My heartbeat settles as I walk to the fence to take back my umbrella, causing me to feel a familiar twinge of pain in my chest, as if I am being pinched by sharp claws. It will last up to a quarter of an hour, perhaps more.

I sigh and glimpse at the two's spar. Rowland is pushing the ex-Templar hard but Nahl's defense is solid and his counters swift. Unfortunately, while he has a better base, Rowland is stronger as well as taller and it seems Nahl isn't used to this.

Rowland is using heavy blows that are difficult to deal with, giving Nahl little time to recover between each attack and even less to threaten his opponent which means he is in a passive position.

“You're playing into his hands, Nahl!” I call out. “Aim swift and true at soft spots he can't easily defend.”

Nahl's only reaction is that his right foot shifts back but it's enough for me to predict his next counter will aim at Rowland's weak left. As predicted, Nahl hangs back to dodge Rowland's harsh swing from right to left and launches a stab at his opponent's left shoulder.

Rowland doesn't catch the riposte before it is too late for two reasons, first and most important is that he can't see on his left side while secondly his left arm is slow because he hasn't healed completely or bears a mental scar from the wound he received. He grimaces as the tip slams into his shoulder and his stance falters.

“Slap him!” I call out.

Rowland immediately backhands at his rushing opponent from left to right. Nahl's eyes widen and he jumps back a split moment before the pommel crashes into his face but fails to avoid the tip of the sword that follows and it slams into his right arm.

“Knee!” I advise Nahl.

“Jessica!” Rowland protests as he barely blocks a blow aimed at his crotch.

“You should have been prepared for it! Keep fighting!” I respond while spinning my umbrella.

“Don't tell us to do something and then give the counter!” Nahl explodes in a rare outburst of outrage.

“Fine.” I reply with a sigh.

I turn my mind back to kinetic energy and how to set it up to allow me to feel movement around me on my skin while giving the two of them occasional advice. It takes way too much focus to be useful.

Until I make a construct out of it. Even then, you'll have to interpret what each sensation means and if it is a threat. People could exploit it as well to distract you, in the end it'll delay your reaction time so much it'll be the same as being surprised.

I disagree, if used in conjunction with the perception construct and my eyes, I'll have plenty of time to react. Against them or those like Marks, of course, but Leomi herself requires all your focus.

Are you saying you and the Little one are better? I would beat you with the perception construct alone if you use your kinetic sense and it both. You're jealous of what I can do with the kinetic strike. It's cheap. I don't see the difference between that and a fist.

I'll show you then. Ugh. I close my eyes and fall into a certain trance, appearing into a foggy gray-white room with Liz facing me. She didn't bring the Little one and has her hammer which quite worries me because I expected the liangi as well as the parasite.

I think hard but, in the end, have to choose my usual long broadsword because anything else will tire me too quickly and this one can almost match her range.

Liz lets the hammer slip down until she grips it a few centimeters under the curved blade below the head, almost exactly the same way I used the sledgehammer against the drones in the tunnels but I'm pretty damn sure she'll pack a heavier punch.

I launch myself at her. She swipes the hammer at me while letting her hand slide down the grip, making it difficult to predict. I raise my broadsword while planning to turn half the kinetic force against itself.

As expected the head stops dead when it encounters my weapon but the weight doesn't fade and Liz slides her hand back up the handle to press down with all her weight.

Despite the fact the kinetic force is much lesser like this, the fact is that it consumes much more flow to continuously redirect it it so I decide to switch to a strengthening construct to both block and counter.

At the exact moment I act on my call, I feel a brush against my waist. I try to raise my knee to block but hers lands in my belly and throws me rolling back into the ground.

What kind of insane strength is this? I utter as I raise back up with Liz glimpsing down at me with a smirk. She evidently took advantage of the fact I have to focus to keep using unstructured energy.

“Okay, point taken.” I mutter out loud, leaving our shared space in our mind. “I scattered myself way too much.”

“It isn't too bad, but yes.” Liz says. “Kinetic force isn't weight and any construct will have a higher base cost to use than unstructured energy so using it continuously is far less efficient than physical strength.”

“Apart from that, I maintain that it's better to feel my surroundings, it's much less distracting and easier for my instincts to respond to than what I detect in silver.” I tell her.

“When you have a construct, sure, until then its only viable against opponents who aren't quick enough to exploit your lapses.” Liz responds.

“Fine but you're the only one fast enough to block my kinetic strike because you can react to the wave of flow so it isn't exactly fair.” I grunt.

“Truly excellent warriors prepare before a fight so that they don't have to react, Jess.” Liz destroys my argument.

“You're talking to yourself again?” Idali asks from afar.

“Again?” I question back as I turn to her with a smile.

She's wearing a tight leather armor that looks much to form-fitting to have been hardened enough to stop blades and is leaning on her long flexible spear. Edusa is by her side in a more official outfit with embroidery fit for her status.

