Saving The World In Spite of Ourselves

[Kura]

"I don't care that you're a 'warrior' people; you're acting like a coward, throwing insults when you think no one will challenge you. I might be a stranger here too, but at least I'm not running around making fun of people. And you're not going to intimidate me because you're tall. I'm not afraid of you, and I'm not going to put up with your bullshit. You should apologize. Now."

"You will not give me orders, brat." Ruwa snapped, placing her hands on Nadia's shoulders and shoving her back a few inches. "Don't start fights that you won't be able to win, especially if you think you're going to impress Kaden. Why don't you just accept that you're not good enough for him and back away now?"

 

[Midian]

Nadia stumbled back and nearly fell, only catching herself at the last moment as a matter of luck. When she'd recovered her footing, her eyes were flashing with rage and she didn't hesitate in charging at Ruwa, swinging a small fist at the woman. Although her punch connected, it carried little strength behind it, and Nadia found herself close to a very unhurt Ruwa. It didn't take long for Nadia to truly end up on her ass, but she picked herself up with speed.

"It's not about having Kaden, it's about being his friend. You don't get to treat any of my friends that way!" Nadia shouted. When it seemed as though those around them were going to move to interfere, Nadia stomped on the ground, raising an iridescent shield around herself and Ruwa.

 

[Falcon]

Trevean stopped immediately when the old woman brought him the clay eye.
"Where?" was all he could manage to ask as he looked for Maevric hoping his younger brother had returned and sent an urgent massive through the Bond to Shola
"Can you tell us where this happened?"

---

Kaden watched with wide eyes as the two girls started picking at each other. While he was grateful that Nadia saw him as a freind he almost wished she'd stayed out of it.
His eyes got even wider when the argument took a more possessive turn but every time he tried to interject someone spoke over the top of him.

" . . . Shew, Shew little mouse . . ."

"Ruwa why don't you take the hint and . . ."

" . . . If you want to talk shit, you'd better be able to back it up."

"Nadia please, she's not worth the . . ."

" . . . You're just as much of a stranger in this land as we are."

"Ruwa this is hardly . . ."

" . . . You should apologize. Now."

"Nadia let it go!"

" . . . Why don't you just accept that you're not good enough for him and back away now?"

"Hey now! I don't particularly want you, especially! or have you forgotten . . ."

But before he could intervene Nadia had already thrown the first punch and raised a shield and Kaden was left to watch helplessly from the sidelines.
This was not the way his day had been supposed to go.

 

[Kura]

The smug smile Ruwa wore after the initial shove disappeared as she watched Nadia catch herself and avoid the fall. The girl charged and allowed her barely any time to avoid, and as a result Ruwa's cheek caught the bulk of Nadia's retaliation. The farm girl's fist hit Ruwa's cheek with very little power, but enough to leave a tiny fist-sized red mark when she pulled away.

"It's not about having Kaden, it's about being his friend. You don't get to treat any of my friends that way!"

"Friendship is overrated." Ruwa growled before snatching a large fist full of Nadia's hair and yanking her to the ground. "It will only get you hurt. Here. Allow me to demonstrate."

Not bothering to hold back, Ruwa straddled the girl and threw her fist at Nadia's face.

 

[Midian]

With Ruwa on top of her aiming for her face, Nadia realized what a bad situation she'd gotten herself into after the first few blows broke her nose and closed one eye. Desperately she squirmed and tried to move her head so the blows didn't all land in the same place, but Ruwa was strong enough to keep her down. If she didn't get out of the hold soon, Nadia realized, she was going to be killed, and this time she wasn't ready to die.

Managing to get an arm free, Nadia grabbed a loose stone and smashed it into Ruwa's mouth to get her to slow just long enough for Nadia to summon a light rapier. She threw it towards the edge of the shield, letting it go with a length of the light yarn attached to it and using it to drag herself out from under the Daalai woman. Back on her feet, Nadia stumbled a little, but held her ground as she let the yarn go. Ruwa wasn't a monster and didn't deserve to have the rapier used on her, Nadia thought, and instead focused on dodging her next few blows. However, she couldn't miss one to her ribs that let her crumple to her knees and spit blood broke her busted lips on the ground. However, she didn't leave her head bowed, but looked up at Ruwa with a shit-eating grin on her face. Rather than speak, Nadia merely laughed at Ruwa.

