IveBeenToAmberToSeeTheQueenI've been to Amber to see the QueenSB: Dagny/Priya: I’ve been to Amber to see the Queen "Speaking with Vialle suits me." Priya agreed. She cast a glance at the nurse. "The nurse can be dissuaded if she notices." "It would appear" Ostegos adds "that Vox has decided it is no longer wise to cloak my existence." he says, nodding to Dagny. "If the Princess does not know them, my time here talking with the servants and guards has revealed some back ways we might use to find the Queen all the faster." "I can see why you let him stick around." Valerian says to Priya, stretching. "Well, shall we?" The nurse, in the meantime, is still tending to a relatively unhappy looking Prince Julian. Her back is to everyone. Julian does give the smallest and briefest of smiles to Dagny and Priya. Perhaps brief enough that they only imagined it. "I think that's our cue," Dagny says quietly. "Let's go." With that, she heads out of the infirmary, to the castle corridor. Priya followed everyone out of the infirmiry, watching the nurse for any last glance that might spoil their exit, and with a slight nod in answer to the bed ridden Prince. In short order, Dagny, Priya, Ostegos and Valerian are clear of the infirmary and on the loose in the corridors of Castle Amber. "I find it somewhat ironic that my experience with the guard in Lemuria might now become crucially useful to Priya." Ostegos says. "Although leading groups of guards is a far cry from running or leading an army, of course." "Short cut." Ostegos says. "The back way, as the guards call it." The back way turns out to be a shortcut through a couple of rooms, across a hall, and up a couple of servants staircases. In remarkably short order, the group is three floors up and in front of the Royal Apartments. A pair of guards give bows to Dagny. "Her Majesty expected you were coming." the guard on the right says, as the left opens the door. "She is in her studio. First door on the right." Priya remained slightly behind Dagny, just a step to the side. She smiled silently at the guard's comment, and followed Dagny to the Queen's studio. "Thank you," Dagny says to the guard, and heads into studio. Priya, Valerian, Dagny and Ostegos soon find themselves in a room full of pedestals. The pedestals are full of fired-clay busts, with a few abstract pieces here and there, mostly of flowing forms. In the center of this space, seated on a stool, the Queen of Amber is sightlessly working her fingers in a portion of clay. She doesn't turn her head. "Greetings." she says. "Come and join me, and tell me what you will." She pauses a moment and then continues, turning around at last. "Master Corlianus is not with you?" "No, your Majesty," Dagny replies. "He's still recuperating in the infirmary." She looks to her Rebman companions with a slightly quizzical air. She knows the Queen and Priya are acquainted, but is unsure where Ostegos fits in, and who should perform the introductions. "I see" Vialle says. "You are well, Valerian?" "Yes, your Majesty" Valerian says. "The efforts of Princess Dagny and Master Corlianus are most appreciated in rescuing me from danger. Thank you for your role in that." "The thanks should go to the pair of them" Vialle says. "He could be along later if you wished." Priya added. She was standing in front of an abstract peice, turning her head to cast her voice over her shoulder. She turned back to the art, studied it a moment longer, and then moved to the next one. "I rather like these abstracts." She circled the pedestal, examining it from each side. "Thank you" Vialle says, in a pleased tone. "The abstracts are an experiment. Randy doesn't seem to understand them. I wonder if it takes a Rebman mindset to fully appreciate the use of flow and amorphousness in form. What do the three of you think?" Vialle says. The piece Priya examines might be considered, to Dagny, something like Isamu Noguchi might make of a waterfall, or perhaps a river. "I know little about art." Ostegos says. "The art I am used to is far more..." he looks at Priya "concrete?" "There are a couple of museums back in the Omphalos world that had abstract, sui generis art." Valerian says. "Much more blockiness and formal than this. These are sort of like trying to capture the feel of water in clay." Dagny adds a few finishing touches to the map, and looks at the others. "I think that's it. I'm ready when you are." Dagny studies the pieces. "I've always liked abstract art, and I like these. You have to bring something of yoursel Dagny studies the pieces. "I've always liked abstract art, and I like these. You have to bring something of yourself to understand them." "As with any art." Vialle agrees. "I do appreciate your thoughts on my