19 Diplomacy

Beware the fel-touched, the taint, the alien, and the Abyssal. Know that what lingers beyond the reach of the light can only be borne of the grasp of the unholy.

Know that the will of the underworld depths is the domain where a man’s soul is subverted. And know that with strength and fire in one’s heart, with focus and diligence, the shadows may be parted.

The prophesied day will come, when all are ignited under the glow of auroral bright, and the sun rising over Yellowstone will make the world complete.

-Edict of the Auroral Ascendants, Yellowstone Republic

19

Diplomacy

“You,” Adam sneered, “are an absolute asshole, Tanner Lowe.”

“Hey, that’s my line,” Shiv said, folding his arms as he arched an eyebrow at the Young Lord. As he did so, he also swept his gaze and his mana field through this wing of the Cradle of Flesh. “You know, I made arrangements to come here tomorrow—well, today,” Shiv continued. “I was gonna come here and learn Biomancy and let the Weaveresses prod me a little. But you just had to go and shit all over that, didn’t you, Adam?”

The Young Lord was currently holding a shivering Weaveress hostage. He had an arm wrapped around her neck and a scalpel pressed against the back of her hairy spider head. She seemed terrified. Shiv was surprised he read that from her body language. He was getting really good at judging the moods of these spiders.

Meanwhile, everywhere else around the building, there were Weaveresses, Umbrals, automata, and a few other races preparing to breach to rescue the hostages. Things were extremely tense, and it was only the word of the Composer and the arrival of Sister Uva that ensured Adam’s continued survival. Goddamn bastard, Shiv thought to himself. Shiv caught a few ugly looks from those gathered himself because the other surfacer—the only other surviving surfacer—couldn’t behave himself.

“Oh, you really felling did it,” Shiv said, shaking his head at Adam. Behind Shiv, several Weaveresses poked their heads around the doorway, glaring angrily, brandishing large, glowing daggers and mana-forged riot shields.  “You really got yourself into a mess this time.”

“What do you mean?” Adam said. “And why—why aren’t they—” He gestured at Shiv. 

“Weren’t they what?” Shiv asked.

“Why aren’t you a prisoner? Is this a trap?” Adam narrowed his eyes. “Have you been working with them this entire time?”

Shiv stared at Adam as if he were a simpleton. “Adam, you remember a few days ago when I got thrown off the top of Blackedge?”

Adam nodded slowly. “Yes.” His expression changed—a look of shame passed through.

“Yeah. So think about what you just said to me. Do you think that I, in a few days, could establish contact with one of the Five Faiths in the Abyss, commit to them, and complete this great treasonous scheme in record time?”

Adam stared at Shiv. “Maybe. Maybe you were working with them all along.”

“And maybe you’re a felling idiot. I think you might have hit your head harder than I have—and I’m the one who fell all the way down.”

The Young Lord shook his head. “I’m just…”

“You’re very stressed, and you’ve experienced a lifetime of terrible propaganda,” Shiv surmised. “It happens to the best of us. And morons like you.”

The Young Lord clenched his teeth again. “You’re an asshole. Tanner Lowe.”

“Yeah, you said that already, Adam,” Shiv sneered. “And also, don’t use that name. It’s not my name.”

“It’s the name they gave you,” Adam said. His reply was cold and final. 

“Well, I call myself Shiv. I don’t give a shit about the people who birthed me. Not like you do.”

“Yeah. Because what did they ever take from you?” Adam muttered bitterly.

A flare of old pain passed through Shiv, but he ignored it. For now. “A world where I don’t need to hostage negotiate the release of a humanoid-spider to save the only other deranged surfacer around.”

Adam took in a breath and let it out. “So, what now?”

“What do you mean, ‘what now’?” Shiv said, doing a double take. “You called me here. It was in the middle of the night. I was sleeping soundly in my bed.”

“Your bed?” Adam said.

“Yes, my bed. They gave me an apartment, a proper apartment unit. It’s larger than my house back on Blackedge. A full bed,” he gestured. “Nice sheets. I was asleep. And now your dumbass ruined it!”

Adam’s mouth opened, closed, opened again, and his face contorted in something between raw disbelief and sheer concentrated rage. “If you get a bed… Then why am I trapped by monsters in this dungeon?”

