Lord of Azure Flame Chapter 23: Rest and Resolve

[Phoenix]

Irina and Lev

Irina sighed in relief and followed Tas back out to the table only to find Lev there with his elbow on the table, his head supported by his hand, and an unamused look on his face.

Lev: (Would these two get out of here already?)

Irina: Something wrong? (Ruining your date, am I? Almost kinda makes me want to stick around just a bit longer.)

Isotov

Iso: If you're allergic then it's probably better if you just avoid furry animals altogether, don't you think?

[-Cynthia-]

Charlotte sighed, "You might be right, but they are pretty cute. I don't really want to avoid them. I guess it might be better if Kelas takes him for now though." she said, releasing her grip on the cat and leading him over the nomad.

"Lev and I have important matters to discuss that involve you all not being present. All will be revealed in due time," Morgan said to Irina.

Edited February 2, 2011 by -Cynthia-

[Inactive Account]

Immediately the cat made a bid for the string... which turned out to be the thread attached to the shirt Kelas was currently working on. In a matter of seconds it was completely tangled in the shirt, and had made several more small rips in it. "In hindsight that was not the greatest idea I've ever had," Kelas muttered, picking up cat and shirt and attempting to separate them while the cat yowled at the indignity of being thwarted by a shirt, and being stuck, and being picked up, and it was all just so unfair. "Hush, you little hellion," Kelas told the cat, trying to work the thread free of its claws without being scratched.

[Mercakete]

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tas appologized, setting Niket down onto the table, "We can go now. Um, well... Irina, do you have a box or something we can store the bugs in?"

Niket shook off his confusion. There were more important matters to think on. He decided that the familliar human was someone he ought to respect at least somewhat, seeing as he was bigger and had given a command. It must mean he was one of his elders. But what was his name? For now, though, he was obviously to watch over the sleeping, smaller one. She was defenseless and the newest flockmate. This was a very important role. No hairy thing would get to her. Not with the indomitable Niket guarding her! Oh and the big human was there too. So, he had to protect the smaller one, the eggs and the two humans. Not a problem!

Standing over the next, Niket puffed out his chest and raised his head proudly. Nothing would get past his vigilance. Nothing.

[Phoenix]

Ready To Go

Lev couldn't have said it better himself, though he didn't want to make Irina suspicious. She was of course, suspicious.

Irina: (All will be revealed? Whaaaaat does that mean? This isn't a date at all is it? It's some sort of secret meeting ... I'm not sure if that's worse or not. I guess I'll find out if "all will be revealed in due time." ... still suspicious though.) Oh don't worry, Tas. I've got something we can carry them in, as long as I didn't accidentally lose it like my helmet.

She touched the top of her head while speaking about it while Lev lowered his head a bit.

Irina: Well I guess we're ready to go then.

Seeing Niket puffing up, she smiled.

Irina: You keep the others safe, okay, Niket?

Lev: (Go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go ...)

[Mercakete]

Tas smiled on his way out as he saw Niket starkly angle his head down the back up again, mimmicing a sharp nod then chirpped in affirmation. The courier waited outside the room of hatchlings and secrets for Irina. After all, he had no idea where her bug-container was.

[Phoenix]

Alone At The Table

Irina gave the two one last dubious look and then headed out after Tas leaving the wyvern lord and the druidess alone with the wyvern hatchlings and the eggs. Lev nearly flattened out on the table for a moment in a bit of relief. Clearly stressed. He scooted closer so he wouldn't have to talk as loud in case someone entered the area. Either way he had very good hearing and would simply cut himself or Morgan off if someone showed up.

Lev: Okay there's something you need to know so you're not dealing with any unneeded surprises when it happens.

He quickly looked over his shoulder scanning the entrances and staircase and then went back to talking, even more quietly than before.

Lev: Tomorrow morning, Ixion and probably a few others are going to arrive here. Ixion's coming for Irina. The reasons why are a bit annoying but I'll get to those. The other guys are going to help us out with the wyverns here.

Let's Go

Once she caught up to Tas, she led the fellow rider over to Kiev who was waiting around patiently. She trotted on over and began rummaging through the saddlebags on his right side. She eventually pulled out a metal cylinder about nine inches long and three inches in diameter.

Irina: This isn't all I have that can hold things and it's starting to rust for some reason but would this work? If not I guess I need to keep looking.

She finished with a grimace on her face.

