Re: June in Autumn, Sinister Plans and Chicago IC Thread 7

[Adley]

Colin reached the monocle forward again, "It's a very specific focus - my grasp of the related sphere is limited to observation and analysis only; it is quite certainly not something which I will be using now, and as I said, it's the best suited to track me through space. Take it, and give it back when I've returned to Steelhaven."

Saying that the focus was more specific did not make him more inclined to take it. "Observation and analysis are very useful," he countered, but as he pushed it towards him again he took it with some reluctance, putting it away in a safe spot. He grabbed his notebook, scratched down the info about the Sears tower node and the vampires and what June had told him of the connection of the Chicago labyrinth and gave that to Colin. "You know what to do with that after. Alright, hurry save this man."

"She is coming with us, she needs more help than can be found here and while she did try to kill me...kill us all she did so under extreme duress I will ask Master Nassa to have a look at her, besides she might know something that is of use to us." The old mage informed you.

"Very well," he said.

Jeffry blinked...twice then he shook his head. "Why on earth is he staying here? Out of the question not alone, first of all this place is about half Technocrats and while this is neutral grounds one can never trust those bastards."The Hermetic said and eyes a few of the evacuees with disdain. "Secondly we know Larson have agents everywhere, as this unfortunate Etherite can attest to." He said and indicated Lori. "He is not staying alone."

"Wait, you didn't know?" Adley looked back at him and then scowled, took his notebook out out and began writing even as he was still talking. "Dammit Colin...I didn't have time to talk more about it, not with that Verbena's life on the line...should have known you wouldn't..." When he scratched a few lines down he showed it to him, folded over, it was the best he could do for privacy in a room full of people.

'Third - not sure if he can get out of here himself back to the airport. Said he was mtg Technos here @2pm, for info exchange re: recent events in the other city. Then would call in for a pickup. Have something of his in case we need to find him. Suggest sending your imp to watch him, or send him a msg to come back? Got intel that needs to get back.

[Warpmind]

Colin smiled as he hung up his jacket, rolled up his shirtsleeves, and scrubbed his hands thoroughly, "Under the circumstances, it will suffice; that it fairly obviously is a pseudonym is not an inconvenience in and of itself."
He sighed, "I have no objections, though I expect I'm going to hear quite a lot of them in the near future."
He glanced out the door, "With that in mind, I must ask - will it save him if you release the pressure first and allow him to rest until his colleagues arrive? I understand that will require making a hole in his head, but the Verbena might look less angrily at that than at your serum."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adley:

"Wait, you didn't know?" Adley looked back at him and then scowled, took his notebook out out and began writing even as he was still talking. "Dammit Colin...I didn't have time to talk more about it, not with that Verbena's life on the line...should have known you wouldn't..." When he scratched a few lines down he showed it to him, folded over, it was the best he could do for privacy in a room full of people.

"No I did not know, I sent him in advance to back you and Miss Larson up if you needed it while I dealt with this woman's wounded hand."
Jeffry said and frowned, he seamed quite concerned.
"Where is Miss Summers by the way? Do I take it she escaped?"
The old mage asked just to make sure there was not a full blown Nephandus running around the Umbra docks...not one that they knew about at least.

'Third - not sure if he can get out of here himself back to the airport. Said he was mtg Technos here @2pm, for info exchange re: recent events in the other city. Then would call in for a pickup. Have something of his in case we need to find him. Suggest sending your imp to watch him, or send him a msg to come back? Got intel that needs to get back.

Jeffry read the note then he cursed in Latin.
"Damn it I told him he could ask one of the Void Engineers for information about Chicago...not that he could meet with one of them alone..."
The old Hermetic said then he muttered a few words and Colin's name in a whisper as he sent Poodle to watch over the Orphan.
"I will have to have a talk with him..."
He said then he sigh then he took your note book and wrote down a reply.
"Ok, go and find Mr Wainwright, this information he have bargained for might be useful, I will take Miss Larson and our wounded Son of Ether friend here back to Steelhaven, you stay with your Cabalmate until his meeting, and let him know that when he get's back to the Chantry he and I will have a bit of a talk about taking chances."

