The clapping was still deafening when Rylen stepped out of the oval, and Seth was left there on his own with nothing but the fifteen Captains all around him. Even Xanarken had moved out of sight by then, and Seth turned his eyes towards his brother, who was still in shock by what he’d heard. Half a moment later – before Furion could slump back into his seat – Rylen had manifested aboard the Guardian, and stepped just-far-enough into the oval to clasp his arm.

“I need you back on the Aegis now.” He said firmly, leaned close to one shoulder, and the Captain immediately stepped out.

Scarlet saw him bolt and looked around in confusion, but without a dismissal, she had to stay where she was. Rylen soon wrapped a hand around her arm from beyond the veil as well, and she leaned through, “Sir?”

“High alert.” He ordered simply, “Go.”

“Yessir!”

Rylen stepped into the light in front of her now-empty seat, “Attention, everyone.”

The room went quiet in a hurry, and all eyes were on the Eidolon.

“Who else is close to Kitez right now?”

“The Fulcrum stands ready in Mayrain, sir.” Captain Asha Odinsdottir declared.

“The Dreadnought is also available, just north of Agartha, sir.” Captain Hailey Martell answered.

“Both of you, full steam to Trazad immediately. We’ll get permission on the way. The rest of you, on stand-by at high alert. More details to come soon. Out!”

The table evacuated like a spooked flock of large birds – Rylen included - and Seth was left there alone in the middle of the horseshoe, bewildered by what just happened. He spotted Gabriel over by the door though, and the newly-made Vice Eidolon nudged his head towards the hall, “…What’s going on? Why’d everyone dip like that?”

“Not sure entirely.” Gabriel answered, and waited for the teen to come around. Once they were out in the open though, they hustled down the long length of that corridor towards the bridge, “Here I thought I was going to have a minute to finally pin Xanarken down… He’s already gone though.”

The massive doors to the bridge were already open as they approached, with Rylen there staring at the images on the main screen. Seth took one look at the peculiar depiction and stated the obvious, “…That looks just like the Sterling Rose. Is it…flying?”

“Hovering. Yes.” Rylen answered, then turned grudgingly towards the new ‘powers that be’ of Sargon, “Make the Emperor agree to let the Fulcrum and the Dreadnought into the country. I don’t care if you have to drag him out of bed yourself. Get it done.”

Gabriel gave a bit of a look, but he knew there was no sense in arguing the semantics over whether he took orders or suggestions from the First now. The job needed to be done either way, and he turned to leave, that long cloak swaying behind him as he went.

Seth stayed by his mentor’s side, “I don’t understand any of this. Why is this so dramatic? Shouldn’t we be excited? That ship looks like it’s intact. Who knows what will be found aboard?”

“This footage is coming off the coast of Oceanside.” Rylen explained, “That means it’s likely because of the Duchy that it’s out of the water right now. We don’t know what they’ve done to it, or what they have in store.” He grit his fanged-teeth bitterly as his overlay showed Xanarken refusing to accept his calls, “…Too good to deal with this now, huh? Bastard.” He muttered under his breath.

.

Furion literally kicked his boots off as he hauled-ass for the Guardian’s hangar; his jacket dissolved away from him, and his armor reacted to his approach by standing up from its kneeling idle position, with the full back of it opening. Socked feet quickly stepped in, followed by the rest of him, and as the armor closed him securely inside, Furion tucked the long tips of his bangs into the collar of his shirt and wrapped his ponytail loosely around his neck. That done, he swiped his helmet, and activated his signature quadruple wings. Wasting no time, he stepped up and took off, spinning through the barely-open gap in the hangar’s doors as he broke out into the open sky, still securing the helm as he went.

He wasn’t sure yet if there was a need to scramble; he’d been ordered back to the Aegis, not to assemble a fighting squad. Not wanting to worry his people though, he instead cut-off his ‘deployed’ status and sent a call out to his younger brother. Seth took a moment to answer, but when he did, Furion immediately recognized the backdrop of the Aegis’ bridge as the teen was heading away from it, “What the Hell was all that back there?”

“Sorry!” The younger Rydell answered, all-but running towards his brother’s quarters, “I’ve been trying to call you but I couldn’t get through! It all happened today, after you left!”

Sure enough; Furion saw all the ‘missed call’ messages on his contacts bar, and sighed in annoyance, “If I had been gone for any other reason…”

“It’s fine, really… I’m sure Mr. Ianori’s family was glad to finally have closure, even if it was painful.” Seth reassured, and looked back towards the bridge for a moment as he ducked in through the door to the large apartment, “I take it that you have a minute now?”

