Private Rokanan's World

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise held her breath. Her master made a decision in only a matter of seconds, but it felt much longer. Finally, Amani relented. Eloise exhaled a sigh of relief. Despite all her bravado, she didn’t want to have to do this alone.

“Send a message to the rebels,” she commanded the Zaathri. “Have them meet us in the field between their camp and the city. Tell them we wish to talk.”

Once the messenger had been dispatched, she walked to her war mount’s side. A saddle was already hitched to his back in expectation of her arrival. Eloise straddled him with practiced ease, her arms encircling his waist. Rokanan’s four-fingered hands trembled slightly as he laid them over hers, as though he hadn’t truly believed in her return until he felt her touch.

“In the meantime…” She leaned forward until her face was between his eyestalks, prompting him to tip his head back to look at her. “We have preparations to make. Calibos, you’ll be Amani’s mount.”

Star excitedly climbed onto his own Zaathri. “I’ll go get Caspian and Julian and Percy!” he exclaimed.

“Absolutely not,” Eloise snapped. “You’re staying here with them.”

“But if we all go together, they’ll know the Pantheon means business,” Star whined. “Come on, Louise!”

“No,” she said firmly. “You’re too young. It’s too dangerous.”

Star bitterly turned to head back inside the city’s walls. Eloise chewed her lip. “Starlin,” she called out. “If this doesn’t work, I’ll send word to you. You can make thunder and lightning and set it upon the rebels then.”

This small allowance seemed to appease the boy, who smiled a little as he passed through the gates. Eloise waited for Amani to mount Calibos before she bid Rokanan ride forth.

---

The meeting place was a barren patch of open desert. Star’s storm continued to rage, dark clouds blocking out the worst of the sun’s rays, but the air was humid and heavy with the promise of rain. The rebel leaders had yet to arrive.

Eloise sat astride Rokanan, eyes fixed on the enemy camp in the distance. “I’m not used to diplomacy,” she admitted to Amani while they waited. “Apart from the occasional aggressive negotiations. So… I could use a few pointers, if you have any.”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

It was settled, then. Eloise began relaying instructions to her people, including one she designated as Amani's mount. The mirialan looked towards him quizzically— There was something about a sapient individual taking the role of a steed that felt a little odd, but she buried that line of overthought quickly. Star was eager to join in, but was quickly shut down by his sister; Albeit with a small appeasement to his case in the event things went wrong. "Are those your other siblings?" Amani asked, regarding the names Starlin had mentioned.

Tentatively, the Jedi hopped onto Caliban, shifting in discomfort before forcing herself to settle so that they might move on. Soon after they were off, towards the great army waiting on the dunes.

---

Amani contemplated the situation with typical Jedi stoicism. Her gaze unfixed, cycling between the enemy camp, her apprentice, and some unparticular point in the desert expanse. After a long silence, Eloise asked for some advice, and she slowly turned her eyes back towards the girl. Someone her age shouldn't have to be negotiating the nuances of warfare. Hiding thousands of lives on her success here or on the battlefield. Silently she cursed the matter, her parents who had dealt Eloise this hand. Whatever genuine love they seemed to have for their children was offset by an equal measure of negligence.

"…We came to them before the battle had even started. They'll consider it a sign of weakness," Amani nodded her head as if to admit it was, to an extent. They were here for mercy, "And use it as leverage in our negotiations."

"Find out what they seek from this fight. If it something that can be exchanged without violence, it should at least be considered. Compromise is crucial, but so is conviction. If they think you a pushover to be exploited, they will pounce on the opportunity to do so. So be firm; Reasonable, but demanding in your own right. Whatever they might get out of this will be given, not taken," Amani studied Eloise, as if to make sure she understood.

"Just also remember that, ultimately, your people's lives are worth more than your family's dignity."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

“Yeah,” Eloise muttered in answer. “They’re even younger than he is.” By only about a year, but still. “Only one he didn’t mention was Altrea. She’s in Nacria, which is probably where we’ll be going after we’re done here…”

The two of them lapsed into silence on the way to the meeting spot. Both had a lot to think about. Amani was a stranger in a strange land, trying to find her footing on this alien planet. Eloise was grappling with the huge responsibility thrust upon her, thousands of lives now dependent on her ability to navigate a dangerous situation. She was used to war, but she wasn’t used to being the lone leader of an army. Usually she had her parents to rely upon, her mother supporting her on crusade and her father helping her with the details…

She tried not to think about those days, pushing the memories out of her mind. Instead she focused on her master’s voice, and the words issuing forth from her dark green mouth. Eloise expected to hear a lot of high-minded Jedi philosophy about morality or peace; what Amani actually offered was a tactical examination of the situation and how the rebels thought. The advice certainly seemed solid enough…

“Thanks,” Eloise muttered. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll just blame you.” An attempt at a joke, albeit a very dry one at that. “Do you have some kind of Jedi power that allows you to understand what they’re saying, even though you don’t speak the language? Would be useful.”

