REFORGING THE EDGE
Summary: Catava, Kasmeer and Deborah assassinate the Modniir War King relatively easily. When they return, the three are given assignments and Catava and Kasmeer plan their 'deaths.' Kasmeer is sent south to check on a centaur camp and a ragtag group of people aiding the Seraph. When she returns, Captain Rekath begins planning an attack on Forward Camp, before handing out assignments. Kasmeer is killing herself (not literally) trying to remember a name while she heads west with the others of her team.
Chapter seven: Assassinations and Familiar Names
Author's Notes:
Dear me. I'm making my main characters OP, when you consider the chapter Put Your Trust in Vigil Steel, not to mention this chapter - they're taking down targets left and right. It's because those things are overrated anyway. The reason we never took down Scarlet very well in LS1 was because she surprised us, not the other way around. She would show up, and we would react… we never were able to plan for it. The only times we thwarted her were when we were being the antagonists - we attacked her lair and freed prisoners or something. Or when we had a plan - Queen Jennah being an illusion. And also because we never had the Pact helping in LS1. But when we took down Scarlet in Put Your Trust in Vigil Steel there was the Spar warband, me, and Forgal as Vigil, Fiona as Prioy, and Vriré, me, and Fiona as Whispers. (Priory has the least representation, but they're scholars and not really fighters OR strategists… right?) So we had a mini Pact strike-team there, and only the earthling Whispers Initiates knew it. Strange the prerequisites for knowing these things, huh?
So defeating Scarlet wasn't really a big deal - just the preparedness of it and the lack of that in LS1 hyping up Scarlet dying. OH! And knowing the future. That definitely helped.
And assassinating the centaur leader is a #PClevelidea. I'm sure any mesmer - even just a mesmer and nobody else - could do it… if not as easily, because mesmers… well. Mesmers. (As Canach says in LS3: "Bah! Mesmers! No offense to Kasmeer, Marjory." Lol)
Whooops. Remember A Chance Meeting, chapter nineteen of Book Two: Soldiers, Scholars, and Spies where Tiffany and Fiona go and check up on the centaur war the day before Beorn's memorial? Well… in that chapter, Lieutenant Francis was briefly mentioned as having been promoted to Captain to take Tervelan's place. And I completely forgot about that the last few chapters… so I'm going to go fix that and replace his name with something else. 'Lieutenant Francis' in the last chapter or so will be replaced with 'Lieutenant Scarfni.'
Oh and one thing you must remember - Tiffany/Kasmeer has no more than a very brief overview of what happened in Living World Season two. Her mentality is 'apparently Mordremoth is already more of a threat than the other three Elder Dragons that are already awake (Primordus, Jormag, and Kralkatorrik) so we gathered the leaders of the races together and all agreed to help. Apparently somewhere in there Rytlock went somewhere - the Mists, apparently - Caithe ran off with Glint's egg and the Commander got all upset over it, and the Pale Tree is hurt for some reason. And when did we find out that sylvari were creations of a dragon?' You'll figure out why I'm telling you this… further in the chapter.
And I had Ibu said she'd been in Tyria for months? I realized that if the statements surrounding that were true, that clashes with Tyrian/earth time spectrum I introduced in Problems With Asura (Gates), chapter twenty of Book Two: Soldiers, Scholars, and Spies which maintains the '1 Tyrian day = 2 earth hours' which the 'months' statement does not support. So I'm changing 'months' to weeks - just long enough to be in the Academy. Which is part of the reason the Players haven't been seen since before then (plus the Seraph Training Academy is inaccessible to Players).
And I'm going to finally say goodbye to remembering what happens in a certain chapter by its name; we have Arguments and Assassinations, chapter three of Book Two: Soldiers, Scholars, and Spies and we have this chapter; Assassinations and Familiar Names, although, my memory has displayed surprising aptitude regarding the Tassof Series, so who knows.
Oh, no. It's amateur GW2 fanfictioning all over again! With the looong A/N! (All the fanfics I never posted with long ramblings that, if I get into them now, you'll never get to the end of the author's notes.)