sculpture, although I am certain you did not come here to view my artistic endeavors." "Or perhaps not solely come to do so." she amends with a smile. "The topic at hand when we left the infirmary were the Omphalos and the Door they opened in Rebma." Priya answered, still examing the art. "Others are speaking with ...Random, now about that and the other two in Arden." The pause while she decided how to refer to the king was noticable and she did not seem comfortable with her selection. Dagny nods in agreement. "We wanted to update you on what happened in Rebma, to provide a more complete picture of the attempted invasion." "Of course" Vialle says. "You thought to come to me, A very Rebman outlook. Perhaps the influence of Priya." She smiles in Dagny's direction. "I have only agreed to what the Family has wished." Priya commented nonchalantly, never having intended to influence anything, even if she was comfortable with the last choice. "And you did send Dagny to rescue me, your Majesty" Valerian says. "Whereupon we all met." Vialle continues. "Indeed. And perhaps my husband did not recognize that he should be talking to you? He's still learning, you must forgive him. These things take time." "But please, be seated, and proceed." Vialle says. Priya approached the Queen and her current work. Eyeing the wet clay with as much interest as she had the finished pieces. Dagny takes a seat. "Thank you, your Majesty. With regards to the Omphalos...I wasn't on the scene when the Door opened, I came upon it after Dulcinea brought Valerian and Corlianus back here. So I can't describe what happened at that particular moment," she looks to Priya, "just what happened afterwards. When I arrived on the scene Omphalos were pouring out of the Door and were doing battle with the Rebmans. They--the Omphalos--had mages with them, but did not appear to be dressed or prepared for battle under the ocean. When I saw what was goin,g on I joined the Rebmans and took out as many Omphalos as I could before Priya sucked all of the magic out of Rebma, crushing the enemy and destroying the Door. We found out afterwards about the Doors in Amber and figured it must have been a coordinated attack." The work, to Priya, suggests a couple of themes and subconscious ideas running through Vialle's art. Movement, flow, water. Freedom. Does Vialle feel trapped in Amber? Or merely homesick for Rebma? Or even just the underwater life in general? Priya certainly gets that vibe from these pieces, finished and unfinished. Vialle smiles slightly to Dagny. "Thank you, dear. Clear and concise." "You're welcome, your Majesty," Dagny murmurs. "It is fortunate, then, from your point of view, they were unprepared for the realities of underwater operations. Whether this is because of ignorance, arrogance , or a mistake on their part is a question that will be answered in their future engagements, I think." "Were there any survivors? And how did her Majesty take the news?" "Priya, your thoughts? Dagny has told us you and Ostegos were at the scene first." Vialle adds. "Valerian." she adds. "I want your analysis after I have heard their reports." Vialle commands. Dagny looks to Priya, curious as to what she has to say. "I did not intend to leave survivors, but I have not yet recieved reports confirming that." Priya replied. "My impression is that Dagny arrived first, but we may have been close enough in timing that it is of little import. Her Majesty was understandably displeased and would very much like to carry this battle to them and end it decisively. When forces are mobilized and organized, I can at least get us to the Rebman Door's point of origin, and I will listen for future Doors and collect those points of origin as well. If they use many, we will have many entry ways, which could be useful." "If I know Random, and I do." Vialle says. "He will be extremely interested in returning the favor, as it were, and responding in kind by sending forces into their land. He may already have research into the problem underway. You, Priya, should aid such efforts. Especially if her Majesty can see the wisdom of contributing forces to a joint effort." "Valerian?" she turns sightlessly to where Valerian sits, even though he has said not a word for some time. "Based on the experience Dagny and Priya had with the Omphalos forces, I believe the Rebman Door was a mistake on their part." Valerian says. "Not to be prepared for battle under the ocean is sloppy by their standards, rather than a change in tactics. I do not know where they meant to put the Rebman Door, but now that they have done so, and learned of Rebma's existence, they will be back. They'll be after the Pattern, and seek to destroy it. There will be more Doors in Rebma, and