A small party appeared in the distance, riding out from the enemy camp. They flew makeshift banners and standards that flapped wildly in the breeze. Eloise reached for the leather pouch Star had given her. Picking out one of the stones and closing her fist around it, she took a deep breath, but didn’t enact the transformation. Not yet.

The rebels arrived amid a cloud of dust and stamping hooves. Most were Shaal riding on the backs of Zaathri slaves, along with a few lucky Zaathri who stood to gain from a regime change. One Shaal cantered ahead of the rest, boldly riding out to meet them. He was called Potiphar, and he was the rebel leader.

“More false gods?” he asked, glancing at Eloise and Amani. “The invaders from the stars must breed like vermin, that so many have come among us.”

“False gods or not, we have powers beyond your comprehension,” Eloise warned. “The Holy City is under our protection. Leave this place in peace, or you will die.”

Potiphar only laughed. “Dev Ossian told me all about your powers. You are not gods. You’re no better than a village shaman. And you can be killed by the sword like a shaman, too. You leave this place at once, or you will die!”

So he wanted all of the false gods gone. But that would mean taking the Dinn children away from Zaathru. “I’m not legally an adult,” she said, speaking to Amani in Basic. “I can’t bring my siblings to Coruscant to live with me. They’d be taken away, and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.” Her desperate expression hardened. "Besides, I doubt this schutta would uphold his end of the bargain. It would be too easy to attack the city once we're no longer there to protect it."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Kind of," Amani answered, "It's difficult to use with such an isolated language." Nor was it really her specialty. But perhaps the Dinn's experience here would have, in a sense, 'opened up' the language to translation. The mirialan stilled her mind, focusing the necessary power as the opposing negotiators arrived. She remained silent, letting Eloise take the lead while she concentrated on the words.

There wasn't much in the way of diplomacy. A few insults, a few threats, until ultimately a call came for the false gods to leave their city. Eloise seemed skeptical they would uphold the bargain, and had no interest in her siblings being taken away. "You think leaving them here would be better for them? Safer?" Amani raised an eyebrow at the situation they were now currently in, "We can take them to the Jedi temple. They'll be accommodated there, and still with you." She offered. The Jedi were nothing if not a home for wayward Force-sensitive souls, and with her position it wouldn't be too difficult to make some kind of arrangement, surely. Even if so, it left the question of the rebels' trustworthiness.

"You can translate?" Amani asked, clearly having something she wanted to say to them.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"You think leaving them here would be better for them? Safer?"

“In some ways, yes.” Eloise looked at the Zaathri in their group. “This is their homeworld, the place where they were born. They’re surrounded by loyal friends and faithful servants they’ve known their whole lives. The galaxy outside Zaathru isn’t exactly a safe place either. There’s always some war going on, only out there they have devastating weapons that can destroy whole planets.”

She didn’t like the idea of bringing them to the Jedi Temple, but she couldn’t exactly expect Amani to understand why. “Will they be trained as Jedi?” she asked, looking down at Rokanan’s shuffling hooves. “I don’t think they’d like that.”

Not that it would matter whether they liked it or not. They were children. They didn’t know what was good for them. She just didn’t want to foster resentment among her brothers and sisters.

"You can translate?"

“Yeah. What do you want to say?”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"When the people find out that your family has been living a lie— Exploiting them for personal gain— Will your siblings still be safe?" Amani asked pensively. Speaking generally, most people didn't react too kindly to learning that their lives were built around deception. Certainly not when that deception is used as a method of control. And if people got upset enough, it might not matter how "nice" the Dinns may or may not have been to them.

“Will they be trained as Jedi?”

"Not necessarily," Amani shrugged, "We can't very well force them into conversion, though they'd of course still be subject to Jedi oversight, living in the temple." Basically, the children didn't have to be Jedi themselves, but they definitely couldn't be Sith either. It was a delicate situation, but their options were limited. And the children living here is why they were now dealing with this mess.

