Chapter Two: Party
"Historically, dictatorships have not usually worked. The greatest city-states were ruled by councils or assemblies instead of kings, and the College of Theologians led the seri much better than the Reaver Lords which they displaced. But it seems to me that the Illian Empire has discovered the key to a successful dictatorship: put a Goddess in charge."
-Excerpt, A brief history of Eden politics, by Verritai
23.3.2572
(Twelve Days Later)
Terresui held her hands out in front of her, even though she didn't think she'd be led into any walls and she knew where she was anyway. Rinnai had put the blindfold on in the spiral library, and since then she'd led her across half the palace to the east wing. Terresui's sense of direction was imperfect at best, but every once in a while she'd pass by a familiar sound or smell and she'd have her bearings again. It was mostly for the benefit of one very excited Rinnai. "You can't give me a hint?" Location aside, Terresui had no idea what was happening. "Like, a little one even? Animal, vegetable, mineral?"
"You shan't get a peep out me: I'll not ruin the surprise!" Terresui was not overly fond of surprises. "I'd better be able to find that book again," she grumbled [1]. "Sprig?"
"Sorting Number S-Twelve dot W-two dot one-nine-three-seven," her assistant recited once more.
"Good work, Sprig. Now I'll need- Why are we stopping?" Rinnai's hands left her shoulders. She couldn't see any more than she had a moment ago, but she knew they were in front of the east wing pantry… Or the east wing kitchen. Darn it. She heard doors opening, and a low murmur turn to a hushed silence.
'It's a party, isn't it? With a lot of people.'
'No comment,' Sprig replied.
Rinnai started leading her forward again. 'YOU had a hand in this? I ought to singe you, you know I hate big parties!' Rinnai tugged gently on her shoulders to stop her. She heard someone walk forward, felt her reach behind to undo the blindfold. It fell away to tanned skin and amber eyes.
"How've you been, Terr?"
"Aij!" She hugged her friend, and spotted two seri in freshly washed leather uniform and an agri in bright fool's garb over her shoulder. "Everybody!" Aij must have heard Pree's approach because she disentangled herself just before Terresui was nearly thrown back into Rinnai by the blue-haired agri. Ryda's greeting was a brief but fierce squeeze, Fessa's much lighter and just as short but no less affectionate. "How did you all get here?" she asked, but Aij's explanation was lost when she saw the rest of the guests.
She first identified the other six members of the privy council, but they were just the biggest fish in the school. Half of the high government filled the east banquet hall. Aij was saying something about her apologies, and Terresui hadn't any idea what had led up to that, but she pieced it together quickly enough. "I understand completely. What I still don't get is how you convinced everyone to be here."
"I'm flattered to say I had a hand in that." Her friends and nearly all of the hall went to their knee. Terresui spun around and bowed to the waist with the rest of the council. Before them, the lingering effects of her teleportation spell rippling in Terresui's sight, was Lady Carrinth. The Solar Lady, Brilliant Mistress, Lady of Day, Avatar of Light, and a dozen other titles bestowed upon her through the millennia. The living goddess whose geomancy and venturgy were unmatchable and handled the day/night cycle, something most realms needed several teams of magi for, in the back of her head. Her sight was a true glow of white, her wings heavenly light made corporeal, her hair shone with all the colours of aurora borealis, her features and skin beautiful in an appropriately divine way. She stood head and shoulders above the lesser mortals surrounding her, and if they were alone she would have embraced Terresui like her child but it wasn't proper to do so in front of the rest of government[2]. Carrinth lifted her hand so that those who kneeled might rise, and thought to Terresui: 'I'm afraid nobody dares to deny an invitation the Lady has already accepted... No matter what the Lady might wish.' They shared a secret smile. "And how good it is to see Terresui's dear friends again! Pauli Pree, what a grand party. You must have many fine tricks for us tonight."
"You betcha!" Pree was literally bouncing with excitement. "I've got this thing with some crystals you're gonna love!"
Carrinth smiled. "I'll be watching," she promised. "Arrapti Aij. Has Gan found retirement well?"
Aij dipped her head. "She speaks highly of Lucis Island's beauty, my Lady."
Terresui's mentor had amusement in her eyes. "And that of its serving girls as well, I'm sure." That startled a laugh out of her friend. "Our women in uniform. All the Empire, myself foremost, thanks you for your service." Carrinth's head dipped toward Ryda and Fessa as Aij's had to her. They bowed in response.
