Markus hears Irabeth's plan and blanches a little more than he usually does. "Chevalier, if you march into Old Korvosa, you and your men are more than likely to die. Even if we capture the building and take back the wardstone, that doesn't remove the demonic forces." He leans forward. "And there's no way you have faith in a conventional victory or you would have already marched. We'd be condemning all of the remaining Crusader force here to death."
"Every crusader here realizes that we march to our deaths. Markus, if we lose the wardstone field - we've lost this war. But if you have doubts, I understand. I'm not going to force anyone into this." Commander Irabeth says, with utmost seriousness.
"The ley line that runs beneath Kenabres is larger than most - there is far more power flowing through it than the others," Ehren says with a frown, reflecting on their rather dire situation. "Up until recently the ley has been defending itself, purging the corruption that had been flowing into it, hence the seismic activity in the area. But if the power of a demon lord enters the ley... I don't believe the earth could stave it off. I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that does not happen."
Everything seems fine until Commander Tirablade lays out the plan. Ehren looks like he is about to go sick, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin.
"You... you want to destroy it? But that would-"
He quickly cuts himself off, practically biting his tongue.
Irabeth looks at Ehren, sympathetically. "I understand your apprehension. But... the wardstone field is already weakened here in Kenabres. I doubt it can be simply remade. As long as it exists, it is a liability. We need to destroy it." She says to him, seriously. "If you do not want to help, I understand."
"Many a tale tells that a wound festers sometimes the only thing to do is remove the limb. If what you say is true Ehren, this is no different. We cannot restore it, and leaving it intact would only invite further corruption," Isilme says to the young druid.
"What could -we- do if we got hold of that Demon Lord's soul, Avi?" Ary says, after having been silent for some time. She'd sworn an oath, clearly she didn't have to say whether or not she was staying; nor whether she'd follow Irabeth's orders to do so. It was clear the question had been meant for the others, even if she did pause with Ary for a moment.
"About the wardstone. Is it possible that we could maybe call down a miracle instead? Resanctify it?" when Ehren speaks up, she intervenes... somewhat.
"If we can't get the crystal, then what's to stop them from doing it at a slightly weaker Ley Line? That would what?" she says, looking to Ehren.
Aravashnial stiffens when Ary mentions a miracle - he is suddenly reminded of Elan. "That kind of magic is erratic. It is not something to be relied on."
The influence of the ley on the land is noticeable even without Ehren's ability to supernaturally sense it in the ground. When it nears the surface, plantlife is lush - as it retreats, deserts form. Where it concentrates - volcanoes erupt.
When Irabeth suggests that he might leave, Markus shakes his head. "No, this isn't enough to get my to leave. I understood the stakes, and two hundred lives isn't as many as Mendev's population, but... it's still a difficult pill to swallow."
He thinks for a moment. "Be careful. In this fight, for you, survival is more important than victory. Time bought is better than demons killed."
Irabeth responds, "I realize. So I am coming with you. I am familiar with the layout of the complex, and besides..." She sighs. "This is too important for me to send you on your own. I don't expect it to take more than a couple of hours. If we are lucky, we can be quickly in and then out."
"It's okay, Ary," Ehren says with a forced smile, thankful for what she was trying to do. He winces at Aravashnial's words, he himself reminded of his own attempt at a reincarnate spell. "He's right, this is the only way. No other ley line would work - it has to be Kenabres. The demons have been focusing their efforts here for over ten years. This is why. If they fail here, their plan will be left in ruin."
"Excuse me. I... have some preparations to make," he says, excusing himself from the room.
"I suppose then I will excuse myself as well. Is there some access to the top of Defender's Heart? I would prefer to offer my devotion outdoors if at all possible, and obviously someplace quiet and safe would be ideal."
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"If we succeed, we're going to lose a lot," Val says solemnly. "But if we fail we lose so much more. This is going to be a story told for generations either way. Either the tragic last stand of Kenabres or the glorious resurgence of a broken crusader force to drive back the Worldwound one more time."
Anevia avoids looking at Isilme, but Irabeth speaks up - "Yes, you've just missed the priests on their nightly devotional. Anevia can take you." Anevia shoots Irabeth a look, but walks over to the aasimar elf anyway.
"Alright. Let's go then!" she says, stiffly.
"May I accompany you," Val asks. "I think I need to make my prayers tonight. Both to hope for Desna's favor and for my own peace of mind."
