"You'll watch out for any…tricks, won't you?" Julia asked.

She stood with Ithshar and the Thornalûn, watching as a commotion unfolded all across the South Quarter. Elves packed up what meager belongings they had and moved to warehouses being staged as refuges from the coming assault. Mahven and his people had handpicked a few of the larger warehouses around the quarter that were reasonably defensible.

Apparently, they had been preparing for something like this for a long time. Much of the work was proceeding alarmingly smoothly for such a large operation, speaking to the thought and practice that had been dedicated to the subject.

Julia wasn't stupid—she recognized that Mahven had likely been trying to manipulate her in the meeting. His plea about "All we can do is try to survive" or whatever was a flavor of hopelessness he didn't seem capable of. It was a sob story to try and motivate Julia's intervention.

She was fine with it in this case because it aligned with what she'd already decided—which she also realized was itself a rationalization. But, as Ithshar had said: motivations mattered, but outcomes mattered even more.

She'd spent a great deal of time considering everything that had transpired since her arrival in the city, with Cass's words in particular bouncing around her mind incessantly. The decision she'd eventually reached was that she needed to focus on her primary goal: the Nashiin.

Considering her near certainty that the leader of the Nashiin was this mysterious Overlord who ruled the city, accomplishing her primary goal would (hopefully) have a ripple effect on the rest of the city.

This Overlord was responsible for the hatred and resentment directed at the elves, so eliminating it would serve her other objective of improving the elves' conditions as well.

"Of course. There is nothing Mahven can try that I have not seen before. He is very much like his brother," Ithshar assured with a smile.

"His brother? You know his family?" Julia asked, puzzled.

Ithshar glanced at Julia with an arched brow.

"You knew him too, Julia. Mahven Shûratalûn-Veshari, brother of Yathil Shûratalûn-Veshari," she declared.

Julia felt like her brain flipped upside down, the reveal seeming so obvious. She'd heard his name before—why didn't she make the connection?

"Wait, I thought Yathil's brother was killed by a Ghamhûr?" Julia asked.

Ithshar merely shrugged.

"That is what Yathil believed. Who is to say how he survived, or why he fled Tûrathiin entirely rather than returning?" she said.

Julia shook her head—it wasn't important right now.

"Well, regardless, please watch him. He seems like the sort to do whatever he thinks is necessary—no matter anyone else's opinion. I worry that he'll take a far more lethal approach to this than I intended," she said.

"Indeed. His conviction is admirable, while his motivation is questionable. I will watch him," Ithshar assured.

"Thanks," Julia said with a smile.

"I am surprised you have not mentioned Cassandra," Ithshar said, giving Julia a healthy amount of side-eye.

"What about her?" she asked.

"Her motivations are even more questionable. I cannot figure her out, Julia. She is…here—but not. Her presence feels like a curtain hung over a doorway—when you pierce through, there's simply nothing behind it," Ithshar explained.

Julia struggled to understand what she meant, but Ithshar didn't seem to be intentionally cryptic. She seemed to struggle to find a way to explain what she felt, which was something Julia had yet to see her do.

"Well, she'll be out here with you, right? You can watch her, too. That was actually what I meant when I asked you to watch Mahven. Those two are sort of a suspicious pair in my mind—insofar as this specific issue is concerned," Julia said, attempting to brush the subject aside.

Cass's words had spent enough time banging around in her skull. She didn't want to think about them—or her—more.

She had spent the entire night after the incident deliberating, and she'd realized that—despite Cass clearly attempting to sway Julia to her side—she was right. Julia tried to think about anything she believed firmly, any guiding principles by which she lived, and came up empty-handed.

What did she believe? It was easy to say that people shouldn't be killed—that was obvious, but it wasn't really a belief so much as an incomplete thought. Should people never be killed? What about in self defence? What about in defence of another? Things weren't so simple.

She'd mulled it over and, although she was still in her moral infancy, she'd come up with a few things that she believed applied to all sapients within civilization:

All sapient beings deserve access to the basic necessities of survival: food, water, and suitable shelter.

