Dust and blood

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa chuckles, "Good. Think she'll help fill the gaps in our group?"

[Anastasia]

"She'll help," Bastian says, then casually, "She's damn good."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa nods, "You and Jarem know the most about the ugliest parts of life. I want you to cycle through a project with the others. One at a time, two at a time max. I want you to war game us. Find our weaknesses and how to break us apart. Be vicious. Be unrelenting, and unforgiving. Jarem's the obvious choice to start with, but I want you to work with him last. He's set to approach things with a certain mindset, and I want him and you to polish what you find with Dolmaya, Emily, and Honeydip."

Alyssa turns to him and locks eyes with him, "Do everything you can. Use everyone and everything. Assassins, chaos, demons, devils, I don't care, short of exposing us in a critical way. Burn our home to ground in every possible way. It's the only way we'll be ready."

[Anastasia]

Bastian smiles ever so slowly, "What little weaknesses we have," he points out, "Or how relative that is at our might."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa furrows her brows at him, "Arrogance. It's not a good look on you, Bastian. No matter how many times we do this, there will always be weaknesses to be found. No matter how perfectly forged a blade is, time will always exploit a weakness and break it."

[Anastasia]

In an instant Bastian is behind you, as if to strike. Yet he does not. "Just keep in mind how high up we are now," he says quietly. "Ask a mortal warrior of our weaknesses and he could not speak of one."

[Iron Dragoon]

"I didn't ask a mortal warrior, though, did I?" Alyssa grins at him.

[Anastasia]

"Hmph." A short noise before, "I'll get it done," he agrees.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa nods, "Thank you, Bastian. Now, I believe I asked you some time ago to think on things you wanted to do, personally. It's time you give me an answer. Where do you want to go, what do you want to do?"

[Anastasia]

"Right now, one step at atime," Bastian answers, "The road will show the way if I walk long enough."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa rolls her eyes, "Yes, yes. I know the spiel. I mean, do you want to free slaves? Get rich? Find a woman? A man? Even if it's just exploring, you at least need a goal to search beyond the horizon for."

[Anastasia]

"Alyssa," Bastian says gravely, "I have a woman right here." He pats your shoulder for a moment before, "To find and show the road ahead. That's what I want to do."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Very. For now. I still want at least one or two... Or I'll pick for you."

[Anastasia]

Bastian chuckles and is gone, leaving you with your thoughts and senses of trouble on the horizon.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa turns back, and considers things for a few more minutes before turning, using a bit of magic to dampen her magical power and enchantments and takes a stroll through her realm, letting her feet and wanderlust guide her while she considers things.