“Quick! Hold that!”

“S-Should his fingers be pointing in that direction!?”

“Of course not! They’re broken! Pass me those bandages!”

“B-Brother! Keep your aura up!”

Amidst Hillbrand’s frantic shouting over the Hakian prayers coming from Menes’ and Bahar’s crews, Serena felt surprisingly satisfied. Wiping the entirely appropriate amount of blood off her sword, she sheathed the weapon and stood back, looking appraisingly at her talented and competent crew undertaking their duties. She felt a warming sense of pride at both her own work and the work of the Vengeance’s medical staff. She was confident there was no better crew in all of Cascadia.

But wasn’t that very same crew being a little dramatic?

“Honestly, Hillbrand,” Serena cooed. “He’s still maintaining orange. He’ll be alright in a few minutes. Look…” She gestured to the movement of what remained of Bahar’s arrogant smile. “He’s talking just fine!”

“Ooo… I shurren’er… I shurren’er…”

“Officer Mori! Hold his legs up so blood stays in his torso!”

“Y-Yes! What’s that lump on his face?”

“That was his nose! Ame—Miss Liona! We might need your ice magic once we get him down below!”

“Mmm! Let me know when! Won’t he go into shock if he keeps bleeding so much?”

Serena rolled her eyes. Honestly, weren’t her crew underestimating her? “I assure you, I controlled my blade perfectly”—Serena nodded to the demon pincushion with an entirely appropriate amount of holes—“Not a single vital organ pierced. Take it as a… training demonstration on control and efficiency. Don’t you think so, Officer Bright?”

For some reason, when she addressed Finella, the demon jumped as if she’d been caught with her hand in the ship’s larder. “Yes!” the Northerner quickly affirmed. “An exemplary demonstration of skill, Captain!”

“Mmm!” Serena nodded happily to herself. She felt so wonderfully light, as if all the stress and frustration had simply lifted off of her and floated into upper-sky. It was almost as good as Amelia’s healing.

Almost.

“Well then, let’s get him to Medical, Hillbrand,” Serena cheerfully instructed. “Careful not to let him bleed too much on the way down. Oh”—she pointed at Bahar’s shoulders—“careful with the shoulders, I believe I may have dislocated one—”

“Ahh!” Serena’s pincushion moaned as it was lifted onto a stretcher. “It ‘urts…”

“Don’t worry, Brother! We’ll fix the pain soon!”

“I’ll head down with you, Hillbrand,” Serena announced. “Officer Bright, remain here and continue with the training. We still have good winds and clear skies, do we not?” Without waiting for an answer, she instructed Dagon, “First Officer, continue as you were. See if Allston can catch us something to celebrate a successful return to the continent.”

“Aye aye, Captain!” Finella and Dagon exclaimed, saluting with perfect posture.

“Oh, and someone clean this little mess up,” Serena said, pointing at the entirely appropriate amount of blood that had pooled under her pincushion. Without any further words, she followed Hillbrand and Mel, both carrying the moaning Bahar into the ship. Menes bounced around his now-educated brother, encouraging him to keep his aura running. Amelia trailed behind, using a tactful amount of ice magic to help with the swelling.

“Quite the duel,” Amelia whispered as they walked.

“Are you impressed?” Serena asked slyly, unable to keep the pride from her voice.

“Is it bad if I say I am?” Amelia held up a hand, with her thumb and forefinger close. “Just a little bit? I mean, I don’t think anyone has been stabbed so many times in such a short amount of time! What was that? Thirty jabs in three seconds? And you only used orange!”

“Well, I was motivated.”

“He’s going to be okay, right?” Amelia asked. “Am I going to need to… you know?”

“Despite the complaining, his aura is stable,” Serena said confidently. “Just you wait.”

Her confidence was soon verified. Once they reached one of the medical bays, Bahar was placed on a bed. Hillbrand and her subordinates crowded around to figure out the extent of the entirely appropriate amount of damage. As Serena expected, the evaluation went just as she’d thought it would.

