Naomi leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. “Seems unwise to meet with Ravenna, then.”
“We need to connect with Moira. And seeing as we can anticipate the trap, we can prepare ourselves to turn the tables on them. Octavia will no doubt bring her elite House members to the job; that would be her two Dread Blazes and four Flame Vaults. You’re aware of Octavia’s own power set?”
Scorio hesitated. “I know she can be really compelling?”
“Correct. She can cause a single person in her line of sight to remain locked in place, and coerce those who can hear her with her commands. But what she doesn’t flaunt is her ungodly strength and skintight forcefield that makes her practically invulnerable to physical harm.”
“Great,” said Naomi.
“Not bad,” said Helminth, “but ultimately nothing remarkable. There’s a reason she’s in Bastion and not Deep Hell. Now, the one we’ll have to watch out for—if that’s even possible—is the Shadow Petal.”
“Urgh,” said B’vaari. “If she shows up, we’re done for.”
“She’ll be there,” said Helminth coolly. “You’ve heard of her? House Kraken’s premiere assassin and heavy hitter?”
Naomi and Scorio exchanged a glance and then shook their heads.
“The Shadow Petal possesses a combination of powers that makes her a top-tier Great Soul. She wields two swords. One can cut through flesh but passes through bone, the other through mana. That means she can render your limbs useless if she cuts through them with her black blade, or, if she prepares a lethal strike, hit your Heart directly.”
Scorio winced.
“But more, she’s invisible if you’re not thinking about her,” continued Helminth. “And while invisible she can travel instantly between spots in her line of sight. Finally, her Dread Blaze power was transforming into a creature of ebony and bone that’s incredibly durable.”
“The worst,” called B’vaari.
The prematurely aged young man sighed. “Pretty bad. It means she can sneak up on you and shatter your Heart with one blow.”
“Her counterpart is Galvon. Also a Dread Blaze, but where the Shadow Petal executes surgical strikes, Galvon unleashes blasts of psychic force around himself that cause those affected to become staggered and confused. Galvon is able to learn about those he affects, including what their intentions were. He’s heavily involved in the politics of the Council, but I’m confident Octavia will bring him forth on this mission.”
“All right,” said Scorio. “So we need to avoid having our Hearts cut apart and not get too close to this Galvon. Sounds easy.”
Helminth smiled apologetically. “Nobody said this would be easy. The Flame Vaults she’s most likely to bring out to play are Ermina, Cianus, Pale, and Spark. Pale and Spark are from the same class, complete opposites but a long-standing couple. Pale can fill a given area with a bone-chilling fog into which he can evaporate and through which he can hurl blasts of ice, while Spark can fill another area with raging flame. She can burn up at will, disappearing into a column of ash, and her attacks are up close and fiery in nature. Ermina’s powers are defensive and bolster her companions; the more outmatched she is in a fight, the more powerful her armor becomes, and the more soldiers in matching sets of armor she can summon. She can also encourage her companions and bolster their resolve. Cianus in turn can hurl spears of light, much like Sol, and rides a winged lion. When pressed he can grow into a formidable fighting form that heals rapidly and is hard to injure.”
Scorio took a deep breath. “All right. First, I’m impressed you know all their abilities, but second, this sounds… overwhelming? How are we supposed to counter such a powerful array of forces?”
“By not attempting to defeat them in hand-to-hand combat. All we need is to escape with Ravenna. I’m not advocating for a street brawl, but rather a clean extraction. Maron’s asking her to meet at a restaurant with an escape chute down into the caverns. Our own forces have survived for as long we have due to our unique set of talents. It will be dangerous, but we need to pressure Moira into revealing Druanna’s location.”
Scorio rubbed at his jaw worriedly. “All right. So what can our people do?”
Helminth leaned back, tea in hand. “I’ll let them tell you themselves.”
* * *
Ravenna proved elusive. When finally Maron returned, it was with news that she had been at the Citadel where Octavia and other Kraken higher-ups had been summoned for a mysterious emergency audience with Praximar. It proved difficult for Maron to insinuate himself into the antechambers in which Ravenna waited, but once he did she agreed to meet at the designated restaurant within the Kraken’s Ward after Second Clay.
“Why the Kraken ward?” Naomi demanded. “Couldn’t we have asked for her to meet somewhere safer?”
“Assuming she’s being watched, which she is, the moment she left Ward 6 all of Kraken’s elite would turn out to follow her. This way at least there’s a chance only a couple will be watching when we attempt to secret her out.”
They took advantage of Bastion’s rain shower that followed once the sun-wire went dark, sweeping spiraling curtains of water across the streets and avenues, washing them out and flooding the canals. Once Scorio had thought these showers heavy; having traversed the Rain Wall, he knew they were anything but.
Few took to the streets while the rain scoured them, so they hurried with water-proofed outer layers protecting them in relative safety, following Helminth as she led them along the best route.
They made good time. The mana-lights were just starting to glow in all their effulgent lavender and copper glory, causing the cobblestones to gleam in the rich illumination, but even here, where the wealthy lived, the nightlife was grown strained and meager. Where before Bastion had reveled in the dark hours, a time when license was allowed and personal pursuits followed, now people moved quickly home or gathered outside tea parlors to whisper, if they emerged at all.
They made sure to arrive early at the restaurant, their party splitting up just before they reached the courtyard so that only Helminth and Scorio entered. Their anonymity would end the moment Ravenna showed up. The restaurant was set within one of Bastion’s many courtyards, a statue of a long-forgotten Great Soul dominating its center, and benches arranged around the perimeter. The restaurant itself spilled tables and chairs out into the night air, but these were empty, with only a few tables taken within.
Helminth dealt with the proprietor with such authority and calm that he all but bowed and scraped as he led their small party to the back and into a private room whose walls were decorated with old art scrolls depicting fanciful scenes from Eterra, while a low octagonal table lacquered a lustrous black filled the center, cushions strewn around its edge.
Ravenna arrived not long after. She wore the rich robes of House Kraken, its symbol emblazoned over her breast, and looked subtly different from the last time Scorio had seen her; assured yet wary, poised yet confident. Her black hair was yet cut in bangs across the front, but now grown long along the sides and back so that it fell smoothly past her shoulders. Her blue-eyed gaze was steady, severe, and she felt older in a way that went beyond the mere two years that had passed.
“Instructor Helminth. What a pleasant surprise. Everyone thought you long gone.”
“They thought incorrectly, Ravenna.” Helminth studied the other woman. “Yes, you’ve grown. And taken a daring hand in local politics. A perilous pastime.”