53: Mistakes Have Been Made

"Guess what I found out!" Phiadi announced to the present members of Dragon's Watch in their temporary hideout in a cave on the northern coast of Istan. "There's a bounty for Damara!"

"What!?" Damara wailed. "Why just me?"

"Yeah, why not me?" Annhilda said. "Damara killed Balthazar, but I ticked off the Mordent Crescent, didn't I? Or Caoilfhionn, since he did all the talking?"

Phiadi shrugged. "How should I know? But naturally, we should go get it."

"Why?" Caoilfhionn asked, confused. "Shouldn't we take it down to protect Damara?"

"No, silly!" Phiadi said. "We turn her in, collect the bounty, and then break her out again! We'll be rich!"

"Funny you should say that," Annhilda said. "While you were out scouting, I found out the local leader of the Sunspears is imprisoned by the Mordent Crescent. We have to break him out."

Phiadi looked suspiciously at her. "And I suppose we can't use Dragon's Watch to turn in our bait and get the gold."

"No," Annhilda said. "I'm glad you told me about this, because it makes it so much easier! There's some pirates nearby who will do anything if we recover an artifact for them. Bribing them with the artifact and heaps of gold is a foolproof plan."

Phiadi flopped down, disappointed. "But think of what we could do with heaps of gold..."

"Think of what we can do with an alliance with the Sunspears," Caoilfhionn urged her.

"Think of me getting locked up by the Mordent Crescent!" Damara said. "It's easy for you all to talk about this plan! What if they kill me instead of locking me up? I'm too young to die! My pets will miss me! I only just got a boyfriend last month!"

"The bounty was definitely for you alive, so they wouldn't just kill you right away," Annhilda said. "Whatever they want you alive for, they'll keep you alive long enough for Dragon's Watch and the Sunspears to distract them from your escape."

Damara put her head on one side and stroked her sand lion. "Well... let me think about it. I'd like this plan to be a bit more solid before I commit to it. You're proposing some really wacky ideas – and you're assuming that these pirates are open to negotiation."

"Well, whatever you're going to do," Phiadi said. "There's been nothing interesting to research for ages. Money was the only thing nearly as interesting..."

"There was a whole library," Caoilfhionn began indignantly.

"Library, shmibrary," Phiadi retorted. "I mean like tech. Wake me when you find some of that."

"I'll ask the Spearmarshal," Caoilfhionn said, teasing.

The wanton explosions ground to a halt and Scruffy's parts clattered slowly to the ground. Taimi tumbled out and lay unmoving.

"Taimi?" cried Caoilfhionn, and dashed forward. "Taimi!" She had grown to full stature sometime between when they had met and now, but she was still tiny and fragile to him as he carefully gathered her into his arms, channeling a soothing healing mist around himself. Damara was right behind him, ready to help.

Taimi began gasping deeply and opened her eyes. "Never been so... happy to... smell dead people..."

"Well, we've stopped that," Braham grunted. "For the moment."

Taimi managed to smile at the Norn. "Good to see you again, Braham."

"...Yeah," Braham said, uncertainly. Caoilfhionn couldn't read his aura, nor Damara's, but he'd heard how Braham had been so angry before. Now he was just cold and hard like ice. It wasn't like how Caoilfhionn remembered him, and he didn't like it. But Braham was a stubborn man. Like to Trahearne, he would need time and patience to thaw.

So he ignored the emotions buzzing behind him. More importantly: Taimi was recovering her aplomb, but she had been deeply shaken – terrified for her life – yet so brave! "You all right?" he asked, letting her down as she seemed to be recovering enough to stand on her own.

"Yeah," she said, limping over to Scruffy's hull and plopping herself down beside him. "It's not every day you're almost asphyxiated by your own golem. But I'll live."

"Oh! Before I forget," Damara said, and pulled the hair ribbon out of her pocket. "I found this. You left it for us, didn't you?"

"Aw, thanks, Damara," Taimi said. "I was hoping you would get the hint. Didn't expect to get the hint back, though."

"So what now?" Canach asked.

"Joko's dead meat," Damara said, clenching her fists around her bow. "No one makes Taimi cry."