they will be better prepared next time." "The undoing of the Door was destructively done." Ostegos says. "They may be reluctant to risk another tidal wave of pressurized water if another Rebman Door is dealt with as Priya did the first." "True" Valerian says. "The use of multiple Doors, three at once, suggests they are expanding their campaign. They couldn't launch three Doors from Capital to here at once without an intermediary spot in this universe giving them targeting coordinates and recon" He looks at Dagny. "Paris" "Tell us about Paris" Vialle says to Dagny. "Right, we haven't had a chance to fill in Priya and company." Dagny settles down in her chair and gets her thoughts in order. "The King and Queen gave me permission to raise an army to fight the Omphalos. In preparation, Dulcinea, Valerian and I decided that a little reconnoiter work would not be remiss, so Valerian and I went to a Shadow where we knew they would be, and took on Omphalos identities so we could mingle with the officers. What we found was astonishing. They had set up a headquarters which they referred to as 'Beachhead Prime,' and had a very detailed map of what appeared to be all of Shadow from Amber to Chaos. Which, by the way," I said to the Queen, "I ought to get down on paper before I forget what was on there." "There is paper here, and pencils and pens." Vialle says. "They can be fetched." [Dagny] turns back to Priya. "I know Valerian conversed with at least one person there, but I never got a chance to ask what he found out...as we were leaving, the Trump connection was blocked and there was only time for one of us--me--to get through before it closed. Valerian stayed behind, and we were unable to contact him. Dulcinea and I went to the Queen for help, and she suggested Corlianus, who as you know helped us at no small cost to himself. It was just after that the Door opened in Rebma." Priya was still standing not far from the Queen, listening. She nodded, but looked to Valerian, waiting for what he had to offer before she asked questions. "My turn." Valerian says. "Right" "Some of this might sound a bit down in the weeds, but I did speak with someone in Versailles, that's the Paris HQ they are using, someone I knew. I used my position and rank back in Capital and got some information before things went south in getting myself extracted." Valerian says. "I didn't get a good look at the map Dagny saw, but I got a sense of the overall strategy from my contact." Valerian says. "The Omphalos are pleased as punch they have a shadow in our universe that they have partially under their control. They are sitll having problems with insurgents, something Dagny and I were able to exploit in explaining our presence there." "Their strategy is to use Beachhead Prime as a relay station to launch further Doors from Capital to our universe. It would take a huge amount of equipment for them to launch Doors from Beachhead Prime-Paris, and so they can't do that, yet. If they get to the point where they can do that, we're finished. There will be no stopping them." "My contact didn't have explicit details on where they were launching more attacks, but I get the feeling that both Amber and Chaos are going to see more Doors. I didn't expect them to start launching multiple Doors at once, but it just means they are getting bolder." "My contact also intimated they have started using other kinds of tactics, too. Spies, saboteurs, infiltrators that will fan out from their beachhead into the multiverse. They may already be in the Golden Circle and Black Zone." Priya nodded silently. Spies made sense. Moving without them did not. At least, it would seem, they did not yet have agents in Rebma. Dagny exhales, taking it all in. "Did your contact know anything about the 'generator' that they had set up at the Broken Pattern? I'm just wondering if, whatever it was, it has anything to do with them opening all those Doors." "Hmm..." Priya looked thoughful. "I would be concerned about the foothold they have as well. The sooner that is taken from them, the better for all of us." "I'm sorry" Valerian says. "I keep forgetting that some of their tactics are obvious to me, having lived with them so long. The generator, as you call it, is not a generator. That is an Arcanowave Induction Device." "Meaning, Valerian?" Vialle says. "Meaning, that's one of the magical devices they use to destroy Primal and sub-Primal powers at the source. That is the sort of thing they would put on the Patterns here, or the Logrus, or anything else, if they get the chance. They DO get an enormous amount of arcane energy in the slow process of destruction, but it takes days, weeks, to do it properly, or so I am given to understand." "So they can use