“It’s a hospital,” Shiv said. “It’s called the Cradle of Flesh, and that”—he pointed to the Weaveress Adam was holding hostage—“is probably a Biomancer.”

“No, no,” the Weaveress cried out. “I’m just a nurse. I’m just part-time. I’m a student. Please.”

Shiv closed his eyes. “That’s even worse. Adam, you are holding a literal student hostage. A spider-child. Is there no depth of depravity you won’t fall to?”

“The spider’s a student?” Adam breathed.

“It’s called a Weaveress.” Shiv sneered

“And I’m a she, not an it,” the Weaveress added weakly.

“I’m sorry,” Shiv said, opening his hands. “I’m also getting used to this. But still, Adam, come now.”

“Shiv, if this fool does not surrender in the next few seconds, please shove me through his eye socket and keep going until you strike his brain—for I doubt the organ’s existence and wish to verify it through tactile confirmation,” Valor said.

Adam Arrow blinked. “Wait, who said that?” Shiv held up his stone dagger, containing Valor Thann. “What? Is that some kind of communication device?”

“No, it’s a stone dagger with someone in it.” 

Adam stared at him some more. “The dagger speaks? Someone’s in the dagger?”

“Yes, and his name is Valor Thann—the Great Valor Thann, He Who Stills Eternity. He’s a Legendary Pathbearer.”

The last part caught Adam’s attention. “The dagger?”

“And soon I will find myself still inside your vacant head, you stupid fool. You interrupted my meditation. You interrupted Shiv’s sleep. And now you’re causing a diplomatic incident in Weave, holding the people who helped you hostage. You enormous buffoon.”

Valor’s sharp remarks finally got through to the young lord, but Adam’s face contorted in offense.

“Shiv?”

“Oh, finally, you’re using my name properly,” Shiv interrupted.

Adam kept going. “You tell that dagger that I will not be insulted this way. I am an Adept Pathbearer. My father is Lord Roland Arrow, and I demand to be treated with proper respect, and not to be insulted. Especially by an inanimate object.”

“I will make you an inanimate object in a moment,” Valor growled. “Shiv, stab him. Stab him now.”

Shiv sighed. “Everyone, calm down,” he said. He couldn’t believe it—he was now the rational party in this mess. “Adam, let the Weaveress go. They’re not going to hurt you. If you don’t let them go, however, all the very powerful Weaveresses waiting around us will come in and beat you to death—very painfully.” He paused, and he remembered something important about this place. “Then again, maybe not. Maybe they will take you alive, and then they will breed you.”

“Breed?” Adam stuttered.

“Yes, breed,” Shiv nodded. “I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe: men strung up, wounds cut open on their bodies, eggs pushed in through the incisions for warmth and incubation.”

“Incubation?” Adam muttered, his face turning pale. He looked at the Weaveress he had a scapel to.

“It’s not as bad as he sounds,” the Weaveress explained. “We don’t usually do it to living bodies. Unless they’re prisoners or terminally ill.”

“Living bodies?” Adam whispered.

Oh, this was working better than Shiv could have expected. It took him all his will not to break down laughing.

“Now, Adam,” Shiv began, “you have no idea how hard I had to negotiate to preserve your life. But if you don’t surrender soon, I won’t even be able to maintain the sanctity of your corpse. They will make you a mother. Do you understand me? They will make you a mother. They will make your corpse a mother.”

At this, the knife fell out of Adam Arrow’s hands, and he leaned back against the wall, seeming like a terrified boy for the first time in his life. The Weaveress scuttled away, and she cried a quick thanks to Shiv, telling him that she will name her next hatchlings after him, whatever his name was. After that, she was intercepted by the breach team, but before they could move in, Shiv held up a hand.

To his surprise, they waited. One of them even nodded at him.

Shiv slowly walked toward Adam. The Young Lord was huddling against himself, hiding next to an overturned medical bed. A silken medical gown exposed recently-healed wounds that formed white outlines of messy scars. Shiv remembered what the Biomancer told him earlier: If the healing was done right, it shouldn’t scar. Shiv wondered what went wrong with Adam.

The Deathless knelt down just a few meters away from the Young Lord—not getting too close in fear of provoking him to action. On the periphery of Shiv’s mana field, he sensed another team of Weaveresses slowly approaching. He checked the scene and held out a hand, signaling them to wait. To his satisfaction, these ones did as well, and no attacks came. Adam’s life was preserved, for now.

