"May I enter?" asked Lily with a knock on the doorway.

Holo glanced up from her desk and waved her in. "Ah, Lilandria, come in. How is Loh?"

Lily walked into the study and closed the door behind her before answering. "She'll recover, but her wounds are extensive. She needs rest."

"Yes, I can only imagine. Being possessed by a wraith puts great strain on the body and judging from Unalla's account of events, you pushed Loh far beyond her limits."

Lily narrowed her scarlet eyes. "It was the only way to keep the Noir family safe. And I didn't possess her. Our bond allows us to co-exist in a single body. It's different."

"Is that so? Hm." Holo shrugged slightly and went back to reading from an old tome that had seen better days.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked, walking over to get a better look.

"I'm researching old arcane sigils used in magical prisons. I'm hoping to find a pattern with the ones that were in the pit that trapped me last night."

"For what purpose? If you seek to understand the meaning of the sigils in the pit, I can help."

"For a price?" Holo cocked an eyebrow.

"Naturally. I am a wraith."

"Naturally. But no. I can study the pit in more detail later. I'm trying to find out any connection with the pit's sigils and any of the great magic orders from the Realms. If I can find a connection, I might be able to figure out who was behind the attack."

"We already know who was behind the attack. I told you, it was Agony."

Holo sighed and put the book down. "I remember. But I'm searching for alternatives."

"Why do you seem so adamant in denying what is so plainly obvious? They had Agony's daggers. Only she could have crafted them. You said you encountered one of Agony's children. What more evidence do you need?"

"Enough to be certain."

Lily scoffed. "For someone who distrusts Calamities almost as much as I do, I'm surprised you're so quick to defend Agony."

"I'm not defending her."

"Then why? Why did you dissuade everyone about Agony back in the meeting?"

"Because." Holo's expression grew dark. "Do you know what it's like to fight a Calamity, one who doesn't hold back? They have earned their names many times over. You do not cross a Calamity lightly. If we are about to declare war on Agony, I wanna be damn sure she is our enemy."

"She has always been my enemy, she wiped out my people," Lily whispered with venom in her voice.

"Even more reason to stay away from her. And for all we know, Agony still doesn't know where you are. I'd rather keep it that way, if we can."

"This is assuming that Agony didn't send those assassins to kill us all."

"True. But if she did, then you might as well run away and hide, because there is no way we can stop her from killing you if she finds you."

"You know I can't do that," Lily scowled.

"Because of Loh?"

"I will not leave her."

"She is not a possession for you to keep."

"I am well aware of what she is. And she is not a pawn for you to manipulate either. If you want something from me, ask me. Do not try to weasel your way into her ear just to get secrets out of me. It will not work."

"You'd share the wraith's infamous trove of knowledge? Just like that?" Holo asked, her expression somewhat skeptical.

"Not without a price, but for you, I'll give this one for free."

"Oh? I'm listening."

"Several of the assassins' cloaks went missing earlier tonight, along with a particular blue goblin and his Shadow."

"What?" Holo jumped to her feet. "Where is Stryg?"

"I imagine by now he's sailing down the Dire River towards Murkton. You're welcome to chase after him, but you risk leaving your son and granddaughter exposed if the assassins return." Lily sauntered to the door.

"And you only tell me all of this now?" Holo growled.

