“The embassy is a house” Gloe muttered to himself. “Not a particularly big house either. That bodes well.”
The structure in question did indeed seem to be the type to appear in an area zoned for residential. It was a two-story structure with a reasonably sizable backyard and a fence around the property. The only thing that made it stand out was the guard out front. She was Viluota.
For hours he observed, trying to figure out how best to accomplish his mission. During that time two conspicuously cloaked figures vanished inside for extended periods. Contacts or informants. He tracked both of them back to rendezvous with anonymous figures, then followed the anonymous personnel to an observation point across the street from the embassy. Double agents then. Great.
There really didn’t seem to be a way around it though. If the building was being observed they almost certainly had some sort of nightvision spell available. Given the lack of surrounding cover trying to sneak in under cover of darkness would just make him more intriguing.
The direct approach then. Shrugging Gloe draped his own cloak over himself and simply walked up to the guard. “Delivery.” He handed over the letter.
“Recceived” she hissed in reply.
“If there is the possibility of a reply I can return later.”
“No need. Wait insside.” She gestured towards a small room as she ducked through the door. Well that was convenient. Someone had outfitted the mudroom to be a waiting area, complete with a small couch and an end table with recreational magazines. If only he could read.
He was only there about twenty minutes when a different Viluota stooped into the room. “You are the messsenger?”
“That’s me.”
“Khome with me pleasse.” She led the way to an office, gesturing towards a chair as she sat behind the desk.
“Short-staffed?”
A hissing laugh came in reply. “What sstaff?”
“Well you must be doing something right to have all those people across the street spying on you.”
That triggered a keen look. “Ah, you ssaw that? Interessting. To bussinesss. The khorresspondance ssaid that the khourier would know a passsphrasse.”
“More or less.” Gloe stuck several fingers in his mouth, allowing him to make an inhuman hissing, clicking sound. “How was that? She made me practice that over and over.”
“Ssatassifakhtory. My name is Rogany. For my ssinss I am the ambasssador from the Abgy Khonfederation to the Khingdom of Atulvet. I would assk your name but sshe made it khlear that would be pointlesss.” Another brief hiss before she sobered. “How is sshe?”
“Pissed. Her time in demon territory left her extremely angry, and she hasn’t ripped apart nearly enough demons to assuage that. Did you know her before? She wasn’t certain who the ambassador would be.”
“We have never met, but I know of her. My mentor wass pressent at her introdukhtory demonsstration, and I wass briefed before takhing this asssignment three yearss ago. Her losss wass dissheartening.”
“I don’t think she enjoyed it either.”
“Qhuite. Now then, to bussinesss. Her khorresspondance is qhuite thorough, so the only qhuestion I have is how viable you thinkh your chancess are. Sshe sstatess that you are their exhpert in the relevant field.”
“Honestly, fifty-fifty. More importantly though, unless you have a really good alternative or one hell of an argument I don’t think you’re going to talk her out of this. Her patience is quickly drawing to an end. She’s about ready to start painting the walls of the academy with blood.”
“Sshe did give ssome indikhation that sshe is disspleassed, but your telling sseemss qhuite a bit more forcseful. Have they truly been so maladroit?”
“They began with condescending and went downhill from there. Right before I left they sabotaged her standing in an exercise and then used that as an excuse to lecture her on how much she still had to learn. I think they’re used to dealing with emotionally unstable kids and because of her age they think the same tactics will work on her. When you combine that with a blanket categorization of her recent life as a generic ‘trauma’ they can be pretty ham-handed.”
“I ssee.” She jotted down some notes. “Your persspekhtive is enlightening. Although I do not asskh you to betray any ssekhretss it would be usseful to hear your akkhount of her tale. Would you mind?”
“She asked me to cooperate.” Gloe shrugged. “As you said, there are some things I simply won’t tell you, but aside from that…what would you like to know?”
“Thankh you. If you would, sstart at the beginning and tell me as much ass you know of her tale, starting with the battle.”
“Well, that’s all secondhand of course. But she said…”
...
“R-rumors are starting to go around that your ability is to make anger physical.”
Emokha looked confused. Still angry, but also confused.
“The s-servants are all terrified of you. One of them b-begged me to pick up your meals myself, and let him know when you are out of the room so he can clean.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“I will not takhe out my frustrations on them. I know they are not to blame.”
“But they d-don’t know that. So they’re s-scared.”
“I will attempt to khontrol myself around them. However this…” she stabbed a claw at the scene out the window and fell into a series of expletives in her own language before finally re-emerging. “…and they have the sheer poisonous gall to makhe it mandatory? And then give me a demerit for qhuestioning their pathetikh exhuse for justifikhation?” More explosive language followed.
“Now now Emokha, relax. The bubble queen has brought the champagne!” Liuka frowned cutely as she swept in the door, her arms full of bottles. “Well, I don’t think technically it counts as champagne. But it’s booze with bubbles, so who cares!”
“And I’ve got the hard stuff, so we’re all set.” The box Gloe was carrying was so wide it wouldn’t fit through the door held upright. He tipped it sideways to bring it through, then set it on the table.
Liuka’s frown became perplexed as she looked down at all the loose bottles. “How’d you avoid them all tipping out?” He tapped a finger against his nose with a knowing look, saying nothing.
“Let us avoid the irrelevant and get down to the matter at hand: khonsumption of a sufficient amount of alkhohol to prevent me from introducing additional orifices into the bodies of various individuals.” Emokha seized the first bottle, a flashing claws extracting the cork and sending it flying out the window. She had lifted it to her mouth when a steady knock came from the door.
It was Biur. “Lady Emokha, the headmaster requests your presence.”
“Give him my khondolences, but tell him I am khurrently okkhupied khonsuming qhuestionable amounts of alkhohol.”