"We are but barbs on a feather on your wing, our Avatar of Light." Ryda's voice was full of reverence, while Fessa's was so soft and nervous it could hardly be heard at all from where she'd slipped behind her.
"A wing without barbs holds no wind. Praise the Flock."
"Praise the flock," they chorused back in the same tones as before. It was a formal exchange, but Terresui didn't think Fessa could stand a more personal one.
"And Rinnai. I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you until now, but I have kept abreast of the construction work. You're doing a fine job."
Rinnai's curtsy and formal tone were finer still. "A pleasure to serve, my Lady."
As soon as she had finished greeting the last of Terresui's friends, the crowd moved to take their ruler's attention. Pree was the host, but most of the elite that had accepted her invitation gave the performer no more than a smile and a nod on their way to Carrinth. Some neglected even that, but Pree didn't seem to notice.
"Terr it's been so long I mean like months and I know you told me to tell you everything but I saved some really good bits like this part with a giant rooster-" Pree seemed to have learned a trick where she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth simultaneously. Or at least that was the best explanation Terresui could come up with for why she never broke her speech for breath.
"Hey," Aij said out of nowhere. "Those people over there look bored." That was sufficient to send Pree jingling off to a group of administrators, multifaceted crystal pins suddenly and inexplicably in hand. Aij smiled apologetically. "I don't have long; gotta rub my shoulders while the rubbing's good, and I wanted to get a word in edgewise. Palace treating you alright?"
"Very, but most of it was in my letters. And the rest…" She looked over the crowd of officials surrounding them. "…Can come later. What about you?"
"Matriarchy's pretty much exactly like I thought, except I don't get as much sleep as I hoped. Frontier branch lost half their crop to a Stoneclub raid, Mepol branch has successfully managed to underestimate their competition for a third year in a row and now that's my problem…" She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Know what? I don't wanna talk about it. Ryda, tell Terresui what you told your flight leader, I could use a laugh."
Ryda, who had been idly examining the only weapon she was allowed in the Palace, sheathed her dagger to free both hands. That told Terresui it was going to be good. "Okay, so here's the deal: We've been in wild for like three weeks and only gone on a couple flights. I mean the only good thing about that post is the flying, but Cyrra wants us to go on another foot patrol. Foot patrol, like we were some earthbound – er, pardon the expression – legionnaires! So the whole murder's assembled when she says this but can't keep from sighing. She goes all 'if you got something to say, say it' and well she asked so I do. I don't remember it exactly, but it went something like: "'If we're gonna walk all day we might as well just clip our wings now!' So Cyrra's face goes redder than her wings and-"
Fessa interjected: "I think it was more, um, personal. I'm pretty sure you said she was a… That."
Rinnai looked at Terresui quizzically. Terresui thought-sent her a brief summary of what a clippedwing was. "You did NOT!" Rinnai gasped. "How weren't you flogged?"
"Okay, first, she asked me to tell her what I was thinking. Second, remember that girl I saved? Cyrra's niece through binding." Ryda puffed her chest and grinned.
"Well then thank the Avatar for that Manticore; Cyrra's a mean bitch." The Minister of War had detached herself from Carrinth quickly, and managed to sneak up on them despite her wooden leg. Her skin was the same as Terresui's, her wings black and fringed burgandy. Her eyes, though, were green flecked blue. Behind her was the sand-skinned Minister of Intelligence with red sight in her eyes. Ryda and Fessa stiffened to attention, but before they could begin a formal greeting Corra stopped them with: "Praise the flock."
"Praise the flock," they chorused back.
"That'll do."
"It was your punishment we wanted to speak on, actually." Sarrinai always smiled like she knew something you didn't. Considering her position, this was usually true. "If you had not been there, odds are we would have never caught that arms shipment. Good work."
"Thanks!" Ryda's pride turned to puzzlement. "But, uh, how do you know about that?" Fessa had slipped behind her again under the dual ministers' attention.
"I'd be ill fitted for my position if I didn't keep tabs on the close associates of-"
Corra cut her off. "Two soldiers of proven loyalty, a woman entrusted with the Bright Palace's blueprints, and the matriarch of the Arrapti family, all as you said close friends of the Avatar's prized pupil. We can trust them."
