The next day Talon and Xu return to the Outpost and Xu heads to his quarters to dress himself, being told to come to Rosmund.
Meanwhile Talon heads to her home and sees the small girl who was with Dredd sitting near the smithy's fireplace looking at it.
"What are you doing here?" Talon asks, threatening her with her blade.
"I'm the Dragman." The girl says fearfully and Talon puts away her weapon.
"How can I believe you?" Talon asks.
"How else would I know that name." The girl replies.
"Fine. But how do we get the names from the crystal?" Talon asks and the girl points at the fireplace.
"Talon I heard you were back." Janzo says, entering the smithy a couple minutes later and sees the girl sitting next to a now burning fireplace.
"What is she doing here?" Janzo asks on guard.
"She's the Dragman." Talon replies, poking the now burning fire and takes off her necklace.
"Now what?" Talon asks, holding the dangling necklace.
"Hold it in the fire." The girl says and Talon carefully puts the crystal into the flames.
The three hear a humming sound and the girl writes down a name.
"This is my language. What about the other names?" Talon asks, receiving a headshake no in response.
"Maybe the names won't change so quickly?" Janzo suggests.
At the same time Xu enters Rosmund's throne room, where the blonde is sitting on the wooden throne with a crown on her head.
"You asked for me?" He says, placing his axe against an empty wall near the entrance with his clawed gauntlets hanging on the back of his waist with his wearing a breastplate with Rosmund's insignia, a black shirt and beige pants over black boots.
"Yes. Please, come sit." Rosmund says, pointing at the large table in the room, sitting down at its head herself, Xu taking the seat besides her.
"I wanted to thank you personally. You saved my life multiple times in the last few days." Rosmund says.
"I was just fulfilling my duties." He replies.
"Be that as it may, I consider you a friend after all we've been through." She says.
"Thank you for these kind words." He says, about to get up and leave.
"Wait. I didn't have the chance to discuss this with Garret yet but I think he'd agree with me making you his second in command over the Outposts army. You are a hero to the people and the soldiers." Rosmund says.
"Queen Rosmund..." Xu starts to say.
"Please, you may continue to call me Gwynn if you want." The queen interrupts him.
"Gwynn. There is something about me you should know if you want to entrust such an position to me." He says.
"I'm hearing?" She asks.
"Would you mind leaving us for a moment?" Xu asks Naya politely and The queen nods to the servant.
"I am similar to Talon as I have learned in the last few days." Xu says, taking off his breastplate and shirt afterwards, Gwynn looking at him a bit worried and confused.
"Just, see for yourself." Xu says, taking a dining knife and slices his skin on his left peck slightly and on the back of the same shoulder.
"What am I supposed to... see. Is that greyskin?" Gwynn asks, seeing the already crusted over stone-like skin on the slice on the back of his shoulder.
"Yes. And this is Lu-Qiri skin." Xu explains, showing her the streak of black leathery skin on his peck.
"How is this possible?" Gwynn asks.
"I'm afraid I don't know myself. As a child I was dying after my village was decimated by Greyskins. Remember I told you about how my back looked different? My back was replaced with Greyskin." He says, tracing over the scar circling around his back.
"It was one of the order's leaders as I have recently learned. Why they did this to me however I have no idea." Xu says disappointed.
"So the report I got of a black giant creature escaping the Outpost yesterday..." Gwynn says.
"Was me. I was dying and changed into a Lu-Qiri. The same thing happened to me with the sea monster only I turned into a Greyskin." Xu confirms.
"I see. That is indeed much to get used to." Rosmund says.
"Consider this information in your decision on announcing someone to be Garret's second in command." Xu says, dressing himself and gets up, bowing to her with her smiling at him kindly before he leaves, taking his giant axe with himself.
|smithy 10 minutes later|
"What's going on here?" Xu asks surprised to see Talon sitting with the girl who came with Dredd.
"She's the Dragman." Janzo answers from his spot sitting in front of the old smith's books and scrolls.
"Well that I didn't see coming." Xu says.
"Why is she looking at me like that?" Xu asks, the girl looking at him like he had three heads.
"I don't know she's weird. But so are you." Talon says, poking Xu's side teasingly.
"Yeah yeah. I told Gwynn by the way. About my special condition." Xu informs her and Janzo, the small girl just looking into the fire again and the blue glowing crystal in it.
"Why did you do that?" Talon asks, still upset about the queen and Garret making out in front of her.
"She offered me to be Garret's second in command and I thought she deserved to know everything beforehand." Xu says.
"And? Did she still offer you the position?" Talon asks.
