It was mid-afternoon by the time Illnyea declared, "If I read another line of this contract, I'm going to explode."

Priscilla chuckled, pushing away the paper. They had finished outlining the contract in the broadest strokes, with only the finer details needing to be added in after Mr. Ordan returned from his errands. They had discussed the best tactics for getting the parents to agree to the contract as well, and Illnyea seemed willing to twist the parents' arm so far she would nearly dislocate it. Illnyea had warmed up to Priscilla's methods the more they spoke about it, but it seemed that she had reached her limits. According to Mr. Ordan's information, they had a few days to refine the plan before the parents would return, and they needed to inform Kavil and Sulaiman, so taking a break was probably in their best interest.

Stretching made Priscilla's back pop pleasantly and she rolled her shoulders and neck to shake off the worst of the effects from being hunched over a desk for a few hours.

"Let's go see what the boys were up to," Priscilla said, and Illnyea nodded rapidly, eager to do anything else.

The air was colder than it was yesterday as they stepped out of the manor and Priscilla was glad that she had chosen to wear a long sleeved dress today, the dark blue skirts ending near her ankles. Illnyea led the way through the garden at a hurried pace that forced Priscilla to nearly jog after her.

They heard the boys before they saw them, a light and jaunty tune carried on the wind. As they rounded a corner, Priscilla saw Sulaiman was sitting with a book open in his lap. But Sulaiman's focus wasn't on the book, instead his content gaze was on Kavil, who sat a few feet away. Kavil turned out to be the source of the humming, sitting with his back pressed against the tree as he methodically whittled away at a chunk of wood in his hands. There was a small pile of woodshaving next to him, but Priscilla couldn't quite tell what the carving was meant to be. Perry was sleeping ungracefully in a patch of sunlight nearby, his stomach exposed for all to see and his webbed feet twitching like he was running in his dreams.

"Heya," Priscilla called to announce their presence. Kavil and Sulaiman both looked up at the same time, with Kavil's face brightening and Sulaiman giving a cool nod of acknowledgement. Perry twitched but didn't think their presence was worth waking up for.

Kavil stood, glancing between them before saying, "Did your conversation go well?"

Priscilla and Illnyea glanced at each other, both wondering if the other would take the lead.

"Priscilla came up with a scarily good extortion plan," Illnyea said, deciding to take the lead, "and if it doesn't work, we're running away in the middle of the night."

Kavil blinked in surprise as Sulaiman rose to his feet in a single smooth motion, a furrow in his brow.

"Who are you extorting?"

"Our parents," Priscilla said with a casual shrug. "It's a work in progress, but I can tell you all about it – "

"Later," Illnyea said firmly, eyes fierce, "I don't want to talk about contracts or profit margins on enchanted items or how to properly blackmail someone right now – I want to fight."

Sulaiman raised an eyebrow. "And who do you want to fight?"

Illnyea gave him a flat look like it was obvious, and when Sulaiman just stared back, she sighed heavily and said, "You, stupid – I want to swing my sword and you're the only one who knows how to parry and block."

"And where would this fighting occur – "

"Don't be so difficult!" Illnyea huffed, glaring as she crossed her arms. "Of course we're going to use the practice room – where else would we go? The guard's practice arena sucks."

Kavil had been watching the back and forth with an amused expression. Sulaiman opened his mouth with a look in his eyes like he was debating being deliberately obtuse some more but Priscilla decided to take pity on Illnyea.

"After you two spar," Priscilla said, cutting in, "I suppose it's time for me to suffer my own sword lessons."

Sulaiman perked up at that, apparently deciding torturing Priscilla was more fun than needling Illnyea. "That sounds like an excellent plan."

"And I'll help you with your hook," Illnyea added, staring at Kavil like she was daring him to say no, and he just raised his hands in mock surrender. Illnyea nodded in satisfaction, walked determinedly over to Perry before scooping him up into her arms. The platypus barely twitched, settling himself into Illnyea's arm like he hadn't even been disturbed.

"Let's go," Illnyea said. Priscilla found herself following in Illnyea's footsteps without consciously deciding to follow. She huffed a laugh, shaking her head as she was drawn into the protagonist's wake.

They only paused briefly for everyone to change into comfortable clothes and grab their armor, though only Illnyea and Sulaiman began putting it on while they walked to their destination.

The practice room was on the lower level of the manor and probably had been intended to be used as a small ballroom once upon a time. It was very obvious it had never been used that way. There were long beige mats lining the hardwood floor, the type you might find in a gymnastics gym that made eating shit on the floor slightly less painful. A small rack of wooden weapons rested on the far wall, and a well-battered dummy nearby. The curtains had been drawn back from the window, and bright sunlight filtered in through the glass, highlighting that it was slightly dusty in here.

