TRINITY RISING


Summary: Destiny's Edge and Tiffany talk about how Fiona was missing her. When they get to Senecus Castrum, Rytlock greets them and tells them his plan of attack, factoring in Big Zojja. Tiffany pilots the golem into battle to great effect. Then, they all go home. Tiffany and Forgal report to General Almorra and then go to the Tassof Tavern and talk to Fiona and Deborah. Later, Tiffany reports to the Chantry of Secrets and talks to Vriré.


Chapter three: Time is Marching On


Author's Notes:

So, I don't have any author's notes this time. Normally, that would mean the deletion of the whole A/N section, but I would have had to make a comment about how weird that looks, so I'm doing it now. (And the purpose is defeated, given that, since I'm making a note, there are author's notes. But I decided that this is the less-weird end of the circular paradox.) So anyway; imagine a chapter without any author's notes. Weird, huh? I like talking to my readers.

Also (oh, look, I did have author's notes after all) I have been looking through the beginning of my story (I'm in the process of posting to Archive of Our Own, piece by piece as I find time between actually writing) and 'admiring' how bad of a writer I was back then. Seriously!

But I'm not gonna fix it. The Tassof Series is now a record of my writing skills. I mean, can you imagine that I barely mentioned Beorn ever prior to the whole Separatist thing? But if I went back and fixed it… well… it would kind of be weird. And probably some extra things would happen, or he might change the plot a bit, and etc. I do fix my tense, though. In the beginning I kept ping-ponging from present tense to past tense, and that's just bad writing resulting from changing a habit. So I fix that, but nothing else. (Kinda can't, like I said with Beorn.) Also, I used to copy+paste dialogue from the wiki - for example, the whole 'level 30 quest' thing. I wanted to fix that, but I decided not to. Who knows what would come to light in shifting dialogue just a tad?

Okay, here's the story now:


Destiny's Edge travel northward, and it isn't long before Tiffany manages to probe out of Logan what happened between Eir and Zojja, and so of course the whole story comes out - and to think it happened only a day or so ago? - about the events of Sorrow's Embrace.

Tiffany is, of course, quite amazed at what Fiona has managed to do while separate from her.

"She misses you, though," Logan points out.

"I don't think she realized it herself," Eir puts in, "but she kept glancing around as if she was missing someone."

Beorn sends Tiffany a helpful feeling - he's making a suggestion - followed by understanding, then Eir and the not-very-developed feeling that means Snaff. 'She knows about this sort of thing. She's experienced it with Snaff.'

Tiffany sends Beorn Zojja, but magnified slightly. 'Zojja knows even more about it.'

Beorn pulls back slightly - slightly - from the bond, and sends Zojja, before returning to normal. 'Zojja doesn't talk about this sort of thing.'

Tiffany sends agreement, and then Beorn sends Fiona, putting the conversation back on track. Tiffany frowns. "I'm sure it's alright," she says slowly. "She's never had problems with loneliness before."

"Has she ever gone for many weeks without you?" Logan asks pointedly.

Tiffany sighs. "I don't know what it's like to be alone. I've had Beorn and Forgal with me… I can't really empathize as much. I just can't imagine being very alone - the only equivalent is when I thought Beorn had died, and that's completely different."

"It's one of the flaws of bonded people," Eir agrees, "not being able to comprehend loneliness."

A sound comes from Big Zojja, like Little Zojja had started to say something and changed her mind.

"You should talk to her next time you see her," Caithe advises.

"I will, of course I will," Tiffany says, frowning.


Destiny's Edge locates its final member in Senecus Castrum, and Rytlock seems as surprised as Tiffany that Eir and Zojja are here together, and he is quickly that they have resolved their differences.

Tiffany is standing off to the side, watching this - for once, happy - reunion of Destiny's Edge. She doesn't know why it seems slightly strained, but perhaps it doesn't - she has hardly been around for any happy Destiny's Edge time.

Rytlock smirks up at Big Zojja. "I see you've brought the big guns," he says, evil malice in his voice. "Baelfire won't know what hit him."

And suddenly, Tiffany realizes. Logan, Eir, Zojja, Rytlock and Caithe work together well and easily, but where there's Big Zojja, there's always been Big Snaff… and now there isn't. If it had just been Little Zojja and no golem, it would have been normal… but with Big Zojja…

Destiny's Edge, however, are trying to ignore it. Tiffany hopes it doesn't explode in their faces. She knows - or, more like it's logically the only thing that could happened - that each of the pairs in conflict have talked out their differences - Logan and Rytlock, and Eir and Zojja - but the group as a whole hasn't talked past their loss.

