The stairs leading to the room were silent, more so than Alder had anticipated them being. Of course the concept of a well maintained building were beyond any that He could invision, still the effort wasn't lost on his musing mind. Perhaps he'd make a comment to Nilestria on her handling of the mundane and often overlooked affairs. 

"Alder?" The voice of a young mardan with skin of the Jeweled Coast stood with the door wide. Without realizing it, Alder had nearly knocked on the open air, and would have likely tapped the poor man on the head. 

"Ah, sorry Al. It's good to see you,"

"You as well..." He looked back into the room before sighing and stepping aside. "Its a bit inopportune but, I'm glad you're here. Things haven't been going well."

"What hasn't?" 

"ARE YOU JOKING?" The scream of a woman pierced the air and forced Albert to shut the door such an amount of strenghth that the noise silenced the ferver inside. 

Jeann stood, partially clothed, engaged in a heated debate with a young woman. The latter seemed to be boiling over in anger, and Alder couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy with the woman. Jeann was, if nothing else, a handfull at all times. 

"What's going on?" Alder stepped further into the room and looked for an open seat. None were present that didn't contain an article of clothing on it, instead he adopted a relaxed stance and set himself to stand. 

"And who is this?! Another assassin waiting for your mark or-"

"Oridi!" Jeann snapped, "You've made your point excessively clear, but as i've stated several times, there are other things at play here. Either understand that your plan will be used, but must first be set aside until this man," Jeann pointed towards Alder with a decisive and implacating finger "has finished his work. Which so far has been going incredibly slow."

"Oh! So clearly it isn't your fault then?! Is that the lie you want me to believe? Really? How long did it take for me to even MEET you! I've been stuck with the limited information that Albert there has given us!"

"Have the accomidations not been sufficient?"

"That isn't-"

"Have you not been safe?"

"But the plan-"

"Will be followed, and you've done incredibly well to form it as far as you have. However, until Alder completes his work, there isn't anything more we can do. So..." Jeann made a gesture to the bed "take a seat while I talk with Alder and perhaps you may learn why."

Oridi's face flushed red but she took a seat, brushing aside the crumpled cloths and garmets. Her eyes bore daggers towards Alder, but she remained silent.

"Now then," Jeann turned to face Alder "How are things going on that front, Alder?"

"Well..."

"ARE YOU A FOOL AS WELL?!" 

"I don't..." 

"Honestly Alder, It's been over a week now. I didn't expect this to be a day or two, but the others have been forced to take other work given this delay."

"I've spent near every hour buried in books, Jeann! I've been living in the Counts Library for Gods sake! What more do you want from me?"

"An answer!"

"Well I don't have one yet! If I had a better understanding of the affliction maybe I could do something sooner, but the only clues that match this aren't based on any form of possession thats common."

"Well what do you have?" 

"Pieces of stories from Panwe and Haton, mostly from a few hundred years back. However all of them are in relation to conflict of Princes in the areas."

"Thats helpful. Our homes has always been a blinding beacon of peace."

"Flames of the brutal wars more like." Albert added

"That was the joke, yes." Jeann sighed and returned her eyes to Oridi "do you have an understanding of the situation now?"

"No? I've heard your lap dog complain of having to read,"

"I didn't-"

"And that the bits hes pulled are form ancient history. What good does that do us now?"

"Hmm. Oridi has a point on that end."

"Look," Alder spat "I'm doing my best, but unless your looking to just kill the young woman I'll need more time."

"What's going on with that? I've heard rumours that the Young Lady Elizabeth has been possessed by some sort of daemon?"

"It's a bit more complicated, maybe, but on the short end, yes."

"So what is it? A daemon then? Magic gone wrong?"

"It's... complicated."

"In what way? Magics magic, isn't it?"

"If only, no the closest thing that I've read about for this are bits from Ancient History as you ardently put it."

"And what of those?" Jeann asked.

"Often they relate more to the creation of Changelings."

Oridi gipped the bed with a strength that began to tear the nearby sheets, but managed to keep response contained. "Changelings? Thats... Interesting."

"Indeed." Alder nodded "We've not heard about them in quite some time, not since the late 700's. Conflicts of the Jeweled succession I believe."

"As far as I'm aware. The burning of the Kings Castle saw to that." 

