Private Tales In the Pursuit of Power

[Dauner]

Dauner offered a hearty laugh at Kristen's 'lucky jacket' comment. "Quite the flatterer, aren't you?" he added, as he helped her up. His attention then turned back to Naya, the woman agonizing from having her very soul torn to shreds, as her memories were forcefully extracted from its morsels. A lot of information flowed out of the woman, before her life was brought to an end.

As soon as Naya died, the goo that held her instantly vaporized, and returned to Dauner, and with it all the memories it had gotten so far. Disappointing. A lot of information did he gain, none of which was of much use for their given situation. No clue about the mastermind they were after, or the locations of any other dark artifacts. He learned a lot about Arethil and the dark ones, though, so in a way, it was still a win.

Then came a familiar misty projection. It was Khorvayne, surely back to finalize the deal with them.

"If it isn't Miss Khorvayne" Dauner would speak up. "Yours is ever a delightful visage to gaze upon" he'd add, a hint of flirtation floating in his tone.

Then, he moved on from the pleasantries. "I must say, your timing is impeccable. Had you been just a few moments later, we might have accidentally ended up finding out more about the plot at hand. That would most likely have invalidated our need to break a deal with you, and we wouldn't want that now, would we?" he asked rhetorically, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in his words at this point. However, he still held no hostility towards her, which partially came from him having expected something like this to happen all along.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Yours is ever a delightful visage to gaze upon.

Khorvayne, or rather the projection of her, made a gracious and deep nod in response. Then, compliments and pleasantries behind them, business was at hand.

"Of course not," she said happily, as if she were glad that Dauner preempted the need for her to say as much herself. "That would have turned our negotiation into a rather banal affair for the both of us, no?"

Kristen (quite impressed that Dauner just boldly stated Khorvayne's intention aloud) regarded the misty projection of the sorceress dubiously. She would have much preferred if Dauner had gotten the information they needed from Naya, cutting Khorvayne completely out of the equation. Alas, perhaps they ought to have expected something like this to happen. Khorvayne had given up Naya freely, but it was, in Kristen's estimation, no act of charity.

She sheathed her sword, crossing her arms then. "You wish the Black Heart, but how shall we get what we want in return? We must know where your 'Invincible' erstwhile friend is hiding, and there must be no deception. You have slain Naya to ensure that you receive what you want, but we must ensure that we receive what we want."

Khorvayne considered for a moment.

Then said offhandedly, "Ohh...it is so tiring, using these spells and conversing from afar. It lacks the warmth of good company." The misty projection smiled. "Stay there, if you would. I will arrive shortly."

And the projection dissipated, the mist dispersing to nothingness.

Kristen's brow narrowed, uncertain. And she glanced apprehensively to Dauner.

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Kristen took the words right out of Dauner's mouth, but without the flair Dauner would have added to them. At the end of the day, they needed a guarantee that Khorvayne would hold up her end of the deal. For all they knew, she could just give them a false location and be on her way, and they'll be none the wiser.

What caught Dauner off guard was Khorvayne's last sentence. He'd thought it was going to be quite a while before they'd meet in person, rather than through a projection (He knew they'd meet physically, eventually). In any case, it was still a good thing, no matter how you looked at it. Khorvayne meeting them in person was a greater sign of sincerity than any word she could have spoken would. But Dauner remained cautious. As they say, not everything that glitters is gold.

With the projection gone, Dauner found himself a comfortable place to lie down on. "No need to worry about anything at this point. We might as well just wait for her" he said.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"I suppose you are right," Kristen said.

Before she could even take a step to join him, now with the lack of immediacy and excitement, the rather pungent smells of the slain Volgant and Naya's living habits had their chance to obnoxiously assault her nose. Her nostrils flared, her expression wrinkled, she felt the tiny urge to gag but suppressed it. She heard from another Dreadlord Initiate, Zael Castomir, about one of his missions once to a place called Rostok. So foul was the place, consumed in a thick cloud of poisonous gas, that it was necessary to wear a mask which, magically charged, filtered out the air one breathed.

Perhaps such would prove a good investment for her to have in her travel pack. For occasions like this. Until then, she would just have to endure it.

Dauner had lain down on a pile of pilfered rugs (was the thief who had the mine cart stash working with Naya? Time to find a new employer). Thank Aionus Naya's actual bedspread was on the opposite side of the cavern chamber!