"And leave Loh exposed?" Lily smirked and left the room.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Fucking wraiths," Holo cursed.

~~~

"Wow, this is nicer than I thought," Tauri whistled as she walked around the spacious room that would be Stryg and her cabin. It was twice the size of her father's cabin on his own pleasure ship. The bed could fit four people easily and was draped in silk blankets and a small army of pillows with golden tassels. A polished standing mirror was placed next to a pair of desks with open cabinets displaying all sorts of personal-care items, such as oils, elixirs, and more.

Stryg stepped in front of the standing mirror and stared at his own reflection. He could hardly recognize the boy from Vulture Woods. It hadn't even been a whole three years since he had left. And now here he was, on one of the fastest ships of the Ebon Realm, owned by the wealthiest noble in all the land, who also happened to be his close friend. Younger Stryg would never dare believe it. He smiled to himself.

"When it comes to luxury, the Goldelms are nothing if not thorough." Gale leaned on the doorway, arms crossed, her face staunch in impassivity.

"You disapprove?" Tauri smirked.

"I prefer simpler quarters," Gale said. "Things like this can make one go soft over time."

"If that's true, then," Tauri opened her arms and let herself fall backwards into the bed, sinking into its comfort. "Bring on the softness."

"What do you think, my lord? My lord…?" Gale asked.

"Huh?" Stryg blinked and looked away from the mirror. "Oh, it's nice, I guess."

"See. He likes it," Tauri said in triumph.

"That isn't what he said."

Stryg threw down his leather satchel and began to rummage through its contents.

"I wish Rhiannon were here to see it. She'd like it, I think," Tauri mused.

"Why isn't the centauress warrior here?" Gale asked.

"I thought you didn't want more people to come?" Tauri asked.

"Rhiannon is a loyal warrior, who happens to be able to traverse long distances with great speed and without tiring. If there was anyone I'd want on this journey, it would be her. Not all of you," Gale added the last part almost as an afterthought.

"Rude," Tauri said.

"Rhian chose to stay behind. I think she was worried about Lysaila," Stryg said.

"Why?" Tauri asked.

"She found out some things about the beastkin's curse," Stryg sighed. "Lysaila will be alright, she just needs time."

"I see…" Tauri yawned. "I don't know about either of you, but I'm exhausted." She shimmied under the covers and closed her eyes.

"Typical. You've hardly done anything today, but you're already too tired to do anything more," Gale shook her head.

"I was training just before we left," Tauri glared at her.

"Pfft. Only for an hour. If you were truly serious about becoming a great battle mage, you would train well into the night."

"Not all of us can be nocturnal, you know."

"Blaming your own species for your weakness? How disgraceful."

"At least I don't become a walking tomato if I step out into the sun for more than five minutes without a cloak on," Tauri said.

"I really don't get what you see her in, my lord. Whatever made you interested in this pampered woman in the first place?" Gale said.

"Her ass," Stryg said off-handedly, his focus entirely on the contents of his satchel.

"Excuse me?" Tauri sat up, her amber eyes staring at him like daggers.

Even Gale seemed surprised.

Stryg blinked and looked up. "Her ass…thetics?"

"You're sleeping on the floor tonight," Tauri said.

Gale laughed. "He's nocturnal, he doesn't have to sleep at night. He only does it because you do. And unlike you, my lord is a true warrior, sleeping on the floor will pose no hardship for him."

"Fuck you both," Tauri turned her back to them. "I'm considered one of the premier beauties in all of Hollow Shade, I had letters sent by suitors every week! I was the eye of every ball I went to. My very presence demanded respect. Now I have to deal with this idiot duo everywhere I go," she muttered in contempt.

"I was just answering Gale's question."

"Seriously? That's all you have to say?" Tauri scowled.

"What? Gale asked what was the first thing that caught my eye, right?"

"You're supposed to say a lady's kindness or elegance—"

"But you're not kind. You hit me all the time."

"It's not like it even hurts you! And you bite me all the time!" Tauri said.

"I like the taste of your blood and I heal you afterwards."

"That's not the point! We're going to be married soon, and when we're invited to noble parties, everyone will ask us how we met, what we liked about each other, etcetera! You can't say things like that."

"Like what?" Stryg asked.

"All of it! We have an image to maintain, Stryg," Tauri snapped. "If someone asks us how we met, it needs to be something romantic, something that makes the nobles nod their heads and says to themselves, 'how fitting for the Ebon King and his Queen.'"

"I'm not a king and besides, we hated each other for the first couple of years."

"Stryg—"

"That doesn't mean I didn't notice you were beautiful," Stryg tried to explain.

A faint smile touched the corner of Tauri's lips. "Hm. That could work, actually. A story of enemies becoming lovers. Yes, the bards could sing stories about that."

"About how an instructor at the magic academy fell in love with a student, how ~improper~ I mean romantic," Gale said sarcastically.

Tauri glared at her. "Not that Stryg was ever much of a student, he was always skipping my class, but for your information we didn't start a relationship until after he graduated from the academy. And like he said, we weren't very fond of each other before that."

"So what changed?" Gale asked.

"She taught me how to swim, I guess that's when things first started to change," Stryg recalled.

"Yeah, he's right," Tauri replied softly.

"But Stryg can't swim, he literally sinks like a rock. He just uses blue magic to move around in the water. You really suck at teaching," Gale laughed.

"Get out of my room," Tauri said.

"I am my lord's Shadow. You do not command me."

"Stryg, tell her to get out."

"Ah, found it." Stryg reached into his satchel and pulled out his great-grandmother's book of memories.

"Stryyyg, what are you doing?" Gale frowned.

"Look after my body, please," Stryg channeled mana into the book. His eyes glazed over and his body sagged.

Gale sighed and carefully picked him up, before placing him on the bed next to Tauri. "You ever think his headaches are because of this damned book?"

"The thought has crossed my mind," Tauri whispered, her amber eyes tinged with worry.

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