Colin:

Colin smiled as he hung up his jacket, rolled up his shirtsleeves, and scrubbed his hands thoroughly, "Under the circumstances, it will suffice; that it fairly obviously is a pseudonym is not an inconvenience in and of itself."

"Well since had we met outside of this Umbral Docks I would not hesitate to capture you, experiment with you and then use your bio matter for my creations Mr Steel it is understandable that you will not give me your real name."
The Progenitor said as she worked.

He sighed, "I have no objections, though I expect I'm going to hear quite a lot of them in the near future."
He glanced out the door, "With that in mind, I must ask - will it save him if you release the pressure first and allow him to rest until his colleagues arrive? I understand that will require making a hole in his head, but the Verbena might look less angrily at that than at your serum."

"What do I look like? A fortune teller? If I make a hole in his skull to allow his brain to expand beyond the skull it will relieve the pressure and stand a good chance to prevent further damage so unless there are considerable brain damage from before yes it will save him, but there is always risks to any operation."
The physician said as she considered you with her sharp blue eyes.

[Warpmind]

Colin flashed a sincere smile and dried his hands, "They say the next best thing to a good friend is a good enemy. Had we met outside the Umbral Docks, I would not hesitate to avoid capture, by shooting you if necessary. Naturally, on neutral ground, we should remain at least cordial."
He sighed and looked at the patient, "Quite; perhaps I formulated my question imprecisely. Well, you are the doctor - I will just have to cover your escape, should his colleagues arrive and be angry."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"We will see...I patch people up, that is what I do here and I do so for Traditionalists and for my own faction, polite is not in my job description."
The Progenitor said as she examined the shot with her serum.
"How kind of you...I do believe however that the serum is the least dangerous option and the one that have the greatest chance to save this man unfortunately, one more dead Traditionalist would suit me fine before lunch, then again right at the moment any soldier in the fight against the bloody Nephandi is a boon."
The doctor said then she glanced at you.
"Alright then there will be cramps when I inject this but hopefully since he is unconscious he will feel nothing, unlike the ones I made the serum from...but that is another matter entirely, if you would be so kind as to help me hold him down while this stuff works."
The Progenitor said as she turned the Verbena's head to the side and carefully made the injection into his neck.
"Well then we will see if it works in a little while."
She said and sounded particularly disinterested in whatever or not the naturalist lived or died.

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded and stepped up to restrain the Verbena, "Begging your pardon, but you do seem to have a very cavalier attitude toward other people dying, especially for a physician. You take your loyalties very seriously, do you not?"
He grimaced, "Under the circumstances, that's one of the most valuable assets to the Traditions and the Union alike..."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Soon after the green liquid was injected into the Verbena's neck the man begun the twitch and then cramps wrecked his body, he groaned but it seamed to be more air being pressed out of his lungs rather than an expression of pain, however even as his body convulsed his complexion bettered, his eyes shot open though there where still no consciousness behind them, the Verbena's very dilated pupils slowly decreased until his eyes looked more normal. The Progenitor laid her weight in the wounded mage's legs to help hold him down.
"Well Mr Steed yes I take my loyalties seriously, however more than that I have seen the dangers of superstitious healing methods, I loose no sleep over the deaths of the practitioners of such methods, also I worked at Mecha before I took a post here at Boston's Umbra docks, I have seen enough death that it do not affect me much...however the ones I made this serum from, did not die, that would be a stupidly wasteful resource, a human being take twenty years to make unless you accelerate their growth, and during those years they consume enormous amount of resources...no a life for a life is wasteful, even when one kill one's enemies. I harvest bone marrow from Awakened prisoners, it can be quite painful since anesthetics taints the product, but it leave the subject alive to be harvested from again in the future, usually one can even get the subjects back to work less then 24 hours after the procedure so it is a wonderful, renewable resource."
The Technocrat said coldly.
"I find myself forced to agree with you though Mr Steed, right now we need all the Enlightened we can on their feet and fighting to take down those damned Nephandi, the enemies of my enemies are still insufferable fools, but more tolerable as long as they are useful."

