Chapter Text
"Crap, crap. Crap!" Her shoulder blades straighten into place. "I just called the man who had a standoff with the BEAST OF THE ELDERWOODS, the SON OF THE DUCHESS no less, 'Coconut Guy'. What am I thinking??"
"Follow me Ulfe." Hassian dismissed himself from pointless conversation, taking with him the young boy who was shaken by 'Maman's appearance. Only Tamala was completely nonchalant about the threat; poking a delicate finger in the sachet.
"Ah." Despite the earlier display of bravado, Eshelon had to release a tense but minuscule breath. His narrow eyes softened; the perimeter was safe after a triple-check. "So you're the one who found my… missive. That must make you Brandy. The pleasure's all mine. Truly."
The human saw life behind bars flash before her eyes, there was no escape if he had a name. Not even with the spotless history she carried with this guy's extended family.
"Ahem- Not my finest hour, I suppose. I was hoping to make a better first impression." His lips twitched before returning to that idle line that skirted between regal and charismatic. It heavily contrasted how his voice raised in pitch. "After all, my dear uncle Kenli is always bragging about you."
"A Bahari? I'm shocked to see you outside your gilded cage. Your family rather despises mucking it, do they not?" You had to give it to her, those were some fighting words for an alchemist that brews loopholes.
"I am a servant of the people, and go where I'm needed." His tone flattened with a tilt of head, but unlike a Wol locking in prey, the Lord's brow was tight with bewilderment.
"You work with the Bahari Institute, yes? I'd heard the Duchess' son was an adjunct professor there." Subira's gentle prod already had doubt planted in it and Brandy was not about to ignore the wariness of an Order member.
"So you have heard of me. Yes, I work as a liaison between the Duchy and the Institute, advising on magical affairs." The aristocrat's body language effortlessly returned to courteous upon engaging with the other Majiri woman. There was a glimpse of a polite smile as he leaned in. "I took it upon myself to investigate when the night sky lit up with Flow. With the logical evidence, I stationed operations in the Highlands. I expect the Order came to the same conclusion?"
"You can expect all you'd like, darling, but we've no reason to tell you." But the cunning Majiri was having none of it. "After all, how could we trust a man we've just met?"
"Perhaps naive was me, to expect confidence so quickly." His chin raised to a dignified stature once again. "I apologize. I got ahead of myself in excitement. I thought we might be able to share what we've learned, so we could stop this infection together."
"There is no need to apologize, Lord Bahari. Would you excuse us for a moment?" The watcher was not about to play peacemaker for another of her begrudging peer's spats. "Tamala come with me."
"By all means" The man's nod was paired with a long blink.
"If you insist." Tall heels turned with a dramatic whip of her thick hair.
"Lord Bahari." Brandy was not about to try her luck after witnessing the Majiri's verbal fencing. A small bow was offered to his expression of a faux gentle.
"Take your time. I know I am asking for something quite difficult."
Even if the human had taken mere seconds to follow, she encountered the ladies deep in bickering; they shared the same distrust, but their rationale couldn't be any more different.
"-the name alone is not why I distrust the man. Think about it. It took us time to discover this location, yet he stumbles upon it before us based on a lucky hunch just in time to save us?" Tamala did not hold back even while shifting weight to the other leg. "And we know for a fact that a stranger has been dogging our steps. It makes far more sense for him to be the villain attempting to pull wool over our eyes for his own benefit."
"Your accusations would make sense… if they were not directed toward Lord Bahari." Subira spoke with firm, low authority in attempts to stomp out that wildfire. The Echo alone was enough of a handful. "I know the man. He has been working with the Order on behalf of the Institute for years. His record is spotless."
"Then why do YOU doubt him Subira?" Brandy kept quiet but squinted slightly.
"Besides… my first hunch was incorrect." The dignified voice sounded reluctant. "I would like to resist jumping to conclusions again as soon as it's convenient."
"That's getting dangerously close to an apology, darling." The alluring woman turned to the human with a beckoning finger. "In any case, what do you think, little lamb?'
"The timing was perfect. Too good to be true." A single knuckle met her lip before answering. The response prompted the alchemist to look down her nose at the other party. "But too many different things would've had to be orchestrated for such a flawless, heroic execution."
