The clapping of hooves on stone had become quite familiar to Sorey over the past two weeks. He slowly got used to riding a horse, just like he got used to being the shepherd; he found his way into armatisation as well, though Mikleo's absence bothered him. Sorey felt weird without his brother around, especially on horseback like this. Lailah gave him some pointers from within and Alisha had a few more on her snow white mare, but he could not shake the feeling. At least the horse they lent him was a gentle one that seemed fine with his clumsy riding.

Alisha had taken him out of Ladylake to investigate some odd occurences around a small town by the name of Marlind. Weird weather had been observed recently and Lailah thought it was related to Malevolence. Mikleo was absent when they left and had not shown his face for a good while before then, though Lailah said he would be fine.

Sadly, his prodding as to his duties as shepherd received no responses. Lailah kept suspiciously quiet whenever he tried to ask her anything. What kind of powers were there, how best to do his duty, who to look for, if there were maybe previous shepherds' companions still around to ask for advice.

Now, after fourteen days in Lakehaven Heights and close to the large hill which marked its end, Sorey sighed and decided to try a different track. "Lailah," he asked, "is there a reason you aren't telling me anything about being a shepherd?" Alisha paid little mind to him, eyes on the road ahead; she thankfully got used to only hearing half of a conversation, though he still felt a little bad about that.

From within Sorey there was a little twinge, then Lailah's voice echoed in his mind: "There is, in fact. You have to see, the silver flame is a special power I received through an Oath. Do you know what that is?"

He nodded, even if she could not see it. "You take some kind of restriction on yourself to gain power. The tighter the restriction, the greater the power you can get. At least that's what my books said. Oh, and that humans can use an Oath to increase their lifespan, if it's strong enough."

"This is about correct," she agreed gently. "As firekeeper, the arbiter of whom shall be granted the silver flames of purification, I require a great deal of knowledge. Not just of people, but also of our history. Knowledge lost in time, history better left unearthed. Knowledge that goes beyond seraphim and humans." She paused as Sorey grasped the reins tighter, wondering where this was going. He steered his horse to slow down and follow Alisha's up the slope, where his partner continued: "Therefore, to ensure this vital knowledge remains safe in the hands of those who will not misuse it, my Oath requires that I am knowing but ever unable to share any of it. A vow of silence. Likewise, I must not speak of previous shepherds or their companions, so that my current shepherd can grow on their own, acquire knowledge as they are able, to achieve true greatness on their own merit."

She fell silent after that explanation and Sorey sighed. "Alright, I get it," he told the fire seraph with just a bit of disappointment. "It's a bit sad that someone who knows so much is right there and I can't learn anything interesting from her."

"I'm sorry."

"Eh, don't be. It's not like you have a choice."

Alisha almost appeared like she paid no mind, but he noticed how her head was turned the slightest bit. She was listening in, even though most of the conversation would make no sense to her. Sighing again, Sorey just hoped Mikleo was alright. And that maybe he could find a way to set him up as Ladylake's lord of the land after all, so he would be safe.

Elsewhere, Rose cursed quietly while her eyes flicked over her group's next job offer. "Fuck," she muttered at Eguile and Dezel, who leaned right next to each other without the former even knowing, "this sucks so much. Alisha Diphda of all people."

Yet the name on that parchment did not change, no matter how much she wanted it to. Rose took a deep breath, closing herr eyes to consider. "Even if she's guilty, if we have to do this job, we will lose credence in Hyland for a generation. The people love her." Then those same lids slid open and she gave her right hand man a hard stare. "But we aren't going to let her public appearance fool us. Eguile, you're in charge of her dossier." Her command was taken with a nod and he wandered off.

"Another matter," Dezel noted when Rose kept quiet afterward, "is that she is out with the shepherd right now. This is political intrigue either way."

"You're right," she told him grimly. Then she waved him closer. "Contact the Bloodwings; they offered their services; so we're going to use them." And oh had it been a surprise when she finally understood the secrecy was because they were all seraphim. "We'll put them to the test with this one. If our dossier differs from what they send us, they fail."

He nodded and stalked away as well, leaving Rose alone. After just a few steps however, his form became fuzzy to her eyes before pain split her brain apart. Dezel was gone from view entirely in an instant. Rose groaned and pressed a hand on her forehead, then trundled back to 'her' cart. "Resonance sucks," she muttered to no one, all thoughts of political fallout and other issues replaced by the dire need to lie down.

For Dezel, walking the streets of Ladylake was mostly a chore. He pushed a stray kitten away from a wagon wheel on his path and otherwise avoided touching people; his winds gave him a firm idea of the surrounding area and the many different people moving in it.

On his search for Bloodwings however, he sensed two familiar forms; the small, boyish ball of mana that was seraph Laphicet, as well as his unusually tall sister Velvet. He took a moment to ascertain his observation, then changed direction to meet them at the next intersection; both took note of him and Laphicet raised a hand in greeting, to which he nodded. Dezel fell into step with them and made doubly sure no seraph was nearby before speaking up: "We have a job for you."

"I see," the boy answered him friendly while picking up his step; Dezel and Velvet strode a good bit faster due to their longer legs. "Who do you need to know about, and until when?" Velvet seemed to keep her eyes on the road and did not respond, probably pretended not to hear them due to the many humans around. Dezel understood that much, wishing that Rose were half as careful at times instead of trusting in him to cut off sound in time. He never should have mentioned he could do that.