the energy to open Doors as Dagny suggested?" Vialle says. "Yes, although most of it would be used to make the Door in Paris larger and more difficult to break." Valerian says. "Large enough to send things like Talosi through reliably." "You mean that big automaton/Cyberman-looking thing?" Dagny interjects. "I saw one of those. What exactly are they able to do?" Priya continued to listen silently. Paying close attention to what was said, but not interupting. If she had questions, she seemed intent on saving them. "An excellent question, Dagny, although I suspect that Valerian is as unfamiliar with what a cyberman is as I am." Vialle says. "I am" Valerian admits. "No matter. Basically, a talos is a type of golem, Really are meant as a weapon of terror and intimidation than being actually practical. A tall robot is awfully vulnerable to being knocked over, if you have the equipment, but a large walking animated piece of orichalcum and bronze tends to make people run for their lives." "They are also useful in siege warfare against walled cities and castles." Valerian says. "Brute force has its uses." Priya nodded. "And its weaknesses" Vialle says. "What else might they bring through, Valerian, besides these Cybermans?" "Well." Valerian says "Where the shadow will allow them to function, armored and armed vehicles, land, sea and air. And many more troops." If there are paper and writing implements nearby, Dagny will start to transcribe the map she had seen. "Well, thankfully, traditional combustion vehicles won't work in Amber, so that's a mercy," she says, looking up from her work. "Although, I wonder if and how such things could be modified to do so. I just wonder what the Omphalos were thinking, charging into Rebma like they did. They couldn't possibly have known where they were going, or they surely would have prepared better." "Next time," Priya commented absently, "I will leave survivors who might be able to answer that question." But the Queen's Lady was slightly pre-occupied, though clearly concerned by what she was hearing. "Before you arrived, I was informed that the Princess Aura saved a prisoner from the Arden incursion." Vialle comments. "It is possible that she knows of the incursion beyond her own and might be persuaded to explain the strategy of the attack." In the meantime, a servant has gotten Dagny drawing paper and pencil. Valerian stands over her, nodding as she artfully sketches the map. To Priya, its an abstract drawing that, as Dagny draws it, reveals itself to be a network map of shadows, with plenty of names and annotations. The map seems to show an area that stretches from the Golden Circle all the way to Chaos, with a big chunk of shadows centered around Paris. Valerian looks at the map. "Rebma is not listed as a separate shadow on the map." he says. "Although from what I've seen, it might usefully be thought of as one, as a shadow within Amber. No sign of it on this map." "This is very good work in memorization, Dagny." Valerian adds. "You've had Memory Palace training?" Priya watched the map come to life, as it were. "I expect we're on it now. If only in a threatening, 'here there be dragons' sort of way." Dagny pauses and eyes her drawing critically. "I've never been much for art, although I can appreciate it when I see it. I don't know what the Memory Palace is, so no, I haven't. Nothing special as to what I'm doing here--I saw it not that long ago, and I took care to memorize it." She resumes her sketching and notating, adding with a sly grin, "If I'd thought I could have ripped the original off the wall and taken it with me, I would have." "There were a number of maps in that room, but this is the key one to understanding their grand strategy." Valerian agrees. "Ripping it off the wall would have given up the game early. As it was, your help in getting me out of there was most appreciated." "Random will want to see this map of yours, as soon as possible. I am afraid." Vialle says with a touch of humor in her tone of voice. "I will not be able to describe it to him in advance." At this point, a servant appears, a Rebman woman in gold and green. She curtseys to Vialle, and then to Valerian and Dagny. Priya does not get a royal curtsey, but a respectful Rebman bow. "Your Majesty, his Majesty the King bades your guests to attend him in his office, once you have done speaking with them." the middle aged blue skinned woman says. Dagny adds a few finishing touches to the map, and looks at the others. "I think that's it. I'm ready when you are." "As am I." Priya added. "I think we have a quorum" Valerian says. He bows to Vialle. "Thank you, your Majesty" he says. "Return soon" Vialle says, seeming to speak to everyone. "There will be ways we can