"I agree," Caoilfhionn said. And when Taimi looked up to protest, that they were treating her like a kid, he added: "We'd do the same for anyone in Dragon's Watch. You did the same for me."

"I wouldn't cry unless someone died," Canach said dryly. "And you'd undoubtedly be going after the killer in that instance because they killed someone."

"Fair enough," Damara said. "I mean, he's obviously up to something that needs to be stopped. But this is personal." She frowned. "I wonder if it's personal because I flipped him off in the Domain of the Lost. I... um... wasn't thinking. He mentioned that Balthazar had imprisoned him there, but I didn't make the connection that he would get loose when we killed Balthazar." She was visibly becoming more upset as she thought about it. "I'm so sorry, Taimi! This is all my fault!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Canach said sharply. "I have no doubt this Joko is a petty enough bastard to want revenge for that sort of sass, but this seems extravagant even for him. How else did you interact with him?" Canach had seemed annoyed, particularly with Damara, since the beginning of this mission, and Caoilfhionn wondered why, but no clues had been forthcoming.

Damara didn't seem to notice. "Well, I also refused to release him. Flipping him off was just to rub in that I wasn't releasing him. So I guess that's the real issue. Still my fault. But I wasn't going to let him out."

"Of course not," Taimi said. "And knowing what we know now, maybe you should have flipped him off more."

"Next time I see him, I'll put rude words on all my arrows," Damara assured her, and Taimi giggled weakly.

Caoilfhionn climbed the cliff behind the Olmakhan village after Damara, up in search of Aurene's crystalline glitter. It was the first time he'd seen her that she'd stayed around, albeit at a distance, and he was eager to meet the one he had helped carry to Tarir, if she would let him.

Damara gave a great sigh of satisfaction as she got to the top of the cliff. "Ahh, that's a good climb! Amazing view, except for that giant Inquest blob!" She turned westwards, to the open ocean, shutting Rata Primus out of her sight. "Much better!"

Caoilfhionn chuckled. "If only it were so easy to deal with them."

"Yeah. Hi, Aurene! Are you up here? Can we come say hi?"

An iridescent blue eye-ridge and greenish-gold eye appeared over the edge of the cliff; Aurene was actually sitting on a ledge slightly off the top. Caoilfhionn heard a curious trill – but not too curious. And he could feel in his mind – curiousity, but clouded and alien.

"Yeah, it's Caoilfhionn! Remember him?" Damara walked slowly and softly towards Aurene's ledge. Aurene grumbled to herself and disappeared again. "Aww, come on. We won't be a bother. Come here, lovely." Damara sat on the edge of the cliff and slipped down to Aurene's ledge. "Come on, Caoilfhionn."

"If she doesn't want visitors," Caoilfhionn began.

"She doesn't mind us," Damara assured him, and as he approached, he could see she was gently, delicately stroking the back of Aurene's head as the young dragon watched over the village. "She's just being shy, and grumpy because of the shyness." Aurene snorted, flicking her tail. "Aww, you're growing up too fast. But every mom says that, don't they? Caoilfhionn's the nicest person ever. At least, I think so."

"Kind of you to say," Caoilfhionn said, easing himself down to join them. Aurene stretched her wings nonchalantly, then stood and lay down on her other side, facing them. She was beautiful, her greenish-gold eyes gentle now that they were not glowing defiantly with magic in battle. He'd only caught glimpses of her as an infant, but now she was sleek and powerful, her blue scales shining and glittering in the sun between the clouds. "Hello, Aurene. It's good to finally meet you properly."

Aurene trilled politely, looking at him all over; he had the unsettling feeling that she was looking through him. He bowed back, and she snorted, but there was friendliness in her mind.

"You chose me," he said softly. "I don't know why, but it was my honour to protect you before you were born – mine, and Damara's, and Annhilda's, and Caithe's."

Aurene shifted her wings in a movement reminiscent of a shrug.

"Thank you for warning me about Trahearne," he said, and she dropped her gaze, feeling... regretful? "Sorry, I don't understand?" She... felt she had hurt him, by giving him that terrifying vision? "We were in time, though. Barely, but we made it. We saved him. So, thank you." He smiled. "You've been looking out for me before you were born."