"What does it matter? What do changelings have to do with this?" Oridi asked

"Well," Alder said, finally choosing to push aside tossed garmets and take a seat. "Nothing, but I can't say for sure. Just that bits of the recent reports and claims are starting to match up a bit. Ignoring connections, other aspects of Young Philistines dilema are shared by other possessions."

"Anything to explain that strange force of energy that hit us?"

"Nothing, nor why not everyone was hit with it."

"Energy?" Oridi asked "What energy?"

"Something we couldn't see exploded out from the creature when Alder first attempted to communicate with it. Sent members of the guards and the Count himself flying. Yet Alder and a few of the soldiers remained standing and nearly unafflictated."

"I still don't know what happened. I do know that I couldn't really use any magic at the time. Something was negating it, however I did begin communicating with it."

"You did?" Jeann asked "What did it say, exactly?"

"It spoke as if it had been a mortal, explained it was near Old Town, it was with friends and was helping people. Something grabbed them, attacked them, and possessed them. She was scared. Incredibly scared."

"You're sure it was Elizabeth then?"

"I guess? I didn't speak with it long so i've no idea for certain."

"Well, we'll assume she was." 

"So the creature is sentient?" Oridi asked "thats a bit, disturbing."

"I agree." Albert added. 

"Its a possessed person," Alder said "Of course its sentient."

"The question now, is how to remove that possessed creature from the Young Lady."

"And thats were the sticking point is." Jeann said, she took a across from Alder and struck a match. She lit a fire beneath a kettle and motioned for Albert to prepare cups. "So, Oridi, now you understand the situation, the same situation that Alder also finds himself in."

"What am I supposed to do now?" Oridi asked, 

"I'm not sure, my best suggestion is to wait. That is, if you still wish to complete your task."

"Task?" Oridi opened her mouth to further the conversation, but Albert placed a hand on her shoulder. The movement silenced her original statement. "Fine. I don't like this, but fine."

"I'm sorry, who are you exactly?" 

"Odd time to ask, don't you think Alder?" Jeann shot him a look.

"It didn't occur to me to ask until now."

"I'm an assa-"

"sistant. I needed another hand and Albert was getting stretched thin."

"Is that right?"

Oridi nodded quietly.

"Well, she's a tad more reliable in certain fields." Albert said, striding across the room with brick cups of a matte finish. A gentle, pleasant scent was beginning to waft through the air originating from the now heating kettle. "Certainly in the planning department."

"Hence why Albert had her brought to see me. She'd been complaining about delays in certain actions as of late."

Alder looked to the young woman and gave an apologetic nod. "I'm sorry for the delay, I hope you are a bit more understanding than our employer here."

Oridi nodded and gave a weak smile. "Certainly. Nothing to be done about immovable objects like these two."

"Oi." Jeann & Albert said in unison. 

"She has a point, you two are oft at the center of a number of strange goings on." Alder said. Oridi laughed.

"Are they really?"

"You'd not believe the hapless encounters that She's dragged Albert and I into."

"Oh no, Albert too?" 

Albert laughed and flashed a smile, "Once or twice. She can be a bit of a danger."

"Albert!" Jeann laughed, throwing a loose pillow at the man that fell wildly short. "I've not pulled you into more bouts than you've pulled yourself into, Alder. Should we speak of your engagement with the brigands on our arrival?"

"I... Listen, it all worked out."

"What happened?" Oridi asked,

"I'm curious as well," Albert added "I've only just really gotten a chance to rejoin Lady Jeann here. What endevours did she drag you into this time?"

"Albert!" Jeann shot again.

"To be fair, I was the one who decided to talk with them."

"Ah, so you're a coward then! That makes sense." Oridi joked

"I don't like to kill people." Alder retorted "I don't like open conflict either. That doesn't make me a coward."

"Right, right. Sorry, just used to all the Sunbeuru being blood-thirsty monsters bent on conflict." Oridi paused before looking to Jeann and adding "No offense."

"Please, none taken. I make my living off blood. I know what I am and what I do."

"She's really not all that bad." Alder said. "Honestly Jeanns been behind a massive amount of work done to cool climates of war."

"Often with a sword though," Jeann added. "I live off war, people like Alder are much better to handle the 'peace' aspects."

"A Pere bent on not killing? Isn't that counter-intuitive?"

"Conceptually it aligns with the doctrine."

"Wow, you really are pushing that line."

Alder sighed and Oridi laughed before apologizing. 