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy, no more and no less. I might not agree with the Union's motivations and goals, but I can at least respect you and deal with you as an honorable adversary. With you, I can find ground to negotiate; we both want the world to keep on turning. With the Nephandi, there is no such common ground. As for superstitious healing methods... they have their costs and their risks, I can agree with that, and if not for the miracles of modern medicine, I myself would have died decades ago."
He pondered, "I think everyone can agree, though, that those homeopaths and the deplorable faith healers in mega-churches have got to go... Now, more urgently, how long would you estimate until this chap recovers?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"If you yourself was saved by modern medicine Mr Steed, why did you join the Reality Deviants and not the Union upon your Awakening?"
The Technocrat asked then she nodded.
"And quite right, I do not like your Traditions, I do assume they are the ones you owe loyalty to as you do not strike me as a Marauder and an independent member of a Craft or an Orphan seldom have the resources to get to this establishment, however I understand the Traditionalist motivations though I hardly agree with them, with you it is a war over the nature of reality, not the existence of reality."
The woman said as she held the squirming Verbena down.
"They all have to go Mr Steed, all who do not base their methods on science is a threat to a ordered society, as for how long it will take for this tree hugger to recover, well his complexion is better and his breathing stronger, I would say he should wake up any minute and then we will see, if all go well he should be able to stand in fifteen minutes though he might take a few days to recover completely, if however he have suffered major brain damage it will take the serum far longer to repair that, if it will work at all."

[Warpmind]

Colin smiled thinly, "My Awakening was rather on the traumatic side. As it was, during my recuperation, I spent a lot of time reading. As fate would have it, the literature of choice was fiction; mainly fantasy - Tolkien, Lewis, Feist, Hickman, and so on. Thus my methods were modeled. Had the hospital library instead stocked books in the cyberpunk genre, or scientific textbooks, my path might have taken a different turn. After a few wandering years, I found the Traditions, cast my lot with them, and I frankly never regretted that choice. I respectfully disagree with the claim we are a threat to an ordered society; we merely represent a different way to order said society. We both have our tenets and ideals, and neither faction is anarchic in nature. And if I may be so bold, you yourself were saved by a few Deviants, as you call us, only throughout this past half an hour. That fireball was outright disgusting."
He looked at her for a moment, "Now I must admit to some curiosity, though; under what manner of circumstances did you take your first fledgling steps into a greater world?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"I knew we should have worked harder to get rid of fantasy fiction, it bring more confused young Awakened to the Superstitionalists than you can imagine, as well as foster a fascination for so called magick in the general population, and fascination is often just one step away from belief."
Dr Terlitzer said sourly.
"There can be no different ways to order, there are no diversity to order Mr Steed, there have to be one law, one Paradigm, one reality."
The Progenitor said with conviction.
"Yes that procedure was indeed disgusting Mr Steed, however if there had been no Reality Deviants it would not have been made in the first place, that you managed to stop the catastrophe your own methods and beliefs created are not a credit to your kind."
She said and glared at you.
"So are we old friends now, sharing tales on how we where Awakened? Well there is no need for secrecy I guess Mr Steed, and my tale is a rather boring one, I was a first year medical student when a man came to me and said I had potential, I listened to what he had to say and he lead me to Enlightenment and the Technocracy, simple as that, it was a controlled, simple and planned Awakening."

