Whose ears are burning?

A roleplay transcript by Lyrena Auberan and Iskrin Orin'Darr

: Iskrin Orin'Darr spotted a familiar figure as he looked down from the deck of the Solemn Promise. He he made his way down the Sky Tower's clockwork elevator and strode along the marble walkway hoping to catch Lyrena before she left. As he approached he slowed his pace and called out. "Lyrena Auberan. Ho!"

:: Lyrena Auberan had been lounging at the bridge for the past half hour, not doing anything in particular besides stare at the calmly flowing waters of the bay. Besides the view, the Blood elf seemed distracted by her thoughts. She didn't notice the familiar elf coming up behind her nearly until Iskrin had already addressed her. Lyrena's ears twitched, and she peered past her shoulder, noticing the man. "First Estril,", Lyrena greeted cordially, with some mild surprise in her voice. "You look well.", the Dame Commander remarked after noticing Iskrin standing upright, and without pain. "It has been a while since we last spoke. Today, I heard you had been away - in the capital. Had some business up there?", she inquired.

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr smiled. "It seems many things come to your ears, Dame Commander. I was at the High Citadel, yes." He chuckled lightly. "And one does not go there unless one has business, believe me." He moved to stand against the balustrade about a meter from her and joined her in looking out over the bay. "How have things been while I was gone?" He asked, turning to look for eye contact. "Anything I need to concern myself with?"

:: Lyrena Auberan briefly snickered, her head shaking as she briefly peered down at the waters. "My poor ears.", she joked in a half-serious tone, before looking back at the First Estril as he confirmed he had been to the High King's domain for a good reason. "I believe you. Anything -I- need to concern myself with?", she asked, trying to gage whether Iskrin's visit had anything to do with Ansa'fel's safety. Upon the other elf's last question, Lyrena looked into his eyes, her long brows furrowing. "You mean to tell me you do not know?", she asked, pausing for a moment to see if Iskrin's expression would confirm knowledge of what she had been insinuating. "Skolvor. The night of the royal award ceremony, he attacked me and my men outside the city.", she explained, either way. "The King too.", she added, this time more quietly.

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr smiled quietly, hiding the concern he felt at the news Lyrena had given him. He cast his mind back to the evening in question, which he spent lying in his bed. After that, he'd reached out to Eternatee and then gone directly to the High Citadel. "I did not know," he decided to admit. "I am sorry that you had to face him, Lyrena. I trust by you presence here that you and Malekith were able to repel his efforts?"

:: Lyrena Auberan continued to studiously watch the First Estril's expression as they spoke. Occasionally, her eyes drifted elsewhere, but never for long. He could tell she was testing him, it wasn't very subtle. "So you have not spoken with King Malekith since that day? I take it you went to the capital the day of the ceremony? You said you would not go. But that was because you were injured.", the Blood elf brought up. "We prevailed. But the rest of our men were killed.", she explained, her face briefly clenching in frustration. "I nearly killed him. Skolvor. But his magic let him get away. I imagine next time he will be far more prepared. If there is a next time."

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr watched the Dame Commander with interest. "No," he said at length, deciding to humour her question. "I did not begin my journey to the High Citadel until a few days after the ceremony. I did leave the House of Healing on the night of the ceremony. I preferred to finish my recuperation in more private surroundings." He continued to watch Lyrena closely as he spoke. "Why the great interest in the comings and goings of the First Estril, Lyrena?" he asked in a tone he hoped was casual. "If Malekith had wanted me involved in whatever brought you together with Skolvor, he would, however, have been able to find me on that evening. I assume therefore he did not wish me to be present." He looked at her. "And as for nearly killing Skolvor, it would perhaps have been better to have succeeded. He is unlikely to take near-death at your hands well."

:: Lyrena Auberan herself continued to listen closely. "So you were here for a couple of days after Skolvor ambushed us. But you never heard of the attack? Not that Skolvor was to blame, perhaps. But that the King and I came back early in the morning, arm in arm? Grievously wounded?", she followed up with. "Either way…", she took a deep breath, calming herself. "I wondered if your mission to the capital was the one I failed. To bring Ke'ntor to the capital. Back to the High King. That is why Skolvor attacked us. He sensed the blade was with us. Unless a traitor among us had told him of the mission, of course…" This time, it wasn't Iskrin that Lyrena looked at. Her head briefly peered back at the large bank behind them, but only for a moment.

