It was strange having the crew of the Dauntless outside of it with me. Even stranger was having Esbee serve them, shooting me glances the whole time.

Hadn't quite had time to get around to filling people in on the whole story. Which, considering I hadn't been sure it would work, was rather involved.

"Can't believe you slapped our souls into a bunch of sex dolls to save our lives," Suzenne said, far too excitedly considering the words she'd chosen while proving my previous thought wrong.

"My understanding, from my nephew's explanation, was that wasn't their original purpose," Captain Sidhe said, looking down at her own stone form. "Though they do feel a bit embellished, do they not?"

"Nah, you're just as perky as you were. The uniform just hid it more," Kezil said, gaze lingering on a nearby table where a family was gathered. "You're sure you can't get them back, Perry, m'boy?"

"No, I'm not sure. I'm still not entirely sure what Keeper and Conflict did to allow me to get you four out. And Keeper swears that it never collected the souls of your family."

"And you trust this Keeper?" Kezil asked, turning back towards me. It was utterly strange that his face was so… normal. The scarred tissue wasn't there, and the stone was dark and contoured enough it seemed more like thick skin.

"Not exactly. I do trust that if it'd had them, it would've at least given me a price to get them back," I said, pulling one of my crisps up from my plate and popping it into my mouth.

"A most mercenary acquaintance," Vaden said, frowning, hand tapping against the hilt of his sword. I noted that he'd barely touched his food.

Not a problem that Suzenne was having. She'd already torn through half-a-dozen different dishes and was starting on her seventh. When she caught me looking, she flashed a grin. "Food tastes great, even more so now I can't get fat."

"If not for having to lose my family twice, I'd almost say it was worth it, m'boy," Kezil said as he cleared off his second plate. "Not that I blame you for putting us through it. Was a good sight more pleasant the second time around."

That statement received several solemn nods from the others, even Suzenne.

"I must admit," Vaden said after a few seconds of relative silence, only broken by Suzenne and I chewing. "It is quite startling to see that you are truly a Magus Dominus and not the simple enchantineer I'm used to."

"Here, here," Kezil said, raising a mug towards the middle of the table.

Indulging him, I raised my own, though no one else took him up on the motion.

"Bah, you're all a bunch of sodden trousers," Kezil said, slamming his drink back after clinking mine.

"He's not though," Suzenne said, taking a break from inhaling her food. "A Magus Dominus, I mean. He told us it was like a Magus Dominus, but he's a Protectus. That's a pretty big difference."

Sidhe nodded. "I've never heard of such a title before, but you said it was more than a difference in name?"

"Lot more," I said, before explaining what I knew to them.

To my surprise, Suzenne had more to add, "That's not all. Used to think it was just another one of my conspiracies but if what Perry's saying is true, there are old records of Magus Protecti in Terra Centra's vaults. Well, whatever's left of them after the civil war. Can't believe we missed an actual civil war. In Terra Vista of all places!"

"Lotta stuff we missed," Kezil said as Esbee brought him another drink. He slammed it back before frowning at it. "Can't even get more than a good buzz."

"Yeah. Even that had to be added in," I said, shrugging. "You're as near to elven as I could get you, but it wasn't perfect."

"We appreciate it," Sidhe said, reaching over to clasp my hand. "Thank you, Perry."

"You did hear the part about him not actually being your nephew, right?" Kezil asked, slamming his mug down and looking out around the room. "Bout how he's not too different from us, 'cept it's your boy's body he's walking about in."

"I did, yes, thank you, Kezil," Sidhe said, voice cold as she glared at the man who still returned to look at the table.

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"Long as you didn't miss it," he said, waving Esbee down again and asking for another two rounds of drinks.

She took a glance at the still full drinks on the table, back to him, then raised her eyebrows as she grinned at me. "Imagine you're gonna have quite the tale to spin me later, aren't you?"

"I'll do my best," I promised, shaking my head.

"She's a fine looking woman," Kezil said, burping loudly. "Little young, but I 'spose that with bodies like ours, looks are a bit deceiving."

"Honestly… I have no idea how old she is. Or if she's single. Or even interested in men… actually, scratch that, I think I remember her mentioning being into guys," I said, shrugging as I grabbed another crisp.

"Seriously Kezil, after everything we had together, you're looking at another woman?" Suzenne asked, hand clasped to her chest, causing me to choke on my crisp.

"Bah, that was an entire lifetime ago, woman. And don't think I don't remember you making googly eyes at m'boy Perry. Hardly even noticed I existed," Kezil said, frown stronger than ever. "Nor did you take it so well when you found out I had a family, as I recall."