[Warpmind]

Colin shrugged, "Old friends? Hardly. I prefer to consider us more like newly met enemies who on neutral ground might as well debate our differences with simple dialogue, rather than bullets. And there can be different forms of order. But for a parallel, you can't have two coins occupying the same space at the same time. And really, the Nephandi are no more my kind than your kind. However you might feel about our ideals, we exist as much as you do to try to create something; a better world for us to live in, whether by augmenting humanity, improving on tools and methods, or even build new worlds to inhabit. They, on the other hand, just destroy, to unmake everything, whether of Traditionalist or Technocrat, or even Sleeper origin."

[Adley]

"Where is Miss Summers by the way? Do I take it she escaped?" The old mage asked just to make sure there was not a full blown Nephandus running around the Umbra docks...not one that they knew about at least.

He gave him a wry look and nodded when he asked if she escaped. Then he glanced at Hannah and around the port again. He really did not like how exposed they seemed to be.

Ok, go and find Mr Wainwright, this information he have bargained for might be useful, I will take Miss Larson and our wounded Son of Ether friend here back to Steelhaven, you stay with your Cabalmate until his meeting, and let him know that when he get's back to the Chantry he and I will have a bit of a talk about taking chances."

He wrote back: 'You need an escort in case there is an ambush, you are tired and carrying wounded and Hannah needs to get back safe. When someone ports you out, I can come back for Colin but now I have to find him. Unless I can get across the regio myself, in either direction, I will be as stuck as Colin once you leave though. Plus I have info that is critical for you to know asap.

// I assume that getting into the umbral port is S3, as would be crossing over?

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin:

Colin shrugged, "Old friends? Hardly. I prefer to consider us more like newly met enemies who on neutral ground might as well debate our differences with simple dialogue, rather than bullets.

The Progenitor glanced at you then she focused on her patient again.
"As you wish Mr Steed, I guess there is no harm in a simple conversation."

And there can be different forms of order. But for a parallel, you can't have two coins occupying the same space at the same time. And really, the Nephandi are no more my kind than your kind. However you might feel about our ideals, we exist as much as you do to try to create something; a better world for us to live in, whether by augmenting humanity, improving on tools and methods, or even build new worlds to inhabit. They, on the other hand, just destroy, to unmake everything, whether of Traditionalist or Technocrat, or even Sleeper origin."

"Science can easily make two coins exist in the same space Mr Steed, however that is beside the point, there can be no order as long as there are choice, there need to be a perfect system where everyone know their place, believe the same and work for the same goal, if you do not attain this future there is chaos and reality will never be safe...also the goals of the Traditions and the Nephandi might be different, but your so called magick if the same, unscientific and deviant."
The Technocrat said and glared at you.

On the examination table the Verbena had stopped convulsing and now lay still, then suddenly he opened and closed his eyes a few times and tried to focus without managing to at first.
"Where...am I?"
The man said with a groan.
"What the hell...happened?"

Adley:

He wrote back: 'You need an escort in case there is an ambush, you are tired and carrying wounded and Hannah needs to get back safe. When someone ports you out, I can come back for Colin but now I have to find him.

Jeffry hastily wrote down a reply.
"Very well but I do not like it, you can stay with me for Miss Larson's sake until I have her safely back at Steelhaven but then Mr Wainwright will need assistance...and yes first we have to find him, there is a medical station in the main building, if he have someone wounded with him he have probably gone there."

Unless I can get across the regio myself, in either direction, I will be as stuck as Colin once you leave though. Plus I have info that is critical for you to know asap.

Jeffry continued his reply after this message.
"Yes you are right, your understanding of the spirit world are probably not complex enough yet to get you safely across the Gauntlet...fine you come with me and I will send someone who can travel back and forth across it back for Mr Wainwright...I however really do not like to split up like this, however as it stands Miss Larson is a bigger target than your Cabalmate."

(OOC: Yes it is Spirit 3 to get to and from the Penumbra where the regio with the Umbra dock is located.)

[Warpmind]

Colin inclined his head to the side, as to concede the point. Then he looked down at the patient as he came to, "Sir, you are in the medical station of the Boston Umbral Port. You had suffered a head injury; a bad one... and I'm afraid you won't like the rest any better..."

