Chapter 10

Lilly and Mara got back just before Xomera did, but they got back. Lilly bought Mara a room to stay in at the inn, but after getting Mara there, went to talk to Xomera

"How'd it go?" Lilly asked.

"About as much as you can expect from someone who always runs when they're actually threatened." Xomera muttered.

"The usual, then." Lilly said.

"I guess." Xomera muttered, her good mood having been ruined by the information they learned about Mara.

"She'll be fine here for a while; we were good for weeks. We need to plan our next move." Lilly said, "The longer the betrayer remains here, the more likely this continent gets dragged into our issues."

"It's simple really. Inform their political capital of the man Draxion, his true colors and identity, and have them informed and on the lookout. That will keep him from broad areas and trying for deals. And will make him less likely to stay here, in turn returning back over the seas. If informed history books would only be made, many issues could be solved." Xomera spat.

Oh, I think they know," Lilly said, "Especially because of the incident in refuge." Lilly said.

"Refreshing their memory wouldn't hurt,"

"I can forge an inquisitorial seal, even though the empire and, whatever these people call themselves, are not allies, they aren't necessarily enemies, and from what I Gathered from my sister, they usually pay attention to letters from her." Lilly explained.

"Then get a ticket to the mainland and take Mata with you. I'll remind here for the time being while you keep me updated and I to you. I'll keep any work the betrayer wants done here from happening in that time."

"I'll send Mara." Lilly said, "I'm not leaving you here alone."

"I'll be fine Lilly, besides, it's like a vacation where I get to pester Draxion constantly. And you have a task to do for me anyway, that's why I'm sending you over as well."

Lilly just gave a frustrated sigh at that, she did not want to leave Xomera there, at all.

"Don't give me your frustration, you know I have reasonings for everything I do," Xomera muttered "And this decision is because I truly care for you."

"I will be back in a month's time." Lilly said.

"No, you will be there and stay there in a month's time, reconnecting with Alayna." Xomera muttered, her tone evident that this was something Lilly was to do, or face issues with Xomera. "You are not to return without clearance, Alayna is more important at the moment."

"We both know you're never going to give me clearance." Lilly said, her tone completely saddened at this point. All Lilly wanted to do was catch up with her best friend again, after years of failing at it.

"Not for now, but I will eventually. More pressing matters will come first however, and I'm alright with that. For now, though, this is the next step."

Lilly didn't respond, she was afraid that she would never get to see Xomera again, but on the other hand, she needed to show Alayna that she was there. Lilly didn't even know how far along Mara was, there was just a lot of pressure on Lilly, something she had usually coped well with, but things were different after her encounters with the Illusionist.

"You know I'm right," Xomera claimed

Lilly again didn't answer, but she hope it was clear the answer was yes, Lilly began trying to plan how to fit everything in, Xomera wasn't going to let Lilly back for a while at least, so she'd need reasonable cause to come back, but Alayna deserved to know Lilly was back, and Mara needed to be someplace she was used to for when Andrea and Tedran were born.

Xomera sighed slightly at Lilly's silence. "Go get the tickets for the ship ride, then."

"Tomorrow, it's too late at night to do that now." Lilly mumbled.

"If you say so," Xomera mumbled.

The next morning Lilly didn't say much, she only bid Xomera goodbye for now, and took Mara to refuge. And then she Begrudgingly got on the boat. Lilly didn't feel great about this at all, she felt like she was abandoning Xomera, and that wasn't something she wanted to do.

"Everything alright?" Mara asked.

"Nothing's been alright since Alayna was kidnapped." Lilly said flatly, and since even before that."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mara asked.

"No." Lilly replied quickly, she didn't want to let her guard down around very many people, and there were few that Lilly would, but the only one that came to mind was still on Tiplora.

The trip took a week, the ship went into the Port of Centerpoint city and somehow, her sister knew, Alexus Meya appeared to be a year younger than Lilly, due to the family curse, Alexus was the same height as Lilly, and Shared Lilly's Red hair and green eyes. Alexus, however, wore a cleaner armor set, that was not of elven make, it was of northborn make.