"We simply do not know enough to pass judgement yet." The watcher was determined to put a cork on it; she didn't come this far to let unfounded quarrels halt their progress. "I propose we agree to work with him for the moment, on the condition we keep what we have learned close to our chest."
"Fine, I won't get in the way." A strong promise for the sly lady with gleaming eyes. "Brandy, why don't you do the talking? Put that cute face to work."
"Blawh!" The human's face immediately grimaced silly before huffing. "Why me though?"
"You are not a subordinate, and you mustn't come across as one." Subira's experience in jurisdiction had a fair point, better take the Order member's advice on how to manage treaties.
Brandy's brief side-step was met with a cold nod from Hassian; a silent reassurance that Ulfe was alright. She thanked him with a traditional Majiri bow before leading the group up the manor stairs.
"Have you finished conversing?" Eshelon had not moved an inch, arms remained steadfast behind his back. But posture swelled ever so slightly with anticipation the moment the human approached.
"Thank you for your patience. Lord Bahari." His unwavering but neutral gaze made her feel out of place and stiff. A veneer of higher diplomacy than that needed for Kilima's local governance refused to settle naturally onto her features. She stretched her back tall anyway. "Let us work together. I'm sure you understand we have some conditions."
"Marvelous. I would be shocked if you didn't." The smile presented did not reach his eyes. "Tell me what they are, and I shall do everything in my power to abide by them."
"Our mission is to stop the infected magic at its source. We will partner with you until that is achieved." The watcher stepped in, if she did out of sheer second hand embarrassment for her peer, she wouldn't let it show. "You will be given only what information is deemed necessary. Furthermore, Brandy will supervise you for the duration of our partnership."
"I- will." The human did her best to shift from question to affirmation mid-sentence, an attempt to present a united front with the rest of her crew. "This should be YOUR job. Where are your priorities?!"
"I am currently distracted by our resident… alchemist." Subira must've noticed exactly how icy-cold that bucket of information was.
"THAT'S NOT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON!" The grip of her laced hands tightened over her lap.
"Besides, you are my partner and I trust your judgement." The Order member's praise was high but useless in this scenario.
"THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BUTTER ME UP." She gave up with a rusty nod.
"I am sure you will do a wonderful job, Brandy. I won't misbehave." The aristocrat's eyes closed a little too gently and his eyebrows raised a little too high to pass for a genuine smize. Which was quickly replaced with a piercing, steely stare. "Unless… that is what you would prefer?"
WHAT.
"I apologize, I.. didn't catch that ...Lord Bahari. Do not trouble yourself with repeating- yourself, anyway-"
It must have been all the internal screaming, surely she heard wrong. Right? Right?! She felt obligated to acknowledge the bizarre comment one way or another when Tamala snickered and Hassian choked on his own spit.
"Scorch me Embra. Do not say those exact words to me a second time."
"What is the plan?" Her body violently pivoted to face Subira, shoving the man as far back into her peripheral view as possible.
"We must concord on what we know." The watcher resumed business as usual. It must have been the wind, Brandy decided, because why else would everyone act like nothing had just happened. "We have reason to believe the source of the infection is somewhere in this area-"
"The Echo Tap?" Eshelon raised a gloved hand to stroke his own chin innocuously. " Why, yes, it's inside the old palace."
"How did you know that?" There was no way such a statement could go unanswered, so Brandy jumped at it, perhaps a little too eager.
"I thought our agreement involved only divulging strictly necessary information." The way his nose turned up, a single wrinkle formed in his brow, made him look extremely punchable. "Suffice it to say that the Institute has been conducting an investigation of its own. You may request the appropriate files through Order channels if you'd like to know the specifics."
"A process that would likely take weeks." Subira's finger met her exasperated temple.
"Bureaucracy often makes for mountains of shmolehills, yes." A solemn, insufferable nod from him. "Fortunately, I am here for the express purpose of closing that Echo Tap."
"You know how?" But before Brandy could stop herself, her questions continued to expose their glaring unawareness.
"I do, yes." Meanwhile, he made it abundantly clear, once again, that he was both knowledgeable and dangerous. "But it cannot be done from a distance. I must gain access to the Taproom."
