I came to a lurching halt on the stairs, but then I quickened my steps and mercilessly rubbed the little nogging of the happy-go-lucky prisoner waiting for me at the bottom. "Thanks, Beansprout, but this isn't exactly our home, is it?" He looked at me as if I just asked him a deep philosophical question. "But… I can't go back to our castle anymore, but I have everything here." He stepped back to gesture towards his cell. "I've got games and sweets and the cassette player and my uncles here, so can't this be my home?" "You're not going to stay here forever. As for where you'll end up after all of this madhouse is over and done with…" I let my words linger for a while, and I concluded the thought with a shrug. "We'll figure it out when the time comes, okay?" He looked back at me like I'd just stolen his lolly, so I begrudgingly added, "You can keep the cassettes and the games either way." Kids were pretty simple creatures at times, weren't they? More importantly though, something he just said gave me a pause and I gestured for him to pay attention. "Did your 'Uncle Antonio' drop by while I was away?" Ollie shook his head at once, which drew an involuntary hum out of me. "Huh. That's unexpected." Considering future-me's track record, I was half-convinced that he would not only show up and leave in a way that we just barely 'missed each other', but leave a cryptic message behind just to annoy me. "He must've been busy elsewhere," I concluded and pointed at the cell on our right with my thumb. "Dinner?" "I'll pick!" the tiny Abyssal heir exclaimed with gusto and rushed into the chamber with all the freezers. While he was busy with that, I returned to my cell and walked over to the table in the corner. First, I retrieved my weapons. "{Finally, fresh air!}" "Don't be a drama queen," I chided my longsword as I put it onto the table. "You've only been in storage for half a day." "{And each second of it felt like an eternity!}" "{Correction: Interface:Caly is exaggerating. Our operations are suspended while in storage, including our temporal experience.}" "{Quiet, Teeny! Do you want to be kept in storage?!}" "{Philosophical Statement: Interface:Teeny finds the experience soothing.}" "{Do you take me for a fool? If our perceptions cease to be, you cannot find it soothing! You can't find it anything, by definition!}" That was the last bit I'd heard before I put the swords down, and without physical contact, I couldn't hear their bickering anymore. It didn't stop them though, and based on the way the invisible threads connecting them kept flaring up time and time again, they would be at it for a while. Ignoring the two, I detached the storage plaque from my belt and placed it onto the table as well. Last, and in some sense least, I reached into my trouser pocket and took out a scuffed and worn yellow cue ball with the number one on it. I hefted it in my hand, and while I was tempted to start working right away, I needed a break first, because… My train of thought was forcibly interrupted when Ollie tottered into my cell with two white plastic containers in hand. I put the yellow ball down and picked took the food from his hands, only to then immediately frown. "Macaroni and cheese again?" When I raised a critical brow at him, the rascal gave me the most innocent smile I'd ever seen on his face. "Fine, but we're having something else tomorrow. Now shoo, I'll call you when it's ready." I didn't have to say that twice, and he dashed back into his cell post-haste. Meanwhile, I put the food into the microwave oven and stood in front of it for a while, trying to remember what I was thinking about before. "Oh, right… A break." My hunch about sneaking in being harder than sneaking out was on the money, though not as bad as I feared. Nevertheless, I still deserved a breather for all the patrol-dodging I'd done, so I started it off by returning to the table and poking my storage artifact to retrieve the flask Sebastian 'lent' to me. It wasn't until I was already sitting on the bed that I took a swig from its contents, and I could practically feel my fatigue melting under the heat of the warm tea. Whatever unkind words I'd ever spoken about the old butler behind his back, I take it all back. This was one of those gifts that I didn't know I desperately needed until I received it, and I was determined to return the favour by any means necessary as soon as I was out of my sorta-self-inposed sorta-house-arrest. But first, break time. I closed my eyes and propped my back against the wall by the bed with a shallow sigh, and my mind automatically wandered towards the source of my current exhaustion. Inside a characteristically medieval building lit by a series of oil lamps mounted on the walls, a rather severe scolding was taking place. "[What do you mean you never asked for his identity!?]" a lion-maned Faun bellowed from the bottom of his lungs, yet his outrage felt more performative than anything. He was standing in front of an assembly of other Fauns, and while they all had the same bulk and body type, the leonine man in the front was clearly the superior officer here, as testified by his considerably more ornate armour. "[He wasn't hostile, sir, and we prioritized Guard-Corporal Grugnr's welfare.]" The officer growled at the goat-ish Faun, but his eyes soon landed on the first man I accidentally knocked out today. He seemed to be no worse for wear, though he wasn't wearing his armour anymore and had something resembling a black patient's