"Lady Nivara!"
The Mist Maiden rushed past the needy Mediator, fed up with her constant questioning and complaints. There was enough to do without the hero of the Burning Wall attempting to sabotage her position.
"Order Leader!"
Quickening her pace, she stormed ahead of her slowing apprentice who wanted nothing more than to watch the chaos unfold. Scout was carrying an obscene amount of paperwork, dawdling all the while despite the looming deadline over their heads.
"You need to make a decision, Nivara. Lady Aria will be here-"
"I know. I have enough to do without worrying about what she wants, Kalaris." Nivara reminded her, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice.
She understood why Kalaris was so done with her and her leadership over both the Excelliars and the Mediators. Being passed over a position twice by the same person was a bitter pill to swallow. But Lady Aria had ordered them both to settle their differences. Stopping the Taishin with a pea shooter was more likely than either of them ever seeing eye to eye.
"But the Wolves of the Fallen are threatening to protest closer to the borders. They are...were my subordinates. They are my responsibility. Please, let me talk to them. Maybe I can get them to see sense?"
Nivara couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the Undercity native, her selflessness rarely being shown through her abject stubbornness. But Kalaris' meaningful request was tainted by the sound of her apprentice's derisive scoff.
"You should've thought of that before you sold us all out to Chimera." He muttered, struggling to carry so many documents without his Trait.
Kalaris seethed at the ex Swarm member, the resentment in his eyes proving that he knew exactly what kind of person Kalaris was. Her formidable Ash Trait was known for destroying lives with her lack of control. Yet nothing was ever proved against the Mediator leader.
The written reports Kalaris had given her Throneholder were responsible for a lot of the 'renovation' projects that were forcing Traited out of their homes in favour of reconstruction and reform. It took the Living City of Axis some convincing but despite Kalaris' communication skills her efficiency with the written word couldn't be faulted.
"I understand how you feel but I cannot spare anyone to quell the flames of rebellion. Not even the hero of the Burning Wall."
Nivara's statement was completely ignored in favour of a withering glare.
"Of course, Order Leader."
Kalaris' resentment was clear in every step as she walked away, purposely bumping into the wiry apprentice. Scout sprawled on the floor, the stack of papers now strewn everywhere.
"Scout!"
Nivara rushed towards him, her mist gathering the pages expertly as it was gathered into a neat pile again. She knelt down and offered Scout a hand, ignoring his teary eyed expression.
"Are you OK?"
Scout blinked away his tears, rubbing his face with a grubby sleeve and picked himself up regardless. Bending his knees, he lifted up the newly fixed pile with a grunt of exertion and began to tread slowly towards his goal.
"I'm fine. Used to it, my Lady." He replied scornfully, using her title as an insult.
Nivara took a moment to readjust her demeanour, visibly taken aback but accepted his standoffish nature. It was understandable considering his background with the Swarm. The Excelliars had been ordered to abandon the Undercity in favour of Opalis.
Since the Sixth Order had been created by the Throneholder there was no doubt his resentment had grown towards her department too. Many believed the Undercity should be given a chance to fight their own battles and that the Order was just another way for Opalis to meddle.
The Wolves of the Fallen and the Swarm were two of those many opposing factions.
"Very well. I need to leave those armament forms at the Furnace. You've no idea how many Traited can't form their own weapons or armour anymore."
Scout struggled to hide his surprise behind the stack of forms, his eyes wide despite the stack of forms towering over him.
"Trait can do that?"
Nivara smiles, finally breaking through his stony demeanour with something they could connect with.
"Yes, didn't anyone tell you? If you work hard at your training I'm sure a Trait like yours would surely produce it. Unfortunately, it's far easier to get an Anvil to commission whatever they want instead of actually working on Trait attributes and..."
Nivara couldn't help but trail off, her over analyzing causing her to blush with embarrassment. It reminded her of a certain Mediator and it seemed his habits were rubbing off on her.
"Sorry. Force of habit." She grinned wryly, trying to make light of her awkward humour.
But Scout's beaming expression was more than enough proof he was genuinely interested. Before his face fell at the sight of their destination. The Furnace. The place where Scout's ex comrades now worked to help the very organisation they tried to boycott.
As the name suggested, the Furnace was a boiling hot blacksmiths built a few metres below the Halls of Mediation. It was made from the same stone walls which were insulated with various Traits including Nivara's mist. Normally, her Trait alone would be enough to provide soundproofing but with the addition of other Traits things got muddled.