Illnyea placed Perry carefully in a beam of sunlight before striding to the rack of swords. The eldritch platypus woke up as he was placed down, yawning widely before he blinked judgementally at his surroundings.

There was a wooden sword in Illnyea's hand within a second and she was tossing one to Sulaiman before he had made it halfway across the room.

Sulaiman caught it easily, the sword hitting his hand with an audible smack. He stared at Illnyea with amusement. "Eager, are you?"

"I am going to destroy you," Illnyea said seriously, raising her sword, "and make it so you can never be sassy again."

The amusement on his face seemed to grow, but Sulaiman raised his own sword obligingly. Priscilla and Kavil ended up sitting near Perry just as their two fighters took their position.

"Three copper on Sulaiman," Kavil said, leaning back on his hands. "I'll miss his sass terribly if he loses it, so he has to win."

Priscilla gave Kavil a sidelong glance.

"I, for one, think a less sassy Sulaiman would be easier to get along with."

Kavil snorted, shaking his head.

"If Sulaiman stopped sassing you," Kavil said, eyes crinkling with mirth, "I think you'd start begging him to insult you within the week."

Offended, Priscilla opened her mouth to defend herself and that was when the pair burst into movement at the same time, almost like they had coordinated it.

Illnyea rushed forward and struck first, her sword a blur in the air, but Sulaiman angled his sword so hers slid to the side, the harsh scrap of wood on wood ringing out. He had taken a few steps forward, but his feet were firmly planted on the ground as he swung a heavy blow at Illnyea's side.

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With a surprising quickness, Illnyea darted backwards, the tip of the sword brushing against the front of her armor but failing to do lasting damage.

They became a blur of swords.

Sulaiman's fighting style was to be an immovable wall that swung out devastating retaliatory strikes. It was clear that he was used to using a shield but he compensated for it by wielding his sword with two hands, and when Illnyea was forced to block with her sword, the wood creaked from the force. Illnyea was light on her feet, each movement sure and swift as she rained down blow after blow, looking for chinks in Sulaiman's armor to exploit, and pushing on the offensive when she was able to momentarily knock Sulaiman off balance. He soon recovered and the fight continued.

Their movements were so fluid, each attack and parry showing just how used they were to each other's fighting style and could predict each other's next move. Like a coordinated sword dance, the air rang out with the impact of their swords hitting one another again and again.

A wide, almost manic smile stretched over Illnyea's face, an expression of pure joy. She darted in for another blow, aiming at Sulaiman's shoulder. He easily batted it away, and swung hard at Illnyea's hips. Illnyea started to shift her footing to dart away again.

At the last second, Sulaiman pivoted, dropping the sword as he swept out his leg, catching the back of Illnyea's ankle and sending her tumbling to the ground. Illnyea's mouth fell open in surprise as she blinked up at the ceiling.

They were both sweaty and breathing hard but Illnyea looked satisfied as she sat up, not at all bitter about the loss.

"You have to show me that trick later," Illnyea said, an exuberant smile stretching across her face.

Sulaiman huffed a laugh and held out a hand to help her to her feet. "Priscilla showed me that one actually."

Illnyea's eyes brightened.

"Priscilla!" Illnyea said, turning towards the spectators with a fanatic gleam in her eyes. "You have to show me how to do that takedown – I can't wait to spar with you hand-to-hand. And Kavil, I think we have a staff around here somewhere we can use so we don't start off with live blades! We're going to make you one lean, mean sparring machine!"

Kavil looked like he was slightly regretting accepting Illnyea's offer of teaching, and Priscilla was in the same boat after watching the bout. Illnyea, endearing as she was, was something of a battle fanatic, enjoying fighting just about anyone when her blood got pumping – and it seemed Illnyea was more than willing to help expand her pool of opponents herself.

People may have wondered just how Illnyea and Sulaiman could be best friends with how different the two of them were at first glance.

Those people obviously have never seen the two of them teach.

"One more pushup!" Illnyea said cheerfully, completing her own rep as she smiled at a sweating Kavil. "We have to work on that strength of yours – you need power behind your blows so people don't knock you over."

Kavil wheezed, getting out one more pushup before he laid on the floor, breathing heavily. Illnyea sat up and patted Kavil's back commiseratingly.

"Rest for five minutes, and then we start flexibility training," Illnyea said and Kavil groaned.

Priscilla on the other hand, had just finished running fifteen laps around the room, five sets of jumping jacks, and three reps of pushups and situps because Sulaiman claimed, "Your stamina is atrocious – if you want to be a good swordsman, you must first make your body a weapon."

But, Priscilla though didn't complain during the exercises, because she needed to build her stamina and strength, she did flop onto the floor like a starfish after the twentieth set of sword movements because her arms felt like jelly.

"If you make me swing that sword one more fucking time," Priscilla said in between catching her breath, "I am legally obligated to strangle you."