Tiffany is no therapist, but she suspects that the best thing for all of them is to sit down and grieve together, for once. She doubts they did before.

Rytlock takes the team out to the gates of the Flame Citadel to explain what the odds are and what they are up against. Tiffany, knowing these details already, goes looking for Forgal, having not seen him in almost a week. It does take a while to get to here from the Black Citadel, despite having taken only an hour to find Destiny's Edge and talk to General Almorra.


She finds him talking to Vargok in the Iron Legion's barracks. "Hey you two," she says, plopping down on her bunk. "Long time no see, eh?"

"There you are," Forgal says. "I was wondering whether all that commotion was you. What's with the twenty-foot-tall golem with an asuran head?"

Tiffany laughs. "That's the herald of Destiny's Edge," she proclaims grandly. "It's called Big Zojja, and it's piloted by Little Zojja. And it can stomp you flat, and has conduits for Zojja's elemental magic. I think. I know she can do her magic through it, anyway."

Vargok huffs. "Zojja? What's she doing here?"

"Rytlock wanted me to get Destiny's Edge to help deal with Baelfire."

"So, they can deal with Flame fanatics but not Elder Dragons. Great."

"Hey, they're working on it," Tiffany retorts. "If you want to talk about them, go ask Zojja about the golem - I'm sure she'll be quite happy to extoll its virtues to you. It has vocal transmitters so she can communicate with people from inside of it, and it is based off of a mental link between her and the golem. It's technically called a… oh if I can remember the word… cephalolithopathic."

"Cephalolithopathic," Vargok says slowly, piecing the word together. "Oh! A golem?"

"Yep," Tiffany says. 'I know I got the word right. It's probably just scientific technical jimjam that I don't know a thing about.'

Vargok huffs. "I don't know enough cephalo jargon."

Tiffany frowns. "You just said the word."

"No, it's one word composed of several different words," the charr explains. "The affix cephalo- means it has something to do with the brain or the head. Litho means 'stone' and the suffix -pathic means 'suffering' or 'feeling.' So the word 'cephalolithopathic' would mean a stone that has a brain and can feel. And I don't know much about cephalo stuff. Don't ask me how I know the word 'cephalo' in the first place."

"Huh," Tiffany says. "That's interesting. Anyway, Forgal, how's your week been?"

"Asvor didn't try to kill me," Forgal points out.


Fairly soon, the order to prepare for battle makes its way down the ranks, and the soldiers start marching out to the gates of the Citadel.

Tiffany isn't sure what role she is to play in the battle - either fighting Flame Legion with the rest of the charr or with Destiny's Edge - and while she is sure she'll have a lot of fighting to do either way, she really wants to see Zojja - Big and little - in action.

Her hopes are realized when Eir finds her and brings her to where the rest of Destiny's Edge - whole and complete - are standing in a group near the gates of Senecus Castrum.

Rytlock turns to Tiffany and starts outlining the plan. "Rox is going to take her tunneler through the gate, backed up by the Spine, Gut and Forge warbands - minus you - and quickly followed in by the rest of the legions. She's shown Zojja how to operate the other one I had built while you were away, and we'll burrow our way around the side before cutting our way in in true strike team fashion - we'll take down anything that sees us and get straight at Baelfire."

Tiffany nods. "I understand." she glances around. "Will Big Zojja fit through the tunnel?"

Eir frowns. "I hadn't thought of that."

"I'll go through the gate," Zojja volunteers. "Big Zojja isn't much good on a sneak-in-and-assassinate mission, anyway."

"Are you sure?" Eir asks. "We should all stick together." Nobody needs to mention what happened the last time they didn't.

"Somebody else could pilot Big Zojja, perhaps?" Tiffany suggests. "In all the stories, I've always wondered why it was just the asura that ever used a laurel, when anyone else could probably use them just as well."

Zojja sniffs. "No charr would even fit in the cockpit, much less fit in the laurel, much less get my approval to pilot Big Zojja."

"But Big Zojja doesn't need to be controlled from the cockpit," Eir remembers. "The cockpit just makes it easier."

"And safer," Logan adds.

"And no charr would want to pilot a golem that has an asura's head, anyway," Rytlock points out.

"It doesn't have to be a charr," Caithe speaks up.

Tiffany blinks. If it's not a charr and it's not one of Destiny's Edge, that leaves her or Forgal, and if no charr fits in the cockpit then certainly no norn could. Apparently the rest of Destiny's Edge have come to that conclusion as well. Tiffany opens her mouth to protest, but she is interrupted.

"That would work," Logan nods. "The laurel would fit - asuran heads are about the same size as human heads - and the cockpit might be a tight squeeze, but it would work."

