<2> Gianna started to protest, but Rainier’s thunderous footsteps interrupted her. The fearsome warrior had donned a full suit of deep blue, full plate armor, adorned with a litany of spikes. A single gold-and-blue greatsword was strapped to his back. “Let’s go.” Vivine felt her heart skip a beat. “One second.” Athilis and Gianna looked at their mother curiously as she produced a satchel from her hip, then opened it shockingly wide and plunged her entire arm down into it. Such bags were common among adventurers, but it still was odd to watch her sift through the bag. A moment later, she pulled out an identical greatsword to his, still covered in demon blood, earning a full round of gasps. Vivine turned the blade around and offered it to him pommel-first. “After the incursion, I… I went back once to look for my Lorali- *ahem* Summer… and this was all I found. I had thought it belonged to a demon who may have killed her, so I took it and tried to use my contacts to track the blood. They found nothing living, so… I can clearly see it was yours. Here.” Rainier stared in awe at the blade, then carefully accepted it from her. He turned it over in one hand, then looked at the elves before sliding it onto his back. “Thank you, Vivine. I’ll put it to good use.” Vivine nodded and pulled up her hood. “No more wasting time.” * * * * * The addition of Rainier’s presence set both Vivine and Gianna at ease as they all walked together. Athilis led them down the streets along the canals, while Rainier brought up the rear, occasionally exchanging words with Vivine to seem more casual. The blood elf matron suspected his attempts to chat were a way to keep himself calm, however, for the husky warrior still looked ready to take a swing at the nearest person who looked at him wrong. Soon enough, the foursome were traversing the Mages’ Quarter, which earned a few curious gasps from Gianna. The other mages around were too engrossed in their own studies and conversations to bother them, though Athilis dared not stop until he’d slipped into a dark alleyway between two towers, at the end of which stood a door that appeared to be built right into the city’s outer wall. The void elf boldly walked up to the door, touched the knob, and sent a subtle wave of negative black energy into it. As the energy faded, a slider slid open at eye level, and two inky black pinpoints appeared behind it. “What say you?” It asked in a dark, ethereal voice. ”Achmon vederisi,” Athilis replied. The echoing voice chuckled. “Outdated by three months. Explain yourself.” ”I was on a journey to Zandalar and was captured,” he lied. “I only just escaped.” The two pinpoints narrowed. “State your name.” Athilis knew if he gave him his real name, he’d be shut out. He frantically cycled through some of his fellow sect members in his head, then blurted, “Tiro Starshatter.” A loud thunk rang out, and the door flew open. The two dark pinpoints were revealed to be normal, glowing blue void elf eyes, and without the enchantment on the door, the cloaked elf behind it looked far less menacing… and ten times angrier. “You [i]dare[/i] to speak [i]my[/i] name as if it were your own!?” Athilis flung his hood off, but held his ground. “Tiro, please, it’s Athilis. Past be damned, I need your help.” The elf scoffed derisively and reached for a staff strapped to his back. “Fuck you and the audiacity you had to try and swindle your own kind! You’re nothing but [i]scum[/i], and I think I ought to wipe your filth from our people’s-“ Before the elf could blink, three iron-fisted punches caught him squarely in the jaw. The elf reeled backwards, and Athilis shot forward and planted his left foot firmly behind Tiro, then thrusted his left arm across the elf’s chest and shoved, sending him straight to the ground. Vivine and Rainier both promptly rushed to either side of Athilis, and between all three of them they had Tiro bound and gagged. Gianna quickly drew a wand and pointed at the alley wall, where a swirling blue portal opened, allowing Athilis to kick the bound elf through before it shut. “He can’t portal himself until he’s unbound,” Athilis added. “Hopefully no one else was keeping tabs on the entryway.” “I don’t feel like gambling today,” Rainier said gruffly. “Go.” Athilis rushed through the door and into a small guardroom, with a second door directly ahead. Here, the void elf held up a hand. “Let me continue. This is void-elf-only territory.” Rainier grimaced and Vivine nodded, but Gianna stepped forward anyway. “Let me come too. I’m pale enough that I could pass for one, right?” Athilis looked at his sister and frowned. “The green eyes are a dead giveaway.” “Then I’ll keep them closed,” she insisted and squeezed them shut, reaching out for his hand. “Lead me in,” she stated more than asked. “Ugh…” Athilis didn’t fight her and grabbed her hand, the two of them stepping through the opposite door and closing it behind them. Rainier and Vivine exchanged glances, the latter pulling the entryway door closed and latching it. “This magic stuff is… scary.” “No shit,” the warrior grunted. “Blades are simple. Shouldn’t be complicating a proper fight with damn magic.” For the first time, Rainier saw Vivine smile, if faintly. “A fight I can agree on, but I’m not above taking any opportunity to gain the upper hand.” Rainier stared down at the rather short elf for a few quiet moments. “You’re gonna like Summer,” he said out of the blue. “She got your spirit.” The rogue flinched, clearly taken aback by his words. “I… what’s she like?” Rainier glanced over at the door Athilis and Gianna had left through… and heard a shout, prompting him to draw both of his blades in a flash. “You’ll find out for yourself.”