"We were stopped by a few folk along the roads outside of Dominia. They seemed intent on attacking us and taking the Counts personal goods."

"But Alder here managed to convince their leader to have a chat. After managing to dodge their attacks and beat two of them."

"It was far luckier that the man was actually interested in a peaceful solution. Actually, I need to thank him. Hes the first one to actually take me up on that offer."

"So you've tried the 'talk your way out' plan before then?"

"Well... Not as often as i'd like. I don't normally have the chance, most of the guards of the caravans are quick to attack and the highwaymen aren't normally after peacefull solutions."

"Thats fair, I'd assume you to be a con-artist or to doublecross me the moment after." Oridi said

"And that," Alder said sitting up to a more straightened posture, "is exactly the problem. Goddess bless that Hargis fellow."

"Hargis?" Oridis heart fell and her blood ran cold. 

"I believe so. Older fellow, He was actually willing to listen and we resolved to walk away. Honeslty, I don't know that he'd have let us go if it weren't for Jeann being nearby."

"I don't know about that..." Oridi trailed off in thought, catching herself moments later. "I'm sure the idea of fighting a Pere isn't a brave one anymore, and you're likely to wind up dead out here in the Eastern Front."

"I couldn't agree more." Jeann joked. 

"Are you familiar with this Hargis?" Alder asked 

"Would I be?" Oridi offered, hoping to cover her shifting fears beneath her mind. 

"I'm not sure," Alder said "In fact I don't think I actually know your history."

"That would make sense," Jeann said laughing "You two have only just met. Its a bit strange to assume that she would know a local stranger and brigand."

"I suppose," Alder said withdrawing "You're not a local then?"

"No, I'm from Panwe originally."

"Well, how about that? You're the same as us." Albert laughed, pointing to Jeann and himself. 

"What, really?"

"I know he doesn't look it, but Albert and I are from the Jeweled Road. Rubedelle myself."

"Arjeval,"

"Wasn't Arjeval the sight of that Massacre years past?"

"Thats right..." Albert said 

"Its a shame," Jeann said "Sometimes there isn't enough time to stop the insanity from getting out of hand."

"It isn't something that a single person can do," Oridi said "Panwe, and the Kingdom for that matter, have been internal hellscapes for some time."

"Sounds a bit morrose." Alder said

"Have you ever been outside the well traveled roads? Taken the sides passages and risked your life against luck and the highwaymen?"

Alder said nothing.

"No, I didn't imagine that you would have. Its not pleasant on the outskirts, worse yet are the things that bump against you in the night."

"Don't be so harsh on him Oridi, Alders from Mehonoris. Nice little Coastal town with very little ever going on."

"That I should be so lucky..." Oridi whispered

"A lot of these lands are Panwenians originally. The Counts family earned the land for service years past."

"What service was that?" Alder asked

"Murder and experimentation." Oridi offered

"We don't know." Albert said "But it was something quite important. The family was close friends with a lesser prince who went on to become one of the Panwe Kings."

"And the first thing that King did was give the Domicorta these lands and their titles."

"We don't have any ideas?"

"Aren't you in the graces of the Count? Can't you look through his libraries?"

"And if you really can't find anything then we can look up some of the locals. Im sure some in Old Town would know." Oridi Offered

"We're placing a lot of faith on my work, are you sure that's right?"

"Well I don't have any ideas or desire to help further than needed, but I could always use a good distraction."

"Well this has been a wonderful chance for us all to meet, but Alder you need to return to work. That goes for you aswell Oridi. I think I'll have some plans for you coming up soon." Jeann stood motioned for the door, which Albert had already opened in preperation.

Alder stretched out on the leather couch and pulled closer a few choices of tomes, ones relating to early ages of the Domicorta Family and their endevours in the Arcane Engineering fields. There were extensive copies of these, as it seemed even the closest servants recorded their daily goings on. Notes and pieces of information for context required subsequent readings to fill in the gaps, but slowly Alder was beginning to understand the strange workings of this Family.

"In the earliest of mornings on the day of Miila our good Master was forced into conscription and we were all as one dragged," Alder stopped and drew breathe. "Goddess above..." He rested the book back onto the table. 

"So you're big deal. Start as a farmer, conscription to serve, war, conquest, scientific work and Arcane studies. What did you do to gain the Kings favor I wonder?" 