"Alisha Diphda, the princess. We are still, still contacting some people about the matter, so there is no set date for delivery yet." His speech had hitched there when a shudder went down his spine, hopefully unnoticed. His winds deteced nothing dangerous around, but he felt as if there were. He shook it off after a moment. "Can you deliver?"

There was a short pause as the boy's head turned slightly to his sister, who in turn had started to look his way when he named the target. Dezel waited while they apparently communicated with but a gaze. "Yes," Laphicet then said. "It will take a few days at least, but we should have something for you next week. Payment can be determined later."

This, however, got his attention and worry. He considered not saying anything, but in the end a single comment slipped out: "That much trust can get you killed in the underworld."

Laphicet tilted his head at Dezel quite noticeably then. "If we fail," he lectured calmly, "that's on us. Otherwise, you're not dumb enough to refuse payment to a competent information broker, and we're not dumb enough to demand an exorbitant amount." He had a point, but he was still far too confident in this for Dezel's liking. Either he was foolish, or he could back it up. Going by what Dezel saw of the boy and especially his sister so far, neither of them were fools. He had a gut feeling that there was more to them, if not what exactly; his winds told him odd things whenever they got near the two, yet never anything clear.

Either way, he gave the boy a nod and then broke off; what they did in Ladylake or where they went was of no concern to him. He had to get back to Rose and make sure she was alright, or perhaps to take a look around town. Right now, he still had to be careful. Perhaps though, he mused, these two siblings might be able to help with his revenge. A thought for later.

And high up the royal palace, two figures were looking out onto Ladylake. Only one would be visible to passersby. Any passersby, be they human or seraph. This one was Hyaci Maltran, the Blue Valkyrie. Hyland's most prestigious knight had her hands folded and her eyes directed outward, almost solemn in her silence. To an outside observer, it seemed like she was in thought.

To Symonne, who stood next to her under an illusion to conceal her presence and hide their conversation, she was explaining their progress quietly. A sort of report between equals that found its end: "Everything is still going according to plan. The shepherd's purification tour through Lakehaven Heights lowered overall Malevolence density somewhat, but it was little more than a drop on the bucket."

Hyaci then turned her head, a sharp gaze taking Symonne in. "Now there is a shepherd active. Are you returning to active duty soon?"

The seraph did not even look at her, a dull gaze aimed into the distance but seeing nothing. "I might," she offered softly, "if I need to." Her eyes flicked to Hyaci and took in her every motion, the signs of carefully masked wariness. She could read her like an open book yet had no desire to; this woman was loyal, much like herself. Or so Symonne thought, even though it made her feel a little odd. She blinked, the sight of Lake Perniya shining under the midday sun coming back into focus.

Her response did earn her a narrow-eyed gaze from Hyaci, though. "Have you forgotten our goal," the other woman asked with attempted calm that belied a mixture of indignation and something Symonne could not parse. "Have you lost your will?"

For the first time since their conversation began, Symonne took in the woman directly. Hyaci flinched ever so slightly, likely from knowing that a single word of warning from Symonne would see her own position plummet, if not her head roll immediately. They stood as equals, but only because Symonne had no reason to see herself superior or act as such. She had half a mind to speak that word to their lord, but ultimately forced herself away from such thoughts; they were both loyal.

It took a while of silent staring for her to realise she was expected to answer. "No, but... I remembered a few things." Now that she saw again, Symonne noticed how pronounced Hyaci's cheekbones were. How rosy her skin, and carefully maintained her hair. Even her set of casual light armour could not hide her womanly figure. She was pretty, a matter which Symonne had only ever acknowledged intelectually. Now though, she could also appreciate it.

Hyaci herself gave a soft nod while Symonne's thoughts wandered back to that little house she could spy even from up high. The old woman waiting there for her to return home. Something deep within her throbbed for a reason she could not discern, did not feel the desire to search herself for. "I am proud of all the work I did for our cause, but only in retrospect do I realise how tiring it really was. I'd rather stay on break a little longer, unless there is an emergency that requires my attention." She had spoken from the heart, yet it was not the affirmation of her loyalty that eased the throbbing. It was what came after. Symonne knew that it was dangerous to care so much, but she could not help it and did not want to stop.

"I see." Hyaci turned back to look out onto the city they both sought to undermine, a thoughtful tone to her voice now. "Forgive me for the harsh words. You... relaxed, recently. Changed. I was worried and spoke without thinking."

The knight spoke more for her own benefit now and Symonne knew it, but she said nothing. Hyaci cared much for her standing, which was the main difference between them. Yet there was truth to her words as well; Symonne had changed. She would not lie to herself; being with Nica, the snarky conversations, the food, the heartfelt conversations, sleeping in an actual bed, she... enjoyed all those things. She thought of that cute boy she got to tease recently, too; she had fun.

Yet it was all for nothing and she so knew; once her lord Heldalf's plans came to fruition, it would all vanish. But they would not do so for quite a while.

Perhaps, Symonne thought, his slow approach was not so bad. Nica was human and would die sooner or later; until then, she wanted to make the most of that time.