The Undertow: Session Twelve

Mikansia: the female elven main character, played by Lena. Mikansia helped bring down Elfharrow and, because she was an exile of the elven nation of Kotae Mah, had joined an elven smuggling ring called The Sword Runners. It's been a year since we last saw her, and she is now headed to Kotae Mah with Akseli and Nomi for a personal mission.

Yngvar: Mikansia's former Firstsword, who had traveled down with Akseli to bring her back to Kotae Mah after Jabez had helped her desert. After the fall of Elfharrow Yngvar returned to Kotae Mah, so that way Mikansia could have someone on the inside of the system.

Jabez: Mikansia's deceased Sword Singer friend. He had been exiled to Elfharrow, which is something that should not have happened. Elfharrow is not a place where any elf is sent, for any reason. And Mikansia wants to find out how that happened.

It was dawn. Dale, with Mikansia, Akseli, and Nom in tow, flew the rickety airship under Kotae Mah, easily slipping past the military patrols. That disturbed Mikansia and Akseli, who had been on these very patrols previously! Nomi, however, found their disturbance hilarious, which made them even more uncomfortable. Dale gave some money to Mikansia as a ladder came down. Mikansia, Akseli, and Nomi climbed up the ladder. There was a male elf at the top of the ladder. Mikansia paid him and they were let up. Dale told them to be back by dawn the next day, or else it would be awhile before they could leave Kotae Mah. They acknowledged and Dale was off.

It was strange, seeing the white and towers of Kotae Mah rising against the infinite black of the Void. There was a nostalgia to seeing these places, as an exile; home, and yet not home. Akseli said he was going to go see Yngvar. Mikansia told him to tell Yngvar she said hello. Akseli laughed and said that wouldn't be necessary; they'd be talking about her most of the afternoon. Mikansia smiled and told Akseli not to wait up for her. He laughed an said if Mikansia got herself in trouble again he was going to come for her, period. Besides, Yngvar would kill Akseli if she was abandoned again. Mikansia laughed and they'd see each other dawn.

Mikansia and Nomi walked on. It had been a year, and over all that time Nomi had refused to tell anyone anything about herself, only that a "Marian" had sent her, and that the now-dead Tyce had contacted this Marian. Mikansia asked who Marian was, again, remarking she really must be someone special, to be able to turn someone from the Lone Keep to defect. Nomi agreed, and then tried to drop the subject. But Mikansia persisted. For a whole year Nomi had told them nothing. Nomi told Mikansia it wasn't her business: she was there to help and destroy the Lone Keep, and that would have to be enough. Mikansia laughed: Nomi wore a Dagger of Betrayal, rode a dragon that was controlled by said Dagger ("His name is Fish!" protested Nomi), she claimed to be sent by some random human woman, and she expected that to fly??? No, this needed to change.

Nomi stared at Mikansia and then began laughing. Genuinely, actually, laughing! Yeah, that sounded pretty ridiculous! She explained she had been one of the Lone Keep's best agents: there was not one elven general that Nomi probably hadn't slept with, not one major human politician who hadn't been threatened by her. So when Nomi's sister, Anneli, had stumbled upon a way to bring the Ring of Tears back to the planet, they sent Nomi to plant a Dagger of Betrayal in Anneli's back. Nomi thought she could do it. She was wrong. The inner confusion almost killed her, leaving her a broken mess.  Anneli, permanently disillusioned with her sister, had left Nomi with Marian for rehabilitation. Marian was a human sorceress and a far better person than anyone had any right to be. She had helped Nomi and Fish regain a sense of self, outside of their own pasts. Marian had sent Nomi to Mikansia because Nomi needed to start living for more than healing or revenge.

Mikansia told Nomi she was familiar with hitting that moral wall, that realization of how far she could go. Nomi asked wryly if that had anything to do with meeting Mikansia when she wasn't wearing any pants. Mikansia blushed, but told Nomi she'd arrived at the just the nick of time, and that Mikansia would be forever grateful for that. Nomi smiled. She said they needed to move on, although if it was one of her ex-marks it would be an awkward reunion.

After asking some questions about General Santeri and his wife Aallotar, Jabez's parents. They found out that Aallotar had sailed a few months ago, into the Void. General Santeri had stayed on, in disgrace over the treason of his son Jabez. He alwasy came out when market convened and stayed there awhile, people watching. So off they went, trying to blend in with the crowd.

They found General Santeri sitting to the side of the market, watching the crowds as some watch ducks in a pond. Mikansia sat down next to him and held out Jabez's sheathed sword for him to see. General  Santeri grew pale and he looked at Mikansia; he asked where she had gotten that sword. Mikansia told General Santeri that she had received it from Jabez himself. General Santeri asked why Jabez didn't have the sword, or why he wasn't with her. Mikansia took a deep breath. She had caught the sword as Jabez had been killed, and then used that sword to gut the monster who had murdered him. But Jabez had died standing tall, proud, defending the values that all Sword Singers were so proud of. He died as a hero and not a day went by that Mikansia wasn't proud to have known him.

General Santeri gently pushed the sword back to Mikansia, telling her she should keep it. He could tell there was more to that story than she let on, and that Mikansia (whom he called by name) had something to do with Jabez going out as well as he did. General Santeri could see why Jabez had thrown it all away for her Mikansia, because he could see it too. Mikansia told him that Jabez had helped lead to the downfall of Elfharrow. Mikansia then confirmed that Jabez had been exiled near Elfharrow. General Santeri asked her to come with him and tell that to the elite of Kotae Mah. That shouldn't have happened to anyone, let alone his son! The elves were always so careful as to where they initially put their exiles, so the system needed to be alerted! Together, the two of them could make a difference! He would pull strings; Mikansia would be reinstated as a Sword Singer. General Santeri would see to that personally.

Mikansia was torn.All this running and sneaking around and being a criminal could end! She could return to the way things had been.. without Jabez. So she couldn't go back, not all the way. But the interior rot in the elven nation was there! And what of Akseli and Nomi? Akseli had given up everything to follow her, and Nomi would never be Maybe, just maybe...

General Santeri gently stroked Mikansia's hand and told her the offer would still stand. He understood.

As Mikansia and Nomi, who had been standing nearby, got ready to leave, General Santeri promised they'd meet again. He was about to sail, he missed his wife so much!

But not yet.

The people who sent his boy to Elfharrow needed to be found.

Mikansia nodded.

She left him there, vanishing from sight, into the crowd.