It was needed to prevent more severe Trait explosions and in house accidents to act as damage control. But despite Nivara's mist not working well with others she had used the lack of soundproofing to her advantage.
The Furnace was where many Anvils were trained to use their Trait to forge various weapons and devices to help develop different areas in Opalis. Scout had signed up to be an Anvil but as he was too young his Trait hadn't been fully developed yet and had been segregated from his friends.
"I'm not sure about that. My Trait isn't exactly…"
"Scouty! How's my favourite brother doing?"
The Light Traited ruffled his younger brother's hair, Scout's disgruntled stare doing nothing to stop his elder brother's teasing.
"M'fine. I'm your only brother, Rooky not your favourite." Scout mumbled to himself, his gaze stuck to the floor.
Nivara gave him a warm smile, heartened by their relationship despite her apprentice's slight discomfort. But all of that was washed away in favour of formality as Rook immediately realised who was alongside him and dropped into a formal bow.
"Lady Nivara, good morning!"
The lighthearted mood was soured instantly but Nivara managed to hide her disdain for the over the top formality.
"Morning…Anvil Rookerly. How are you getting on?"
Her casual tone attempted to break the awkwardness within the conversation, Rook's Light Trait still working away without his direction. Anvils had been taught to use their Trait instinctively, while multitasking with other projects.
"Well, despite the countless order forms for smaller refittings and recalibrations things are going pretty well. We're nothing on the levels of the Tinker Mole production line but we're not doing too bad, right Maddy?"
Rook called back to his partner, her blonde hair tucked behind a fraying grey jacket emblazoned with the crude etchings of a black anvil broiled in flame. She was engrossed in the glass blowing, her gear along with her Trait protecting her from the dragon's flame stored within the large Furnace.
"Don't call me Maddy, Rooky. My name is Madcap."
Her eyes burned angrily at Rook but the Light Traited turned away from his companion, flashing a wry grin towards the other member of their trio. The boy opposite them stayed silent, keeping his head down as his Fire Trait glowed emerald against an intricate maze of wires and gemstones.
"I see. Well, these piles of order forms don't seem to be getting any smaller. Just do what you can and I'll try to get a few more people over to you in case things get crazy."
"Sure you don't want to pitch in a shift, Order Leader?"
Nivara smiled goodnaturedly, shrugging as if unbothered by the question.
"Not unless you want your entire shop turned into a smoke shack, I'll pass."
Rook's group laughed and it was a shame Nivara didn't have time to go over any more details with them. She waved goodbye and opened the door for her apprentice but Scout was lagging behind.
Nivara couldn't help but feel off about her apprentice's behaviour. Deciding to put her Mist Maiden skills to the test, she hung back a little and reached for her Trait encasing the room. She pulled the mist away from the draft ridden walls and headed towards the exit with her illusion still intact.
Purposefully using her Transference, she made sure to make it look like her illusion copy was leaving the building with a false trail of mist Trait. In reality, Nivara remained on the other side of the division to eavesdrop.
"Don't play dumb with me, little brother. Either help us take down that insipid Mist Maiden or I'll tell Hornet you've been meddling with her collection. You don't want to find yourself without an Agar now, do you?"
Nivara sucked in a breath, her outrage towards Rook and the Swarm's deplorable treatment unfathomable even without Hornet's name being attached. It was like holding a knife under the poor boy's throat with every word. But most of all, it explained why Scout held so much resentment for both sides.
"But I can't...I haven't-"
"Ah, ah, ah, Scouterly. Don't forget what mother used to say."
Nivara could hear Scout's breath hitch as it alluded to her apprentice being grabbed by the neck.
"Trait is created by force, not by thought. I know."
Scout's dejected reply broke her heart. The hope in his voice when discussing his Trait now sounded completely dejected. Rook had completely broken him down in a matter of seconds.
"Good boy. Take those on your way out, will you? We've got enough kindling for days as it is without those clogging up the Furnace."
Madcap's grating laugh made Nivara wince as the door slammed to finish the conversation. She stayed quiet as the stifling heat escaped from the closed off workshop and Scout stormed past her hiding place. She held her breath but her apprentice didn't look back.
Nivara couldn't help but follow him, a trail of loose papers betraying his direction as the Furnace swallowed them up with flames. Scout had left the last page folded in the shape of a swan and Nivara couldn't resist the urge to pick up the strange object.
