Meeting of the Minds

[Derin Edala]

"Thank you." Derin twitched her fingers in a sign of blessing as she crossed the threshhold, old habits flooding back. She could afford to let them. Slightly outlandish but upper-class customs from Shani's home added legitimacy, and would presumably fade naturally in time.

Once inside, she pulled the veil back from her face. That was one custom that she should probably check up on; she had no idea whether it was polite for Marnian women to wear veils indoors, but she was going to have to outside Navarre's home, which she had already taken to be a safe haven. The woman would, of course, have servants, but if Navarre could be trusted then presumably so could they. Derin didn't waste her time looking for them; good servants were invisible, and she got the impression that this woman wouldn't tolerate anything less than the best.

"My face might take a week or so to heal," she said to Navarre, indicating the bandages. She was guessing; she'd tried to go for maximum scarring with minimum actual damage, but Derin was no physician. She'd be lucky to avoid infection. "It would be difficult to pull off these injuries as believably old before then. Unless you know a trustworthy magical healer, but we wouldn't want to risk this not scarring properly. I should probably avoid too much scrutinising contact until then."

[Navarre]

Navarre's friendly smile did not fade when her guest pulled back her veil, revealing her bandaged face. Perhaps it would have been normal for her to react with horror at what Derin had done to herself; after all, self-mutilation was hardly commonplace, and the girl had gone to such great lengths to create her new image. Some sort of recognition of her sacrifice might have been polite, but she didn't care -- Derin knew what she was getting herself into when they entered this agreement. Besides, grievous injuries weren't exactly permanent for their kind.

"I agree," she said as she ushered her further into the entrance hall, closing the front door behind them. "It would be best for us to wait for the wounds to heal naturally. I know a few healers, dear, but none that I trust enough not to become suspicious of our activities. The last thing we want is for your injuries to heal too well, and we can't exactly ask a healer to be careful of that."

She led Derin down a nearby hallway. Soon coming upon her maid, who was busy dusting a bookshelf, Navarre stopped and gave the young woman a feigned smile. "Samantha, we have a guest, go and prepare some tea and biscuits."

The maid known as Samantha gave her master a respectful bow, then headed past them without a word. She did not give Derin so much as a glance of acknowledgement. The servants knew better than to take an interest in their lady's guests, and seeing strange people lingering around the mansion was hardly out-of-the-ordinary for them. Some found Navarre's activities a little alarming at times, but a combination of good pay and a dose of terror ensured they remained blissfully ignorant.

Once her maid departed, Navarre led Derin into her study; it was a dimly-lit, spacious room that smelled of vanilla-scented candles; the walls were lined with bookshelves, and a wooden desk was near the back, covered with all sorts of papers and documents. Crimson drapes covered two tall windows behind the desk, blocking out the early morning sunlight.

Navarre sat down on an armchair in the corner of the room. Smiling at Derin, she motioned to a nearby couch. "Have a seat, we have much to discuss. Hopefully Samantha will be back soon, I imagine you must be hungry after your journey."

[Derin Edala]

"I am, thank you," Derin said with practiced composure. The response was habitual, but it happened to be true; she had not eaten since the previous morning. She reminded herself to pay more attention to her body's needs. She needed to live long lives to minimise the level of suspicion cast upon her, and her current identity was in too advantageous a position to risk being weak when she had healing to do. Her previous bodies had all lived less than a decade with her inside them. It was time to aim higher.

Her eyes started tracking the books on the shelves, scanning for useful titles. It took her a moment to realise what she was doing and shift her gaze back to Madelynne instead. "Would you happen to have much information on the development of Shim? Specifically, on the graveyard?"

[Navarre]

Navarre's smile faltered for a brief moment. "The graveyard?"

Despite the value she placed on knowledge, she had always believed that not all of it was worthwhile. Her library, while impressive, was stocked only with books that specifically catered to her needs: information on the aristocracy of Marn; family trees of potential targets; and, hidden away in her private stores, the dark tome that had allowed her to conquer death itself. But Shim had always been inconsequential to her, a useless town full of uneducated fools... She doubted she had anything of significance on Shim... Perhaps she had picked up something when she first came to Marn? After all, she had made an effort to familiarize herself with the area. Possibly...

She rose from her seat and headed to the bookcases. "I'm afraid I might not be able to help you, dear. Shim had never been of much importance to me, and I...." --- she pulled out a book from the shelves and examined its cover -- "Hmm. I have a book on the development of Marn, it may have a section devoted to Shim."

