Incline 10: Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar

Cetrepe skips ahead of us. The way she moves about is so unbecoming of a Valkinvar that Bsess can't help but shy away from her long-term wingmate. The knowing Valkinvar-Imdvarce comes to a stop, her posture straightening with typical discipline. Her grin grows and grows, her eyes unyielding against Bsess' own. Me and Osses continue to watch, almost finding it amusing enough to laugh over.

"Grow up!" Bsess relents, storming off only a short distance before twisting and flying away for the rest. Cetrepe giggles, giving chase and the two quickly vanish, their sonic booms lingering longer than they do.

Osses brushes shoulders with me, the scrape of our steel plate welds our eyesight against each other. Our smiles take flight and vanish, an uncomfortable severity replacing the emotions. A similar silence takes hold, one only broken up by the hustle and bustle of all our sisters and brothers all about us. I raise a hand, taking us away from them and getting us out into the open field of the courtyard.

We share a look at the sky as the last moments of daylight pass on from this world. Our words continue to escape us and I watch as my former subordinate makes her way to one of the trees. She runs her hands across the bark, picking at some of the sword marks, and I follow the pale, yellow-tinted lines as they fly off over the grass. I dash off, catching the splinter and coming back in time for Osses' next blink.

She huffs, looking away as her helmet bounces about her grip, her mouth finally opens, "You are certain?"

"I am," I answer swiftly, nodding much the same as our past conversation in the Hall of Feasts repeats on me. I'd much rather have some of the meat I had do so in my breaths or burps, but this is all I am getting out of it. 

"Look... I know it seems strange, Sister Vapooliar, but... Be careful. Whatever is going on, it's not right. It's as unnatural as the heretical faith we put so much faith into fighting." Osses tells me, her hand scraping down the tree. She comes back towards me, a stiff aggression to her steps. I mind the grass below and rise into the air, encouraging her to do the same.

"Naturally, I will take care of myself." I say, unable to think of much else to say as a stuttery huff breaks up my voice. 

"Try not to overwork yourself, either. I understand we've all been relieved of duty under dubious circumstances, but don't let it become an excuse." Osses insists and I nod, a slight smile managing its way back to my lips. I throw my helmet high, catching it further than it started and I twist it around. My nearest thumb goes across the polished metal, an old saying echoing about my thoughts as I do so.

Beware they whose armour shines in war.

An odd saying when one considers the reality of what it means to care for your steel, but I understand the point of it. Still, I know for a fact that I am a skilled warrior. All of the Valkinvar are. Every single one of us.

And yet, it's the same everywhere. No one is coming back scratched up and wounded. We're all being grounded from expeditionary duties, and our energy is going to waste. Nothing else seems to have changed. It's just our right to fight and conduct this war. The Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra will be back at our gates the first thing when they come back north.

"Say, Osses... Have you happened to have seen Sister Dannatili since the incident?" I ask and Osses memory comes to life with all manner of events. However, she knows without further clarification what I am on about.

"I do not know, the Ordoar Staguiffmani have been awfully closed off from the rest of the Valkinvar for a while now. Frankly, I don't see what talking to her will do for you. She always gave the impression of only involving herself with us so far as it meant surviving the Siege of the Long Battery Fort." Osses says, her thoughts coming out with little to no restraint.

I smirk a bit, not sure if my former rank would've affected her in any way. The reality has set in consciously, but in her instincts and habits, I cannot be sure. For a moment, I might be able to use this with the others. At least so long as I hide the scars of my armour as a result of my deornamentation. 

"I'm aware, I know. Still, I feel like it is worth a shot, at least speaking to her to get some idea as to what is going on. The Zaphadren-Valkinvar has always been quite close to her Ordoar. Perhaps she has let slip some plan or statement that would otherwise indicate a greater plan...? At least something to make sense of..." I say, turning towards the rough direction of the Chamber of Traitor's Judgement.

It's certainly tuned down in its business, but there's still a lot of Valkinvar needlessly heading into it. About as many coming out with nothing but a conviction of shame for their petty crimes. Whatever they might be. A frown settles in on my face and Osses puts her hand on my shoulder, bringing my attention back to her.

"Well, either way, I hope you discover something. Our higher ups have been quite difficult to reach as of late and while we Valkinvar are certainly no casual mob. I fear the consequences our frustration might create, should we be forced into becoming one?" Osses lets out and I nod. She salutes me and I salute her back, chopping and upturned hand over my matrimonial scar like her.

She heads off, getting a respectable distance before her magic forces sound to break. I watch her vanish, her magic vapour trail keeping her in sight even as the darkness of night takes over more and more. She keeps ongoing, as far as a pair of knotting Valkinvar in the distance. A smile comes to my lips for but a second, an assumption of Bsess and Cetrepe on mind.

"Now... Sister Dannatili." I let out, forcing my attention away. My magic builds up, sending me exploding through the air and one of many library towers comes into view. My speed vanishes a firm distance away and my legs catch the ground before I can fall. I jog on into the tower, my magic dying down as I disturb some of my sisters and brothers as they read and study.

I silently offer what condolences I can and make my way to the nearest Valkinvar-Staguiffmani. While a forlorn hope burns bright inside of me, it is but an ember that will not work out. Of all the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani to run into, the odds are simply too low for it to be Sister Dannatili. And it most certainly isn't.