She tried to unfold the paper but it seemed to be stuck in place. It was intriguing to see any kind of Trait affect such a small object so far away from its user as if created without thought. Scout was long gone but Nivara was still fascinated by the curious item and decided to pocket it for now.
Not wanting to waste any more time and avoid running into Kalaris again, she guided her illusion back towards the Furnace and dissipated it back into mist. With the area now protected she used Transference and headed towards her office and her Oathed.
The Verdantium was a hexagonal room secluded from the main halls of Mediation. Surrounded by a greenhouse of rare Caldorian and Nocturian plants Nivara felt at ease within the secluded off section she had yet to fully claim as her office space.
"Sixth Order's Tinkotube, how may I help you?"
The dragon was strewn out on her jam packed desk and speaking through a long, metal tube that sunk into the ground. The Tinko tube was a wide, copper pipe lined with various runes and stored Craft to help amplify and transfer sounds similar to a Soundboom dragon's second jaw.
"Oh yes, Lady Nivara would be honoured to come to your child's Blessing Day instead of preventing riots and keeping your Undercity safe. When is it?"
Nivara couldn't help but chuckle, rolling her eyes as she opened the door to her Agars firefighting. It was Kaldra's phrase for dealing with the constant Tinko calls akin to trying to fight against unrelenting waves of Trait. It was mentally draining for anyone to deal with.
"Oh, of course, of course. I'll be sure to put it in after Fyrebloom just between the demon wars and the assassination of our great and glorious Throneholder, shall I? No? Very well, then."
Nivara shook her head in amusement until the voices on the other end of the call began to yell, causing her to wince. Attempting to support her partner and interrupt but the dragon raised a claw to let her handle this.
"Yes, yes. You go conferring with your husband and perhaps he can miraculously achieve the first Predictor Traited in years and then I'll admit I'm wrong about my own nonexistent prophetic powers. Good Laia to you as well."
Kaldra slammed the lid shut, stopping the Tinko tubes broadcast immediately, half expecting an angry letter to burst out in retaliation. The copper tubes were also used to pass along written messages as well as verbal messages but could get confused over senders.
Depending on where they needed to go, letters and calls could be sent to the same person at the same time for convenience but not to two different people at once. Packages were strictly prohibited but many were still hoping for an added update that allowed such a process to take place. Who knew with the advancement of Tinker Mole technology. Maybe dragon mail would no longer be needed.
"Having fun?" Nivara commented at last, her partner bouncing off the desk in amusement.
"Do I ever? We've been invited to five, I meant it five Blessing Days for the little buggers producing their first meager ounces of Trait. Honestly? I know you're a Regent and an Order Head but there's serious money in performing these things if that doesn't work out!"
Nivara couldn't help but laugh, the talk of the newly implemented Blessing Days in the Undercity all around the workplace over the last few days. It was a new reform decreed by the Opalian Caithsee scholars and priests to celebrate the younger generations first sparks of Trait in the Undercity.
She knew the Caithsee were well known in Nocturus, the elusive but honorable cat-like creatures who had made a name for themselves after they split their clan in two. But after migrating to Opalis she had less contact with the Caithsee after they branched out as an independent group.
Normally, Nivara would've been all for the promise of the Laia's approval but after her time with the Mist Maidens her outlook on the First Law faith had dwindled into pure cynicism. With desire came price and no matter how honourable the mission was it needed money to run.
The odds of the coin being passed under the table was pretty likely considering the sheer demand. Nivara didn't like the fact her worldview and faith had changed so drastically after her time in Caldor as if she didn't care about any of it. Receiving forgiveness wasn't on her radar anymore.
"It's a good thing you've been cast as a Traited answering all these inquiries otherwise those stuffy Chimerans would have my head. Poor Idria in Third has been receiving all your complaints since no Kaldra is down on the employee list." Nivara said, attempting to change the subject away from the Blessing Day gossip.
Kaldra performed a little bow as if completing a masterful performance, cackling as she did so. She bounded on to Nivara's shoulder, perching happily as Nivara gave her a grateful scritch on the neck.
"You should've heard what she did to the last Traited who called her 'unqualified.' They're still finding bits of his ashes on the ceiling. Anyways, speaking of little buggers…"
"Kaldra." Nivara interrupted her, her warning tone more teasing but with genuine concern.
"What? He's been here three weeks and no signs of any Trait whatsoever. The poor boy shouldn't be roped into something he can't do and we shouldn't have to deal with his constant moping."
