Location: Lux Cantatio, Deep, Sinis

    Xander stretches his arms over his head, barely missing getting nicked, and very nearly gets his face ripped off as he takes her hand to kiss it as she walks by.
    "You really shouldn't provoke her like that," Lys rebukes gently, putting the teapot and used cups in the sink, "and yet it is a clever tactic to draw her ire to you yet retain her fondness for me."  He clasps his hands behind his back and paces thoughtfully back and forth across the office.  "You said that you checked the weather. What do our birds sing of now?"  Xander takes the cup of tea and sits back down in his chair, crossing an ankle over the other knee and resting the tablet against his leg.
    "I was checking messages when Abby walked over, so I had to lock it out and swap to the game, so I haven't been able to look in just yet.  But before I was interrupted I had sent a broadcast message with the warning that Tidus brought and asked for updates.  But even now...  Yup, no storms on the horizon, and the Ravens are all still silent.  This is worrying."  He sips his tea and furrows his brow as he scrolls through messages.
    "And no coat?  Hmph, for now.  Soon enough someone will attempt something on me, it's just a matter of when.  But it hasn't been terribly long since you requested information, and something of this scale will warrant careful investigation and vetting of veracity.  We also need to inform Eshevrhi at once of Azandra's intent.  Prepare a message as follows:  Lord Eshevrhi, you are owed an apology for my late reply, there has been much to do.  In response to a query, I think that Royal Violets would look lovely in your garden, but be careful of how they are cultivated, for they will take over quickly.  Further, the weather looks to be lovely, but I have heard of storms on the horizon, so you'd best have a warm coat when you go outside.  I do miss our chats, perhaps we can convene over tea once more.  Respectfully, Lys Morgenlied."  Xander types as Lys speaks, and upon finishing the missive, sends it off.
    "Right clever of you to work in 'Odin' like that, I still don't know how you do it.  It'll get his attention, though.  As for attention-getting, nice work dropping Aevra's name, Azandra was not happy to hear it.  Between that and the pin she should be extremely cautious and suspicious of everyone.  Abby should be clever enough to figure out the message, and if not, well...  Five quid says that Azzy gets her claws on that pin inside a week, too.  She's like a magpie with shiny baubles, and it should provide us some very valuable intelligence if played right."  Sighing, Xander rubs the back of his neck.  "It's getting dangerous over there with all of this talk of war, invasions, and what all is going on with the portal.  I'm going to recall our current agent and send in our best operative.  If I recall, Ratatosk is-"
    "No.  Dispatch Fenrir."  Xander nearly spills tea on himself as he stares at Lys in horror.
    "Sweet AllSong.  You want to send the Wolf of Yggdrasil to Pax?"  Lys pauses in his pacing to glance over at him, his jaw set in determination.
    "You object?  I know that she is-"
    "No, it's okay, she just scares the hell outta me, and the only other person who can do that is you."  He taps the screen a few times and takes a long drink of tea, his mouth suddenly dry.  "Right.  Done."  He glances up, seeing Lys pace again, but this time there is tension in his shoulders.  "You're sending her because there's a chance that someone might get killed.  ...Or need to be..."  Once more Lys pauses, stopping in front of Xander, but doesn't meet his gaze.
    "I desire so much to save everyone, but...  AllSong guide me, I never wanted to have to do this, but it seems that even I must wield a blade in defense of that which I desire to protect."
    "Her loyalty is never in question, that's for certain, and she knows how to make a fast, clean kill, but..."  He sets the empty cup on the coffee table and sighs again.  "I know what she means to you, literally and figuratively.  What her existence means, and what it speaks about you and what you've had to do.  Looks like the only person you can trust anymore is yourself."  A small smile flickers to Lys's lips.
    "And you as well."
    "I'm you, mate-"
    "No, you are not."  Stunned, Lys blinks a couple of times before he puts the tablet on the table yet again and stands, approaching Lys.
    "Right, you're starting to worry me.  What's this about?"  Again Lys is unable to meet his eyes.
    "You have never been 'me.'  You have always been yourself and your own person.  That I never recognized or respected that is completely reprehensible, and I..."  Xander is silent for a moment before putting a hand on Lys's shoulder.
    "What do you want me to be?"  He staggers as Lys hugs him, resting his head on his shoulder, and it takes a moment for Xander to return it, his arms around his companion's shoulders.
    "I want you to decide that for yourself."  Xander quirks a small smile as he tries to bring levity to the mood.
    "You know what I want, mate."  There is silence again as Lys hesitates in his reply.
    "...Hanarezu soba ni ite.  Ware no koto, onegaishimasu."  Xander feels Lys's grip tighten around him as he makes the request, and Xander knows what it implies.  Chuckling, he squeezes Lys in a soft hug.
    "Eien ni, kimi wo mamotte imasu."  The tension melts from Lys's posture, and the smile Xander wears would look strange to outsiders, yet it is still somehow natural...