Amani hopped off of her steed, and approached the rival party. She nodded at Eloise to signal she was ready to speak. Her gaze then fell again to Potiphar, "We are not gods." She said plainly, "But our power still eclipses your own. I serve a mighty order dedicated to our kind. The size of an army, but worth a hundred more. And behind them, a nation of trillions. Spanning thousands of planets, all unified under a common goal of righteousness."

Amani glared unwaveringly, "This army of yours is a mild disruption, in comparison. All it would take is a single call. And as a representative of this Alliance, I tell you these people are under our protection now," She gestured back towards the city, "The false gods will leave. But in return you must vow to never seek conquest against the people who live here. And— You must free your slaves."

"We do not stand for these barbaric practices. And it has done nothing but invalidate your position."

"Do we have a deal?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"When the people find out that your family has been living a lie— Exploiting them for personal gain—Will your siblings still be safe?"

Eloise felt the old familiar sting of hatred toward her parents, making her grit her teeth in anger. They had put her in this situation. This was their responsibility—they should’ve been the ones dealing with this. But they were gone, and it fell to Eloise to clean up the mess.

“Forget it. The kids have to stay here.” She fixed green eyes upon her master, her gaze subdued but unyielding. She was hiding something. “For now, anyway. Taking them would cause too many problems, and the situation is already bad enough as it is.”

Eloise waited until Amani was finished, her brow furrowing. Translating the Mirialan’s words was easier said than done. While she began by stating that they were not gods, she went on to refer to things which for the Shaal were intrinsically linked to divinity: supernatural power, ships that sailed in the sky, and other worlds beyond their own. Likewise, there was no word in the Shaalite tongue for trillions, only a general term for an uncountable or infinite amount with similarly deific connotations.

“You’re threatening them with the wrath of the gods,” Eloise warned. “Ships descending from the sky with armies from other worlds? That is divine retribution in their eyes. Whether they scoff at you and call you a liar or cower in fear, that is how they will understand it. I might as well put on my goddess costume and tell them Damara has returned.” The smooth pebble in her hand felt heavier all of a sudden.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"That doesn't leave us with much room for negotiation," Amani strained through clenched teeth. Without the false gods leaving, why should the rebels' listen to anything they had to say. On top of that, Eloise waited to bother translating, and explained that the rebels would still see Amani's claims as divine in interpretation. The mirialan groaned, "Then they need to redefine godhood." A tinge of wryness snuck in as she said it— Another thing technically easier said than done— An entire culture confronting their very understanding of divinity.

"Tell them what I said," Amani reaffirmed, then set her gaze on their leader once more, "And I will show them," She used her Jedi powers to forge a telepathic link between herself, Potiphar, and a few of his cronies. Through this, she would project mental images in line with her demands. Images from her own memory; Jedi training, Alliance fleets, great battles that spanned worlds. When it was all said and done, she asked again, "Do we have a deal?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise frowned and looked away. It hadn’t been her intention to leave them with nothing to bargain with, but no doubt it looked intentional. Deep down she did want to just kill these rebels and be done with it.

Amani’s insistence on diplomacy wasn’t the only thing holding back her bloodlust, though. She was also terrified of being sucked back into her old life. Just sitting astride Rokanan again and breathing in his musky scent made her feel as if no time had passed, no progress had been made, nothing lost or gained. She was still Damara, still the goddess, a girl waging war against the slavers. The pebble in her hand felt hotter than ever, slippery in her sweaty palm.

She translated what her master had said, omitting the part where the false gods would leave Zaathru. Then, Amani improvised. Cries and gasps of shock spread through the ranks as she reached into the minds of the rebels, showing them visions of the galaxy. With these things came understanding at last—and a cold, bleak terror which suddenly filled the atmosphere like the storm young Starlin had brewed in the east.

"Do we have a deal?"

Potiphar stared at Amani with wide eyes. He shook in his saddle, his hand trembling as he made a gesture to his men which restored some semblance of order.

“We will go,” he said in a low voice, as though afraid it would arouse the offworlders’ anger if he spoke too loud. At the same time, he spoke slowly and with great difficulty—swallowing his pride was like pulling teeth, but it was clear he knew better than to pick a fight with an enemy of this magnitude. “The City… is yours. So are the slaves.”