"You must have a ridiculous amount of trust in the tools provided by the Institute and their calculations if they sent royalty on such a task." The human bit her inner cheek because the tricks up his sleeves would be plenty.
"However, the Beast has revoked my access to the palace… by smashing the administrative Galdur who controls the doors." The lord's frustration finally made him like a real person.
"Is the beast protecting the echo? Can't we just burst the door open?" Brute force was not beneath her, unlike her Majiri companions.
"I do not know. Perhaps it is bound to its will. And while a pyrotechnic approach sounds feasible, I assure you: we do not want an explosion of echo matter." Eshelon explained delicately, and without edge, how they had to thread carefully.
"No point asking what you were up to before we showed up, is there?" Perhaps her face emoted too close to her thoughts.
"I was attempting to repair the Galdur when the Beast entered the area, and your party soon after." Because his pupils locked onto her. "The construct appears to be missing some rather important pieces, however. Like its head."
"Say Potato Pod if you can read my mind. Wait-" The human halted her silly. "You can repair Galdur?"
"One picks up many skills while in service to the people. I'm sure you can relate." His raised eyebrow summoned a sudden wave of ick over Brandy. "Regardless of the reason, the Beast is bound to get in our way again."
"Indeed." An easily agreeable statement, as acknowledged by Subira.
"Thus I developed a method to drive it off. Brandy." After a flick of his hands, another warding sachet appeared in his palm like a perspective trick. Her fingers brushed briefly against the leather of his gloves before he delicately withdrew his hand. "Tamala kept a sachet, your friends are safe. I assume you and I will stay close."
"Thank you." Into her hip pouch it went.
"I have seen the Beast dig in one particular spot. Allow me to mark it on your map." The Order member looked at the map Eshelon returned after a quick, sharp scratch on the paper.
"How many pieces you reckon there are in total?" The adventurous human was ready to put in the work.
"About four. Aside from the two I have already recovered." The lord replied without faffing around. "For any smaller pieces missing, I can make do."
"Makeshift Mechanical Engineer." The alchemist did not wait for the rest of the mismatched party to respond before cat-walking off, a palm resting on Ulfe's back. "Will you assist me, my dear Ulfe?"
"Me, help!" The young Majiri eagerly partnered up.
"Hassian, assist us in locating traces of the Beast. Perhaps it will lead us to another piece." Subira turned to the hunter who let out a grated throat response. "Should it slip past us..."
"There will be no need for that, Ser Watcher. The sachet will keep Brandy safe." Confident to a fault.
"You can take the map Subira." The human handed off the paper, earning a curious look from her new companion as the others dispersed.
Brandy adjusted her bandana as she walked in the opposite direction from the rest, and soon after, his steps trailed with an eerily, perfect sync to hers.
"Lord Bahari, you.. don't have to come.. You could stay here in case the Beast Returns to cause more damage." It was not a very good attempt to get him out of her hair.
"I intend to remain under strict monitoring as instructed by the Watcher, Supervisor." It was unsettling enough to see a royal pick up the pace like an excited plumehound.
"Please… There is no need to use a title with my person." The deflation in her tone was pitiful.
"Well said, let us drop the formalities." His hand extended, and after some hesitation, she returned the hand-shake. "Just call me Eshelon."
"I, could never.. your excellency." Even though his palm retained a firm but amicable hold, his face completely drained of any emotion except coldness in his pupils.
"Oh crap, if I treat him like a dispassionate royal, he's gonna act like it."
"We are not acquaintanced enough yet... Lord Bahari. Marquess.." His expression did not shift despite her attempts to placate him. It was obvious he wanted to see how far she'd dig her heels. "Liaison.. Sir, Professor?"
"Professor? A gross mischaracterization of my occupation, but I will accept it." After giving her a run for her money on vocabulary, Eshelon finally softened and pulled back his hand. "At least until we know each other better, Supervisor. Now, let us resume the task at hand."
"Yeah.. let us." Brandy nervously brushed a strand of her thick hair before untying the bandana. She held it up by the ends, showing a single piece of seaglass threaded through the fabric.
