Shortly after they set off to return to the Dark Elves' Capital, Liza pulls up her horse alongside Elza's, "why did you interrupt me intentionally earlier?". Elza, "because I figured their reaction would be funnier later rather than now". Liza, "as I thought, you already figured out who I am". Elza, "it took me a while because you were younger, and in a gaudy dress when we officially met. But I figured it out on the way to Cairon".
Liza grimaces at the mention of the dress, "my mother forced me to wear that awful dress. I burned it afterward...at least it prevented you from recognising me for longer than I thought it would take. It was going to happen sooner or later either way, but if anyone would've figured it out, it would've been you. I was prepared to spill everything the moment we met". Liza adjusts her position on the horse, "I don't mind putting off Ren and Lorilay finding out if that's what you want. It just gives me a little bit more time". Elza, "Thanks. I just want to see Ren's jaw hit the floor", picturing it causing a slight grin.
Elza falls into thought for a second upon looking at Liza, her demeanour hard to read, "I can see where you're coming from though, not wanting to be treated differently because of your status. I don't think you need to be worried about that with us though". Liza awkwardly scratches her cheek, her feelings so early seem through, "that's not what exactly what I'm worrying about, I just...I dunno. I just wanted to be people's equal, not someone above them. I just can't help but worry that will change".
Elza grimaces ever so slightly, "that's a difficult discussion I'd rather not have when my moods just starting to recover. Change the subject, change the subject. Something I'd find interesting...oh! At the dress store, you mentioned a woman you think could end up being Ren's wife. Tell me about her". Liza blinks a few times in surprise, "I'm surprised you remember that". Elza, "of course I remember it. It's hard to forget something major like that. I wanted to ask straight away, but Lorilay brought up a more pressing matter. But now that we have some time, what's she like?".
Liza grabs her chin in contemplation, tilting her head to the side, "hm...at the very least, she's like an older sister to me, even if she's only a little older. She goes out of her way to look after me, a bit too much in my opinion. At first, I thought she was fallowing me because she had to keep an eye on me, but if she saw something I did that would definitely get me in trouble, the trouble never came. She just wanted to make sure I was ok and nagged me to be more responsible. Well, that was more when we were little. She's less naggy now...maybe".
Elza, "you sound close. I wish I had something like that", instead of the constant rivalry I had. I would be lucky if I was shown concern maybe once a year, "but rather than what she was like when she was a kid, how about as an adult?". Liza struggles to come up with a definitive answer, "it's hard to say exactly. Maybe she's...high-strung?". Elza, "why is that a question?". Liza, "she comes from a well off and established family with a long history. Maybe that's why, but she has very high standards for others, and herself...mainly herself. And her standard's for a man? Don't even get me started on that mess. She's pickier than me, especially since she's part of the church. She used the excuse that they're not religious almost every time she met a man".
Elza, "hm...I'm able to see how those circumstances can make someone seem high-strung. Anything more informative though?". Liza, "em, she's very nice to the people she likes, but very...weary of those she doesn't know. It takes her a while to warm up to people, but once she does, she's the best. Also, if you get on her bad side, it's very hard to get back on her good side. She will openly avoid or criticise those she doesn't like. Basically, she's very straight with you".
Elza, "I can start to picture her. Since you think she might be Ren's wife, you must think Ren will get on her good side". Liza looks down at her engagement ring, fidgeting with it worryingly, "that...might be difficult. She might not even give him the time of day at the start. She will probably think he's the playboy type, but since he's my fiancée, and the father of my child, she'll get over that...eventually".
Elza, a bit confused by the statement, "why would she think he's a playboy? I don't think he's the type to openly seduce women. He could get almost any woman he wanted anyway, so there's no need to act like one". Liza, "that's true, but she'll just see that as him being more of a natural playboy. She thinks every man is a playboy", Liza letting out a sigh of exasperation, "it's like she doesn't want to find a man at all". Elza, "I'm getting a better picture of what she's like. From the sound of it, it's going to be a bumpy road ahead of us". Liza, "I can't deny that, but it would be advantageous to get her on our side at the very least. She's stronger than me...depending on the situation". Elza, "is that so? Then I can't wait to meet her".
