@jewish-merrill tagged me! Ty friend ❤️
“Hello, Iorveth.” She put her hands on her hips and continued to smile pleasantly, but as always, her smile did not reach her eyes. “Long time no see.”
“Not one step further, witch!”
“Easy now. Your squirrels will think their commander is scared. And we can’t have them believe that, can we? Besides, that’s no way to greet a friend.”
“You’re no friend of mine.”
“Perhaps. It’s still rude to point your sword at unsuspecting women.” Iorveth’s grip on the hilt tightened, his expression a mix of disdain and disgust.
Keira sighed. “Iorveth, we’ve been through this already. You know very well your toys don’t work against me.”
“You fled Temeria a century ago and have been evading me ever since. They work just fine.”
“I fled, Iorveth, because a catastrophe was unfolding. I tried to stop it and I failed. I let you down. I let us all down. I do not seek your forgiveness as I know I won’t be granted such, but let it be known that I regret deeply what happened and I grieve the end of our friendship the most.”
“Drop the act, Keira. You regret nothing and your theatrics impress no one.”
She laughed. “Can’t a girl have her fun?”
“I’m going to give you one last chance to state why you’re here before my archers decorate your body with arrows until it resembles one of a hedgehog.”
“And here I thought I was to be executed by you personally. Am I not deserving of such? But have it your way.” She walked up to the mist shrouded hull. Some sort of energy emanated from her hand and made a puncture in the mist. “See this mist? The one that just flayed two of your squirrels alive?”
“Get on with it. What do you know about the mist?”
“It’s beautiful. It’s deadly. It also happens to be my study of interest.” She turned to face him again. “Nilam was correct in her assessment. The fog is artificial in nature. Created by none other than our mutual friends. So I’m sure you don’t need me to spell it out for you. You know what this is.”
Iorveth lowered his sword and his gaze. There’s a sudden change in the atmosphere. Everyone was waiting for him to say something. Nothing followed.
Ephraim broke the silence. “Well I, for one, would like to know what this is.”
“Catriona”, Keira said simply.
Ephraim looked puzzled. “How is it possible? ‘Sides, one of ours died from Catriona. It’s a slow agonising death but nothing like what we’ve witnessed here.”
“It’s not Catriona as you know it”, Iorveth spoke finally. “It’s mutated Catriona. Venus.”
“Venus is Venus”, Diggae said. “A vaccine for Catriona was created centuries ago. They’re not related.”
“If we’re talking semantics, Venus is a parasite in a symbiotic relationship with the host”, Keira explained. “The host being Catriona. The parasite however is pretty reluctant to merge with the host so usually the failure to merge results in your death. All parasites need hosts. Destroy the host and there’s no symbiosis. No symbiosis no Venus. Pretty simple.”
“I take it, lady Keira, you’re here to offer us your invaluable knowledge?”, Nadia asked.
“There is no greater enemy than a fear born ignorance, lady Nadia. Knowledge is the only weapon we wield but we must wield it wisely. I can say with utmost certainty that there’s no one better suited for the task than me.”
“A weapon is only as good as the hand that wields it”, Iorveth said.
Keira smiled. “Correct. Hence why you must understand what you’re dealing with, familiarise yourself with the strengths and weaknesses of your enemy and calculate your next step accordingly. Then, and only then can you strike. A familiar concept to a skilled warrior like yourself, yes?”
“The only weapon I trust is my own.”
“Iorveth, this is not a literal battlefield, but a mere metaphor. Trust is not a defining factor. To succeed, you must form alliances at the minimum expense to your resources and at the maximum advantage to your goal. Look no further than yours truly. Not only do I propose a beneficial alliance, but I also offer my help in navigating waters previously uncharted. I am a boundless fount of knowledge and wisdom. You need only to ask.”
“Our goals align; for now. But you are no paragon of virtue. So I am asking. What do you want in return?”
“Nothing, sweetheart. On the house.”
“Don’t play your games with me, Keira. What do you want?”
“To aid a worthy cause, of course. Is that so hard to believe? However, now that you mention it, there might be a little something…”
This is the latest wip. I have been in a creative slump for months now, and I got stuck after this😭 Inspiration is such a bitch. Anyway I am going to tag
@lockescoles @cahirlavellan @miyku @enver-gortash @rannoch @nonbinaryjudean @thekillingm00nn @almosinnia @oddbardling @thorlokibrother @dovymcjewpunk @bellaralutare
you can share whatever you’re working on (doesn’t have to be writing), but no pressure at all!
blakekathryn
baratheonpilled
vaporwave
dailybridgerton
jacobvanloon
kaledo-art