Okay, here's the story now:
Kasmeer and Catava wake up in the early afternoon. The barracks was the first room repaired, it seems, and most of the Seraph are sleeping. It seems most of the sentinels are rangers, having been the least tired out in the battle.
Kasmeer and Catava have been awake and quietly talking through Catava's sound enchantment for only a minute when Deborah stirs and sits up.
"What happened?" she asks.
"You're one of the few survivors of a centaur ambush," Catava informs her.
"Right, I remember now. Did anyone else survive?"
"Only a few. We weren't told much."
The rest of that day is spent waiting for the Seraph forces to get rested. Kasmeer, Catava, and Deborah take over some sentinel duties until more Seraph wake up, talking about the game all the while.
By the time the three of them are relieved, afternoon is sliding into dusk. Catava spreads the sound enchantment over them all. "Ready to go assassinate a centaur leader?"
"Well, it's already Friday, and we were planning on faking our deaths on Saturday," Kasmeer reminds Catava. "No reason to wait any longer. And we're kind of off duty, too."
"It's a good thing you're in personas; I don't think I could mourn properly if I knew you weren't dead," Deborah informs them.
"That's exactly right," Kasmeer nods. "And it's the personas we're killing, really. Or manipulating centaurs into killing them. Don't worry; they won't have anything to do with the centaur assassination."
"Try not to be confusing when I was just bonked on the head by centaurs," Deborah sighs. "Well, let's go," Deborah continues.
"You're coming?"
"I have as many assignments as you do - none - and I won't let you go into the most dangerous situation you've ever been in alone."
Catava huffs. "Fine. I'll veil us. We'll follow the road out of Overwatch Camp."
The invisible sisters make their way east along the road, which comes to a Seraph camp. It had been temporarily abandoned, but now the Seraph are busily setting up defenses. The three carefully circle the outpost and find the road again.
The road winds through the camp and twists north, heading deeper into centaur territory.
They pass many centaurs, but do not attack. At the edge of centaur territory, they find a mine camp, but press on, taking the north roads. When they come to a fork in the road - one way east through a heavy gate, and the other leads north but curves to the east a little way on.
The three hesitate there for a few minutes.
"It's fortified," Deborah observes. "The centaur camps aren't normally fortified like this; normally the entrances are open for centaurs to pass in and out."
"That leaves the question; how to get in?" Kasmeer wonders.
Catava rolls her eyes. "Duh. Portal."
"Right." Kasmeer sighs. 'So many things players couldn't do that NPCs could - like portal without being there or even seeing it.' she thinks. "Go ahead. And keep us veiled."
"Duh. Of course I would keep us veiled."
On the other side of the gate, Catava hisses, "Silence. And pretend they can see you - we don't know what the centaur shamans can do." She gets two nods in reply.
The three press on into the camp, following the heavily-trodden road through the camp.
"This is too easy," Kasmeer mumbles.
"I'm a mesmer," Catava whispers back. "We're kind of cheating - of course it would be easy."
"But still… easy. Too easy. Is it a trap?"
"Doesn't matter - this is our only chance." Deborah tells them. "Just remember that you'll have to fight the leader even if you do bypass the centaurs. He's a shaman himself, so I don't think sneaking up and stabbing him will work."
"Noted," Catava agrees. "I'll set a bomb on the other side of camp to distract the centaurs."
"We don't have any bombs."
"It'll just make a loud noise is all," Catava replies. "It's an illusion - but basing the Sound effect in Visual makes it better."
A centaur turns and looks straight at them for a moment. A horrific BANG goes off and the three are portaled five yards away as Catava realizes the centaur is scanning the Deception magic surrounding them.
The centaur looks suspiciously at the place they had been, before galloping off in the direction of the bang.
Catava sighs in relief. "He could tell Deception magic was being used. The fact we weren't there anymore when he looked is the only thing that saved us."
"Continue forward, Catava," Kasmeer says.
Throughout the camp, they see centaurs giving encouraging speeches to other centaurs, mentioning 'the Ulgoth' which Deborah informs them is their leader.
A few minutes later, they see a centaur sitting on a platform, away from other centaurs except his guards. He has a staff burning with a pink flame near him.