“Oh? I was mistaken, these fingers aren’t broken, they're dislocated.”

“So’s his jaw and right shoulder. Should be an easy fix.”

“The swelling’s going down already.”

“Is it me… or has his bleeding stopped? Were all his vital organs missed?”

“Intentionally missed,” Serena clarified with a raised finger. She couldn’t stop the feeling of pride rising throughout her body, prompting her to straighten her posture. “As I said, he’ll be fine. It’ll take far more to keep such a large warrior bedbound. He’ll be walking before you know it. And…” Serena frowned, seeing the manner in which Hillbrand, Mel, and the other medical staff were looking at her. “...What’s that look about?” she asked.

“What look, Captain?” Hillbrand said a little too quickly. “I mean, nothing.” The Medical Officer shook her head and rubbed the back of her neck while everyone else looked to the ground. “I guess he really annoyed you, Captain. What did he do? Attack you?”

“He proposed to her,” Amelia said in a gossipy voice, barely able to stop grinning.

“Oh,” Hillbrand said, her eyes flicking to Serena before settling back on Bahar. “That’ll do it. Right, let’s deal with this, then.” With a few directions to her colleagues and a few quick motions with her hands, Bahar found his fingers, jaw, and shoulder efficiently realigned. Other than the occasional—now bandaged—hole on the demon’s body, the only real damage was to his broken nose. With an unpleasant snap, Hillbrand straightened that, and once her patient stopped braying like a wounded animal, he settled down nicely.

“Brother!” Menes exclaimed after Hillbrand let him through. “How do you feel?”

“...Hurts,” Bahar responded, his own words prompting him to twitch in pain and raise a hand to massage his jaw. “Hurts,” he said again. The wounded Arakian tried to sit up, but some of Serena’s well-placed holes opened up again, and he resumed bleeding. Giving up, he lay down and eventually met Serena’s gaze as he was further patched up.

“You are…” He swallowed before continuing, his forehead creasing in pain. “A strong woman…”

“Too strong for you, it seems, Lieutenant Bahar Bastet,” Serena said, tapping her sword and turning her nose up at her defeated opponent. “What fools you Arakians are. What kind of officer gets themselves in a duel in such circumstances? That was idiotic.”

“...You offered, my sayyidah,” Bahar complained.

“You shouldn’t think so hard,” Serena said. “Save your energy. Now, as it seems your swelling has gone down…” She locked eyes with Amelia and said, “Miss Liona, would you accompany me to the captain’s quarters? We have discussions to be had, and…” Serena narrowed her eyes at Menes. “Sayyid Bastet, I’m sure you might want to spend some time chastising your foolish brother, who should have known better. Once you’ve managed to accomplish that, I’d also like to speak to you.”

“...My sayyidah,” Menes said, nodding his head.

Hmm?Strange, Serena thought. I would have thought he would protest.

Well, she would talk to him shortly.

Giving Hillbrand a farewell, Serena left the medical bay with Amelia in tow. It didn’t take long at all before Amelia bounced in front of Serena, motioning the swordplay she’d used in the duel. “You were amazing!” Amelia exclaimed excitedly. “That was the best I’ve ever seen you move! You went all jab jab jab”—Amelia motioned further stabs with an imaginary sword—“so fast! I don’t think anyone else could see how precise you were being! And how you worked in those punches! It was really impressive! He didn’t stand a chance, did he? But…” Amelia leaned in, whispering, “Are you okay? You did seem a bit… out of it.”

“I may have lost just a smidgen of control,” Serena said, shaking her head. “But really, he was in no real danger. The injuries I gave him were superficial and will heal quickly for a warrior with orange aura. I suppose it’s a good example of the importance of training. You said I moved well, yes?” After Amelia nodded, Serena explained, “That’s what thousands of hours of Shimokan training result in: good movement even if the control isn’t fully there.”

“Mmm!” Amelia nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll keep training! I’ve been so busy with my crystalcrafting recently…” Her girlfriend paused, before her eyes widened and she asked, “This won’t affect things with Menes, will it?”