"Kaldra."
Nivara attempted to make herself heard a little louder but the dragon was on a tirade.
"I'm just saying he's holding you and the Sixth Order back. If I had done that when I was in training, Rocky would've-"
A loud noise echoed around the building, Nivara's desk rattling ominously as a few nervous shouts and screams added to the chaos. For a moment, the unshakable Mist Maiden was transported back into the depths of Hellgrind, scared and alone as a newly minted Master thrust into a hopeless situation.
"What was that?"
Kaldra's worried voice snapped Nivara back into reality, regaining her balance as her concern for her partner overridden her fear. The smell of acrid smoke reminded her of home, her eyes watering from the gas surrounding the area.
"I believe it's 'the little bugger' you were just ranting about."
Her prized Caldorian plants had blocked the doors by barricading it with its large pots. It was a smart call considering certain dandraleafs had the ability to absorb her mist but they weren't aware of the sheer power of the Stormkeeper.
"Oh...great."
In a spur of fury and anxiety, Nivara reached for the connection with her dragon, Kaldra's uncertainty becoming soothed by Nivara's trust and determination. The Transference broke out of the room in an instant, the swirl of indigo surrounding the entrance with soporific mist.
"Found you, you little snitch! How dare you ruin this event you little-"
"Kalaris! Leave him."
Nivara's voice boomed over the sleeping attendants, the only one's fighting to stay awake were the Mediator leader and Nivara's struggling apprentice in her grasp.
"Oh, of course you take his side. Where were you when he overloaded the Furnace with enough smoke to delay opening for a month? Or trashed thousands of archived Anvil documents in an instant?"
Nivara kept her reaction neutral, deciding to keep her thoughts focused on the current events rather than previous accusations.
"Those things can be replaced. His life cannot. Let him go before you do something you regret, Kalaris."
Her thinly veiled threat towards the hostile Mediator made Kalaris glance down. Her iron grip on Scout's shoulder immediately loosened as Kalaris shook her hand away as if stung by a wasp. The skin on Scout's shoulder had blackened into an angry burn that had begun to flake off like ash. Without Nivara's intervention it could have turned into a serious injury.
"I know he did it. He used some kind of Tinker Mole contraption to release a kind of green haze into the air. It must've burned on impact or something but I saw him do it."
"I don't believe speculating will get us anywhere, Mediator Kalaris."
Nivara was completely taken aback by the sudden surge of light emanating from the entranceway of the Halls of Mediation. The strength of the Transference blitzed through Nivara's dreary mist in a sea of calm and healing. Lady Aria had arrived.
"Throneholder. Forgive me, I didn't hear you come in. Good Laia to you. I have every reason to believe..."
Kalaris' overconfidence soon got the better of her as the sole Throneholder drifted through the slumbering attendants as they began to awaken. Aria's attention wasn't on the outspoken Mediator bowing before her but the young apprentice cowering in fear.
Scout was tearfully clutching his throbbing arm, his eyes clenched in desperation not to cry out in pain. He barely even noticed Lady Aria arrive as she smiled at the terrified apprentice before healing him without a thought.
Scout's injury had been knitted back together as if it had been completely erased. Kalaris' Ash Trait drifted away like melted snow as Aria's soothing light allowed Scout to momentarily forget the pain the Mediator leader had caused.
"What do you make of this, my Regent?"
It took Nivara several seconds to realise the armour clad Light Traited was asking her instead of responding to Kalaris' attempts at asskissery. Despite Kaldra hiding her miniscule form within the confines of her Everchange cloak, Nivara wasn't confident in using her truth detecting abilities.
Even without Ethros being there Nivara knew she had to choose her words carefully. It would be better to tell a partial truth to hide a much bigger lie. Especially if either Kalaris or Aria found out what exactly Scout had hidden up his sleeve.
"Unfortunately, I was preoccupied in my office when this impromptu attack happened. I trust Kalaris' judgement but I also know my apprentice despite our short time together. As for the mist…"
Nivara stood up before looking away from the group, feigning bashfulness as if too embarrassed to admit her shortcomings. Her mist emerged erratically from every crevice, changing and warping from thin wisps of indigo to bulbous green clouds of smog. Nivara could tell from Scout's changing expression that he had finally caught on to her bluff.
"It's mine. I've been stressed lately so I've been storing it in the spare Overthrow orbs so as not to hinder anyone with the mess. I know Kalaris has been working hard lately so I guess it slipped my mind. Apologies."