"It would be quite morale-boosting," Rytlock points out, "having the personal golem of one of Destiny's Edge on their front lines."

"It would distract Baelfire and make him think we were with the main contingent," Eir points out. "That could be a real advantage."

Tiffany knows these are all good arguments, but she also knows that Zojja is unlikely to yield just because her companions all say so - this is Big Zojja, and if Tiffany accidentally crashes it or something…

"How would Beorn factor in to this?" Tiffany asks, finally finding an excuse. "It's not like we could both fit in the cockpit, and it would be kind of odd for him to be running around on the ground."

"Garm suggests that he could come with us," Eir suggests. "If neither of you mind, of course."

"The question is whether Zojja minds," Tiffany finally retorts. "She had three criteria; that the person fit in the cockpit, that they fit in the laurel, and that they 'get her approval to pilot Big Zojja.' This whole… discussion is pointless if Zojja doesn't want me to pilot her golem."

Caithe looks at Tiffany in wonder. "Are you looking for ways to get out of this?"

This gives Tiffany pause. Why is she rebelling so hard?

"I don't mind," Zojja says finally, and Tiffany blinks at her. The blast shield surrounding the cockpit comes down and the door opens as Zojja slips out of the harness.

"You don't?" Tiffany asks incredulously. "I've never used something like this before. What if I crash it?"

Zojja huffs. "Your very reluctance and caution at attempting this is proof enough to me that you'll be very careful," she says sternly, clearly conveying the message that if she does crash, Zojja will be very angry, but she is not giving Tiffany the chance to say no.

"Do I have to give you an order, Warmaster?" Rytlock asks severely, and Tiffany sighs in defeat.

"Fine," she grumbles. "I have really spent to much time under charr command," adds under her breath. "Show me how to use it," she says to the asura. 'Fiona will be so jealous,' she realizes as Zojja finds the golden laurel that is still in the cockpit and puts it on her head. Tiffany feels slightly ridiculous with it, but Zojja insists that she see how the golem responds from the ground before getting into the cockpit.

Recalling Zojja's first experience from the book with Big Zojja, Tiffany has to suppress a grin - a hard task - while she watches Big Zojja respond to her every movement. It is creepily amazing. "Snaff built this?" she asks in wonder. "This is ingenious."

"Of course it is," Zojja retorts. "Snaff was brilliant."

"I never said he wasn't," Tiffany says with feeling. Reading about something and experiencing it are two completely different things. She tentatively takes a step while wearing the laurel, and is astounded at the size of the step echoed in Big Zojja. "I'll… have to get used to walking."

"Don't worry," Eir says, amused. "It took Zojja a while to learn, too."

This time Tiffany does giggle. 'This is so surreal.' She does wonder about how the golem walks around while she walks in place, and experiments with a few different ways of walking in place to figure out what works - and comes up with new labels for them in the process.

Eventually she gets the hang of it, and wonders how it will work when she is in Big Zojja's cockpit. Zojja seems to have arrived to the conclusion that Tiffany can pilot Big Zojja now, and tells her to get in the cockpit.

At first, Tiffany wonders if she'll fit in properly, but it turns out that Snaff had left a lot of room in the cockpit of the twenty-foot-tall golem - the whole torso - and, while it is slightly snug, Tiffany has plenty of room to move around in. Zojja closes the door to the golem, throwing Tiffany into pitch blackness, and her voice hisses through a speaker in Tiffany's ear.

"You be careful with Big Zojja, Tiffany, or I will rip your head off and hit you in the face with it."

Rytlock's voice comes through the speaker. "You know that's physically impossible, ri - "

"I know it's physicaly impossible! It is a threat designed to show that I can do the impossible if I am angry enough."

"Oh," Tiffany says. "You meant the threat literally. I'll be quite careful, I promise."

"Of course you will," Zojja says, her voice deadly. "Now go knock down a gate."

Tiffany nods, opens her mouth because they can't see her nod, and then realizes that Big Zojja's head nodded when she did. She wonders how weird it looks from the outside, knowing that she is in here and not Zojja.

She closes her eyes to center herself, but instead of more pitch blackness than there had been before, she is looking out of Big Zojja's eyes. 'Wow, that is awesome,' she notes. 'And very odd, looking down at everyone.'

She takes a step forward - moving in thin air for her, but the golem responds to the movement fluidly. It is an odd experience. She turns toward the gate of the Citadel of Flame, where the army of charr is waiting for Rox to tunnel into the gate.

Tiffany, feeling safely anonymous inside the golem, walks Big Zojja up to the gate and punches it, wincing preemptively and unnecessarily. Big Zojja's fist crashes into the gate, making a large hole and not even denting the golem's metal hand. Tiffany grins and finishes destroying the gate.

