and ejected him from the Elemental Plane of Fire, and planar shifted him straight to her. The song''s focus had the wards believing he was leaving rather than being dragged away.
The man wasn’t what Amdirlain had expected; instead of a rat face individual, she was faced with a well-muscled and square-jawed man whose wavey red hair reached his shoulders. He was clad in sturdy cloth garments and rugged boots, topped over with a chain shirt and glowing with enchantments; to Amdirlain’s True Sight, one of the strongest of those was to protect him from fire. He looked like someone central casting might provide for a heroic individual or the cover of a romance novel.
The sudden light shift had him grab the longsword at his waist while a Blessing formed on his lips. Yet the first word had barely begun when Amdirlain broke his jaw. Lightning-fast strikes shattered both his wrists, and she seized him by the throat. Despite the urge to kill him and tear the information from his Soul, she deliberately and carefully pinned him against a nearby tree trunk.
“Torm. Tell me everything, now!”
A gurgled shrieking protest was all he managed past his broken jaw. Yet the name lifted a thread of thoughts to the surface of Kóri’s mind, and Amdirlain yanked hard. She found neither Torm’s ally nor puppet but the manipulator Analysis shown within his details.
Loose lips in Tyr’s church had shared Livia’s pain about Torm’s situation, and eventually, it had reached Kóri’s unfriendly ears. He hadn’t even waited to see what would follow that Message before he started work on creating a distraction of his own. Others caught by the Cadre’s divination magics had provided him with multiple examples that he’d best thoroughly cover his tracks.
Images of various cities flashed through his mind, a blood-stained blade was pulled from the chest of a confused man before a treasured book was ripped from his dying grasp.
That had just been the beginning of his ‘research’. Taking planar excursions had provided him with more pieces confirming the details from the book, and eventually, the deception had been kicked off.
“I don’t care about the murderers you organised to have killed; normally, I’d cheer on the result if not the means. But your little plot hurt Livia and stained Torm’s name. I’m not sure you can understand how much trouble you’re in now,” snarled Amdirlain. Despite carefully shifting to her True Form, her anger caused her aura to blaze across her outstretched wings.
His eyes bulged as a wave of panic ran through Kóri’s mind, and his bowels cut loose.
“I know your boss doesn’t care about what pieces he uses in his games. However, I object to this game; you’re not your God, so don’t expect me to laugh it off. I want to tear your Soul from your body and flush everything you’ve ever dreamt of away for eternity. You should be thankful that wouldn’t ease the pain you caused Livia with this charade,” Amdirlain snapped, fighting to contain her fury.
Ignoring the gurgled response, Amdirlain cleaned away the waste and stench before sending a message.
“Livia, it wasn’t Torm that hired the cultists; it was a High Priest named Kóri Hálfrormr, resident of Eyrarháls. Do you want me to hold him for trial, or should I deal with him?”
Livia’s sleepy response buzzed into existence a few minutes later. “Móeir? What’s happened?”
“Sorry for waking you. Kóri Hálfrormr organised the killing, not Torm. He heard of Torm’s situation and eventually made the arrangements with the cultists via The Exchange,” Amdirlain replied, and she added a mental image of their location.
“I’ll come to you shortly.”
A Gate opened ten minutes later its structure focused on Amdirlain’s name, and Livia stepped through; she was neatly dressed, but her hair was still sleep tossed. Kóri’s pain-filled eyes flicked between them; Amdirlain caught his preparation to shapeshift and suppressed it.
[Suppress Target [J] (20->21)]
Amdirlain smiled at him coldly. “Feel free to attempt that as much as you like; I need to practice that Power.”
“What did you learn from him?” asked Livia.
Rather than inflict first-hand images and his twisted thoughts on Livia, Amdirlain gave her a concise summary of Kóri’s schemes. Both his plans to fracture the influence of Tyr’s church over Eyrarháls and the cadre’s control over the three kingdoms.
“Why make it so complex?”
“Two reasons: to prove to his boss he could pull off a grand trick, and the Cadre had helped you catch others,” replied Amdirlain, and she returned to her Wood Elf form. “He killed the Sage that gave him the information about the planar groups. He believed he’d covered his tracks between that and using the cultists, but wanted to be sure.”
Livia drew a set of chains out of a storage pouch but stopped when she saw Kóri’s broken wrists. “Hard to shackle him for trial.”
“Mana suppressing chains?”
“Yes,” Livia said, and she hefted them as if weighing their use as a weapon.
“He has a Shapeshift Power as well,” cautioned Amdirlain.
“Of course he does, but one thing at a time,” sighed Livia. “It’s not the first time we’ve had to secure one of L’s priests for trial.”
