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[Anastasia]

You barely have a chance to rest a few moments - barely a bite of your favorite meal is had. That's when Xera comes in, "Mom," she smiles warmly to you, "Are you busy? There's so much going on."

[Corwin]

"Let's talk over lunch?" Seira offers, prepared to ask Vayley for another serving of stuffed peppers. "I always have time for you and Emily, you know that."

[Anastasia]

Xera sits with a warm smile, "How is - no, Emily can wait, there really is a lot going on." she says, "I got asked by Mom to help." That smile slips a little bit, "Last I saw, Mom was seeing to that dragon and old man, and Aunt Elle is still with those refugees."

[Corwin]

Seira makes a request of Vayley to arrange lunch for Xera before she nods her agreement.

"I'm trying to break the efreet nation's spirit. We all know that only the Sultan himself or Eblis will cause me to retreat from a battlefield, and even if the clash was forced to its conclusion, it's not certain that they will triumph. That is the understanding I wish to cultivate amidst the efreet, for the rest of them, powerful though they may be, I will break should they cross my path. We'll free their millions of slaves, even if I'm forced to appear on every battlefield that Donald and Valar judge to be beyond the capability of our forces."

[Anastasia]

That gets Xera to start to say something, but Vayley's quicker. A plate of stuffed peppers is produced and put out, the slaad bowing before vanishing.

After a beat and a few bites of her own lunch, "Then I can't wait to hear about more successes there."

[Corwin]

"Valar's had a good first strike, and I took down a wannabe that tried to attack the Cauldron. In the process, however, we tested our battle readiness and our alliances, and made improvements to our defensive deployments, so despite the personal hassle I consider that a success. Our friends in Celestia had to deal with an invasion of Lunia, but they were pushed back. Oh! And Amaryl and I managed to rescue the Grand Xorn and even retrieve his gear. I expect things on Earth to grow exciting pretty soon."

Seira spears a pepper with a fork and cuts it down to more manageable size, before partaking. "What of your efforts?" she inquires. "I have a bigger revenue stream right now, in case it would help."

[Anastasia]

"It's mostly chasing down leads and establishment work," Xera admits, "There's much to do for all of us." Having some more peppers before hmming, "Zariel's driven. She's not the kind to rest - I had to remind her to once she got going. It reminds me a little bit of you or Antenora when either of you get passionate about something."

[Corwin]

Amaryl does get Seira to stop and smell the roses when it happens....

"Guilty as charged," she says with a wry smile. "Can I actually help? Directly, through my contacts or by funneling some of the resources of the Cauldron towards this cause?"

[Anastasia]

Flicking at a pepper with her fork, a pause, "Maybe," she says, looking down. "We don't lack for money for what we need and we're sufficient in manpower for now. What we truly need is more lore, more knowledge, more clues, as well as a way to discern what's true or not about the Iron Tower."

[Corwin]

"I'm working on it, but the Mercane are being shady after their coup and have been dragging their feet on any information, Celestia has nothing new, while Oghma is bound by an agreement with Dis and cannot divulge anything." Seira gives her daughter a sly grin. "Not directly, anyway. Donald and Kascha are on the case."

[Anastasia]

"We've found much the same. Dispater's taken pains to neutralize anyone who may have any information," Xera admits, "Fighting a paranoiac with these resources feels remarkably futile." A pause to finally eat some more, "Something Dispater no doubt approves of."

[Corwin]

Seira declines to say anything else on the matter. Some things Xera doesn't need to know, as they would only distract her. Instead, she asks, leaning forward on the table as she discards her fork and knife momentarily, "Are you kept safe? Have there been any attacks on you, scrying attempts or anything of the sort?"

[Anastasia]

"Nothing yet - which means they're letting us work for now or good enough that we can't detect them," Xera says openly, "Worry not, we're safe and staying to protected places for now. We know well how keen devils are to send out the knives of assassins."

[Corwin]

"Call on me or Amaryl even if it's an overreaction," Seira bids her. "There is no such thing as overkill."

Resuming her lunch as she picks up her utensils, she muses, "I've got a few more irons in the fire, but they're not really at the stage where I'm comfortable sharing them so let's come back to Emily. When was the last time you two talked?"

[Anastasia]

"Briefly when she was last here," Xera remarks, "We've both been busy." Going back to her own meal and quickly finishing it off before wiping her mouth clean, "How is she?"