That seemed to dumbfound him somewhat. “Ahhh…Lady Emokha…that hardly seems an appropriate response.”
A steady glugging sound was all that came from her. A third of a bottle later she surfaced for a breath. “Why? What business does the headmaster have with me at this time?” She leaned back for another swig.
“Ahhh…the headmaster noticed you were absent from all the activities today, and he was concerned that you’re missing the point of this excursion.”
“I assure you I am not. I diskhussed this very topikh with multiple akhademy employees, inkhluding the headmaster. When I qhuestioned why I was reqhuired to embarkh on this frivolous exhkhursion I was told repeatedly that rekhreation and relaxhation were essential aspekhts of our training.” She took another long draught. “As you khan see I have takhen that instrukhtion to heart.”
“Ahhh…I think perhaps you’ve misunderstood what the headmaster was saying. I believe what he meant was…”
“Which akhtivities are mandatory?” Emokha broke in aggressively.
“Well…strictly speaking none of them, but that hardly means you should pass on all of them.”
Giving him a sharp glare as Gloe whispered in her ear, she turned her head knowingly. “Has everyone aside from us attended akhtivities?”
“Well…I would have to check to be certain, but you were the only one who was conspicuously absent. Most of our students enriched themselves at some of the events at least.”
“Ah.” She held up a crumpled piece of paper while taking another drink. Oresus intervened to flip it right-side up, and she nodded her thanks, still draining the bottle. “Thankh you. So, what precise type of enrichment did I miss out on by skhipping ‘Two Truths and a Lie,’ pray tell?”
“Fun and familiarization with your fellow students are both key components of the education experience.”
“Urp. Liuka, which of these bottles is your favorite?”
“The Farnost Masgo! Look how bubbly it is, and it goes down so smooth! It’s like a wine cooler or something!”
“There, you see. Urp. I am already familiarizing myself with my fellow student. And what khould be more fun than the khonsumption of alkhohol? It is a staple of rekhreation.”
“Ahhh…as pleased as I am that you are getting along so well with Lady Liuka, don’t you think you should try to form bonds of comradery with the other students as well?”
“I see.” She nodded knowingly. “I assume this is the same advice you gave to Slatany and Jate?”
“I…I don’t…”
“Perhaps I should attend more events. I’m certain everyone would enjoy hearing about what certain people have been up to for the last two days. It would be a good way for everyone to familiarize themselves with their fellow students. Eh?”
“I’m quite certain that isn’t what the headmaster meant when he said…”
“Oh, and I khould tell the hilarious story of all the shopkheepers who unanimously decided to give Elame a diskhount. I am certain everyone would enjoy hearing about that.”
“A certain amount of discretion is of course implied…”
“Oooh, remember when Dujom ‘akhcidentally’ broke Palmas’ arm? I have a great story about that as well. Earlier in the day Dujom was rejected by…”
“Have it your way!” Biur stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
“Oh, if only I khould.” She tossed the empty bottle back in the box. “That one was gross. At least we have a number of alternatives.” She reached for another.
...
“Liukha, I worry about you!” Emokha wrapped her arms sloppily around the individual in question, ostentatiously keeping her claws clear. “You are my friend! If my plan works what will bekhome of you?”
“What…what plan?” Liuka squirmed, trying to find a comfortable spot amongst all the chitin.
“Did I not tell you? I am going to askh Felsora to sekhure me an audience with the dukhe. Then I will reqhuest that the dukhe speakh to the khing for me. I still have a large gem I reqhuesitioned from the demons. With their permission I will use it to finance a nautikhal trading exhpedition to my homeland. I khan help merchants selekht items that are skharse there. They will makhe a substantial profit, and I will safely makhe my way home, using seas and rivers to bypass demon territory.”
The hug intensified. “But I worry about you! What if Elame tries to khapitalize on our absence? Who will you train with?”
“’s okay, ‘s okay!” Liuka was smiling and crying at the same time for some reason. “’ll miss you, but ‘ll be okay! Elame will be gone, remember? ‘s going for her apprenetiship.”
“But the other kids will pickh on you! My beautiful little Liukha!”
“’s okay! ‘m stronger now.” She shook herself muzzily. “Aksually, Lring asked to train with me. Wants me to join her team. She said…urp…she said ‘s defense like me. Wants me to…tell her stuff. And stuff.”
“That is good. But I will miss you!”
“’ll miss you too!”
“But I will khome visit after we win the war!”
“Yes.” Liuka was starting to slump a bit. “You can visit whenever you want” she muttered. “I’m awake! ‘m awake.”
“L-look.” Oresus waved his just-washed hands in the air. Soap and water had soaked the edges of his sleeves. “W-what does this remind you of?”
When the two girls stared at him without comprehension he kicked Gloe’s feet off of the bed. “H-hey, what does this remind you of?”
Opening one eyelid a slit Gloe peered through it, then locked it back down. Without otherwise stirring he did a surprisingly good imitation. “It was a good tactic, but you’re still far too green to face me!” he shrieked in a female voice.
“Oh, you nailed it!” Liuka broke into uncontrollable giggles. “What…ahahah…do you think she’d say…if she knew everyone just had bubble mix…” she couldn’t continue.
“If she knew we all had something up our sleeves?” Gloe inquired innocently. Liuka started laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Gloe waited several minutes for her to calm down. “I don’t know what she would say, but I bet I know approximately what she’s saying now.”
“W-what?”
“Oh Jate” he imitated breathily. “Oh Jate! It’s so hot the way you flailed ineffectively during the exercise while I was busy getting my ass kicked.”
That set her back off again. Then Oresus started doing a fairly decent Jate impression, which exacerbated her condition. It was Emokha’s truly awful Elame act that nearly broke her though.