Navarre handed the book to Derin, then resumed her seat. "Of course, the books in here are only for immediate reference; I have a larger selection across the hall. I'll go take a look if this isn't suitable, but I doubt I have much else on the subject."

[Derin Edala]

"Don't inconvenience yourself; with any luck, the library will have what I want. A lot of the more useful information has probably fallen victim to censors, but I can piece it together from the rest, I'm sure." Or at least she could try. If only she had magic and tools and the time to inspect the place undisturbed! All in good time. But while waiting, she could at least gain the knowledge she would need. She flipped through the book. Nothing immediately jumped out as important. She started memorising the information anyway. "I've heard that some book in the library are written in unusual and possibly even dead languages. If so, it's quite possible that some practical information within has escaped the notice of censors. It'd require adapting, of course, and take quite some time to find in the first place, but time is not a pressing issue." Derin hesitated, frowned to herself for a few seconds, then looked up.

"You're not interested in Shim? You didn't come for the graveyard?" If I have to run, she thought, I can probably make it so long as this woman has no magic and doesn't enlist the help of her servants. Otherwise I'd be dead. "Then... why, may I ask, are you in Marn?" Had she overlooked something here, something important enough to make the graveyard discountable? Or had she misread the signs, and the graveyard really was useless?

[Navarre]

The maid known as Samantha came into the study a few moments later, carrying a tray with tea and biscuits. She set it on the coffee table in front of Derin, then carried a cup over to her master's desk. Putting on an empty smile, she gave the women a respectful bow, then left the room without another word.

Navarre accepted her cup with an equally false smile, then raised it to her lips and took a sip. Once the door closed, she turned back to her guest and tilted her head to the side slightly. Why was this girl so surprised that she had not been interested in Shim? She had nothing but disdain for the little hamlet; she thought she'd made that clear enough. Of course, it seemed Shim's graveyard was relevant. But how? She couldn't recall Derin mentioning it when they last discussed their plans. Perhaps my memory is going in my old age, she chuckled mentally.

"Perhaps I'm missing something, but I don't understand your concerns, dear. I've been in Marn for over a century, and I've never taken much interest in Shim. Oh, I'd head there for various reasons -- personal time, visiting colleagues, and so forth -- but I never thought much of it for my plans. Am I forgetting something you mentioned about this graveyard? Or have I overlooked something important about it?"

"As for why I'm in Marn..." she continued coolly, lowering her cup. "A number of reasons, I suppose. I've lived many lives in this city, and one could say it's become something of a hometown to me. I originally came here for a bit of rest and relaxation, but now... Well, we'll get into that another time, mmm?"

[Derin Edala]

Derin regretted asking the stupid question as soon as it was out. She'd spoken from surprise before thinking the issue through. Stupid. She'd been among humans too long. It didn't take long to figure out why Navarre was in Marn, and the woman's words confirmed it.

She'd been bound here. Obviously. She couldn't leave the area any more than Derin could leave her silver bracelet. She'd been bound under different circumstances, probably for a different purpose, and Derin was going to get herself killed if she kept making stupid assumptions about them having similar goals and rules.

Navarre didn't know about the graveyard.

Well, that... had she even been trying to free herself? If she was bound to the area then the graveyard was the natural place for her to have been summoned from. Why wouldn't she be spending her time trying to get back that way? Unless... unless she was being actively prevented from leaving. Navarre's master was still controlling her. There was no other explanation. She'd walked straight into the home of a demonologist. And Navarre hadn't made any effort to warn her. They were trapping her on purpose.

And she'd naively, fearlessly, walked right in the door, worried about nothing more than human security forces. She'd assumed she wouldn't have to deal with real demon magic for centuries. Stupid. It was lucky she was trapped in this place; that kind of carelessness back home could get her killed very quickly.

Derin was very careful not to let any panic show on her face. Okay. Run? No. Even before she'd figured out it was a trap, she'd known her chances of getting out were basically nothing. If they'd lured her here on purpose, there was no point in trying. And Navarre was being far too careless with her words; it obviously didn't matter if Derin figured things out at this point. Either that or Navarre was a bit dim. Play along, she had to play along. Outsmart them, or bargain with them, or if all else failed, just wait for the human to die. That had worked before. The graveyard... she might be able to turn Navarre, once she knew the game, and once she knew whether Navarre could keep secrets. The graveyard was the key for that angle. Of course, she'd already tipped her hand to Navarre's master, if they were listening.