She didn't have to steal a look in Kalaris' direction to know she had a shit eating grin on her face. Then again, at least Nivara hadn't tried to use her Trait to try and disintegrate a child. Nivara spared a pitiful look towards her apprentice, his face not quite sure which emotion to portray first.
Keeping his Trait a secret might've worked to help keep the Mediators off his back but he was amongst fellow Dual Traited who knew what to look for. Kalaris was both Earth and Fire Traited. Nivara could easily have been classed as Water and Air Traited if it weren't for her elusive Storm Trait heritage.
Scout was either a similar variation to Kalaris or a combination to Air and Earth. Nivara knew what kind of Dual Traited could exist in the Undercity. All three of them were no exception to that rule but Lady Aria was not. She didn't experience the colliding forces of a Dual Traited grappling with their powers' existence.
"Overthrow orb?" Aria questioned, unaware of the Tinker Moles new prototype.
"It's like a smaller version of a Detector bot but instead of locating Trait it can store or dispel it. The Tinker Moles are hoping to deploy it through the Tinko tubes in emergencies as an extra offensive or defensive weapon when Traited are low but…"
Nivara faltered, the awkward silence now deafening but she carried on regardless with her findings.
"They've been sent out to every department for beta testing and the Tinker Moles are trying to replicate the dragon's shapeshifting abilities within the metal. The problem is, they can't figure out how to do so without warping the orb or breaking the mechanism."
"I see. I'm glad to hear the negotiations with the Gadgeteers guild have been going smoothly. It's a shame your Trait hasn't been as cooperative. Is anyone else hurt?"
The tension in Nivara's shoulders lessened a bit, Aria's genuine concern for Scout's injuries helping her stay calm. But Kalaris was done waiting.
"What about the boy? Had he been anywhere near the entrance those mangy Wolves might've gotten in through his distraction! He's a menace!"
Aria raised an eyebrow but did not comment as Nivara fought the urge to bite back a vapid retort. So much for Kalaris' begging to let her convince the other Wolves of the Fallen to join them. She had just lumped them all in with Scout as if they didn't matter.
The stereotypical witch had already thrown all her subordinates under the bus without a second thought and neither Nivara or Scout were willing to vouch for her. But Aria was unconcerned by Kalaris' outburst, looking around as if attempting to call someone over.
"Idria? Has there been any more riots confirmed by any other Order?"
Her voice carried over to the corridor where a passing elven was attempting to make her way through the slowly reemerging crowd. She seemed undeterred by the sudden question, placidly acknowledging the Throneholder.
"No, ma'am. Just a lot of Mist Trait disrupting things."
The Stormspell elf simply swatted away the mist and as if returning to the Third Order was the least of her worries right now. Nivara tried not to look so mortified, grateful for her mask to hide most of her expression but Idria's mouth tweaked into a smile.
Nivara blushed, averting her gaze as she was reminded of her last close encounter with the lilac half elf. Back when she moonlighted as Nessra once more to let her grieve uninterrupted, the Stormspell elf had been an easy distraction.
A fellow refugee from another country, Idria Cloudbane knew the stigma that came from wielding the same power as she did despite Nivara's secrecy. Raised between the turn of the Neridian Supremacy and the Nocturus war Idria had grown up with her mother: a Nightspell elf seeking asylum and the Caithsee assassins who took them in.
Her Cloudswell ability was sought after in the Bolthole but incredibly common within fellow Stormspell elves. Unfortunately, Nivara learned a tad too late during their short relationship that Idria had been taught to see through illusions.
Working with Idria had been incredibly awkward after a few drunken nights together but both had agreed to stay friends and not endanger each other's careers in the process. After all, it was Nivara who had given her permission to access those classified files in the first place.
"What about Apprentice Scoutling? Did you see him?" Aria continued, trying to quell Kalaris' constant questioning.
The Third Order secretary shook her head, the cluster of marked files shifting position as she tried to straighten them without losing her grip. Nivara caught the brief glimpse of a green Firestep wolf emblem: the sigil of the Wolves of the Fallen.
"Not since he left the Furnace, no."
Thanking her silently, Nivara made a mental note to buy the next round of Blackwing the next time she went undercover in the Bolthole. But Kalaris was not so grateful towards the half elf.