“Honestly, I think it might have helped,” Serena said. As far as she knew, Ishaq boasted very few Speakers, far less than Asamaywa or even the smaller cities such as Kenhoro or Tanhae. She’d long since suspected that even though Menes knew she was a Speaker, he’d unconsciously downplayed it in his mind. It was the same bias that the grandmaster of the academy had warned Amelia about. Perhaps the Arakian and his brother would be less cocky now that they’d seen what she was capable of with just orange.

“Oh,” Serena said as they began climbing the main stairwell. “I just want to add something. I was careful not to harm him to such a degree that your talents would be needed. I do not intend to abuse your magic in such a manner,” she finished seriously. Amelia’s healing was truly wonderful, and Serena felt she would be doing her girlfriend a disservice if she took advantage of it to harm or question someone beyond what they would normally be able to recover from.

“You’re very thoughtful,” Amelia said, grinning as she followed Serena up the stairs. “I feel… respected. I'll have to think of some way to show my appreciation, won’t I?”

“Yes,” Serena said, nodding.

I’m such a good girlfriend, she thought. Perhaps this whole love thing wasn’t as difficult as she thought? She just needed to keep showing she cared—such as by poking romantic challengers full of holes—and keep Amelia at the forefront of her thoughts. Which, to be fair, was pretty much what she did most days.

Now… what could Amelia do to show her appreciation for Serena’s efforts?

“I was thinking,” Serena said quietly, pausing to make sure no one was within earshot. “Regarding Ishaq’s private hot springs. Perhaps—”

She cut off as she stepped onto the next deck. There, in front of her, was Romulus. His silken coat flowed, catching the aetherlight as he paced at the bottom of a heavy wooden door, sniffing the thin crack between where they were and whatever lay beyond. The peeka’s ears were perked, as were his two tails. It was as if he was trying to sense something in the aetherfield.

“Mew,” Romulus said when he saw them.

“Now, how did you get here?” Serena asked sternly, crossing her arms and looking down at the escaped peeka.

“Romulus!” Amelia chirped, popping up beside her. “Did you sneak out in all the chaos? Are you hunting for mice? Is Seonmi not feeding you enough treats?”

Serena clicked her tongue. “There are no mice on my ship,” she corrected.

Romulus padded back and forth before hopping up on his hind legs and scratching at the door to the fourth deck. He scratched, as if wanting to be let in, before stopping and looking at them both with shining copper eyes that seemed almost expectant. He mewed at them again, before scratching the door and sniffing at the bottom again.

“You can’t go in there, silly,” Amelia said, stepping forward. She bent down and scooped the troublesome peeka up. Romulus immediately began purring, as if being held by Amelia was what he wanted all along. Amelia shifted her weight as if she were about to stand up, before suddenly pausing.

There, close to her face, was the keyhole.

“Umm…” Amelia mumbled. “I feel weird. It’s as if…” Slowly, her girlfriend’s face moved towards the keyhole. “I think I…”

Serena felt a sudden feeling of dread.

“Amelia!” she shouted.

“Miss Thornheart!” Anathor’s voice joined in, speaking from the nearby wall.

Her girlfriend jumped and stood up. Twisting around on the spot, she said, “I wasn’t going to do anything, I promise! I just felt like… like…”

“Now is not the time, Miss… Miss Liona,” Anathor said, his voice sounding strange, not coming from a stuffed animal head. “Until you’ve gathered a shard, you should not interact with… with what’s in there. Even I do not know what might happen. You must control yourself.”

“Right.” Amelia nodded in agreement. “I will.” She turned and looked at Serena with an apologetic expression. “Sorry. I guess we’ve had enough chaos for one trip, right?”

“Right.” Serena nodded. “Sorry for shouting.”

“It’s fine. It’s just weird, you know? Like, there’s this connection. I know why, of course.” Amelia shrugged before continuing, “What was it Chestefield said? Shards attract other shards? I guess it’s that, isn’t it? I hope I can help us find the one we’re looking for in the South!” Amelia tried to give a thumbs up, but the movement prompted Romulus to complain as his snuggling was interrupted.