Forgal, Vargok and the Spin and Gut warbands promptly head into the large gap, with Tiffany following along. She figures out how to use the water cannons mounted in Big Zojja's framework, and grins as she shoots gigantic blasts at various Flame threats, resulting in plumes of steam. It lacks the punch it would have had if Zojja's elemental magic had been behind the streams of water as well, but it works.

Of course, the small army of charr and the lone golem quickly encounter massive amounts of Flame Legion, but the force of a jet from the water cannons distracts the Flame Legion for long enough for the charr to get in and scatter their ranks.

Beorn is sending Tiffany signals - fainter than normal due to the distance - concerning Destiny's Edge. Tiffany knows when they are in battle and when they are enacting different tactics - stealthy sneaking around or beating up anyone that sees them or turning the Flame Legion's weapons against them - and when one of them gets injured.

The charr are pressing in to the Flame Citadel. They know that their role is distraction, and they play bait surprisingly well. The gigantic golem in their midst helps with the illusion that this is the real threat, particularly since Big Zojja is actually a big threat.

Tiffany doesn't just spray water - Big Zojja is twenty feet tall, and things half her height are ripe for punching. It's as easy as throwing around three-year-olds - just with intent to kill rather than intent to tickle.

And then a group of Flame shamans appear. Tiffany directs Big Zojja's water cannons at them as the charr charge the shamans, but the Flame magic this time is strong enough to counter the effect. Water contacts with Flame shields, and steam goes up, but the shields hold strong.

Tiffany shrugs and stomps in to physically beat up the shamans with the rest of the charr.

The Flame Legion seem to be getting desperate - masses of the fanatics are swarming the Legions' contingent and nearly overwhelming them - the only reason they manage to stay up and going is because of Big Zojja's power.

The bond with Beorn is telling her that Destiny's Edge is succeeding and they are not in danger, which is the extent of the information that Tiffany is able to understand while in mid-battle.

But not long after, an otherworldly roar echoes through the Citadel. Beorn tells Tiffany that Destiny's Edge are fighting Baelfire, and something isn't right. The Flame Legion brighten and fight on with renewed vigor. The two circumstances together strike fear into the invading charr, and the battle is fierce.

Molten lava is being deftly manhandled. The shamans are being heavily protected by the Flame soldiers. After a very short while, they start targeting Big Zojja. Tiffany fears that the golem could be melted. She works on forging a path through the multitudes of Flame Legion to get at the shamans. Vargok and Forgal are right behind her.

Beorn's feelings are jumping around as he helps Destiny's Edge fight Baelfire. It is distracting to Tiffany, and she delicately walls him out, but not in such a way that he can't break through if he needs to. It hurts slightly, blocking the link, and it goes against every instinct, but it was just so distracting. It would have been different if they were fighting the same battle.

Big Zojja claws through the Flame fanatics at crazy speed - at least compared to the charr - but once they realize who her target is, they swarm her, trying to take her down.

The golem sustains injury - white-hot blades sear scars into Big Zojja's body before their wielders' heads are crushed by her swinging fist.

The Flame Legion don't want Big Zojja anywhere near their shamans - they are sacrificing tactics and soldiers to stop her. This, of course, just encourages Tiffany to try harder. Flanked by Forgal and Vargok and backed by more allied charr, she carves a path through the Flame Legion.

It's hard going, though. The Flame Legion are throwing their all into stopping her, and not just Big Zojja is taking wounds.

And then the shamans collapse like puppets. All of them. The Flame Legion are thrown into a panic, rushing around carelessly and shrieking their heads off.

Only a minute later, Destiny's Edge appear from behind the Flame Legion. This just makes the army of Flame throw their hands up in surrender.

"What happened?" Tiffany asks out loud.

"No idea," Forgal replies, his voice crackling through the speaker in Tiffany's ear. This recalls Tiffany to herself, and she opens her eyes to the darkness of the cockpit. But she does feel nervous about not being able to see anything, so she closes them to see the battlefield again.

She drops the barrier on the link to Beorn as he approaches Big Zojja. Tiffany looks around one last time at the charr taking the surrendering Flame Legion prisoner, and carefully climbs out out of the golem.

She is very disoriented at first - turning from a twenty-foot-tall metal giant to a five foot human - but she recenters herself easily enough.

"You alright, Tiffany?" Forgal asks.

"Yeah, just disoriented," Tiffany tells him. "You're the one with potential for injury, are you alright?"

Forgal nods. "Vargok has a vast array of healing elixirs. He doesn't have magic, but he's got chemistry and technology."

Tiffany smiles at the charr. "Thanks. I couldn't have kept this big idiot alive that well."