Yet, still disappointing either way. 

"Excuse me, Sister, might I have a moment of your time?" I ask her and a smiling face comes around to face me. However, upon landing on my gear, my weapon specifically, her expression shifts. The warmth freezes over, leaving only a desolate desert of ice. Though no magic flows from either us, at least, not what is beyond our passive auras... I still feel a dangerous presence from her.

"You are in my way." she answers with much the same coldness as her expression shows. I step aside, intent on avoiding her, however, what plate armour she does wear seems to be magnetised. She smacks against me, the finer plating of her armour drawing a long scratch across my chest plate. I look down, following the trail with a finger, as my mood otherwise remains calm.

"Do you know where I might find Sister Dannatili? She's a Valkinvar-Staguiffmani, like you." I ask and clarify, moving on with my question regardless, and my unknown sister continues to walk off. She reaches one of the flight platforms and vanishes off into the night, a trail of glittering Might's Touch Emerald remaining as she vanishes.

I frown, not sure what to make of that prickly mood. It's almost as sharp as the blade I have sheathed across my back. Footsteps come near me and I turn, hoping to avoid another needless brush against someone. My eyes meet no features of a face, only the broad width of a man in all of his war gear and glory.

I look up, finding a thickly bearded man with a messy mop of hair that is somehow the neatest I have ever seen it. My nose gets the better of me and I take in a deep sniff, taking in no signs of alcohol. I smile and the behemoth smiles down at me, his hand finding the top of my head and ruffling it with enough static to make it seem like he's an Eusorochii.

"Brother Lavauroas!" I let out, happy to see my old comrade-in-arms after so long. I forgo the usual manners and head straight for him, driving a blow straight onto his chest plate. It bangs like a gun, disturbing the peace of the library, and the Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst circles me. His grin grows, and he returns the blow, sending me flying out of the library. I halt myself in the air, shaking my head about as the laughing Valkinvar flies out on a wave of complaints.

"Sister Vapooliar, it has been too long." Brother Lavauroas finally returns in greeting as he hoists me up straight. Well, straight for someone who is in the air, flying. His hands pat me down, drumming my armour with the weight of a Valkinvar whose physical might is far beyond most of our number. His motions linger on my chest plate, undamaged by his blow, but he keeps it up. 

He stops, staring at my you-know-what spots. and I look away, shame furrowing my brow.

"They got you too, then?" he asks and I nod, turning away from him and looking towards Thurnmourer-Thunlanann. He joins me at my side and we both stare across the Great Bridge, towards the half of Thurn's Forge where the majority population live. Compared to over here, you could not suspect a thing was wrong.

"Y-Yes. I didn't come to this library tower for that, though." I answer, turning halfway his way. He mirrors me, floating backwards to put distance between us. I note how he hasn't got his war hammer with him but otherwise don't think much of it.

"Sister Dannatili, right?" he recalls and I nod again as his thick eyebrows sink as their weight would imply. A long noise of thought goes through his nose and my thoughts slip their moors. 

"I have to admit, though. After what just happened with that Valkinvar-Staguiffmani, I'm not sure I want to speak to Sister Dannatili. I've heard enough about what is going on with the Ordoar Staguiffmani." I say, putting a finger back on the scratch mark. To have such a casual action damage my armour where Brother Lavauroas' full-on punch did not is... An interesting experience, I feel so readily to admit in the open.

"It is in mountains of rock that we find precious ores and gems." Brother Lavauroas waxes poetically, catching my thoughts off-guard.

"Still..." I let out, making sure I understood correctly, "Still, I cannot be sure that Sister Dannatili is even interested in speaking with me. We've hardly kept up since the Long Battery Fort and I was only hoping our past companionship during that siege proves itself to be at least something of worth." I say and my brother Valkinvar nods away, a hand combing his beard. A few hairs come loose, brown ones of no value but what they hide that shines with one of the lesser emeralds.

"You're not the only one looking for answers, Sister Vapooliar. Many have gone about trying to find out what they can and they can only discover so much. No one is entirely sure but the Ordoar Staguiffmani as to what is happening with them." he shrugs, not thinking much of it despite his knowledge.

"What has happened to you in recent cycles, then?" I ask, not seeing any signs of a dishonourable demotion across his armour. It is, however, quite dull with dust despite how much effort has clearly gone into polishing it.

"Same as they've been having me do since the old shack. They've been having me try and make munitions for the cannons. Though, thankfully, nothing quite like the Mountain Cracker. However, as of late, they've been having a lot of me and the others of the Ordoar Ammimpaurst work as quarrymen." he explains.

"All of you?" I ask, my brow hooking up.

"Might as well be. I know in times of peace, we have historically worked such roles. But on this scale when there's so few new families to fill out homes and walls to repair. It boggles the mind more than any hangover I've had, that's for sure." Brother Lavauroas explains and my eyes settle down with this miserable knowledge.

"I see... This enigma of a problem continues to grow, then." I say, huffing over my new facts to stew over. 

Brother Lavauroas puffs his chest, throwing an arm onto my furthest shoulder with a sudden tackle, "Come, Sister Vapooliar, let us free your mind for the time being. There is much work to be done while you are tied to this cage of a wonderful city."

"Very well!" I answer, freeing myself of his constraints and narrowly avoiding his retaliating grip.