Kristen took a seat next to him, legs up and her arms wrapped around them. And to pass what interim time there was, Kristen struck up conversation—inspired by Naya's lamenting about their youthfulness.

"You are not so young, are you, Dauner?" she said. "Please forgive me if that is too forward, but...my, the breadth of your knowledge and experience far eclipses the youthful appearance of your visage."

She smiled as the next thought occurred to her.

"May I guess?"

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

When the topic of his age came up, Dauner felt slightly amused. Many a time, he'd lie about his actual age, but that was only when such a lie aligned with his objective. However, with Kristen, there was no such objective that would necessitate him falsifying his age. Although he had some minor insecurities about his age, they were never enough to deter him from telling anyone he wished it known to.

"Haha, you noticed" he said, not that he had ever tried to hide it anyway. "I'd like to say I age like fine wine, but I guess I haven't aged much in a while" he added.

Well, it was very unlikely that she'd be able to guess his age. Even if she did get it right, he wouldn't know, since he'd long since lost count. All he knew was he'd been around for 20–30 millennia. Well, anyway, he was 21 at heart.

"That you may. I would very much like to hear what age you think I might be. Should be interesting if nothing else" he responded.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen clapped her hands together theatrically, pressing said bundle of her hands close to her mouth as she thought.

"Alright. I think I've got it. Don't laugh at me if I am wildly incorrect."

She was, however, already laughing a little herself. And why not? She'd been tossing numbers around in her head practically this whole time since first arriving at Castle Sovereignty, endlessly wondering. But now she thought she had it. Couldn't be much younger or much older than this, given everything. At least that was her reckoning from all the available clues.

"Thirty-five. Halfway between the font of youth that is twenty and the venerable age of fifty."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner chuckled slightly. She was off by quite a bit. Subtract ten from her guess, and multiply by a thousand, and you could get a rough approximate. However, he wasn't going to outright tell her that. He seemed to be enjoying the sense of mystery his age was giving in this conversation.

"I can bet Sovereignty Castle and the Sovereign Order, that you can't get the right answer, even i gave you a hundred attempts" he'd comment.

That comment of his had a pretty obvious implication that Kristen couldn't miss. And that was, he was already at an age far beyond what could be measured in just a simple two-digit number. Well, for someone who didn't want to give off obvious hints, he was giving off pretty obvious hints right there.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"A hundred att...?"

Kristen broke off in a breathy laugh, her estimations, in a manner of speaking, thoroughly thrown out of a window. Now, Kristen had not seen many elves in her lifetime, yet she knew of their long lives and, in more recent times when she actually did come face-to-face with a few, how their features seemed frozen in their prime regardless of their age (at least until they neared the end). It was so strikingly different to the human experience that she didn't know what to make of it.

Here with Dauner that same sense of surreality came again. She could look at his face and her eyes could tell her one thing, yet her ears, having heard what they heard, were telling her another.

Then again...

"Is it just that Segorans—pardon if I have said that incorrectly—are longer lived? Um...here on Arethil—"

It felt odd to say that, but, of course, this was an extraordinary occasion, speaking with someone whose home was elsewhere.

"—the age of a human being could be soundly guessed within a hundred attempts, shall we say."

As of yet, it hadn't occurred to her (or perhaps, she hadn't let it occur to her) that there was another solution: that Dauner wasn't quite human as she understood it.

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner could understand the curiosity. It wasn't every day, you got to hear about another world, and see just how different it could be from yours.

"The same is true in Segora" he answered. "It's almost impossible to not guess the average person's age within a hundred attempts. But that is only for the average person. In Segora, we have a group known as cultivators, or sorcerers, depending on which one suits you best. They are people who study the world to gain understanding, and transform that understanding into power. Generally, the more one understands of the world, the longer they get to live. But on average, most only live past 300. A tiny percentage manage to live past 500, and an even tinier percentage can make it to a thousand. Honestly, by the time I left, you could count the number of sorcerers nearing a thousand years on your hands" he paused for a second.

"However, I'm a pretty special case, you see. I used to be the strongest sorcerer on Segora" he announced, with a boastful grin apparent on his face.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The only thing Kristen could equate that to, given her life experience, was that Dauner was the equivalent of a Dreadlord Archon, commanding such power as he did to be considered the strongest sorcerer in his native realm.

