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[Anastasia]

"I can't believe how simple it was," Antenora murmurs, "It just..." You feel her will stretch out, reach towards her few faithful. She connects to them, spells flowing as requested.

[Ebiris]

Alicia reaches over and puts a hand on Antenora's shoulder. "You'd built it up in your head as this huge project, hadn't you?" she asks understandingly.

[Anastasia]

"...yes." Antenora admits with a growing smile, "It seems I overthought the difficulty of it." Her hand comes up to rest on yours, "What a thing to be talented in."

[Ebiris]

"Jessica seemed to be taking extremely well to things earlier when we were with Red Knight. It bodes well for Sylica to have two such talented deities on the rise here," she says, giving Antenora the praise she's due for coming so far.

[Anastasia]

"For you, Alicia," Antenora says, meeting your gaze, "We still have so much to do."

[Ebiris]

"We do," Alicia agrees. "I'll leave you and Emmaline to get settled for now, I have a few other things to take care of."

I guess I'll get ready for that tour/procession through Sylica's communities with Syala?

Also is Anty's node goal satisfied now she knows how to grant spells?

[Anastasia]

I was just leading to that, as I didn't expect you to clear it this time. This was meant to be setup to doing more with it later, but bam, there she goes. Once again Antenora shows a surprising competency at divinity.

"Of course, Alicia," Antenora says, as you feel it. A bond with Antenora, strong and vibrant once more. It resonates between the two of you as...

Node update, go read.

[Ebiris]

She pauses a moment before leaving on feeling that. "Well done, Antenora," she says earnestly.

[Anastasia]

The smile you get back is radiant, "Thank you, Alicia. Soon," she turns to look out over her city, "Soon."

[Ebiris]

Soon indeed.

But speaking of cities, she and Syala should sort out that tour she was talking about, so Alicia goes off to talk about that with her wife.

[Anastasia]

As you do, you notice a particular prayer from Savin, an elf wanderer who serves you.

'A Sharran. Guess I'm obligated, huh? Guide my blade and spells this battle,' he prays, as you feel it. He opposes a plump merchant in black, a dagger slowly drawn by a hand behind his back. The two face each other on a dusty road, ready to strike one another.

You know this merchant, of course, for you saw him murder another and desecrate one of your shrines.

[Ebiris]

More than just obligated! A fair fight hopefully favours Savin, and she hasn't seen that Sharran work with others so far, but Alicia directs her attention to the locale so she can give Savin a momentary warning in case there's more than just one foe to worry about. Otherwise she merely steels his resolve with her approval, hoping he'll triumph on his own skill.

[Anastasia]

It seems you chose wisely. Lurking under some bushes and tall grasses off the road is a warrior in leathers and with a crossbow, silently applying a foul black substance to the crossbow bolt. Poison - you know black lotus extract when you see it. Expensive and deadly, no two ways about it.

[Ebiris]

She gives Savin appropriate warning, hoping he can still win two on one with that given. Beware, a black lotus blooms in the tall grass to your right, a greater threat than stands before you. Her voice is heard in his mind, giving him the surety that it comes from no less than his own goddess.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100-10 for the apt warning
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d100=77]

Appropriate.

"Wha-" Savin breathes out as the merchant lunges at him, surely demanding the warrior to bring his blade up. Yet Savin instead falls back and swipes his blade to the side. It's perfectly timed, deflecting away a crossbow bolt with a metallic clang.

You hear it, a whisper in kind into the merchant's ear. Slip away into the shadows, remember how to fight.

Yet Savin sees a chance. He lunges as the merchant steps back, a single shot, a moment's chance.

Red stains the road.

The merchant stiffens as Savin's blade slides through his heart, a perfect lucky strike.