"Ah, ha! I told you he snitched. Anyways, I wouldn't rely on an oblivious Forcaster to-"
"Not so, Kalaris. He may have set off these Overthrow orbs but for all we know it could have been an accident. If what Regent Nivara says is true then she didn't tell her apprentice of the Trait contained in them."
"But I saw him! He was up to something, I know it!"
Aria let out an audible sigh, visibly irritated by the constant resistance and stubbornness of the Mediator leader. If anything, Kalaris was very, very good at making enemies.
"I have no doubt you saw him do something, Mediator Kalaris but as no one has been injured and my own Regent has admitted to her Trait's blunder, there is no need for me to reprimand him."
Aria's attention turned towards Nivara, who was still completely enamoured by Idria leaving without a word. Her mist lingered around the room as if attempting to follow her. Idria's lilac Cloudswell returned the gesture as the trickster Stormspell elf teasingly intertwined her power with Nivara's own.
"After all, he is not my apprentice."
The Mist Maiden resisted the urge to yelp in surprise, blazing red as she could barely comprehend her Throneholder's lecture in favour of Idria's hasty goodbye. The Third Order secretary pressed a finger to her lips, her Cloudswell disappearing with a casual wave before moving along.
"As his Master I will make sure to discipline him. You have my word."
Nivara gave a halfhearted reply, wanting to completely melt into a puddle and away from such a severe conversation. She spared a glance down at Scout who was still rooted to the spot but completely enamoured by the Light Traited in front of him. At least he looked better than when he almost lost his arm.
"Good. And Kalaris? I'd recommend you learn from my Regents example. Speculation does not get results. Proof does."
Nivara didn't have to see Kalaris' expression to know that her motto tended to infuriate her. But it wasn't enough to stop her from abandoning all formality of the incident.
"Of course, Lady Aria. Lady Nivara. I apologise for my...overeagerness. It will not happen again. I will be sure to heed the future Throneholder's motto to heart."
Lady Aria had already begun to turn away until Kalaris' sly dig made her change direction. Nivara attempted to pacify the conversation but she couldn't find the words. Aria met their gaze to make sure her words were met with their full attention.
"Be sure you do. I will give you until tomorrow to clean up this mess before your inspection. For now, it seems I have been asked to attend an appointment with your son?"
Kalaris smug look fell as she returned to a more demure and obedient Mediator than she had ever been to Nivara.
"Yes, yes. His migraines, of course. I'd be honoured to escort you. He and I have a few ideas for the Mediator's y'see and healing him would…"
Kalaris trailed off as she followed behind Lady Aria, continuing their conversation elsewhere as they headed towards the same exit. Stunned that Scout's fate had been so carelessly abandoned after so much debate, she gently nudged Scout towards the other direction.
It took some coaxing to move him away from the hostile Mediator, still fearful of Kalaris and mesmerised by Lady Aria; it didn't take long for Nivara to figure out his crush. Despite being her Regent, Nivara didn't feel anything towards Lady Aria.
Maybe it was their strictly professional relationship or maybe it was how intimidating Aria could be when paired with her Oathed. Either way, compared to Idria's standoffish but kind nature, Hornet's brash but shy exterior and Hawkins nervous but outspoken views they were far more interesting to her than any Throneholder. Despite how all her crushes had ended so far.
"Oh, Nivara? My Oathed would like to speak to you about something he found in the Watchtower. It may take a few days to recover so do check up on him when he's ready. You know what Ethros is like, very forgetful."
Nivara's shoulder twitched. If she had all the time in the world: forgetful would be the last phrase she'd use to describe the Novawraith dragon. Aria knew better than anyone that a dragon never forgets.
If it were so, then her mask would not be so vital if her scarred face was simply seen as forgettable. The tension that started in her chest rose up her shoulders and settled deep in the base of her throat, forcing her to form words but she couldn't. The Silvertongue wouldn't let her.
Nivara wanted to hurl on Aria's pristine armour, blackening her good name to the far reaches of the Ironwood forest to even suggest that Ethros knew all that she did. Night. The Detector bot. The Watchtower. All of it for just a single chance to make him say he was wrong. That he could be anything but.
"Of course, my Throneholder. I will be sure to remember that and organise a meeting with him. Come Scout. Let's get you cleaned up."
Nivara retained her impassiveness towards the very end, that single word still etched in her mind. The pace they kept was like a funeral march to her own precession but she held it like a burning ember in her hand. Forgetful. Ethros had become what he had sought in this world. What he had done to them all the night Shuriken was destroyed.