help each other in the dangerous currents that are ahead. And Priya, although it is pleasing you have Ostegos trained so well, he *is* permitted to speak. This is not Rebma, and certainly not one of those hidebound Rebman Houses where men are seen and not heard." "Yes, your majesty" Ostegos says, a bit awkwardly. "I credit the former ladies in his life with his training." Priya replied, tone and glance wryly amused. She gave the Queen a respectful bow, glaced at Ostegos with a smirk, and made to follow the servant, Dagny and Valerian to the King. Dagny looks at Ostegos and Priya curiously after that last exchange and then moves to follow the others, taking the map with her. "She is referring to the other Priya and the Royal Family of Lemuria." Ostegos says as the group takes their leave of the Queen and are once again afoot in the Castle. 'The realm that I come from. Priya came and aided us in rescuing members of the Royal Family, held in bondage. In gratitude, loyalty to her, and a desire to see realms beyond Lemuria, I agreed to accompany her on her travels." "What's this?" Valerian asks. "Not a shadow of Rebma?" "Not as I understand them." Ostegos says "Priya can explain it better." "It is, and it is not." Priya commented, but she was clearly distracted. "The reflections were crossed with Amber's, and all of it twisted into something new. It is very much a seperate place from our realms, but as much as it is influenced, some of their events seem to have preceeded our own. It is quite interesting..." "Sounds it," Dagny agrees, adding, "You all right, Priya?" "My apologies." Priya took a brisker step, gaze sharper. "I was finishing another conversation. The rest will wait until we have spoken with the king." "Your artifacts" Valerian says. It is more of a statement than a question. He looks at Dagny. "I do feel a little underpowered, with the number of artifacts and items of power on your side of the family, and its friends. The only one I have to my name is not in a form that I can use at the moment." He pauses. "Priya is right, too. We should hasten to the King." In short order, as long as it takes to troop from the first floor all the way back down, the group is at the doors of Random's office, behind the throne room. The guards seem to be expecting the group and they are soon inside. Random is staring at a piece of paper on his desk and looks up. "Oh, good. Two more of the draftees my brother wants to round up." He softens his face after a moment. "What I mean to say is, welcome to my office." He looks at Ostegos. "I don't recognize you." "I am Ostegos of Lemuria, bound to Priya." "Hunh." Random says. "Okay, sit down. Things have gotten even messier in the last half hour." He then looks at Dagny and Valerian. "Right. What do I need to know about the Omphalos and Rebma, besides their sudden craving for sushi and sashimi?" Priya stepped into the office and then demurely to the side, leaving the Family center stage. "Before I ask which brother and for what purpose we're being drafted," Dagny says, "I should probably just say my piece. I don't know how much you've heard, but here's what happened in Rebma from my perspective." She launches into the same narrative she had given the Queen, adding in the details of the visit to Queen Moire. "Queen Moire asked Priya to come here and speak with Corlianus and Valerian directly, so here we are. Incidentally, I have drawn a copy of the Omphalos' map to the best of my recollection," she hands it to Random. "Priya, Valerian, have I left anything out?" "A map. *That* would be useful, given my earlier comment. " Random looks pleased. "I do want to see your map." Random says. "Lay it out here." he says to Dagny. "We'll look at it while Val and the Emissary go next. He looks at Valerian expectantly. "Dagny summed up matters well, your Majesty" Valerian says. "The Omphalos blundered their way into Rebma, they won't blunder again so easily." "No. They are smart enough to learn from mistakes." Random says, frowning. He then looks at Priya. "Despite the differences between me and the Queen of Rebma, I think we have a common enemy here. I do wish for you to communicate that to my sister monarch." "No need." Priya replied with a faint smile, "That is the message I am here to deliver. Her Majesty wishes for Rebma's full weight to be in the effort. We wish to carry the battle to their cities, and I intend for there to be little left standing when I depart. To that end, I can supply a Way back to the Rebman's Door's point of origin. I have made arrangements to detect additional Doors and will make every effort to secure them in the same fashion, gathering points of entry for us to exploit." Her tone was more factual than warm, a business