"May I inquire what it is you are doing?" Eyes and smile had real curiosity and he couldn't help but lean in.
"Trying to find the resonance of the Galdur parts." Her body spun slowly, and at a very specific angle the pebble began to float forward as if pulled by a magnetic force.
"Fascinating. What is the nature of this mineral?" The lord stepped back, allowing her plenty of space to continue tuning like a dowsing rod.
"Uh- It's a regular stone technically speaking but truly sentimental gift refined into a small convenience token. Something about Galdur rune working, throw some Flow on top. Bake at low heat for fifteen minut- er." The flinch was painful, scared of coming across as dismissive rather than comical.
"So a Galdur tracker?" Genuine amusement showed in the way the aristocrat's canines peeked through a skewed smile. "Truly, it is in line with your character."
"My Character? I'm not some ancient legend in a textbook." The immense confusion from the word choice caused her an inability to buffer her facial expression. "Yeah, pretty much."
"Don't be so modest now. Your achievements are great and numerous. It would be my pleasure to recite them to remind you of your stellar standing." Eshelon followed as she was guided by the little stone, voice rising in a crescendo. "Of course you would possess, in a common hair accessory, a tool that doubles as Galdur-refined technology. You are, after all, the individual who unraveled the mysteries within the ancient human Temples, unlocked the Vault of the Night Sky, and somehow befriended the Gardener? The conscious factory that built the rest of his kind!"
"How… do you know all that?" The weirded-out meter was cranking to uncomfortable levels, forcing Brandy to focus on walking.
"Word has easily reached every corner of Bahari City, dear Supervisor. The way my Uncle tells it, you are the most fascinating person in all of Kilima. I assure you that proper archives have been curated from my uncle's… disorganized correspondence. I personally see to the transcription of relevant information once the Duchess discards the letters." The pride in his work beamed in the way he adjusted the cuffs of his jacket, the rustle prickling the back of her neck. "Do not worry, every single detail from my uncle's verbose explanatives have also been cross-referenced and catalogued in chronological order."
"Only the Phoenix knows the kinds of things Kenli has said. But THIS, this is something else." The cringe paralyzed her on the spot.
"You look skeptical." The tone of his voice was nothing short of devious, practically begging her to test him.
"…" She looked back, utterly bewildered by the sudden shift. Because for a brief, terrifying moment, the grand Eshelon Bahari had the exact same sunny, mail-loving energy as Auni.
"Uhh." Eshelon's verbal clutch slipped before quickly regaining composure. "I wouldn't put it past my uncle to forget some of your accomplishments or curiosities. Like your bandana, how did you-"
"Trying to sweet talk your way to what I know I see."
"Apologies, Lord.. Professor, if Kenli has perhaps presented inflated stories and caused you to overestimate my technical knowledge. I do not know how the Pebble works." She raised a palm to stop him, before quickly putting it down and wiping the sweat on her thigh. "You'd have to ask Einar for the specifics. He's peculiar about what he explains to me."
"I'll make a note of that." The aristocrat's face returned to neutral after a long breath to stabilize himself. "Speaking of Galdurs-"
"We have brought the parts." Hassian hauled their findings before jogging off disinterested. They were now neatly aligned over the thick brass railing of the courtyard. The adventurer sat on the floor, casually rolling the spherical command center between her legs as it tried to roll off."
"So you have. Give me a moment to repair The Administrator, and we shall see what help it can be." Eshelon pushed back his stiff overcoat, pulling out tiny tools from his breast pocket along with a pair of glasses. The smooth motion to slide the dark gold spectacles on the bridge of his nose heavily contrasted with how he hunched over the pillar with the intense concentration of a clockmaker.
"The Beast has fled south through the canyon. It appears to be headed towards the clifftop." Subira's voice approached from the stairs. "That said, I doubt we have seen the last of it. How are things going here?"
"Beautifully." It seems he had already mapped out the repairs and procured miscellaneous workarounds for smaller fragments. There was no hesitation, no tilting of head to measure an angle. He didn't put down a single part he picked up; his work was masterfully certain, quick, and fluid. He was soon beckoning the human to roll over the last component.