 

[Kura]

Blow after blow, Ruwa's eyes began to swell as the grin on her face widened into one of a woman who had begun to lose her sanity. Despite Nadia's head movements she continued to throw fists, occasionally missing and hitting the dirt. Nadia eventually freed an arm and Ruwa instantly went after it, but instead came face to face with a stone.

"OW. You little bitch!" Ruwa cried, her hands covering her face and allowing Nadia the freedom to move even more than before. When Nadia pulled herself out from under her Ruwa stumbled forward on her knees a bit before standing. She stared at Nadia, her pupils now severely constricted and blood trickling over her lip from where the stone had knocked out one of her teeth. Nadia laughed and infuriated the young Daalai woman, who formed fists so tight that people close by could hear her knuckles pop.

"I will kill you. I'll KILL you. I'm going to FUCKING-"

"RUWA."

A male voice boomed behind them. The crowd shifted, allowing Shaka to move through. Anger was not obvious on his face, but the tone and loudness of his voice obvious had shaken Ruwa.

"Ruwa. This is no way for a grown woman to behave. Leave the childish games to the children and come with me."

Panting, Ruwa stared at Nadia for a few moments before straightening her dress sleeve and smoothing her hair. "I'm finished fighting with you, child. I will leave now. Allow me to pass."

 

[Midian]

Nadia glared at Ruwa with her remaining eye, slowly bending down to grab another stone.

"You're not going to run away, Ruwa. You don't get to walk away just because. If you're going to leave, you're not going to do it because you got to dismiss me. Nobody gets to do that anymore."

Nadia aimed and lobbed the stone at Ruwa, striking her shoulder.
"C'mon bitch, finish what you started."

Although Nadia struggled, in the end the shield fell with her as she collapsed to the ground, its iridescence slowly thinning until the shield popped like a soap bubble. In the dirt she groaned and tried to stand up, but her arms shook and she could barely get her knees under her. She watched Ruwa walk by, still trembling with anger as much as pain as she stumbled to her feet. Despite swaying where she stood, Nadia shook her head and called to Ruwa:

"Don't-- don't walk away from me," Nadia slurred, stumbling backwards. "Is running all you can do?"

 

[Falcon]

Kaden shouted and banged his fists at Nadia's barrier trying to convince them both to stop, to no avail. Only with Shaka's appearance did things cease and the look in Kaden's face as he saw the man was one with the same contempt he had shown Ruwa.

And then the shield fell.

Kaden was quick to step to Nadia's aid, lifting her back to her feet by her arms, Nadia's back against his chest. "Enough, Nadia," he scolded gently, the worry clear in his voice.
"She's gone. There's no honor in fighting a beaten opponent, not that Ruwa ever had any anyway."

He sighed shifting a hand to her back just in case and stepping out beside her, uncertain how bad her wounds actually were. "I am grateful though, that you would step to my aid, but I'd rather you didn't get hurt like this. I - I don't like to see my friends in pain." he studied her carefully. "Do you think you can make it back to the palace?"

It looked like his meal with Addae would have to wait.

 

[Midian]

Through the bond, all Trevean received in return was a harried jumble of numbers, flashes of people, schematics, and pipe smoke. There seemed to be some sort of emergency on her end and his missive drifted away behind whatever she was trying to work on. The most she did was send a terse summons to him in return and then turn away from the bond entirely. The woman narrowed her eyes at Trevean and looked at the clay piece again, turning it over in her hand.
"I saw her go to the tavern on the edge of town, near the hole in the wall that the guards fixed, but I could not follow her in the crowd. She may be hiding there, I do not know. Does the captain of the guard not know? Does she not see what is happening?!"

The woman bit her lip and shook her head.
"Please, please save my grandchild."

---

Nadia grumbled and huffed as Kaden spoke, but nodded when he asked her if she could make it to the palace.
"I'm fine-- I'm fine. I'll make it to the palace, but then I want to have a nap. And some painkillers. And probably another nap."

She leaned on his arm and winced, wrapping her other arm around her stomach.
"But it felt good sticking up for myself, so I don't really regret it."

As they made their way into the city, they were met by Dante, who looked from Nadia to Kaden and raised an eyebrow.
"And what the hell happened here?" he asked, falling into step with them as Nadia recounted the situation. He shook his head and laughed at the end.
"Well, at least you're not dead, squirt. But once you're healed, you've got to learn how to fight."
"If it keeps me from getting my ass beat," Nadia replied.