The members of the Holy City’s envoy were astonished at how easily they had given up, having no idea what had occurred. But their surprise soon gave way to jubilant cries and ululations. They had defeated the rebels without even having to draw blood. Clearly their enemies were cowards who believed in lies. Their gods had won another great victory for them!

Eloise released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and quickly slipped the polished stone back into its pouch. Watching the rebels depart with their tails between their legs, she wasn’t so naïve as to believe this was the end of the rebellion, but it was at least the end of her involvement in the conflict for the time being. “Now we need to find Marcus,” she said, turning to Amani. “Wherever he is...”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

The gambit seemed to have worked. At least for now. The rebels who bore witness to Amani's visions were left aghast, surrendering the city and their slaves in one fell swoop. The Jedi was able to relax her mounting tension as they turned away, only to replace it with a sigh. Perhaps the rebels would regain their nerve with time, and eventually return with fresh bloodlust, and trouble would begin anew. Not to mention the distant celebrations of the people in the city reminded her that this action likely only reinforced their presupposed divinity.

At least today was a victory. Amani watched the rebels crest back behind the dunes, then settled her gaze on her padawan, "Do you have any theories on who took him?" She asked. It was another "god", according to Starlin. A winged one. But beyond that he had little information to offer, and Amani had no experience with Zaathru, "Perhaps there's some evidence left behind in his room?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Do you have any theories on who took him?"

"Yes," she said. "But I'll need more information first." No use going off half-cocked. "Whoever it is, they're probably outside the range of the portals. We'll have to travel the old-fashioned way. You should try to get a message back to Coruscant and let people know you'll be gone for a few days."

"Perhaps there's some evidence left behind in his room?"

"Good a place as any to start."

---

Upon their arrival at the palace, the other Dinn children happily welcomed Eloise and Amani. They initially seemed eager to help find Marcus, but as time passed Julian and Persephone drifted away. This didn't surprise Eloise in the slightest. Julian barely knew the rest of the family, having spent much of his time away from home, and Percy... well. She was the Goddess of Wickedness and Wealth; the only things that could hold her interest were her cruelties and trinkets.

Starlin and Caspian remained with Eloise and Amani, accompanying them around the demesne. Caspian was about a year younger than Starlin and looked wildly different from the rest of his family, with his black hair and dark eyes. His skin was ashen white and his body was thin, with the gaunt features and sharp gaze common among those who are suffering from a wasting illness. But it wasn't just his appearance which was alarming. There was something distinctly off about his aura in the Force. Amani would sense it the moment she first encountered the sickly boy, but unless she was brazen enough to ask, Eloise wasn't going to volunteer an explanation.

They entered Marcus' bedroom. Apart from his bed, which remained an island of humanity, most of the massive room was dominated by a miniature zoo. He had collected numerous pets over the years, both big and small and covering virtually all phylums of the animal kingdom. His younger siblings had attempted to care for these creatures in his absence, but the children's upkeep was woefully inconsistent. The enclosures needed cleaning and a few of the animals looked underfed.

"The crystal snake escaped," Starlin said with his mouth full. He was snacking on leftover food from dinner. "It bit the cook before we caught it."

"I caught it," Caspian corrected him. His voice was like dead leaves blowing. "It didn't bite me."

Eloise looked around. "I don't know where to begin. The window?" She walked over, stepping carefully over various enclosures along the way, and looked out. "You said she flew in and out. Did she leave feathers behind?"

"She's probably a shapeshifter," Caspian theorized. "There is no species in the galaxy with black wings, horns, and human feet. There are Shi'ido scattered across this planet, the survivors of crashes. It makes sense."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

With the threat of rebellion abated for now, the master and apprentice set their sights on rescuing Marcus. Amani made her call home, giving her family a prolonged farewell, and a more professional one to the Council. They were greeted by the remaining Dinns at the estate, though gradually some of them flaked off as the proceedings continued. Amani formulated her own questions and curiosities about the family, but didn't press any of them aloud.

Marcus' bedroom effectively doubled as a menagerie with the amount of animals inside. Although in his absence, some were faring worse than others. Amani noticed as much quickly; Being a medic with a clientele of numerous biologies inadvertently gave her some cross-discipline veterinary insight. She frowned, "Where is their food kept?" Amani couldn't help but ask, before they refocused on the primary task at hand.

Starlin theorized a Shi'ido. Not a bad guess given the context, and the culprit's unique appearance; experienced Shi'ido could effectively change their appearance to anything they could imagine, "Was that your thinking as well?" Amani asked Eloise.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Where is their food kept?"