"In your condition, you're more likely to trip over your own feet."

Priscilla didn't have the energy to throw her sword at him, so she settled for flipping him the bird. Sulaiman eyed her hand, lips pursing in thought.

"What does that gesture mean?" he asked, sounding reluctantly intrigued.

"Fuck you."

Sulaiman rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't – "

"No, it literally means fuck you," Priscilla said, raising her other hand to give Sulaiman two birds in the hand.

Sulaiman stared for a long moment, briefly dumbstruck, before he sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're such an idiot, though I don't know why I expected anything else."

"And you're a tyrant," Priscilla said, weakly tossing the sword in his direction but it fell very short.

Sulaiman looked at the sword, unimpressed, and then shook his head.

Eventually, the two teachers decided they had tortured their poor, pitiful students enough and Priscilla and Kavil stumbled to the dining room table. Priscilla felt a little better after eating (a delectable roast with potatoes, carrots, and zucchini with a side of sourdough bread and herb infused butter) and she brought the boys up to speed about the plan.

Kavil's eyebrows had steadily raised higher and higher as she spoke, the tiredness fleeing his gaze as incredulity replaced it.

"And what do you need from us?" Kavil asked, glancing at Sulaiman, whose face had barely twitched as Priscilla outlined everything that was about to go down.

"Well, I'd love to hear the two of your thoughts about the plan," Priscilla said, leaning back in her chair, "because regardless if it works or not, it'll affect you both."

Kavil tilted his head, face screwing up in concentration, but he shook his head, saying, "I think it sounds like it should work? If I had to add anything, I guess you should have the letters pre-written and ready at the post-office in case they decide to, I don't know, lock you up here?"

Illnyea looked startled by Kavil's suggestion. "What made you think of that?"

"Ah," Kavil said, looking away with brief embarrassment. "Well, um, in Frean's journal he may have… had to resort to more unscrupulous methods to get out of trouble."

Priscilla snorted, saying, "Well, it's a good idea, so we'll add that in."

She glanced at Sulaiman, who still had his arms crossed and his finger was slowly tapping against his bicep. When he saw that everyone was now looking at him, Sulaiman released a long, slow breath.

"I agree that this plan may work," Sulaiman said slowly, "but… if you truly succeed, there's no coming back from this decision." He looked at Illnyea with a serious expression, like he was trying to see into her soul. "Is that acceptable for you?"

Illnyea met his gaze with a resolute one of her own.

"If this is the end of my relationship with them," Illnyea said, lifting her chin stubbornly, "then so be it."

Sulaiman's eyes lingered on Illnyea for a second longer before he nodded, seemingly satisfied with what he saw there.

"As for your plan," Sulaiman said, "I need to see this original contract of yours – if we word Illnyea's right, then I might not have to quit working for the Thornewoods and we can secure some extra income for our travels, as I would be technically working under their orders."

A spiteful gleam that had entered Sulaiman's eye, like he was enjoying the opportunity to mess with the Thornewoods. Priscilla chuckled, glad to find a kindred spirit.

"All in favor for a night of scheming, say aye," Priscilla said.

There was a chorus of 'ayes' and they got to work. It was a long night of debating the wording of certain clauses and adding in new ones where they were needed, and they ended up all sleeping in the same room with a nest of pillows and blankets underneath them. Priscilla was so very tired, but fell asleep satisfied and excited about what the future had in store.

The next day, they first trained for an hour, as Priscilla could tell Illnyea had nervous energy she needed to expend. Then, they wrote out six letters addressed to the people Mr. Ordan said would be the best for what they wanted to accomplish.

Arnold showed up just after noon, brushing past the guards and marching straight to the dining room, which they had taken over for the time being. They paused at the sudden intrusion as his critical green eyes raked over them.

He marched over to end of the table and slapped down his own thick stack of papers. Mr. Ordan had stepped in behind the enchanter, a resigned but fond expression on his face.

"Hans has told me about your ridiculously ludicrous plan," Arnold said, leaning across the table, "and the fact you've convinced him to finally leave these fuckfaces behind — I want in."

Priscilla grinned and brought Arnold into the fold. The old enchanter had Opinions about everything but he was able to help them find a few loopholes they had missed and helped them plan beyond just the confrontation.

That evening, Mr. Ordan had to leave briefly and when he rejoined them at the dinner table, he had a serious expression on his face, hands tucked behind his back.

"I've been informed the master and mistress will be arriving tomorrow a few hours after dawn," Mr. Ordan said. "They sent a runner ahead to ensure their rooms were prepared, as the trip had… not been as successful as they hoped."

Priscilla shared a glance with Illnyea, whose face was somber, and then looked at the other serious faces around her.

"Everyone, let's get ready for Operation Extort Their Ass."

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