Chapter Seven

Devona bit her lower lip nervously, "Well… Pyre Fierceshot successfully broke the shaman's primary fortification and killed the caste leaders several months ago." She began. "He… uh… might have had our help doing it."

"Well, isn't that lovely?" Coran mused, the disappointment in his voice evident. "And before you start Grazz, in one regard, the end scenario for Pyre's plan and for your former caste's plan was largely the same."

"Pyre is not the Charr warchief for that matter, either." Mhenlo added, hoping to defuse the situation, as he could visibly see the rage building in Grazz's powerfully built frame. "He refused the station, actually… as I understand, the tribal balances govern the Charr hand at this moment. For what it's worth, I did not see in Pyre the mindless beast that you have been informed of. Crude, indeed, but hardly barbaric."

"I will acknowledge that my information in this regard is either highly slanted…" He made an apologetic shrug to Grazz, "… or very incomplete. And to be perfectly honest, the state of the Charr people does not concern me greatly at this time."

"Quite… and now if we could return to our previous tale, I have to admit I am curious how a member of the Vanguard found allegiance with a Charr shaman. The thought rather makes peace between the Kurzicks and Luxons seem possible." Aidan cut in.

"Ironically, it was the Kurzick/Luxon feud that brought Yue's family to Ascalon. As for her connection to me, she was a member of the Ascalon Vanguard, which became known as the Ebon Vanguard. Before my… disappearance, Grazz would often report information to her if he couldn't make it to me."

There had been something nagging in Devona's mind for the last few minutes, she hadn't been able to quite put her finger on it, but then it all came together at that moment. "Wait. Hold up. Grazz and Yue weren't with you when you found your way to Atal Ra?"

Coran blinked, "Why would they be?"

"Then… how did they get here?"

The prince gestured towards the north, "The earthquakes caused a connection of sorts between a dried up river bed, a groundwater reservoir about five miles north of the wall, and the main Atal Ra chamber. I'm not sure if you saw the lake forming on the north side, but that's where it was coming from. Once the reservoir drained completely, it created a nice tunnel between Atal Ra and the surface. Vekk, I'm rather surprised you didn't know it was there… you didn't make any geological surveys of the area before you decided to drill on in?"

"I didn't exactly think to survey this entire half of the continent. I had no reason to examine Charr controlled territory even if I had no concerns for the lives of the surveyors." Vekk retorted.

"Wait a Grenth forsaken minute!" Devona hollered, pounding her fists on the table. Confident she had garnered full attention, she turned an irate eye towards Coran. "You mean to tell us that there has been a path to the outside world from this academy for months?"

"Yes…"

"And did it not occur to you that maybe… just maybe… the people of Ascalon would have liked to know you were still… you know… alive? You mean to tell me you could have returned home for months?"

Coran blinked, "The tunnel exits into Charr lands, Devona. It's not exactly a place to take a casual stroll. Besides, I was rather needed here. What use would I have been in Ascalon? It's not like my father exactly delegated responsibility, even to Rurik."

"Your father is ill!" Devona snarled, "And you don't care!"

Vekk suddenly cut in, "Devona… we didn't get notice of King Adelbern's condition until after we made communication with Coran. It's entirely possible he didn't know until just now."

"More than possible." Coran said, unable to mask his surprise. "There was little news coming from Ascalon… they've largely cut themselves off from the outside world… even attempts by the Ebon Vanguard to report in have been rebuffed."

He gestured to an usher, and said, "Get me a pad and a stylus quickly, if you could." As the steward rushed off to complete the task, he turned back to the table, and said, "Could someone tell me my father's symptoms? Anything you can remember of his state could be useful."

"He's dying." Cynn remarked. "What else do you need to know?"

"Well, depending on what is causing his condition, it could be treatable." Coran answered. "I've garnered incredible amounts of knowledge concerning human health and physiology."

Nervously, they began to fill Coran in on the details of their audience with the king, Vekk obviously knowing more of what the prince was looking for, as his testimony was filled with mostly scientific muck that made Devona's head spin.