“You alright,” Shiv said, moving beyond the amusement of messing with Adam Arrow and checking on his mental well-being. Shiv didn’t much like Adam—but didn’t much like wasn’t the same as “wanted him to suffer immensely.”

Adam shook his head, looking at Shiv with wide, terrified eyes. “I was attacked. In a few days I was supposed to be married,” he muttered. “Everything was arranged. I was showing her the garden.”

“Isabella?” Shiv asked.

“Yeah. Isabella Van Stormhalt.”

Shiv  thought about Isabella, about how several things didn’t make sense, but he put it out of his mind for now.

Adam continued. “They attacked us. Attacked Blackedge.” He looked around. “Are these spiders with them? Are we prisoners of war?”

“No, that’s another Faith that committed the attack.”

Adam looked at him. “Another Faith?”

“The Necrotech. Actually, not even the Necrotech,” Shiv said. “They’re like a splinter faction, led by someone called Vicar Sullain.”

“Vicar what?” Adam was completely lost now, and Shiv let out a long sigh. Adam now knew a lot less of the actual situation than even Shiv did, and Shiv barely considered himself educated about the overall situation at all. It was the blind informing the blind. He explained what he generally understood about the situation, and had Valor fill in what he missed. By the end, Adam’s eyes were as wide as saucers.

“Did you… did they do something to your mind?”

Shiv wanted to say no. Then he thought of Sister Uva and decided to lie anyway. There was no point in worrying Adam even more. “No. This is what I’ve gathered: We are not dealing with all of the Abyss. In fact, all of the Abyss doesn’t seem to want to deal with us. We are dealing with a splinter group, and they are attacking Blackedge specifically to avenge their failure. Vicar Sullain seems to have a very, very concentrated grudge on your father for destroying him years past.”

“How is he still alive if he’s been destroyed?” Adam blinked. “He’s a lich? An undead.”

“That is not the correct term,” Valor snapped. “You… uncouth ignoramus!”

“Don’t use that word,” Shiv said.

“Which one?” Adam blinked. Shiv tried to say the word, but he paused in fear of offending Valor. “Lich?” Shiv shook his head. “Undead?” he said again.

“Yes,” Valor yelled. 

Shiv nodded this time. Adam looked absolutely confused. “But that’s what they are.”

“That’s not what we are. We are not dead. We are not ghosts trapped inside corpses. It’s a symbolic vessel for our… oh, I’m not explaining this to you..” 

Adam stared at the dagger, still unable to process what was happening.

“There are some things you’re going to need to get used to, Adam,” Shiv said, barely able to hide a smirk on his face. “There are some things that, when spoken, sound prejudicial and offensive. And let me assure you, there are people you very much don’t want to offend down here. Valor is one of them.”

“The dagger is one of them,” Adam said, disbelieving.

“Yes, he is a great warrior. He’s simply temporarily trapped inside the dagger. It’s part of his soul or something,” Shiv said. “Anyway, I have good news for you. Before you worry too much, I think I can get us back to the surface.”

And finally, it seemed like a spell broke over Adam.

“Why didn’t you start with that, you bastard?” Adam snapped. And that was the Adam Shiv knew better.

“I didn’t start with that because you had a knife pointed at an innocent person.”

“It was a spider.”

“It’s a Weaveress, and it’s a she,” Shiv said, correcting his own mistake. He took in a deep breath and glared at Adam. “When we leave here—and we are leaving here—you will apologize to all of them.”

“I refuse,” Adam said. “They were keeping me hostage. You! You had them bind me! You said you didn’t know me.”

“Yes, because I was afraid this might happen.”

“That what might happen?” Adam said incredulously.

“That you might get hysterical and threaten people.”

The Young Lord huffed. “I didn’t get hysterical, and… and…” 

Shiv stared at Adam.

“You’re a bastard, Shiv,” Adam said finally, for the third time.

Shiv closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath through his nostrils. “Well, at least you’ve used the right name this time. Broken Moon—it seems like Young Lords truly can learn.”

“Never mind that. Tell me about going back up to the surface. How are we going to help Blackedge? Will”—Adam leaned in—“will the spiders help us? The Weaveresses?”

