Zenith OCT: R4 Intermission

Inari had planned to just drop Aeren off with his guild but, as it so often happens, the best-laid plans do not work the way they should. High upon the walls that surrounded the city two very interested spectators made their way down towards the gates as she approached. Both had questions. Only one got the respect he deserved when she spotted him through the small gathering of mages that slid her opponent's unconscious body from Xerxes' back.

High Commander, Aiden Dawnstrike, had made himself scarce throughout the tournament and despite his early predictions, she still respected him enough to dismount and salute. Inari did not miss the stern look upon his wizened face nor the slight glance that cut over her figure. It sent a small shiver of trepidation through her.

So when in doubt… deflect, "Commander, has there been any word on how Bastian is coming along?"

It worked.

Caught off guard by her genuine inquiry, Aiden cleared his throat and cast his glance from her, "his injuries have been healed but he is relieved of duty for sometime still."

"That is good to hear. I am sorry I haven't been more active in my typical duties."

"Yes, well… We make allowances for the tournament."

The way he said those words; there was a bite to them that reminded her how unusual it was to see him out amongst the rabble watching a tournament match. Something was up and when her commanding officer turned his attentions to the man who had been standing, unobserved, at his side, she felt her world tilt a bit. Imposing in the length of his flowing robes, her father glared back at her with unbridled distain. Not even the twinge of curiosity in the deep green depths could cover it. The fact that both men had watched her fight, both now stood before her, and that she'd just used magic as she'd never possessed before was not lost on her.

Tightening the once loose grip she had upon her sword, Inari could not help but stand a bit straighter. Tension coiled deep in her stomach and threatened to violently ram her breakfast from her stomach as the snowy haired soldier mentioned for her to follow him. These were men that handled business behind closed doors. Both were turning away, together, and heading towards the forward defenses and Aiden's main offices. There would be no refusing them.

With a calming run of her fingers against his flank, Inari urged Xerxes into a sedate pace. Around them onlookers murmured. Some congratulated her. Some looked scared and it was those, the ones that kept their distance, which worried her most. Did she look that different?

[It truly goes to show where you mind is if you think your looks are what is bothering them.]

{Ugh… I thought I was rid of you. Isn't there some sort of distance that this link should stop at?}

[I am a part of you and you a part of me, what distance are you thinking about?]

{Nevermind…}

[So what do you think your father and commander need to speak to you about?]

Focusing upon the pair of men before her, Inari could not stop the glower that crossed her face. She didn't even think her father knew Aiden, let alone would ever speak to him. The whole situation was a bit odd, {I have no idea.}

[Well, perhaps, for the time being we should keep our little connection a secret.]

{I could not agree more.}

Feeling his satisfaction with her answer, Inari, continued to follow them beneath the great stone arch of the Brotherhood's guild. There was none of her guild about, which meant they had most likely been at the wall if not on duty. It also meant that her peers and subordinates had seen…

[Will you stop dwelling on that? If anything you have just shown that you are more of a force to be reckoned with, Inari. You have achieved what none thought you would.]

{Enough. My concerns are my own. We will speak of this later.}

[Very well but I do hope you come to see these changes as I do.]

Shaking her head in a poor attempt to shut him off, she watched Xerxes pad to a stop at the base of the steps. He would have to wait outside but from the fluff of his hackles, it was clear he was doing it against his will. Yet another little bit that wasn't settling well with her but soon the cool shade of the interior greeted her and it was time to see just what was going on.

Heavy suits of armor stood proud along the walls encircling Aiden's main office. Tapestries proclaiming his battles and the current ruling family crest hung heavy with the weight of their quality fabrics. All around the scent of tallow, lemon and beeswax was almost calming. Too bad the looming figure of her father, now standing rigid aside Aiden's desk, was bent on ruining the warmth the rest of the room gave off. Refusing to look at him, she watched her aging commander settle into his lavish seat of leather and gilding.