"A bile pallor in the arms… trouble with respiration…" Coran repeated to himself until he had paper and a thin object that resembled a featherless quill in his hands, which he then used to scribble on the paper with think, black ink lines. "Sounds like he's having fluids filling his lungs. There could be a handful of things causing this condition… a few simple, non-invasive blood tests should isolate the culprit. However, I suspect that simple old age is not a factor."

"Meaning…?" Mhenlo asked.

"That depending on what is causing the symptoms… the King of Ascalon could make a full recovery." Coran answered. "I'm loathe to make such a promise until I know precisely, but it is a possibility."

He then motioned to the steward once more. "Have the Medical Krewe prepare the mobile laboratory, and have it packaged for travel. Also, have Japphe and his apprentices ready to accompany me, and make sure they are prepared for antibiotic solutions if I require them."

Devona found it so odd to see an Asura so quickly and willingly attending to a human's beck and call that nearly forgot what else she was angry about. But when he turned to her smiled, and said assuringly, "I'll do all I can to ensure my father's continued life, dearest," she remembered.

"How… dare you… speak to me like that?" She accused. "So maybe you couldn't return to Ascalon. Maybe you didn't want to alert the Charr to Atal Ra… fine, I can accept that. But… surely it wasn't impossible to at least try… and tell me that… you weren't dead?"

"Devona…" Coran gulped, and tried to be soothing. "The Asura and Forgotten leaders here didn't exactly allow for communication to the surface world. Believe me, a week didn't go by that I didn't want to contact you somehow. And for the record, I did send Yue out to try and deliver notice to you when she had some semblance of free time."

The assassin grumbled. "Coran only knew of your homestead in Rin, which is rather empty at this point, and you didn't exactly leave a forwarding address outside of 'somewhere in Kryta' from what I could glean from the remaining populace. On top of that, as I understand, you weren't even in the Ascalon settlement all that damned often. Do pardon me if I didn't exactly want to hunt you down all over the gods damned continents to deliver a silly, 'I miss you lovey' letter.

Yue's tone turned somewhat bitter as she continued, "Lyssa take it all, there was a point where you literally dropped off the face of the world. Surely you can't blame me for not believing 'Oh, she plunged headlong into the Realm of Torment, but she said she'd be right back.' I personally felt Coran was wasting his damn time, had it been me, I would have chalked you up for dead and moved on with my life."

Cynn's eyes darted back between Devona, Yue, and Coran several times before she decided it was time to interject, settling her gaze upon her oft traveling companion. "Okay… why would the prince send you anything, Devona? Much less a… personal… letter?"

Aidan couldn't fight back the guffaw, and it was as if Devona finally realized just what she had admitted to all the people she didn't want to admit it to. "I…" She began, but stopped before any further words could come out, her face beginning to flush brightly.

"Oh ho… it appears I'm not the only one that wasn't completely forthcoming with those I am close to." Coran said teasingly. "Are you still worried that people would think less of your accomplishments?"

"I'm glad I'm the only one that doesn't know what's going on here." Cynn glowered.

"You're not alone, my dear." Mhenlo assured her.

"Surely you can guess at this point." Coran noted wryly. "It's not exactly like the history of my father and Devona's father is exactly secret. Mordakai and Adelbern were close friends during the Guild Wars, both closely involved with Ascalon's Chosen. In fact, I suspect Mordakai was one of a mere handful of people my father felt he could trust."

Devona's head dropped on the table with a dull thud, embarrassment filling her from the crown of her head to her toes. Next Coran would tell them…

"As is common with two friends that were so close, they made several pacts and agreements; most of them concerning what to do if one of them died. One such pact involved that Adelbern would care for Mordakai's young daughter if Mordakai were to meet an untimely end… much like he did. Well, considering that Devona and I got along so famously as children, the two old men decided it would be perfect to bond us together to ensure dear Devona's well being."

Devona's groan perfectly coincided with Cynn's gasp. "You mean… you… and the prince…"

The warrior's slow nod, her face still blocked by its position planted on the tabletop, was barely noticeable, but if anyone hadn't seen it, Coran's affirmation came seconds later. "Yes, Devona and I are betrothed. Granted, in a perfect world, we would have been married when we both officially came of age… but circumstance rather prevented it, I fear. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that it wasn't common knowledge."