((OOC: Ah, highly static people... ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"So head wound is the good news? I...really should not have gotten out of bed this morning."
The Verbena said. Rosalie Terlitzer sigh as she examined the Verbena's eyes and checked his pulse.
"Well well, he can make jokes, he should be fine, however ideally I would like to keep him here for a while for observation but I suspect his deviant friends will not accept that."
She said and the Verbena glanced at her.
"Oh perfect, this is why I do not go to the Umbral docks very often...Technocrats that I can not rip the life patterns of into shreds."
He grumbled and Rosalie snorted.
"Listen Reality Deviant id it was not for me you would spend the rest of your life with the intelligence of a potted plant how about a little gratitude."
The Verbena glared at the Technomancer.
"Oh I am sure you did it out of the goodness of your heart."
He muttered. Dr Terlitzer snorted again.
"No I did it because it is my job, I would much rather have let you die and used your body for research."
"Bitch!"
"Deviant!"
Well at least it seamed like the Verbena was feeling better as he was well enough to glare dagger at his Technocratic savior, and the look she sent him was no more friendly.

(OOC: Well the Union do like a well ordered reality, only to bad the other faction come and mess it up.)

[Adley]

"Very well but I do not like it, you can stay with me for Miss Larson's sake until I have her safely back at Steelhaven but then Mr Wainwright will need assistance...and yes first we have to find him, there is a medical station in the main building, if he have someone wounded with him he have probably gone there."

"I don't like it either, if you've got a better idea..."

"Yes you are right, your understanding of the spirit world are probably not complex enough yet to get you safely across the Gauntlet...fine you come with me and I will send someone who can travel back and forth across it back for Mr Wainwright...I however really do not like to split up like this, however as it stands Miss Larson is a bigger target than your Cabalmate."

"I don't like it either," he repeated. He -really- did not want to have to get Colin out of MECHA or the Labyrinth, or find something had happened to him. He scratched out onto the notebook, "Given my resources I don't see anything else I can do but stay here and find him, be stuck with him but protect him yet leave you all vulnerable and not get the knowledge back, do you? Otherwise we should hurry, if your imp is watching at least we know he is probably ok right now." Assuming Colin could keep his head down, then they had a little while to organize something. A very little while, but some none the less.

[Warpmind]

Colin sighed, "Thank you for your help, doctor Terlitzer. Sir? If you please, we might do well to leave the good doctor's office before either of you does the janitorial staff a disservice."
He fetched his jacket and put it on, frowning for a moment, then quickly pulled out his phone and checked the signal, "If we might repair to your vessel, or at least somewhere not immediately in the Union's hair, I can relate the general chain of events that brought you here..."

((OOC: NOW Colin thinks of checking if the phone has signal here... ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adley:

"I don't like it either, if you've got a better idea..."

Jeffry scribbled a quick and dismayed reply.
"I do not unfortunately."

"Given my resources I don't see anything else I can do but stay here and find him, be stuck with him but protect him yet leave you all vulnerable and not get the knowledge back, do you? Otherwise we should hurry, if your imp is watching at least we know he is probably ok right now." Assuming Colin could keep his head down, then they had a little while to organize something. A very little while, but some none the less.

"My imp have found him and he is safe for now, I think perhaps we should then hurry back to the Chantry as soon as possible so I can send someone to have Mr Wainwright's back, the sooner the better."
Was your mentor's scribbled reply then he picked up Lori again and started walking, still a bit unsteady towards the entrance to the regio, the sooner they got back to Steelhaven, the sooner he could send someone for Colin and the more at ease he would feel.

Colin:

Colin sighed, "Thank you for your help, doctor Terlitzer. Sir? If you please, we might do well to leave the good doctor's office before either of you does the janitorial staff a disservice."

