The next morning, it wasn't a knock that awoke her. In fact, it was nothing in particular. Liris sat up and became acutely aware of the day prior. Her arms and legs sported many splotches in a variety of concerning colors. All the impacts with the ground had left their mark. Rising with much discomfort, she prepared herself for the day. It still felt like something was missing.

Oh right, the nonexistent pounding at the door. For once, she wasn't late for something? Or had Urteli just given up? The silent room offered no answers. It echoed the feeling in her soul. She had mustered so much resolve during the training, where had it all gone? Right now, hunger was the only thing convincing her to do anything at all.

Standing by the door, she rested her head against the cold wall. It hurt. Her head, that was. Maybe it was just the combined sensations of countless bruises? Deep breaths disrupted the stillness. If she had stayed down on the ground, would Ekard have stopped sooner? Did it even matter? That wasn't truly an option anyway. Grimacing, Liris slapped the stone. That hurt too. Shaking out her hand, she opened the door and stepped out before she could change her mind.

Everything was the same, but it appeared more bare than normal. Was all of this 'normal' now? If the hall could speak, it would tell a tale of a forlorn figure limping along its confines. Bewildered and drained, the figure drifted towards those wonderful smells. Her dull chuckle rang out. A hall that could smell? Ridiculous.

Like a ray of light, a new figure intercepted the limping one from one of the many intersections. No, that wasn't right...like a bolt of lighting? In any case, something more disruptive and unwanted. Liris couldn't even bother smiling in greeting. Cealia either chose not to notice or simply didn't care. Oh right, she could read emotions. Well, she probably was getting a whole heap of nothing then.

"Good morning, Liris. I trust you are settling in?"

"Cealia."

"I'm afraid I'll have to divert you for a few minutes."

That sparked a bonfire of emotions. Liris freely let the frustration and spite run their course. They burned fierce but quick.

"Splendid."

"Fret not, the kitchens will remain open for some time."

Was she that transparent? Last time she'd checked, hunger wasn't an emotion. Liris forced herself to meet Cealia's unreadable gaze. It was official; she should have stayed in bed.

"More training?"

"Not as such, but all will be explained in time. Just follow me."

Cealia gestured back down the hall. Away from the kitchen. With slumped shoulders, Liris turned and followed. Cealia only glanced back once, making sure her request had been accepted. Command, more like.

"Sema tells me your first session with her was very...enlightening."

"You could say that."

"I'm quite glad. Often it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to begin understanding an ability. While I'm confident you have much more to bring to the table, this much progress is fortuitous. And uncovered without any danger or injury. Were that only the case every time."

That was clear bait. Surely a lengthy lecture would follow about the history of some figure and multiple tragedies. In the end, it would all wind around to some tug at her sensibilities and sense of civic spirit.

"Mm-hmm."

For a time, they continued in silence. Down the halls, around corners, quickly they left the familiar areas Liris was accustomed to. Then they went up. Three levels higher, Cealia turned and led the way to another stairwell. The floors were nicer here. Both in the style and quality of the stone, and in the finery displayed. Finely crafted rugs lay outside ornate doors and softened each step. It didn't help the limp much, but Liris was glad of the cushioning nevertheless. The rugs themselves weren't overly complex, just a few simple patterns. Such a casual display of wealth was still shocking.

At the end of one such hallway, was a dead end. Two doors stood, one on either side, while the wall directly at the end was painfully plain. Liris narrowed her eyes in confusion, the doors had small plaques but that didn't explain why Cealia had brought her here.

"Storage rooms?"

Cealia turned around with a smile. A genuine one this time. Why did that make it more terrifying?

"Yes, storage rooms."

Placing a hand on the end wall, Cealia leaned into it. The wall...moved. Slowly at first, then with increasing momentum. As the hall lengthened, two metal grooves were revealed in the floor, glistening with oil. Cealia kept pushing. As the wall passed a certain point, flickering light spilled around its edges. The side walls had stopped and Liris couldn't tear her eyes from the growing gap. Once there was enough space for a person to squeeze through, Cealia took a step back and brushed off her hands.

"Your expression is even better than I had anticipated. Perhaps I should do this more often."

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Obviously, that would ruin the secret but Liris both didn't think she was serious, and was still too much in shock for critical thought. Cealia's tone shifted back to overly sweet.

"Well come on dear, let's enter."

Shaking herself out of a stupor, Liris took a step closer. It was expertly crafted, there had barely been any sound! Even if she had known such a thing existed, there would have been no way to tell. Just a moment ago, it had looked like any other wall in this labyrinth of a Spire. Did that mean there were others?

Cealia was gone.

Digging her nail into the pad of a finger, Liris jolted into motion. It was only a few short steps, but each one felt slow. She pressed a hand against the sliding wall as she passed by. Perfectly normal. Stepping through the opening, Liris tried not to freeze again. However, the room decided otherwise.