discussion between friendly peers. Dagny lays out the map as Random directed, studying it as Priya speaks. "Taking the fight to them sounds good to me," she says, looking up. "I'm game." Random studies the map for a minute, murmuring to himself. "Excellent work, Dagny. We now have an idea of their campaign goals. Hold onto that, I'll explain why in a minute." "You can get from here to the Omphalos Homeworld?:" Random says to Priya. Priya nodded, but with her head held to the side. "I can return to the Rebman Door's point or origin, wherever that may be." "I've commanded Prince Lorius to come up with a scheme to do just that. If you have directional coordinates, then he will need them. You should combine your efforts." he says to Priya. "Amber would be pleased to have Rebma work with us. As will my brother..." She nodded again. He looks at Dagny and Valerian. "Benedict, as General of the Armies of Amber, has decided to conscript what looks like half of the family into the armed forces. He has decided to wage war on the Omphalos. He names names of who he wants to report to him. You two are mentioned. He also mentioned Aura and Ederyn, and I would love to know how he knew they were here even if he didn't name them." "Those troops I told you to raise, Dagny, would join this army. He's eager for forces." Random adds. "He will also want that map." He looks at everyone. "and I want to present him with a solution to getting to their Homeworld once Paris is dealt with. Waiting for one of their Doors that you, detect, Priya, may work, but I want our own homegrown technology to get there on our schedule." "I haven't yet been able to contact all of the cousins I had hoped, but I'm trying," Dagny replies. "Things keep getting in the way. Then I suppose I should find Shadow troops. There must be Shadows of Shadows which were invaded by the Omphalos, or know of them, and would be easy to conscript and train." "Well, it looks like things are going to get out of the way." Random says. "As far as raising troops in shadow, that's not a trick I know much about." The King of Amber shrugs. "More a think Bleys and Corwin and, well, Benedict do." He looks at Valerian. "No, nothing I know about." Valerian pleads. "Faugh." Random says to Dagny, Priya and Valerian. "Well, you've got a week, Amber time, before you need to be in this shadow he's set up. Cincinnatus. Hah. He's sending *me* a message ,calling it that." Dagny frowns. "I don't get it. You mean, like Cincinnati the city? What does that have to do with the Omphalos?" "Cincinnatus. A shadow general, maybe from a shadow near yours, Dagny." Random says. "He fought a great threat to his nation, but didn't set himself up as a dictator or tried to take over his country after the threat was done. So he wants to fight the Omphalos, but doesn't want to be King." Random says "Any road, the directions to Benedict's kick-the-Omphalos-party are in terms of shadow shifting." Random says. "So, someone will have to translate them for you, Priya, so you can bring Rebma's forces on board. Or set up a trump connection or whatever." "Once I know where it is," Priya assured him, "I will handle our transportation." "I don't know that the directions will make sense to you." Random says. "Only a shadow shifter could use these to get there. Valerian?" Valerian rises and looks at the letter that Random puts on the desk. He reads and then nods. "I see, your majesty." Valerian says. "Good" Random says. "You have a week, as measured here, to get to his shadow with whatever you bring along, be it shadow troops, Rebman marines or what have you." "I can start with the directions you have. I can speak with Princess Llewella as needed." Priya pointed out, waiting patiently for information. "May I see that as well, after Priya has had a chance to read it?" Dagny asks mildly. "No harm in it." Random says.. He pulls out a piece of paper and pushes it across the desk in Dagny's and Priya's attention. Travel to the Shift into deep shadow, changing the color of the sky from Amber blue to azure. Seek the Colossus of Oliphem on the Shift until you reach of Whytemoon, city of Sorcerers. Take the trail across the mountains, continuing to shift to increase the mountain's peak jaggedness. Also, shift to add glaciers to the topmost peaks. This list of waypoints and destinations continues on for a few more locales, until.... Reaching the Duchy of Pimlico, shift the color of the trees of the Hyefar Wood from green to greenish blue. Proceed, and seek the greater Forest. Shift through the Pacar Forest, seeking the river. You will have reached the boundary and entry point of Shadow Cincinnatus. Cross the Portia River at Beaulieu's Crossing and follow the river downstream. Travel overland