As for the extension of life? Astonishing.

"A thousand years?" All she could do was smile and twist her head this way and that. Such feats weren't impossible for accomplished mages here on Arethil (little did she know, Khorvayne being one of them), yet still...the mortal mind could only stand in awe. "As long lived as an elf! Or more! Merely trying to grasp the idea of such a long life, of so many experiences, is a task most difficult for me. Ten lifetimes of mine would not even scarcely come close to it!"

Her astonishment morphed to contemplation over a short span.

"Is it not...troubling in a way? To surely see so much change occur around you, for your past—all of the things you knew when you were a boy—to be so distant from your present?"

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

It didn't take long for his boastful grin to turn into a melancholic expression. Kristen wasn't just right in her line of thinking. She hit the bullseye.

It was never easy to live so long a life. To witness the changing eras. The births and deaths of generations. In his long life, nine times had he fallen in love. Seven times had he had to witness his beloved eroded by the passing of time. And nine times had he had to suffer the pain of parting. In between the pain and loneliness, was naught but emptiness.

Dauner as he was now, felt he lived a boring life. But beyond the boredom that was his life, the thing he hated the most was the loneliness. Even the Sovereign order ended up a part of his solution to this problem. Though the order was formed to give Dauner a solid foothold in Arethil's sociopolitical landscape, one of the reasons that inspired it was Dauner's quest for companionship. That also pretty much explained why he hated going on missions alone.

He quickly replaced his expression with a smile. "Well, it's not that bad. You get to accumulate knowledge and strength without having to worry too much about dying of old age" he said, seemingly unfazed by the question. However, inside, he was hoping Khorvayne would arrive quickly and end that conversation at that. Reminiscing always brought him back memories that would see him tear up if he wasn't careful.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"Oh."

Her question, meant only to be an innocent curiosity, had turned out to be a little deeper than she had intended. Seeing his grin fall away—even if but for a short time, soon replaced by a smile as it was—affected her in a keenly poignant way. Had she in her clumsiness forced him to dredge up woeful memories of the past? Tragic and storied were the events of Dauner's formative years, and even so far in the past as they might be, a clear and vivid recollection could make them as immediate as if he were living through them again.

Kristen's own trauma, her kidnapping, she found hard enough to talk about.

Oh being a terribly awkward spot to leave things at, and trying to smooth over what she perceived as a faux pas on her part, Kristen added, "Yes...a-and for one such as myself, I may perhaps bask in the glow of that knowledge, that strength, and learn a great deal."

Their guest's timing, as it turned out for Dauner and Kristen both, was spot on.

From down the tunnel which she and Dauner came, the distant sound of cawing. Many cawing birds, strange as such a sound was to hear inside of a cave. And then the flock of crows, each one with eyes of teal light, swarmed into Naya's chamber. They gathered and swirled about together in a great whirling mass, coalescing, feathers and wings and beaks congealing together, taking a new form, all becoming part of a dark whole. The mass of blackness leaked away like ink from a spilled vial and left the form of a woman.

And she stood there when the transformation was complete: Khorvayne. Black dress and cloak adorned her, voluminous black hair cascading down past her shoulders, and all of this made her pale skin stand out all the more. Her face, like in the projections but now in stark clarity in person, had features both youthful and ageless.

She stretched, her arms raised luxuriously toward the ceiling. And then her eyes rested upon Dauner and Kristen and she smiled.

"A pleasure to now truly make your acquaintances."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner noticed the nervous shift in Kristen's voice, and realized that she'd noticed his brief moment of melancholy. Awkward was only the least it could be described as. However, as though an answer to his wish, Khorvayne arrived, just in time to break the conversation.

Dauner watched the crows come together and become one, giving form to the woman he'd up until now had only seen through projections. A much younger Dauner might have been taken by the beauty he was now being exposed to.

"The pleasure is all mine" Dauner would say, as he tried to place a kiss on her hand. "Might I say, you look even more mesmerizing in person. My, I feel like I might just abduct you away to my castle" he joked, in an attempt to loosen the mood in the air first. Well, at least the mood between him and Khorvayne. He couldn't say about Kristen, though.

"Now!" he continued, the box already in his hands. Where he'd just pulled it out from would still remain a mystery. "Shall we get down to business?"