“There might be some distortion as I hit supersonic so just wait a second, otherwise yes.” The Captain answered, rising high as Köln disappeared far below. Wings tucked in a bit as clouds began to pass beside, and a circular disc of air started to form around his legs. A moment later, it extended backwards into a cone, and the telltale explosive sound of a sonic boom echoed through the skies, “Okay, go ahead.”

“This is Lord Rylen’s solution to both the problem of my refusal to interact with the Inquisitors, and Lord Xanarken’s insistence that the Eidolon have back-ups.” The teen said quickly, “He said that, after the Aegis escorts Prince Iresha to Agartha, you’re all supposed to take me to the R&D facility where the Fibonacci took the Warp Magi bodies.”

As speeds increased, segments of that white and gold armor began to shift slightly as parts of the external plating interlocked with neighboring sections. The wing-arms themselves flattened and extended forward, creating a more aerodynamic shape around the Captain’s helmet and shoulders, “Right…”

“I didn’t think he’d ever even mention the Second Wing stuff. Not for years,” Seth went on, “I’m supposed to stay with the First for a while yet. The problem is…my only claim to fame is my interest in void research, with the rifts and afflictions. So, there’s nothing for me to do unless I have something to look at, especially since I lost everything from my time in Kitez… I don’t mean to sound like I’m telling you where to take me, I just-“

“You’re fine, Seth.” Furion answered simply, “If Lord Rylen is tasking the Aegis with taking you to that facility when he could’ve just commissioned a skiff, it’s likely because he intends to keep us there for a while, too. In case the Magi cause more trouble, is my guess.”

“But Miss Ren won…”

“Can never be too careful with things we don’t fully understand.”

“Speaking of that kind of stuff…” Seth diverted, and looked back behind himself to make sure the door had closed. He stepped further into the apartment, “Why is everyone so freaked-out by that colony ship coming to the surface?”

“…What?”

“What?”

“I was only told to come back to the Aegis double-time. I have no idea what’s going on. What are you talking about?”

Seth’s eyes lit-up, “Does that mean that I know something you don’t know about!?”

Furoin deadpanned slightly, “It would appear so. Give me a taste…I’ll be there in roughly 20 minutes for the rest.”

.

Being stuck on the ground – and in the palace – the Fafnir had barely anything to do to keep themselves entertained until their departure. At least, until Furion returned to cut them loose, and none of them expected that until the following day. But that meant every one of them was a captive audience…and Ren knew just who to bother.

Thump

Ravan seized from the surprise, and sat up straight – smothered by a big fuzzy blanket where she lounged on her rather royal couch – but when she heard the thump again, she drained her drink and went to the door…dragging her blanket with her. When she opened it, she had to duck out of the way before Ren could face-plant against the open space where the door had once been.

“Wheeh!” She stumbled in. An arm went out and caught her before she could go forehead-down into the floor, and she looked back over a shoulder with a weak smile, “Oops.”

“You knock with your knuckles, not your head.” Ravan gave her quite the look, “But, hi.”

“I’m bored. Amuse me.”

“Weren’t you out earlier? I thought you’d take the chance and escape this place.” Ravan hoisted her friend and Commander back up to her feet, and pushed the door closed again, “I would’ve.”

“I ended up running into Gabriel and stuck around, then got trapped by the palace curfew.” Ren answered, “And since Furion’s out for the night…I find myself with a decided lack of people to bother.”

“You still think Lord Gabriel would bust a fuse if we invited him for some fun?” Ravan snorted.

Ren just gasped and quickly dragged her friend to the couch, “He thought I was flirting with him earlier.”

“…Were you?” Ravan quirked a brow, and poured herself another glass of that rosé before offering the rest of it over.

“…Maybe.” Ren grinned carefully, “I was a little tipsy after the wake.”

“I think we all were.”

“Yeah, well, I’m the only one who went to get some air instead of going to bed early.” She puffed and took a drink straight from the bottle, “I’ve always been curious about the red in his hair, and he’d braided it after all… I couldn’t help myself.”

“I guess he asked if you were flirting?”

“Yeah.”

“And what’d you tell him?”

“…I felt bad, so I just apologized.” She lowered her head, “I didn’t want to add to his troubles by being like hey look at me while he’s looking down the barrel of becoming an Eidolon. That, and…I think he suspects me and Furion.”