"Hey!" Forgal protests amid the laughter of his friends.

Beorn and Destiny's Edge reach her by this time, and Zojja runs a critical eye over the golem. She sniffs. "She's in better condition than I expected, honestly."

"You're… very good at making threats?" Tiffany suggests.

Rytlock laughs. "That she is, and she's good at executing them, too."

"So, what did you guys do? I've never seen Flame Legion surrender before." Actually, Tiffany reminds herself, she's never seen NPCs surrender before, unless it was part of the storyline.

"Baelfire was trying to turn himself into a god," Rytlock says, snorting in disapproval. "He spread this news throughout the Citadel of Flame as a morale-booster. He was drawing on the lifeforce of every shaman in the Citadel, apparently, and promised it wouldn't kill them if he succeeded. None of them considered him failing, apparently, and when all the shamans collapsed as he fought to remain alive, they panicked. Destiny's Edge appearing put two and two together in their minds, it seems."

"Well, I'm glad it was managed. We were being overrun."

Zojja is glaring over Tiffany's shoulder. Tiffany glances in that direction and sees Vargok smirking at the asura.

"Do you two know each other?" Tiffany asks, bewildered.

"If we hadn't had enough Flame on our hands today, charr," Zojja says to Vargok, "I'd singe you all over again."

Tiffany frowns. "What's this about?"

"Best not to ask," Logan advises. "Her enemies are her own."

"But she's threatening to singe my friend," Tiffany protests, only then realizing how absurd that sounds.

Zojja turns a mild glare at her. "Really? For how long?"

"For how long?" Tiffany repeats, wondering why Zojja is asking. "I met him when I was assigned here - seven weeks? Eight?"

"Good," Zojja sniffs, turning back to the charr.

"Don't singe him," Tiffany warns.

Zojja looks at Tiffany defiantly. "Why not?"

Tiffany blinks. "Actually, go right ahead," she shrugs, smirking at Vargok, who sighs in long-suffering. Forgal laughs. "I've yet to see him react to being singed, and I have to document it for Fiona's study of - " she finally breaks into a gale of laughter.

Zojja huffs and changes the subject. "Rytlock, what exactly will your job be composed of now that the Flame Legion are defeated?"

Rytlock pauses. "Likely focusing on the ghosts - adding soldiers to the rotations to give them all a break from fighting the same ones over and over - but there will be a lot of charr manpower going to waste. They'll probably be reassigned to work with the Vigil or the Priory or the Order of Whispers - depending on the Legion, most likely."

"The world needs to see Destiny's Edge in action," Caithe points out. "Maybe we should look for another dragon champion to fight."

There is silence for a minute as they contemplate this.

"Does the Fang of Jormag count as a champion?" Forgal asks.

"We… tried that one before," Eir informs him, her face clouding over.

"But you see," Tiffany inserts, "there's a saying that goes 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.' So long as you at least try. And another saying that goes 'try everything, even if you could fail.'" Slightly paraphrased, Tiffany knows, but she can hardly start singing Try Everything. Not that she remembers anything but part of the song, anyway. "I mean, that's the idea you used on the Dragonspawn. Didn't work the first time, so you got more people and tried again. And another saying that goes 'third time's the charm.'"

"Since when are you full of wise sayings about this?" Logan asks.

"Since you almost never get anything the first time," Tiffany shrugs. "How many times have you had to try again to get what you wanted?"

"Another thing you could try," Vargok suggests, "instead of immediately going off and finding another adventure, you could just talk and be normal friends for a while, so a repeat of Destiny's Divide doesn't happen?"

"Destiny's Divide?" Zojja snorts. "That's what you're calling it?"

Tiffany shrugs - there are many worse things some people could think up. Kralkatorrik's Menace. Maybe Snaff's Legacy, or Glint's Misfortune. Rytlock reminds Zojja of this out loud, but without any examples. Nobody wants to hear Zojja's reaction to 'worse things.'

"His point still stands," Caithe notes.

"Come to think of it, we hardly know anything about each other," Logan realizes. "I mean, Rytlock knows I had a brother, and that's about it. Heyy," he realizes, turning to Rytlock, "we never did find out why Caithe was following us when we first met her."

"Because she kind of had to or else she wouldn't have been following or some circular logic like that," Rytlock agrees, trying to remember the odd event of six years past.

Caithe rolls her eyes.

"Probably because she thought you were interesting," Tiffany points out. "Why else do you follow people?"

Zojja huffs. "Nothing is ever that simple with Caithe."

"If I thought you weren't interesting, would I have followed you?" Caithe wonders. "Being interested had to have been at least part of it."