When they arrived at the palace, healers carted Nadia away while Dante motioned for Kaden to walk with him. He didn't speak right away, but put his hands in his pockets and took a slight lead. On Lilith's end of the bond, she felt Dante trying to find her, and it wasn't long before he and Kaden found her at the archery range.
"Hey Lil, have a good time?" Dante asked, nodding briefly at Arlas as a servant hurried up.
"Excuse me, but Shola has asked to see Miss Lilith," the girl said, and Dante shrugged.
"Another adventure, Lil?" he asked playfully.

---

As Kaden and Nadia had been making their way into town, Trevean had found Shola at a large desk surrounded by people arguing. The trouble seemed to be that part of the refugee camp she'd created had been damaged beyond repair by people protesting the refugees, leaving about 15 people homeless. Some argued that 15 loose refugees were not worth the trouble, while others argued that 15 was plenty to try to rehome. Shola seemed to be part of the latter camp and finally out-shouted the first group, sending them fuming out of her makeshift office.
"Trevean, what's the problem?" she finally asked, rolling up some of the scrolls she'd been working on. As he related the issue her face blanched and her hands tightened on the scrolls.
"Then we need to track her at once. Perhaps there will be some rooms above the bar where I can help these people... I might as well take Lilith along to see if she can help me on her home turf. I'll send someone after her, I need you to come too since you're informed on the issue."

---

As the sun set, the group found themselves heading to the bar where they had found Lilith. Shola had bound her hair up rightly in a scarf, and Nadia had received enough treatment to limp quickly along beside the group.

 

[Kura]

As she sat with the others, Lilith twiddled her thumbs nervously as she could feel Dante through the bond. She reached back out in response, hoping that she had been able to guide them to her location, and sure enough a few minutes later he and Kaden strolled up.

"Hey Lil, have a good time?" Dante asked, nodding briefly at Arlas as a servant hurried up. Lilith waved goodbye to Arlas and turned back with a smirk.

"Yeah, after I got having my nose broken out of the way, I managed to do a pretty decent job, I think." She remarked, not bothering to go any further about how her nose came to be broken and miraculously healed again. She simply took took Dante's hand and kissed his cheek, then turned to greet her brother when a servant hurried up to them.

"Excuse me, but Shola has asked to see Miss Lilith," the girl said, and Dante shrugged.

"Another adventure, Lil?" he asked playfully.

"Seems like we've barely gotten a break. Come on, let's see what Shola needs." Lilith replied, leading them off to find Shola while also keeping an eye on the crowd for any unwanted visitors.
__________________________

After finding Shola and being briefed on the situation, Lilith guided the group back to the tavern where Dante had originally found her. A glance over their surroundings showed a repaired wall and obvious changes to the tavern itself. Lilith stood facing the door, hesitating to reach for the handle. Dante could feel a small pinch of nervousness through the bond as the young werewolf placed a hand on the door handle, but then immediately snatched it away and turned to the others.

"Okay, so, there are some things you guys haven't learned about me regarding this place. There are a few people in here that may know me, so--"

"KNOW YOU? YOUNG LADY, I RAISED YOU." A male voice boomed from behind her, and Lilith instantly turned pale. Emerging from the door behind her, a tall shadow eclipsed her as large hands rested on her shoulders and spun her around. What stood before Lilith was a very tall, feminine male with long blonde hair that had been tied up into a braided bun. Her lips were stained a very deep red that matched the color of the small flowered barrette that pinned back her bangs. Her dress was one that you would expect from a maid or barkeep, a simple one in a very pale pink covered with a white apron. Her sleeves were rolled back as if she had just stepped away from washing dishes, revealing a quite unflattering tattoo of a young woman on her forearm.

"O-oh! Mama! It's you!! Thank goodness you're alright! I'm sorry I haven't written you to let you know where I was, but I-"

"Save it, young lady." A new voice interrupted. This one came from a very small woman who had suddenly appeared next to the other. Her grey hair was also tied up in a bun, but unlike her companion her face lacked the coloful makeup. Her eyes remained squinted to the point of almost being closed, and she wore a dark green dress under her apron.

