"So does everybody know that Maev is dungeon-borne?" Talla huffs irritably as her mother leads us through the expansive estate.

"Not everyone, dear," Lady Goa replies. "Just the ones that matter."

"How? I get that Maari sent a letter, but I trusted her to keep it a secret."

"Oh, she did," the matriarch confirms. "Or tried to. She just didn't realize which details gave it away. I doubt you'd be able to tell, at a glance."

"Who did she send the letter to, anyway?" I ask. "And how did everybody read it?"

Talla's mother turns to give me a condescending smile over her shoulder.

"Spying on each other is practically clan tradition, my dear," she explains. "I probably had a copy of the letter before its addressee did."

"And what, exactly, did it say?" Talla asks.

Lady Goa leads us back outside into a closed courtyard, decorated with several local trees and bushes that I recognize, and a bunch that I don't. A central pavilion has already been prepared for us, with cushions, refreshments, and even one of those floor chairs that offer extra back support.

If Maari was a good hostess, Tamara is a master.

"Nothing damning," she replies. "In fact, she was quick to defend you against responsibility for the destruction of Lady Kiera's vehicle—which is where she made her first error."

She ushers us to take a seat and gestures at the food.

"Please, help yourself Miss Maev," she offers. "You must be hungry after your trip."

I really am, and I eagerly dig in, noting the prominence of that strong, garlicky sauce that Talla is so fond of. Maari had plenty of Satsi on offer, but here it's the main star. Fine by me—the stuff is delicious.

"The problem," Lady Goa continues, "is that it confirms Lady Kiera's death, that you have an unusual stranger in your midst, and that said stranger was attacked in the incident that led to the vehicle's destruction. I suspect Maari actually took it for granted that Kiera had simply loaned you the carriage."

Talla winces. "I guess that lie came back to bite me."

"Indeed. She might have been more circumspect if you'd simply told her your cousin was dead."

"Sorry," I interrupt, delicately wiping my mouth—a bit embarrassed to be the only one actually eating. "How does that come back to us?"

"Right," Talla agrees. "It might be unusual for us to have picked up a stranger, but I don't think most people would jump to 'dungeon-borne.'"

Her mother nods slowly. "Most wouldn't, no. But this is not a discussion about most people. To anybody aware of Kiera's mission, it's a natural conclusion."

"Why?" Talla insists. "You're acting like it's common knowledge, but nobody knows anything about dungeon-borne."

Lady Goa sighs and shakes her head. "Talla, you are a brilliant woman, and I am proud of you, but while I'm sure it pains that scholarly side of yours, you must remember that not all knowledge is written down. What people know, and what they are willing to commit to record is not always the same."

"So it's a secret, then?" she grumbles. "Some hidden knowledge forbidden to anyone but the highest echelons?"

"That's exactly what it is," her mother replies seriously. "And that's exactly what it must remain. What I'm going to tell you must not leave this pavilion."

I blink. "You're just going to trust me with something like that?"

She laughs, her voice soft and melodic and her eyes full of pity.

"No, my dear, not at all," she sighs. "Talla, I trust, but you will keep this secret because you have no choice. I don't intend to give you the opportunity to spread it around."

I feel a prickle on the back of my neck. There's no malice in her words, but I really don't like the implication.

"Mother," Talla interjects, "I've promised Maev our protection."

"And she'll have it!" the matriarch says with false cheer and a cold smile. "She would whether you'd promised it or not. You see, living dungeon-borne are so rare because they are valuable. It's practically common knowledge that the Alchemist either employs or is herself a dungeon-borne."

"Her?" I ask, frowning. "I thought he was a man."

"Bah, just a smokescreen to stave off suitors, I'm sure."

Talla rolls her eyes, groaning. "Not this again. Can we focus? I can see why dungeon-borne would be valuable—I've experienced it myself just from traveling with Maev—but that can't be the entire secret."

"No," Tamara confirms. "The secret is that it's no accident that Maev was found in that convergence point. The Gaa family has been cultivating it for over a century for the express purpose of producing a living dungeon-borne."

