>>5322704You, for your part, have one final task: you visit the Novice’s chamber. Well, chamberS, you note; plural. She has commandeered the hallways directly outside of her quarters, which she has cordoned off to hide some of her more controversial works—including Glowie, still recovering from the invasive procedures performed upon her insectoid-reptilian ‘womb’, and the offspring forming therein. You wonder how she’s doing…
“Agno,” you say, addressing the matter at hand.
The matter at hand twitches as if shocked, and stares down at the floor. His claws grip the wooden slab where he sits, having recently been treated with the Novice’s less-than-tender mercies, mended as she mended you
“You have heard my offer,” you say. “You are NOT a part of my retinue—you, unique among your people here, is TRULY a slave. This is your punishment for challenging me and failing. DO you understand?”
He says nothing, but nods slowly.
“You have heard what I offer your race, also, yes?” you ask. “Concessions, and continued understanding, in SPITE of your failed rebellion?”
He nods again.
“Do you think this just?” you ask.
You listen intently to his heart, watch the twitchings of his tail, observe the very essence of him. When you focus, really FOCUS, it is hard for any reptile to hide their inner truth from you.
“Yes, Dragon,” he says, and you sense he means it.
“Good,” you say. “Go.”
He bows, and scampers away.
“I still think it is a mistake,” the Novice huffs. “He could have killed you, and of the two of you, I NARROWLY prefer your stupidity to his.”
“You are going soft, yourself,” you smugly note. “That is almost friendly.”
She hisses. You laugh. She tends to your own injuries next—the second time today.
Finally torpor calls out to you again. You spend it…
>Alone—you need to retreat from all this exhausting INTERACTING for a few hours, and meditate>With Glowie and the Novice in their chamber—Glowie will appreciate a hand to hold while she recovers, and you will appreciate the company and consultation>With Tessu—you sensed the burgeoning of a heat cycle in her, and you have some other ‘frustrations’ to take out>Talking strategy with the Bastard and the Translator, in preparation for your scouts’ return tomorrow>Write-inTried to cover it all; I hope the jumbo-sized update wasn't tl;dr, and that it makes up for the lateness. Tomorrow evening and this weekend, updates may be delayed or reduced, as I am a leaf 