Not long later, news of Cairon's demise has spread throughout the Demon Kingdom. Naturally, it has even reached the ears of the Commanders in their respective regions. Commander A, "I doubt Cairon would underestimate his opponent. They must be considerably strong to bring him down. I wonder if they'll keep coming after the Commanders like this. My territory is far from Cairon's, but I shouldn't let my guard down".
Commander B cackles, "it's a shame I couldn't fight Cairon to prove I was better, but I acknowledged his destructive power. This could turn out bad for the other Commanders if they're not careful. Vall was a weakling, but they can't ignore whoever this is now. It doesn't matter to me though, unless it's the Demon King himself, I'll cut anyone to shreds!".
Commander C, "As I thought, Cairon was just a tru...tru...trumped-up beast that got lucky. This is my chance to prove that I am the strongest of the Commanders! Should I head over there and claim their head?". A cheer of support rings out around him, but a figure next to the Commander cuts through the noise, "what would happen if they head here next and you're not here?". The Commander clicks his tongue in annoyance, "always ready to spoil the fun."
Silvia, "it doesn't look like I'll be able to settle into my new position with ease. Cairon was a neighbouring Commander to my new territory. I was going to use him to try and stabilise my territory, but now my job will get ten times harder unless a new Commander is established quickly. I don't have the leeway nor experience to step in and manage his territory temporarily, and the surrounding Commanders are combat focused idiots that make their subordinates do the all work...fuck sake".
Commander E looks at the letter while finishing off a drumstick, "even though Vall was a stupid mutt, Cairon was strong. I can't fathom how he was defeated. Silvia is going to have a hard time in her new position. I doubt she even knows I'm in her territory with the turnover. If i had been there when they fought Vall, things would have gone differently". He tosses the bone to a nearby beast, its ears perking up at the sound of it hitting the floor, "best not dwell on the past. My preparations are long underway, so I don't have time to babysit her right now anyway. I just need to continue on as I have been. Let the brat fend for herself and see if her animal instincts let her sink or swim".
Commander F, "first Vall, and now Cairon? How dare they spoil my fun! I was going to whip him into submission and make him my loyal pet! Seeing a man like him fall is the greatest pleasure! How infuriating, ruining the plans I made! The rest of the Commanders aren't to my taste...I might just have to make do with them anyway. Better to have as many pawns on my side as possible. I have to make new plans though, so I can't act right away. How frustrating. I need a now toy to vent this out on". Nobody knew just how much this whim would affect the world in the future. The smallest decision can unknowingly lead to the biggest repercussions.
While most of the Commanders deal with the unrest amongst their people, a certain figure is sitting upon an extravagant throne in a throne room decorated with the most lavish tapestries. Despite being in his 50's, the man's sharp features, combined with his black scales, give off an air of intimidation that shouldn't be possible for most his age. He is dressed very lightly for a King, but despite this, it's clear that what he's wearing is the finest of wears. His most extravagant apparel is his ornately decorated red cape. One look at it and anyone could tell the painstaking effort that was used to craft it.
This man is of course the Demon King, and contempt rings out from his voice as he slams a letter to the floor in anger, "what is the meaning of this? Two commanders defeated within a few days of each other. This is unacceptable! The lowly peasants will start to get some idiotic ideas in their heads". The mysterious woman is beside him once more. However, despite the Demon King being beside her, she is distracted. This caused her to blurt out something that shouldn't have been said unintentionally, "like someone strong enough to defeat the Demon King has finally appeared?".
The Demon King shoots her a deathly glare that quickly snaps her back to her senses, but she dares not to look at him, looking straight ahead instead and trying to play it off, "even if it isn't true, it's what the people will think". Seemingly to have bought that, the Demon King slowly sinks back into his chair, thinking for a few seconds as he taps his index finger against the throne's armrest, "the humans are getting a bit cocky with their self-proclaimed heroes or whatnot when I'm only letting them be so they can produce slaves all on their own. I'll have to teach them a lesson, soon. Dealing with the aftermath comes first".
