* * *
Kevrin
* * *
Djardrik's beginning to look uncomfortable, which isn't normal for an Avian that's riding a windbird this high up in the sky. It's usually our own version of heaven. But then, I think I have some idea of what's gotten to him after a few hours of flying south.
"Err, Kevrek? Not that I think ye can't navigate... but are ye sure ye've got the right heading?"
"Aye, aye," I say breezily. "Naught's wrong with the world, brother. We're coming to the place soon."
"Aye..." He sounds dubious. "Kevrek? This is Radia, is it not?"
"Aye! You've a good feel for navigation, Djardrik!"
He pauses. Probably mulling that over. "Then, that'd be the capitol just ahead of us, would it not?"
"Beleth, aye. My hideout's right in the middle of it, in fact."
"In the middle of the Radian capitol city?" He almost falls off the bird in shock.
"So it is! It's well-placed so that nobody's ever given me trouble. Very convenient, I think. Nobody'd look for an Avian there!" I laugh. Some of my mirth must catch onto Djardrik, because he chuckles in response.
"I say! That's either a damn good joke of yours, or you're the most brilliant Avian I've ever met!"
"Well, there's not really that high of a bar, is there?" I do a doubletake while scanning the ground. Before Djardrik can respond to the jibe I guide the windbird into a steep swoop downwards.
"Hey, what's going on? You almost swept me off the bird, mate!" I can't blame him for his alarm. I did give no warning. But now Dram is whispering to me just how to prepare and Buidhe is promising me that she'll keep an eye on Djardrik while I'm occupied. This warrants my attention.
Lute is down there. He's fighting against someone. Dram mutters to me about the dangers of dive-bombing an Armed out of nowhere, and I do agree - it's not the most subtle thing I could be doing. Tell his Arms we're coming.
Dram chuckles. Kuroroi says to get your ungodly huge nose out of their fight. I take that as an invitation to ruin it.
So be it, brother. I ignore Djardrik's screaming in my ear about crashing and dying and shove a chakram into his feathered hands. "Here, hold this."
The scream cuts short. Buidhe is very convincing, and more friendly than most Arms. She'll let someone else hold her without lopping off fingers.
I'm off the bird while it's still ten feet above the ground. It knows how to land, and Buidhe will ensure that Djardrik doesn't just take off on it again. Meanwhile, Lute's in a fight. He's out in the open and he's bloodied. I feel like butting in because I'm just that kind of person. I'm 50 feet away, though, and behind some bushes. I don't think either person even noticed us, they're so intent on fighting.
You recognize his opponent? Dram nudges me. I do not. All I see is a black blur, really. Familiar Arms, though...
Arms? Ice slides down my neck with that realization.
Schiphael. Dram pauses. Maybe you should stay out of this fight. Something's wrong.
--out of my damn fight you fucker-- Kuroroi deigns to speak to me, but his voice is choppy and distant. That's not right. Well, hell, Aaren and Lute are fighting - a LOT about this isn't right.
The Judge should know about this, but more importantly, it must be stopped. I'm not sure whether the thought's Dram's or mine. Buidhe doesn't comment. She seems happy enough with her own situation, which must mean Djardrik's piss-scared of her.
Kevrin? That's Lute. He sounds fainter than his Arms do. What're you... no, get out of... no, I need help. There's a pause while the fight moves so quickly that the black figure of Aaren appears to have four hands. Damn, I can barely even track him. What happened to him? Fighting for hours... he won't stop. Get the Judge.
That's the second time someone's said it. I'm in friendly territory now, it shouldn't be unsafe to use long-range communications... I wonder why Lute didn't already, though. Aaren must be taking up all of his concentration. Nasty. Dram?
He's in Trial. He says he can still come. Says he's not needed for some reason. The Advocate must be having a lot of fun this time around, if that's the case.
I've never seen the Judge leave the Court in the middle of a Trial, but I've heard it happens. It must be my mind playing overly dramatic tricks on me, but from my vantage point it looks like the sky darkens when he appears behind me.
* * *
'Sy
* * *
I do not like leaving the Court while a Trial is in progress, regardless of whether I am actually taking part in the proceedings. Especially with the unusual arrangement we have with the Advocate right now. But duty calls and I am capable of being in more than one place. It's not the same way Jhe h'Logos does it (that time-bending idiot), and therefore not as easy on my head. I simply leave Diyn in the Court so that I can still observe and be technically present. Then I leave to attend to Dram's alert, feeling less myself than usual, and with a very literal splitting headache.
Most Armed are not capable of splitting their focus to the point of physical bilocation. The ones that can do it only in the direst of circumstances, or else they do it at their peril. I do not condone taking this skill lightly.
It's so hard to keep my attention off of Katherine, though. I almost lost her...
She's doing her job right now. It's time to do mine. Kevrin and his Arms know not to call me directly for foolish reasons. This must be urgent.
They're not far away at all - in fact, they are so close to Beleth that I feel a bouncing sense of dislocation. I'm a bit more near to myself than is comfortable. I have trouble even focusing on my exact location, in fact - I can't even properly gain my fucking legs.
Just what the hell is going on here? But then, I am out of balance with my partner still recovering, and so focused in the Trial. It grinds against me that such a thing would affect me so much, but there's nothing to be done. I get my proper footing and ignore it.
Dram draws my attention to what's wrong. Aaren. Schiphael. Lute and Kuroroi are keeping them at bay. I don't know why two of my Armed are fighting but there's been a host of reasons in the past for it. What disturbs me is that something is wrong with Aaren, and I can't tell what from here.