"We aren't coming bearing only bad news, though, Avi. If we make it through the night... we salvaged every book that we could from the tower. The upper reaches were destroyed by something, but what I could gather from the lower floors are here... So not all of the knowledge was lost. Though it is quite a burden if I do say so myself." she says, shifting the weight on her shoulders, before shooting Markus a grin.
Anevia leads Valaria and Isilme to the roof of Defender's Heart. There are a couple of crusaders stationed there. The night sky is cloudy.
She is silent, which is uncharacteristic of her. (Not that Isilme would know.)
Aravashnial is in a dark mood, but he is thankful nonetheless. "I'm glad. Not many crusaders value books."
He excuses himself, heading back to his quarters. He remembers Isilme's words so he waits there, awake.
Ary followed after Aravashnial, keeping him quiet company, but keeping pace with him, only speaking once when they arrive (and possibly startling him in the process), "Do you have anywhere you'd like for me to leave the tomes? I figure... you're the person most likely to appreciate them, and you can have the kids catalogue them to keep them busy."
Isilme sighs and stops Anevia before they go any further. "It's alright Anevia, if you will just point me in the direction, I'm certain I can find it. I do not intend to impose upon you any more than necessary," she says. When Valaria asks to be guided as well, Isilme relents, but remains quiet as well on the trip up.
Isilme chooses a spot off to the side and dumps her stuff next to it. Seeing the clouds covering the sky, she kneels down on the ground and closes her eyes to begin reciting stars, as she'd done shortly after being brought back. As she did, she felt not wonder or sense of place, but merely exhaustion. Physically and emotionally she was worn down, and on a level she'd never felt before. She was weary, lonely, and her mere presence was a thorn in the sides of the allies who had mistakenly returned her to this world. Yet she had no choice but to carry on given what had been revealed today.
As she finishes, she sits and pulls her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin to think about the situation.
Aravashnial jumps slightly when he realizes Ary has followed him to his room. "Quednys would be a better option to leave books with, wouldn't you agree?" Aravashnial says dryly.
Val notices Anevia's silence, wondering if it's worry for the coming battle or remembrance of what they've already lost. "We can't afford to fail tomorrow," she says. "But we'll do everything in our power to keep Irabeth safe. Just keep yourself safe so she's got you to come back to."
She looks up at the cloudy sky, shivering as if it's a foul omen. It just might be, all things considered.
Anevia gives Valaria a weak smile but doesn't say much. "It's okay. It'd take a lot to kill my wife!"
She mostly ignores Isilme.
Afterwards, she meditates in silence. After awhile she erupts at no one in particular. "Y'know, it'd help if you....dyed your hair or something. Having you around kinda reminds me of being around a walking corpse." Her eyes are teary.
"No. I don't know how good of a teacher he is, or how much the kids love him. I know how much they care about you, and what they'll do to make you happy. You have the best chance of putting them to good use in the future. There's no one better to leave these books with, if you ask me. You're the only one that's going to have those kids reading every book in here out loud before the year is through." Ary says, in her self-assured Crusader voice.
Aravashnial seems taken aback. "...I suppose. You are correct... if tomorrow goes well."
Ary nods... then realizes, once more, that that does nothing for him. "That's one of the promises I can't make. But I already made a few to you anyway, that I'll fail at if I don't succeed tomorrow. So I suppose my honor hinges on my success." she says, with a small shrug for herself. "I'll put the books by the door. If you need to talk about the things you've gained and lost in the last few days... I know I'm not the best choice, but..." she shrugs again, for herself. "And far from the first choice. But..." she sighs. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect her." she said as she began to unload the books.
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Isilme turns to Anevia and replies in a somber tone, "Your words are heavy with pain, this I understand. But know that they have an edge to them, and given their weight they have the power to cut deeply."
"If it will ease your pain for me to change the color of my hair, I will do what I can. I suspect, however, that my face will still pain you, and there is nothing I can do about that."
Isilme waves, and conjures an image before Anevia and Valaria. "That is Isilme, the Isilme that Ai'sintar knew, that Elan knew, that I knew... Though that was merely a guise. I could and did assume many forms. Now I am bound to the body of my love's daughter, the one he asked me to give my life for, and that he gave his life for. Tell me: Is this a more or less cruel fate than being trapped inside that accursed blade?"
