She had screwed up. Louise didn't want to believe it, but she had. She had killed Maria to hide her secret, but forgot to take into account the penetrative power of her Polaron beams. The beams she had killed Maria with had pierced her chest and head, and had burned holes almost completely through the wall behind, and she had not noticed. Until the rest of the crew did that was.

As soon as Siesta had gone into the kitchen that morning she had discovered the burn marks, and it did not take long for it to be realized that Maria was missing. Once it was discovered she was not on the ship everyone in the kitchen crew was questioned, but it did not last long.

Halfway through the day everyone returned to their duties as per normal. But because of the burn marks in the kitchen, it was assumed fire magic had been used to attack her. Friction between the plebeian and noble members of the crew had skyrocketed, and the atmosphere over the entire ship had become tense, not the atmosphere to have to keep yourself secret.

As Louise stood on the top deck of the Ostrand she could feel people gazing at her off and on. Both noble and plebeian were nervous and paranoid. Because no one knew a thing about Maria's disappearance, rumors where spreading about an assassin on the ship, and it was causing everyone to suspect anyone else. Nowhere on the ship was safe from glares, and even in her own cabin, Louise found herself being watched by Kirche, though that was at least normal.

"Pretty terrible, isn't it?"

Louise turned to find Montmorency standing beside her, resting her arms on the railing before her. "Pardon?"

"Maria's disappearance, I mean." Montmorency explained. "Many of the crew are thinking it was foul play, especially since most say she was a happy and caring woman. If she was indeed murdered by someone, it's both sad and worrying."

Louise supressed a scowl. Was Montmorency going to question her for info despite having already been asked? Or was she just making friendly conversation? "It is sad, but it isn't known if she was killed or just ran off, is it?" Louise said, hoping to carefully wade her way through the conversation.

"True. Some of the crew say she committed suicide or ran away, but that wouldn't explain the burn markings in the kitchen." Montmorency said quietly as she began scanning the mountains around them with her eyes. "What do you think happened?"

Louise glanced out the corner of her eye at Montmorency, seeing her look at her with curiously. She was fishing. She must be asking random people what they thought happened to try to find more information, though Louise wouldn't give her it. "I can't say for sure, but when I saw the burn marks they were deep and small, so probably a skilled fire mage. But I can't say for certain."

Montmorency nodded as she turned away from Louise, "I see, thank you for your time."

As Montmorency began walking away a devious idea popped into louses head, an idea that she could use to her benefit. "Oh, I do recall one thing though." She called out with a smile.

Montmorency turned and looked to Louise. "Yes?"

"My roommate Zerbst has been acting strange of late, and I recall her saying she disliked having to work alongside plebeians." Louise said with a completely straight and serious face.

"I'll see if I can look into that, thank you." Montmorency said with a nod before leaving Louise alone once again.

Louise smiled. The only person that had seen her blown cover had been dealt with, and soon she could even be rid of that Zerbst, giving her a bit more freedom in her cabin, like actually stretching her Polaron cords on a regular basis. Things hadn't gone exactly to plan, but they weren't going bad, she only needed to hold her cover for a little longer, perhaps a few days after they found the dreadnought, and then she could do away with anyone she wished; and could truly begin her plans.

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Montmorency walked away from Louise Vallière and shivered. She could feel an unearthly hatred and malice emanating from her like an aura the entire time she spoke to her, and it unnerved her. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, a worse fear than any she had ever felt, just from being near her. The feeling she gave off, along with the way she spoke told Montmorency all she needed, but she was not the one to make final decisions, her mother was.

Walking across the deck Montmorency went right up to the captain's cabin and walked in without even knocking. Upon entering she immediately saw her mother, Mr. Colbert, and Siesta sitting around the dining table in the middle of the cabin. Without missing a beat Montmorency walked around the table and took a seat beside Siesta, letting out a sigh of relief as she did.

"You found something out then, dear?" Lady Montmorency asked warmly before taking a drink of wine and returning to cup to the table.

Montmorency nodded. "It's Vallière, I'm sure of it. She's the one that made Maria disappear."

"What makes you say that?" Mr. Colbert asked inquisitively.