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Khorvayne tittered delightedly as Dauner kissed her hand, covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers. "You're too kind," she said in response to the compliment. Or perhaps the prospect of being abducted. Or both.

Kristen looked at the kissing of the hand for only a second. She kept her cool. It may have taken a considerable effort, but her cool was indeed kept. Dauner was merely being Dauner, and besides, they had to engage in some level of cordiality with the sorceress. Unfortunate as it was, Khorvayne held the chance to end this dark plot in a timely manner. More unfortunate still, she knew it.

Shall we get down to business?

Khorvayne, appreciative of Dauner's trick with the box, gave a brief and polite clap. "Oh, bravo!"

Kristen was eager enough to interrupt the fraternizing between them by interjecting, "How shall we do this?"

Khorvayne smiled, glancing between the two of them. "A degree of trust is inevitable in transactions of this manner, no? And have I not given you ample reason for it? Naya Indigo, cult member, crafter of the Desecrators, delivered to your retribution. Given to you without the expectation of anything in kind to be returned."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

"That is indeed the case" Dauner would respond. He had no problem giving away the heart, even with knowledge that it was the product of a massacre, or that it could potentially be used for another. At the end of the day, his final goal wasn't to save or protect innocent civilians, but rather to protect his interests in the region.

"I believe I need not state where I stand in this issue anymore. Left to me, I'd more than gladly agree to the transaction. However, I'm afraid, that is not the case" he finished, turning to Kristen. "I'll go with whatever she decides" he'd add.

All that mattered to Dauner, was finding the mastermind, and eliminating him before he could become a thorn in Dauner's side. He was a potential threat to the order's interests. One that was best killed off early.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

To be given the full authority of the decision by Dauner was heartening, and Kristen's chest swelled with gratitude and satisfaction for it. Perhaps some in Dauner's position, possessed of such astounding personal power, would leverage it ceaselessly to get their way, forgetting magnanimity. But not him.

Khorvayne turned her attention over to Kristen, smiling pleasantly. "The matter is uncomplicated, is it not? A simple exchange. Something you want, for something I want."

"Yet what you want is tangible. What we want, less so, that is until we are face-to-face with the villain we seek."

"I understand wholeheartedly," Khorvayne said, touching the swell of her breast with a hand. "Which is why all I require of you is simply your word."

Kristen's brow crinkled in confusion. "My word?"

"Yes. I knew quite well that my abrupt introduction back at Yslan would leave you, rightly so, with doubts. And now that Naya Indigo lays dead, I hope that for you some trust has been established? That you can believe I will not falsely lead you, guiding you to some trap or another. As for me, my trust in you is keen. Enough so that your word will suffice."

With a few paces and elegant flourishes of her hands, Khorvayne finished with, "Give me but your word each that you will relinquish the Black Heart to me after my erstwhile friend is slain, and I shall tell you precisely where to find him."

Kristen glanced to Dauner, but she could feel within her mind the wheels in motion already. Would that a simpler, cleaner solution were viable! Alas, such fortunes were for the perfect worlds existing merely in dreams. She had no conception of what Khorvayne might want with the Black Heart, but she and Dauner had puzzled out the great massacre the mastermind of the Desecrators had in store for swaths of innocent people should he be given enough time.

Time. Blessed Aionus might be the Father of it, but He in accordance with his own stewardship thereof could not grant his children gifts of additional time, no matter to what righteous end.

"Very well. You have my word," Kristen said.

"Lovely."

And Khorvayne looked then to Dauner.

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

When Khorvayne turned to Dauner, he simply shrugged.

"Do I still even need to give an answer at this point?" he asked. "Of course you have my word"

Those words left a bitter aftertaste in Dauner's mouth. He disliked the idea of giving his word to anyone, under any circumstance. The reason was simple. He was a man too proud to ever renege on his word. He would sooner die than do something of the likes.

It was indeed true, he wasn't one to care about such concepts as honor. He never considered himself as a good guuy either. However, despite how villainous he could be, he was still a man with principles. Skewed and twisted though they may have been, they were still principles. And one of these principles, was to always do good of his word. On the rare occasion, when he did give his word in the past, most of it was a promise to kill the recipient of said promise. A promise of the likes he minded little about, since killing was the thing he knew how to do best.