The mysterious woman starts reading through the report about Cairon, and she feels her heart quake, Cairon...you fool. She has trouble holding back her tears but quickly regains her composure. However, the Demon King notices the brief reaction, making him stare at her intently, "what is it?". The mysterious woman stays calm and comes up with a believable misdirect, "...It seems it's not just the humans. An Elf and the Queen of the Dark Elves were also there when Cairon was defeated". The Demon King's Interest is slightly peaked, "hm...If that pesky bitch was there, it means someone finally won that pointless tournament. It doesn't matter though, I'm undefeatable. No matter who they are, only death awaits them. They can futility struggle all they want".
With the matter hopefully settled, the mysterious woman excuses herself, the Demon King eying her as she goes, as I thought, her Education isn't going the way it should be. How should I deal with her? Once she leaves the throne room, the Demon King signals to one of his scantily clad servants off to the side. She brings him a report, a copy of the exact same report the mysterious woman had in her hands. Once he reads the contents, his brows start to furrow, did she really think she could keep this information from me? It might get diluted among the masses, but as if I'd be so neglectful to not investigate. I'll have my spies gather everything they can on him. Lightning...arrogant little shit.
Walking down the hallway, the mysterious woman looks at the report in her hands, its contents distracting her from the death of Cairon, lightning? How? Is it possible there's another unique that can control lightning? Nevertheless, this may be the best chance that's come. Nobody has been able to challenge him because his lightning is so powerful, but maybe this man can go toe-to-toe with him. Maybe that's why Cairon...I need to observe more...which Commander will he go after next? I should make contact if the opportunity arrives. I want to keep this a secret all long as possible. He never looks at reports, so I can keep it under wraps until a Commander eventually let's it slip. And I can play it off as an insignificant detail.
That night, back in Starventure while everyone is asleep, Phina is drinking alone in her nightwear. A candlelight projecting her shadow onto the wall as chugs back her tea, the bitter taste causing her face to wince. However, once she places her cup on the table, she hears someone approach from the darkness of the room that's not illuminated by the candlelight. Despite this, she pours herself another drink, "I thought assassins are meant to...I dunno, not just nonchalantly walk up to their targets?".
Cloaked figure C stands in the candlelight, making herself visible. Visible can be used loosely in this case as she's covered head to toe in a black cloak with only her mouth visible, "it depends on the target and the objective. Or it could just be my mood". Phina chugs another cup, "well, I hope you don't mind me drinking. If I'm going to die anyway, there's no need to stop". C sits on an empty chair that's a little far from Phina. Not so close that Phina could attempt to do something, but not far enough away that she could run either, "I never understand those who like tea. It's so expensive but it tastes like crap".
Phina takes a look at the tea in her hand, "I'd have to agree whit you". C, "then what's the point in drinking it?". Phina swirls the tea in the cup, "I honestly don't know why people want to drink this all the time. But for me, there's nothing better that forces you out of your own thoughts...for however brief that is. There's also something about that just makes you want it from time to time".
C, "so you like to have it on a bad day is what you're saying". Phina downs her tea once more, wincing once again, "that would be an understatement. I only have it on the worst days of my life...like today. The person who saved my life, who I owe everything to, passed away. I'm drowning my sorrows away so I don't breakdown and cry. I vowed to never cry again".
C, "I'm very sorry to hear that". Phina scoffs, slamming her cup loudly on the desk. One would wonder how it's still intact after that impact, "oh, please. You're about to send me to the afterlife to go and see them". C, "being an assassin means I'm not allowed to have empathy? And you call yourself a nun?". Phina is completely blindsided by her stance, "why am I getting lectured on morals by the assassin sent to kill me?". C, "who said I'm here to kill you?".
Phina can't even put how much she's confused into words, "so you're not here to kill me?". C, "oh, I am, it's just not good to make assumptions". Phina just freezes, unable to process the absurdity in front of her. She eventually thaws, "just get it over with already. I'm tired of this interaction". C, "are you sure? People usually beg to be spared". Phina, "I'm not going to beg for anything. I knew what I was getting into and I had the resolve to do so. I knew I'd probably meet an untimely and most likely horrific death. I made my peace with that long ago. My last wish however is to leave this note here so it can be found", as she writes on a piece of paper and folds it over.