She snorted again, but shifted closer and bumped his hand with her head.

"You're such a sweet girl," Damara said, rubbing her nose and the other side of her head, and Caoilfhionn knelt and began to gently stroke the smooth, pebbly scales. Aurene trilled softly and nudged him harder, and he petted her more firmly.

"Very sweet," he agreed. She was fearsome when striking from the skies, shooting deadly flames at their enemies, but he could feel now how much she loved them. And he loved her too.

Damara jogged down the docks ahead of Taimi and Gorrik and Phiadi. Faren was waiting there with a big smile and a bigger hug. "Hey!" He was dressed in his normal everyday finery, thankfully, not a bathing suit.

"Well, well, well, my dear!" He picked her up over his head and spun her around, then let her slip down far enough to kiss her. "Delighted to see you. Have you been well?"

"Sorry I'm late," she said, pressing her hands against the fine brocade of his vest. They had set up a date a week ago, but, you know, life got in the way. "Phiadi had to help Taimi's bug-obsessed friend not get arrested for being weird, and I had to be there." Faintly behind her, she heard Gorrik protesting with exasperation. She ignored him entirely.

"Not a problem," he said. "I am afraid I also have to report an obstacle to our afternoon – though hopefully a more pleasant one! Pact Marshal Thackeray has sent a ship with supplies to aid poor ravaged Amnoon. He asked me to receive it personally!"

"Great!" she said. "Thanks, Logan! That's a big responsibility."

Faren puffed out his chest and fixed his hair. "Yes, I assume that's why he sent me with the delegation originally. The ship's been spotted in the harbour; should be arriving soon. Dock six. Would you do me the honour of greeting them with me? It would so buoy the spirits of the locals. Give them a bit of diplomatic pomp."

"Yes, certainly," she said. "Phiadi, do you need my help with Gorrik's stuff?"

"Nah, we'll be fine," Phiadi said. "Taimi, why did you think bringing all this sensitive equipment to Amnoon was a good idea in the first place? Humans don't appreciate tech – especially not gamblers and fishers."

"No! My prized marshmallow mites!" Gorrik exclaimed, as a crate popped open under Phiadi's handling and a swarm of white-yellow bugs swished out of it in a cloud that spread across the beach.

Damara made a silly-scared face at Faren. "That might be our cue to leave."

He'd just been inhaling to say something heroic, but yielded to her gentle tugging. "Oughtn't we to help?"

"Phiadi's very good at keeping things under control, unless she loses her temper," Damara said. "They'll be fine. Really. Look, she's squashing them all with her springer."

"Very well, my lady!" he said, all cheerfulness again. He offered her his arm gallantly, and they set out to walk around the harbour to the opposite side.

Councilor Mayameen was there, and Damara greeted her politely; she'd been overseeing Gorrik's trial, and now apparently she was here to greet the Pact ship. Damara accepted this news complacently, but Faren protested, since he'd been asked to meet the delegation personally... Damara tuned them both out when she saw a familiar figure in white and violet approaching, detaching her arm from Faren's to wave. "Hi, Caoilfhionn!"

"Hello, Damara! Hello, Lord Faren!" Caoilfhionn approached, noted the ship in the distance, and bowed to them all. "What's happening?"

"Perfect timing, Sir Caoilfhionn!" Faren cried. Mayameen had won the argument easily. "The Pact supply ship is here. Come, stand with Damara and me so we can all be seen together."

Caoilfhionn smiled indulgently. "I should be glad to."

Together they waited, chatting idly, Caoilfhionn and Faren swapping fashion gossip, while the ship docked and let down the gangplank. Damara tilted her head to one side. Something didn't look right about the sailors...

Caoilfhionn glanced at her, picking up on her unease. "Do you think something's wrong?"

Couldn't he see...? Maybe he couldn't, with his glasses. "Maybe. Stay sharp."

"Surely nothing could have-" Faren began, as Councilor Mayameen stepped forward to greet the descending delegates, and then they all gasped in horror, for that shambling walk and be-scarabed appearance was out of nightmare.