Sarrinai sighed. "As you wish." With a flick of her wrist the sounds of the crowd surrounding them became muted and unintelligible. Even Terresui could only detect the magic faintly. "Those were no common arms smugglers; they were Lunar Cultists."
Fessa paled. "Heretics," Ryda spat.
"I'm not sure you could count the agri as heretics, but they were all fools." Sarrinai smirked. "They might have passed through the border without drawing attention, or even had some paperwork forged: there are dozens of mercenary groups they could have claimed ordered them. Instead they tried to pose as the realms' most overly cautious tariff evaders."
"Indeed, as often as not the cultists' paranoia which betrays them. Little is more obvious than someone who believes she must avoid being seen at all costs." Sarrinai shrugged by tilting her head to the side briefly. "They broke easily enough, but I'm afraid they didn't know much. Arming for some great revolution it seems." Sarrinai chuckled. The Cultists were always arming for some great revolution. "But talents such as yours are put to ill use in Waste, I think."
"Any pair of wings can keep patrol," Corra agreed. "Might have to talk with Loi about getting more in there to be sure, but I think we can find you a better duty." Terresui knew an offer when she saw one.
"Madame Corra. Lady Carrinth wants to send me to Gulch to talk with the Four Tribes, and Ryda has experience with the harpies..."
"Done. Ryda and Fessa can relax with the rest of the honour guard in the finest caves Gulch has to offer."
That alarmed Fessa. "Gulch?"
"I'm not so sure that harpies and Fessa would mix," Rinnai said. "Swebei said her friend Scittila will be graduating soon, don't the Forces usually send a few ceremonial guards there as well?"
Corra turned her green eyes to Terresui. A little resignedly, she nodded: her debt had just grown a bit larger[3]. "Why not," the minister allowed.
"Great merit merits great reward." Terresui winced at the voice. It's owner had penetrated the sound bubble and stepped beside the Minister of Intelligence, all white-blonde hair and pale skin and slime. "Mistress Terresui, so good to see you out of the vizier's court!" Terresui returned the false smile with her own.
"You too. Everybody, this is the Minister of Propaganda, Vucui."
"Public Diplomacy," Vucui corrected. "As I recall, you were seven when I renamed it. Must be all those history texts."
The minister had committed many wrongs, but using *books* as an *insult* was instantly given honours as the worst among them. "History teaches many lessons. You can learn them from old wars, policies… Decrees."
"Well I'd certainly never last long in one of those debates you all hold in the Academies of Study," Vucui admitted. "Scholars really do have the greatest hindsight."
It was practise that kept Terresui from gritting her teeth. "I should introduce my friends. Please keep your hands to yourselves girls; Vucui hates to be touched."
"Oh, myself and Aij have already met her." Rinnai cut in before Vucui could respond. She looked at Aij knowingly. "And I don't imagine that's a quirk she'll be forgetting any time soon."
Aij's sigh was all exasperation. "Can you not forgive me any little thing?"
Vucui chuckled in that arrogant manner. "Dear Rinnai, I do believe your work has made you ill-tempered: you know I took no offense. Why don't I help you unwind? I know the city quite well, we could go..." That was definitely how wolves grinned. "...sight-seeing." Rinnai's cream skin turned crimson under her cosmetic. Aij clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle a guffaw. Terresui felt like she was missing something.
"Miss Arrapti, I've a mutual acquaintance I think you should see. Can I borrow you for a few minutes?"
"Ah, sure thing." Aij seemed to have recovered. "I'll talk to you later Terr, Lady Carrinth was kind enough to put us up for a couple nights."
"Oh, okay!" She was sad to see her friend go after just a few minutes, but she knew how good her last trip to the Palace had been for business.
Vucui began to lead her off, but then in a deliberately obvious[4] play started as if something had just occurred. "Oh Rinnai, why don't you join?"
Rinnai had regained her composure, her smile perfection. "Why, I'd be delighted!" Terresui pitied Rinnai, but at least she was holding her ground.
Corra and Ryda had started chatting at some point, the latter characteristically having forgotten her formalities quickly and the former having characteristically never cared much for them anyway. Fessa, characteristically, looked torn between the impulses to run as far from the VIPs as possible and to stay as close to Ryda's protection as possible. "I saw some great looking food at the buffet table," she told Ryda. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, actually. If you're going could you bring me back something?"
"Oh, um, sure."