“Ah, yes, you never stopped.” Idali notes with a nod. “How have you been?”

“You know, as usual.” I reply with a shrug. “Better than those who try to stop me anyway.”

Idali's right leg tenses and I instinctively launch my umbrella forward off my shoulder while sending streams of flow coursing through it. Her palm stops dead on impact with the flat canopy.

“Aih! Shit!” Idali cries as my umbrella's thin fabric shudders.

“My bad, had to send back most of the force or it'll have torn through it.” I tell her. “For your own protection really, Liz really likes this thing."

“They told me you got better but this is insane.” The tall busty blond mutters.

“This use is quite blunt and it doesn't exactly do well against defensive constructs, it's basically a trick.” I tell her while hanging the umbrella back on my shoulder.

“I wasn't sure the first time but... a kinetic construct? You have to tell who taught you that.” Edusa mutters. “No, rather, teach me.”

“Sorry, can't.” I shake my head.

“Do you have any idea the applications this could have towards forging and mining?” The Duchess asks with wide eyes.

“Before we get into an argument over this, let me tell you it isn't a construct.” I stop her short. “I'm using unstructured energy, which is pretty much the only reason I could react in time to Idali's rush.”

“What?” She questions, blinking. “That's not possible, it would take more energy than our Emperor has access to to knock out as many people as you did with kinetic force directed by unstructured flow.”

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“Let's just say my instincts shape a formless core that I then use to direct energy, it is not pure intent.” I explain. “And it isn't something I can teach even if I wanted to.”

“That's still impossible.” Edusa grunts. “You're a walking mystery, Jessica Freepath.”

“Either way, what are you doing here?” I ask.

“I am simply leading Idali and giving you farewells.” She replies a bit awkwardly. Someone that isn't a Duchess could definitely have done that in her name. “Are you certain you wish to depart so soon?”

“I don't much enjoy these festivities, especially if they involve me.” I reply somberly.

“Very well, I wish you safe travels and hope you will exercise caution.” Edusa says with a thin smile. “Idali is holding onto a list of Noble houses and a map for you to plot your route.”

Idali takes out a pouch from her back and hands it out to me. I gratefully accept it and check the map first to search for the region my brother meant to head to while Edusa walks off.

“Found it, due south-east it is.” I mutter.

“I'm not sure going south is a good idea, or south-east for that matter since it's a border with that Duke.” Idali notes.

“We won't be going that far.” I wave her concerns away. “So, how have you been?”

“I get itchy once in a while but it's usually minor.” She replies.

“Where?” I question.

“Base of my spine but it stopped there to wrap around my pelvis.” Idali grunts.

“I'd pay attention to the spine, the tendrils around your pelvis are likely merely anchors.” I tell her. “What about your knee?”

“It didn't go near but it's odd, you can touch if you want to find out because there's no way I can describe it.” The blond says with a small grimace.

I crouch and reach out to poke her thigh. The leather bends back but Idali's flesh isn't as flexible as it should be. It seems that the parasite adopted the elongated pear shape of her thigh. I trail my thumb down towards the knee but encounter a sort of knotted sensation under her flesh.

“Okay, that's weird. It seems like the five roots spun around your bone and merged.” I say.

“Weird, huh.” Idali groans.

“Sorry, I just meant to say mine didn't do this.” I whisper.

“Well, you did warn me it would adapt.” Idali sighs.

“I honestly didn't think it could change that much, can you still leap at crazy speeds?” I ask because I didn't exactly see what she did earlier.

“Yea, I'm actually faster. I think it bulked up in muscle.” She tells me.

“Mood swings?” I probe.

“Not really, no more than usual, although I suppose I've been feeling more... settled?” She says questioningly.

“Grounded?” I offer.

“Yea, that.” Idali nods. “More in the moment, less... anguish?”

“It certainly didn't have that effect on me, although you could argue Liz fits that description.” I comment.

“You're definitely not typical even without considering the symbiont.” Idali says.

“You picking a fight?” I ask her with a grin while rising.

“I wasn't, you're the one using the third person.” She replies with a chuckle. “Congrats on your engagement, by the way, I hope the two of you are getting along better.”

“That's... debatable?” I mutter. “We have issues, we said we'd cooperate but I pretty much do whatever I want while she tries to steer me.”

“Hard to tell which causes the other, huh?” Idali asks with a difficult expression.

“The short of it is that she angers me and I anger her.” I say with a heavy sigh.

“You want to go drown our sorrows? This is a tavern after all, they have tables to roll under.” She suggests.

“Yea, let's do that.” I nod with a smile. I turn to Nahl and Rowland who're still slamming their swords together but much slower than at the start. “Keep going until one of you loses a finger!”