gown on him, with a thick grey belt tied around his waist. He was sticking out of the group like a sore thumb, so I would've recognized him even if he wasn't the only one I marked in this building. Also, wasn't a corporal supposed to be an officer of some sort? Brang's original position was 'Scout-General', yet he was only in charge of a handful of soldiers. Our Fauns had very little in terms of hierarchy at the best of times, other than 'everyone obeys Brang, who obeys Blackcloak', as the elderly warrior would've put it, so I wasn't entirely clear on whether their military ranks corresponded with any 'mundane' army's designations, or if they were just for show. I made a mental note to ask someone about it once I had the opportunity, but for now, I watched as the officer got right up into the face of the gowned Faun. "[Guard-Corporal? What do you have to say in your defense?]" "[Sir, I…]" The guy faltered. Literally, as he looked like he was about to topple over, but he managed to right himself at the last second. "[I don't remember much. I encountered an unknown individual within the safety zone beyond the walls. I ordered him to identify himself, but then…]" He swooned again, and this time another Faun had to support him from the back. "[After that, I… felt like I was drawn into the Rite of Dominance.]" "[Was he one of our kin? Why didn't you say so before?!]" the maned Faun bellowed, and he could only shake his head in denial. "[No, no sir. He wasn't.]" "[… Are you testing my patience, corporal?]" "[No, sir. I swear on the name of the Faun Inanna, it was a man. Not one of us, but…]" The officer continued to stare him in the eye as if looking for something, but then he let out a derisive huff and walked away. "[Take him back to the infirmary. He's still delirious.]" Yet, before anyone could move, he already snapped at the next Faun in line. "[And what about you? Was the intruded you encountered one of our kin or not?]" "[Sir, I…  I don't know.]" The goat-ish Faun shook his head, his long ears constantly twitching in a way he very much reminded me of Brang whenever he was perplexed. "[The man we saw acted strange, and he spoke our tongue, but he was…]" "[It was hard to parse,]" the Faun behind him added in a low voice. "[Yes. It was… he was fluent, but the way he spoke was ancient. Regal.]" "[And he spoke about reporting what happened to someone we've never heard before,]" I third Faun chimed in, causing the officer in the forefront to let out another grunt. "[So you're telling me that a man, not even one of the Faun Inanna, appeared out of thin air, bested Guard-Corporal Grugnr in the Rites of Dominance, spoke to you in our tongue, ordered you around, and then he disappeared without a trace?]" His words were followed by a long spell of silence. At last, he crunched up his nose and growled, "[Can any of you give me a reasonable explanation for these events that won't result in you getting flogged in public for dereliction of duty?]" There was another tense beat, but then one of the Fauns in the back raised his hand. "[Sir? I think I have an idea.]" "[Oh, do you? Then out with it!]" The Faun steeled his nerves and uttered a single word in response, "[Ghosts.]" "[… Guard-Private. Are you really so eager to join in the flogging?]" Seeing the thundering eyes of the leonine officer, the Faun in the back hastily showed his palms. "[N-No, sir! It's just that… there's been lots of stories about ghosts in the Chasm of Desolation. Right?]" He glanced around, and a few others nodded along, much to his relief. "[So, I just thought… If this intruder appeared and disappeared without a trace, and spoke an ancient dialect, could it be that it was a ghost from ages past?]" "[And since when do ghosts engage in the Rites of Dominance?]" the Faun in the fancy armour sneered, but the other guy didn't catch his sarcasm and answered one hundred percent seriously. "[I've… never heard about then not being able either?]" "[… Are you giving me lip, Guard-Private?]" "[N-No, sir, it couldn't be farther from my intention! I'm just saying that if it really is a ghost, then we cannot discount the possibility that—]" Before he could finish, there was a loud knock on the heavy wooden door leading into the chamber, and then was thrown open without waiting for anyone to respond. "[Warmaster-General Redmane, sir! There's an emergency!]" The lionesque man's ears perked up at once as he turned to face the entrance. "[Are we under attack?!]" "[No, sir,]" the Faun in the doorway responded meekly. "[Or at least I don't think so. It's… I'm on night shift duty today at the guardhouse, but when I got there, I found Guard-Corporal Hraskl sleeping.]" "[How is that an emergency?!]" "[Sir, please listen!]" the Faun in the doorway continued to plead. "[I tried to wake him, but he was incoherent, and he kept warning me about a strange man that appeared out of nowhere and challenged him to a Rite of Dominance without his consent!]" The room remained eerily silent in the wake of the newcomer's report for quite a while. "[Where is this man now?]" "[We don't know, sir. Hraskl said he ran in too many different directions at once before he lost consciousness.]" "[I see…]" The general huffed and puffed for a while and ultimately turned to the Fauns lined up in front of him. "[Consider your flogging postponed until we get to the bottom of this! Double the patrols, and send a runner for an investigator! Until they get here and turn every stone and blade of glass