"I think I'll join you." Terresui felt bad for the girl, Ryda could be even worse at picking up hints than she was sometimes. Besides that, her stomach had snarled at the mention of food. How long had it been since she'd last eaten? She remembered it had been morning when she found that book, but now the windows were dark with night.
Fessa seemed to brighten at that. They departed, Sprig as always by her side. "Think they'll have any compost?" He asked.
"It's a party for us; of course they'll have compost."
[1 A complete thirteen year record of all the trade convoys from Abun, written nearly a full century before the Taking of Domin! A precious find, all the more fortuitous in that the spells which kept It from decaying had worn off years ago. She'd been reading/transcribing the logs when Rinnai presented her with the blindfold.]
[2 This was actually a small relief to Terresui: Carrinth's agri aspect led her to be more openly affectionate toward her surrogate daughter than the full magi was entirely comfortable with from her surrogate mother. She was at least as much mentor as mother though, so Terresui put up with it.]
[3 Such debts were relatively easy to pay. The lower and middle government had its fair share of favors being repaid with switched arguments and insincere support, but Carrinth had a very useful power which read memories and intents: The Bright Palace's corrupt almost uniformly ended their careers with short falls and sudden stops.]
[4 If technically well-executed.]
"Why, I'd be delighted!" Vucui had given her two choices: decline and admit defeat, or accept and risk further japes. She would have chosen the shorter humiliation of it weren't for Aij. ' She just picked up her second drink and it's been less than fifteen minutes.' Terresui had spent most of her life amongst these people, but Aij had only some experience and little more natural talent. She wondered if Aij had known her comment was only a distraction to present Terri from doing something truly embarrassing in front of her fellow privy councillors. She'd have to ask later.
Vucui led them to another small group, which doubled in size when they joined it. One was a magi with red hair and green sight, another a blue sighted oakskin, while the third was one of the few agri present not wearing gold armour. She bowed low to Aij, which gave Rinnai a hint as to who it was.
"Arrapti Aij, it has been too long!"
Aij's smile was strained, but present. "Bunasch, a pleasure."
Vucui introduced them. The green sighted woman was the Minister of Economy, Astroi. The darker magi was Annei, secretary of infrastructure. "And of course you know Bunasch Bei, Ambassador of Trade and newest member of the Privy Council." That took Rinnai back a bit; the council's core composition hadn't been altered in over a millennium. 'Is this one of the changes Terresui was complaining about earlier?' Vucui looked pleased with herself, but then she almost always looked pleased with herself.
If Aij understood the full implications, she didn't show it. "I'm sure you'll do a good job representing us in there, Bunasch."
Rinnai got over her surprise quickly enough to see an opportunity. "With all respect, wouldn't an Arrapti be better suited? They are the more prosperous family, after all."
Aij spoke to correct her before Bunasch could, just as she'd hoped. "We might make more coin, but we're more industrial and deal most entirely with one product. The Bunasch do more trade and have a better feel for the general economy than we do; Bei was the right choice."
Bunasch dipped her head to Aij. "You flatter me," she said, but Rinnai knew it was with sincere pleasure. A few words, and one of Aij's rivals took the first step to being a friendly voice in the Lady of Sun's ear. Rinnai couldn't help but reflect how different Domin was, and not just in the power some small cunning could have.
Males aside, not one in a hundred Barleytown residents were magi, and even in Abun they were less than half of the population. But here nearly all eyes sported sight, and most of the rest had wings on their back. She'd known that her caste composed more than a tenth of the illian race, but she'd never truly understood how unevenly the population was spread. Strangely, the change to being surrounded by those who saw as she saw was disconcerting. 'What it must have been like for Terresui to undergo the opposite.'
Astroi's voice brought her back. "Food prices would certainly rise... I'm not sure."
Aij's glass was full again, which meant Rinnai had probably not missed more than one drink. "Abun's hardly in need of grain, madame minister. You give us the contract, and I'll turn the Eastabun profits into a company of Flatland mercs to help deal with that giant infestation we've got over there."
"Increased security would ease the fear of potential investors," Bunasch agreed. "We'd only need Corra's approval for the increased mercenary presence..."
