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You weigh the odds carefully. Yes, the entity in front of you is an unknown. Yes, the prospect of being in its personal debt is highly concerning.
But did you have a better option?
You have a hard time thinking of one. Communication with central command had already broken down. And everything you’ve seen so far has indicated that you might be chewing into something several cuts above your figurative paygrade.
That said, there was also no reason to be hasty. Your mind dwells on a few concerns, and – as promised – the heterotypic countess responds in kind.
++I WILL DISARTICULATE THE THREADING BEHIND HIS EYES. YOU MAY BE SEEN BY HIS SERVANTS BUT 𒄊𒀕 𒀫 WILL NOT KNOW++
Another moment of disorientation, and an image of the vanishing firewatch tower flits through your mind.
++EXCISION IS ALSO POSSIBLE, BUT MY REACH IS NOT LIMITLESS. RECALL THAT I TOO AM A TRESPASSER++
She pauses for a moment.
++AND MY REQUEST IS PRIMARILY ONE OF ANCHORING. PERSONAL ASSISTANCE IN MAKING MY PRESENCE LESS TRANSIENT++
The moment your mind settles on the agreement, the entity produces three sigils in rapid sequence. Then, it disappears in a characteristic black flash.
The last sigil lingers in your vision. An after-mirage squirms gently behind your eyelids the next time you blink.