The Progenitor glanced at you and raised an eyebrow.
"You are welcome however he should rest for a while, do not let him strain himself, I hate to have my efforts go to waste, even on a Reality Deviant."
She said, the Verbena nodded he sat up and swayed a bit, grabbed his head with one hand and groaned.
"Fuck my head feel like a HIT-Mark just stepped on it."
Dr Terlitzer grinned at that.
"Now that is an amusing thought that get me all warm and fuzzy inside, now get out of here both of you before I ignore my orders and shoot you myself."
She said to shoo you and the wounded Verbena out of her office.

He fetched his jacket and put it on, frowning for a moment, then quickly pulled out his phone and checked the signal, "If we might repair to your vessel, or at least somewhere not immediately in the Union's hair, I can relate the general chain of events that brought you here..."

There was no signal on your phone. The Verbena carefully slid of the examination table and onto his somewhat wobbly feet.
"Hummm? Oh yes the ship...it is not my vessel, I was just called in to help repair it as I was part of the team that originally grew her."
He said as he took a few unsteady steps.
"But by all means it is as good a place as any to talk..."
He muttered.
"Oh and forgive my rudeness, I am Thorn Northwind bani Verbena."
The man said and held out his hand to you in greeting, it was clear that he like Ravenblood was one of those who used his craft name as the general name to go by in the Traditions.

[Adley]

"My imp have found him and he is safe for now, I think perhaps we should then hurry back to the Chantry as soon as possible so I can send someone to have Mr Wainwright's back, the sooner the better."

"Dammit," Adley said again, putting the notebook away and then positioning himself to protect the group as best he could. "Hannah, I'll need you to keep your eyes open too, please." He knew that she would, was already but it was as best a prompt besides his pater grabbing up the red haired woman again.

// Oh, Colin... xD

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Hannah simply nodded, he had a look on his face that said that a certain Orphan would get familiar with how long it took to scrub the common room floor with a toothbrush when he got a hold of him...very familiar.

The three mages and their unconscious charge made it as far as the first group of returning evacuees that you had to pass to get to the entrance when a tall man with graying brown hair called after you.
"Halt, where are you taking Lori Birmar?"
The man demanded and Jeffry had to struggle not to sigh, he did not have time for this right now.
"Sir this woman attacked me while I was working on dispelling the Nephandi's rote, by her own admission she have worked with the Fallen to save her kidnapped mentor, I am taking her to my Chantry to treat the injuries she sustained when one of my Chantrymates stopped her attempt, and then ask her further questions."
Your mentor said and it was clear it cost him to be polite to the man in a Void Engineer staff uniform.
"I can not just let you take a member of this dock's security team Sir."
The Void Engineer replied.
"This is an internal matter of the Traditions, the faction this woman belong to Sir, I am taking her, however the longer we stand here arguing about it, the greater the chance that our healers can not save her hand."
Your mentor said but the tall dark man he was talking with did not seam convinced then he glanced around at the gaggle of clamoring ex evacuees and nodded.
"Very well, take her, but know that you do so under protest and had it not been for me being to occupied to handle one more problem right now I would not let you pass."
The Technocrat said and Jeffry merely nodded and continued walking.
"Thank heaven for small favors."
He muttered under his breath then once the lot of you where at the entrance to the regio the tired old mage glanced at his apprentice.
"Would you might taking Miss Birmar while I open the portal?"
He asked, and assuming that you do he will begin to move his hands into elegant symbols and chant in Greek before he stepped through and vanished, indicating with a hand gesture that you and Hannah should follow him as he did so. Hannah glanced at you then stepped through as well.

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "Thank you, doctor. I will make sure he gets somewhere restful. May the rest of your day be eventless."
He offered Thorn a shoulder to lean on as he pocketed his phone again, "If you'll follow me, Mr. Northwind, it's a bit of a walk... but I think you should be comfortable back at the... vessel. You will have to forgive me, but I find it difficult to think of it as a 'ship', given its form."

