Securing Loved Ones [Plot]

Ayero,

Sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye, but time was a pressing factor. I need to head to Magnostadt to deal with some things and try to get Reim some back up, if I can. If you need anything or want to get me a message, contact my father, Adamus, at the Stony Brook Inn. I have let him know you might stop by. He can get me a message ASAP, if need be.

Be safe while I am away, who else will pour wine down my throat until I barf on the King?
Ari~

Ayero tucked the note back into the inner pocket of her cloak. War was inching closer to Reim every day, and she had dedicated herself to helping the rebellion forces. Ever since the call to arms meeting, Octavius’ words wouldn’t leave her head. He had warned her to get her loved ones out of the country. Ayero knew that her involvement in the rebellion and the support of the Fanalis Corps posed a great risk to her younger brother, Vincenzo. She didn’t have many accessible contact outside of Reim, but she hoped that she could somehow finagle a deal to send Vin to somewhere he’d be safe.


Drawing in a slow breath, Ayero knocks at the door of Adamus’ inn room. She had asked the inkeep for his location, hoping that someone who held power and rank outside of Reim would be willing to help her.

Adamus scrubbed the water from his hair after his bath, draping the towel over his shoulders to tug on a pair of pants when there was a knock on the door. Tossing the towel to the side and shrugging into a shirt, he pulled the door open to find Ariella's friend, Ayero, standing there. He gave the redhead a friendly smile and waved her into the room before working the buttons closed on his shirt. From what Ariella had told him, she had left Ayero a note to contact him if Ayero needed anything, and he was worried she was in some type of trouble. He had actually taken the time to groom himself today and looked to be in better shape than he had in the weeks following Evelyn's disappearance. His voice was friendly, but it held an edge of concern. Reim had become a pit of tension recently and he hoped nothing bad had happened, Ella had been through enough recently.

"Ayero! Ella said you might stop by. Is everything alright?"

Ayero met his smile with a somewhat forced one of her own, worry playing heavily into her expression. ”Adamus.” She nods in greeting, hesitating for a moment as she gathered her words. ”For now yes, but…there’s something I need to ask you. A favor, to be frank.” She didn’t want to ask the man for help initially, not because she didn’t trust him, but because of recent events. She didn’t want to burden him anymore after the disappearance of his wife and whatever else had gone on since the coronation, but the drive to protect her family had eventually won out. ”If it’s alright…could we continue this conversation inside?” She glances to the side, unsure about speaking of such things in the open. She was a bit paranoid that someone could overhear and possibly sabotage things for her, unlikely as it was.

Adamus frowned at her tone but nodded, waving her over to a seat before closing the door. As she settled down, he poured them both a cup of warm spiced wine, the chilly weather perfect for the apple-flavored drink. He dug through a drawer, pulling out a magic tool and activating it to block any sounds from leaving his room, as she seemed concerned about being overheard.

“There we go, now you can talk freely. The device keeps conversations private, when needed. You seem… tense. What’s going on? I will help in any way I can.”

He sipped at the spiced wine, scanning her face with worry. He hoped it was nothing major but he had promised Ella he would do anything he could to help while he was in the country. He had a meeting with Roark later, the man having asked for some input regarding Kou troop behavior. Adamus had made himself available for discussions, knowing Ariella had fallen in love with the people in this country and wanting to help her protect her investments in any way he could.

Ayero exhaled in relief as Adamus agreed to speak with her privately, but the rigidity did not ease from her posture as she recalled the reason she had approached him in the first place. Closing her hands around the cup, she thanked him a she brought it to her lips and sipped slowly, hoping that the simple act of drinking would help calm her a bit. The rich tasted danced on her tongue but she didn’t have time to let herself in enjoy it much, lowering the glass and fixing him with a stone-serious gaze.

”I will be blunt. Kou is advancing and this country will soon become dangerous. While I intend to remain in the capital and fight, I am not willing to sacrifice the life of my younger brother in order to keep him close. I know that you are a powerful man with connections, and I came here to ask if you would have any way of taking him out of the country to somewhere safe.”

As she finishes speaking, her eyes hold a note of softness as her thoughts move to Vin. She disliked the idea of not being able to watch over him, but she didn’t want to risk having him here in the case that things went south.

Adam arched a brow at the direct tone of the woman, his expression softening to understanding as she spoke. Any soldier worried about their family in times of possible conflict and he respected her for acknowledging that while she needed to defend her country, she also needed to defend her family in any way she could. He took a sip of his wine, humming in thought.

“I would not be able to personally take him out of the country, I promised Ella I would stay and do what I could to help, as well… but that is not to say I won’t help at all.”

He considered a number of options, thinking of the pros and cons of each as he tapped his fingers on the top of the table.

“There are a couple of things I could do for you. Either I can put him on a ship or I can get him to a magic transfer circle. Regardless of how you would prefer he travel, we can keep him at Villa Negri in Magnostadt. Adius is great with children, as is Ariella. And Magnostadt is honestly the safest place I could offer. While there, he would be surrounded by an army of skilled mages to protect him. The only advantage of Kou invading your country is that it has distracted them from attempting to invade mine again for the time being. Would this be acceptable for you? If we were to send him by ship, I would see if Ari could personally come pick him up, though that would require a bit of a wait…”

He knew Ari and Adius would be happy to watch over the child and he figured the redhead would feel more comfortable if the person watching her brother was someone she knew. She obviously trusted Ariella enough to come to him for help so perhaps this would give her the peace of mind to be able to fight for her country without worrying about her brother.

Ayero listens intently to Adam’s reply, relieved that he was willing to help and indeed had the ability to transport her brother out of the country.

”I…thank you for offering your assistance as well as sheltering my brother in your own home. He’s already met Ariella and taken a liking to her, so I’m sure that he will feel safe there.” She exhales as a look of relief reflects in her eyes, grateful that she now had the ability to move Vin to some place safer. Besides, he’d probably love being in the country of magic. ”Is this magic transfer circle safe? I assume that it is a faster way to travel than by ship, which I would prefer.”

Adamus listened to her concerns with an understanding smile, nodding at her question.

“A magic transfer circle is very safe and very fast. You could even stick your head through to see that he arrived safely and wave to Ella if you wanted. I would just need to notify the kids to expect him and we could have him out of the country by the end of the day, if I can find the right people to pull this off. I am assuming you do not want people know that you are seeking refuge for your brother?”

If he wanted to do this quickly, he needed to find a communication mage and a few familiar with magic transfer circles so he could make arrangements.

“If that is the route you want to go, come back here tonight to check in with me. I have to go speak with Roark about some military matters and then I will find the people I need to in order to get your brother out of here before any fighting breaks out. Is this acceptable?”

Ayero nods in affirmation. ”That is correct. Though I don’t think that anyone would go after him specifically, we don’t know what will happen during the course of this war…” Her brows narrowed in thought before she shakes her head to dispel the idea of anyone going after her brother.

She raised a brow as Adamus mentioned Roark, wondering how involved in Reim’s affairs he was. ”Yes, perfectly fine. I…can’t thank you enough for agreeing to help me. I know I can’t do much, but if there is anything I can help with, please let me know. Again, thank you. I won’t forget this act of kindness.” Ayero stood and gave a slight bow in thanks before departing to leave Adamus be. She didn’t think that she’d be able to get Vin out of the country this quickly, but was thankful for the opportunity all the same. Now she just had to sit the child down and have a talk with him…

[Exit]