Conquest of Avalon

“What are you doing here?” Fernan hissed quietly as Florette crested the cliff. “This is a delicate situation.”

“And I have a delicate touch,” she joked, dusting herself off. “Seriously, though, we have to be careful about what’s explicit and what’s not. With this many spirits around, a few of them are bound to be able to hear us. Even if most of them probably wouldn’t care what a couple of humans had to say to each other.”

Fernan exhaled, eyes burning a bit brighter. “Fine. Being as safe about this as you can, could you please explain why you thought it was a good idea to come to a gathering of dozens of spirits when one of them is actively trying to kill you?” Probably trying to avoid mentioning Glaciel by name.

“That actually ties into why this is a good idea.”

“Does it?” he asked through clenched teeth. “How could you possibly-”

“Look, I have to be careful what I say. I’ll explain the whole thing once we’re done, I promise. In the meantime, I’m basically here to do two things and one of them is helping you with your plan. I had an idea.”

“And you had this idea conveniently too late to tell me, so I’d have to go along with it before understanding what it was?” He buried his face in his hands. “And-wait! Do you even know what I’m planning to do here? How can you be so sure it’ll help?”

Something must have gone wrong before we got here, or he wouldn’t be in such a horrible mood. Even Fernan is never this judgmental. “I do know, because Mara told me. Satisfied?” It wasn’t a terrible thought, trying to place Gezarde as the sun in lieu of the venerable ancient Flammare, but Fernan clearly hadn’t thought through the mechanics of it very well. “I honestly think this is something you’d be fine with if you knew the full story. Trust me? Please?”

He turned his head, looking out at the glimpses of light from the city below. “This idea of yours doesn’t involve anyone dying, does it?”

“Not a soul.” She removed the band from her hair, tied back for the mountain climb, and frowned at the dust that jumped out as her hair flopped down. “Trust me, I wish I’d thought of it earlier, too. You could have flown me up here or something. It’s pretty innocuous, honestly. I just need to be here for it. And it’ll help.”

Fernan took a deep breath, eyes smoldering green as they trailed up into the night sky. “Fine. Please don’t make me regret this.”

“You won’t,” Florette said as she turned to walk towards the gathering.

She couldn’t help but be amazed at the sight of them, milling around the floor of that crater. It was one thing to see the Fallen haunt her with the faces of the dead, but at least those were human faces. Quite another thing to meet a gaping maw sculpted from flowing flesh and ooze, let alone over thirty spirits in one place.

Stranger still was the fact that instead of simply appearing in order to torment her, Corro had invited her into a conspiracy for revolution. Or so he said, at any rate. Corro perhaps could not lie directly, but that left an enormous amount of room to mislead her. And Florette was not going to get herself into something again without careful consideration. She would see the proof of it here or decline his offer. From now on, it would be different.

Compared to Corro or the Fallen, most of the spirits here were far more impressive in scale.

One of them was easily ten feet tall, an enormous fanged rabbit whose skin reflected and shimmered like a mirror, casting a thousand different points of light across the crater. Another was embedded halfway to the earth, with only massive arms and a bull’s head above ground, still probably six feet by themselves. The enormous raven near the edge, white streaks running across her wings, had a little boy at her feet, only emphasizing her size further.

Most of the smaller ones looked no less intimidating. Like the horned pegasus spirit, so white she was almost glowing, teeth looking sharp enough to pierce steel. Or the glowing little child with a crackling ball of lightning for a head. Not to mention a familiar specter of the dead, holding the hazy form of the burned man next to a pink and green mantis creature, a pack on her back affixed with what looked like human faces. Probably Lamante, given her name.

At the center of them all was Flammare, a network of metal bars caging red and white flame within and beneath, massive wings stretched behind him. One thing to see him far up in the sky as a big red ball, quite another up close like this. The intensity of the flames almost hurt her eyes to look too long.