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Aravashnial sounds distant. "She was a soldier. I'm no longer surprised when soldiers die. It happens." He pauses. "Her father once said he'd give anything to get Isilme out of that blade. The fates are cruel."
Anevia groans. "Yes, yes I know! It's not your fault. But you don't get it. You weren't there. We were so close to getting somewhere safe, all alive. And then at the last minute, it was ruined. I just can't handle being reminded of it." She wipes her face clean and storms off back into the complex.
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With everyone dispersing throughout the complex, Markus goes to find Ary. He finds her just leaving Aravashnial, and asks if he can walk with her for a moment.
He pulls the ring out of his pocket. It's got the emblem of Iomedae emblazoned on it, and it's sensible iron. "I got this for you earlier today," he says. "I tried to trick Faxon into moving into a trap with it, but it didn't work. Still, it's for you to wear and have. It keeps you clean, and you can use it to align weapons." He looks at Radiance and Faith. "Although, I'm not sure you'll need it for that purpose."
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Ehren leaves the meeting at a loss, with no destination in mind. He could not blame Irabeth for her plan, nor could he even condone it as being the wrong course of action. She was ignorant perhaps, but even if she knew what was at stake, he was sure she would be willing to sacrifice it regardless. He suspected any of them would. But could he help them do it?
Oh Father, what have I gotten myself into? He slumps against a nearby wall, running a hand through his hair. Strange, that only now did his mind turn to thoughts of family. All of the people that he loved, all of the people even remotely qualified to advise him, were far, far away from this place. And until this very moment, he had been glad for that.
Val is very quiet for a few moments, watching the image. She falls back into her pensive thoughts for a few moments. "Maybe... maybe Anevia has a point. I know, you're hurting as much as we are. You've been dead to the world for twenty years, only to come back and discover that not only is the person you died for dead, but the ritual that was supposed to bring her back somehow left you stuck in her body and her gone for good. Hell, you're probably hurting more than some of us. I... she was special, but I only knew her a week. So maybe you should take her advice. You're trapped in Li'an's body, but you're not Li'an. You're Isilme. So be Isilme."
"Soldiers are about the only thing I'm not used to seeing die." Ary says quietly as she unloads things, the segue likely catchign Aravashnial off-guard once more. "Do you have any family outside of Kenabres, Avi? Anyone you'd like to write a letter to?"
"How can I be me? How can I not be her? Tell me, for I am at a loss, Valaria" Isilme says, her voice surprisingly on edge. "I truly do not wish to cause you all pain, please understand that. Every look of pain I see in one of you I feel just as deeply..."
Aravashnial undresses - his underclothes are a plain, green shirt and pants, and sits upright in bed. With half of his face covered, it would be hard to tell if he was asleep or not.
"No one that I've spoken to for over a century," he says simply, after a prolonged pause. He opens his mouth again to say something, then thinks better of it.
Finally, he says. "Good luck tomorrow. You'll need it."
"So is the body the only thing that matters? The appearance? You have your own mind, your own heart, your own soul. You're in Li'an's body, but underneath you are you. It hurts all of us to see you and think every time 'She's not Li'an'. Looking in a mirror probably hurts you. But are you making it easier for yourself by clinging to what she looked liked, or are you just provoking more pain? I can't tell you how to be you. You have to find yourself. But I can tell you that you'll never figure it out by trying to be someone else. And don't just do it for us, do it for you. Find out what makes you special so that when we look at you we think 'That's our friend, Isilme'."
"Goodnight, Avi." Ary says as she finishes setting the books out, before leaving him to his room.
She heads next for the infirmary, having heard directly from her sister where to find Klarah... most likely. It was entirely possible she was already sleeping though, and it could likely wait until morning. But tomorrow would be busy... and they'd have to move quickly, most likely. If she didn't find her today, it'd be easier to get the scimitar to her through her sister in the morning.
Assuming Ary heads to the infirmary after she speaks to Markus, she finds that the Sarenrites are sleeping. Desnan clerics maintain the infirmary at night.
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Ary nods; she'd suspected as much, but there was no way to be certain without checking. She runs through a mental checklist in her head... and opts to return to her room, where she gets to work on writing.
She writes and writes, creating small works, most of which aren't worth looking at more than once... but hidden somewhere amidst her poor attempts at conveying how she feels, she thinks back to her family.
A home stands in an empty field.
Four walls, fallen, chimney stands tall.
Amidst a grove that is but a ruined echo,
Time marches on,
Until everywhere we have been becomes a place we can never return.