“Where’s Menes, Anathor?” Serena asked, casting a glance at the stairwell. She was certain they were alone, but the Arakian captain was more nimble, both physically and mentally, than he let on. Serena didn’t want another surprise borne from a moment of distraction.

“In Medical, Captain,” Anathor replied. “Do not worry yourself. I would not have mentioned the topic here if I thought anyone could hear us.”

“Good work, Anathor,” Serena said. “Tell Menes to leave his brother and come to my quarters. I’ll talk to him there.”

“Aye, Captain.”

With the Formless gone, Serena and Amelia continued to her quarters. Once inside, Serena sat down in her chair and asked, “I hope you don’t intend to keep Romulus in here. He has to go back to Medical, you understand?”

“Ahh…” Amelia pouted. “But I haven’t given him his daily cuddles yet, have I, Rommy?” Amelia punctuated her question by giving the held peeka scritches, prompting the animal to purr even louder and begin licking Amelia’s neck, causing her to giggle.

Rommy? Serena thought, watching the mutual display of affection before shaking her head. I refuse to compete with a peeka. Maybe she should get a second peeka in Ishaq? A female so that Romulus would have something else to focus on.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Serena gave further instructions via Anathor to keep the Hakian crews on the Vengeance’s deck updated with Bahar’s slightly regrettable survival. She checked in on the bridge, receiving a report that everything was running smoothly.

By the time Anathor had finished, Menes arrived.

“My sayyidah,” the Arakian said, standing in front of her and touching his horns in respect. “We in the South value a first meeting… a first impression. But I didn’t expect that. Am I correct in thinking that you…” Menes paused momentarily before finishing his question, “…held back?”

“Of course, Menes,” Serena said, leaning forward and intertwining her fingers. “I’m hardly going to murder a brother of a Cascadian Lord just because he offended me, am I? What did Hillbrand say of his condition when you left?”

“She said that he might be able to walk within the hour, if he keeps his aura going.”

Serena narrowed her eyes. “I hope you’ll remind him to take this as a lesson in how to behave. As a Cascadian Lord, I do not expect to receive such advances at any time, let alone in the middle of my military duties, while I am in uniform! That brazen behaviour might pass for charming in the South, but I am a Lord and a Speaker. Tsk!” Serena couldn’t stop herself from clicking her tongue. “What was your brother thinking?”

Menes looked both thoughtful and apologetic. “Do not hold his actions against the Bastet family, my sayyidah. I am sure he will apologise when you next meet. He must have grown confident in my absence. My little brother is a great man, but perhaps it is too soon for him to take command.”

“Perhaps,” Serena echoed. She watched Menes shift uncomfortably for a dozen seconds. It was a strange sight to see such a large demon look awkward, standing next to Amelia, who was practically becoming one with the peeka. “Do you have a question, Menes?” Serena asked.

“...The way you moved, my sayyidah,” Menes said, his voice uncertain. “I’ve heard that a Speaker’s communion grants them more power, but that”—Menes gestured at her sword—“shocked even me. I saw a Bayle Speaker demonstrate his Word once, and I swear you moved as fast as he did!”

Serena eyed the Arakian for a few cool seconds, calculating her response. Unlike the incredibly talented instructors of the Asamaywa Academy, Menes was only capable of orange aura and—despite his hidden sharpness—could not sense Amelia’s cloaked wards upon her. Serena wasn’t sure if her orange aura—boosted by Amelia’s support magic—could truly rival a Speaker that had used their word, but perhaps the speeds they were moving at looked the same to a non-Speaker.

It also appeared that her prediction was correct; by demonstrating her skill against Bahar, Serena had earned the respect from Menes that she’d previously been denied due to his Southern biases. Just how many noses was she going to have to break in the South to fulfil her duties?