over, I want the perimeter of the Chasm locked down tighter than the Esteemed Matron's knicker cabinet! Did I make myself clear?]" "[Sir, yes sir!]" the Fauns bellowed in unison and streamed out of the building. My mark was also leaving the area, so the last words I managed to catch were the general grumbling, "[Ghosts of the distant past? Bah, humbug!]" Okay, for the record, if we were still in the holiday season, that outburst alone would've prompted me to hammer together an impromptu Christmas Carol special. Sadly, I couldn't quite do a good ghost impersonation without being able to Phase. But then again, the other Fauns did mistake me for one, so maybe I still had a chance? Nah. I wasn't quite that bored yet, and I had more important things to worry about. Such as how I was going to return that cue ball to the salon once I was done experimenting with it. If only I could Phase… or at least have Snowy's stealth Sigils. Those would've made the whole sneaky-business much easier. The Christmas Ghost business too, but I digress. I opened one eye to glance at the microwave, but it was still defrosting, so I closed it again and Far Glanced once more. Since I got reminded of her, I decided to take a look at Snowy. I expected her to be home at this hour, studying for the exams, maybe drawing, or even just horsing around and doing cute little-sis shenanigans with my other sister. What I absolutely did not expect was the dark sky overhead. That was odd, considering it wasn't that late, but then I realized that it was raining. Probably an early summer storm of some kind. That was odd. Not the rain, but that my point of view was outside in it. I pivoted around a bit, and I finally found my Abyssal sister's silhouette. She was hiding in an alley behind a big green dumpster, shielded from the rain by the combination of an overhanging roof and a cheap collapsible umbrella held by a familiar face. Tajana, dressed in a ridiculously conspicuous trench coat right out of Jaakobah's handbook, was half hidden behind the dumpster, while my sister was crouching down and drawing a glowing symbol onto the pavement with her fingertip. She finished before I could take a closer look, and as it flared to light, their outlines momentarily wavered and she stood up. "Amazing work, My Lady!" "It's just an anti-surveillance Sigil," Snowy responded modestly, but it didn't stop the spymaster from heaping praises on her. She didn't pay much heed to her, and instead her eyes were glued to the building across the street. Even under the gloom and the downpour, the large high-rise hotel building was impossible to miss. It was also a familiar one; this was where Sahi set up shop when she first came to the island, back when she was still Saahira. Which meant… "Like, this weather is totally grody!" Speak of the devil. The brown-skinned incognito arch-mage, dressed in casual summer clothes with a clear plastic raincoat that contrasted hard with the outfits of the two Abyssals, skipped over to their side from the other end of the alley, only to come to an abrupt halt. Eyes wide open, she raised her palms and waved them around as if trying to audition for a street mime job. The most update n0vels are published on NovєlFіre.net "Wow! Like, is this one of your Sigils? It's totally wicked!" "It is, but please don't talk so loud," Tajana warned her as she conspicuously glanced left and right. "This is a clandestine operation. We must remain ever vigilant." "Like, of course I know that! Gag me with a spoon, why won't you?" In the meantime, my sister's expression was growing more restless by the second, and after an abrupt thundercrack (as if there was any other kind), she turned to the spymaster. "Maybe… I should follow after her? Just to be sure." The worry was audible in her voice, but Tajana shook her head without hesitation. "No, My Lady. You must believe in Penelope and wait. She put her faith in us, and we must meet it by ensuring that the extraction zone remains secure and ready for her arrival." "I know, but…" Snowy glanced at the building again, and after a long second of hesitation, she stepped back and behind the cover of the alley. "My Lady..." Tajana put her free hand on Snowy's shoulder. "As a Noble and Heir of our House, you must sometimes send those you cherish the most into the jaws of danger because they are the only ones you can trust with the task. Penelope also understands this, yet she still volunteered, so you must believe in her the way she believes in you!" "Do you think she can do it?" "Absolutely!" Tajana declared without hesitation. "Penelope is not only strong, she's the third most trustworthy person I know!" "Third?" Sahi chimed in on the side with a wry bend in her brows. "Like, isn't that totally that thing? You know, like, damning with faint praise?" "No! I have very high standards, you know! I'm devoted to My Lady, and placing Penelope so close behind is a testament to my trust in her." "… Who's the second then?" The rejuvenated arch-mage's question made Tajana freeze up for a moment, and she hurriedly took a pair of comically tiny binoculars from the inner pocket of her oversized trench coat. "N-Never mind that! Now hush, and let's keep a lookout!" "Hey! What kind of lame-o-rama answer is that?" Sahi continued to grumble, but the two Abyssals' gazes were already glued to the hotel and didn't entertain her. They must've been really curious about what was going on in there. So was I, actually, so… let's give it a look, shall we?