[-Cynthia-]

"Hmm, this is some sort of Ivanko Mercenary operation I expect?" Morgan asked Lev, keeping her voice low. "I question what mission they have that is more important than ours. It is bound to be very dangerous as well...Irina's quite a useful fighter, losing her would be unfortunate. Still, her choice is her own, I knew about the risk of hiring a mercenary from an organization and suspected something like this might happen at some point."

"And what about you? Are you leaving as well?" she asked him, pursing her lips.

[Mercakete]

"Wherever we store the bugs, they'll have to be able to survive for a couple days. She's going to go through those -- no doubt about that -- but if she's still hungry, we can always just make some more of that mixture and this time I can teach you," Tas replied, "Do you think they will be able to survive in that? I'm not really sure since we never used those."

[Phoenix]

Last Hurrah

Lev: It's our last last mission. It's the entire reason our organization was founded. Ivanko's getting ready to attack the Zaftran capital Kalten and replace Denisov as the Emperor. Techincally this is an act of treason, until the deed is done of course. But it was pretty common in our history until those damn citadels were built. It's the only way Zaftra will ever begin rebuilding again. A few refugees opted to just live out their lives in other nations but Ivanko's aiming to give Zaftrans their home back, not just let it get permanently covered in snow and ice.

Using both of his hands to support his head while resting his elbows on the table he continued.

Lev: The issue here is that Irina doesn't know about these yet. Neither does Iso. If either of them find out before Ixion gets here, they're likely to try to run away together. If Iso runs off and gets himself severed we've got problems, and if Ixion or Ivanko have to chase after Irina the IM's got problems. They'll be heirs when all is said and done.

----

Lev: As for us leaving ... well I can't say it hasn't been fun, Morgan.

He smiled a bit.

Lev: Though ... this is the IM's last mission. After these the group is planning to disband. Who knows. Maybe I'll just take over and anyone who wants to work for me can come right along. No blood pacts this time. Levski's Mercenaries: Solving all your problems at reasonable prices. Heheh. If you want I could come back and help out once that mess is done with. I'm pretty sure Irina will be back too since ... well let's face it, how else are we going to keep Iso in line?

Cylinder

Irina: Well ...

Looking at the cylinder she tilted her head a bit.

Irina: I think they'll be alright. I've seen bugs surviving in some of the most annoying places. I actually picked this thing first because I'm worried about them finding their way out of other things I might have tried. I don't know. Maybe bugs are tougher than they look?

[Mercakete]

"Maybe," Tas agreed, "I'm not a bug expert but I think I can tell which bugs will be safe for her to eat. If that's all, we can go out to the fields." His smile was broadening as they got closer and closer to their bug hunt. Kiev would even come along! (This is the perfect opportunity to teach her all these things about taking care of the hatchlings, too. What a great break! I'm so glad she didn't hatch in the wilderness.)

[-Cynthia-]

Charlotte

"I've never mended clothes myself, but it seems to me like the cat isn't helping very much," Charlotte said to Kelas with a small smile, noting the cat entangled with the shirt. "Speaking of mending I probably should get to work on my clothes, I haven't really been maintaining my appearance lately as I should," she said, looking down at her somewhat tattered clothes. "I'm afraid I don't know how to mend things myself though, that was always something the servants did," she said to Kelas, shrugging.

Morgan

Morgan's expression was distinctly unamused as Lev told her of the Zaftran invasion and she kept her voice low for her response. "This hardly seems like the time to be playing politics. I have no idea why all these world leaders think the time before the return of the Lord of Azure Flame is an opportunity to fight one another, but to engage in civil war while a greater foe lies in wait seems like utter folly. Still, from the sound of things it seems like the invasion has already started, so it might as well just be finished as quickly as possible at this rate."

"You seem to understand that Isotov will not be accompanying you on this mission, I now understand your need for secrecy. Splitting off the Crimson Weapons at a time like this will only lead to strife and possibly death on the lone Wielder and any who accompanies them. We cannot afford to lose Isotov. Not that you...or Irina are really an acceptable loss either," she quickly added.

"I would very much appreciate it if you came back alive...to help defeat the Lord of Azure Flame of course, you're a valuable asset to our group," Morgan said, quickly amending the statement. "But if you are set on this course, then there is little else I can do I think," she finished, crossing her arms.

[Phoenix]

Irina and Kiev

Irina: Alright then, let's get started.

She quickly grabbed the chicken cage containing the last chicken and placed it by the pink wyvern before grabbing Kiev's reins.

