Harn was in the thick of it, talking to the Legionnaires and Henaari, most mostly chatting in low tones with the Hand. Strange allies. She supposed they had training stuff to talk about; Felix's little followers were rough. Damn near got me killed twice yesterday. Damn Apprentice Tiers.
That wasn't entirely fair, but Evie wasn't feeling all that charitable. The company of followers were all dead weight. All except the Henaari and...and the others weren't to be trusted. Everyone was shoved together by Harn and Darius, intermingling despite the tense silence that threaded through the group. Waiting while their illustrious leader did some negotiation. That part at least sat just fine with Evie. If the man wanted a crown, then he'd better get used to the responsibilities involved.
I can do without all those chains, she thought with a chuckle. She patted her bladed weapon around her waist. This one's all I need.
"Reed and Harn are getting along well," Evie pointed out. Vess' mouth flattened.
"Yes," she said. Sounded right sour about it too. "I worry at what his angle might be."
"Your minder? I thought he gave up that whole duty of his?"
"So he claims. My father would never let him live down such a breach of duty, however. Darius knows that." She idly made small circles in the sand with the butt of her spear. "Yet he has been nothing but conciliatory ever since the duel."
"Concilia-what? Listen, if he doesn't want to make waves anymore, I'm fine with that. Is he still helping you with your Dragoon-ness?" Evie asked.
Vess grumbled, though it was less earnest than a moment ago. "Yes. He has even handed over the tomes my father entrusted to him."
"Skill books?" Evie gasped. "Those are rare!"
Skill books were exactly what they sounded like. Tomes designed to impart the knowledge of a Skill, greatly increasing the chances of learning it. When Evie had first heard of them, she'd thought they'd function in an instant. Read it and bam! Instant Skill gain. Mags had taught her differentshe'd run into a couple, such as the one that let her learn her shielding spell.
Vess nodded. "Exceedingly. They detail the Path I follow, but they are not useful until I have reached Adept. The techniques are too advanced."
"Pity. How close are you to Tiering up?"
"Close, but so far. My Body and Spirit are reaching a high pointeach Skill about five levels off Tierbut my Mind lags behind by seven entire levels. Only my Spear of Tribulations is within a single level of Tempering, and it has proven difficult to budge." Vess ground the butt of her spear through the doodles in the sand. "It is frustrating."
"Hm," Evie grunted. When the silence stretched on too long, she realized Vess was glaring at her. "What?"
"How close are you?"
"Oh I dunno. Close enough," Evie hedged.
"Evie."
She winced, and let a grin through. "Body is one level away from Tiering up...in every Skill I need."
"Siva's grace," Vess spat what amounted to a curse for the proper noblewoman. But her mouth split in an easy smile regardless. "What of your Mind and Spirit?"
"That's less good. Still a couple levels shy." Evie shrugged. "Could be worse."
Vess laughed. "Could be, indeed."
A companionable silence drifted over them after that, each of them in their own thoughts. Well, Evie was. Vess was likely detailing some sort of training regimen for herself. She was almost as bad as Felix.
Can't we just take a night off? I could use some good shut-eye. Evie leaned back, but despite her intentions her gaze alighted on the knot of Felix's troops. On blue skin and thick, white beards. Damn giants.
Evie caught Vess watching her, and she scowled at the soft set of the heiress' mouth and furrow on her brow. Evie knew what her friend was going to say before she opened her mouth, but it still burned to hear. "How are you? With the..." Vess gestured with her chin toward the clutch of Frost Giants in the distance.
"I'm fine," Evie said. She forced a shrug, keeping the movement smooth and not jagged at all. "It's fine. Nothin' I can do about it, so..."
"I must admit I was wary of their presence in our Stronghold as well as on this mission," Vess said. "Yet they have been surprisingly tame, even helpful."
Evie grunted. She wasn't about to go complimenting the brutes just because they hadn't stabbed anyone in the back yet. "Maybe they were useful in the oasis, but that don't account for their past. For what they did."
"Evie..."
The silence was broken but an explosion of sand from the skeleton.
"What in Yyero's sour ass is that?" Evie shouted. Her chain had already jumped into her hands.
Atop the slope, the sand settled and Felix appeared from its midst, his eyes glowing like little lightning bolts. The Legionnaires leaped to their feet, scrambling for weapons, while Zara calmly walked up toward the guy. Evie saw that his Garment was torn across the chest and arms, but it was repairing itself as she watched. And he was talking to himself. No. Talking to his sword.
What a weird guy. Evie scanned the half-buried skeleton, flaring Nighteye. Had something attacked him? That Beast thing?
That was probably why she was the first to see a figure appear on the rocks above the bones, where part of a skull and horn stuck out. It was ragged and without those blue bandages, but it was clearly another Yttin. It lifted somethinga maskabove its head. It looked like a monstrous head.
In perfect if accented common, it screamed. "The Beast will come! The Devouring begins!"
It hurled the mask and it shattered against the stones below. The Yttin all around them gasped and paused for only a beat before all of them rushed Felix's position. Evie's whirled toward them, but her Affinity picked out strains of joy and glee among the shock in their Spirits.
"I...think your boyfriend just recruited another batch of misfits," Evie chuckled, stowing her chain. "How's he keep doing that?"
"I have not the foggiest," Vess admitted, only belatedly saying. "He is not my boyfriend."
"Sure."