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr ran a finger along the ridge of his jaw in thought. "That was not my purpose," he said flatly, following Lyrena's eyes for a moment to the bank. "It is not my role to babysit the King, Lyrena," he continued after a moment. "That is your job - or that of your soldiers, I suppose. Whether or not I heard of your return with a wounded monarch, I had other business to attend to that had a higher priority." His voice had taken on a slightly harder tone than before. "Where is the sword you tried to the take to the High Citadel?" he asked, looking out over the bay again.

:: Lyrena Auberan grumbled for a moment. "Unfortunate.", she quickly said. "It would have meant the sword is now far from Ansa'fel. And that Skolvor would have likely left us be. For the time being.", she mused. "It is safe. In the King's vaults.", she readily answered. Though at first she had thought to not follow up on the comment about babysitting and job descriptions, the Blood elf eventually looked back at the First Estril, offering a stern look of her own. "And what is your job, exactly, if not this? What could have been more important than Ke'ntor? Than Skolvor? Why are you in Ansa'fel, if it is only the High King that you serve? Does his capital not need protecting?" The Dame Commander huffed, and went to rub at the bridge of her nose. She realized that she had nearly lost her temper, again. "I do not mean to chastise you, First Estril. But the King nearly died that night. I had to carry him back here myself."

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr watched the Blood elf somewhat lose and then regain control. "Kings come and go, Lyrena," he said calmly. "Especially kings of Sa'viir-Arin. Skolvor bore no threat to Ansa'fel itself. His focus has only ever been the Sword of Askamran." He turned to look at her as he spoke, the High King's warning that Ansa'fel had nearly fallen to the Mages of Än'vakor ringing in his mind. "My role here is to ensure that Ansa'fel endures," he said. "In so far as Malekith - or you, or anyone - serves that purpose, they have my sword and skill at their disposal. But my loyalty is to the High King only." As he said this, he unconsciously held his right hand over his heart. Though it might have been seen as a gesture of fealty, in truth it was the dull aching in his chest at the thought of the High King that drew his hand there. "Your role is to protect this city and its people for *their* sake. Mine is to protect this city for the High King. They are purposes that will often coincide… and sometimes will not."

:: Lyrena Auberan didn't seem to want to argue any further about the topic for now. Perhaps she had no more reason to, and the First Estril's words were convincing? Either way, the Blood elf said nothing for a while. "As you say." The words were neutral, but dismissive. "Before you go, there is something I could use your help with.", she said, pushing herself off the edge of the wall, now properly facing the AmranKai. "The tavern where we fought,", she paused, peering at the Wayward King behind Iskrin. "I was there last night again. There is a new barmaid. Glazia, a High elf. Golden hair.", the Dame Commander explained. "She is new to the city. Sweet and kind, for the most part, but… There was something that stood out to me during our talk." By now, Lyrena was speaking more quietly again. She stepped closer to Iskrin, closing some of the distance between them. "She… Asked me, almost out of nowhere, if I had ever killed a demon… A devil.", she corrected herself. "Her demeanor changed. Until she… Snapped out of it, and tried to laugh it off. I do not know. Perhaps I am overthinking this. She did not strike me as a warlock or summoner in hiding, either way. I asked her to tell me why devils bother her so. Another time, she said."

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr nodded at Lyrena's apparent concession, though his expression suggested he was not entirely convinced she had accepted the principles as outlined. He left the thought aside as she began to speak of the new barmaid and her strange experience with her. "Did she now?" he asked thoughtfully, allowing Lyrena to step closer to him as she lowered her voice. "Perhaps I will have to meet her myself," he said, becoming only momentarily distracted by the proximity of the Dame Commander's un-armored cleavage. "What would you have me do?" he asked. "And what will you do?"