Irina: Okay lead the way. I guess I could use a bit of a tutorial on the way too.

The pink wyvern gave the frightened chicken an uninterested look and then spitefully gave the cage a small whack with her paw; just enough to knock it onto its side and scare the chicken half to death.

Levski

Lev: I'll be honest with you, I'm really not looking forward to these mission because it's going to be tough just staying alive, yet alone actually winning. Ixion maximized our chances but it's all going to depend on how quickly we can take out the Emperor.

Looking the Druidess in the eyes, he continued.

Lev: It should turn out alright as long as everyone does their jobs. Just keep the group in one piece until we get back. We are coming back. Alive. I'll make sure of that.

He smiled but he felt a bit nervous saying something like that given the odds.

Lev: Though ... these isn't happening until tomorrow. I don't want to waste the day thinking about it too hard and immobilizing myself.

[Inactive Account]

"Miserable little creature, go bother somebody else," Kelas told the cat, finally getting its claws free and setting it down on the ground. Immediately the cat went back to Charlotte, looking up at her with an expression that demanded pity. "I can teach you to mend things, it's not that hard," Kelas offered, starting to untangle the snarl of thread the cat had left attached to the shirt.

[Balcerzak]

Both Beau and Arrin had offered to help Tessa out with buying things she might need, and she was initially a little unsure whether she needed to choose one or the other directly. But nobody else was talking, neither the new girl, nor the boy who seemed to have attached himself to Amari so quickly that it was almost surprising. The mare was a good horse, and had saved her a time or two, but wasn't exactly what you'd call personable.

She started by addressing Beau first. "Weeell, I wouldn't be expecting it to be too expensive, so as to hurt your funds or anything... never the intent, and it's mostly just ignorance on my part, as I don't really know, though Arrin tried to explain things to me a bit before. Still..."

Turning to Arrin next Tessa suddenly felt a little guilty. She'd just initially been assuming he'd be paying for things again, and it wasn't until an alternate source had offered itself that she realized she was taking the mage for granted on that matter. Yet, despite the offer from Beau he still seemed interested in helping out. Though did he seem slightly nervous? He'd trailed off and then changed the subject back to the other adventures, the ones for pleasure instead of business. Was he concerned about intruding on Beau? Maybe she could help things out.

"Hmm, maybe it is for best that both of you want to help? It would reduce the burden on either, and I don't see any reason to object. It's not like I'll only be needing one thing, so maybe one of you would like to help me get a winter cloak or something, and the other would cover other replacements? I didn't plan to complicate anything..."

[Mercakete]

"Hmm. That's a sound idea," murmurred Beau as his prospective on the matter changed. (Was she intending to take advantage of Arrin's friendship? I suppose that's normal in all the classes. Though by helping Tessa, I will be helping Arrin, it seems. She might have drained his coin with her necessities. This way I can lighten Arrin's load of having to pay for two people.) Shifting his gaze to the thunder sage, Beau voiced, "It would undoubtably lighten your load. What do you think, Arrin? I am in favor of Tessa's proposal."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tas nodded cheerfully. As they began walking back out of town and into the fields, he explained, "Bugs live in all sorts of places. They live under rocks, in branches, in tall grass... You can find them in water sometimes, too. They're like pokemon When we're in the grass, keep your eyes on the blades and try to look at the ground under them, too. If you move too much, you'll scare them away, but in some cases, that's a good thing. For example, grasshoppers jump very noticably. If you scare one, they'll jump away but then you can see it and keep track of it. When you're catching a bug, try not to crush it. Instead, teach your hand to make a hollow when you make a fist around the bug like this."

Tas showed Irina his hand. It looked like a normal fist except his fingers were raised a little more. Inside the fist, just under the fingers, was a hollow, though Irina wouldn't be able to quite see that. "When you think you've caught a bug, don't open your hand to see. Wait for a moment and feel if you've caught it. You'll be able to feel the bug moving under your fingers if you caught it. From there, we just put the bug into your cylinder. If it's not moving, you probably won't be able to feel that you've caught the bug, so spread your fingers a little and you should be able to see the bug there. Well, for jumping or flying bugs at least. It's pretty much the same with all the other insects we'll be catching but leave spiders and long bugs alone. We won't be taking those. They're usually poisonous and they sometimes bite."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Namid was miserable. Tas had left him alone again. He certainly was enjoying the company of the other humans... Though he was a bit baffled that Tas would leave him alone while his sight was still recovering. The mountain wyvern simply curled up. He wanted his sight to return more quickly and, quite frankly, he felt frusterated and lonely. Tas' scent was faint. So was his voice. It smelled like Kiev got to go allong... Why couldn't Namid?