C takes the paper of the desk and reads the front before opening it, "I don't mind depending on what it says", Dear Atia, I'm sorry I can't be with you any longer, but you need to leave this place. Behind our bed, there's a box in the wall. Look for the stone with a yellow mark and pull it out. Take the box and head far west. Start a new life there with what's in the box. Burn this letter so nobody else reads it. I love you – Phina.
C puts the paper back on the desk, "I don't see a problem with it". Phina, "thanks. So, are we done now?". C, "why would you think that?". Phina genuinely has no clue how to respond to this woman. C, "I haven't gotten the most important information out of you, have I?". Phina, "...how am I meant to know what you want?".
C, "after how nice I've been, and this is how you treat me? Would it kill you to return the favour?". Phina, fully fed-up with this interaction, "...you're the worst assassin ever". C, now properly annoyed, carefully takes Phina's left hand into her own hands. She gently caresses Phina's fingers, creeping Phina out. As Phina thinks, maybe I could just walk away, C suddenly grabs her pinkie finger and breaks it without warning.
C watches Phina yelp in pain, but also doesn't let her go of Phina's hand, "I staked this place out for days. Learned the routines of all your assassins. I waited for an opportunity where you'd be alone and in a place where nobody could hear you scream if needed be. All that matters is the results, nothing else. If I can get the same results by being nice, then why wouldn't I be nice? I can torture you if you really want, but if you're going to die anyway, wouldn't you want it to be painless", as she wiggles a finger around Phina's broken one.
Phina nods enthusiastically through the pain, gritting her teeth to try and bare it. C, "good", as she fixes Phina's finger back into its regular position. C watches as Phina withers in pain again, shouting "FUCK!", before she hunches over and catches her breath. C finally let's Phina's hand go, "I made it a clean break and returned it to its natural position. That should lesson the pain considerably. It would heal quickly if you were to live". Phina, with a hint of sarcasm as looks at her finger, "thanks for the consideration".
C, "you're most welcome. Now, tell me about how the goods are supplied and how you distribute them". Phina, "I just do as I'm told. All I know about the supplies is they come from the Demon Lands. The shipments come along with church resupply convoys returning from those lands. I just hold onto the supply until another convoy comes for it". C, "hm...exactly as the Intel said. But you must surely have more than that. Who makes it? Who picks it up from here? Where does it go?". Phina, "I have no idea who makes it. A member of the church shows me a coin with a custom design which tells me they'll be taking what I'm holding onto. They then take it to who knows where. Asking careless questions like where they're taking it will just get me killed".
C, "so what you're telling is that you have no value and this was a waste of time?". Phina, "I told to just get it over with. They're so secretive and controlling that you'll never find a leak in information. Unless you find a higher up in the organisation, you'll never learn anything". C sighs, "so you're not one of the higher ups. How disappointing". Phina, "I've been working my up through grunt work for years. If things continue as they have, I expect to be initiated in a few years. Unless something drastic happens".
C, "I couldn't care less about that. What matters is that you're useless to me right now". Phina, "then just get this over with already!". C, "sorry, but I lied. I'm only nice to get people's lies out of the way. I then torture them to get the real information". Phina glares at C, "...I fucking hate you". C stands, taking out a knife as she does, "thanks for the compliment. It's always nice to know I'm doing a good job". Phina, "can you I punch you once? It would make me feel so much better about dying". C, "you can try if you think that will make you feel better".
Phina really wants to but resigns herself to her fate, "just get it over with. I'm sure my guardian spirit is already waiting for me in the next life". C, "oh, a spirit believer. May the fox be with you", as she raises her free hand's index and pinkie fingers into the air while pressing her other fingers against her thumb, creating a (presumable) fox head with her hand. Phina mimics the gesture in disbelief, "the fox only helps those who do what's necessary". Both of them then curl up their index and pinkie fingers, making their hand animals look more like rams. This leaves both of them stunned, silence filling the room for a moment.