"Cryptic!" Rytlock hollers, throwing up his hands. "Cryptic, again! Told you, Logan!"

Logan chuckles. "Come on, let's get back to Senecus Castrum. No need to stand around on the battlefield talking."

The now-united group makes its way back to Senecus Castrum, but the unofficial Forge warband - Vargok, Tiffany and Forgal - stay to oversee the aftermath of the battle.


Later, of course, Tiffany tells Forgal about General Almorra's request that the two Warmasters return back to the Keep after the fall of the Citadel.

"We'll return, then," Forgal agrees. "No need to keep her waiting."

Tiffany goes and says goodbye to Rox and Vargok, and somehow the news that she is leaving reaches Rytlock, and he and Destiny's Edge, who decide they are no longer needed, decide to make the return journey with them.

So Destiny's Edge, Tiffany, and Forgal all leave the Citadel of Flame firmly in the hands of the charr of the Black Citadel.

It takes two days to reach the Black Citadel, and there Rytlock leaves them to report news of the fall of the Citadel of Flame. The rest of them go through the gate and split up - Destiny's Edge to their respective home cities, and Tiffany and Forgal waypoint north to the Vigil Keep.


"I am happy to see you getting along," General Almorra notes as the two Warmasters enter her office.

Tiffany smiles, pleased that the General is taking an interest in the conflict. She salutes. "Warmaster Tiffany, reporting, General," she says.

"Warmaster Forgal, reporting, General," Forgal says, echoing the salute.

"At ease, Warmasters," the General says, amused. "I have heard many favorable reports of your work with the Legions, but I want my two best Warmasters down here. Did you take the Citadel of Flame?"

"Yes, General," Forgal informs her. "The charr were securing their hold on the place when we left, and Tribune Brimstone felt it was safe enough to leave in the hands of his subordinates."

"Very good," General Almorra nods. "I think they do not need you anymore, and I do. But you also need a break. Take a day or so to rest, then report back here. Today is Friday - I want you back here on Monday. Dismissed."

"Understood, General," the two Warmasters chorus, and then they turn to leave.

"Wait," the General calls when they are near the door. "You came straight here from Ascalon, didn't you?" she asks amusedly.

"Yes, General," comes the reply.

The General shakes her head in amusement. "Go take a break," she tells them.


"I'm HOME!" comes a familiar voice hollers. "Petra! Andrew! Deborah if you're here!"

Fiona's chair is on the floor and the door is swinging shut in a heartbeat. She barely stops to think about the fact that she had been left out of Tiffany's welcome-home call.

"Tiffany!" Fiona shrieks, cannonballing downstairs. She sees Tiffany and hugs her, then bounces back with a smile. Then she sees Forgal and raises an eyebrow, her eyes darting to Tiffany nervously. Now she does think about it. She hasn't seen Tiffany for two months, and Tiffany has been with Forgal this whole time.

"We made friends again," Tiffany says cheerfully. "And I am quite sure he is entirely, vastly, too much to say relieved that he didn't kill me. I know stuff like that."

Fiona throws up her hands, groaning. "Of course you know stuff like that!"

Forgal looks on in confusion as Tiffany counters with "yeah, and?"

"And I know already!" Fiona sighs, with a spark of joy that Tiffany is still normal. Wait, why had she thought Tiffany might not be normal? "You don't need to go on mentioning it over. And. Over. Again!"

"I haven't mentioned it in ages!" Tiffany retorts.

"I haven't seen you for two months, of course you haven't mentioned it in ages!" Fiona snaps, realizing that this is her source of irritation. She wants things to stay the same. Fiona's unending irritation at Tiffany for continually mentioning her obsession over the end of Heart of Thorns, and Tiffany's careless attitude toward Fiona's irritation had become almost a part of their lives before Tyria, and even after for a good long while. The absence of it stings.

"Ages before that! I mean seriously! When was the last time? Can you remember? If not, that's a good sign!"

"Of course I can't remember." Fiona rolls her eyes. She can't, really. She'd never bothered. "You're the one with the freaky memory."

"Freaky memory? I'm sure - "

"Are you two arguing over nothing again?" Petra cries, entering the room. "You haven't seen each other in two months and this is how you greet each other?"

'Well, at least one thing is the same,' Fiona smirks. "Yes, of course."

"It's par for the course," Tiffany chimes in. "You were expecting otherwise?"

Petra sighs. "I'd hoped you'd be a bit more subdued this time."

"What, after bottling it all up for eight weeks straight?" Tiffany queries. "Now, Fiona. I know most of what you've been doing for the last eight weeks, so I will tell you what I've been doing."

"Wait, how do you know what I've been doing?"