On the postive side, Navarre's presence meant that the graveyard did work.

Derin nibbled on a biscuit and sipped her tea. Nothing to do but let the situation play out. "The graveyard's an academic interest," Derin said offhand, "just something I've decided to toy with to pass the years. I'd assumed you were an historian... how long has, uh, Madelynne been about?"

[Navarre]

"I am indeed a historian, dear; however, my studies are quite... specialized. While I'm sure there's information on this graveyard in the library, I'm sorry to admit that I'm not knowledgeable about the subject."

Her smile widened as she raised her cup to her lips again. This situation just became far more interesting. When she walked away from her initial meeting with Derin, she could tell that, despite their similarities, there was a difference between their immortality; after all, it was highly unlikely that she had found the same grimoire, used it to steal the bodies of unsuspecting men and women in their sleep... But she had still believed their methods were more-or-less the same: find their target, research, make the jump, cover the tracks. Rinse, wash, repeat. Now, however, it was clear that she was missing something. Something important.

She needed more information. Unfortunately, she could tell that Derin, like herself, was the type to play her cards close to her chest. If she wanted to know more about her, perhaps she could volunteer more information about herself, clear up some of the girl's own questions... Select information, of course. There were still some things about herself that Derin was better off not knowing, at least until they got to know each other better.

Navarre crossed her legs. "Madelynne? I've inhabited the body for several decades now. It's been a safe existence, but a rather dull one compared to my previous... adventures. I took her over when she was in her late teens, took over her body while masquerading as her boyfriend. It's surprisingly easy to lull a young woman into a false sense of security when you're wearing a handsome face. Of course, the ritual attracted some unwanted attention, so I was forced to lie in waiting for longer than usual. Normally, I would have jumped again by now."

She briefly examined her face, looking for any noticeable changes. To her knowledge, she had not previously mentioned the ritual for her immortality. Merely mentioning it would suffice; she didn't need to know the details. Would it mean anything to Derin? Probably not; but it could confuse her and nudge her into volunteering some more information. There was something strange here, and she needed to get to the bottom of it.

"May I ask why you decided to take over the body of a peasant? I've been forced to wear some over the years, but I usually discard them after a few months or so. I prefer to take the bodies of people with influence, people with power... Was it to get closer to this graveyard you're so interested in, perhaps?"

[Derin Edala]

Derin nodded politely at Navarre's explanation. She had assumed, once she'd determined that Navarre was bound to the area, that she wasn't object-bound like Derin herself. She'd have to be magically locked into a body. The discussion of deception was interesting; Derin had heard of binding techniques that required consent, but it was an odd tactic for a demonologist to use if they were there to supervise. Was Navarre on her own here after all? Or perhaps the demonologist just wasn't very good at their job? She might be bound with a tattoo or something, which was certainly easier to accomplish with consent. Derin hadn't seen any spellforms woven into the house or furniture, but in such a vehemntly Puradyne place as Marn, hiding the patterns was just common sense; her inability to see anything holding Navarre (or herself) in place meant nothing.

She needed to keep the details of her own situation secret until she knew what Navarre's motivations were. She considered the best way to answer Navarre's question without giving too much away. "I ran into a suspicious battlemage a while ago. A magic-senser. I was forced to make an unplanned jump to escape. I did clear my previous body's name, though," she added quickly, "so there is no suspicious trail leading me here. The graveyard is too magical, too suspicious for me to approach directly at this point in time. That might be possible in a few lifetimes, perhaps." No need to be too explicit, too threatening. Navarre's purpose her could very well be in service of Marn, and 'I plan to just wait for this town to die off' might not be well recieved. "For now, I'm occupying myself with the more academic side of the problem. Thus the library. And you? Why be an academic? Surely you have the ability to take any life you want. Is there some specific information you're after?"

[Navarre]

Unsurprisingly, her guest took her question as an invitation to pose one of her own. Fair enough. After all, it wouldn't hurt to give out a little more information, would it? As long as it made her seem more trustworthy in Derin's eyes. There was a wall between them, and only by bringing it down could she ensure that Derin would be a worthwhile ally. She needed someone she could trust, and she was sure Derin felt the same way. There was far too much at risk for her to put her faith in someone who might betray her, be it tomorrow or a century down the line.