Starlin pointed to the feed bags. "Some of them have to have their meals fresh," he said. "Marcus would catch their prey and bring them back for them."

"Dispatch some of the servants to catch their food, then," Eloise ordered. While Starlin went to do just that, her attention was drawn toward one cage in particular. She reached inside and pulled out a small, very old snow mouse. "Nostremous," she murmured, holding up the rodent. "Daddy, can you see us? Do you know what's happening here?"

The mouse gazed back at her with wizened eyes, whiskers twitching. But Arcturus Dinn didn't appear in a puff of smoke or make any indication that he had heard her call through the ears of Nostremous. She stroked the mouse gently, her expression unreadable.

"Was that your thinking as well?"

"Yeah," Eloise muttered. "The only Shi'ido 'goddess' I know of lives across the sea. We've never seen her, and I thought she didn't know we existed…"

She approached Marcus' desk. It was strewn with drawings, the early works of a budding artist. She shifted through the papers, flipping through sketches of animals, Zaathri, Shaal, and her own relatives, pausing briefly over a portrait of herself clad in her goddess raiment. He had done it with charcoal, depicting the rich blacks of her gown with thick smears of soot, dark streaks running down her white cheeks like tears.

Tucking the portrait out of sight, she turned away a little too quickly—failing to notice the painted canvas hidden behind the desk.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Eloise got her brother to send out for more food, which put Amani a little more at ease. Although she couldn't help but wonder how many of these animals should actually be kept as pets in the first place. The Padawan picked up an unassuming rodent, and whispered something which Amani didn't quite pick up, and thus did not make much more of a fuss about it. A pet Eloise was attached to, she figured.

"The only Shi'ido 'goddess' I know of lives across the sea. We've never seen her, and I thought she didn't know we existed…"

Apparently there was one specific Shi'ido that came to mind. Though whether or not it was her, or someone else, could still be up in the air, "There's no others on your radar?" Amani rubbed her chin, "Could there be some you don't know about? Shi'ido can make themselves look like anything," They could be the most effective of infiltrators if they put their minds to it.

Eloise continued to scour the room, passing a number of drawings and portraits, including one of herself, which she quickly tucked away. Amani followed suit, taking her own look at the collection of art, where she saw the corner of a piece which struck with familiarity. Amani lifted the canvas up, revealing a picture of a woman with horns and wings. Silently she raised it toward Eloise.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

“There could be others,” Eloise assented. “But this particular one might have an actual motive for kidnapping Marcus.” She stroked Nostremous’ fur thoughtfully, only to turn when she sensed Amani’s eyes upon her. The Mirialan was holding up a canvas with a painting of a horned woman with black wings.

“That’s…” She trailed off, her brow furrowing. “He painted her?”

“She’s pretty,” Star said. This comment earned him a glare from Eloise, causing the boy’s face to redden.

Eloise stalked across the room to the window and shoved the curtains back. Sure enough, the golden tree from the painting was outside, shorn of its leaves. “Did she come here before?” she wondered aloud. “Long enough to sit and have her portrait painted by my brother, and then abduct him?”

“Maybe he saw her in a vision,” Caspian suggested. “He draws the stuff he sees sometimes.”

“But an entire painting?” Such a massive undertaking was typically reserved for public displays. Marcus painted art for the temples and other places within the Holy City; he only sketched his visions. Eloise sighed and gestured to the canvas. “I think this is Eshara, the Goddess of Desire, Obsession, and Madness. She’s a Shi’ido, and the widow of Kolinahr, the Trickster God, whom our father killed. Maybe she kidnapped Marcus as revenge. But that all happened ten years ago—you’d think she would’ve taken her revenge at an earlier date.”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"What makes you say that?" Amani asked. Things only got stranger when the painting was found, indicating some level of familiarity or leniency between the two before any kidnapping took place. "Why would she have sat for that?" And why would he have painted this stranger in the first place? Eloise eventually expanded on her thoughts, revealing the woman's presumed identity, and her potential motive for revenge.

"Why did your father kill him?" It felt like very revelation brought more questions, "Some people let if fester. Perfectly executed revenge can take a long time to plot. Especially going up against people like your family, I imagine." Or there was something more leading to all this. There was plenty they couldn't account for with how little information they had. Really it was all conjecture as of right now.