[Inactive Account]

"I'd still rather handle it myself," Arrin mumbled, "but I suppose that would be all right."

They were nearing the market now; the streets were full of people running errands or just loitering and exchanging the latest gossip and news. A good bit of it seemed to be about recent demon attacks, as well as the war; people went about their business a little more urgently than usual, and there was a bit of an undercurrent of worry beneath the picture of normality. The street up ahead was lined with stalls and shops, and scents of food from various vendors filled the crisp autumn air.

Tobe had stayed quiet throughout the discussion; it wasn't any of his concern, after all. He wasn't going to buy anything; he didn't want to end up owing anyone, and he didn't particularly need anything... much. He stuck to Amari, watching as the mare occasionally glared away passersby who got a little too close.

[Phoenix]

Irina and Kiev

Irina: (You also find them in anything with so much as food crumbs in it.)

She continued listening and watching his example, picking up on the hollow hand grip very quickly remembered a time where she wanted to show her mother a little moth she'd caught as a little girl. She was happy she didn't die. Before she could wonder what the little thing was up to she stop herself short. It had been well over ten years and the moth was long dead she remembered.

Irina: (Yep. That's why pet bugs are lousy choices. They don't last very long at all it seems.)

Looking over to Kiev who was looking around the area not sure what was going on, she knelt down and started instructing him a bit.

Irina: You just stand by okay? If we find anything big we need you to move, we'll get you.

Kiev didn't like standing by, not without something to do, but Irina was in charge so he complied and sat around doing nothing at first.

Irina: Okay, ready to start looking.

Kiev caught sight of a small grasshopper climbing up a blade of grass he wouldn't have normally noticed. Leaning his head in a bit closer, he eyed the tiny thing suspiciously. Was it some sort of enemy keeping tabs on them?

OOC: Oh my god if Susann was here, we would have one seriously terrified flying horse XD

[-Cynthia-]

Charlotte

"Hmm, I guess that without any servants around I should start to learn to do things for myself. Just give me a moment," she said to Kelas, giving the cat a small pat on the head as she left. She went up to her room and got a garment that had once been fine looking but was now rather shabby and threadbare, then returned downstairs and sat next to Kelas. "I'll need a needle and thread or something, won't I?" she asked the nomad.

Morgan

Morgan looked back into Lev's eyes, unblinking "I will hold you to that promise Lev," she said simply. "I suppose it is customary to wish 'good luck' on this sort of endeavor, but luck is a construction of the human mind designed to explain factors of causality unknown to us, so that seems rather pointless. Instead, I will merely advise you not to act rashly or take unecessary risks," she said, biting her lip.

[Mercakete]

Beau brightened a little at the bustling marketplace. "Where to first?" he asked aloud as his eyes looked over the various stalls and shops. "We could find some merchants who sell clothing, look for some curiosity stalls, simply browse... Well, I suppose the first thing to do will fall under two catagories: should we purchase what we need or sight-see?" the young heir ellaborated, speaking to the others more directly, "Personally, I favor buying our supplies first. It will give us somewhere to start, after all, and we'll find pleanty in interesting things along the way, I'm certain."

As he spoke his ;ast sentence, Beau's eyes drifted to a medeum-large canopy branching off from a small shop. People were browsing and meandering, looking at the various items on display. There were racks of clothes and tables with various items and baubles. A few merchants were helping the customers there. Beau was intreagued, but decided to see if the others wanted to go somewhere else.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tas gave an affirming nod before carefully stepping through the grass. After a few moments, his blurry eyes caught motion. "Grasshopper, I think," he offhandedly mentioned to Irina, keeping his eyes fixed where he thought the insect landed. (This will be more difficult than I thought... My eyes aren't sharp enough to see them unless they're moving... Well, it's a good thing I'm mainly teaching. It will help me not to be overenthusiastic and not let Irina catch any herself. I won't be much help other than that, though.)

[Phoenix]

Levski

The wyvern lord nodded back smiling. All the while his thoughts racing out of control.

Lev: (I've never really seen her like these before. Does she really care? We haven't even talked about payment. Heheh. Oh I can't believe this is where we're at. I'm telling her that Irina and I are heading straight into hell and leaving her with the bomb until we get back. All the while expecting her to keep things stable until then. Levski, you are indeed a jerk.) It's a promise then. (Well ... at least I'm motivated. Things were kind of depressing up until now.)