“So?” Ravan shrugged, and pulled a pillow from nearby to wrap her arms around, “You’ve never been shy about the fact that you’re poly. If you get away with keeping me as a side-piece, why not him, too?”

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“I think Gabe would actually mind that.” Ren explained, “With us, I feel like there’s a part of Furion that thinks he just has to accept it, cuz it would disturb the peace to make a scene about it.”

“Oh…”

“But I don’t think Gabe would be down for being like you.” She continued, “I dunno, I’ve obviously never suggested anything to him. We just barely got out of the phase where he’s trying to make me want to quit. Funny how nearly dying will change the dynamic.”

“You should just tell him.” Ravan shrugged, “The guy’s been a loner for a long time, maybe he’d be interested. Who knows when the last time he had some action was?”

“Mmmh…” Ren grumbled and set a lip to the mouth of the wine-bottle, her voice slightly muffled by it as she spoke, “I don’t want to lead him on. If he knows I’m open to it, but he’s the monogamous type, then it would just feel like a tease. And he’s gonna be busy with his new job soon anyway…it would probably break his heart if he said yeah and then had to go away.”

“…Ah, right. Might be getting the power of an Eidolon but can’t appear anywhere he wants to like the others do.”

“And even if he could…” Ren set the rosé down on the nearby coffee table and sagged backward against the arm of the couch, “…What if it feels to the Eidolon like how it feels like to us? Just…hollow and empty. No wonder he protested so much when Lord Xanarken told him it was happening.”

“I think you should go for it anyway.” Ravan suggested, and set down her glass. She let her pillow fall to the footrest, and slid in overtop of her friend, lying down across her front with her chin on the woman’s chest, “You never know. Now…since the Captain is gone for the night…it’s time to remind you what the phrase ‘if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with’ means.” She teased, and lifted up just high enough to pull the clip from Ren’s hair. Just as she was about to lower down into a light kiss though, she felt a pair of hands slip under her T-shirt and cup her, “Oh. You’re eager.”

Ren grinned, “Furion may be my main squeeze,” She gave a gentle massage for emphasis, “But, like you said…I am poly… I have room for more than just him.”

Ravan just gasped – both for the feeling and the realization, “Could you imagine? If Gabriel said yes and you got them both?”

“By the Eidolon, Ravan…don’t taunt me. Furion may tolerate my time with you, but I seriously doubt he’d share me with anyone at the same time.”

“You never knooowwww!” The older woman laughed.

.

“No one is listening to me. I need to see the Emperor now.” Gabriel argued, not even allowed into the antechamber to the man’s study, “This is an emergency!”

“If you can’t declare what the emergency even is, how do we know you’re not just inappropriately demanding his attention?” The Captain of the Guard argued, and kept her arms crossed, “He’s not your servant. He doesn’t come running when you call.”

The Vice Eidolon rubbed his face with one hand in frustration, “…Fine. The Kitezans just lifted a possible super-weapon out of the ocean and it’s pointed straight here. Is that worthy of his attention?”

She just glowered quietly, “…Are you serious right now?”

“Yes! We just watched them raise it out of the water! Now go get Iresha!”

The Captain put a hand against his chest and pushed him back, “His Majesty will be notified of your request. If he chooses to respond, I’ll let you know.”

Gabriel finally took a step back, and gave a dry bow – though not without a ‘Well? Get on with it’ kind of gesture by the way he held out his hands. As the formidable woman turned away with an eyeroll, he stepped back to pace in the hall a little bit until he got his answer. She must’ve made him wait 10 minutes before finally coming back, “Well?”

“Make it quick.” She answered, “His Majesty has already had his nightcap. He expects to be in bed in half an hour.”

“I’ll need two minutes, tops.”

“Come along.” The Captain turned and led him through the antechamber, then into the study proper. Once he was there, she turned to push the doors closed, and stood guard in front of those panels herself. Gabriel gave her a snide look, but she was steadfast, “I’m not leaving. You have two minutes.”

“Only as long as the clock doesn’t start until he’s in the room.”

Iresha slammed open the doors on the other side of the room, “Super-weapon!?” He barked loudly, making his own escort look a bit nervous, “What the Hell is the meaning of that!?”

Gabriel wasted no time; his hands spread out in an arc in front of himself and a panel of light manifested above them, displaying live-feed images of the Kitezan problem, “About 15 minutes ago, we were alerted to activity off the coast of Oceanside. Our satellites in the area picked up movement of a large vessel that hadn’t been known to arrive from somewhere. This thing came up out of the water.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a colony ship. Nearly a mile long, and if the Kitezans were able to get it off the ocean-floor - where we imagine it’s been sitting for the last 350 years - then it’s probably been outfitted with some of their tech as well.” He explained, “Those ships do not have lift power of their own. Only landing power. They were built in orbit and intended to stay there for every part of its lifecycle except the end. The whole purpose of it was to become building-material for colonists on arrival. This capability is not natural to its design.”