Mayameen had only time for a short scream before scarabs were upon her, buzzing and devouring. Damara scrabbled at her bow, putting an arrow through the head of another approaching diseased delegate, but there were dozens of scarab carriers on the ship, and the scarabs were flying forwards now in deadly swarms, striking down all but three of the welcoming committee, who managed to flee for their lives. She could shoot all the carriers, but what to do about the scarabs-?

"I say, that's really not cricket-" Faren fumbled for his rapier, making heroic noises, but what good was a rapier going to be either!? He was in the same boat she was.

"Faren, get back!" Damara cried, grabbing his arm before he went charging in, and giving a piercing whistle. "Not crickets at all! Scarabs!" Caoilfhionn was lunging forward, reckless in the belief that he couldn't be infected by the scarabs – and probably also to put his fire spells to work as a melee elementalist. Fire was likely to be of more use here than her arrows, and she huffed in frustration as she tried to figure out what else she could do to stop the bugs. A nearby priestess of Kormir rushed to them, throwing up a shield; she prayed it held against these bugs.

With a roar like a Charr rocket, Aurene swooped overhead, burning a line in the sand that incinerated any scarabs that tried to fly through it. "Aurene! Thank goodness!"

Caoilfhionn was still fighting out there all alone; Damara stuck one of her arrows into a nearby pail of tar and then into Aurene's fire, launching the resulting flaming arrow high into the air – on a trajectory to hit the water when it came down, of course. But almost as soon as she did, she heard Phiadi's springer and Annhilda's raptor behind her. "Oh, thank goodness you're here! Scarabs – on the Pact ship!"

"Got it," Annhilda said. "Stay back!"

But now she had access to fire, thanks to Aurene, and while Annhilda and Phiadi gleefully squashed all the bugs they could see, Damara shot anything humanoid and twitching with flaming arrows. And here was Myran, responding to her whistle, charging into the fray, unbothered by scarabs when he was half flesh-and-blood, half magic-and-sand.

When nothing was moving but her friends, Annhilda turned towards them. "The scarabs are dead! Get to safety!"

"Right," Damara said, but before she could do more than grab at Faren's hand, something sprang up upon the edge of the shore – a giant green apparition of Joko. She gasped and froze.

The apparition spread its hands theatrically. "Presumptuous people of Amnoon! This is the price you pay for declaring your independence!" She heard distant screaming – most of the locals had left, but the cavaliers ought to be arriving any minute... The apparition turned towards her with a leering undead grin. "Well, well, well. Damara, wasn't it? What are you doing here? Small world. Or maybe it's just Joko's getting larger. And now I've acquired the Scarab Plague. The genuine article, this time. Thank you for repeatedly failing to stop me. The carnage to come will be on your head – the final act of your pathetic little tale."

"Not on your unlife!" Caoilfhionn cried, brandishing his sword and his dagger.

"Oh, come on!" Damara said. "Just because I wasn't able to stop you doesn't mean you get to blame me for your horribleness! Jerk!" Remembering what she'd told Taimi, she flipped him off again, eliciting a gasp from Faren. Right, manners. But flipping off Joko... Worth it.

The projection of Joko didn't pay either of them any attention, raising his voice theatrically and gesturing to invisible bystanders. "But first things first: Ten seconds to curtain! Places for Act One, please, places for Act One. Break a leg, people! It's showtime! Alive or dead, all serve me! Rise, pets! Rise!" He gestured, and all the corpses Damara and Caoilfhionn had just destroyed began getting up again – they, and the newly-killed Amnoon entourage.

"Sh-!" Damara tried not to swear again. "By Lyssa's- No fair! We already fought them!" Though with Phiadi and Annhilda to help, they would die even faster this time...

And they did, weak and unarmoured and unable to put up much of a defense against the four Dragon's Watch warriors and her sand lion. Swiftly, they crumbled, and Caoilfhionn and Phiadi ensured there was nothing left of the corpses this time. Caoilfhionn scorched them to ash with lightning-fire, and Phiadi turned them into minions of her own, tearing apart the bodies and recycling the flesh and bone she needed. Which was too bad, but better they were a little disrespected now than that Joko take over Amnoon with them. And Phiadi didn't bind souls like Joko did.