"I LIIIIIVEEE!" As soon as the heavy mechanical ball slid effortlessly into the base, it began to scream with an attitude.
"You have Brandy and I to thank for that." The aristocrat winced while storing his items in their respective pockets, seemingly just as bothered by the rowdiness as the ladies.
"A giant does not thank the ants for working. It is simply what they were created to do." The mechanical voice scolded.
"…Ah, yes. I forgot to mention the Administrator's 'quirks'. His personality module appears to be permanently set to eleven." One corner of Eshelon's lips tugged in disapproval.
"Solid logic if you want to scare off uninvited guests. Like us." The adventurer was intrigued by having met a Galdur with even more outward animosity than the Gardener.
"No matter. We've encountered plenty of colorful characters in this investigation." The watcher shook her head, having no more mental space to be exasperated.
"Now, ants! You wish to enter my beloved manor, yes? That is why you have awoken me from my forced slumber?" The haughty was clear even through the residual static.
"Yes, please!" The human was ready to get it over with.
"Ah, a proper peon paying appropriate fealty. You shall be spared in the Reckoning." But he was seemingly just as unaware of sarcasm as the rest of his kind. "My nemesis, THE BEAST, has destroyed my primary control module. I have been UNJUSTLY OUSTED from my seat of power! You will restore me to the throne. Do this, and I shall reward you handsomely!"
"I see. And how might one, ah... Complete these.. orders?" The Majiri woman was quick to catch on; playing along yielded better results.
"Collect the override emblems from my four USELESS ENFIELD SUBJECTS, and return here." The masonry and gold despot continued to angrily bark. "In the SOUTHEAST, perched on the STANDING CLIFFS, lies ELIONE'S LAIR. To the SOUTHWEST, within the CHURCH OF NIGHTSHADE, lurks BELAFONTINE. In the NORTHEAST, at the BOTTOM OF FORMAE AMPHITHEATER, awaits HALWARD. And close by, in the ENFIELD MANOR GARDEN, resides AMADEUS."
"So, if I have this right, you expect us to trek across the map collecting little trinkets before you will let us inside?" Somehow, the urge to roll his eyes was visible on the aristocrat's face.
"A KING MUST HAVE HIS SYMBOLS OF POWER!" The sound emanating from the Administrator screeched whenever he got too loud. And the irony was not lost on the adventurer, who still sat on the floor, just waiting for the golem to shut up.
"It is as if every door in this place must have twelve puzzles for lack of a simple key." Baring his teeth, the lord turned up his nose in the most obvious way yet. A stressed hand combed his hair back.
"Some folks just… reeeeally loved puzzles. Heh." Brandy crossed her arms, laughing awkwardly as if embarrassed that the backward way of thinking from her ancestors had been adopted by these eccentric Majiri.
"This is why I did not specialize in archeology while pursuing my doctorate." He relaxed after taking in the voice of his Supervisor.
"Thank you for the information, Administrator." The watcher bowed, hands spreading outward from her chest before walking off, muttering loud enough for the human to hear. "Brandy, will you join me by the pool?"
"Aw, I didn't bring my swimwear though." She quickly traced the Order member's steps down the stairs, realizing a second too late she forgot to excuse herself from Eshelon's presence.
"I suppose I'll wait here. Again." His complaint was barely audible from the distance. Poor soul. Nobody wanted to be left behind with a robot whose wires were power tripping.
"It seems unlikely the Beast will allow us to search the Highlands unimpeded." Subira commenced the briefing.
"No? And here I thought we'd just ask nicely and everything would work out." Tamala let out a titter.
"We haven't tried that yet." Brandy decided the two could try to be funny about it. "Seriously though, what's the plan?"
"We hunt the beast." Hassian's arm muscles tightened in his crossed stance, clearly regretful for allowing its earlier escape.
"No!!!" But Ulfe clung to the furry flap of his vest, unable to tilt the hunter.
"So quick to kill that which you do not understand, Hassian. An unfortunate trait to have." The ex-lover pointed at the brooding Majiri man with a sharp nail.
"Tamala, if there is another way, then say it already. I take no pleasure in what must be done, but the village comes first. I won't have it swallowed by this darkness." And he wasn't about to let the talk down happen.