"Cannoness." Alexus said.

"Don't call me that." Lilly muttered.

"I had heard you died." Alexus replied.

"From whom?" Lilly asked.

"Take a guess." Alexus told her Lilly looked at Mara.

"Ah." Lilly responded, "Well, I'm back now, and I'm sure as hell not a canoness superius."

"Champion of Chaos, then?" Alexus guessed.

"What gave it away?" Lilly asked.

"Xomera's Emblem of chaos on the pommel of your blade." Alexus replied.

"What do you want, Alexus?" Lilly asked.

"Well, I heard my assassin was on her way back after a six-month long hiatus."

"It's going to be another six at the very least before I take any more jobs." Mara said.

"Who's that?" Alexus asked.

"I need some maternity leave." Mara replied, which made Alexus stop in her tracks, she was just as shocked as Lilly was.

"And who's the lucky father?" Alexus sighed.

"Not getting his talons on my children." Mara stated, "or so help me…"

Alexus looked to Lilly as if Lilly was going to answer.

"What?" Lilly asked, Alexus returned to her stride.

"Well then, looks like I'll have to send the Assassinorum some classified contracts." Alexus said.

"That's not the only thing you have to send." Lilly said.

"Oh?" Her sister asked.

"I need you to send a warning letter to our neighbors across the sea." Lilly answered.

"Why?" Alexus asked.

"The Betrayer's been seen there, recently, quite recently, in fact I fought him a week ago. And I'd rather not drag that continent into a war that is not theirs to fight.

"Like it wasn't yours to fight twenty years ago when you abandoned your post?" Alexus asked.

"Don't you fucking dare." Lilly said, reaching the end of her rope, "You know exactly why I left, and I still fought that damn war for you while you sat comfortably in your office after Xomera took Centerpoint back."

"And you think I owe you?" Alexus asked.

"I swear to the gods, I will throw you into that drink." Lilly motioned to the water.

"You wouldn't make it out of centerpoint." Alexus said.

"Try me." Lilly replied, utterly pissed, "You always, always do this, you always put the blame on me, and refuse to take responsibility yourself, I'm sorry about what Dad did, but it doesn't matter anymore, Alexus, we're in the real, real world now, and we don't age. So, we have enough to put up with without having to put up with each other, so grow the fuck up, and do your damn job, High Inquisitor."

With that Lilly Stormed out of Centerpoint city with Mara not far behind her. It took six days to get to Whitereach, and Lilly found the house empty. No Alayna, looking in Alayna's room, her gear was gone

Lilly instantly walked to Hulda's bar, and Hulda was surprised to see Lilly.

"Lilly?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm alive, where's Alayna?" Lilly asked.

"She left some time ago, in search of Greggory, she went with a Ranger, a Dwarf, and Elf, and then a large man, taller than Greggory, and the man's ten-year-old daughter." Hulda explained.

"Describe them." Lilly said, and Hulda did just that, she ranger, the dwarf and the elf were of little interest to Lilly, but the large man, and his daughter were, for them, Hulda Described Zathor, and an Older Amara.

"Well, you'll be glad to know that Zathor is with Amara." Lilly told Xomera Telepathically.

"I would hope so," Xomera muttered "I couldn't lead him along any more to her than I previously had."

"Well, Alayna's with them, and a Ranger, an elf, and a dwarf, Apparently, they were headed for Etras." Lilly pretty much told Xomera all Hulda told Lilly.

"Are you meeting with them at their destination?"

"I couldn't if I tried, but I'll be heading that direction soon, and arrive sometime after them, hopefully sooner rather than later." Lilly explained

"Keep me updated."

"I will." Lilly replied.

Before Lilly left Whitereach, she went home, and entered the master bedroom, it was clear that Greggory had been using the couch for three years, as there was three years' worth of dust in the room, but Lilly closed the door, and with a sigh sat down in front of it and collapsed emotionally.