"I consider myself an intelligent woman, and it's been far too long since I've had an opportunity to put my mind to work. My past few lives have been something of a vacation, and as much as I enjoy rest and relaxation, it's about time that I got back to work. Immortality, for all it's blessings, can wear heavily on the unoccupied mind.

"As for what I'm researching..." Navarre paused for a moment, idly stirring her tea. "Obviously, one of the reasons for my becoming a scholar is my thirst for knowledge. Immortality has offered me the unique opportunity to learn as much as I desire about this world, and I intend to take full advantage of it. But as I mentioned before, my recent studies have become much more focused; that is to say I've been searching for a suitable host."

She raised her eyes up to Derin, her smile once again becoming unsettling. "Your experience with the battlemage tells me that you're able to jump at a moment's notice; I, however, am not. Jumping, for me, is a risky business that carries a high chance of failure; I am only guaranteed success for a limited period of time, so I must plan accordingly. This, in addition to my high standards, is why I need access to Marn's library: name listings, biographies, catalogs... Once I find someone I can be comfortable wearing for a long period of time, I can set to work planning out how to 'do the deed' without leaving a noticeable trail."

This was turning out to be quite the learning experience. She was giving out more information than Derin, but nothing that would damn her if their relationship were to turn sour. Besides, even though Derin hadn't said much, what she had said was rather telling: she had managed to jump on the spur of the moment to avoid a battlemage, so she didn't have to target her victims in their sleep. Derin's immortality did not come from a spell like the one in her grimoire... no, it was something different...

But what, exactly? And what did Shim's graveyard have to do with it? Only time would tell.

[Derin Edala]

Derin listened, thoroughly confused. She sipped her tea, absorbing the new information, turning it over in her mind, vaguely aware that she'd made some kind of misjudgement.

She tried to remember what she knew so far, how much of it had been evidence and how much her own conjecture. Navarre had hinted strongly that she was bound to Marn, but she didn't seem unhappy about it. Hadn't she said something about 'rest and relaxation'? She had no interest in the graveyard; she'd seemed put out when Derin had asked, but she hadn't tried to withhold information on it in any obvious manner. Withhold information on herself, yes, that was a given, but she hadn't made any overt effort to trap Derin. If she was under the control of a demonologist trying to lure Derin, surely they would have shown up by now?

Derin took her time pondering the woman's words, expecting that Navarre wouldn't be bothered by the thoughtful silence. Navarre seemed to be planning something. She had the air of someone scheming, the air that Derin had seen now and again in pretty much every territory holder she'd ever served (although it was something that turned up in humans a lot, too, who seemed to treat every day's chores like a takeover mission). Derin was planning something, too, but it was beginning to occur to her that they weren't necessarily planning the same thing.

Navarre wasn't trying to get home.

Navarre, Derin realised, keeping her expression carefully blank as she stared into her cup, was here by choice. Navarre must be planning something related to this realm, something so long-term that it wasn't worth bothering thinking about going home yet. And she was either doing it by herself, or as a willing accomplice of her demonologist. And here she was, openly laying her cards out on the table, asking for Derin's help, and Derin had just been too stupid to pick up on it. What was she planning? Not important. The details could wait.

She'd given a lot of information. Her process of body transfer was more complicated, more risky than Derin's. That was expected, if she were bound to the area, and she hadn't told Derin anything practical about the process, but it was a clear declaration of peace nonetheless. Derin carefully considered her response.

"Jumping for me requires a certain level of gullibility in my target. It's quick, but it can be difficult to pull off alone. I'd say we're both in situations where a second person might make such activities significantly less risky, if only to impose the... necessary conditions for transfer upon our targets.

"Of course, the issue of memories and history is also much simpler with two individuals. If we keep our ages staggered, we can simply alternate between hiring or apprenticing each other as convenience permits, or whatever will provide a reasonable excuse for a personality or priority change to family and friends. Or we could pick hosts who are closely related and simply back each other up socially that way. I myself am not picky about my hosts, although it is far easier for me to take females." Derin hadn't missed Navarre's earlier comment about posing as her current host's boyfriend; that was a difference that would need to be clarified before any host transferring was planned. Derin herself had no real opinion on either gender, but concealing a dainty silver bracelet that could never be removed was far simpler on a female wrist.

She considered pressing for more information on Navarre's overall plan, and decided against it. No rush. It would have to be long-term, several lifetimes' worth at least, and Navarre had set the topic of transfer methods. She'd have more luck pressing for other information if she waited.