Shiv stared at him. “Their goddess might. However, you doing this puts some of that in jeopardy.” Adam looked horrified for the first time. “Yes, didn’t think that one through, did you?”

As Adam sank into his own shame, Shiv decided not to continue pressing on the wound. “Adam. Adam, look at me.”

Adam stared at him, blinking rapidly. “You’re going to be fine. We will go back and save Blackedge. There is something we need to accomplish, however. We need to break the siege, and we need to stop the war. Do you understand me? If we do not, there will be a conflict between the surface and the abyss, and that ended poorly last time.”

“The Eclipse War?” Adam breathed.

“No,” Shiv said. Adam looked confused.

“What do you mean, ‘no’? The Eclipse War is what we’ve been taught. It is what the histories of the Republic say.”

“I’ve learned,” Shiv said, wondering how he was going to approach this conversation, “that there are missing details.”

“What kind of missing details?” Adam said.

“The kind that involves a whole other war—an invasion of the Abyss, conducted by us. Apparently, by your… uh…” Shiv paused. “Your father. He even sacked the city called Submission.”

Adam stared at him for a long moment. “Shiv?”

“Yes?”

“I’m now sure they have invaded your mind and turned you against your own people.”

Shiv sighed. “Never mind that. Just know this: We need to get back up. The Weaveresses—and their goddess especially—will have a way for us to get back up. And, ultimately, there is a quest we need to fulfill. If we fail this quest, the Abyss will expand to swallow the entire city of Los Angeles. The entire city.”

Adam blinked. “All of it.”

“Yeah, I was surprised too,” Shiv said. 

“A quest, as well. The system must be—Wait, why didn’t I get this quest?” Adam asked.

“Because you didn’t accept it,” Shiv said.

“Well, I couldn’t accept it. I was… I was here.”

Shiv nodded. “And I was off dealing with proper matters.”

“You… So… what’s the reward?” Adam said, narrowing his eyes.

Shiv looked back at him. “That is restricted information, Adam. I will tell you another day,” Shiv said. “Maybe if you behave. I’ll see if they can give you your armor back too. And that watery bow of yours.”

“Shiv,”  Adam snarled, his voice severe. “I’m going to…”

Shiv simply grinned. “Adam. The Weaveresses are only holding themselves back because of me.”

Adam opened his mouth, but Shiv beat him to what he was going to say. “You’re a bastard, Shiv.”

“Yes, I know.” Shiv said it with such pride that Adam’s expression turned sour.

A silence lapsed between the two, and Shiv offered his hand. The time for overdue bullying was over. “You want to get up and get out of this place?”

Adam blinked. “I—yeah, I really do.”

Shiv nodded. “All right. I’ll see if I can get you somewhere else. I am staying at a place right now. Well, I believe there’s a couch in the living room.”

“A couch?” Adam said.

“I’m not letting you take the bed,” Shiv said. “It’s my bed. You interrupted my sleep. Be glad I’m letting you have the couch and not the bathtub.”

“They gave you a bathtub as well?” Adam said incredulously.

“You—” Shiv glared at him. “You know what? I’ve changed my mind.”

“No, no,” Adam said. “I’m sorry. I really am. Just—” He looked around. “Do they know what you are?”

Shiv sneered at Adam. “I am not an Omenborn anymore. That curse broke. And also, they don’t care about that kind of thing here. They’re not as judgmental as people on Blackedge. Now, I’m disliked for another reason: Being a horrible, light-cursed foreigner from teh surface.”

“No, no, not that.” Adam said. “Not the curse. Your Path… The other thing you now do.”

For once, Shiv respected Adam for his prudence. Shiv pressed his lips together. “The goddess knows. She sees all. She sees everything. She’s the reason why you’re still alive. Because she trusted me to handle this diplomatically.”

A look of realization dawned on the young lord, and he shook his head. “I came close to dying, didn’t I?”

“Much closer than you think,” Shiv said. “Now, take my hand and let’s get out of here.”

Adam looked at his hand one more time. “You’re really willing to do this for me?” He looked confused and almost grateful. As grateful as he could be to Shiv.

“I don’t like you, Adam,” Shiv said. “In fact, I kind of want to humiliate you a little bit more. However, we are the only people we have right now, and ultimately I don’t think you should suffer—not that much, anyway. We also have a home to save. So, if you’re willing to help me, I’m willing to help you, and we can get back and help the people we care about. It’s that simple.”