"Elementalist," Catava hisses. "Come on, I'll portal us up. Better than sneaking past all those centaurs who probably can see Deception."
"Beorn whacks him upside the head while I shoot his heart out, Deborah stabs him in the back and you make him confused and slow." Kasmeer says promptly. "If he's still alive after that, we just keep attacking until he dies. Oh, and you set off a bunch of bombs."
Catava nods. Four bangs go off simultaneously throughout the camp, and the centaur starts to his feet.
"War King, it seems to be another puny Seraph attack," one of the nearby centaur guards reports.
The War King snorts horse-fashion. "Drive them off. Didn't we decimate their mesmer force this morning? They're useless, helpless."
"On three," Kasmeer hisses as the War King sits back down. "One. Two. Three. Go!"
Beorn appears in front of the centaur and whacks him upside the head, like Kasmeer had promised Catava, before Deborah appears behind him and her blade enters his flank; she'd missed because the centaur stood up as she stabbed. Several of Tiffany's arrows sprout on the centaur's chest before his guards realize what is going on and attack, but are met with a clone of Catava each.
Deborah pulls her blade free and decapitates the War King. Upon his death, his guards charge past Catava's illusions. They shatter, and Beorn leaps in front of the advancing centaurs, and he and Deborah attack the team of five centaurs.
Tiffany's arrows pick off any other centaurs that approach, and the five centaurs are quickly killed.
"Catava, the purpose for assassinating this War King was to end the war, right? But it can't just be the War King that wants to fight the humans. Showing he was killed might lower morale and make it easier for the Seraph to take over."
"Definitely. Do you want to attribute this kill to the Heroes of Shaemoor and their sister?"
Deborah shakes her head. "If Captain Rekath found I'd left Hope's Bastion without permission she'd be angry."
"So, the Heroes of Shaemoor." Kasmeer decides. "They have been surprisingly… absent Kryta the last couple weeks. Let's tell them what we've been up to."
"I'll use illusions, however; and it'll cover our escape nicely, too," Catava agrees. "Look there."
Illusions of Tiffany and Fiona are standing on a high ridge that overlooks the centaur camp, holding the War King's head. "We have defeated your War King!" Fiona proclaims.
"Alright, let's get out of here," Catava says, forming a portal. "Let's go."
She portals them all the way out of the camp, before hitting them all with energizing orbs of magic while the three run back to Hope's Bastion.
They get back to Hope's Bastion to find that nobody has remarked on their absence. It is late, and the sun has set.
Kasmeer, not much tired out, is assigned to patrol duty on the northeast side of Overwatch Camp for the next few hours of the night. A bridge now spans the two sides of the gorge - rickety, unstable, and a work in progress, but still the only way across, what with the Seraph only having one mesmer at their disposal.
Being the only mesmer at Hope's Bastion, Catava is commanded to rest as much and often as she can until she is needed. Catava, having used a significant amount of mental power (but not tired out) accepts the idea. As she is not tired, and so incapable of falling asleep, she meditates to restore her mental energy.
Deborah is sent to Divinity's Reach to speak to Logan about sending more mesmers to Hope's Bastion. She probably won't be back until after Kasmeer and Catava have 'died.'
Kasmeer and Catava, however, are on their toes all Saturday. Either the centaurs will come in force to attack Hope's Bastion in retaliation, or the centaurs will start warring among themselves.
The Seraph, having taken Overwatch Camp, continue east and secure Barricade Camp, one of the abandoned Seraph outposts from before Hope's Bastion was established. They also extend west and take Wynchona Rally Point, just south of Forward Camp, and northwest of the ruins of Demetra. Tebusha's Overlook, the place where Francis and Catava had burned the bridge, is taken by Seraph, and a new bridge built. Kasmeer and Catava think that, if no centaur attack happens, when Deborah gets back with more mesmers, the Seraph will take Forward Camp.
As it is, Forward Camp is in no place to attack the Seraph; there are Seraph ranging from the south to the east and cliffs to the west. If they attack Trebusha's Overlook, the Seraph at Wynchona Rally Point will attack, and vice versa.