It’s so easy to see why they think us beneath their concern. But they were wrong to do it.

“Fallen!” she called out as she led Corro over to them. “I was hoping to see you here.”

“Were you now?” they asked in Perimont’s form. “Last we spoke, it seemed you wished to be rid of me.”

“Sorry about that. I hope you can understand why it was hard to have you around for me, but that’s my problem to get over, not yours.” She gestured to her companion. “Please allow me to introduce you to Corro of the Wastes, a spirit in service to the moon.”

“I’m pleased to see you, Corro,” the Fallen said in the shape of a short woman in her mid twenties, a cutlass hanging from her side. “Even if it had to be like this.”

The purple maw shrank back. “I understand your reputation now, Fallen. Still, we are as we are. The pleasure is mine.”

“And would you be Lamante?” Florette asked the mantis spirit, even more terrifying up close. “I’ve heard excellent things about you from the Fallen.” It’s not like I’m unable to lie. All she’d really heard was that the Fallen were going to meet her, but that was enough to guess who she was.

“We have already met.” She turned to the Fallen, currently a radiant blonde woman with a braid in her hair. Why couldn’t they look like that more around me? “You know I mislike my time being wasted. We have more important things to be doing.”

Charming. “You must forgive me, but I don’t recall us ever having met before. Perhaps you were hidden to me at the time?”

“You were aware of my presence. We even spoke to each other.” The Fallen leaned in and whispered something to her, a strange sight when she didn’t really seem to have ears. “You do not recognize me because I wore another face.” She reached behind her back and pulled out a mask, holding it up to her head.

In an instant, the same braided girl as the Fallen stood next to them, like twins. “It’s such a nice feeling to get inside the skin of someone, don’t you think, Florette? Inhabit a role beyond your own, to push people into the position where you need them? As far as the Fallen tells me, you’re no stranger to it.” She smirked, the light from flame spirits behind her creating an outline of light around her head. “But you are a rank amateur at the task, while I am a master.”

Florette felt her stomach sink. She could have been anyone. The slightest errant word could have pissed off a disguised spirit, or convinced her of something, or… Or whatever unique assets my position here brings me, she could just kill me and steal my face and have them as well. “I understand now. Thank you for clarifying.”

Lamante smiled as she removed the mask, ascending back to her monstrous mantis form from before. With a short nod that sent her antennae bouncing, she moved the smiling dead woman’s mask back onto her pack.

Glancing back at Fernan, it looked like he was talking in hushed tones with Laura, still oblivious as ever to the way she was looking at him. Probably for the best, though. His plan with Gezarde was fundamentally incompatible with her goals, if she served Flammare.

And speaking of… The heat from the hearth spirit grew more intense as he approached, so thoroughly blasting through the chill of the night that sweat was already forming on her brow. “And you must be that human pawn, Florette. Though not without your use against the ice, I caution you against reaching beyond the natural state to which you were once born. Annoying Glaciel is not nothing, but neither can one such as you contest a spirit who no longer humors you. Once Glaciel does strike you down, I will attempt to not forget your small efforts, though I must say that I cannot promise.”

“Wow, thanks.” Nothing unexpected though, given his reputation. Well, maybe the weird way he spoke. No one had mentioned that. But, otherwise, just as was to be expected from the heir presumptive to be Arbiter of Light, ruler of light and flame.

“You would be wise to do the same, Corro, and not forget your place in things tonight. Upon the moment that Lunette arrives, the patron spirit whom you are to serve, I’d hope you would convince her to see sense. Were she to make a claim to Soleil’s seat, no matter what her lineage might be, she would not long regret that foolish act. Nor would you much enjoy what would result.”

Corro looked as polite as he ever did, which was basically the same way he always looked. “I will certainly counsel her as best I can. By your leave, Flammare.” He melted down, dissolving into a puddle that spread across the ground beneath them.

The signal.

It was time to start the plan. Time to help Fernan.