Adam swallowed, and he nodded. “You’re no coward, Shiv. I’ll give you that.” And that was as much niceness as Shiv could have expected from Adam Arrow as well.

He reached up and, with a surprisingly strong grip, pulled himself up. Shiv guessed that Adam’s Physicality was still higher, but the Young Lord’s flesh felt soft.

The armor has left his Toughness underdeveloped, Shiv guessed.

Adam frowned as he stared at Shiv’s hand. “Why’s your skin gleaming?”

“Oh, that’s my new Adept Skill Evolution for Toughness: Diamond Shell.”

Adam stared at Shiv for a long moment. “Didn’t you just become a Pathbearer, what, three days ago? Was it?” He shook his head. “I don’t know how long I was in that delirium. That raven-helmed bastard… I’ll kill him. Wait, I think he came with me…”

“Oh, him. We won’t be seeing him anymore,” Shiv grinned.

Adam stared at Shiv. “What do you mean? Did someone kill him?”

“Yes,” Shiv said. “I’m that someone.”

“I—” Adam paused. “You.”

“He was badly injured and brutally crippled beforehand. I suspect some of the Weaveresses might have beaten him down to capture him, and he escaped after.” Shiv awkwardly shrugged. “But, yes, I did murder a wounded, High-Adept, Low-Master-Tier adversary.”

Adam continued to stare at him. “You? I can’t believe you. I wanted to kill him,” Adam said. “I wanted to take revenge.”

Shiv stared at Adam. “Then why’d you let him beat you up in the first place?”

Adam’s eyes widened in absolute outrage. “Beat me? You abandoned me halfway through that fight!”

“I’m sorry, who died the most?” Shiv said, pointing at himself. 

“I… you…” Adam nearly bit his tongue off in a rage.  

“I’m sorry, who drained his vitality while the other member of this fight”—he pointed to Adam—“spent most of his time laying in the dirt?”

Adam grimaced and then growled. Shiv shook his head, and the Young Lord fumed. “Now, let’s get to the part where we walk out, and you apologize to all the staff.”

“I… I… I… hate you so much.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Shiv said with a wide grin on his face. “And if you don’t do it, the spiders will breed you. And I won’t stop them.”

“I’m in the deepest of the hells,” Adam whimpered.

***

Shiv wasn’t lying about making Adam apologize to every Weaveress Biomancer, nurse, and anyone else he’d scared during his brief episode here.

‘I’m sorry,” Adam bowed, mimicking the same gestures the Umbrals used when they greeted the Composer. Shiv had taught him the gesture, and he offered a wide smile each time Adam performed it. He counted diligently: by the end, Adam had apologized to 413 Weaveresses, Umbrals, and automata.

The Weaveress Shadow Cells gathered in preparation to eliminate Adam Arrow were the next targets of his apology. He apologized for wasting their time, for having a psychotic break (as Shiv described it), and ultimately for interrupting their sleep.

Finally, Shiv held up his dagger. “Now. The last and most important person you need to apologize to.”

“I will not,” Adam said, his jaw clenching.

“You will,” Valor said. “Because if you don’t, Shiv will discover how hard it is for me to get inside you.” 

“Likely not hard at all if I shove it in the right place,” Shiv said, a wide smile on his face.

Adam glared. He pointed a finger at the Deathless, then realized he was wearing nothing but a hospital gown. “If I had my armor and my bow, I would—

“What, kill me?” Oh, so scary,” Shiv mocked. Adam clenched his teeth again and said nothing else.

“Shiv?” a voice called from behind.

Sister Uva approached, more apprehensive than normal, eyeing Adam Arrow with deep suspicion.

“Uva,” Shiv said, his expression shifting from a shit-eating grin to a genuine one. “This is the young lord Adam Arrow. He is the Dread Horizon’s son. He’s going to be helping us. And staying with me, for now, I suppose.”

She eyed Adam as if he had the plague, and Shiv found himself immensely gleeful to see how this would play out. Adam looked at Sister Uva, blinking quickly. “Are you… an elf?” 

“An Umbral,” she corrected.