"Follow and cover me," I say to Kevrin as I walk in front of him and through the bushes. Kevrin stays far enough back that he's out of the Trident's usual range, close enough to be a lookout for me. Diyn appears in my hands despite his concurrent location in the Court. Diyn seems to not suffer the same imbalance in focus as I do. I twirl the Trident once as I walk forward to the fight.
"Boooooooooooys!" I say, in the same tone I scold my youngest children with when they fight. Its efficiency is universal. The two do not react, however. This is a common problem when two men are fighting and neither wants to stop and give the other an opening.
Fine. I have other ways. I raise the Trident as it flips through the air and then I drop its blade against the ground. It makes the earth shake in at least a 100 foot radius. It's really just a dramatic touch to my command for them to both stop in their tracks. They can sort out the damn quarrel later.
Lute stops in his tracks. Luckily it just so happens to be a guarded stance, because Aaren keeps on going despite the order. Schiphael's chain coils around Kuroroi, the two Arms grinding against each other with silver and black sparks.
WHAT? Diyn's thought echoes my own. We surge forward as I cancel the order for the two Armed to halt. Otherwise, Lute can't defend himself. He manages to swing himself out of the way, disentangling Kuroroi, just as I sweep in to counter Aaren's next blow and trap his blade.
--so tired Daddy, tried to tell you but so busy--
At ease. Drop back to a stealth vantage. His forte really is spying in any case. Fighting in the open probably put him at a disadvantage, especially considering Schiphael's reach.
Now to attend to Aaren. He's not shifted position since I caught Schiphael's bladed barb in Diyn's tines. He's looking up at me, his eyes so dilated that the irises are black. No...they really are black. His entire body is wrapped in shadows, which is a common enough skill for his division, but something's off now. Schiphael is growling at me. Schiphael isn't listening to me. Aaren's eyes focus on me before he lunges forward, for all the life of me trying to leap over Diyn to get at my throat. I almost take pride in that bravery, but I fear it's really madness. It doesn't matter. I raise Diyn with enough haste that the bar of his shaft catches Aaren in the throat. Schiphael still whips around in an attempt to gut me, but Diyn counters that with ease. Aaren's already dropped to the ground, and after a blow like that he will not soon get up.
Diyn whips around my hand and twirls of his own accord, tangling up Schiphael's chained length until finally impaling all three tines into the ground. Schiphael's blade is wedged under the fork of the Trident.
Aaren twitches a little, trying to rise before he's ready. I help dissuade him of this decision by kicking him in the head and knocking him unconscious. Considering he's my Armed, I try to do so as gently as possible.
"We have a bit of a mess to clean up, Jhe Harpseal. Can you see to Jhe Voitre? He'll need to be kept in the Hall until something can be done for him." I then raise an eyebrow at Kevrin. "Where is Buidhe?" I've already got crazy Arms, I don't need one that's gone missing.
Kevrin blinks up at me with those huge, almost birdlike yellow eyes of his. His grin is genuine, I remind myself. He's eternally affable. "Well, about that... I brought back a friend from Audiva Rocale. One I just made. He's over on the bird."
"...The bird."
"Aye, we rode a windbird home. Buidhe's watching my friend. His name's Djardrik."
I snort. I recognize the Avian style of naming. "I see. And where did you intend he stay when you both got here?"
"I figured it'd depend on how he liked the place. He's a nice guy, pretty reasonable. I think he can tell us a lot about Nul's operations. He's already told me a fair bit. We might not even have to lock him up!" He's so... optimistic.
"...Go attend to that, then. I'll see to Jhe Voitre myself. Jhe Lute will go with you. Let him know if you prefer he go unseen. I imagine what your friend thinks you are is quite afar from the truth."
Kevrin's eyes light up. "Aye, Jhe h'Akribastes." He scampers off. I shake my head. Kevrin. Always making friends, despite all expectations anyone else would have to the contrary. I let out a deep sigh, then reach down and gather up Jhe Voitre. Diyn and I vanish as one with the Armed and his Arms. It's time to put them away before focusing concentration back on the Trial.
* * *
Kevrin
* * *
Djardrik is a difficult man to convince of certain things.
"Now, now, no one's gonna hurt you, mate." I hold my palms up in the air, trying to calm him. Djardrik will have none of that.
He remains perched on top of the windbird, feathers bristling, eyes wide. "We could have gotten killed! And this thing! This thing that claims she's a girl and keeps threatening to lop my hands off at the wrists if I drop her! What the hell is this thing, Kevreck?!" His voice is rising to a high squeak, and while I don't blame him for the panic, we are wasting a fair bit of time. Lute's had enough chance to steal aboard the windbird - he's one of our shadows, after all. He wasn't looking too hale when we found him, though, and I'd like to get him back to the Hall as soon as possible. I also want to know what this Trial's about, and report what news I know.
"Aye, that thing ye be so terrified of is named Buidhe. She's being right friendly with you, so relax. She's not a normal weapon, she talks and moves on her own sometimes. I got her in Radia, along with her match, and I left her with you so you'd be protected. There was a fight down here, and it involved one of my contacts. If it wasn't cleared up, we might not have had a hospitable place to stay here after all."
He's calming down, but still bristling a tad. "Strange things they've got here in these Radian lands. Are you sure we should be staying? There's other places an Avian could find to nest up in, without so much danger as this."
I laugh. "There's no real danger to you here! Now come along, hand me Buidhe, and we'll be off again. Shan't be long now."
He still seems a little dubious, but gladly hands Buidhe over. She hisses at me a little, silently berating me for leaving her with the uncultured, and then quiets. She can't pretend to not have had fun scaring the feathers off Djardrik. I hoist myself up, and soon we're off again - the bird just a bit heavier, as if we have a third person flying with us.
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