Rinnai's eyes drifted with her mind. It seemed she'd worried about Aij for nothing, especially now that they were down to the practical matters the woman excelled at. Her attention was drawn instead to glinting light: it seemed Pree had gathered a bit of a crowd. Her friend was hidden from view by the onlookers, but Rinnai could hardly miss those crystal-inlaid juggling pins - they flashed a dozen different colours as they caught the torches, quite pretty really. 'She puts on a good show in both regards: her smile never faltered when those snobs ignored her.' Rinnai looked around to see if Lady Carrinth had made good on her promise to watch, but couldn't seem to find her. That was strange for a woman of her stature.
Rinnai excused herself and made her way through the crowd to the centre of attention, the perceived danger of those high flung pins easing the task of securing a front row spot. More than one Barleytown resident sported scars from one or another of Pree's tricks gone wrong, so she supposed their caution was justifiable, but she was confident in her kinesis.
The girl was balancing on one bare foot atop a short wooden pole, muscles taut and sheened in sweat. Four pins tumbled high in the air first from one hand to another, then two each being juggled in a single hand, then meeting each other above their heads and sending each other falling back down to her waiting grasp. Some of the reflective crystals broke off at that, and Rinnai was sure somebody would lose an eye, but nobody screamed so it was likely fine. The pins tumbled high and low, changing speed and direction with each toss, sometimes rising and falling quicker than should be possible and at others seeming to hang in the air as if they'd forgotten about gravity for a few seconds, until finally their paths formed a perfect arc just above Pree's head and she snatched them all at once. They went behind her as she bowed to dignified applause.
The pole leaned back to counteract her leaning forward, then followed her into the air when she back flipped a dismount. Her toes released it at the perfect moment so that she caught it in hand not a moment after landing, to gasps and a more enthusiastic ovation. Rinnai clapped with the rest of them, her sight strained and still no closer than she'd ever been to discovering how Pree did what she did without the aid of magi spells or seri magic.
The pole vanished somewhere in her outfit, presumably alongside the similarly disappeared pins, as she ran up to greet Rinnai. The other magi courteously and graciously scattered before their host could get within conversing distance. The fool acknowledged that with no more than a quick glance at the new emptiness when she reached the architect.
"A wondrous show, Pree!" Rinnai used a sweat-vaporizing spell almost without thinking about it. "Do try not to attempt anything too dangerous, though. I'd rather no Winter Solstice repeats with, say, the Minister of Foreign Relations."
"Which Winter Solstice?"
"Sixty-Nine."
"Oh you don't need to worry about that, I don't even have any foxes here."
"You know what I mean. It's fine to test your limits, but you have a tendency to- what are you looking at?"
"Aij and Ryda."
'Oh dear.' She whirled around and spotted Ryda flapping a small way above the ground, irate, having a rather heated discussion with the matriarch in front of what seemed like most of the privy council. The words became more distinct as Rinnai pushed her way to the debacle.
"-won a few games before, but I've spent the past four months in the Forces while you've been wedding cousins and counting grain since Gan left!"
Aij's glass was nearly empty, which meant either she'd slowed down or sped up since Rinnai left them. "Think what you want feathers." Her voice was calm, which was good, but also a little smug, which was precisely how one went about aggravating Ryda further. "But last I checked the score was still in my favour."
Rinnai found a spot beside Terresui. Horrifically, she saw that Corra was among those watching Ryda make a fool of herself. 'How bad is it?'
'Not as bad as it could be, nobody who knows anything about Ryda expects her to be level-headed.'
"You think you could take me now?"
'How many of them know that much about her?'
'They probably had their hands on every file they could get on you five before I'd spent a season in Barleytown.'
"Pretty sure, yeah."
'Lovely people.'
Terri's response was a telepathic shrug.
"I'd be interested in seeing some action to back those words, actually." Minister Corra smirked. "Balls bore me, games less so."
"This is hardly the place," Astroi objected much less resolutely than Rinnai had expected.
Sarrinai looked somewhere off to her right. "I think we can settle this easily enough. My Lady?"
Once attention was drawn to her, Rinnai saw Carrinth immediately. The Unnoticeable spell's thin white glow dissipated in her sight as it was dismissed, but Carrinth herself didn't seem too irked that she'd been caught. "The east banquet lawn should suffice for just about any game," she pointed out. 'What.' "Ryda challenged, so I believe that means Aij may name the sport."
Aij seemed no more surprised by the Solar Lady assisting them in their rivalry than the councillors, though that might have been the liquor. "I won't give her that excuse."
Ryda's cunning look showed no such inhibitions. "Then I name Raiders and Traders!"