"Bi! How nice to see you too! Please, let me explain, I wasn't able to communicate with you.. I was-"

"And who is this?" The tall one exclaimed, motioning to the rest of the group. "Aren't you even going to be polite and introduce us?"

With a deep breath, Lilith turned to the others and motioned to the two standing behind her.

"Everyone. This is Boca, my Mama. This is Bi, my Grandmama. They adopted me when I came here from the Daalai nation as a teenager."

She turned back to Boca and Bi.

"Boca, Bi, these are my friends. I haven't been able to get in touch with you because we've been in different worlds. There is a reason for all the strange things that are happening. We're trying to save the world."

"Well." Boca snapped, "I suppose that's a legitimate explanation then. As legitimate as anything else that is happening anyway. Come, come inside and we will sit down to talk. You're lucky this is the slow time of day, you all aren't the most normal looking lot around."

Offended, Lilith instantly turned to look up at Boca as they entered the tavern. "Normal?!"

 

[Falcon]

It was a greatly disturbed Trevean who had to explain that he was going to the captain directly to put a plan into action to track down the monster that was after the kids. He swore they'd sort it all out, but it was with a heavy heart as he returned to Shola's side that he had to admit to himself that it may not be a promise they would be able to keep.
He felt only slightly better when they approached the Inn where Shola seemed to think the could hit two birds with one stone. Homes for the refugees who has lost theirs, and information about the clay woman.

When Boca appeared and claimed Lilith as a daughter Trevean didn't even bat an eye. He had seen the same and much odder during his own travels, and he felt only a bit of relief that Lilith's connections here might help them get the information they needed all the faster . . . or slower depending on how much catching up Lilith had to do first. There was every chance it could turn into a long night.

Kaden on the other hand was struck speechless. Of all the people he had imagined his sister living with over the years, this had not even made the list. He struggled to find the right words, but there were none there to express what he was thinking. Questions would probably be rude, remarks possibly unwelcome, yet he couldn't even say it was a pleasure to finally meet them because he had been unaware there even was a them.

For a moment he wondered if Lilith hadn't shared this part of her life with them because she had been worried about how they might react. And then he could feel only happy because it seemed she had at least ended up with people who genuinely seemed to care for her.

"Um . . . I'm Kaden," he said finally because that was the only thing he could think of that wasn't stating the obvious and would be genuinely useful. Assuming anyone cared about names at the moment.

 

[Midian]

Shola hadn't expected to find that Lilith had family and furrowed her brow, wondering what else Lilith hadn't told them between being a werewolf and actually having family. However, she gave a polite and shallow bow to Boca and followed the group to a larger table where they could talk in relative peace. She could see unease on Dante's face as well, although Shola had no idea if it was from not knowing Lilith had family, or from Boca herself. To Lilith, however, it was clear Dante was uneasy because Lilith's family had been a secret despite what she now knew about him. He sat next to her at the table, but there was a stiffness and nervousness in his movements.

Meanwhile, Nadia sat there, occasionally sniffling a drip of blood and wiping it on her skirt carelessly. Shola looked at her, bit her tongue and reminded herself to ask later. After pleasantries and introductions had been made, she turned to Boca.
"Boca, Bi, I'm Captain Shola Rehau, here on business from the crown. Trevean Auster, who is working with me, has discovered something quite disturbing going on. Can you fill them in?"

 

[Kura]

As the group followed Bi and Boca into the tavern, Lilith avoided the gaze of the others. It was true, she had purposely not told anyone about her adopted parents, but her reasoning for doing so was to protect them if nothing else. Truth be told, there were a few times that she almost mentioned them to Dante, and when Lilith saw how uneasy Dante currently was she regretted not doing so. She knew it might cause some doubt about her among the others, but when she found out exactly what the group was facing that didn't really matter. All that mattered was that Boca and Bi remained safe. Either way, Lilith knew that she would have to set this right with both Shola and Dante.

They group followed the ladies through the main bar area and into a hallway leading to the back of the tavern. Boca soon stopped and opened the door to a room containing little more than a fireplace and a large table.

"Bi, if you'll be a dear and set up a fire. Now. Let's have a seat. Before we get to business I'd really like to learn a little about all of you and what exactly happened to Lili the day she disappeared. You." She said, pointing to Kaden with a large smile, "Kaden, was it? Let me guess, she managed to find one of her own kind to shack up with? What luck, Lili! And not bad looking, either."