"What?!" Talla exclaims. "That's impossible! The inquisition would purge them if they heard even a whisper about that!"

"Talla, sweetheart, I love you but please grow up," Lady Goa sighs. "Why do you think Kiera was the one they sent, hm? The church is in full cooperation."

My hands are shaking. Tears well up in my eyes. All the pain and suffering I've been through, being dragged across worlds, losing my memories, nearly dying more times than I want to recount—all of it.

"It was on purpose?" I mutter quietly. "Someone brought us here?"

"We already suspected as much, from Evelyn's story," Vi reminds me. "She was sacrificed in some kind of summoning ritual."

"I'm afraid so," Tamara says. "It took a very long time for their efforts to bear fruit, but I believe that you are exactly the fruit they hoped to harvest."

"Wait, so that convergence point," Talla says shakily. "For two hundred years, there haven't been any ranger expeditions out to that area."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"That long already?" her mother asks. "Yes, they were kept away. Dungeon-borne only appear in convergence breaks, so it was necessary to let the dungeon flourish, beyond a bit of pruning here and there."

"Were you part of this?" Talla asks.

"No."

"But you knew."

"Yes."

Talla buries her face in her palms. "Blood and acid, mother. Convergence breaks can also spawn demons! Even without that, anomalies can ravage the land and—oh godshit! Is that why it was so far out?"

"So that any catastrophes would either spill into or be blamed on the Blessed Lands?" Tamara asks. "Yes, of course. The Gaa family is nothing if not shrewd."

"Hey, I've got a question," Maggie interjects. "Why the fuck did spear-guy try to murder us if the whole point was capture?"

That's a good question, but I've got a different one in mind.

"So we were brought here as a tool," I declare, more than ask. "Or a weapon. Talla, please translate—I don't want any risk of misunderstanding. [You're only willing to protect us on the condition that we'll be your weapon.]"

Lady Goa smiles, about to wave off my concerns, but she comes up short when she meets my eyes. I don't know what she sees in them, but her flippant expression grows more somber.

"As much as I'd like to reassure you otherwise, you're not entirely wrong," she sighs. "I don't know what use the others have planned for you. In truth, we know very little about the capabilities of dungeon-borne, as this is the first effort of its kind to succeed."

"There are more?!" Talla cries.

"Hush, dear, we'll discuss it later," her mother says. "All we have are whispers and rumors, passed down across generations and no doubt twisted in the process. If you are to be a tool or a weapon, then I haven't the slightest idea what form that weapon is meant to take."

"Oh yeah, cause that's what I want to hear from our so-called benefactors," Maggie drawls. "'I don't know what I'm doing at all!'"

"[We're not going to be anybody's slave,]" I insist. "[I don't care what 'form' that slavery takes, we will fight it to the bitter end.]"

Talla swallows nervously before translating my words for her mother. I can see what Jira was trying to warn us of now—I only hope we aren't too late to heed that warning.

The matriarch gives me a long, searching look.

"You're different," she states simply. "What just changed?"

Talla's eyes widen as she frantically glances between her mother and me.

"[That's not important right now,]" I reply. "[If I refuse your protection right now, are you going to let us go?]"

"Do you intend to?" Lady Goa counters without even waiting for her daughter to translate. "If I say no, are you going to fight your way out?"

"[If I have to.]"

She holds my gaze for a moment, then sits back on her hooves and laughs. "What a fascinating young woman you are! I can respect that conviction—even if it's foolish. Talla was the same, when she ran off to be a ranger."

The matriarch sighs and pours herself a drink—the first time she or Talla have even touched the refreshments. She downs the entire cup, then sighs.

"Even if my daughter hadn't offered our protection, I have no intention of keeping you prisoner or enslaving you," she says. "But you have to understand that total independence is impossible. Whether you turn yourself in to the church, let Lady Gaa string you up as an example, or even sail away with that clever tribeswoman, you will always be beholden to somebody. No matter where you go, somebody will know what you are, and somebody will try to take advantage."