We move forward in ways we do not understand for reasons we can not comprehend.
We go through the motions, day by day,
Casually discarding seconds, minutes, hours, leaving behind a trail of breadcrumbs to nowhere.
We hope for tomorrow to be better,
For this moment to last forever,
To make it through one more day.
But what is time beyond fleeting?
We move through today, into tomorrow, into forever, until everywhere we've been becomes one more place we can never return.
Finally, she settles in for the night.
"I... I think I understand. I will do what I can to change my appearance to make it easier on you all. Thank you, Valaria." Her physical appearance hadn't meant much to her at this point, but perhaps even a gesture as small as changing what she wore to differentiate herself from Li'an would help the others. She stands and gathers her things, and then bows slightly to Val. "Good night."
She then heads down quickly to see if she can catch Aravashnial, since she'd asked him to listen to her. She knocks on his door and waits patiently for a response.
Val watches the celestial go in silence. She takes a few moments to calm herself, not having realized her worked up she'd gotten. She looks up at the clouded sky one more time. "Tomorrow is going to make or break the lot of us my lady," she says softly. "Please, don't let us lose another friend. Please." She can't muster the energy for the full devotion, feeling very drained after everything that's happened. She heads downstairs silently, retrieving their treasures and moving them off to their private room before sitting down on her bed. Despite her exhaustion, the rolling feelings don't let her sleep. She digs out her journal and begins to write her next entry.
"What do you need?" Aravashnial calls out. Assuming Isilme responds, he continues - "Come in."
He is sitting upright. "Well? What's on your mind?" After a moment, he asks, "Did your mission go well? They do a good job. I probably sound like I think otherwise, most of the time."
"But... you can't possibly believe you can get to the wardstone? They'll have their best protecting it. Ary, Hrut, Markus - they're talented, but they're all novices," he says, disregarding even Irabeth's rank.
24 Arodus 4713
It is almost noon by the time Ehren and Markus are finished preparing their spells for the day. The air is tense - Commander Irabeth gathers the crusaders and refugees to her and delivers a speech to inform them of the situation. She calls for volunteers for their push to save the Kenabres wardstone from corruption - saying that she cannot order her men to risk their lives when their families are right next to them.
The men and women of Kenabres are resolute. The vast majority of the crusader force agrees to march on Old Kenabres. They prepare to mobilize.
Commander Irabeth intends to leave a fifth of her forces at Defender's Heart - to evacuate and protect the refugees if need be.
The merchants peddle their wares to the crusaders. There are long lines at several of them.
No random crusaders bring up the heroes' mission. Irabeth left the specifics of their task out of the speech.
Meanwhile, Quednys discretely pulls Ehren aside. He hands him the rod of cancellation. It is a long, thin piece of metal that ends in two prongs, between which a green gemstone rests.
"We talked about it and agreed that you should be the one to destroy the wardstone. From what Aravashnial says - you have some method of sensing the ley, correct? We... don't really know what will happen when it is destroyed, but you will need to channel with the rod to destroy it anyway. If it seems like you're getting a lot of... magical feedback then you can break the connection." He pauses. "You're Kellid right? I know that the menhir have some sort of spiritual significance to your people. If you'd rather I gave it to Markus, I understand."
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She goes to answer him, but he begins rambling about the mission and the dire situation before she can get a word in edgewise. Ironically, his complete oblivousness to her emotional state is calming in a way. When he finishes, she answers, deciding to follow the path he'd started the conversation down. "The mission was truly flawless, Ai'sintar. I am not sure that the three of us could have done better. They infiltrated the tower and disabled all the guards, leaving Faxon alone and helpless, and they did so without any help from me."
"I am not so sure they are novices at this point. They are easily as talented as we were when we began fighting in the first crusade, if not more so. They trust each other and they understand how to work together." She pauses for a moment, thinking how best to answer the actual question. "There is only one thing that can be done now, and that is to retrieve the wardstone. You should place your trust in them now because there is nothing else to do. If they... we fail, there is likely nothing afterwards. Thus you lose nothing by doing so. But knowing your they have your trust will mean something to them, I think. And if you won't place your trust in them, then place it in me."
"I think I will go get some rest now, Ai'sintar. It may not seem like you listened to anything in particular, but thank you nevertheless." Isilme hugs him tightly and then kisses him gently on the forehead. "Get some rest as well. I'll expect you to see me off tomorrow," she says, her voice showing her mood has improved considerably.