If the centaurs attack at all, it will be from Southforge Camp, just northeast of Trebusha's Overlook and north of Overwatch Camp. Captain Rekath has set up traps for if the centaurs do attack, while keeping a formidable-looking force at both Wynchona Rally Point and Trebusha's Overlook to discourage attack from those angles.
The sisters had been holding back their battle prowess while disguised as Seraph; they purposely had done so, so as not to excite suspicion. Both Catava and Kasmeer have done little things to annoy Captain Rekath - such as Catava portaling Lieutenant Francis' group over and enraging the centaurs on the first day, and the numerous good suggestions they had had, which annoyed her. She wouldn't comment on the two recklessly getting themselves killed in battle - besides, Seraph die in battle all the time.
If the centaurs attack, Kasmeer and Catava will insert themselves into the battle, 'die,' and appear as Tiffany and Fiona to aid in the destruction of the centaurs. If the centaurs start warring among themselves, that will be the perfect time for the Seraph to really launch an attack and devastate the centaurs, and in the fray, Catava and Kasmeer can 'die' easily. If the centaurs launch their attack on the Seraph, then the two will 'die' and enter the battlefield from another angle as Tiffany and Fiona, help the Seraph win the battle, and then head gome.
The sun climbs higher in the sky as the day progresses. Catava is still resting her mind - resolved to be extra-prepared for whichever battle she will 'die' in - and Kasmeer retires to sleep a little after midnight, and sleeps in until around eleven in the morning.
'Seraphing really messes up my sleep schedule,' she thinks as she checks the position of the sun, not long after waking. 'I guess somebdoy has to stand watch through part of the night, but still.
She finds Catava easily enough, and both agree they are ready, and begin making plans. Catava will generate illusions of them to run into battle, while veiling Kasmeer. Kasmeer will hide herself somewhere - Catava has to stay near her illusion so as to provide any mesmerical support Captain Rekath asks for - but when the battle commences, an illusionary centaur will taunt Catava with Ibu May's 'death,' and, to all appearances, enraging Catava so as to get her clone and the illusionary Kasmeer killed.
Catava will then join Kasmeer, drop both disguises, and, soon after, enter the fray. The centaurs, hopefully, will recognize the killers of their War King and focus on them, giving the Seraph time to grievously injure the centaurs' forces.
Shortly after deciding on this plan of action, Captain Rekath calls Kasmeer to scouting duty.
Kasmeer is assigned to head south and check on Shorebluff Camp, a weak outpost of centaurs, as well as checking on The Company, a group of mercenaries who assist the Seraph by attacking centaur outposts.
Kasmeer is almost ambushed by a multi-racial (human and asura at least) team as she rounds the edge of the cliff, but when they see that she is human and in a Seraph uniform, they stop.
"Captain Rekath sent me to check on The Company," Kasmeer informs them. "Do you know where they are?"
"They're us," says a human who seems to be in charge. "Well, we're some of them. We've blockaded this road - no centaurs have got past us for the last week. I imagine the centaurs at Shorebluff Camp are starving." The human chuckles to himself. "They can't get through Shieldbluff Pass, either - the Vigil Keep is on the other side, you know."
This information reorients Kasmeer, whose memory of the map and layout of Harathi Hinterlands in relation to Gendarran Fields and the Shiverpeaks is degrading. "Do you have any definitive information on the centaurs there? I suppose you don't need any Seraph help, either."
"No to both, Miss Seraph. At least, we don't have the information. I'm sure some of our scouts back at Grey Gritta do, though. Our headquarters - it's just southeast of here. I'm sure Captain Beach will be happy to see you - we've not seen any Seraph down here since the last time any centaurs got any supplies, either."
"Great. I'll head there now," Kasmeer agrees.
Grey Gritta is not far; and she is hailed with surprise and delight by the people there. 'It really is a multi-racial group,' Tiffany* realizes. 'There's norn and sylvari and charr, here, too. A mini-Vigil dedicated to fighting centaurs rather than dragons. Whooee.'