"Any idea where they might be?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

“I don’t know.” Or maybe Eloise just didn’t want to think about the implications of the painting. The style of it irked her more than its existence—the careful lines and vibrant colors so lovingly chosen. The painter did not fear the subject; he was enamored with her.

Could Marcus have gone willingly? Starlin had said he seemed to be under a spell that kept him docile, but the boy may have misinterpreted what he was seeing... No. Eloise refused to believe that her brother would abandon his family without a word, especially when they needed him most.

"Why did your father kill him?"

“He was a threat, the first significant one to their rule. An established god with a devout following and a reputation for ruthlessness and trickery. He struck first while my mother was in labor with Starlin." At the mention of his name, Star whirled around and pointed to himself. "Yes, you. It happened the day you were born, and Mom and Daddy made a big deal about the symbolism of it to the priests. Dev Ossian was with Kolinahr—he was his apprentice then. The two of them dueled against my father.” Her brow furrowed as she thought back to that day in the Grotto. She spent most of the ordeal in a nearby cave with Rhiannon. There was just so much going on, she hadn’t exactly been paying much attention to what was happening beyond the cave mouth…

"MY DOMAIN" he asserted all at once, voice shaking the walls of the grotto around them as a searing rage welled up inside of him. "I reside over the dead, and if you do not release my boy then you will find yourself in the most depraved pits of Hell."

“...Kolinahr threatened Marcus’ life,” she said, recalling the sound of her father’s thunderous voice shaking the stone walls. “I remember he wasn’t with Mom and I when we first went to hide, because Dev had grabbed him. My father became enraged. They fought. Daddy killed Kolinahr and forced Dev to serve us.” Did that have any impact on Marcus’ later disappearance? Was he chosen because he had gotten away the first time?

"Any idea where they might be?"

“Across the eastern sea.” She rested her hands on her hips. "There's a magical ship in the city of Nacria, about three days' ride from here. How are your sea legs?"

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Eloise gave a quick explanation of how the rivalry between the Dinns and Kolinahr took form. The latter had struck first, making an enemy of their family from the get go. Not only that, but he was Dev Ossian's first teacher. Amani reacted to his fate curiously, "Doesn't sound like a great recruitment method," How one could trust an apprentice who was taken by force seemed bewildering to her. But Sith did generally seem to consider a lust for power and fickle loyalties to be appealing qualities. Not that it made the idea any less foolish in her eyes.

"There's a magical ship in the city of Nacria, about three days' ride from here. How are your sea legs?"

Amani quirked an eyebrow, "As in an aquatic ship?" Rather rare in the galaxy, all things considered, "I wouldn't know. I assume I've never been on a seaship of that one's size before." A little rowboat out on a Tythonian lake wasn't quite comparable to a proper oceanic vessel.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

“That’s Daddy for you,” Eloise muttered wearily. “He has a weakness for orphans and the mistreated, and a complete lack of self-awareness. He would dethrone kings and kill gods, only to bring their children and students into our home, treating them as one of his own, either oblivious or in denial of what a bad idea it was.” Her gaze flicked toward Caspian, who was sitting at Marcus’ desk, legs swinging while he looked over his drawings. “It cost us dearly.”

"As in an aquatic ship?"

Eloise nodded. “Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” She struck a gong to summon a servant, and spoke to her in Shaalin. “Tell Rokanan to prepare a small riding party. We’re traveling to Nacria.”

“Are you leaving already?” Starlin asked in alarm. “Will you let me go too?”

Caspian hopped down from his chair and flung his arms around Eloise. She laid a hand on his head, stroking his hair, her expression pained. This part, she always hated. She had left Zaathru like a thief in the night, without saying goodbye to any of them, and now she was about to leave them again. “I’ll be back soon,” she said. “With Marcus.”

Even if she had to drag him back home.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

So Eloise's father had a habit of such decisions. Apparently it sounded good to him in theory, rescuing those orphaned by his own actions, but the idea of that actually working out sounded like wishful thinking at best. Eloise seemed to verify as much in her recollections.

With their clues here exhausted, there was little more to be done beyond tracking down Marcus themselves. The Dinn children were unsurprisingly hesitant about the idea of being left here while their newly-returned sister took leave once again. Amani frowned at the familial drama. "Your sister is capable. We'll all be back safe and sound," She finally spoke, once she felt it was appropriate for her to do so. Once Eloise was done, she nodded and made ready to leave, "Let's hope this is simpler than it appears."

But of course, it almost never was.

Eloise Dinn​