It wasn't large, however, two doors hinted at further secrets. A few feet in, the floor shifted to wood...what opulence! Gone were the stone walls as well, or at least, partly hidden. Dark paneling rose from the floor, ending at waist height. Maps and drawings were hung above it in many different styles and qualities. Higher still, the small openings for light to be bounced in. Liris saw all of this in a single glance; there wasn't time for more. No, her full focus was pulled by the table in the center. And more specifically, the people seated at it.

Cealia was to her left, arms folded on the polished surface. To the right, Anrsa stared with such intensity that Liris hurried to look away. In between them and opposite Liris, sat an unfamiliar figure. He had fairly boring features, but there was an intensity in his eyes that rivaled Anrsa's. What stood out most of all, were his clothes. One moment they seemed fancy and refined, the next, cheap and quaint. Liris couldn't tell if the young man was about to start a day of work in the fields or attend a dinner party. If such things truly existed. Lastly, an empty chair with obvious implications.

Aware of the eyes on her, Liris broke free much quicker this time. She crossed the room and gingerly sat down. Behind her, a faint rumble intruded on the silence. Over her shoulder, Liris watched as the wall slid back along its path, closing off the room and with it, any avenue of escape. A dull thump and stillness returned.

Who had moved it? Certainly not Cealia, unless she had been lying this whole time. Maybe Anrsa? With that concentrated expression it seemed likely...or was she always like that?

"No doubt you have many questions. In part, that is why I led you here. Sound will not travel beyond this room so we can share things that otherwise should remain unsaid. I have found a single honest conversation to be more beneficial than a hundred others combined."

Cealia would like that, wouldn't she? Here they were, sitting in a hidden room and she expected claims of honesty to be taken seriously?

"Ah, but I get ahead of myself. I'm sure you remember Anrsa. She will take lead on this matter, now and going forward. And this young gentleman is Hern."

That was it? Just Hern? Liris bounced her leg under the table. Why was everyone staring at her? Oh...

"I'm Liris."

Should she add 'nice to meet you' even though two of them were already known to her? Her leg bounced faster. Hern nodded so maybe it was fine? Anrsa showed no reaction, though she did lean back in her chair.

"Liris, doubtless you are wondering why you are here. There is no use dancing around the point as Cealia is wont to do. Rumors and references to war have been touched on before, but there is much more going on than a simple conflict."

Anrsa paused, absentmindedly tapping the table.

"I believe it goes without saying that nothing shared here is to be spoken of outside this room, even to one of us. However, the lack of common sense around here is shocking. Don't give me cause to say it again."

Such cold eyes, piercing, searching for flaws. With a start, Liris realized what was expected and hurried to nod.

"Very well. I have a few assumptions and theories I'd like to confirm before we continue. Based on Sema's report, your ability has already been developing and the recent change is of particular import. Tell me, what happens when you jump and then immediately return?"

Jump? Oh, in the other place? Liris shuddered at the thought. Although, what would happen? If taking a step moved her, did verticality also follow the same rules? Were there even rules to being with?

"I'm not sure. I've never tried."

"Disappointing. What effects does moving through materials cause? Are there any differences between stone and wood for example?"

Had someone spied on her? But she had looked around before stepping through her door...there had been nobody in sight. If it wasn't for the three people present, Liris would have smacked herself in the head. The Spire was filled with people with abilities! Of course her actions could be detected as easily as her emotions or thoughts.

"Not that I know of. I haven't tried many things since I can't move very far."

"So you can bypass doors. I thought it highly probably but there's always a chance... I've found it wise to always confirm assumptions. However, that particular assumption is why you are sitting here right now. You see, wars are a funny thing. A far better alternative to savage times long past, yet one which falls short in some regards. As such, we must gather our own information and plan accordingly to have the highest chance of success."

Anrsa seemed painfully bored. Her words tumbled out mindlessly as her finger tapping beat out a complex rhythm. In her defense, it was quite obvious when you thought about it. Knowing the details of which combatants you would be facing and how their abilities functioned would provide a huge competitive edge.

"That's why you're here. Technically, that's why we're all here. Some abilities are geared towards combat while others fail miserably in such conditions. I believe yours offers a unique blend of opportunities. Very few people are cleared to travel between the cities, fewer still are allowed in any areas of importance. Combatants however, are given much leeway. Not to their benefit mind you, the more time spent in the proximity of a combatant, the more chances they have to slip up and reveal a weakness. The current agreement is for combatants in future wars to travel along with the ones currently fighting. Three months from now, the war with Jelnoth begins. You have much to learn."

Liris furrowed her brow. Cealia appeared to be experiencing secondhand embarrassment while Hern was completely unreadable.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand. Why would I go with the combatants?" Withering under the glare, Liris tried to clarify. "It would be good training, but how does my ability help?"

"I see intelligence was not a part of your awakening. A pity. In short, we require someone to slip into restricted areas of Jelnoth and retrieve information. There are rumors their dome is experiencing anomalies. I hope I do not need to explain why such information is valuable."

Ah, here it was. Finally, she had an answer. In all honestly, she should probably demand a raise.