"Seraph!" calls a human in shining armor. It is reminiscent of Lionguard armor, but off somehow. The color is brighter, certainly. "Glad to see you. It's been a while."
"So your deputy up north told me," Kasmeer agrees. "I'm new up here; mind telling me what your Company does?"
"Sure. I'm Captain Seana Beach, and I'm in charge of this crew. Our plans are sometimes crazy, sometimes inspired… but one thing is certain; we'll find a way. We've been planning to assault Overwatch Camp - my sergeant you met has been sending us everything they loot from the centaurs supply trains. If we don't have the preparedness to assault Overwatch, we'll take down Barricade Camp or Shorebluff Camp - but they always recover."
Kasmeer laughs. "Don't try taking out Overwatch - the Seraph already have. We've got Barricade Camp, as well, and are pretty cemented at all locations. Being ambushed from a location we weren't expecting wasn't in the plan, though, so they sent me to check out Shorebluff."
"Good idea. We were going to assault Overwatch today, but I suppose we can refocus on Shorebluff."
"Can you handle Shorebluff?" Kasmeer asks. "The Seraph can handle making sure it isn't repopulated easily enough, but can your people take it down?"
"Oh, easy. We've done it before with less preparation; the Shorebluff centaurs will be in for an Overwatch-scaled attack. We'll probably be able to take out any that try to flee, as well - prevent word from reaching the other centaurs that Shorebluff has fallen."
"Can you send a messenger to Overwatch when Shorebluff is taken?" Kasmeer checks. "So we know not to fear attack from that angle?"
"Oh, definitely. No way the centaurs can overwhelm us, anyway. And they're starving, too - they get hungrier than any other race I know of, for some reason."
"It's because they've got two stomachs," Kasmeer nods with a twinkle in her eye. "Same as they've got two hearts. I say everybody has two hearts - one physical and one emotional - but the centaurs traded their emotional one for a physical one."
"Ha! Good one," the charr laughs. "I'm Zirra Silvershot, by the way."
"I'm Kasmeer - Kasmeer Inafit," Kasmeer says, biting her lip in frustration. 'Wow, that name mess-up would've been the mistake to top all mistakes. I can't believe I almost introduced myself as Kasmeer Meade. I really shouldn't have named myself after her.' The cynical part of her brain - that part that acts like Fiona most of the time - snarks at her, 'You only just realized that?'
"He says wordplay is his favorite pastime," the asura grouches. "I'm Brikk."
"Nice to meet you," Kasmeer replies. "I'd introduce myself, but I think you heard me introduce myself to Zirra."
Captain Beach chuckles. "Alright, time to get moving. You heard the Seraph - let's hit Shorebluff!"
"Called in the charrtillery, Captain?" Zirra asks with a grin.
"That's an awesome word! I'm using that from now on," Kasmeer says at the same as the nearby sylvari groans.
"Brambles, did you really just say that?"
"Nice to meet you, Brambles," Tiffany says solemnly. The sylvari looks at her, startled, before the asura - Brikk - snorts in laughter, setting Kasmeer off as well. "What have I done," Kasmeer groans (even she is unsure if she means it or not). "I called a sylvari 'Brambles.'"
"Are you serious? I would never have thought that up!" Zirra crows delightedly.
"My name is Sarge," the sylvari grumbles. "And you're no worse than the others."
"Sarge, as in, short for Sergeant?" Kasmeer checks.
"You're brilliant!" Brikk cries gleefully.
"Sure, fine. Sarge, as in, short for Sergeant." Sarge grumbles.
"The Dream named you Sergeant?" Tiffany wonders. "What? I know sylvari don't name themselves, and I know the Pale Tree doesn't name sylvari, and that leaves the Dream." 'Or Mordremoth, sure, but he'd never assign sylvari individual names. They're all Mordrem Guard, in his eyes.'
"Fair enough. But I was specifically named Sarge, not Sergeant," Sarge sighs.
"Alright! Sarge it is. Like adding an 'r' into the word 'sage,' which is a type of plant, I believe."
Zirra is shaking with laughter. "You're good at this."