To Boca's surprise, she learned that Kaden was, in fact, not Lilith's lover but her brother.

"Really?! You'll have to tell me how you managed to meet! What are the odds?!" Boca exclaimed, her mouth open in amazement. After lighting the room with firelight Bi plopped her tiny body down next to Boca's large one, barely managing to see over the edge of the table.

"Later, Boca." the old woman snapped, looking to Trevean. "Focus."

"You're right, dear," Boca replied, turning her attention to Trevean. "Well, if Kaden isn't her lover it must surely be you. You a tall, handsome drink of water."

Lilith allowed her head to drop to the table as Trevean gave his answer. Seemingly disappointed, Boca slowly rose an eyebrow and looked to Shola next.

"Eh?"

"Mama. It's him," Lilith said finally, having had enough of the banter about her love lifeand taking Dante hand, "This is Dante. He's my Other. He's my.. um.. my lover."

Still avoiding Dante gaze, Lilith looked to Boca for her reply. Never one to disappoint, Boca slammed her hands on the table and rose to lean in and get a better look. Meanwhile, Bi had disappeared from Boca's side and was now lingering about behind Dante, admiring his backside.

"Huh. Dante? What a mischievous sounding name." Boca said calmly, and after inspecting Dante's face she moved back to her seat. "A little pale, but beautiful green eyes. I'm sure at least one of your children will inherit them. Tell me, Dante, how did you two meet?"

After Dante' explanation, Boca turned her attention to the others, asking their names and where they each came from. Shola was the last to introduce herself, explaining that Trevean worked with her. After Boca was satisfied with what she had learned about the group, she was finally ready to move on to more serious matters.

"Thank you all for answering my questions. I'm sure after spending all this time with our Lili you can understand why we are so protective. Now," Boca turned to Trevean, "Tell me, what is it that brought you here?"

As Trevean began to speak, Bi watched out of the corner of her eye as Lilith quietly beckoned Dante just outside the door. The Daalai girl quietly shut the door behind them and took Dante's hand, leading him up a nearby staircase and down to the end of another dimly lit hallway. She stopped in front of the last door, jiggling the handle a bit before opening the door and leading Dante into a small bedroom.

"This was my room." She said. The small bed nestled in the corner was covered with a brightly colored quilt, and a water pitcher and bowl sat on a small vanity in the opposite corner. Against the wall was a desk that was covered with a messy pile of papers, each littered with what looked like old tattoo designs. Draped over the desk's chair was a dark green tattered cloak. Lilith crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, patting the space next to her.

"Sit. Please."

She waited for Dante to sit, then met his gaze for the first time since they had entered the tavern.

"I know you're uneasy. I can tell through the bond, and even if I couldn't it's obvious on your face. I owe you an apology, Dante. I shouldn't have hidden Boca and Bi from you, but I thought that it would be better if no one, not even my own friends, knew about them. Just in case something were to happen. I'm sorry."

 

[Midian]

Dante followed Lilith and sat on the bed, looking around at the papers and quilt, picking at the loose threads.
"I can understand that," he said after a long time. "But, shit... After everything you know, I wish you'd at least said someone adopted you. That's kind of a big thing, you know?"

He crossed one leg over the other and then restlessly stood, looking through the tattoo designs slowly.

"Is there anything else? I mean, anything else you haven't told me?" he asked, looking even more uncomfortable than he had when she introduced him as her lover (in which he'd looked like he'd swallowed a pile of lemons).

"And Lil, why'd you tell them I was your lover? They're going to think we're fucking," he said bluntly. "Not that you're not worth doing, but... Well, you know..."

He let the sentence go, sitting heavily back on the bed.

 

[Kura]

"I can understand that," he said after a long time. "But, shit... After everything you know, I wish you'd at least said someone adopted you. That's kind of a big thing, you know?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm just as new to all of this as you are. Having friends, having.. you." Lilith paused for a moment, "I really didn't think to just merely mention them. I figured it would only spark more questions."

Lilith fidgeted with her own fingers as she watched Dante look through her tattoo designs. As an artist she was very shy as far as her early work was concerned. Even when she lived with Boca and Bi it was a rare occasion that she would let them see anything. She let him look, though, and she watched his face for his reaction to each sketch.