“L’s priests, playing it safe,” huffed Amdirlain, before she glared at Kóri anew. “Open your mouth to chant a single syllable, and I’ll shatter your arms completely, then geld you.”
With that, she ran Ki through her hand and healed the injuries she’d inflicted, heedless of the bones straightening with a snap. Amdirlain stripped Kóri of all his magical items and dumped them on the ground.
“Where does this leave you with finding Torm?” asked Livia once she’d finished securing Kóri with the chains and other items. Checking each of the items, Livia stored them in the pouch from which she’d withdrawn the chains.
Eyeing the now-gagged Kóri suspiciously, Amdirlain set barriers to block his hearing and blindfold him.
“Not taking a chance that he can read lips. This was the only lead I was following,” admitted Amdirlain. “Mars and Tyr are seeking information from Mimir, and he’s set a price for that information. Mars told me he would speak to Tyr about helping meet the price, but I don’t know why it would take them both. Perhaps it''s outside Tyr’s influence as a God of justice.”
Amdirlain felt the attention of both the gods settle upon their conversation, but had no way to determine if it was simply their background awareness listening in.
“What if they can’t meet his price and he’s just playing them?” asked Livia. “I know enough Norse legends to know some can be deliberately obstructive.”
Amdirlain grimaced. “I’ll see if I can get information from the others that fell at the same time as to where they emerged. After this long, it''s unlikely that I’ll be able to learn anything from the site.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“I caught them. There had been two weak Fallen hanging around Moloch’s palace. After I got free from the lock, I captured them and found they were from Torm’s group. I’m trying to purify their corruption,” advised Amdirlain, and she raised a hand at the excited glow that suddenly shone in Livia’s gaze. “The only method I’ve had work on Mortal souls was to strip their memories away and then clean out the corruption. The corruption seems secured to the memories and won’t shift while they remain.”
Livia gripped Amdirlain’s hand. “There has to be another way.”
Hugging Livia reassuringly, Amdirlain murmured. “That’s what I’ve found so far, but I’ve still got experiments to do; the damned provide me plenty of chances. My priority is to find him before he makes his recovery harder.”
After exchanging goodbyes, Amdirlain shooed Livia back through her Gate with Kóri in tow.
“Tyr, would it help you to find Torm if I showed one of your celestials the other two victims of Moloch’s crime? If so, they’re welcome to come along while I check in on the prisoners I’ve got.”
The sudden appearance of the avatar under the canopy with her wasn’t the response Amdirlain had expected.
He stood at least two and a half metres tall, clad in a gleaming mithril chain hauberk atop dark green clothing and grey leather boots. His left arm terminating below his elbow reminded her of the differences in the tale she’d heard in this realm compared to the Norse legends she’d learnt at home. The russet hair that fell to his shoulders likewise wasn’t the image of a Viking she’d grown up with, but she’d yet to meet a blond full-blooded Norse.
“I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting you to show up yourself,” said Amdirlain, and she stepped forward to offer her right hand.
Tyr gave Amdirlain a respectful nod and carefully clasped her forearm. “You did invite me to send someone along. Since you freed me from being bound to a single world, sending another when I could come along wouldn’t be honourable. It was good you handed Kóri over for trial; it will help undo more of whatever schemes he had going on.”
“I didn’t do it for that reason, only because it would help heal some of Livia’s distress over the bodies,” countered Amdirlain. “Shall I open a Gate to the prisoners’ location so you can see them across the threshold? Would that be sufficient for you?”
“More than enough,” agreed Tyr.
When the Gate connected to the other corridor, Tyr motioned to the closest cell despite the solid stone. “She shows signs of her original celestial state but twisted into a foul mirror.”
“You can see through the stone?”
“Not so much see through it; I’m simply aware of everything around me for kilometres, regardless of what lies in between,” explained Tyr. “I take it you know of her oath link to Moloch?”
“The oath link relies on her strength, and we’ve set up the crystals to block communication via it and other means. I’m hoping to send the corruption across it since it likes to cling to memories; perhaps I can shift its grip onto his instead,” explained Amdirlain.
“Forcing his assistance in such a fashion is likely the only weregild they’ll get,” offered Tyr.
“It''s not going to be the only weregild. I’m free from Culerzic, but his little fiefdom isn’t free from me. I’ll collect more destroyed goods and demons on their behalf yet,” responded Amdirlain. “With Mimir’s request, can I contribute in any way?”
Tyr gave a kind smile. “His request isn’t problematic, simply time-consuming and, given my part in Torm’s loss, I’ll be fulfilling that fee. I should have told Torm to stop assisting their operations unless they allowed you to work with them. You said to Livia you’re going to be experimenting. What is it that you hear from your prisoners?”