"Can you blame me?" Suzenne replied, flicking a crispy root vegetable she'd set on the side of her plate at him. "At least Perry told me he had someone waiting."

"And that didn't do much to slow ya, did it?" Kezil said, though there was a bit of a smile on his face as he did.

"I… well, he never talked about them, I thought he was just making them up as an excuse 'cause he was shy," Suzenne said, looking towards a nearby table where Bevel, Ari and Calbern were sitting, having lunch together. Tresla had been there for a short while earlier, but had left not long after I'd sat down with the crew of the Dauntless.

Ari caught us looking over and gave a small wave, which got Bevel's attention, who started waving as well, though she put her full body into it. Calbern simply inclined his head.

"And they caught me staring. Kill me now," Suzenne said, turning away, face flushing.

"That would prove more difficult than before," Vaden said with a hint of amusement as he held his hands over the table, inspecting them. "It is a shame that we had to lose a decade to gain such a form. I find myself most eager to test its limits."

"Might have someone who'd be willing to help you with that," I said, nodding to the other table. "Unless there was anything else we wanted to discuss before I introduce you to my family. Properly, this time."

They traded glances around the table.

Kezil grunted. "Got lots more I'll want to pick that brain of yours about, but I expect we're as curious as your family."

"And I want to meet this Keeper of yours. And Conflict and Tender too. They sound so interesting. And the Forgeborn. I can't believe she's here and building stuff. And teaching regular people. I didn't think they did that anymore," Suzenne said, somehow managing to shovel in a bite without slowing her words.

"They used to teach people?"

"Sure, wasn't like the Alvian Empire gave them much choice," Suzenne said, wiping her face with a napkin. "There's a reason they rebelled, and I wouldn't be surprised if having to teach entitled jerks was half of it."

Kezil and I both laughed at that, while Vaden and Sidhe simply shared a smile.

Then we stood and moved over to the other larger table.

"This," I said, walking over to Bevel and ruffling her hair. "As you know, is my daughter."

"Nice to meet you in the real world," Bevel said, reaching out both hands at once, likely to try to shake their hands as quickly as possible.

Suzenne misinterpreted the gesture in the most predictable way possible, scooping Bevel up in a hug that surprised my daughter. "It's so good to know you're safe. I was so worried after that lady came and cut our heads off. Weird, I know, since you'd think that I'd stop worrying after losing my head, but it kinda didn't catch up to me like it did the first time."

Bevel looked over Suzenne's shoulder at me, eyes wide as Suzenne didn't really interrupt her ramble or release the hug.

"I do believe we all deserve a turn greeting them," Sidhe said, managing to slide the statement in between sentences.

"Ah, of course," Suzenne said, releasing Bevel and rubbing her head.

Afterwards, Bevel carefully extended a single arm to the others, shaking each of their hands in turn as they introduced themselves to her, then Ari, then Calbern.

"You are a Bladesinger of some skill, I hear," Calbern said, eyes moving to the blade. "One who has recently been brought to the pinnacle of the third tier."

"Through no achievement of my own, I'm afraid," Vaden said, giving a nod nearly as shallow as Calbern's own.

"Few of us make it anywhere without help from those around us. That said, I have learned recently, that I am not as skilled a swordsman as I had once thought," Calbern said, hand tapping lightly upon the sword at his hip. "And as master Percival has proven capable of caring for himself, I find myself with a great deal of time on my hands to rectify the flaw."

"Time I would be most pleased to help you fill," Vaden said, his own hand on his hip. "Shall we seek out a place to engage our blades."

"That would be most agreeable," Calbern said, before inclining his head in our direction then striding towards the exit, Vaden a pace behind.

"Dragons above, there's two of 'em," Kezil said, reaching down and grabbing one of the smoothies on the table and slamming it back. A second later, he leaned forward, clutching his head. "Why in the abyss did they include brainfreeze and not the ability to get properly drunk?"

Laughter spread around the table at that, and I found myself smiling as Ari moved to take my arm.

"You know," she said, kissing my cheek lightly. "I couldn't help but note you didn't correct them on our presumed marriage. Was that an oversight on your part? Or did you perhaps have something you wanted to tell me?"

"I…" After the mistakes I'd made with Tamrie, such as the accidental gift and… well, lots of little things, really, I'd tried to be more conscious of my relationship with Ari. Still, it seemed things could still slip passed my notice. "I think that deserves a nice long conversation. Maybe over the course of a week, this evening?"

"That, Magus Protectus Percival of Aeternia, sounds like a date."

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