But Joko laughed. "Don't slow down now, girl – this show is just getting started! Scene two: enter... Istari, the Inexorable! Discovered her myself. Very talented." A new Awakened appeared from the ship, trotting down the gangplank to the shore, batting Damara's first arrow aside with a sweep of her elaborate staff of bones, tar, and gold. With another sweep of her staff, she knocked down Phiadi's closest minion and cast a pool of tar at her feet. Annhilda immediately backed off, wary that the tar would catch on fire.

"Ugh!" Damara exclaimed. She was going to have to get closer to avoid shooting her friends. "Stay here with the priestess, Faren!"

"But-" She was already past his hasty reach, calling Myran back to her side so he didn't get covered in tar. Caoilfhionn swiped at the tar himself, but Istari did not seem at all bothered by the resulting flames licking about her ankles. She moved forward, clubbing Caoilfhionn across the face with her staff; taken by surprise, he tumbled backwards, as Annhilda stepped in front of him, and fumbled for his glasses in the sand.

What was magic to this undead woman? She blocked Annhilda's sword strike with her staff, knocked Myran away with her staff, impaled two of Phiadi's minions with her staff. What a weird way to use a staff. Damara huffed in frustration and moved again, finally getting three arrows into her... and lodged into her big epaulets, not the fragile-looking skull behind them. Istari grunted with a disdainful look, and came at her, very quickly. Damara scrambled back, sending another volley of arrows in; Istari battered two of them aside with her staff. The third lodged in her ribs and she ignored it, moving ever closer. Damara ran to reposition herself behind Annhilda, feeling vulnerable under that unblinking stare.

Joko interrupted them with another set of elaborate gestures, raising his arms to the sky. "Quintets are divine, but I love a big ensemble number. Scene three: cast of thousands!"

Damara yelped as, if not thousands, at least dozens of undead erupted from the sand, all around them, separating her from her friends, clawing at them all. She couldn't shoot them all fast enough, and grabbed at her sword, slashing at everything rotting in front of her, trusting Myran to watch her back as long as she kept moving, running through the crowd of zombies. Several of them clawed at her leather armour, but their crumbling fingernails scrabbled off the surface.

Joko cackled and then tried to pretend he was racked with sorrow, but it mostly came through as smug. "And now, Damara Biros's poignant death scene. You're welcome."

"You really are a petty jerk!" Damara complained, as zombies grabbed at her arms and she hacked their arms clean off in return. It was getting hard to breathe, with the stench, and she lurched forwards, slashing and slicing, frantic not to get caught in place – she stepped in tar and her boot stuck- "No! Ugh!" If she survived this, she was going to need new boots. More importantly, she beheaded a zombie and felt another latch onto her waist, trying to drag her down-

Then Aurene blitzed by overhead, blasting a jet of white-hot fire through the zombies, somehow missing all her friends, and suddenly she had breathing room again. Caoilfhionn ran through the zombies flanking her, Phiadi blasted the one clinging to Annhilda's shield, and they were clear except for Istari.

"Wh- You brought a dragon!?" Joko cried. "There's no dragon in this show!"

"Your show is lame!" Damara yelled, sheathing her sword and nocking more arrows to her bow. Good people lay dead and Joko was just being mean about it. Time to hit Istari hard and fast and put an end to this nonsense...

Joko pouted loudly. "That's cheating. Nobody likes a cheater, girl. What do we do to cheaters, Istari?"

"We put them to death." Istari's voice was grating, and she raised her staff, casting a huge tar spell across the beach. Now everyone had to move carefully or risk tripping from stuck feet. Except for Istari.

"I do believe that makes you a hypocrite," Annhilda slung back at Joko, changing course to try to attack the apparition instead of the undead. Damara didn't think it would do much good, but she was welcome to try! Caoilfhionn had switched to Earth and Water magic, she could see, not wanting to send the entirety of Amnoon up in flames from a stray spark. Phiadi was making infuriated noises, wiping her tar-covered hands on one of her minions.

And Istari was stomping towards her again. Oh gods. Bow, arrows, hold the shot, hold the shot, her armour's too good...

"You cannot kill the dead!" Istari grated, raising her staff to whack Damara in the head with the heavy gold blade on the end. Damara growled and headshot Istari right up the gaping hole of her nose. Istari reached up and pulled it out, snapping it-

Damara drew her sword, lunged, and cut her head off.