Rinnai's detachment from the situation was complete once she found out it was a cloudfort children's game. The rules were simple: two-thirds of the players were designated 'traders' and given 'goods' - normally melon-sized balls, but in this case guard helmets. The other third were designated 'raiders', and allowed to fly. The traders began a hundred metres away from the safe zone. If at least half of the goods arrived at the safe zone then the traders won, if not then the raiders won. Raiders could not enter the safe zone, and traders could not leave it once they entered. Aside from that there were no formal rules.
Rinnai's sanity was spared the test of having members of government join the teams, since Lady Carrinth had given Ryda and Aij leave to take their pick from the true guards. Ryda had for obvious reasons chosen a team entirely composed of cloudborn seri, and since spells were deemed cheating Aij had chosen agri. The raiders had an advantage in that most of them had played this game before, while the traders had an advantage in that agri possessed endurance a team of flightless seri would not.
Half of the banquet watched from the balcony, including her four friends and Lady Carrinth. Some part of her mind that wasn't totally numbed caused her to ask: "Is this how parties in the Bright Palace typically go? I've only been to this one and the Anarchy's End Gala last year."
"I wouldn't say typically, no. But administration's pretty boring work, so..."
"I see," she said hollowly, and sipped her drink. "Where's Fessa?"
"I lost track of her somewhere between the roast deer and the salad."
"Oh." Rinnai wasn't particularly worried: the girl often needed to take breathers alone while in crowds.
The guards had discarded their weapons, and since attempting to break bones was frowned upon the traders had removed their steel armour. Aij's team huddled around her, while in the air a more spread out formation watched as Ryda explained her tactics with gestures as much as words.
She did her bet to ignore Corra and Bei making bets not far down the railing.
Both women had split their teams into three groups, Ryda's in twos and Aij's in fours. Traders had to stay behind the start line, but Ryda had spread hers across the first third of the stretch. Both women made up for their true subordinates' lack of passion, and when Lady Carrinth gave the call to start their shouts would surely be heard across half the palace.
Aij's groups took off and split up almost immediately. Each had one pair of traders holding two helmets each and a pair running to either side empty-handed. Ryda struck with the first raider team, diving low to the ground while her partner stayed above and behind. She dodged an attempted intercept by one of the free handed traders and slammed full body into the one he was protecting, sending both them and a helmet flying away from the group. Her partner swooped down and caught the helmet mid-air while Ryda attempted to wrestle the second away from its bearer. The rest of the trader group stopped and tried to overwhelm her, but the first to get close received a kick to the chin for his trouble and Ryda took off sans prize. The four traders resumed their run toward the safe zone, and the raider pair followed.
The rest was much of the same. Rinnai's Eagle Eye spell kept the figures from growing distant as they raced to the finish line, while some magi with the same spell and a Booming Shout enchantment to boot relayed the scene to those without. Four helmets were taken in the first few minutes, but the agri's endurance served them well as the game wore on. As did Aij: two raiders were out of play after she doled out the sort of damage that was frowned upon. 'Though not by the audience,' she thought wryly. Indeed, the dignified women who led their glorious Illian Empire on its never-ending quest of expansion and conquest cheered at every hit made and helmet stolen. Some booed, which meant they'd actually started rooting for specific teams. She preferred not to think on that either.
Five helmets had been taken by the time the traders had gotten to the last third of their journey. Aij and six others now ran around the five who held the remaining helmets between them all in a great pack, while above two of the able-bodied raiders were laden with their spoils and only Ryda and another were free to strike. Both tried to do so again and again, but couldn't manage to snatch a helm away. They were tired and Ryda was angry, while Aij's group was still going strong with victory in sight. Finally the true raider got lucky and plucked a helmet away, throwing it up to one of his companions just before a freehanded trader caught his ankle and wrestled him to the ground. The group left them behind. Ryda's scream of rage solicited a sympathetic sound from Fessa. 'There you are.'
With one great flap of her wings Ryda dove straight amongst the trader's ranks, and with another redirected her momentum upward in a recklessly sharp angle. Laughing, she held the seventh and winning helmet up for all to see.
The high government went wild, startling Rinnai's enchantment off. 'Oh, I'd forgotten again.' She leaned back to spy on Corra. The Minister of Defense was clearly impressed by the maneuver. 'Ryda's not just the best flyer in Barleytown,' she reminded herself. 'She's one of the best in the realm.'