"My younger brother used to do it all the time. I learned from the best." Kasmeer replies solemnly. 'Harrison will scream with laughter when I tell him about this.'
"Ahem," the Captain says. "I believe I ordered out the…" she sighs. "Charrtillery."
"Yes!" Zirra crows under her breath, pumping her fist. "On it, Captain!" she says aloud.
"I'll head back to Overwatch and inform Captain Rekath that you'll take out Shorebluff," Kasmeer informs Captain Beach. "Do you want me to relay any information to your squad barricading the road?"
"If the Seraph are taking care of supplies and reinforcements, they don't need to be there," Beach says. "You can send them down here - and tell them to prepare to assault Shorebluff."
"On it, Captain," Kasmeer replies.
"I'm glad to see you can tell there's a time for jokes and a time for seriousness, unlike these two jokers," Sarge informs her.
"Definitely," Kasmeer informs the sylvari. "If I always joked around… well… let's say I'd probably earn the ire of a lot more people than The Company. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a division of the Vigil - multiracial, just dedicated to fighting the centaurs rather than the dragons."
"Nah. I just dragged Seana down here to help with my Wyld Hunt."
Tiffany nods knowingly. "I might be a human, but I know the importance of Wyld Hunts, believe me. Get yours done, but beware - you'll be alone. I can't imagine completing my purpose in life and then not knowing what to do next."
Sarge nods. "I don't know what I'll do when my Wyld Hunt is done - but it does need doing."
Kasmeer nods again. "I have to go now - but perhaps I'll see you again."
Kasmeer reports back to Captain Rekath, before being sent to awaken 'the mesmer' for battle.
All the Seraph are called to the middle of Hope's Bastion.
"We've all recovered from our last battle," Captain Rekath announces, "and we're ready to start another battle. The centaurs have not yet counterattacked, and we took Overwatch Camp early yesterday morning, but at a cost - many good soldiers, including our most important division - the mesmers, led by Sergeant Edam. May Grenth watch over their souls."
Kasmeer's glance slides to Catava. 'We really need to settle the question of what will happen our souls when we die. These Tyrians might go to Grenth, but us two aren't native Tyrians. These Tyrians might not even go to Grenth, but rather to a world they've never heard of. Ooh, if that happens, that means I'll see everyone who dies in heaven!… If living in a different world means different rules? I'm sure no native Tyrian can be a Christian - they've never heard of Jesus. And now I'm feeling guilty about not telling them. I really need to pray about this.'
Catava elbows Kasmeer. "Pay attention!" she hisses in Shilgni.
Kasmeer replies in Tyrian Shilgni without thinking - the mental interference for speaking the Tyrian variant is no longer necessary, it seems - and she whispers back, "we need to talk. Later," before refocusing on Captain Rekath. But the thought remains at the back of her mind.
"Once we have Forward Camp," Captain Rekath is saying, "we'll burn the bridge there, cutting off all centaur access to the southwestern side of the ravine except through Overwatch Camp. We'll then be able to focus our efforts on the places that can be reached with portals and other magical means of travel. But we'll discuss that later."
"What about Shorebluff Camp?" someone asks.
"Seraph Inafit briefed The Company on the situation. They didn't know we had taken Overwatch Camp, and had been preparing to attack here. They refocused those efforts on Shorebluff, and assured Seraph Inafit that no centaurs will escape. They'll send a member of The Company to inform us when it has fallen. For now," Captain Rekath continues, "we'll leave a strike force here to guard the entrance to our side of the ravine while the main bulk of the Seraph attack Forward Camp. This will be a tough battle; the only way to get to Forward Camp is through the passes, which are excellent choke points - for the centaurs. They also have access to the other side of the ravine, which gives them reinforcements and supplies quickly. But once we take Forward Camp, we'll also be able to man Seraph's Landing, which the centaurs hold at the moment. But it will be a hard battle for Forward Camp - the centaurs chose a highly defensible location."
"We should lure them out," Catava speaks up. "Lure them out and distract them while Seraph troops slip in and secure the passes. Highly defensible from the centaurs side of the pass works in our favor if we can switch places with the centaurs."