Afterwards, she heads back to her room and digs out Li'an's journal, poring over it. As she does, she feels her eyes begin to close, and she starts nodding off. Isilme, for the first time in her life, drifts off into sleep and dreams.
Ethan the messenger boy seeks out Markus with a letter. The seal on the wax is from his former university. "Um, excuse me, mister? Are you Master Markus?"
Markus the Grey,
You are asking a lot. But assuming your friend is even capable of learning psionics, it will take at least a week. And you understand that as he is not a scholar of the Palatine Eye, he is not privileged to my knowledge. I would also require a hefty fee to make up for travel expenses, and for risk to my person. How does 300 platinum sound?
In any case, I have heard a lot of dire news about Mendev this past week. If the demonic activity along the border ceases, or if you can relocate your friend to a more... hospitable locale, I can arrange for teleportation swiftly.
Awaiting your response,
Professor Elena
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Like Ehren and Markus, Ary takes her time in leaving her room; despite the fact that she knows they must hurry, she doesn't skip any of the steps that are necessary. Rushing would ensure that things went wrong.
She knelt in prayer before her shield, holding Radiance overtop it, eyes closed as she prayed. For the first time since she'd begun her prayers all those years ago... she felt something besides her own faith stir within her, a firm, resolute kernel of understanding snuck its way into her mind. One more ward that she could call upon for her allies. She couldn't help but smile softly at even such a minor blessing.
When she opened her eyes, she was even more surprised. Tiny, thin chips of gray and dull green rested upon the floor all around her shield, the holy symbol of Iomedae was no longer merely embossed, but sat proudly upon the face of her shield in silver, the spikes shining in the sunlight that dappled through her window. The shield itself had become more sleek for the thin layer of age that had sloughed off from the ancient crystal-like wood. The dull verdant had been replaced with a beautiful emerald hue.
"Thank you, Inheritor." Ary said softly as she rose, attaching her shield to her arm, before heading down to the shops.
The first thing she did was buy a new cloak to replace her old tattered one; if she was going to die... or live... she was going to do it looking her best.
Next, she moved to find Aitha, "I'm sure you've already heard." she says quietly, once she finally makes it to the front of the line. "I... know that it's not every follower of Sarenrae that knows how to wield a blade, and your sister may be one of those that do not." she says, before drawing the masterfully crafted scimitar from one of the many straps on her backpack, handing it over. "But... I'd be a terrible soldier if I didn't help those that I aided to protect themselves in the end." she holds it out, palms up, so that it rested upon both hands.
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Aitha happily accepts the scimitar from Ary. "Oh, she'll be thrilled! But if she cuts her foot off, I'm blaming you!" she winks, until she notices the ring on Ary's outstretched hand. Her face falls.
"...Ah, okay." She blushes. "Hey, um, if you guys were dating, you could have just said something, y'know? I'm not one to get in-between people, I didn't mean anything like that. "
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We made it back to Defender’s Heart just as easily. I suppose that’s good. I don’t think anyone was in any shape to fight. We took enough time to calm down, for whatever good it did us, and went out hunting. The cultists hiding out at the Tower of Estrad never knew what hit them. They fell for the ‘we’re on your side, let us in’ bit again. We managed to talk to their leader without provoking any suspicions and he seemed like a bit of an a$$. I wouldn’t know for sure, considering he didn’t talk enough for me to learn. Oh well. We waited until all the others were asleep and let us take night watch then knocked them all over the head and tied them up. Then we went downstairs and kicked Faxon’s arse. He went down entirely too easily.
We found a prisoner they were holding, one of the Rift Wardens. He wasn’t as much of an a$$ as I expected, but we’ll see. Luckily, we also found a number of useful documents from the cultist leader’s desk. Troop movements, lists of names, they’re not going to know what hit them when the crusaders move against them. And they deserve it too. But what we found mixed in frightened us, a letter from Minagho, one of the most powerful demons in the Worldwound and ruler of a ruined city, to Faxon. It instructed him that they were preparing to do something terrible. Using some crystal, something we later learned to be part of the crystalized power of a dead demon lord, to corrupt the last shard of Kenabres’s wardstone. If they succeed, they’ll somehow turn the entirety of the wardstone field against the crusaders. And Areelu Vorlash, the Worldwound Witch herself, the opener of the Worldwound, was coming to deliver the crystal and complete the ritual.