All sapient beings deserve the right to self-determination.

It wasn't a long list, but she felt comfortable that she'd nailed down the basics—at least had solid ground to stand on.

Admittedly, she was inspired a great deal by Braden's ethics. He seldom sat her down for an actual discussion of ethics and morals, but his own personal beliefs could be found in nearly every aspect of his life: how he lived, what he said, and the things he did.

He'd regaled her semi-frequently with tales about his mysterious homeland, and how monarchies had largely been overthrown. He spoke about how abhorrent things like slavery were—institutions and structures that robbed people of their ability to self-determine.

Even though he never specifically outlined what he considered these 'inalienable rights,' Julia had heard enough to get the gist.

As she thought about those fundamental rights, she realized that the elves were very close to having none. Their right to self-determination was almost non-existent, and most had unreliable access to even the most basic necessities of life.

Their situation was dire, which she already knew, but having quantifiable metrics to compare their circumstances against really punctuated the abhorrence of their conditions.

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She'd made the decision—in the early hours of the morning, when the sun was still tossing and turning in bed—to help the elves with their revolt. It was going to happen with or without her participation, and she felt she could, at the very least, increase their odds of success while reducing the bloodshed—ideally.

The smell of blood and death threatened to fill her nose as the image of elves being stabbed with pitchforks and cut down by guards intruded into her thoughts once again, the merest thought of the color red invoking it. She shook her head to clear it—that was in the past. What mattered now was ensuring the future was less bloody.

If she could just cut the head off this snake, the body would die much easier.

"Very well. I do have two eyes. I suppose I could simply use one for Mahven and the other for Cassandra," Ithshar joked.

Elaine stumbled, nearly falling down the stairs as the ground shook. She caught herself on the handrail just in time to leap the rest of the way down. She landed with as much dignity as she could recover from such a fall and hurried into the main hall.

The Guild was bustling with frantic activity, both members and staff rushing this way and that. Some simply stood leaning against a wall or a counter, unsure how to help but wanting to be present. Others fussed with furniture or fiddled with weapons, jittery and wanting to keep busy.

Elaine ran up to Gareth and Rowena, who she found standing among a large group of other students—her entire class seemed to be present.

"What's going on?! Why does the ground keep shaking?!" she exclaimed as she approached.

Gareth and Rowena turned toward her, but before they could respond, a cry rang out from the center of the hall.

"Them spike-ears've gone too far this time! They think they can bring all their violence over from Tip Town? They're wrong!" a man whose voice Elaine immediately recognized shouted.

"Find the terrorists! Show 'em we ain't no harmless merchants they can 'ave their ways with!" Terrance bellowed to the crowd's uproarious assent.

"Stand down!" Wilfred suddenly yelled from the second floor balcony. "You know very well that the Guild's official position is that the city of Vazreth's military is responsible for the merchant attacks and neutrality toward any political conflicts.

"Guild members are called on during times of upheaval and unrest to defend the Guild and those seeking shelter within it, not to join the fighting. If you leave, you abandon your duties and go without Guild approval. In other words, you are on your own; the Guild will not protect you from the repercussions of your actions."

The room was silent for a moment, and perhaps that is what made her arrival so noticeable.

Vrump!

Julia suddenly manifested in the center of the hall just a couple strides from Terrance and his crowd of adventurers, who all turned their weapons toward her, defaulting to defensive stances in their surprise.

"Huh. Guild's busy today," Julia remarked coolly as she examined the crowd before her.

"The fuck're you goin'?" Terrance asked, his weapon and shield raised, as if she might charge him at any moment.

"What business is it of yours?" she asked, still scanning the hall, seemingly looking for something.

"Don't bullshit me. I know you been buddy-buddy with them spike-ears since you got here! You're part of their terrorist attack, ain't'cha?!" he accused, his voice growing louder as he recovered from his shock.

Julia's eyes ceased their roaming to focus on Terrance, her face darkening.