Phina is completely livid, "why didn't you make the signal before?!". C, "I work with a partner. Making the signal of a fox cutting off its ears is suspicious as fuck". Phina, "it was designed that way so you could play it off as religious belief!". C, "the cutting off the ears part is weird. There's no good explanation for it. Anytime I did it, the people I was going to kill gave me weird looks and asked what the hell I was doing. My partner started inquiring about it, so I just said it was a habit and that I'd stop".
Phina is basically frothing at the mouth, "is you're partner here right now? I don't see them anywhere?". C, "well...ok, I admit that it's my bad in this case. She's keeping an eye on my exit". Phina, "you broke my finger when this mess could have all been avoided from the start!". C, "ok, I get it. It's my fault. At least your finger will heal nicely, right?". Phina, unfathomably fed up with the interaction, just glares at her, clearly wanting to rip C's head off.
C, "let's at least be glad it didn't go too far. Now that we know we're on the same side, you can just share what you know". Phina, knowing she's not dealing with the sharpest tool in the shed, "do you not realise the information you're operating off of came from me?". C, "oh, really? That's funny." Phina wants nothing more than to just leave the room. C ignores her discontent, "now, think about our situation for a second. I mention a partner, and I am here to kill my so-called source of information". Phina takes a second to think, "you're partner's not a member of the Skulk, and Skulk wouldn't order you to come after me, so you're here under the pretense of something else".
C, "bingo. I'm meant to be here in order to find evidence that you've been encroaching on my client's business". Phina rummages through the desk with one hand and finds a stack of papers. She hands them to C, "this room was used for a deal that quickly feel through. This manifest should show an attempt of intentionally encroaching on his business". C looks over the papers, "hm...a little old, but they should be enough to pull the wool over their eyes for this brief infiltration attempt".
Phina, "I knew it was a matter of time before he suspected me". C, "usually nobody suspects the church. Even spirit believers are doubted before them. However, there was just no other options left. Prepare yourself for a turf war now that he's onto you". Phina, "been ready for it for some time. However, the Order is focusing all their energy on the Church. Things are apparently basically all in place. Only some minor last adjustments. They're pulling out of the slave trade unless it's men". C, "ah, so they're aiming for a forced coexistence. He won't like that".
Phina, "I couldn't give a shit about what he wants. I'm just working my way up the chain...not that there's any point in that anymore". C, "why?". Phina tilts her head in a moment of confusion before quickly straightening herself, "why?...nevermind, just some internal matters that I need to deal with", he probably has a successor in place to continue operations if anything happened to him. I'll continue on as I have. C picks up the pitcher of tea and takes a swig before immediately spitting it out, "as I thought, awful". Phina, "this may be an unused room, but I'd prefer if the wall, desk, floor, and my clothes weren't sticky thank you very much".
C puts the pitcher back down, "sorry, it was just much worse than I expected. I'd offer to clean it up but if I stay here much longer, my partner will get suspicious", as she starts to sink back into the darkness of the room. Phina, "weren't you about to torture me for information? You should have plenty of time to clean up your mess". C pokes her head back out of the darkness, "then I'd have to come up with an excuse for what took so long with no information to show for it. I'll send a reta so we can communicate on the happenings of this city now that I know who you are. We should co-operate directly going forward". C completely disappears before Phina can even give a response.
Phina, left alone with her thoughts, finds herself not in the mood for drinking anymore. She gets up and leaves the room, but brushes her broken finger against the door frame as she does, causing her some intense pain. She returns to the desk, grabs a pen and some cloth, fixing them to her broken finger, it's not ideal, but it will do for now. I'll go to the infirmary in the morning with a plausible excuse. Phina leaves the room and starts walking down the stone hallways, her footsteps echoing pleasantly. She slows her pace before she tiptoes into a room, trying to be as quiet as possible. The bed in the room is a complete mess with sheets and pillows scattered across it and the floor.
On the bed is an equally messy Atia, scratching her exposed stomach as she snores. Phina undoes her habit and slinks onto to bed, nestling up beside Aita. As soon as she does, the sleeping Aita embraces Phina like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Phina quickly finds herself drifting off in the loving embrace, as if all her worry and sadness are being melted away by Aita's warmth.