"Is there anything else? I mean, anything else you haven't told me?"

"Not anything else I'm keeping from you on purpose, no. I'm sure anything else I'll tell you when it comes up. I'm sorry again."

"And Lil, why'd you tell them I was your lover? They're going to think we're fucking. Not that you're not worth doing, but... Well, you know..."

Dante's bluntness left Lilith unable to answer for a few moments. Her face turned a bright red, and even more so (if possible) when he remarked that she was worth 'doing'. The subject had crossed Lilith's mind more then a few times, but she still didn't really have the courage to discuss the subject just yet.

"It was the only thing that would satisfy her." Lilith answered, bouncing slightly as Dante plopped back down on the bed. "Boca has always been one to harp on me about finding a man. I was just never interested. She's probably just thrilled to know that I consider you a.. you know."

 

[Falcon]

"Here," Kaden said distractedly as he took his pocket handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Nadia to help her nose as the group sat down around the table. It wasn't so much that he didn't care she was in pain, he cared a great deal, but his head was swimming with trying to get a read on these new people. They seemed kind enough if a bit boisterous, but they were hardly warriors. What kind of life had his sister truly led?

Why hadn't she said anything to him?
was she waiting for him to ask?
He hadn't asked because he'd thought it might be too painful for her . . .

It was as he was musing over this question that Boca caught him completely off guard.

"Kaden, was it? Let me guess, she managed to find one of her own kind to shack up with? What luck, Lili! And not bad looking, either."

Kaden literally choked, his expression one of disbelief and utter repulsion at the very thought of treating his sister like that. "Wha - no - we're siblings!" he sputtered, trying to get back his breath. "Brother - I'm her brother --"

"Really?! You'll have to tell me how you managed to meet! What are the odds?!"
"Later, Boca. Focus."
"You're right, dear. Well, if Kaden isn't her lover it must surely be you. You a tall, handsome drink of water."

Trevean only gave a cool, amused smile as Lilith's head hit the table.
"Thank you, I'm quite flattered. However I must inform you that as charming as your daughter is, my attention has long been entirely devoted elsewhere." He reached over the table and quite obviously took Shola's hand. However, Boca's eyes seemed to skip over their hands and land on face of the woman in question instead.

"Eh?"

But Kaden hardly had time to wonder how Shola beat out Dante in the pecking order of Lilith's love life before his sister stepped in to end the matter herself.

"Mama. It's him. This is Dante. He's my Other. He's my.. um.. my lover."

There were no words to describe the look on Kaden's face.

It was too much.
Too damn much.

Lilith hadn't told him about her family, but then he hadn't asked. That alone was already eating at him. Was she upset he hadn't asked and so had withheld the information?
Was he as bad a brother as he seemed to be a person? Not that he knew how to be a brother, but he had some idea that it must be like being good friends, yet here she was announcing things out of the blue. Big things too.
She hadn't even mentioned she and Dante were dating.
The two couldn't have known each other more than two months, if that--
He'd known her only a few weeks less than Dante and she was already willing to sleep with the other man, but she would barely talk to him, her own brother, except perhaps to berate him for something --

Kaden knew he must have done something wrong.
Did she blame him somehow for what their parents had done?
Because their Ma had wanted a boy?
They hadn't grown up together so it was hardly like he was her real brother, but still . . .

Shouldn't there have been some indication the two had been dating even if she didn't talk about it?
When Nadia had been with Liam there had been the laughter and jokes and games of a budding potential romance.
Aquaman and the Boss lady were often seen giving little gestures of affection. Taking walks together and whispering little comments just for the two of them, sharing meals, touching shoulders, making sure they had time for a proper date now and again.
Kaden couldn't even recall seeing Dante smile at Lilith, never-mind attempting to hold her hand.
Was it possible that Dante was manipulating her somehow?
Kaden gave himself a mental slap for that one.
He felt like he hardly knew his sister, did he even have a right to feel as protective as he suddenly did?
Surely she was an adult who had lived in the world long enough to make her own choices.
She certainly hadn't been sheltered, so she would have had time and observation enough to decide . . .