"You might be the dumbest person on this entire planet, Terrance. You know that?" she said with a sigh.

"You saw the Nashiin with your own two eyes, right outside of town. You heard the Guild declaration that they have been attacking the merchant caravans. Yet, you jump at the opportunity to direct your anger and resentment at the elves?

"That's naked bigotry—you're a bad person, Terrance, and I really don't have time for you," she said firmly.

Terrance's face grew red, and his compatriots seemed equally incensed, as though she were insulting all of them. He opened his mouth to respond, but Julia plowed forward without letting him.

"Since you asked, I'm going to eliminate the leader of the Nashiin, which has always been my mission. It's why I came to Vazreth in the first place. The Overlord of this city is leading the undead, and has been for years.

"Over a million elves were killed in the war between the Jadhariin and the Nashiin, and even now, more elves die fighting for the basic dignity guaranteed to all sapients. Your blockade might have given me pause even just a day ago, but as of right now, I will not sacrifice any more of their lives trying to convince you to be a decent person.

"I am going to fulfill my mission, and if you stand in my way, I will go through you," she declared, her jaw set, face determined.

The room was deathly quiet as adventurers traded looks. It was clear that many didn't recognize—or didn't know—Julia, but the ones that did were sending waves of apprehension through the crowd. They were clearly interested neither in fighting her nor even being present if a fight broke out that involved her.

"Miss Julia," Wilfred spoke into the silence, "I understand your position, and it brings me no joy to say so, but the Guild's official—"

"I get it, Wilfred. If you think you can stop me, try. Otherwise, stay out of my way," Julia interrupted, never taking her eyes off Terrance and his gang.

The Guild Master merely sighed and shook his head before retreating back into his office and closing the door gently behind him.

Elaine suddenly noticed that she was breathing quickly, her heart pounding so hard that she thought it might be moving her tunic—she should've put her robe on, dammit! It would've identified her as a caster to anyone familiar with the unwritten Guild standards, but it was also quite loose. It wouldn't have given her nervousness away so obviously.

Internal Guild conflicts weren't covered by her schooling—or they hadn't been yet, at least. What should she do? Was a fight between Guild members really going to break out—in the main hall, no less?!

She took a deep breath, and then—almost without thinking—ran forward. She reached Julia's side—who glanced at her with a small smile—and held her hands out. Harsh streaks of fire carved into the air above her open palms and shifted into balls of bright, hot flames the size of apples. They sizzled and dripped fire like a liquid that fwooshed onto the stone floor below.

"I believe you, Julia. I'm with you," she said, proud of herself for keeping her voice steady.

To her surprise, a sword unsheathed behind her, followed by the familiar sound of knives being drawn. She'd been so occupied with her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed that Rowena and Gareth had followed her.

"I as well," Gareth declared.

Rowena nodded.

"Well, my students are quite brave," Mr. Pitwyck said, lightning crackling around his arm as he took his place behind them.

Elaine smiled. It was much easier to be brave when surrounded by your friends, she realized.

"I appreciate all of you, and your willingness to aid me, but it is unnecessary," Julia chuckled.

The smile left her face as she returned her gaze back to Terrance.

"Final warning," she said ominously.

Terrance seemed to think for a moment, but his face quickly twisted into a snarl, and he opened his mouth—likely to hurl insults, or maybe deliver a battle cry—but Julia interrupted yet again.

"So be it," she said quietly, and then…Elaine wasn't sure what happened exactly.

One moment Julia was standing across from Terrance, her hands on her hips. The next, Terrance—along with his entire brigade—seemed to have…sunk into the stone floor. That was what it looked like to Elaine, at least. Their entire bodies were beneath the stone, with only their faces from the nose up still above it.

There were no scuff marks, no cracks, and nothing to hint how they'd been buried. It was as if the stone had turned to water specifically to swallow them before hardening again—and it all happened faster than Elaine could even perceive.

"Dealing with goons like Terrance? Child's play," Julia said over her shoulder with a wink.

That was so cool! How did she do that?! Elaine thought with a wide smile.

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