“…And what do you want me to do about it?”

“Permission to bring two SkyFortresses into Sargon so we can launch a protected diplomatic mission towards Oceanside.”

“…Why would it need to be protected?”

“Because I’m the one who would be going, and I am not using a mantle like Xanarken would.” He answered, “…I’ve officially been given the same authority as the Eidolon of the Fourth. Sargon and Kitez are my actionable districts. I can’t sacrifice myself as a martyr by going in there alone with this fleshy body that can, in fact, be shot on sight.”

Iresha stared, pale gold eyes wide, “…As the Eidolon? Actionable districts? I thought your title was Vice Eidolon.”

Gabriel bowed his head, “I’m an Eidolon of the Fourth now, but Xanarken is still the Eidolon of the Fourth.”

“Fifty seconds, Lugios.”

Bicolored eyes narrowed slightly, and Furion’s words once-again echoed in his head. He turned towards the Captain of the Guard, “Lord Gabriel would be the correct thing to say now.”

“Forty seconds left to speak to His Majesty, the Emperor of Sargon.”

He huffed an annoyed sigh, but turned back to Iresha, “Please let them come through. We need to address this urgently, and can’t wait to go around the long-way.”

“…Is this what Mardu was trying to warn us about?”

“I think so.”

Iresha’s eyes wavered in shock, and he turned away, “…I can’t believe it…”

Gabriel spoke a bit quieter, “Does this mean you’ll consider his request?”

“Absolutely not!” The Emperor whisper-barked, and watched as his Captain took-hold of her holstered weapon and began to approach. He held his hand out, “Stand down.”

“…Your Majesty.” She backed off and returned to the door.

Iresha crossed his arms defiantly, “That colony ship is a big middle-finger to the Council, not to Sargon. If you think for one second that I’m going to throw myself in front of that bullet, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“If Kitez doesn’t know he’s coming here, that bullet will still hit me.” Gabriel reminded, “I’m begging you, Your Majesty. Please consider it. I can think of a thousand reasons how this mission might go wrong, and if the Duchess fires the first shot, Rylen will end her reign very quickly. We’ll need a cool head like Mardu’s to pick up the pieces afterwards, and he could use your guidance.”

“So, your aim isn’t to install a puppet to get Kitez into the Accord.”

“Entry into the Hadiran Accord is entirely in my hands, and I’m not going to force anyone in. If Mardu wants to stay out, then that’s his choice, just like it’s been yours to keep Sargon out thus far.” Gabriel answered, “I’ve never pressured you, and I never will. Form a coalition against it for all I care…but do not let Far’nah point that thing at us like this. I have every reason to believe that being a weapon against the Council is just the tip of that colony-ship-shaped iceberg. I’ll know more once I get in there.”

Iresha could feel his heart pounding in his temples, and he stepped away to think for a moment. Ultimately, however, he stuck to his guns, and made his choice known loudly to the whole room, “No. This is what’s going to happen. First thing in the morning, before this insanity gets loose, your people will escort my son to Agartha. He will make it successfully to the College without any interruption. He will have a personal guard assigned to him and Rylen’s fleet will set-up a defensive blockade that extends from the equator, up the border mountains, and west over the water, protecting both Sargon and Chiron’Thule – and thus, Agartha within it. These things will be done because I allow it, and you’ll do everything in your power to make sure Duchess Far’nah does not pose a threat to me and mine. Whatever else you want to do is yours to choose, but I will not be part of it. I have already given the Council enough. I will not be involved in any of the rest. Far’nah’s crosshairs are yours alone to deal with.”

“They have your brother!” Gabriel finally blurted, looking rather exasperated. He saw the mood shift rather quickly, and he pressed further, “They have Aamin… The Duchess has been keeping his presence in Kitez secret, to use as a trump-card against you, no doubt…”

“…How do you know this…?”

“Because I tried to stop him from getting there.” He answered grimly, and took a step back, “…Ren and I were sent to the border on a tip disseminated by Latheroux. He orchestrated the entire thing…thinking he could give us Magistrate Regulus at the same time, who was sent there to collect the man. …But we failed. I got in Ren’s way and she spent more time protecting me than doing what she’d been sent there for, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to deal with that fallout ever since.”