She reactivated her Eagle Eye and peered at Aij. The agri was even more jaded to Ryda's skill than she was, and had other things on her mind. Her team had stopped once they realised the game was lost, but Aij grabbed a helmet and hurled it into the air. It was a good throw. Maybe it moved too fast, maybe the victory had distracted him, maybe he was too tired or too hurt to dodge in time. For whatever reason, one of the two raider trues' head snapped back and he fell. Four helmets fell with him.
"Is that… Is that allowed?" Bunasch asked in some shock. Both of the non-magi councilors held theatre lenses to their eyes.
"Great thing about this game:" Corra responded. "Most things are."
A pair of shouted orders from Aij sent most of the traders running for the safe zone, while three barehands followed her to the scattered helms. The struck raider hadn't fallen anywhere near far enough to kill him, but he was out. Ryda's old partner, winded, had found himself in a quite unbreakable hold by the trader who had snatched him from the air. One was too overburdened to try swiping anything, and neither of Aij's victims had sufficiently recovered. Ryda alone would have to gather three more helms before the four traders could grab two. No easy task even for her.
Instead she crashed into Aij. Rinnai hadn't expected anything different. The women wrestled on the ground while Aij's males collected their goods and doubled back to the safe zone. Aij seemed to have the upper hand for a few moments, but a palm to the throat gave Ryda enough time to break away and start throwing blows.
Pree giggled. "Those two really need to screw already." Her telescope was far longer than necessary, which was surely the point. 'Where does she put all of it?'
Terresui sighed. "I see nothing's changed since I left."
Aij tried to block the punches and kicks, but even an exhausted Ryda was a force to be reckoned with and most went through. Aij bore the brunt of them and responded with a few of her own, only a few hitting the mark but each a staggering blow.
"I'd expect your Ryda to do better," Bunasch commented. "Twenty silver on the matriarch."
"Done," Corra accepted. "If they were using weapons I can promise you Arrapti wouldn't have lasted ten seconds, but the Righteous Forces don't waste much time on hand-to-hand combat."
Ryda caught Aij's arm mid-punch, threw her over her shoulder, and kicked her in the ribs several times. The game had ended by then, so what remained of both teams just stood watching their designated leaders brawl it out, waiting for orders.
"They seem more aggressive than they normally do," Rinnai noted.
"Eh, distance makes the heart grow fonder." Sprig was sitting on Terresui's back. "This is the first time they've seen each other in months, right?"
"Yeah, and boy does Aij need it! Stress stress stress stress stress, it's all she's done all summer!"
Aij yanked hard on Ryda's leg, and then they were wrestling again.
"I'm surprised Ryda hasn't propositioned her yet." Lady Carrinth joined the conversation now.
To Rinnai's shock, it was Fessa that responded: "Ryda's always been, uh, shy about that sort of thing."
"Then I suppose Aij will have to make the first move. Wait, can the Arrapti matriarch marry? I keep forgetting. I know she can't have children... Sprig, where are my notes?"
"Back in your room," the entling answered irritatedly. "I think she's making the first move now, though! Wait, no, that's an elbow." Everyone winced.
"Doesn't really matter though: everybody knows Fess and Ryd are bound to be bound." Pree smiled deviously at the seri.
"I keep telling you it's not like that!" Fessa protested. "We tried it when we were young." She looked down, bit her lip, then faced Pree with more assertion than was usual for her. "It didn't work out."
Ryda had somehow gained the upper hand, and was using to repeatedly slap Aij pinned below her.
"Really?" Terresui's voice was incredulous. "You two have been together since before you could fly. She followed you to Barleytown, then you followed her to the military, and you've shared every posting! Even Waste! But you want us to believe you're just friends."
"It's true." Evidently the forces had given Fessa some courage. 'Good.'
Ryda rolled off of Aij after taking a particularly vicious knee to the ribs. Aij didn't rise to press the advantage.
"You must care for each other very much, then." Lady Carrinth's glowing eyes were directly on the redhead now, but she didn't look away. That was strange for a girl of her nature. "Few friendships remain so strong after such a test."
Fessa blushed, and Rinnai decided it was time for a change of topic. "I can't stop thinking about those Lunar Cultists. What are they scheming I wonder?"