"Why yes, now be good and listen." The alchemist turned to the rest, ignoring his piercing glare and scoff. "There is a ritual. One the others might be quite familiar with, as we did it recently."
"Dang." Was the only thing Brandy could whisper after watching them ready to grab each other's throat.
"But that ritual only removes residual effects. You said the curse itself is permanent." More than poking holes in the logic, Subira genuinely wanted to understand.
"Permanent, yes, but not unmanageable, darling. The ritual won't cure 'Maman', but it will clear the excess Echo flooding the area, allowing her to regain some portion of control. Should we believe little Ulfe, of course."
"Please! Maman sick." The young boy pleaded.
"...It is a risk. What if it does not work?" It was obvious, deep down Hassian wanted to believe, if only for this nightmare to be over.
"If it does not work, I'll take care of the Beast myself." Tamala ran a hand through her fragrant, silver-streaked mane of hair. "I always have a contingency plan."
"A contingency plan? Sounds like something we should be let in on." The human crossed her arms unintentionally mirroring the hunter.
"A girl must keep some secrets, darling. Suffice to say I have my ways." A cloy kiss was blown in response.
"I thought that part of the deal was just for the Profes- for Lord Bahari." The adventurer looked away and cleared the air with a hand as if there were airborne germs.
"Now, we don't need six people focused on this one problem. Why doesn't sweet lil' Brandy go with the little Lordling while we focus on the Beast?"
"You all…" The human grit her teeth because the choice of illusion was a stab to her pride. "He looks at me weird. You just want me to be kidnapped and probed by the institute, don't you?"
"Here. I requisitioned this when I put in the request for the boat. It is a medium-to-short range communication device." The watcher placed it in Brandy's extended palm. "If you run into any problems, contact me through this. I shall keep you abreast of any developments on our end as well."
"Urgh. Let's get to work." The adventurer stormed off before the rest of the disjointed council could finish their conversation.
"Everything is resolved, I take it?" Eshelon snapped back from glazed eyes to welcome the human with a subtle upwards tug of his lips.
"It's just you and me getting the emblems." Brandy tried really hard to sound neither mortified or fake-excited.
"I won't complain. In fact, I was hoping we'd get another chance to speak as our last chat was quite enjoyable." There was a small bounce as he spoke. "I have much I want to ask you about."
"You're just fishing for information, huh? Because we have things to do and having afternoon tea is not one of them. Time to switch strategy." Her march began with haste. "Oh, thank you! We can.. chat on the way."
"Of course. I am sure you will soon add 'saving the Highlands' to your impressive list of accomplishments." The lord's posture became slightly taller as if filled with pride.
"He's so cloy. He gives me a bad enough toothache and my migraine is gonna be on him." The human headed to where her mount had been hitched. "No time to waste, Professor.."
"Now, I suggest we start our search with Eloine's emblem in the southeast. I believe I know the exact place the Administrator was referring to." At the lack of her pitch, he stepped up with a suggestion.
"Excuse me-" The adventurer blinked in confusion, patting for her map before remembering she gave it away.
"You are excused, Supervisor. Proceed." The aristocrat beamed insufferable politeness.
"…There is an emblem a literal stone throw away, why are we going to the other side of the ridge?" She swallowed the need to spit a profanity.
"I'm glad you asked." Eshelon inhaled as if class were in session at the beginning of a lecture. "We will come across my settlement on the way, where my steed is currently stabled. Second, securing one of the farthest emblems first ensures enough daylight for our return. And lastly, I don't require a degree in human physiology to determine you need something to eat. We could stop for-"
"By the Phoenix, you're just an arrogant, high-born guy who does whatever he wants."
"Do not trouble yourself with a meal, Professor." Brandy fished some dried fruit from her bag mid-strut, biting furiously on the sweet chewy treat, wondering how much insubordination infractions she could pile up. "But lead the way, I might as well go with the flow if I'm at your mercy."
"I beg your pardon?" He sounded genuinely taken aback.
"Apologies. Please disregard that." She rubbed her face, once again reminded who she was dealing with.
"Come, Echo waits for no one." The lord picked up the pace and walked ahead, leading to where his riffroc roosted.