Crushed Slavers

[Anastasia]

It is. Walk. I will join you.

To be clear, her text is completely plain. Nothing's missing, that's just how she is.

[Corwin]

"Let's take a walk," Seira tells Lumenbur, doing just that!

[Anastasia]

Thus you walk.

Lumembur is quiet as you walk, until he speaks up, "Where-"

"Seira," Pistis Sophia strides next to you, voice serene and her smile calming. "How are you?"

[Corwin]

"Quite good, thank you!" Seira responds, smiling back at her. "We've just returned from pushing Shar back, which feels ridiculously rewarding every time."

[Anastasia]

"Well fought. What of Xera?" Pistis Sophia asks as you wander along, the fog enough to obscure everything around you.

[Corwin]

"She chose to undertake an important mission," Seira responds, and her next words are intended for Pistis Sophia alone. "She's helping Zariel with Yemimah's recovery. If you have any information you could pass along, I'd be quite grateful. Once they uncover enough actionable data, we'll act in force."

[Anastasia]

"The question is defeating the Iron Tower," Pistis Sophia concurs with that, Lumenbur walking along, no reaction to your hidden words. "I will contact them, though the Iron Tower is formidable. Do they have means of overcoming it somehow?"

[Corwin]

"We're at the early stages for now, trying to avoid limiting ourselves to the prevailing conventional wisdom on that matter. Zariel does have an idea to try, and I'm trying to do my part. Perhaps together we'll manage to come up with a workable solution?"

[Anastasia]

"The Iron Tower stymies even the Triad's efforts," Pistis Sophia admits as you walk, the misty air cool as a gentle breeze blows. "Try, but do not be foolhardy. There is no wisdom in letting hope outweigh wise insights."

[Corwin]

"We'll need to take risks soon enough," Seira reasons. "You know that as things stand, Creation keeps on losing to Shar bit by bit. We can't keep to the old status quo. Not if we want to save Creation."

[Anastasia]

"More action is needed," Pistis Sophia agrees, gesturing out, "Yet we need not act foolishly, for the wages of the fool are suffering and death. Shar defeating our efforts only makes things worse."

[Corwin]

Not disagreeing with that, Seira reintegrates Lumenbur into the conversation while asking Pistis Sophia, "What did you have in mind for us? Don't get me wrong, I was happy to get the invitation, but I'm curious whether you wanted to chat about Xera, have a light spar or merely to walk calmly like this together."

[Anastasia]

"All of them," Pistis Sophia says. "I would like to see how you have progressed."

[Corwin]

"Funny thing about this. I progressed so much I tend to downplay my hand, if only to have a satisfying fight," Seira responds with a helpless shrug. "That lead to me sometimes forgetting the most optimal moves in a fight, in the heat of the moment. Nothing like the feeling afterwards that hey, this is how the combo would've been more effective. Not to imply that I don't struggle against some opponents, but even against Lixer it didn't feel truly like one mistake would spell my death. With that one mistake allowed as a margin of safety, I'm fairly worried about getting complacent. Did you ever feel like that, yourself?"

[Anastasia]

"I do," Pistis Sophia smiles gently as she walks along, "So many who challenge me are unworthy, or brought low with a single shattering of their magics. So few can match our might. I always seek greater insights, so that I do not lose sight of important things and grow complacent. For complacency is the enemy of rising higher."