"[How convenient for you,]" I grumble bitterly. "[And let me guess—you consider yourself the lesser evil here?]"

"Evil? My cousin grieves for her daughter, the church brings us the Goddess' blessings, the crown keeps our empire stable and prosperous," she argues. "What evil?"

"I mean, purposely letting a convergence point break is—" Talla starts.

"Means to an end, my daughter," her mother interrupts. "I may not approve of their methods, but are the results not here before our eyes? Miss Maev, I believe you misunderstand me. I'm not telling you all this to make you feel as though you have no choice—I'm only trying to ensure that you understand what your choices are. This is all preamble—I've yet to even tell you what I want from you or what I can offer in exchange."

"And what would that be?" I ask, switching back to Fa'aun.

She blinks. "Oh, you changed again—this is so strange, it's like I'm negotiating with two of you at once."

Talla is pointedly silent. So pointedly that her mother takes notice, raising a curious eyebrow.

"And my daughter knows why—interesting. A conversation for another time, however."

Just like that, her curiosity vanishes, tucked away for later as she returns her attention to the matter at hand.

"House Goa considers ourselves to be the house of progress," Tamara begins explaining. "You saw the factories on your way here, yes?"

"More of the Alchemist's inventions?" I ask.

She scoffs. "Hardly. Her work is far more specialized. Gaa invests themselves in controlling local trade, while Shaa handles imports and exports. We invest in the future—in making life better for all Fa'aun. Education, employment, enrichment. House Goa has always built its wealth on the betterment of society."

Talla rolls her eyes. "Are you really giving her the pitch right now, mother?"

"Hush. I do not know what you are capable of, Miss Maev, only that you should in theory be capable of great things. All I ask of you is to invest that potential into projects that we can use to improve the world."

"And get rich in the process," I mutter.

"My dear, we are already rich," Lady Goa replies with a smile. "This is not about making money—it's about spending it effectively. Something my cousins have never had a talent for."

"And your offer?" I ask.

"Freedom—as much as we can grant," she says. "What we need is not a tool or a weapon or a slave—I believe it would be better to have you as a friend. Even as we speak, my husband is arranging paperwork to register you as a foreign resident, sponsored by our house. That will grant you many of the same rights and protections as a free citizen. There are still those who would target you regardless, but this will make it harder for them to move openly. Also payment, of course, for any services rendered—you would be recognized as an employee of the estate. We can discuss the exact numbers later."

I glance at Talla. "Is that a good deal?"

"It's an impossible deal," she huffs. "Mother, those papers take months—sometimes years to get approved!"

"Your father has his ways," Tamara replies mysteriously. "I knew we'd have competition, so I had him get started the moment we received your message."

"My—?" Talla starts, then freezes and slaps her forehead. "Godshit! I forgot about that! That was supposed to go straight to Faarah."

"And it did," her mother says. "Before Maari's letter, nobody but she and I knew of Lady Kiera's demise. We've had the better part of a month to get a head start, thanks to you."

I furrow my brows, feeling a bit lost.

"Talla, what is she talking about?" I ask.

"I have a spell for long distance communication," she says. "It's really hard on me and very limited. Draga had me send a coded message back right after we found you—in case we didn't make it."

"We have a room here in the estate specially prepared for receiving Talla's messages," Lady Goa explains. "Per her instructions, the message she sent was forwarded directly to the Rangers' Grandmistress. I hope you can forgive me a bit of motherly concern."

"Motherly concern doesn't decode secret communications, mother," Talla huffs.

"Of course not," Tamara says with a dismissive wave. "That was your sister. In any case, it meant that we were able to prepare ahead of time rather than being caught off guard like the rest—though I fear poor Faarah might not have grasped the full implications."

She turns back to me with a sly grin.

"So, Miss Maev, please consider my offer. You don't have to answer right away—take some time to think. In the meantime, please excuse me. I have some other matters that require my attention, and I've already given this more time than I can afford."

With that, she gets up and sweeps her way out of the courtyard, leaving me and Talla alone with our thoughts.

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