His redirection of their conversation got a nod from Amdirlain. “Would you like an example? Though the closest I can get is an interpretation of the details I hear.”
The offer had Tyr’s brows lift. “I’ll admit I’m curious to understand what it is you hear.”
“Well, this isn’t a pleasant introduction to True Song; I’ll let you listen to something nicer afterwards,” said Amdirlain.
Amdirlain focused Resonance on the former Astra Deva and projected the music past the protections of her Hidden state.
The oily notes slithered across jagged edges of emotion that constantly ripped at the entrapped Fallen’s harboured rage burning within her chest. Spiteful slapping beats struck from within the orchestra; they grasped for attention, continually at war with other self-interested themes. A horde of twisted and negative emotions roared, lashing out in discordant strikes within the orchestra, proclaiming the details of her powers and capabilities.
Amdirlain let the spiteful composition play through her projected thoughts only briefly before she switched to projecting the surrounding forest''s song. The combined orchestra should have been white noise, but her intelligence and Power picked out the individual components and presented them carefully, from the lilting notes of the breeze dancing through the canopy teasing at the leaves to the steady tempo of the roots growing through the soil.
She compartmentalised the information and mapped the world around them in a tapestry of interwoven sounds. Birds hopping between branches with twigs clutched in their beaks a half kilometre away showed enough detail to make out the shift of individual feathers.
Amdirlain focused on a single bird, and the music told the story of the energy of its motions, the interplay of friction and gravity countered by the force of flexing muscles. The effort it expended showed in a steady slowing of tapping beats within its form while counterbalancing notes proclaimed its growing hunger that was niggling for attention.
Skipping about, Amdirlain presented him with details of growing trees and the other animals hiding in the forest. She shifted focus and went across the details of one creature with long-healed injuries whose attention was on the strange scents nearby.
When Amdirlain stopped the projection, Tyr hummed thoughtfully. “I’m aware of all the items, but only as if I had a clear line of sight on everything. The amount of information you can learn about each is amazing—the history and the current state. Is it just the current song that tells you all of it, or do you hear the impressions from the past?”
“Just their current flesh; regrowth of bones and scarred flesh tell the story of an injury,” replied Amdirlain.
“These songs were how you could kill the other Astral Deva that had been trapped?” enquired Tyr.
“Everything about someone is contained within the music.”
“This is how you could threaten the group’s leader with such confidence. You’d know their strength compared to yours and have a link,” stated Tyr thoughtfully. “You’ve been free days, and I’ve not heard anything about you chastising them.”
“I’ll admit I’m still of two minds as to what to do, but part of me wants to hurt them so very badly.”
“To you, they behaved spitefully after you identified two dangers. To them, they were keeping a strange rogue element from influencing operations that had gone relatively smoothly for centuries,” replied Tyr. “Revenge isn’t justice, though many see it as the same thing.”
“Things are constantly changing in the Abyss, and they wanted to pin all that on me. They were in denial then, and if they stay in denial, someone else might pay the price if they return to that work,” grumbled Amdirlain. “I’ve got lots of experience in repeating a mistake and then paying a higher price later.”
“You were both understandably keeping secrets from each other. You had contributed to their safety, and after the other Celestial issue was confirmed, they should have extended you some trust. Have you confirmed they’re in denial now, or are you assuming their mindset to provide an outlet for your grief?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Amdirlain.
“Isn’t it a starting point to confirm a situation before planning how to deal with it?” asked Tyr. “Would you like someone to treat you for how you used to be, or how you are now?”
Amdirlain shrugged helplessly. “Until I hear them acknowledge they screwed up, I’m unsure what to do. So far, they seem to have gotten off very easily, and everyone on their team paid the price for their paranoia.”
“I heard the path wasn’t as kind as we’d hope, and don’t want it to weigh you down with more debt,” said Tyr. “Shall I ask if they’ll speak to you peacefully to resolve this?”
“Why are you offering to mediate between us?”
Tyr gently rested a hand on her shoulder. “I count you as more than just an ally of convenience or one whose interests coincide. You help me without seeking repayment in turn. I’d help a friend put a burden of pain behind her or decide how to extract a weregild from a stubborn fool—which she won’t need to do alone. Though I’m hoping they’ve already recognised the error they made. Shall I see if their Liege will let us talk to them?”
“I can likely open a Gate to them if they’re outside or near the Domain’s border,” admitted Amdirlain. “Though I’d have to stand well back from the energies.”
“How about you close the one to the prison, and we’ll talk while we wait to see if we hear from their Liege,” suggested Tyr.
“If we don’t hear from them?” asked Amdirlain.
“Then we figure out how to secure a Celestial for a hearing without their Liege’s cooperation.”