Reylan hugs her tightly, "Abbyline..." he says, and switches to a quiter and faster voice. "Towns of Akra. Vaults of Tegari. Earthsea led by Lord Baalhazzar. Hunter Generals, like Vizal." Without a moment of pause, he speaks normally again. "I will miss you dearly, and so does your mother. Allies in Seashell. Lizeny, creator of the portal. Uelricost, famed scientist at Earthsea." Rey withdraws, still holding Abbyline with his hands. He looks into her eyes. "Good luck, my daughter." He means that from the bottom of his heart. He is proud of his daughter. She is intelligent and logical as her mother, but Rey still wonders could Azandra be too much for her.

"We will meet again soon." Reylan pats her back softly. "Yes," he whispers. Reylan straightens up after hugging her. There is a slight proud smile on his face. "Farewell, Abbyline. Take care."

Reylan looks after them, thinking. The family is separated. Things are changing. Plans are afoot. Winds of war are blowing. He wishes he could discuss these matters with Phoebe right now. Only if it was here.
After he has stood there for a while, he heads out of Lux and back to his guard duty.

January 6, 7000 AGW

5:00 pm Sinis time

    Xander reclines in his chair as usual, checking reports for anything new.  Lys sits at his desk, finishing administrative matters, nearly done for the day.  A new message pops up and Xander reads it, grimacing.  Noticing this, Lys makes an inquisitive noise.  Glancing up, Xander's gaze takes in the contents of Lys's desk and hands.
    "Put down the teacup, mate."
    "Really, Xander, I-"
    "Drop it," he growls, and Lys sighs as he puts aside his tea and stands up.
    "Very well.  What is it?"
    "Azandra made her move.  She took over Abby and sent her to the Raven."  Lys's eyes go wide with fear, but before he can speak Xander waves a hand at him.  "It's all good, the kid is smarter than Princess Purple expected and asked for help.  The Raven dosed her with knock-out toxin and took her to a safehouse.  She asked that Fenrir extract Abby from Pax immediately and is waiting for orders."
    Lys lets out a breath that he didn't realize that he'd been holding and sags.  He feels Xander's arms around him in a supportive hug, and he returns it, shaking his head.
    "I had feared exactly this scenario.  I had hoped to be wrong, but..."  Setting his jaw, he makes his decision.  "As soon as Fenrir is in Pax she is to immediately return to the Lux with Abby.  The Raven needs to flee as well, we shall have a replacement as soon as we can, in case she might be recognized by Azandra's forces.  Inform her father as well, he needs to know what his daughter nearly got caught up in.  AllSong guide me, I had so hoped to be wrong about her..."
    Xander smiles and kisses him on the cheek, earning a smile, and sits down to send off the required messages.

    With a glance at the monitor, Lys mouths "Tidus" to Xander, who nods and sets aside his tablet to get up and open the door, then moves to the kitchenette to busy himself with making a fresh pot of tea.

    Lys gestures to the chairs in front of his desk and smiles pleasantly.
    "By all means, certainly.  What is on your mind?"
    Xander walks over to the desk and sets down two cups as well as the teapot, then returns to his chair with the tablet, one ankle resting comfortably over the other knee, elbow on the arm of the chair and chin in hand as he reads.

    Somehow unperturbed and unsurprised by this remark, Lys looks over at Xander, who taps his tablet to bring up pertinent information.
    "Yeah, we have, and even with a couple of days to search there's bugger-all on you, mate.  You're a harder nut to crack than I am.  You've been kicking around as long as he has, and in the few places you've cropped up in local records you solve a problem peaceably or do a bit of musical instruction and then pop back off again.  You're also a bit of a pushy arsehole when it comes to magic, but otherwise are pretty chill about most things."  He shows his fangs in a cheeky, shit-eating grin as he levitates Lys's cup a few inches and sets it back down.  Rolling his eyes, Lys sighs and makes a "stop that" gesture.
    "Please do not antagonize our guest, even if their views are a tad extreme," he admonishes with fondness as he turns back to Tidus, "but he is correct, there is very little known about you even to my vast network.  This concerns me, not because you are an unknown agent, but because someone like you suddenly appearing in my domain means that something dire is afoot, and I am as of yet unaware of it."  He picks up his tea and sips it, holding the cup in both hands.  "With your generous warning we have sent out requests for more information, and though reports are currently sparse, we have been successful in obtaining data and possibly have prevented a catastrophe.  Data and events that we would not know to look for were we not alerted."  He looks at Tidus over the rim of his cup with stark seriousness.  "Thus I ask of you plainly: what do you require from us?  I do not believe that you are here out of simple goodwill, you require something that only we can provide."

    Lys puts down his cup and leans back in his chair, chin resting on his folded hands, and watches Tidus with courteous silence, gesturing for him to begin.  Still typing away at the tablet, Xander glances up, opening a new page upon which to take notes, having put away his smile for a look that is a near mirror-image of the one that his companion wears.