Act 2: Upheaval III - The Master Weaver and the Arena

"Um, you wouldn't happen to know who the agents from the Feathers are would you?"

Femke doesn't flinch at Konrad's comment, and she immediately addresses Mihai's concerns instead. "It will." She then faces Steve and says, "There was only one of them. He's an agent who poses as one of the Ambassador's aides."

Amber is unnerved by these news, but she calms down when Florolf rubs himself against her legs.

Steve looks disappointed. "Oh right. If she were here she would have come down and yelled at me already."

Mihai crosses his arms in thought - "At this rate, we're bringing the whole world down on Edward and the Enemy. Things will get complicated, for sure."

Amber puts an arm on Steve's back to comfort him.

Mihai then thinks of something - "Have the Coins made any move at all?"

The black mage smiles at Amber in thanks. "Other than us you mean? We've made more than a few waves in their name."

"As far as we know, the Coins have made no moves," the Tyke says. "However, taking into account everything you told me about their capabilities, they could have access to the intelligence services of these nations and institutions."

"Hmm..." - he considers - "Even so, they're awfully quiet for an organization that just lost one of it's leaders, while the other went rogue. Not only that, we're here right under their nose after having made a spectacle of ourselves, flying a Coins flag, and no one's even bothered to come up and ask how's business. Even if their presence here is minimal, you'd think they'd be at least curious."

"Yeah, that is weird. We haven't exactly kept a low profile."

"Perhaps Blackcliff and his people are on the move and holding most of their contracts and operations, to focus on Edward. Either because of us, or maybe Edward had a plan for him?"

"I hope you'll be glad to know that we've managed to put an end to the kidnappings. I don't doubt your people may learn about it on your own, but we made off with the wretch's journal and research notes, with no time yet for a proper read-through. We've learned that the Defenders are corrupt and in league with the Noze, and it would be smart to assume that their flag is deeply checkered black."

"And if that wasn't bad enough," he pauses, "the High Chief of the Defenders is a Green Mage. I could detect the link to his aspect when he was two feet away from me."

Femke blinks when she hears that the High Chief is a green mage. Amber and Fluffle widen their eyes in shock at the news.

Florolf keep licking his bloodied fur.

Mihai's eyes go wide for a moment - "That means an Elemental came by to check on us. Could be they had a stake in what Goodman was doing but... shit, we should probably assume it knows who we are."

Steve groans at the revelation. "I think that's a safe bet. We need to tell Nadzieja when we see her tonight."

Fluffle ponders this revelation and then says, "I wish I could make globules like Breeze... It'd really help right now."

"The two-hundred year old Fairy the ISA seem to laud as their father took years to be able to make one. Breeze is just... well, Breeze. Though i'd be really curious to ask Anne just what happened with her back in Feuilledor."

"That's a good question. I wonder what she'd say?"

"A few times," the fairy says to Konrad before shaking his head. "I just don't know where to even start."

"That's okay," Amber reassures him. "Like Mihai said, even Jacob needed to train for a long time before he could make one."

"As for where to even start, well... Breeze never complicates anything. Se probably just thinks Do it, and it gets done."

"Is there anything else we need to discuss? If not, we should get cleaned up so we can get moving."

"I do not," Femke says.

"Yeah, I'm good too," Amber adds.

"Me too," Fluffle says.

Florolf yaps happily.

Mihai sighs, then turns to Femke - "People were being kidnapped by the Noze to feed test subjects for a Professor named Goodman, who was weaving all sorts of experimental Runes on them, including brainwashing." - he takes a breath - "Yeah, i think we're about caught up."