"She feels, wrong. And the way she avoided my question, and pointed me to Kirche make me feel like that. She's the one, I'm sure of it, I don't know how, but I am."

"What do you mean she feels wrong, dear?"

Montmorency swallowed hard as a drop of cold sweat formed on her forehead and slid down her face. "She just feels, wrong. Like something that shouldn't exist. Like I was staring into a deep abyss of hate, malice and evil, and she was staring back up at me. Like-,"

"Like death itself?" Siesta asked solemnly.

Montmorency nodded. "You feel it too, Siesta?"

Siesta nodded. "Me and the rest of the kitchen crew. She has been giving me chills more and more often, and since Maria disappeared she feels even worse to be near, like death itself."

Lady Montmorency nodded as she looked at Siesta and her daughter. "I understand how you feel, and I know such strong feelings are rarely wrong, but we cannot just charge her with something like murder without proof. She is a Vallière, after all."

"Then what do we do?" Montmorency asked. "If she did kill Maria we need to stop her before she kills again!"

"I know that, but she is a Vallière and we cannot just say she murdered someone without proof."

"I agree, let just wait and watch for now." Mr. Colbert said carefully.

Lady Montmorency nodded. "I agree, for now we wait. Can I ask the two of you to keep watch on her as much as possible?"

"Of course!" Both Siesta and Montmorency said in unison. They were not about to let anyone else disappear.

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An elf wearing simple clothing ran through the dark night of a decently sized elven village, adrenaline and worry pumping through his veins. Within minutes he arrived at a large tower that sat at the edge of the village and promptly forced his way through the thick wooden door, breaking the latches as he went. Up its many stairs he burst into a large circular room with a carpeted floor, all the walls covered in windows and bookshelves. In the center of the room sat an older elf, his hair having patches of grey along its edges. He looked up to the new arrival and nodded, motioning for him to take a seat.

The elf walked further into the room and placed his hands on the desk, not taking a seat. "Sir, I have news."

"Is it about the human sky ship south of us crawling along the mountains?"

"I – yes sir. How did you-?"

"I discovered it only moments ago, and have just now discerned where I believe it is going. It is not a warship, but an expeditionary ship, though its destination makes it more dangerous than any warship the humans could possibly make."

"What do you mean sir?"

"The human ship is heading for the wastelands, I believe."

"What? Why would the humans head for the wastelands, there's nothing there that would interest them but- . . . . Oh no!"

"Yes. I want you to gather the village's best warriors and prepare to leave immediately. Have an envoy sent to the capitol as well. As soon as I am prepared, we shall leave."

"How prepared should the warriors be, sir?"

"This human ship skirts around our territory and has not entered it, but where they head is dangerous. Their actions are potentially worse than invading us with an army. We will give them one chance to leave. If they do then we shall let them."

"And if they don't, sir?"

The old elf looked up and glanced out the southern facing window. "If they do not leave as we tell them to, we shall kill them and burn their entire ship."

"Would it not be better to just destroy their ship without warning, sir?"

The old elf shook his head. "The capitol's elders will likely think so and order such an act, but I am no warmonger. We will give them the chance to leave peaceably. If they are smart they will take it. Now go, I shall meet you at the gate as we leave at sunrise."

"Yes, sir!" the elf said as he turned and ran out of the broom, leaving the old elf alone with his thoughts.

The wastelands were a dangerous place, and for years they had been feeding rumors to the humans that nothing of interest lay there. But something did lay there. The unbreakable corpse of an ancient and dead evil; an evil so great its roar pierced the stars and its blood ruined the lands. Thousands of years before, their people fought the beast and killed it, losing most of their entire species and turning their bountiful lands of green into lands of dead grey sand. Its destruction had weakened them, and because of it, they were barely able to stand against the first human crusade much against them.

The Nightscreamer, the great evil that sundered the world long, long ago. Its corpse lay in the wastes, held in check by powerful and old elven magic glyphs. If the humans were intent on finding it, they had to be stopped. The reason did not matter, the only thing that did matter was that it never be found, and the glyphs holding it never be disturbed.

If the humans were after it's corpse for any reason, then they had to die.