And this time, though he was a little bitter about it, he was going to make good of his word.

He returned Khorvayne's gaze, now expectant of the information she had for them.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"I knew I could count on you," Khorvayne said, sauntering over and letting the very tips of her fingers lightly grace Dauner's cheek.

"Ahem," Kristen interjected (not quite so aware of the little spark of feminine jealousy emerging yet again, but more so to the purpose of wanting to be done with the deal), "I believe you were going to tell us of the mastermind, now that we have each given our word?"

Khorvayne folded her hands behind her back. Smiled at Kristen. "Of course. First, I shall give you his name: Titus Munairyne. Ah. There was a time in the past when he was more...reasonable."

"Bygone days, if ever there were such days to begin with," Kristen said, doubtful that this Titus was ever a reasonable man. She found it difficult to believe that such a man could fall so far. Or perhaps, she didn't want to believe it.

"Now, for news that you may not...or may...enjoy hearing." Khorvayne looked explicitly at Dauner when she said this.

"And that is?"

The sorceress glanced with a wily smirk toward Kristen. "Titus, as it so happens, is hiding in the Kingdom of Koda's capital city. Right beneath their very feet."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Titus Munairyne. So that was the name of the man whom Dauner had to get out of the way, before he could do more harm to his plans. The name itself was pretty unremarkable, but Dauner hoped his skills would at least stand out more.

Hearing that this man was in Koda's capital, or more so underneath it, was rather interesting. He was the leader of the sovereign order, which was at risk of war with Koda, but their quest would see him walk right into the Kodan capital itself. It wasn't like he'd never done something of the likes before. He had quite the experience in going behind enemy lines, in disguise. This time, however, he didn't need a disguise, as his face was yet unknown to the Kodan side.

The side of his lip rose, revealing a grin. "Sounds pretty interesting" he said. He'd take this chance to see what the future capital of the 'sovereign domain' looked like.

In hindsight, it wasn't too hard to imagine the desecrators using Koda's capital, Ashol, as a base, given how they had managed to fan the flames of war. Dauner would imagine, they'd need to be close enough to the royal court to pull something like this off, in such a relatively short period of time.

---

​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen drew in a steady breath through her nose when Khorvayne revealed Titus's location. And the sober thought occurred to her: Oh, this is how things go from bad to worse. Would that Titus could be like Naya, choosing to infest some abandoned locale out in the middle of nowhere, far from thousands of innocent people. Yet no, such was not the fortune which had fallen upon Kristen and Dauner. Like the flip of a coin landing on the opposite side of what one called, Titus lurked in the very heart of a city bustling with preparations for war.

She looked over to Dauner. Said generally of their predicament, "This...is grim news indeed."

"You need not despair for an answer," Khorvayne said. "Between yourself and Dauner, the will to see this done is powerful indeed, is it not? And know that it is in my interest, as well, to see the both of you succeed. You know how to summon me, should you need."

Kristen never felt so conflicted about an offer for help. Yet here she was, mired in strange times indeed.

After a moment's consideration, Kristen asked of Dauner, "Have you...some knowledge of Koda's capital city? I know not if you have perhaps been there yourself before relations between the Kingdom and the Order became...stressed."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner didn't really see it as grim news. Of course, there was bound to be damage if they fought within a populated are like a city, but this also made it easier for Dauner to find a way to undermine Kodan national security. However, he wouldn't say that out loud.

Then, Kristen turned to him, hopeful for useful information. Dauner might have been the Supreme monarch of the order, overlord of its territories, and supreme commander of its army, but his actual duties and responsibilities were few. The one who actively ran the order was the sovereign council. Diplomatic relations were handled by the department of diplomatic affairs, under the supervision of councilor Aizuki Sato. All Dauner had to do with regard to the department, was read reports concerning the progress of their current objectives, and tell them what directions he would have them work towards.

On the bright side, however, a few spy reports from the department of covert operations had already told him the basic things he needed to know about the Kodan territory. That would have to do for now.

"I've never been there before, and my knowledge about it barely scratches the surface. But the order has a network of spies withing Ashol. We can get in contact with them for any information we may require" was all he could answer now.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen nodded slowly, crossing an arm under her breasts and planting a considering fist to one side of her mouth. The network of spies was a boon, naturally—a good thing that Dauner was already quite advanced in his preparations for open war. Yet that prospect of looming war made circumstances dangerous all around, even for herself if the Kodans caught wind that she was even associating with the Sovereign Order. And how much less forgiving would they be if they knew she was working directly with the Supreme Monarch himself?