The library was quiet, filled by the silence only possible when surrounded by knowledge. Light trickled in through an opening in the circular roof dome, the glass stained by age. A single beam lit up the room in the mid day, one of the paines had been lifted and sat propped open. Alders eyes followed the line and let them rest upon the shelf, then sat up when something caught his eye. The light that entered had illuminated a small section of a larger shelf, except that section contained only a partially burned scroll.

Alder stood and stretched, making careful appearance to no one in particular that he was clearly not about to follow this light-beam-of-strangeness to its outcome. That would be ridiculous. Surely that would be insane, Gods above or not that would be too much. But perhaps...

"That is a strange scroll..."

He began the slow work of pretending to inspect everything before that small-strange-clearly-not-Gods-sent light. Pulling a tome out and flipping through it slowly, before returning it to its spot and moving again. 

When he did arrive at the scroll, it was only while his body blocked light and cast a shadow over the works. He pulled the burnt scroll from its slot and began to open it, assuring himself he was only doing this for the act of curiosity to the burns. Not that a light had shone on it. The edges of the scroll was mostly gone, pocketed with ash and burnt ends. The luck was that the words were legable, the misfortune was that it bore only aggricultural information from a given year. 

Alder dropped his head and gently returned the scroll. 

"Did you just read that, because of the light?" 

Alder spun around to find Oridi, dressed as she had been days before, looking over the shelves opposite his. 

"How are you..." His eyes slowly raised, noticing the item propping open the paine. A stick from the larger trees along the paths. "Thats curious."

"How often are you checked on?"

"This time of day?" Alder gave the question a quick thought "unforseen circumstances aside, likely not for another few hours."

"Hes that trusting?" Oridi gave Alder another once over then nodded "Actually that makes sense."

"What are you doing here? This is the Counts private library!"

"Shh, keep it down."

"Right, sorry. What in the name of the King are you doing in here? Through the window no less? How did you survive that fall?"

"You ask a lot of questions Alder, and I don't really have the time to answer them all. In reverse, Magic, yes, and maybe trying to help you."

Alder stopped. Thats right, she was an arcanist. Jeann had hired her, but hadn't said much else. If she could land, and quietly so, then he was quite outmatched in that field. 

"Should I be worried about you being here?" 

"Not unless you plan on fighting me."

"It wasn't really my first thought."

"And what was?"

"Well, in honesty, confusion."

The pair stared at one another. 

"Well," Alder said, breaking the silence "what did you have in mind? You said you might be here to help?" 

"You don't know what I've been hired to do, do you?"

"You know very well I don't."

"Well, its likely for the best. Regardless, I'm curious to know what exactly you do in here. I thought I would stop in and see whats what."

"Intersting plan, still confused but im happy to have the help."

"So what exactly have you found in all this? You weren't very specific with Jeann."

"Thats because there isn't much of specfiics yet." Alder said. 

He made his way across the room and sat at the table he'd comandered, motioning for Oridi to follow. She did, sitting across from him and folding her arms.

"So Elizabeth is possessed?"

"It seems that way, Atleast currently. Its hard to say for sure now though. I've seen possessions, read more than a fair shar of reports on it too. This isn't like anything i've seen or heard. Worse yet is its not matching other options either."

"So theres not much of specifics."

Alder sighed and pinched his brow "Exactly."

"Well what DOES seem to be going on?"

"Elizabeth and the creature-thing are merged? I don't feel thats the right term, but it seems the closest."

"And you spoke with it?"

"In a way. Elizabeth seemed confused and when I spoke to her she seemed... I don't know. In hindsight I'm not sure that it was Elizabeth."

"So the creatures merged with the host enough to meld their minds?"

"Could be," Alder said, surprised by the idea. Or rather surprised by it coming from a criminal, but she was an Arcanist first, likely a criminal second. "Do you know anything that would do that, while also sharing the same features currently present?"

"Oh, sure." Oridi joked "Let me do your work for you."

"I'm just asking, I need any path I can find."

"Clearly, you followed a random beam of light to find a, what is that? A burnt scroll?"

"I'd really rather not talk about it, but yes."

"Domicorta, huh?" Oridi looked around and sighed "Wealth has always seemed so strange."

"I agree." Alder said "I've never understood the usages of it."

"The name sounds familiar enough, i'm sure i've heard it before." 

"That doesn't help us much though."

"Well," Oridi glanced over the table of pages, bound or otherwise, and extended the previous sigh. "Lets see if we can find something together then."