"Rytlock sent me to collect Destiny's Edge to help kill Baelfire, the Flame Imperator in the Citadel of Flame. From what I hear, it was the day after the whole Sorrow's Embrace thing. I didn't realize you were home until we were already halfway back to Senecus Castrum, or I would've come and seen you."

"And the battle for the Flame Citadel was really the only notable part of our eight weeks," Forgal puts in humorously. "Tiffany was inside this gigantic golem with Zojja's head and - "

Fiona's eyes pop wide. "You were piloting Big Zojja? I hope Little Zojja didn't almost kill you - I'd be terrified to even think of piloting it, if it got even a scratch while under my care - "

"Yeah, I kinda felt the same way. I didn't realize exactly what it was at the time, I just knew I didn't want to pilot it," Tiffany nods. "And I got it all terribly beat up and I was terrified, but apparently Zojja expected a lot worse and she didn't even yell at me. I mean, Flame Legion with white-hot swords are rather deadly to steel. Big Zojja has some permanent scars now, but nothing disabling. Maybe Zojja doesn't care about it getting beat up, just cessation of functionality?"

"Maybe," Fiona nods, hoping Zojja doesn't brew some secret plan for revenge later. "So, I also made some friends of the people who were with me in the Priory team - a guy named Leon Traydor who is obsessive over Elder Dragons and all things machinery, a charr named Kazakh Grimefur who was interested in the architectural soundness of Sorrow's Embrace, and an asura named Izza who uses a mix of Deception and Nature, which was interesting. She was more interested in dredge biology than technology or structures or history."

"Huh," Tiffany remarks. "Speaking of making friends, I met somebody named Rox. She's awesomely cool, and she seems to be friends with Rytlock."

"Really? Neat!" Fiona smiles. Rox, from what she has heard, is an interesting person.

"We also met a Vigil Crusader named Vargok," Forgal inserts. "He didn't like it, but everybody called us the Forge warband."

"Why didn't he like it?" Fiona queries, frowning.

"All his warband were killed by Flame Legion, and he didn't want us messing up their memory," Tiffany explains. "But it was easier to say 'the Forge warband' than 'Warmaster Tiffany, Warmaster Forgal, and Legionnaire Vargok,' so everybody said the easier one. We were technically under Vargok's command anyway, so it kinda made sense."

Fiona nods. "I see. And I suppose being Legionnaire to you two was the only way to get out of being gladium?"

"He was considered gladium anyway," Tiffany informs her. "Legionaire Spinebreaker really hates the Vigil, it seems. When Rytlock arrived and found out she was treating us like gladium, he almost killed Spinebreaker. Fortunately, he told us first and we were able to convince him not to."

Fiona nods. "Fortunately is right. Have any adventures? Like, aside from piloting Big Zojja?"

"Well, we conquered like ten Flame centers. They're all somthing Castrum. There was Senecus Castrum, Invictus Castrum, Atrox Castrum - "

"Okay, I get it," Fiona laughs. "You conquered stuff, I studied stuff, and now we're both telling each other what a boring time we had."

Tiffany nods. "Right on the dot."

Then, Deborah enters the room. "There you are, Tiffany! Hi, Forgal!"

"You don't seem overjoyed to see me," Tiffany teases. Fiona smirks. She knows why.

"That's because I knew you'd be coming home," Deborah explains. "I'm the reason you came home."

"Wait, huh?" Tiffany frowns.

"I decided to join the Vigil, and General Almorra decided to call you home."

"That's awesome!" Tiffany beams. "When did you join up?"

"About a week ago," Deborah says. "Petra's been despairing all week that any of her daughters will survive to old age."

"Aww," Tiffany says. "We'll just have to prove her wrong, then. I won't die."

"She's not gonna believe you, sis," Deborah laughs. "She'll believe it when she sees it."

Suddenly, Tiffany's eyes pop wide. "Have you been assigned a mentor yet?"

"No," Deborah smirks. "I think General Almorra was going to assign you to that task."

"Alright, we'll start preemptively, then," Tiffany grins. "Lesson number one: how well do you know the Vigil motto?"

"Is that what General Almorra said about fighting and being free?"

"Yep. Some must fight so that all may be free - and don't you forget it."

"I'll do my best," Deborah promises, "and I live by the meaning even if I don't recall the words."

"That's the spirit," Forgal nods.

While Forgal answers a question that Deborah has, Fiona pulls Tifany aside. "You should report to the Chantry - and," she adds, lowering her voice nervously, "Talk to Vriré. I've been promoted to Agent, but we probably shouldn't discuss it now."

Tiffany glances back at Forgal. "He seems occupied with Deborah right now. Sound enchantment, I want to talk to you about that."