[Adley]

Adley was too concerned to be thinking of any type of punishments, getting a punishment would mean that not only did Colin get through his current excursion but over the next few days. As the Void Engineer tried to stop them at the exit, Adley bit down several remarks that were less than helpful and instead watched out for anyone that was taking note of their imminent departure. He took the woman from his pater, checking to see how out of it she still was or if she was coming around. If she still looked out, he tried to hold her in a fireman's carry so that he had the ability to pull a tool if he needed one and stepped through at Hannah's heels, as alert as he could be.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin nodded, "Thank you, doctor. I will make sure he gets somewhere restful. May the rest of your day be eventless."

"It never is but thank you Mr Steed."
The Progenitor said as you left.

He offered Thorn a shoulder to lean on as he pocketed his phone again, "If you'll follow me, Mr. Northwind, it's a bit of a walk... but I think you should be comfortable back at the... vessel. You will have to forgive me, but I find it difficult to think of it as a 'ship', given its form."

"It is a bit of the Black Forest, the main Chantry of the Verbena."
Thorn said as he accepted your support and started walking, he was very unsteady.
"And yes I probably will be."
As you left the Progenitor doctor's office you see what have to be the Verbena delegation hurrying towards it, there where six of them and a small, pale haired boy. The group of witches seamed relieved to see that Thorn was alive though they did frown a bit at the door to the good doctor's domain.
"Thorn thank the Old Gods you are alive, when Tressa told me she had to leave you wounded and flee to get her apprentice to safety I feared the worst."
A very tall, robust woman nearing middle years with hair it was hard to decide if was brown or red in a short braid and wearing a simple, green dress embroidered with the Verbena symbol along the hem and bell sleeves said. Thorn gave the woman as good of a bow as he could in his condition.
"Your concern warm my heart Lady Arden."
He said respectfully.
"I do seam to be on the mend."
He added. A woman that was dressed in an explosion of colors who stood with the small blond boy gave Thorn and apologetic look.
"Forgive me for abandoning you brother, but I had to get my student to safety and I could not carry you."
She said regretfully and Thorn nodded.
"There is no hard feelings Tressa, I understand."
He said and gave the woman a reassuring smile.

The one named Lady Arden turned to you, if this was a diplomatic delegation then she was the diplomat from how reverently the other witches treated her, and the woman had an air of nobility about her, she did not wear any fancy jewelry, only silver hoops in her ears, a wedding ring on her finger, a silver necklace with an occult symbol and a sickle similar to the one you had restored for Beatrice in her belt, but she had the demeanor of a queen.
"I thank you Sir for taking care of Thorn."
The woman said politely.
"If you give me your name I will mention your kind deed to the Prima herself when next I speak with her."

Adley:

There did not seam to be anyone taking particular note of you, a few glanced to see what the commotion was about though and a wounded person always drew a few glances. Lori was not completely unconscious but she was heavily sedated and did not seam to be very aware of her surroundings, she looked at you and smiled though it was doubtful that she saw you and not something from her own mind given all the drugs in her system, throwing her over your shoulder would probably not be a problem or noticed.

Behind the car rental shop there was no one. You see that Jeffry was already on the phone with, presumably Narim about getting home, then there was a shimmering in the air and he muttered.
"He is one of the quickest technomancers I know."
Under his breath before he added.
"Thank you Master Sharaya."
More loudly over the phone and indicated the shimmering area for you before he stepped through and vanished again. Looking at the slightly distorted area in the air you could sort of feel Steelhaven on the other side, while you could not see it you almost knew by instinct that it was there. Hannah glanced at you, she knew you would insist she went through first, so instead of protesting she just did.

[Adley]

Adley waited for Hannah to go through the portal; indeed he did not want her to go last. When she looked at him, he nodded to her and then towards the shimmering area with his chin, still keeping lookout for anyone that might see them. Once she was through and if it was also clear from any one that he could see that might catch them in the act of porting, he will then carry the Etherite through with him. Mentally, he felt as if he had his fingers crossed for his cabalmate's well-being while they changed the guard, so to speak.

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