for 10 kilometers and arrive at the city of Anealio by the Sea. The camp is located outside of its walls to the east. "Classic directions to find a place in shadow." Random says. "Doubtless a shadow he has bounded and warded. Trying to sail directly to that shadow by ship probably would not work." he comments. "Or worse, would be dangerous." Priya read the note twice, reciting it silently to her arcane companions and then passed it to Dagny. "Sounds straightforward enough," Dagny remarks, studying the directions. "I've never had occasion to try to move an entire army through Shadow, so this ought to be interesting. I can always muster them at their home Shadows and collect them later." Random waves his hand. "I am counting on either of you to move Amber's troops. I'm counting on you to bring, at a minimum, yourselves to this party my dear elder brother has planned." "Is he going to try and ask your father, do you think?" Random says to Dagny. "With no sign of Kyle or Malachi around, and Merlin in Chaos, you are, such it is, the expert on Luke." Priya listened, but this was not a conversation she was part of. Dagny made a noise that would have been a snort of derision had she not been in polite company. "I'm hardly an expert on Luke, by any stretch of the imagination. And I don't know how how relations are between Uncle Benedict and my father. However, if you don't mind my input, if you want or need Luke's help, the request might have more weight coming from you, monarch to monarch." Random laughs. "Rinaldo could care less about me, except that he wants a Golden Circle Treaty out of me. I figured you might have the straight inside information on what is going on in that brain of his. 'Sides, this is Benedict's little project, so if he wants your father, that's his business. I was just curious if you thought he would actually show up if Benedict wanted to ask him." Dagny shrugs. "I guess you would know better than I would." "I believe that is the whole enchilada." Random says. "For the moment, anyway." He looks at Valerian. "Any final thoughts, Valerian" "No, your Majesty" Valerian says. "I will rely on relations like Dagny and Priya to do recruiting." "I want you to consult with anyone who wants information on the Omphalos. I'd say you can't join this little war, but that would be a deal breaker for my brother. Go help Dagny, Priya, Lorius, and anyone else. Time to get rid of the unlisted number, boy. You're going to be popular. In the meantime, I'll leave you in their care and leave the four of you to your own devices." "Good day" Both familiar and comfortable with being dismissed, Priya bowed politely and left the room. There was no haste to her actions, just a simple following of directions. When the others were ready to depart, they found her standing with Ostegos just a few steps down the hall, waiting for them. "Very well. See you later," Dagny says to Random, and departs after Priya. Seeing Priya and Ostegos in the hallway, she asks of the sorceress, "What did you think?" "That I will need practice or help moving troops through Shadow to the appointed location." Priya answered matter-of-factly. "I will let the Queen know the state of things, and will gather up what troops she wishes to send, but I have little skill at these sorts of activities, normally only being responsible for myself. But, for now, I have another task to finish if you wish to walk with us." The sorceress was poised to go, waiting only to see what Dagny intended. "Unfortunately" Valerian says "I know little about moving troops, either. "I do have a few things I should accomplish here, so if neither of you need or want me around for the moment." The Blond Haired man smiles "I will take my leave of you and set to work." "I do not know where dinner will find me, but I have decided that I enjoy breakfast here at the castle. Feel free to join me. I will not be difficult to find." She seemed amused by something, offering a regal nod as Valerian departed. "Until we all meet again." Valerian says with a smile and nod. "See you later, Valerian," Dagny says as he departs, and turns to Priya. "You said you had one other thing to do, and I'm up for taking a walk if you wouldn't mind company. Shall we?" "I have made arrangements to have a wider range of what we can sense in order to detect Doors more quickly. Finalizing this requires a journey the roof." Priya followed Ostegos, who had become much more familiar with the Castle than she. "I find it somewhat ironic that my experience with the guard in Lemuria might now become crucially useful to Priya." Ostegos says. He starts leading Priya and Dagny toward the staircase. "Leading guards is something different than leading an army, though." Backlinks |