“There are many terms you will have to learn,” Shiv said. “Many things as well. Thankfully, you have me and Sister Uva to instruct you. Valor, I’m not so sure about. He doesn’t much like you.”

Adam let out a slight whimper as he looked between the dagger, Shiv, and Uva.

“This… this must be a version of Hell,” Adam mumbled.

“Very much not, I’m afraid,” Shiv said. “Now, sister,” he continued, “as much as I enjoy spending time with you, I’ll be taking this fool back to the apartment so I can actually get on with my day tomorrow.”

Sister Uva frowned. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“Do you want to leave the rogue surfacer alone for another episode to happen?” Shiv asked, with an arched eyebrow.

“I’m right here,” Adam sneered.

Both Uva and Shiv ignored him.

“You’re probably right,” Uva said. “I’m very sorry I had to trouble you with this.”

“Not at all,” Shiv replied. “And don’t think of your presence as trouble. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

She looked away, shaking her head, muttering about how he just couldn’t seem to stop.

“Shiv,” Adam began, but his words died as a look of raw disbelief overcame him. “What is happening? Shiv, what are you doing?”

Shiv held up a hand. “I’m not talking to you right now, Adam. Anyway… I apologize on behalf of my fellow light-curse surfacer. He is… he’s always been a little bit temperamental. And simple.”

“Shiv…” Adam growled.

“As you can tell right now—” Shiv said, using Adam as an actual example.

Uva eyed Adam up and down, sneering slightly. “As I can tell,” she said, “and you had to put up with this your entire life?”

“Practically every time I met him, he was always sour—always. Practically about everything. It’s understandable why when he was a child but.” Shiv looked at Adam and shook his head disapprovingly. “One needs to grow up.”

Adam’s left eye was twitching now. Shiv thought that was just about enough teasing—any more and this might actually devolve into violence.

“I think we will retire for good tonight,” Shiv said. “I will go back, Adam will be on the couch, I will be in the bed, and I will see you,” Shiv smiled at Uva, “in the morning. Oh, do you want breakfast?”

She pressed her lips together. “I wouldn’t be against it.”

Shiv nodded. “Well, I’ll see what I can surprise you with.”

Uva closed her mouth, and a slight smile played across her face. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something creative.”

“I’m sure I will,” Shiv said.

The two locked eyes and slowly shared a mutual grin.

The Young Lord’s head swung between the Umbral Psychomancer and the Deathless. His facial expression looked like he was undergoing a series of very painful muscle spasms. “What? What are you? How did you… What is even happening anymore?”

“Charm,” Valor interrupted with a voice filled with pride. “It seems that Shiv has a tongue made for charm. And the intent to use it.”

Shiv grinned.

“I best accompany you back, charm,” Uva said. “I have a feeling that you two might get into more trouble without a proper escort.”

“I wouldn’t be against that,” Shiv said.

***

The trip back to the apartment was uneventful. Adam looked around constantly, gawking and blinking at all the structures. Shiv got that through his system earlier in the day, but he couldn’t blame the Young Lord. It was a very impressive place. It would be more impressive when Shiv wasn’t so exhausted.

As he landed—and Adam spent a few moments staring, trying to process that he just rode on a demon—Shiv saw a few Umbrals taking a midnight stroll and waved to them. To his surprise and satisfaction, one of the younger ones waved back.

“You know, I was worried there for a second,” Uva said, walking ahead of him. “I was worried that things were going to go wrong.”

“Well, you had a lot more faith in me than I did. I was worried for a lot longer than just a second. Still, someone needed to take care of poor Adam. I couldn’t leave him on his own.”

“You’re a godsdamn bastard, Shiv,” Adam said from behind as they passed another group of Umbrals—one of whom Shiv saw earlier, the daughter and mother. The child pointed at them. “Look, Mama, there’s another surfacer! And this one’s not wearing pants. I can see the crack of his butt!”

Adam turned around, covering his rear, trying to keep his hospital gown tighter around himself. Shiv couldn’t help it—he threw his head back and laughed.

“You can indeed, child,” Shiv said. “Savor the sight. You won’t see anything rounder in quite some time.” 

And that broke Uva as well. She folded over, clawing along the walls as they entered the elevator. “Shiv, don’t say that.”

Adam Arrow looked between all of them, and the Umbral mother looked especially horrified. Her expression was mirrored on Adam’s face as she pulled her child away.