Isotov

Iso stood around listening to Kelas and Charlotte converse. He wasn't sure what to do with himself at the moment. Leaning up against the wall he crossed his arms and tried to somehow blend in. He figured he would either be noticed at some point and told to go do something somewhere else, or invited to sew with the women. He wasn't sure how he ought to feel about the latter.

Irina and Kiev

The grasshopper was too suspicious. It had to be dealt with. Kiev moved his head closer hoping to bite the little insect but it hopped into the air much to his surprise. Landing elsewhere, it looked back at the overwhelmingly massive wyvern.

Grasshopper:

Kiev:

Irina stuck close to Tas and she quickly spotted the grasshopper Tas had pointed out.

Irina: Do you want this one, or should I try and catch it?

[Ether]

"So what you are saying is that I need to regulate how much I rely on others, so that when it comes to the wire, I will know how much reliance to give?" Damian asked, confirming what he thought he had heard.

"Are the weapons evil... I do not think that, in themselves, they are. While they are comprised of crystallized hellfire, in themselves, they are simply objects. While Gae-Borg leaked itself into my mind, warping it and allowing that hellfire to take a demonic persona, it has not done it of it's own volition, else all of the other wielders would be showing highly visible signs of corruption..." Damian said, with a contemplative look.

"I could be wrong, but I would not call my Gae-Borg evil, so much as temperamental... too much exposure to a demonic construct creates illusions... no, that is wrong, illusion is far from the correct term... I cannot describe it myself, to be honest."

[Snowy_One]

"It took me six years of research to even get that far Damian. Six years looking through records, putting together links with connections as thin and vague as a woman's beard hair. But yes, you are correct. Well, closer to correct than a lot of people. Many people would be quick to condemn your weapons to being evil, while praising the Six Hero's deeds as if they saved the world. All of the six did wrong in the name of goodness, while your people have taken it upon themselves an impossible task that could result in removing both the Goddess and the Lord from the world forever. To seal one, you must seal both. To free one, you must free both. To do good, you must also hurt innocents, to do evil, you must also give hope to people. An interesting conundrum to be sure. Or is it?" asked Mana, pointing to the sheath of the blade.

[the_whistler]

The General:

"Heroes are only called heroes after all is said and done," Conrad spoke, shrugging his shoulders a bit. "There is no such thing as a hero during war, only endless fighting. There is no glory without pain," he quoted. "A line from an old book I read once, and probably one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received," smiling a bit wistfully. I only wish I knew that earlier. It would've saved the whole lot of them...

He cleared his throat. "But books aside, I'll do my best on behalf of the Elyisiman Army to aid your cause, though I don't know the details of what type of support they're sending yet against the Haltonians. I myself might be called away from this group to fight within the next few days, or they could be negotiating some sort of cease-fire. Who knows?" he mulled, tightening his grip ever so slightly on the bag.

Heinz:

Stopping outside a pawnshop of sorts, Heinz rummaged through one of the deep partitions within the saddlebags, eventually pulling out a bulky bundle wrapped in thick cloth. Nudging the flap closed with his other hand, Heinz left his horse to wait patiently. Walking over to the storekeeper, the thief dumped the impromptu bag, letting the contents spill out from the folds of the cloth onto solid wood.

"I'd like to pawn these goods. Four hundred minimum," he grunted. The storekeeper raised one eye. "Where exactly did you confiscate these goods from?" he questioned, picking up a ringlet inset with two yellow gems. "And don't tell me these are family heirlooms or some nonsense like that, these are too good for any common mercenary to have on his hands. Valuables such as this are difficult to earn fairly," he jibed. "Two fifty," the owner stated coldly.

"You call me a thief, but yet you still accept them. Know someone who's willing to pay higher?" Heinz taunted, one hand tightening into the makings of a fist. The storekeeper glanced quickly, barely acknowledging the veiled threat.

"..... Fine. You get your price. Here's the full four hundred, plus a bronze." He tossed a small coin mockingly into the air before pulling two bags of gold out from underneath the table.

Heinz opened both bags, pocketing the bronze with his left hand before suddenly upturning the bags, their contents spilling out towards the far side of the table. "...You call this gold?" he sneered, picking up a few specks of silver among a wash of yellow. "Five hundred, or I take everything back."