Aij helped Ryda to her feet, and together they began limping back toward the rest of the party. Obediently, their teams followed. Both women were more at ease than they'd been before the game, Rinnai didn't need to see their faces to know that.
"They've spent millennia scheming," Terresui said dismissively. "Whatever this latest plot is, I'm sure we can handle it."
'…but you'll still be ugly.'
-Arrapti Matriarch Aur, to Bunasch Bess
Anarchy's End Day Gala, the Bright Palace
33.2.2571 SE (One Year Ago)
Aij found herself looking at yet another empty glass. It was her own stock, but not the cheap booze they paid the males with. Oh no, this was the good stuff she'd come up here to sell the bluebloods on. Her spirits had filled many glasses this night, and she'd gotten more than one sincere-looking promise that Eastabun would get orders later on. Determining how many more than one was tricky, since she'd joined most of them in sampling her wares, but she knew it was enough to make up for her absence. Her friendship with Terresui was turning out to be quite profitable.
She felt guilty at that thought. When the Lady of Day's protégé had walked up to Eastabun wanting to see first-hand the distilleries that kept males in line, Aij hadn't needed Gan to tell her that getting friendly would be good for the family. But it was easy to like somebody that had so much honest curiosity about their business, and in the time since she'd found a lot to love about Terr. Theirs was a true friendship now, and thinking about it in terms of coin was felt dirty. But wow, was she making a lot of gold off this friendship.
Guilt forgotten, Aij looked around for another mark. Customer. Another customer. Fuck it, mark: who in their right mind spent five silver on a bottle of wine? She found one quickly enough, speaking to Rinnai. She'd known that one before Terr, though not as well. Her kind heart made her a bit preachy at times, but she'd never looked at Aij's kin like they should be beneath her. Even Bom. For that Aij would forgive her politics and nitpicking.
"Well I didn't do it for them, I did it because the promise of citizenship has cut male rioting in half," the mark was saying. Gan had warned Aij that the lighter a magi was the more trouble they were, and this one must turn invisible when it snowed, even her sight was like pale smoke. Then again, Rinnai's pink skin hadn't done hers any harm yet, though her hair was darker…
"Proof that practicality and empathy aren't mutually exclusive, I think. Aij, there you are!" Rinnai glanced at the empty tumbler, but said nothing of it. "Have you met Minister Vucui yet?"
Aij grabbed an empty glass from a passing waiter and half-filled both with her highest quality sample product. Public Diplomacy handled all the purchase and distribution of liquor to the public sector males, its head deserved the best. "Can't say I've had the pleasure." Aij judged she was about three glasses away from slurring her words. This would have to be the last for a bit. "We should commemorate with a drink."
"Thank you, but I prefer to keep a clear head," Vucui said. Aij passed the absurdly expensive beverage to Rinnai and extended her newly freed hand, with a practised warm smile. Vucui responded with a slight bow. "I also, you must forgive me, am averse to touching. An oddity of mine for as long as I can remember. It is of course a sincere pleasure to meet the future Arrapti matriarch."
So, a prude who thought she was too good to touch the little folk. Repeating Gan's advice wouldn't do, so she decided for a joke instead. "Must be a pain in the ass when you're trying to be intimate, eh?" Was that rude? Judging by how Rinnai's face had just frozen, yeah probably. Damn, she'd drank too much again. To her relief, the privy councillor laughed.
"You're quite the bold one, aren't you? Well to answer your question there's a lot of…" Her voice hushed to a sultry tone, with a grin to match. "…Watching."
Aij's opinion turned right around, but Rinnai looked set to faint.
Authors note: If you don't get the last quote, Google it.
Anthromorphisms have finally been nailed down, meaning some changes to non-Mane Six characters. Protip: Figure out what anthromorphised appearance means before describing the appearance of your characters. Managed to make it work though. Pree's skin, which I haven't actually described yet, is now officially a 'yewskin' tone (East Asian) like Ryda's. Ch1 edits to follow, along with links to a Google doc glossary/reference where I'll put all the unnecessary fluff.
Excluded scene:
"Which Winter Solstice?"
"Sixty-Nine."
"Is that an offer?"
"It's a date."
"Great! I'm sharing my room with Aij though, so we'll have to use yours."
Rinnai felt a headache coming on.
[Excluded on the grounds that the number 69 would look totally different in illian script, and that the 'date' joke also wouldn't make sense if we assume they're speaking a different language. Totally in character for Pree, though.]