Seeming to pause and organize his thoughts, Aiden, carefully cleared the desk in front of him. A few wayward scrolls and loose papers neatly tucked to the side. His calloused hands smoothing the surface before linking together in preamble to his level gaze.

Another heartbeat.

She never understood why that look made her forget to breathe for a moment.

"I would like to congratulate you on your victory today, Captain."

"Thank… you, Sir…"

He nodded at the hesitation in her response, his eyes taking in the perfectly straight stance she held. The tight lock of her arms behind her back as she stood at ease before him. The confusion in her eye. It was the look of a soldier out of her element; of an officer without enough information.

"I would like to congratulate you… but I can't."

"Excuse me?"

"Captain, I'm afraid that I'm going to need you to withdrawal."

"What?!" Her anger flared. An emotion she was usually able to hold in check so easily boiled to the surface with a snarl that flashed lengthened canines. "I have done nothing to merit this. I am the last member of our guild even participating. If I withdrawal then that is it for us in the tournament!"

"Stand down, Captain."

"Do you have any idea what I have gone through because of this stupid tournament? For this guild!? I will not withdrawal!"

"Captain Cannas! You will stand down!"

The crisp tone of Aiden's voice cut through the constricting red at the edge of her vision and snapped her out of the rage just enough to realize she'd moved. Palms flat on his desk, she was staring down her commanding officer several steps from where she had been. How she had gotten there, she could not say but she had and with a slight shove, Inari took a few steps back, returning to the tense mid-stance.

"Forgive me, Sir."

"This is what I mean, Commander. Whatever has happened to her is obviously compromising her position within the guild."

No one would ever say her father lacked decorum… until they met him. Unfortunately, for Ferrin Cannas, she was seething just enough to jump on it, "You did this."

Surprise registered across the soft lines of her father's face, as if he had just expected her to go on ignoring him. He had the common sense to look wary though as their gaze met, "I have no power in this guild, Inari. I would think you above anyone else would know that."

"Oh, I don't put much past you, or our family…"

She let that hang in the air and it seemed to work. Ferrin drew rigid; his eyes narrowing back at her before going wide with realization. "How much did…"

"All of it. Now tell me what is going on? I know to the letter that I haven't broken any rules to this tournament, why are you seeking my withdrawal?"

Watching as the normally stoic mage at his side practically trembled with whatever secret his daughter seemed to know, Aiden tipped his hand, "Do you remember learning of the 30 year war, Inari?"

"Yes. The Malic brought in Scorbin islanders to attack Almaterra. What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has actually been a concern for sometime now. With the death of one of your… warden, I suppose would be a good word, with one of his students several years back and now the obvious changes that have happened to you recently there are a few concerns. Too much of it is reminiscent of those days and it has some people nervous."

"Wait, this is about Szithlar? So you do have something to do with this, father."

"Captain, Mage Cannas simply brought…"

"He simply handed you a load of crap, Commander. Sorry for interrupting you but I would take everything this man has to say with a grain of salt and sword to the back." Aiden had been about to interject but there was something in the way, Ferrin reacted that held his tongue. "You're turning this around on him aren't you?"

"Inari, you don't know what he is capable of, or where he even learned his skills. You don't even know what has happened to you do you? We need to have you looked at. The Mages are willing to…"

"NO." It was a clearly growled out statement. "I keep hearing bout this help that your kind seem to enjoy giving. I am perfectly fine and capable to continue. In fact, I have never been more capable. I am not going to withdrawal and I sure as hell am not going to turn to the academy. I do not care what you think you can link Szithlar to or where he learned his gifts. If you had anything concrete on him he'd have been dealt with ages ago not teaching at your very academy!"

"You reek of dark magic, don't you understand?"

Both father and daughter seemed to forget the third set of eyes in the room, as they stood nearly chest to chest now, glaring back at each other as if it would come to blows at any moment.

The heavy crinkle of leather cut through the air as Inari's hands fisted tight at her sides, "And what do you care!"

"You will bring ruin to your guild. To our name!"