Kaden knew his own feelings on sex belonging in a loving, committed, marriage relationship were unlikely to change. He also knew where they came from. He had seen first hand what feeling forced to stay together due to an unplanned pregnancy had done to his parents. He had seen friends stay in bad relationships longer than they should have because they felt bonded to the other person due to the act. One only had to look at Ruwa to see how casually treating an act of love could go wrong.
And there were other things . . .
But those were his experiences, his motives. Assigning them to Lilith who had her own life didn't make sense.
No wonder she didn't want him as a brother.
He didn't think it was wrong exactly to want good things for his sister.
But he couldn't help but feel a little guilty for even hoping she might think the way he did.
It was obvious she didn't.
And if she was choosing Dante there must be something that told her the assassin at least cared about her some how.

Kaden had to slap himself mentally again for wondering how a block of ice could care.

Her choice, her life, he should try to be happy for her.
What if . . .
No what ifs, be happy she found someone.
But somehow he couldn't quite manage it.


He felt a bit sick at the whole situation and tried to suppress the thoughts swirling around in his head, but it all bothered him on a level he couldn't quite ignore. He knew people didn't generally see things the black and white way he did, but it still kind of hurt that somehow he had screwed up so badly that this was the way he was learning about it. Kaden couldn't even tell what was upsetting him anymore. His worry Dante was or would hurt Lilith somehow, or his disgust at himself for thinking negatively, wondering if he was a terrible brother or even a bad person . . .

It was too damn much at the moment.
He couldn't get his thoughts straight.
Couldn't think rationally.
It was too much.

Still he bundled it all up and pushed the ball of emotion as far back in his mind as he could manage even as a knot of uneasiness settled between his shoulders.

Odds were Lilith wouldn't even talk to him about it, any of it, her adoptive family included, and that perhaps was what bothered him the most. He wished he knew where it had all gone wrong.
He wished he knew what he had done.

He tried to fight it, but melancholy set in, and Kaden's face became rather stony as he sat in silence and listened to Trev explain. Fortunately it was a rather nasty topic anyway, so perhaps no one noticed.

" . . . The best lead we have is that our suspect was tracked to your Inn." Trevean finished explaining after giving the description he had been given of the woman in clay. "Is there any chance at all either of you, or perhaps one of your employees, might have seen them?"

 

[Kura]

" . . . The best lead we have is that our suspect was tracked to your Inn." Trevean finished explaining after giving the description he had been given of the woman in clay. "Is there any chance at all either of you, or perhaps one of your employees, might have seen them?"

Boca was silent for a while, closing her eyes to concentrate. She tried to remember whether or not she had seen the person being described to her, but she saw so many people on a daily basis that it was hard to recall.

"I don't recall off of the top of my head, but I can ask the kitchen staff and go through the room records." She replied, turning to Bi, "Bi, dear, would you mind roaming the main room and talking with some of the regulars? Maybe they will have noticed something."

The old woman nodded, wiggling off of the bench and onto the floor before shuffling out. Boca, meanwhile, stood and smoothed out her dress and apron before placing her large hands on the table.

"I will go downstairs and talk to them now, meanwhile why don't I put in an order for some food? You all look like you're starving." She remarked, eyeing Nadia. "I know that Lili loves her meat, but is there anything in particular that anyone would like? I'll talk to the kitchen staff about this woman and then have it back up to you in a jiff."

 

[Midian]

Shola listened as Trevean filed Boca in on the details of the kidnappings and kidnapper, also trying to keep her face as stony and neutral as possible. Not only was it sickening that someone was exploiting the current catastrophes to abduct children, but that it was her, and Shola knew just what she was capable of-- How had she even escaped that place?

If Kaden felt sick, so did Shola, but she kept it from the bond and kept her face a tight, hard one of professionalism. Once he'd finished speaking and Bi was sent off to talk to the regulars, Shola nodded to Boca's offer to speak to the cooks.
"As well, since there are rooms here, there are still some refugees that have no homes. If you would take them on, the palace can pay some of their rent now, and the rest once expenditures go down on protecting the city. If you're agreeable to that, I'll send a page around with a contract within the day and you'll have a guard or two if you'd like them to keep peace."

As Shola and Boca spoke, Nadia leaned her chin on her folded arms and listened, frowning at hearing about the kidnapped children. When it came time for them to ask about food, she merely shook her head at the offer, which Shola declined as well, sending Piper to retrieve Dante and Lilith from her room so they'd be present when the food arrived.