“As in all things,” Serena began, “there is a range of skill. A Speaker of Bayle who is new to the experience will always struggle against another Bayle Speaker one colour higher. The difference between green and blue, or blue and indigo, is not to be trifled with.” As she spoke, Serena’s mind took her back to the fight against Korvus. Then, she’d lost control of Narean, who’d forced her into a shaky and unstable blue for the very first time. Her opponent’s aura was not only solid, but it had been littered with flecks of indigo. She’d lost that fight, even losing an arm before Amelia intervened.

As she was now, how would she cope against Korvus if they had a rematch? Of course, with Amelia’s supporting wards, it wouldn’t likely be much of a challenge. But if it was just her talent against his? After going through the gruelling training at the academy, Serena was now comfortable maintaining a blue aura. Had Korvus made it into indigo proper? Or was he, like her, looking to Speak a second First-Word?

“I have put thousands of hours into my sword,” Serena continued. “For you to compare me to a Speaker at only orange…” She trailed off, tilting her head. “I thank you for your compliment.” Raising her head, Serena asked, “How much experience have you had around other Speakers? Have you ever trained against one of their Words?”

Menes shook his head. “No, my sayyidah. Ishaq only… Ishaq only…” Menes’ face contorted in a weird fashion before he let out a bellowing sneeze. She was sure it was her imagination, but she thought for a second Menes might have levitated for a brief second.

“Charming,” she said.

“Ah…” Menes cast a side-eye at Romulus before taking a large step away from him. “My nose… the peeka…” Amelia quickly realised the problem and, with a whispered ‘Sorry!’, she moved to the other side of the room where Romulus continued to rub his neck all over Amelia and her clothing.

“You were saying?” Serena asked, trying not to pay attention to her girlfriend.

“Ishaq only has a few Speakers, my sayyidah. We have no… no bigger sayyids. Uh…” Menes flailed for a moment, looking for the right word. “No tall sayyids.”

“Highlords?”

“Yes! We have no highlords, and no greatlords. Ishaq is a free city!” Menes pounded his inflated chest, his face beaming with pride. “We value our independence, yes? We only have a few sayyids, and of them, few know a Word. The head of Ishaq’s military is a Speaker and a sayyid. There is another on the council, but he may be voted out at any election. We do things differently in our little corner of the Known World, my sayyidah.”

“How… novel,” Serena mused, casting a glance towards Amelia. Her girlfriend had, on more than one occasion, passionately argued for the benefits of a democratic system of government. As much as Serena accepted that it worked in Amelia’s world, she couldn’t see it working in Cascadia. Why would demons vote for a random leader when they already have a wise and benevolent demigod on the throne? And, even if they did, what would stop someone with any bit of power just turning up and overthrowing them?

Menes’ descriptions of the Speakers in Ishaq matched what Serena already knew about the South: that it had lower numbers of Speakers, but individually they were typically more powerful than Speakers from the rest of the Empire. In the East, rising up the ranks, both in the military and in the Cascadian Lordship system, required more political acumen than raw power. In the South, that seemed to be reversed.

Serena resisted a sigh. She hoped she wasn’t going to have to fight her way through half the Tasalsul to fulfil her duties. Poking Menes’ brother full of holes after he’d offended her was one thing. How much trouble would it cause if she had to do the same to an actual Cascadian Lord? What if she had to fight someone of a higher rank than her?

She’d think about it another time.

“Menes,” Serena said. “What do you plan to do now?”

“My sayyidah?” he queried, tilting his head.

“You have your Nefertari once more. Do you plan to stay here and allow your brother—once he recovers—to maintain command?”

“Oh!” The Arakian’s eyes widened. “Once my brother can walk, I will take my leave. We will sail to Ishaq together, my sayyidah! There, I will prepare my home for your arrival!” Menes nodded approvingly at both Serena and Amelia. “There will be many celebrations, yes? Not just for our safe return, but also for the end of the war! You cannot leave until you’ve tasted our food, drunk our loqua, and bathed in our hot springs, my sayyidah! Ishaq is the greatest city that there has ever been! Trust me on this.” Menes folded his arms, as if making his final, declarative statement.