"Ah, and the truth comes out," a sarcastic smile cut across her face tugging at scars old and new, giving a cruel sadistic tint to her smokey voice, "I am in this tournament to bring glory to my guild. There might have been a brief moment I thought of my family name but then I was let in on a little secret."

"Inari!"

"Oh, come now, sins of the father and all. Perhaps it's time to tell someone just why you're trying to rake Szithlar's reputation, well lack there of, trough the mud," extending her arms to encompass the room and prove that she had not forgotten about Aiden's presence, Inari turned to her commander. "Look, Szithlar may be a double crossing, back stabbing, bastard that has most likely gotten into the forbidden archives on more then one occasion…"

[I do not think you are helping my case.]

{Shut up!} However… and this is a big thing. His word is all he is. For everything I have gone through these last few days, one thing I have found out, he has never lied to me. Half-truths, sure. Omitted information, yes. Nevertheless, he has never lied and he has never broken a promise. I can't say the same for the Cannas line."

With the pair again locked in a hostile stare down, Aiden knew it was time to step in, "I personally do not want you to withdrawal. You've always shown a good deal of potential and I'm not a fool, I can see that you will be far more useful as you are now, however, those that are nervous are a bit higher up the chain."

"Then let me keep going. Let me prove that I can be an asset to the guild."

"It's a bit more complicated then that."

Clenching her teeth, she felt the sudden urge to smack the smug grin from her father's face and she had just about acted on it until a trembling of shadow heralded Szithlar's entrance. The strong grip of his hand caught that threatening hit mid strike even as he seemed the very image of composed. "Now, now Inari. Your father will have his comeuppance soon enough."

"Mage Ramoth, what is the meaning of this? This is a closed door meeting."

"I'm afraid I didn't get the memorandum on that, Commander. My ward seemed a bit stressed and I simply couldn't let her remain that way."

"What have you done to my daughter, Szithlar?"

If the dark eyed elf could look any more disinterested at Ferrin's outburst, he may as well have been stone, "I've fixed her. Wasn't that what you wanted me to do?"

"You… This isn't…"

"Silence, boy, let the grown ups speak."

It had been decades since she had seen that cowed expression on her father's face and some sick part of her reveled in it. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to savor the sensation for long as she felt her fingers entwined with Szithlar's as he tugged her closer to him.

"Commander Dawnstrike, I feel you're being a bit hasty. I've done nothing to Inari to warrant such unrest but correct a potentially dangerous situation." When the elder man remained silent, Szithlar took that as permission to continue. "As you know her gifts were shaky at best but since she's been a child they've been unstable. Lethally so. I've merely given her the means, with a little extra tossed in, to control her family's gifts."

"And what's in it for you?"

"I've already gotten what I wanted. Proof that the magic works."

"…I have one more option."

"Options are good." Casting Inari a reassuring smile, the tall elf looked back to her peer. His old student glowering t his side still looked even more irritated by Aiden's latest statement.

"As I said, there are some that are nervous. They have enough power to make things happen, so I was permitted this one option if I felt that you warranted the chance, Captain… You may finish out the tournament until such a point that you win or fail, however, upon completion of the tournament you will be stripped of your rank and removed from the guild."

She teetered at the revelation. Her options were to forfeit and turn herself into the hands of the Mages or to continue and lose what she had worked so hard for. She was at a total loss for words and Szithlar sensed that. Some part of him, that little bit that regretted all the bad he'd done to her, twinged in his chest.

"I… I don't want to quit."

"Unfortunately, those are your options. You do not have to decide today. If you show up at your next challenge, I will accept that as your answer and allow you to finish out the tournament. You may keep all of your amour, your medals, and you will be given a stipend but you will no longer be part of the Brotherhood."

Seeing that she was succumbing to the potent shock of it all, Szithlar cast a questioning glance to Aiden, who simply nodded his dismissal in kind. Without a second thought, he drew her in and opened the rift that would take them from the building. As the cool kiss of shadows closed about them, Szithlar did not miss the curious words of the Brotherhood's Commander.

"Now then… I believe there is something you need to disclose."