"Yes, I believe we should," Kristen said. "A certain amount of care should mark our approach in this. There is much which could go wrong in Ashol."

"To achieve great ends, great sacrifices are required," Khorvayne said.

"Not if it comes at a cost which strips us of our nobility of spirit," Kristen countered. Aionus was a god more of a neutral alignment, in keeping with his guardianship of time, yet there were deeds which were expressly evil in Celestialism, and indeed to the common sense of goodness and humanity inherent in all.

Khorvayne merely shrugged, the smile she wore one of contentment and ease. "Of course. That is for you to decide. I am merely here to facilitate, as need be."

Their business done, Kristen walked over and collected her sputtering torch from the cavern chamber floor and held it aloft. She said to Dauner, "Much lies ahead. We should find sound rest."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner was on the same page as Kristen on that they needed to thread carefully. But he agreed with Khorvayne on that sacrifices were sometimes a necessity. Principles were good, but when one made them a barrier to important decision-making, there was much to lose when things went wrong. Dauner was decisive enough to sacrifice every person within Ashol to make sure Titus would permanently cease to be a threat. But he very much doubted Kristen was.

Well, that was just one of the worst case scenarios, one Dauner hopes wouldn't come to pass. For now, they did need rest. Kristen, at least, did. Dauner had more than enough energy to last him a long time without rest.

"Indeed, you should get some rest. I suggest we leave this cavern first, so we wouldn't be getting disturbed by unwanted visitors" he said, with reference to the desecrators, since other cultists may have a means of finding out that Naya was killed. "Whilst we're out there, I'll stand guard, so you can sleep soundly" he said, then turning to Khorvayne. "If you don't have any prior arrangements, would you mind keeping me company tonight?" he asked. The easily misunderstood form of wording was most likely done on purpose. However, he'd clear any misunderstanding with his next words, of course after a short pause. "We could discuss more about this friend of yours. After all, I believe we can never have enough information" he smiled.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"There is nothing I would enjoy more this night," Khorvayne said, returning the smile.

Despite herself, Kristen felt a rise of discontented heat swim across her face. She couldn't help but to glance Dauner and Khorvayne's way, her lips—however lightly—nevertheless pressing together, before she turned and started dutifully out of the cavern down the corridor from which they had come.

No. Stop it. Stop being girlish and swept away by fanciful notions.

But, like the glance, she couldn't help it. That selfsame youth which Naya raged about would have its say, whether the grand stakes of their mission against Titus were at play or not. All during the walk out of the cavern, Kristen used every means of mental wherewithal to chastise herself: Dauner would be fine, he wouldn't be given over to succumbing to Khorvayne's advances, and so what even if he was, what business of it is yours so long as, in the end, Titus was stopped?

Then they got outside into the awaiting night. Got to their two horses by the entrance to Coogan's Depths.

And Khorvayne remarked casually, "Oh. Only two steeds," before facing Dauner and touching his arm and asking, "May I ride with you?"

Kristen stopped in mid-effort to mount her own horse. Some of that irritation simply could not be kept from her terse tone. "Can't you fly?"

Khorvayne's shoulders rose easily. "There is effort and expenditure which comes along with such feats of magic. I merely wish to spare my resources for when they are truly needed."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner had lived long enough to know what was going on with Kristen. For some reason, every single female companion he'd had in the past had displayed some degree of jealousy over his flirtatious advances to just about every pretty girl he talked to. Even though he knew he was the cause, he just didn't want to change that part about himself.

But that mattered little right now. What mattered more, was Kristen disagreeableness towards Khorvayne. He understood why that was, but he still thought they needed to put that aside, at least until, they were done working together.

"Why don't you ride with Kristen?" Dauner proposed to Khorvayne. He was certain she was already aware of the reason why Kristen was acting out. That might have been why she was continuously trying to antagonize Kristen. "I think what you two need right now is some female bonding. Perhaps bodily conta- I mean, riding together would help" he said, as he tried to erase the lewd images of the two women that were invading his mind, and putting on a smile that couldn't have been any more awkward.

---

Kristen Pirian​