Just ignore all the pirates sneaking about, Serena thought. Despite the Arakian’s determination and confidence that Serena wouldn’t want to leave the city after tasting its delights, she was hesitant to accept his declarations at face value. The Vengeance would make port at Ishaq tomorrow. There, she would decide for herself Ishaq’s worth.

“I see,” Serena said. “Return to your brother, then. Once he’s recovered, I shall meet you outside and give you a formal farewell.” Serena stood up and straightened her uniform. “Although our time sharing a ship has been… complicated, it’s been an honour spending it with you, Sayyid Bastet.”

For some reason, Serena couldn’t tell herself whether she meant those words or not.

“It has been an honour, my sayyidah,” Menes said, making a Hakian gesture of respect. “May Pyrinn and her warming red moonlight guide you in your darkest moments.” The Arakian turned and faced the stuffed moose head. “May you finish your sacred duty, oh bodiless child of she.”

The moose’s eyes flashed red, and soon Anathor’s gruff voice filled the room. “Hmm… May the Moons light your path, Sayyid Bastet.”

Menes looks like he’d just been given a million denarii. The demon’s face lit up with joy, and he quickly muttered a series of Hakian prayers before finally turning to Amelia. “It will be an honour to host someone such as yourself. I take it you will keep your…” Menes waved at Amelia’s disguise. “...Covering?”

“Disguise,” Amelia clarified. “I’m afraid so. Can’t cause too much chaos too fast, can I?” she said with a grin.

“Haha.” Menes rubbed the back of his neck. “I just wanted to say it is a good idea for you to do that. You see. Ah…” Menes shifted awkwardly. “My wife is a great diplomat. She is a passionate defender of the South and our… heritage. So”—Menes coughed into his hand—“I would fear trouble would arise if she found out who you were.”

“I’ll be careful!” Amelia assured.

“Don’t concern yourself,” Serena said. “We are well aware of the things the Southern politicians have been saying regarding recent events. We’ll keep it in mind, Menes.” Serena meant her words. Once they were docked and away from the ship, Amelia should be able to activate a higher Kanaxai spell and add actual solidity to her currently incorporeal horns. Although no matter how good her disguise was, Serena wasn’t fully confident in its efficacy.

Since Amelia was Amelia.

No more, no less.

And, unfortunately for the world, ‘no more’ was still an awful lot of Amelia, wasn’t it?

Finishing their conversation, Menes left the quarters, leaving Serena alone with her girlfriend.

“...It’s going to feel weird with him gone,” Amelia said. “I’ve gotten used to him!” Romulus, seemingly annoyed that he was no longer the centre of Amelia’s attention, protested with a well-placed meow. “Oh! I haven’t forgotten you, Rommy. No, I haven’t…” Amelia kept the peeka satisfied with a few scritches.

“You’re going to get peeka hair all over you,” Serena pointed out.

“Mmm,” Amelia hummed. “Jealous?”

Serena rolled her eyes, prompting Amelia to laugh.

“So, what was it you were going to request before we bumped into Rommy?” she asked.

“Hmm?”

Ah, that was right.

Serena cleared her throat. “I was just thinking. Remember how Menes mentioned that the hot springs can be rented privately? I’m sure we’ll get at least some days to relax before Intelligence sends us off to gods knows where. And you do have extraordinary privacy wards. I was just thinking…” Serena shrugged nonchalantly. “It has been a rather difficult journey, hasn’t it?”

“Oh, you mean… Oh!” Amelia’s eyes widened as her mind understood exactly what type of difficulty Serena was referring to. “Oh, yes, I understand exactly what you mean,” Amelia said, her cheeks blushing ever so slightly.

“It would be relaxing, would it not?”

“Mmm! It would!”

“Mew…”

Serena clicked her tongue.

Enjoy cuddling my girlfriend while you can, Romulus, she thought. I’ll be the one ravaging her while you’re stuck down in Medical.

“You’re smiling suddenly,” Amelia said. “What are you thinking about?”

“Hmm?” Serena put on an innocent expression. “Nothing.

“Nothing at all.”

----------------------------------------