As they marched toward the elevator, Adam’s face went through several shades of red, and he kept his back pointed to the corner. “This is a nightmare,” he muttered to himself. “This is a nightmare. It must end soon. This is a nightmare.” It quickly became a mantra.

Once Uva and Shiv got themselves under control, she hit the button, and they started going up.

“I’ll get him some clothes in the morning,” Uva said.

Shiv blinked. “You got me some clothes awfully fast after my fight with the raven,” he said.

Uva smirked, offering him a knowing smile. “I did, didn’t I?” And that filled Shiv with a certain something. It was a pretty warm something.

“This is a nightmare,” Adam muttered again.

As they got back to Shiv’s temporary apartment unit, Uva opened the door for him, and Shiv gestured for Adam to go in. The young lord stumbled inward, looking around the corner as if expecting attacks, his body on alert. Shiv, meanwhile, smoothly spun and leaned against the door frame again.

“So,” Shiv said, “morning, breakfast, surprise, creative. 

“Those are words.” Uva chuckled. She then looked behind him and frowned slightly. “You’re going to be fine, right? He’s not going to try to kill you or anything?”

Shiv shrugged. “Oh, he might try. Doesn’t mean he’ll succeed.”

“Well, if he does, I’ll come by and avenge you in the morning,” Uva said. And the warmth inside Shiv only grew.

“I’ll be most flattered. Now, sister, you look a little bit tired. You should go to sleep—get some more rest. It’s been an eventful day for you, too.”

“Good night, Shiv,” she said.

“Technically morning,” Shiv replied. “But yeah, I’ll see you in a few.” She turned to leave. He stared at her until she told him off mentally, and finally he listened.

As he closed the door, he turned and nearly ran face-first into Adam Arrow.

“Adam,” Shiv said, inching back a few steps, “you’re standing a little close.”

Adam continued looking at him. “How long have you known her?” he asked, his voice high with suspicion.

“Since a few hours ago,” Shiv answered honestly.

Adam blinked. “Impossible.”

“Very possible,” Shiv said. “Anyway,” he grabbed Adam’s arm and pointed at the couch. “That’s you.” He pointed at the bedroom. “That’s me. I’ll see you in the morning. Try not to go insane.” Then he started walking toward his bedroom.

“Wait, Shiv!” Too late.

“Sleeping time, Adam. If you bother me, they’ll breed you. They’re in the walls. They live here too.” As Shiv finished his words, Adam started looking at the walls, and twitching at shadows. “Valor, time to go back to meditation.” Shiv closed the door behind him as he heard Adam calling out, “Sorry, Adam. I’m used up for the day. Very exhausted!” He climbed onto the sheets, peeling off his clothes before placing the dagger on the desk nearby.

“You… you can be quite amusing, Shiv,” Valor chuckled.

“Yes, you too. With all the ‘shove me into his eye’ thing.”

“I was being very honest.”

“Oh,” Shiv said. “Well, I would have done it if he fought me.”

“I know. That’s why I told you to do it.” They both laughed. Life was good. “So, you and Sister Uva?”

Shiv smiled. “Well, there’s no ‘me and Sister Uva’ yet,” he said. “But we’ll see what she says after breakfast. I might push my luck then.”

“Have you talked to many women, Shiv?”

Shiv considered it. “No.”

“Well, you seem very comfortable.”

Shiv shrugged. “I found out recently that I enjoy talking to people, I suppose, when they’re not mean to me.”

“Don’t we talk comfortably?”

“Yes. But not like that.”

“Who knows. I might find out you’re really pretty when you pop out of the dagger.”

“I think I’m starting to understand your charm a bit more, now, boy. It’s a casual audacity. Almost instinctual.”

“I suppose so. What’s the worst that can happen to be beyond death? Or a mind-breaking?”

And then, from the living room, Shiv heard Adam start muttering about how everything was a nightmare again.

“Of course, after the company you’ve kept for most of your life,” Valor began, “I’m beginning to understand why you’re having such an easy time with us.”

“It’s good when people understand,” Shiv said. “Good night, Valor. For good this time.”

“Good night, Shiv. If he interrupts us again—”

“Yes, Shiv said. “I will kill him with you.”

“And that’s all I ask,” Valor said.