It… it could be the end of everything. We delivered the information to the crusaders. And we’re going to do something about it. Tomorrow, we’re going to invade the Grey Garrison while the crusaders march on Old Kenabres in force. It’s going to be a slaughter. And every one of them is going to lay down their lives to give us time to infiltrate one of the strongest fortresses left in the city. We’re going to have to fight tooth and nail through the best the invaders and demons have to offer while they fight for our sake so that we can reach the wardstone, or whatever’s left of it. Then we’re going to destroy it. This will be the end of this invasion, one way or another. Either we write the glorious victory of the shattered remnants of the crusaders casting down the demons and making a great sacrifice to save the world, or we die so the bards can forever know the tale of the fall of Kenabres and the victory of the Worldwound. I’m… I’m going to be at the frontline of it all. I may shape history. I… I’m just me. I don’t know if I can do this. But for the sake of every innocent life that will be lost if we fail, I’ll try anyway.
For the first time in weeks, Val doesn't suffer a nightmare or one of her wandering dreams. Her sleep is filled with darkness. She wakes groggily, her body feeling heavy and tired and the tension in the air making her twitchy. She doesn't bother to don her armor, leaving it at the foot of the bed as she heads downstairs. Irabeth's speech simply leaves her more tense.
She wanders around a bit, but finds her way to the armorer's stall eventually, purchasing a shining shirt of mithral using the platinum from the chest. The cool metal feels almost weightless in her hands and she dons it in silence. As she pulls it on, the material, normally silvery white, seems to flicker gold in the correct light and it forms against her body perfectly without her adjusting it. "If this is a sign my lady, make it a good one. Whatever grace you provide, I'll fight today, for every single person in Mendev. And every person beyond that will suffer if we fail." Her hand wraps around her favored starknife and she feels a pleasant warmth. She looks down, seeing the worn grip turn pristine as she touches it. The fog of depression lifts from her mind as she finds her resolve.
"I... ah. Markus... Mage... Gloomy." Ary pauses for a moment, as she looks from the ring to Markus, to the ring, to him again. "Um." Her cheeks turn red as she stumbles over her words. 'Breathe, Dammit.'
After a deep breath, she nibbles on her lip. "Okay. Gifted rings... they normally mean something, something very specific around here." Ary swallows. "And, uh... it's not that I'm not attracted to you or anything. And it's not that you aren't an amazing guy, or that I wouldn't be absolutely lucky to have the affections of someone like you, but... there's someone else." she says as she chews on her lips. 'Someone even more out of my league than you.' she thinks, as her cheeks stay flushed.
"Oh!" Markus' cheeks don't flush - they never do - but he does look embarrassed. "That's not really what I meant. I just... I owe my life to you several times over, and you're always saying all that stuff about 'shining in her legion' and looking your best and all. And I had all this platinum that I didn't know what to do with."
"Um." He scratches his head. "I thought you'd appreciate it."
Markus rises early and goes out to the marketplace as well, visiting the same armorer that he sold the ranseur to, handing over eighteen shiny platinum pieces for a suit of lightweight and decorative padded armor. The armored coat fits nicely over the rest of his suit, and he leaves his coat (completely repaired) folded on the bed of his room.
As he walks about, he can see something in people. For just a fleeting moment, he can see their beating hearts. The souls that rest within them. Only for a moment, but then it happens again. He can feel energy surging through him, and he knows that he can influence that energy - extend it beyond its natural span. If any fell around him, he could ensure that they completed their duty.
He visits Aitha's stall with the blank scroll in hand (save for the personal note left at the bottom) just in time to see her talking with Ary. He sees the look on her face and frowns. He walks up to the pair of them and holds up the scroll. "I wanted to thank you for making me these," he says. "The one I used worked perfectly - your dweomercraft is of excellent quality. Did something happen?"
Aitha realizes Markus is there too - and the look on her face leaves her thoughts transparent. Ary still hasn't said anything to her, after all. Wish I was anywhere but here!
"Ah! M-Markus, correct? I'm glad you liked them!" she looks at Ary, then back at Markus. She offers a not-so genuine smile. "I'm... really happy for you two! H-harley was talking about how she sold you a ring... for someone special! I can see, now." Her eyes dart from Ary's cape - to her shining, green shield, to the beautiful, engraved hilt of Radiance. "Very special." she concludes.