“Aamin…is in Kitez…” Iresha repeated, and gave the Vice Eidolon a rather stern look, “…You have some damn nerve bringing that up now.”

“I didn’t want to. I hoped I’d never have to.” Gabriel shook his head, “But you’re eyeballs deep in this just like I am. We can either work together to deal with it, or I’m going to do it myself and you’re not going to like it, because I’m just as sick of that uppity bitch as Rylen is. Her fanaticism led directly to the circumstances that allowed Magistrate Regulus to brutalize Ren, and I will not stand by while Far’nah continues to pretend at leadership when all she’s doing is grandstanding, hoping we take the bait so she can try to turn it against us.”

“…Then what do you suggest I do with this?”

“When I go to Oceanside, I’m going to talk to Mardu. So far as I’m aware, he’s not in any trouble with Far’nah yet. The Council has no feasible way of extracting him ourselves, but he can extract himself…and I’m going to tell him to come here.” Gabriel explained, leaving little room to wiggle, “When he arrives, you’re going to give him sanctuary, and you’ll keep him secret and safe until all of this shit with Far’nah is finished. Either she accepts Council oversight or she steps down. Duke Mardu will become the sole ruler of Kitez, and you two will get along to the betterment of the entire world.”

“Then it sounds like we’re both about to get what we want.”

Gabriel stared firmly, “…Is that a yes? You’ll take him?”

“Protect my son and I’ll protect the Duke.”

“Good.” He turned and made his way towards the Captain, and she hastily pushed the door open to let him through. Before he’d even made it to the stairs, he lifted his head, and spoke to the open hall, “Did you get all that?”

Xanarken and Rylen both formed their mantles to follow him, and Rylen glanced back over his shoulder briefly, one burning-hot orange eye staring back at the Emperor and his guards. The Fourth set his hand against his son’s back, “A mediator after my own heart.”

Rylen turned back to the duo though, “When were either of you pricks going to tell me about Aamin?”

“Exactly at the moment it was necessary, and no sooner.” Gabriel said simply, “Now you know, and we have work to do.”

“And Latheroux?”

The two mediators tilted their heads at him, “What about him?”

“You know he’s been whispering in the Duke’s ear for like two decades, right?”

“…Eh?” They both stopped in their tracks – they were long-gone from the Emperor’s sight by then, and were halfway down a long curved staircase.

“Didn’t you know?” Rylen stared quizzically at them, “He ingratiated himself with the Duke within weeks of the riots. I thought he’d died, but he actually slipped out of Sargon in the ensuing chaos of the Empress’ death. Mardu took pity on him way back then, and they’ve been cozy ever since. How the Hell else did you think he got there? Magic?”

Gabriel and Xanarken stared at one another, then back at Rylen, “When were you going to tell us about Latheroux?”

“…Apparently exactly at the moment you needed to know.” The First leered, “He’s been a primary driver of the Duchy’s refusal to talk to us. While Far’nah’s been chomping at the bit to attack, Mardu and Latheroux have been working in tandem to just keep us out instead. That man and his buddy might be largely unseen and unheard, but they’ve both been massive pains in my ass this whole time.” He cast his gaze at Xanarken, “I could’ve sworn you knew. How could you not know? You were dealing with them for damn near the whole 20 years before the Prince burned half the palace down.”

Xanarken sighed heavily, “Duke Mardu was never the one I got to deal with. It was always Far’nah or her Conclave.”

Rylen rolled his eyes, and started walking again, “Fuck’s sake.” He shook his head, and turned to walk backwards instead, reaching out to poke Gabriel in the forehead several times as he kept pace, “It’s. Your. Job. To. Know. Stuff.” He said, each word leading to a thump between the Vice Eidolon’s eyes, “I’ve got a fleet to prepare. Go tell Captain Rydell what’s going on. He should be here any second.”

“…Right.”

Rylen dissolved, and Gabriel was left there in the ballroom with the Fourth.

Xanarken just huffed a laugh and smacked the man’s back, “What a first night, right? You’re doing great.”

“…Do I take orders from him or is this how he talks to you, too?” The younger man wondered, pointing at the space that Rylen had once occupied, “Cuz that felt like marching orders.”

“Just wait till you get to do it back at him.”

Gabriel gasped, stars lighting-up in his big eyes, “I get to boss him around!? Why didn’t you say so in the training-room!? I would’ve said yes right away!”

“Come along, young one…your night has only just begun.”