Walter's hotel building was a few rows rimward from Isaac and Lenna's, marking it as a high quality establishment but not one fit for foreign dignitaries or royalty. The kitchen actually closed at the normal time but the dining area wasn't locked so they were able to use it at their leisure. Much like the rest of the buildings that Isaac and Lenna had been in, the floors, walls, and ceilings were all decorated in the city colors of green, gold, and white, with some tans used here and there.

"How long does it take to make one of these buildings?" Isaac wondered as they walked through the lobby to get to the dining room.

"With magic and a highly skilled construction crew, a month per story per tenth of a block." Walter explained. "Ages."

Isaac thought back to how big the building had been as they walked around and entered it. From his memory and guestimations, it was around a third of the block on one side and a fourth on the other. It was also seven stories tall. "Three point three by two by seven…" Isaac whispered to himself. "Fifty seven months?! That's nearly five years!" He couldn't help but exclaim.

Walter thought for a moment as they walked before he nodded. "The larger rooms make it easier and quicker. It took them about four years for this building after it was destroyed a century or so ago." He agreed. "Most of the fine work's done by hand, with only the foundation and skeleton of the walls made of conjured stone."

"Doesn't that make it weaker?" Isaac wondered.

Walter nodded. "It does, that's why there's so much magical reinforcement everywhere."

Isaac, Lenna, Walter, and Gypsy took their seats at one of the corner tables to wait for Xlen. The large dining room, with three dozen circular tables, was entirely empty save for the three living, and one living-adjacent, beings. They chatted for nearly twenty minutes before Xlen walked in and quickly spotted them. The old warrior apologized for making them wait and took his seat at the table. He then started unloading all of the treats and teas given to them. Thankfully, he had been given a list of everything that had been stored inside so it was easy enough for him to remove everything one tray at a time. Once he was done, the four humanoids started pouring their own teas and chomping down on more delicious sweets.

"Thank you for waiting." Xlen said and nodded towards Lenna. "Unless my memory has faded, you were about to disclose the nature of your Wish."

Lenna nodded and took a sip of her tea. Lenna hadn't removed her helmet since they had left their hotel room but her faceplate had been missing for quite a while. That being said, Lenna felt the need to show Xlen her entire face before she explained what miracle she wanted Cainen to perform. Lenna removed her helmet and sat it down gently on the table next to her. "I want our strands of fate to become one."

Xlen stopped with his teacup halfway to his mouth. He slowly sat the cup back down on the table and took her in with all of her exposed and open seriousness. "As in, to become the same entity?" He questioned with concern clear in his voice.

Lenna shook her head. "No. I simply wish to share our time on Primatia. I want to live and die together. Connected for all of time." She explained a bit better than she had the time before.

Xlen let out a deep sigh of relief. "Like in the story of the scarred hero." He said more to himself than to Lenna but she nodded in agreement anyway. "I see." He contemplated for a long moment as the rest of the table enjoyed the sweets and teas. "That might be possible." He told Lenna and looked up from his tea to meet her gaze. "I hope that you have earned the favor of Fate, Luck, or someone with the capabilities to bargain with Fate." He sighed. "Otherwise, there are way too many ways that it can go wrong. Wishes only go as according to plan as the powers that be decide."

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Lenna nodded in understanding. "Isn't the Fatebreaker a master at causing wishes to activate as intended?" Lenna questioned the wish granter's bodyguard.

"He is not." Xlen replied simply. "He is, however, well versed in foresight. He uses that skill to foresee the future outcomes and either change the request or prepare to deal with the consequences ahead of time."

"So there is a decently high chance that this goes sideways." Isaac surmised.

"Just so." Xlen agreed. "Unless, as previously mentioned, you have friends in very high places."

"We are both blessed by Lua." Isaac told him. "There aren't that many deities as high on the important and power ladders as her, are there?"

Xlen shook his head. "There are not." He agreed. "However, are you positive that she will be willing to pay the price of a favor to Fate in order to ensure that your wish is granted properly?"

"We'll have to ask her." Isaac replied with a shrug. "We will just have to wait until the night before the full moon, just so she has time to spare."

"Speaking of time," Xlen began. "your soul damage might require attention before the wish can be granted."

Isaac's eye twitched. "I figured but it still irks me to hear." He confessed.

"You can meet with Cainen, one and a half hours after lunch begins, tomorrow." Xlen told them. "He will tell you if, when, and where the wish will take place. He will also tell you if your soul damage will need to be healed first or not."

"Just like that?" Isaac wondered. "Where do we go? Will someone come and get us?"

"Cainen is staying on the ninth floor of the royal hospital and temple." Xlen informed them. "Walter or Gypsy can show you the way."

Walter nodded. "He hasn't moved then?"

"Across the hall to the smaller room." Xlen explained. "We had hoped that it would keep the amount of busybodies lower." He sighed deeply. "But now they are just more cramped."

Walter chuckled. "Lady Ashborne's tonics are still working?" He questioned. She was his mother-in-law, technically, and also his adopted mother, also technically, but she was the one that the 'old man' would murder anyone in cold blood for disrespecting, so it was better to just always be as polite as possible when referring to her.

"They are, mostly." Xlen confirmed. "He is still deteriorating, but so slowly that his time can be measured in weeks, maybe months. We should have buried him three years ago." He shifted his attention back towards Lenna. "If your wish is granted, then some might call the fact that he is still even alive an act of Fate."

Lenna nodded. "Yes." She agreed. "I have felt like meeting Isaac was an act of Fate since I first laid eyes on him. Fate and Lua's machinations."

"Fate and Lua…" Xlen parroted. "That wouldn't make any sense… unless… no. That's not actually possible, is it?" Xlen went on under his breath. Whatever insane thing he was processing was apparently not something he was willing to share, because after a minute of him going on like that, Isaac had asked what was on his mind. After a quick denial, Xlen had struck up a casual conversation with Walter about Philia which had branched onto the topic of the lindwyrm and what the military council had decided would be the best way to handle it. Time, sweets, and tea passed like that until it was nearly midnight. At that point, all of the sweets and most of the tea was gone so Xlen packed it all back up, and bid the group a goodnight, before he headed off to bed.

Once Xlen had left, Isaac turned to Walter. "What do you think?" He asked the artificer.

"About what?" Walter wondered.

"The wish, Lua and Fate, it's odds of success." Isaac went on. He trusted Walter's experience and his judgment hadn't been wrong so far, at least not in anything that they had dealt with together, so Isaac was inclined to get his opinion at the very least. Especially because the other reincarnator had been told most of Isaac and Lenna's stories up until that point.

Walter hummed in thought for a moment as he actually gave Isaac's questions some serious thought. "I think Lua'd be willing to help you, I just don't know if she's got enough sway to throw around at the moment. It all depends on what she's been up to." He replied. "Worst case, you already owe the Reaper a favor, owe him another equal to whatever favor he'd have to owe Fate. You have to be able to function if he is ever gonna cash in on the favor that you already owe him, right?"

Isaac nodded in agreement with everything that Walter had said. "Right on all accounts." Isaac told him.

"I'd give it high odds of success, especially if Lua has been working as hard for you two as it seems like she is." Walter stated. "I don't know why she's taken such a liking to you, but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Take any blessings, literal or figurative, when and where you can get 'em."

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