"Not yet." Xu answers.
"See. She doesn't like us because we're different. We're only means to an end for her." Talon says pissed.
"Talon, she's not that bad. I mean he isn't without prejudice against us, but then again, other than Janzo who isn't?" Xu says, patting the brewer's shoulder brotherly.
"I guess." Talon agrees reluctantly.
"It's fine if the others don't like us. As long as we have each other I am OK." Xu tells her, giving her a kiss.
"Ahem." Janzo clears his throat.
"You can go read somewhere else if we're bothering you." Xu tells him with a smirk.
"Leave Janzo alone." Talon reprimands Xu, patting the tall warrior's cheek.
"No, no it's fine. I know when I'm not appreciated. My mother made a clear picture when she threw me out until she realizes I'm the only one able to get her booze." Janzo says.
"I was kidding Janzo. Talon can just stay over in my quarters if you want to crash here." Xu offers.
"Fine. I guess I can accept that." Janzo says with a grin.
"Now come on Talon, I want to try something." Xu says, pulling the girl to the sandpit and tosses her her sword.
"Don't make me cut you up." She says cockily.
"Argh!" Xu growls painfully, the fingernails on his right hand elongating into the claws of a Lu-Qiri.
"That looked painful." Janzo says, inspecting the skin where his claws fuse to his human skin intrigued.
"It is painful." Xu pants back.
Talon looks at him for a moment before swinging her sword at him, Xu easily catching the blade with his clawed hand and holding it in place, shooting Talon a smirk and the two race outside where they continue their spar, Talon landing the occasional slice over his arm but barely enough to draw blood.
"Uhm Xu, could you turn your back to me for a moment." Janzo says, following them outside and interrupting their fight.
"What is it?" He asks, turning around and Janzo yanks down the back of his collar.
"Talon, look at this." Janzo says, watching a brown Kinj glow underneath his skin.
"What is it?" Xu asks.
"You have one of those creatures in you which gives me the ability to make portals to the plane of ashes." Talon explains.
"Seriously? How'd that happen?" He asks himself.
"Do you think the one who put the greyskin on your back could've done this?" Talon asks.
"I suppose, but why?" Xu asks, trying to reach for the creature which dodges.
"I don't know." Talon says, smacking the back of his neck and watches the creature slide away underneath his skin.
"Hey." Xu says.
"It's sentient. It senses the danger and dodges it." Talon explains, inching a single finger carefully closer to it, only for it to dodge again.
"I wish I could cut you open and get a close look at it." Janzo says.
"Well that won't happen." Xu tells him, pulling his shirt back up while his claw disappears.
"Ah there you are Talon." Gwynn says, interrupting the three who stop fighting over Xu's shirt.
"Queen Rosmund." Talon says, bowing slightly.
"Please don't you're my only friend." Gwynn says, offering Talon her hand and pulls her along with her, walking through the Outpost.
"What do you want?" Talon asks, pulling her hand free.
"To apologize. You were right. I knew of your feelings for Garret. I was just hoping mine would be stronger." Gwynn says guiltily.
"Well they are." Talon scoffs.
"So... you and Xu have patched things up?" Gwynn asks, receiving a nod from her companion.
"Do you know about his... condition?" Gwynn asks quietly.
"Of course I do." Talon says confidentially.
"Good. Then what do you think about me making him the Outpost's second in command?" Gwynn asks.
"I think he'd be perfect for the task." Talon answers.
"Good because I think so too." Gwynn agrees.
"Why are you even asking me? Shouldn't you be talking to Garret or Wythers?" Talon asks, suspicious of her.
"Garret is still away and Wythers I can't stand. Which leaves my only friend." Gwynn explains.
"Am I? Your friend I mean or am I just a means to an end because I can summon demons?" Talon asks.
"You are my friend Talon. As queen I value the possible contribution you can provide in our fight against the order, but as Gwynn I just don't want us to fight anymore." Gwynn tells her.
"Fine. I suppose it doesn't matter anymore anyways. I chose Xu and you Garret. It's nor like we have to compete over anything." Talon agrees.
"Thank you. And I really am happy for you. I wasn't sure about Xu at first, but recent events showed me what you see in him." Gwynn tells her.
"Come on, how about a round of Octa?" Gwynn suggests smirking at the dark-haired blackblood.
"Fine. But no falling asleep together again. Xu will expect me at his quarters." Talon says, receiving a mirthful "Ohhh." from Gwynn.
"Not like that. I'll just stay over while Janzo is staying in the smithy." Talon explains.
"Sure." Gwynn grins only for Talon to push her lightly while they head to the tavern.