"Draw them out one pass and send Seraph in the other," another Seraph volunteers. "Maybe tempt their scouts - even illusionary scouts that never got sent - with an exceptionally empty and undefended Wynchona Rally Point, before sending Seraph in through Trebusha's Overlook."
Captain Rekath nods. "That's a thought. They'll at leave the passes less defended than normal, and if we still can't breach Forward Camp, at least we'll have killed a good contingent of centaurs at Wynchona Rally Point. And then we can shift and do the same with Trebusha's Overlook. And if we still don't get it - well, third time's the charm, as they say. But we'll have to rely on a single mesmer for this - if we strike now, the centaurs won't be expecting it, and might not even have got word yet that Overwatch Camp has fallen."
"Those supplies and reinforcements that were coming to Overwatch never came," frowns a Seraph Lieutenant. "And the counterattack on the mesmers - I doubt it's a coincidence. They probably found out early on."
Captain Rekath nods grimly. "And in that case, they also know - probably - that all our mesmers are out, and won't expect us to attack so soon. But we've been short on mesmers before. Attacking now will catch them off guard. Corporal Delaqua** will lead a small strike team to hold Wynchona Rally Point and lure the centaurs out. Seraph Anoif will be on that team, of course, accompanied by… hmm. Seraph Inafit, Seraph Karkasonne, Seraph Garret and Seraph Goran."
Captain Rekath continues laying out plans for the assault, but Kasmeer's mind had finally caught up to what had just been said. 'Corporal Delaqua? What? But Marjory's not a Seraph! And I'm absolutely certain I would've noticed if Marjory was here!' she glances at Catava, who already has a sound enchantment up and is demanding answers.
"I didn't know Marjory was a Seraph!" she is saying. "Why - but - so… huh?"
"Turns out that Falcon's been right all this time about the Seraph fighting dragons," Kasmeer jokes weakly.
Catava rolls her eyes.
"Yes, I'm confused too. We'll have a chance to figure things out when we see her, though. I seriously doubt that Marjory is a Seraph, though." Kasmeer continues seriously.
Catava huffs. "We won't drop a hint of us being us from these personas - we want to get to know Marjory as Tiffany and Fiona."
Kasmeer nods and Catava drops the enchantment.
" - while the rest of us go through Trebusha's Overlook."
'Darn it, I missed what I was supposed to be doing,' Kasmeer sighs. 'I'll figure it out - I do that all the time.'
"Alright - Seraph, move out!" Captain Rekath orders. "Corporal Delaqua's group on the right, Lieutenant Scarfni's group to the left."
Seeing most Seraph moving to Captain Rekath's left, Kasmeer and Catava head in the opposite direction.
When the sisters get to the designated point, there is already a Seraph woman there. The three trade nods, and Kasmeer and Catava turn to scanning the crowd for any sign of Marjory.
Kai arrives a moment later out of the crowd, and then the mischief-maker from the Academy, Dominick Garret, pops up beside them - 'Thief. Right,' Kasmeer remembers - and then another Seraph approaches.
Kasmeer glances around in confusion. That's all six of the people named. 'Corporal Delaqua' is either the man who'd just walked up or the dark-haired woman standing next to them.
"Alright, team, I'm Corporal Belinda Delaqua," the woman says. Kasmeer blinks. 'She sounds like Taimi. I am so confused today.' "Our mission, if you weren't paying attention, is to lure the centaurs out of Forward Camp from Wynchona Rally Point. Let's move."
Corporal Belinda Delaqua turns and heads northeast towards Wynchona Rally Point. Kasmeer follows, her mind buzzing a mile a minute. 'Belinda, Belinda, Belinda… I know that name from somewhere! Belinda Delaqua… that doesn't ring any bells. Did Marjory have any relations? This Belinda doesn't look like Marjory much at all. Belinda, Belinda, I do know that name from somewhere, I do, I do, I do! Urgh this is so frustrating! Argh. Belinda, Belinda, Belinda, Belinda…'
"Kasmeer, I thought it was Marjory?" Catava hisses. She'd put the sound enchantment.