:: Lyrena Auberan wrapped her arms under her chest and nodded as Iskrin agreed to survey the situation. "I would have suggested one of your AmranKai, undercover, but… Very well.", the Blood elf said, not questioning the First Estril's approach further, for now. "I will do nothing. I do not arrest people for talking to me about devils.", Lyrena asserted. "You, however…", she hummed, planting her left hand on the banister, her fingers drumming. "See if she mentions devils to you too. Unprovoked. Could be that she is just haunted by one. Evil spirits are known to taunt and beckon from afar.", she said, her eyes flicking to Iskrin's own. She knew he would know what she meant by that. "There is one more thing. She told me she… Feels strange near the crystals of Ansa'fel. That they make her hear voices. I counseled her to meet with High Wizard Rhodan. But I do not know if she has, yet. She did not sound thrilled at the prospect. She said she… Doesn't like most mages."

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr listened carefully to Lyrena's comments and enjoyed the view as she spoke. After processing the information about the crystal and filing it for consideration, he addressed what he felt was very close to a criticism of his strategy first. "How many AmranKai do you know?" he asked with a smile. "The correct answer would be 'I don't know'. I am the public face of the AmranKai, Lyrena. I am the visible distraction from those who will truly watch her from this moment onwards until I am convinced you are either imagining things or have just identified a threat. She will see me and modify her behaviour accordingly - if she has something to hide - believing that she has the threat sorted. Seeing me may even prompt her to rash action that we can make use of. But it is the blade in the hand that you don't see that stabs you in the kidneys and steals your wallet." He smiled, satisfied with his own strategy. "As to the crystal," he said thoughtfully. "How much do you know about the Great Crystal and its purpose in the city?"

:: Lyrena Auberan merely hummed in acknowledgment. She stifled any objection she had to that, at times, slightly patronizing explanation. She had let herself lose her temper enough times with the First Estril for one night. "Very well.", the Dame Commander nodded. "I know precious little. The High Wizard has wanted to tell me more about it. But it seems we both never find the time. Or our meetings always turn to… Other activities." Those last few words were certainly coy. Lyrena rolled her shoulders, smirking to herself for a moment with a raised lip and fluttering eyes. "But I know he has studied the crystals a great deal. It is why I sent her to him."

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr smiled wanly at her allusion to other activities with Rhodan. The High Wizard's proclivities were something that irritated him immensely. Not because he disapproved of sex, but because there was no political angle to exploit over the mysterious fish mage as a result of it. That a person could have that much sex and remain invulnerable to the usual resulting pressure points was infuriating. "I see," was his only external comment to the explanation of her ignorance. "The Great Crystal prevents the kind of magic that alters reality from occurring in the city," he said, easing into a lecturing tone again. "Most people who come near to it find its presence soothing and relaxing. It reinforces reality, which is comforting and reassuring. Those who do not find its proximity pleasant are usually bending reality in some small way, which the crystal's energies are designed to prevent. The crystal acts passively against small transformations, but actively against anything big enough to risk damage to Ansa'fel."

:: Lyrena Auberan narrowed her eyes a bit near the end of that explanation. For a moment, she contemplated on whatever it is had come to her mind on her own, before voicing her thoughts to Iskrin himself. "Faerzress." Her pronunciation was decent enough. Though it hadn't always been. "The magic Skolvor uses. I found a book on it in the library. Though it did not go into great detail. It did mention that… Faerzress bends reality. Twists it. If the Great Crystal does what you say… Perhaps that is why Skolvor could not beat us? Because we were so close to the city? The Crystal?", she proposed, waiting to hear Iskrin's thoughts on the matter.

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr shrugged. "That would be a question for Rhodan, I suspect," he said. "Or her," he gestured to the bank. "I'm not sure which of them is likely to give you the more confusing answer, to be honest." He stood looking up at the Great Crystal for a moment, contemplating its eldritch light. "I must go, Lyrena," he said after some time. "Thank you for bringing the barmaid to my attention." He looked at the Blood elf thoughtfully for a moment longer, both intrigued and annoyed by the way she was approaching her job. He reminded himself that he had specifically told her to be different from her predecessor and smiled. "Be well, Dame Commander."

:: Lyrena Auberan looked towards the bank as well, as Iskrin gestured to it. "I understand her musings well enough. And it has been a while since her and I have last spoken too.", she nodded. "Thank you for agreeing to look into the matter, First Estril. Let me know if you find anything suspicious." With that, she bowed her head, letting Iskrin be on his way. Lyrena herself leaned on the edge of the bridge again, lingering for a little while longer before heading home.