The two pause and take a step back to throw me venomous glares. I smirk and head for the tavern, secure in the fact they'll take my warning seriously. Idali and I settle at a table in the corner of the tavern to have some privacy from the clients drinking at the bar.

“So, where will we be going?” She asks as we wait for our tankards.

“You have the list, you know better than I do.” I note.

“Yeah but you picked the south-east without taking a look at it, seems like you have your own plans.” She comments.

“Ah, that.” I make a thin smile. “None of you will be doing a thing, I've some personal business to attend before anything so I'll leave you camping somewhere to go deal with it.”

“Mh.” She purses her lips with disapproval.

“It doesn't have a thing to do with the Duchy.” I affirm while rolling my eyes. “I thought you didn't like Nobles but you seem eager to do her bidding.”

“You're one to talk, I didn't get engaged to her at least.” Idali grumbles. “Besides, Edusa is no typical Noble.”

“I suppose I have to acknowledge that.” I agree.

The barmaid, a large brunette with a chest to rival any mammal, brings us two tankards of beer with thick white foam atop of it. My expression brightens at the sight of this fresh beer which seems expertly made.

“There you go, Dame Freepath.” She says.

“Jessica, please.” I insist.

“It wouldn't be suitable.” The woman protests as she gives me a curtsy before serving Idali who is making a mocking smile.

“Don't.” I warn her as the bairmaid departs.

“I wuldan't dayre, m'Layhdy!” Idali utters with an accent I'm pretty sure she invented on the spot.

“Urg.” I groan. “I told you not to.”

“Couldn't resist.” She chuckles. “Do you have any idea how annoying it is to keep hearing people talk about you? Or comparing you to Elizabeth? Urk, swear they're not just blind but idiots too.”

“Pff, you say that but you only know because I told you.” I tell her with a warning in my gaze not to say too much.

“Oh, come on. You're the same tiny...”

“Be very careful.” I bark.

“You're the same size how could they think you're taller?!” Idali groans.

“Right!?” Liz exclaims. “They don't realize they have it backward. It's because Jess doesn't carry large weapons, has to be.”

“No, you're the same... never mind, you're insane.” Idali makes a deep sigh. “How's Cecil? And did you run into Aisha again?”

“She's busy wrapping people around her little finger and nope, I haven't, have you?” I ask.

“No, I think she'll be in Kruzser though.” She shakes her head. “I'll miss her, she was always fun to be around.”

“You won't be coming?” I question.

“No, I made a deal with Edusa and...” She pauses. “I don't think Celyz wanted me to stay around you too much but to keep her appraised from a platonic distance.”

“Ah.” I mutter, blushing slightly. “Could you relay a message for me?”

“Hm, if it's personal yes. The agreement I have with the Duchess involves keeping her appraised so...” She trails off.

“Just.” I pause. “Tell her I'll be going east before winter, that I can hardly wait to see her.” I say, too awkward to share more than this.

“I don't want to pry but, you're engaged now.” Idali notes.

“It's complicated.” I tell her with a dark look.

“Hey, don't look at me like that. I get it.” The blonde raises her hands defensively.

“You're right, I'm too defensive about this because I know what I'm doing isn't right. Not because it's wrong but... they don't agree, or get along.” I mumble with a dark tone.

“That's why beer was invented.” She tells me with a grin and knocks her tankard against mine.

“Praise be the Lake for that.” I acknowledge with a smile.

We both drop our heads back and gulp down on the bitter but oh so refreshing liquid. The two of us spend the rest of the night making small talk about everything from the past to the future while avoiding anything of import.

It is a true moment of peace for me and Liz. We don't end up under the table by nightfall but it gets rather close as the two of us crash atop of each other in the room I rented for the night to fall into a deep sleep.

--- --- ---

I awaken with Idali's hand pressed flat on my face with the pinky poking into my nose and her elbow stabbing into my breast. I feel a hot breath in my neck and shiver. I throw her aside without ceremony.

“Hrg, whu?” Idali asks. “Ooh, my head.”

Her low shriek makes me wince and grab my temple. I get up and make my way through the gray room to open the window flaps. The sun burns my eyes but I do obtain a breath of fresh air.

“It burns, arrrh!” She cries out.

“Would you stop.” I groan. “Your voice is unbearable.”

“Too loud.” Idali grunts with a painful expression. “How many kegs did we drain?”

“I'm not sure, it all got a bit blurry after my third tankard.” I murmur.

“I distinctively recall the barmaid picking up a pile of tankards because she ran out.” Idali mutters.

“Right, well, go get ready because we're leaving as soon as I've cleaned up.” I tell her.

I grab my umbrella and walk downstairs, finding Rowland, Nahl, and Uhla having breakfast. I give them a weak wave of hand as I make my way to the back to grab a bucket of water and go take a bath in the small shed.