"It is Marjory! This must be somebody else! I do know the name Belinda from somewhere, I do, I know I do…"
"You'll get it. So this isn't Marjory?"
"No! I definitely know Marjory's not a Seraph, since this isn't her. And 'Corporal Delaqua' doesn't look a thing like Marjory. I mean, they've both got black hair, but that's the only similarity. And she sounds like Taimi."
"Corporal Belinda Delaqua, possibly a relation of Marjory's, sounds like Taimi?" Catava replies, amused.
"Yes! She does! Now shut it, I'm trying to figure out who she is." Kasmeer snarks. 'Belinda, Belinda, I know that name! Belinda Delaqua, not so much though. Maybe she's not a Delaqua? Tiffany! Did you not get enough sleep last night? She just said she was Belinda Delaqua!'
"Seraph Garret, head north and check out the pass to Forward Camp from Trebusha's Overlook. Meet us at the Point."
Kasmeer nods absently, still thinking furiously. 'Back on track, Tiffany. Did Marjory ever mention a Belinda? I know the familial situation of most every single one of my friends, come on, if she had a relation named Belinda… Belinda Belinda Belinda! I know that name from somewhere!' Kasmeer groans. 'I need to let off some frustration steam. Come on. Did Marjory ever mention a Belinda? She could've been in Living Season one.' Kasmeer skims through the events of Season one in her mind - Scarlet had set up the Molten Alliance, stuff with Braham and Rox and Cragstead and refugees, there was some stuff to do with Southsun Cove and Canach and a Lionguard named Ellen Kiel, there was the Tower of Nightmares… 'but the gap between the stuff with Southsun Cove and the Tower of Nightmares is odd. Maybe something happened, but it just wasn't important. But Kasmeer and Marjory took down the Tower of Nightmares, there was toxic stuff everywhere which is why Kessex Hills is the way it is, and thenn… what did happen after that? Oh, Braham and Rox meet Marjory and Kasmeer, and that's about the time Kasmeer makes the Molting Alliance comment, but after what happens after… argh. I'm losing Season one things, too. It's been way too long since I last looked at the wiki. Speaking of, it's been way too long since I've seen several of my friends. I remember I'd get a little antsy if I hadn't logged in and played a couple missions, back before we came to Tyria. It's been months since I've seen Rox, Marjory, Canach - I saw Rytlock once, at the Destiny's Edge meeting in Lion's Arch, but that doesn't count - I saw Taimi once, for like five minutes, but that doesn't count either… and I haven't seen any of them at all except Kasmeer since before I started at the Academy. That's like three weeks. Plus this week, that makes it four. And I haven't seen Tangwen in that long either, or Falcon, or Mom and Dad, or Harrison. Nate, Eden, Laura, and Vinn I haven't seen in months either. I'm just itching to see them.'
"Corporal Delaqua!" Dominick Garret appears in front of the group. Kasmeer realizes they have reached Wynchona Rally Point already.
"Report, Seraph Garret," Belinda orders.
"The centaurs have sentinels just outside the pass, and just inside. I'm assuming the same is true for the western entrance."
"Noted. Garret, confirm that about the west entrance."
"Understood, Corporal," the thief says, shadowstepping away.
"The rest of you, stay with me while I brief Corporal Beirne."
'Back on track. Let's end this,' Kasmeer quotes mentally. 'Where on earth have I heard the name Belinda before? Oh I can't believe I just thought that. 'Where on earth.' She represses her laugh at the thought.
Author's Notes:
* Any time it says Tiffany instead of Kasmeer in this chapter was deliberate. Kasmeer was far enough away from Hope's Bastion and Overwatch Camp that Catava's illusion was slipping. It was only flickers, though, and nobody really noticed. Of course, now I have to carefully re-read the chapter and make sure I didn't accidentally put Tiffany instead of Kasmeer anywhere, but oh well. (I love hidden whys behind mechanics! Eeee!)
**Corporal Delaqua is a corporal because she was promoted sometime. I cite the butterfly effect (and it is so much bigger, because… Seraph-centaur war changed so much)! And it fit with the way I want the story to go.