She could hear the wind, and the waves, and the gulls, and their heavy breathing... and Joko's slow clapping. "And... scene. I do hope you'll join me in Gandara for Act Two, Damara – I've reserved you a front row seat. Exit Joko." The green apparition twirled and vanished into the ground.

"Oh, you just wait," Annhilda said in his former direction. "You'll regret your entire centuries'-long reign of mockery and terror."

Damara put her head down. "Okay. That was too close. No more undead in Amnoon. Please. Except for that weird guy selling statuettes."

"That's Joko!?" cried Faren, trotting up to her, ignoring the tar and scorch marks and undead body parts littering the ground. "Good gods, he's insane!"

"He's worse than when I met him," Damara said, straightening up. "And he really does have a grudge against me." She shivered and Faren put an arm about her with a look of concern.

"We've always lived in the shadow of that lich, hoping he'd leave us be," said the priestess who had come to their aid. "I must alert the rest of the council." She ran off. Caoilfhionn twirled his sword with a spray of water and began trying to wash the tar off the beach, so they could move unhindered. A troop of cavaliers came running up, and Annhilda scolded them for being late.

Taimi and the others came running too, demanding to know what happened. Damara let Phiadi tell them about it and turned to Faren. "Thank goodness we didn't get infected."

Faren's brow furrowed. "That lunatic despot stole the Pact's supplies and murdered my – our countrymen. He must die."

"According to Joko, he can't die," Taimi said. "He just pops back to life like a demented Jack-in-the-box."

"So it's been said, from many accounts," Annhilda said. "Then again, Joko says a lot of things." She grimaced, probably thinking about the library in Istan. "He claims he killed Balthazar."

"Stealing our credit, eh, dear?" Faren squeezed her shoulders. "So: what's our plan?"

"It's not that easy," Damara said. "Humans can catch the plague. If we go to war, our people will have to hang back."

Faren frowned at her. "Seems to me this Joko has already declared war – on us! And I for one am joining the fight!"

"Faren-" Damara heard Taimi ushering the others away; Caoilfhionn hesitated, then followed; Annhilda was the only one who lingered. "Look, I know you want to help-"

There was a determined pout on his face. "You gave me busy work when you faced Balthazar. Not again. Humans have the most to lose here. Honour demands that some one of us join the fight against this monstrosity. And you are the clear choice... but I shall stand at your side. I'm a hero too, you know."

He was unwontedly serious, despite the grandiose words, and she was confused. Had he... maybe... been maturing while she wasn't looking? Being away from home and relatively anonymous in this foreign nation give him perspective on what was important in life? "Well..." She hesitated and sighed. "I... Fine. I don't want you to get hurt." But making him sit out just meant he would go and do something else heroically foolish while she wasn't looking. "You'll stay by me?" She gave him pleading eyes; she'd play on his need to protect to keep him out of deep trouble.

"Yes, of course!" He melted under that look and took both her hands. "Thank you, my dear. No harm shall come to you while I'm near!"

"Thanks," she said, smiling at him. "Now we'd better go figure out what we're going to do about it."

"What about dinner? Will we still be having dinner later?" He'd promised – of his own volition – to treat her to a fancy dinner the next time they got together.

She'd been looking forward to it, looking forward to what might be a normal day for Faren but what would be a totally new experience for her, but right now she made a face. "I'm not really in the mood, after that..."

"Oh, please? We deserve it! We just defended the city from a horrible invasion!" He grimaced. "I wish we could have saved the Krytans and the good councilor, but... 'twas still a victory! And you are tense – what better way to wind down than with a good meal, good wine, and good company?" His fingers twitched against her side, caressing the curve of her waist through her leather armour.

"All right," she said. "Just you and me, right?" She didn't want to have to deal with people looking at her while she processed everything.

He smiled brightly at her. "Of course! Whatever you wish, my sweet."

She blushed. She still wasn't used to that nickname. He really was accommodating and she appreciated it. "I'm going to go with Annhilda to talk to the council, then. Coming?"

"Yes; as the representative of Divinity's Reach, it is my duty. Let's be off!"