"It's up," Fiona nods, having enacted the magic.

"I'd like to include Forgal more in Whispers stuff - to reassure him we won't turn evil or anything, you know?" Tiffany explains hurriedly. "Maybe introduce him to Vriré or bring him along on a mission so he knows what we're doing."

Fiona nods thoughtfully. It would temporarily raise the risk of Forgal turning on them again, but in the long run he'd get used to it more easily. "That would be a good idea," she nods. "Should we put it in those terms? Or just introduce him and not let him know why?"

"We don't know whether he knows that Vriré is Whispers," Tiffany points out. "We could just disguise it as a group meeting of our friends or something - like to introduce them. Maybe if we included Sieran it would be less focused on him and Whispers stuff. He's already spent a lot of time with Destiny's Edge, traveling back and forth from the Citadels, but he hasn't met Sieran yet, has he?"

Fiona shakes her head. "I don't think so. You've got a good idea going, though - get all our friends to know each other. Vriré doesn't exactly count as a friend, but we can spin it that way to Forgal. You'll tell Vriré this when you report?"

"Of course," Tiffany nods. "We should set up a meeting - neutral territory, maybe, like Lion's Arch - before I go, though. I'll tell Forgal, and maybe you could find Sieran?"

Fiona smiles. "Can do. We're awesome."

"I suppose."

Fiona beams. "Suppose. Now let's talk to Forgal and stop hiding behind enchantments," she prods, canceling the magic behind their silent communication.


Tiffany enters the Record Room in the Chantry of Secrets and checks her file. There is a notice there to report to Vriré at her earliest convenience, and it gives directions for finding the Lightbringer's office.

Tiffany adds the meeting of friends in Lion's Arch - Forgal had suggested the Gangplank Bridge - to her schedule and makes her way to Vriré's office.

"Come in, Initiate," the asura calls when Tiffany knocks.

Tiffany enters the office, and sits in the chair that Vriré indicates. "So, your mission is complete?" Vriré asks. "What are the charr up to?"

"Yes, Lightbringer," Tiffany confirms. "The charr managed to take the Citadel of Flame and kill Gaheron Baelfire."

"The one that signed the alliance document with Vyacheslav?"

"Yes, Lightbringer," Tiffany nods.

"I see. I understand you went with Forgal?"

Tiffany nods. "We've overcome our differences. Also, me and Fiona have talked to Forgal and decided to have a meeting of friends in Lion's Arch. I added it to my schedule, but I thought it might help him adapt if he could meet you in person, knowing who you are."

Vriré nods. "I see. I will make an effort to be there. Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"

"No," Tiffany says simply. She won't betray Forgal's trust.

Vriré nods as if that is the answer she was expecting. "I have not located Asvor, though her A-Key has been turned on several times, so we know she is not dead."

"Could someone have stolen the A-Key?"

"Not without leaving her alive. Her file has not reported her death - as it will if she dies while wearing the A-Key, whether it is activated or not - and until then we must keep searching."

Tiffany nods. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"I assume your sister has informed you of her promotion?"

"Yes, Lightbringer."

"Despite it being against custom, I am sure she has - or will soon - tell you all the details of what being an Agent means," Vriré sighs. "It is also against protocol to promote official partners separately, but you have not had any interaction with the Order for the last eight weeks, and Fiona… well, I am sure she will tell you. You two are very exceptional students - and, Initiate? Please get promoted soon, so I can go back to calling you both in the same word."

Tiffany snickers. "I'll try, Lightbringer. 'Students' works, though, or any variation."

Vriré nods. "Good," she says, as if she hadn't heard the last sentence. "That is all. You can finish your report in your file."

Tiffany, hearing the dismissal in Vriré's words, leaves the room and updates her file. Out of curiosity, she searches through the records as she would the wiki back on earth, and finds that her report has automatically updated the files about the Black Citadel/Flame Legion conflict. The revelation on how the Record Room works is interesting to her, and she decides to return to soon to look up other bits of info.

And, of course, when Fiona hears about the 'new wiki,' she is going to groan and say something along the lines of 'there's even a wiki in Tyria, will the horrors never end?'


Author's Notes:

I like this chapter! It came out super quick, yeah, to make up for the delay in the last one.

I was unsure at first of the whole Big Zojja thing, but we never got to see the relationships and actions of Destiny's Edge much after coming together in the game.

I do know that is unrealistic for them not to go back to hunting down dragon champions together, but they had just killed an Elder Dragon with the Pact, and so maybe they had a break, and then Mordremoth came along and Destiny's Edge went boom. And I can't rant about it here because the spoiler warning for this story said up till the end of HoT, not any after. /grumble.