"Very well," the storekeeper ground out, gritting his teeth and putting another bag on the countertop. Heinz narrowed his eyes suspiciously, weighing the bag in his hands for a few seconds and sifting inside until he was satisfied. Sliding the gold and silver back into the other two bags, the mercenary paused for a second, snatching away the thick cloth as well.

Heinz walked away in silence, and mounted Ralf as soon as he was back in the open streets, scowling as he went in search of the nearest armor store.

"Hey dad, what was that all about?" a voice inquired, peeking out from within a closet door. "Nothing, son. Just another greedy customer who wants more than what his goods are worth," the storekeeper replied, patting the little boy on the head. "But!" he protested for a second, before resuming his plea in a much softer voice. "I haven't had anything good to eat in a long time, pa. You said that after the next trade we could go out together for ice cream, couldn't we?" The storekeeper smiled gently in response. "Maybe some other day, son. I won't nearly enough from those items to pay for our bills, you know that," he admonished.

"Aww.... I'm sorry for bothering you dad," scampering away towards the storage rooms. The storekeeper sighed, collecting the items on the counter. "I can cheat those fools out of maybe a thousand with this, I don't have any money to waste for ice cream, foolish boy."

[Phoenix]

Preparations

Ixion and a few others including O'Donnel Miranda made their way through a poorly lit hallway heading up to the ground levels of the building. Fenrir tagged along close to Miranda.

O'Donnel: Are you certain we're ready for this, Ixion? Once we start, we can't go back. It'll be all or nothing ... and all for nothing if we screw this up.

Ixion: We have enough chimeras to balance out the difference in overall power, the four gigasi are complete, with two tunneling to Halton, one to Elyisima. The one in Septimus should return from its route softening in time to be loaded by sundown.

O'Donnel: And we still have those guests, Damian and Etain, correct? What are you going to do about them? What if they start asking questions?

Ixion: I have to go pick up Irina and Levski in the morning. I'll simply take them with me.

O'Donnel: That doesn't mean they won't be pestering us about why we're modifying a hundred coffins and getting hundreds of feet of rope and materials together.

Ixion: I assume you fear that if they learn what we're planning, they will immediately set out to stop us.

O'Donnel: It's your responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen.

Ixion: I know. Currently I'm more concerned about elements inside our own organization. Damian is intelligent enough to know that making an enemy of us now isn't going to end well for either him or anyone he cares about. Etain as you call her could surprise us, but I'm willing to take a slight gamble on that one. She hesitates. Only taking action at the last possible moment it seems.

Miranda: Remind me again why we're leaving Iso behind.

Ixion: He's a crimson weapon wielder. Bringing him with us is simply asking to be attacked by demons. I can handle demons, but this is hardly the time to make things any more complicated than they already are. Aside from that he's better off with the group, and they are far better off with all nine weapons present.

She tilted her head at him with a mischievous grin.

Miranda: Well then good luck getting Irina to cooperate then.

Ixion: We'll have Ivanko for that soon enough.

Miranda: I can already tell how this little plan of yours is going to end. You'll arrive there, she'll refuse to go since not only are you planning to throw her into the middle of a war every person she ever knew lied to her about for years, but you're also asking her to abandon the one person she can trust in the process. You may not understand this but once she finds out what's going on, Ivanko and Levski are going to have about as much sway over her as someone who just punched her in the face. You with your adorable personality will probably fair even worse.

Ixion: It's only temporary.

Miranda: What's temporary ... when all you know is feuding and separation?

Ixion: You honestly think Ivanko won't be able to convince her to come along? She respects him and always obeys. I've seen her obedience for years.

Miranda: You've never been betrayed, have you? It's a feeling that turns love into bitter hatred. Ivanko's going to get the worst of it, and you can kiss your loyal sweet Irina goodbye forever. I'm not even sure why you people need her to come along in the first place. If Ivanko needs an heir he can just make one. I'm sure he's got a few shots left in there, and there's plenty of women to choose from too.

Ixion: If you must know, Irina is also a part of my plan as well. I won't be able to make use of her if she's messing around with those people and her brother.

Miranda: Well then you're definitely screwed on this one. I guarantee she won't cooperate with you people ... not with the lies and how you're likely to deal with Iso.

Ixion: If I must use force, I will, though I would prefer not to.

Miranda: I might be able to help with that ... but you'll have to help me first.

The Dark Druid raised an eyebrow at her as did O'Donnel. He got a nearly innocent smile from her in return.

Ixion: Help you in what way exactly?

Miranda: We'll talk about it in absolute privacy.