On the bed Dante stretched, exposing a small strip of stomach that showed his hips protruding a little more since Lilith had last seen them.
"Well, as long as she's satisfied, she's not pestering you. That's worth something," Dante replied sleepily, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath.
"So, maybe one day... You can do one for me," he said after a moment, but started up before he could say more by a knock on the door.
"There's about to be food," Piper called through the door, already down the hall and around the corner before they could leave the room. She returned to where everyone was and sat by Kaden.
"That was fast," Nadia remarked, and Piper shrugged.
"Are you okay, Kaden? You look like you don't feel well," Piper murmured to him. "Do you wanna go back to the castle? You and I can go."

 

[Falcon]

Trevean couldn't help but notice Shola's end of the bond had gone strangely blank, as if she had noticed something and had chosen to hide the information from him. He couldn't rationalize it. She had given him this case, why hide things now?

Trevean accepted the offer of food, requesting a pot of Coroco's best version of coffee, really not coffee at all but close enough, because he felt they had a long night ahead of them and he wanted to be alert. He tried not to puzzle over Shola's behavior, instead pouring through the records when they were brought to him in search of anyone matching their target's description, though he was not so absorbed as to miss what was going on around him.

Kaden on the other head could feel it all becoming too much, everything. His sister's news, the missing children, added to the guilt he still felt over the pandemonium incidents and Nadia getting hurt. He knew she had jumped into that fight on her own, but Kaden couldn't help but feel his presence had aggravated things. The young man wanted nothing more than a hot steam bath with his buddies and to curl up on his cot in the brotherhood barracks, but those things were forever barred from him. And he suddenly felt there was no one to talk to. Not even Lilith since she had made it clear she desired no such confidence with him in return. Not that he expected to know every intimate detail, but a simple "I've decided to see Dante romantically" would have given him considerably better feelings over what he had learned in the last half hour as opposed to that sudden announcement.
It was simply too much.

"Are you okay, Kaden? You look like you don't feel well," Piper murmured to him. "Do you wanna go back to the castle? You and I can go."

He could hear footsteps approaching, the sounds he had learned to associate with Lilith and Date. Kaden suddenly knew he didn't dare face either of them in his present mood. Not until he could convincingly fake being happy for them at least.

"Yeah, yeah okay," Kaden answered Piper as he rose to his feet. "Let's go."

The two of them left just as the others arrived giving Lilith the brief chance to see Kaden's back disappear as the door closed behind them. Piper he supposed he might be able to talk to. She'd proved a good listener in the past, but Kaden remained mostly silent as they walked, wanting to be sure his words were chosen wisely for once. Why was it Piper was so easy to talk to while Nadia was like a stone wall? Piper made it so easy to be her friend . . .

Twilight was falling and Kaden kept a quick pace through the unfamiliar city streets aiming for a tower he knew had to be part of the castle. He was careful not to leave Piper behind, just as he was careful to keep a position that would put him in the best position to defend her if any local thugs decided to mark them as a target. Kaden had read enough books about cities to make him overly cautious in such a place even if he had spent very little time in them himself.

Everything had just taken on that hazy blue glow of the sun's disappearance when he heard it. They were cutting through a small square leading from one of the back streets to the main road with a third breaking off in a "Y" when a shuffling, like something following, reached his ears. Kaden turned to put himself between the sound and Piper, his eyes barely catching what he though must be a movement in the shadows.

"Piper," he started, his voice taking on a firm tone,"I think we've been followed. We go cautiously from here and if I tell you, I want you to run. Make for the palace and go straight for the guards. Understood?"

 

[Midian]

"Kaden?!" Piper exclaimed, but a moment later a swath of shadow detached itself from an alley and approached. Unlike the other monsters they'd encountered, this one had no definite shape and didn't seem to be composed of anything from the environment. At Kaden's mark, Piper darted away from behind him, leaving him alone with the creature. The few civilians who had been milling around about screamed and fled into the nearest building, setting off a chain of panic that spread through the narrow, twisting alleys like poison.

The monster itself was far more aggressive and directed than others they'd faced, and striking it was difficult as it mostly flowed around his attacks, making contact with it sparse and difficult. In addition, it seemed to have no face, no eyes, no especially weak points; it was pure, liquid shadow that meant to suffocate and engulf him if it could. His hammers, however, seemed to be able to burn and singe it when they were charged with the bright purifier energy they all possessed.