[Navarre]

The following silence made it clear to the old woman that her explanation was being carefully considered. As time passed on, she simply sat at her desk and waited for Derin to speak again, still wearing her deceptively friendly smile. Having all the time in the world, she found, had made her remarkably patient over the years.

As much as she enjoyed this little game they were playing, she hoped it would soon come to an end. Oh, she definitely wanted Derin to trust her, and whatever Derin was planning most certainly interested her, but she knew she would end up revealing more than she wanted if they continued much longer. Of course, she couldn't blame Derin for wanting to know as much about her as she could: She seemed to be pursuing something -- a plan, person, magical object, it didn't matter -- and most definitely didn't want to be jeopardized by whatever her new accomplice was planning. But hopefully, she would receiving some information soon enough.

And, fortunately enough, she was correct.

She listened as Derrin began explaining her own immortality. As she expected, Derrin, like herself, chose not to go into detail about how exactly the process was carried out. Her targets needed to be gullible. While this was definitely food for thought, it could wait until later -- she raised a good point about the usefulness of a second person. Having Derrin around would make the process much easier, and perhaps they could try disposing of her previous vessels instead of making up a story to explain why there was a corpse in her bedroom. Attributing it to a break-in had been useful over the years, but she'd grown to rely on it too much; it was raising eyebrows. Perhaps this would offer an opportunity to cover up her trail a little.

Of course, this also meant she would have to help Derrin with her transfers, putting herself in jeopardy for this girl... She would consider that later.

"Indeed, it would be useful to have assistance..." she murmured thoughtfully. "Transferring is such a tricky business, isn't it? But we'll cross that bridge when we reach it. At any rate, I do agree that having a close, pre-existing bond would be useful. Of course, we'll have to make sure to change our relationship ever now and then, or perhaps create a distance between our hosts. Repetition, after all, invites suspicion." She paused for a moment. "But yes, having someone to play off would make it easier..." she added softly.

Yes, having someone to help would make it easier. Much easier, depending on how her plan played out over the coming years. But if she and Derrin were to be close in their coming incarnations, she would have to know. Her fears about Derrin's trustworthiness -- or rather, her moral disposition -- were being alleviated, but...

This was becoming an elephant in the room for her. Perhaps, she thought, it would be best to address it directly.

[Derin Edala]

Derin turned back to the start of the section on Marn in the book she was perusing and began to flip through it more slowly. It still told her nothing useful.

It was the stupid body, that's what it was. She needed food. Rest would be nice too, and a moment to gather herself, but mostly food. How was she doing with Navarre? The woman hadn't threatened her. She seemed to be angling for a peaceful partnership like Derin herself, so she either hadn't trapped Derin in some way, or for some reason didn't want Derin to know that she had. Probably the former, unless she was trying to draw out more information. Derin had tipped her hand about the graveyard. She'd given her real name, or the closest verbal approximation. She'd said a lot about her binding method.

She was becoming really bad at this.

But she was inclined to trust Navarre, at least for now. The woman wasn't threatening her, which was odd. She was either desperate or genuinely interested in a long-term partnership and not willing to corrupt it immediately. She'd said a lot about herself, maybe she really was interested in a partnership. Or maybe...

She didn't know that Derin was free of her demonologist, did she? Was that what she was feeling out? Were they pawns in a fight between Navarre's demonologist and a suspected newcomer? No... they would've just compelled Derin to talk. Unless, given that they didn't know her binding conditions, they were trying to figure out if that would kill her. That was a topic she should avoid. The last thing they needed to know was that she was a free agent. Derin would have to be very careful about what information she gave.

[Navarre]

Her grip tightened on her teacup as she mulled over the issue, and another uncomfortable silence came between the two women. As much as she wanted to play safe, this was a risk she needed to take. As suspicious as Derin still was, her intuition told her that the girl was indeed trustworthy. Still, even though she hated to admit, she had been wrong before.

Navarre rose from her seat and strolled over to one of the windows behind the desk, parting the crimson drapes to reveal a verdant world at the other side. She stood in front of the window with her hands at her waist, looking out into her garden, her symphony of color and beauty. It was small -- after all, one could not have a large garden in the city -- but was easily the gem of her estate. The flowers are coming in wonderfully, she thought. There were few things in this world that were dear to her, and this garden was one of them. It had taken her a while to figure out why, but one morning she realized it was so much like herself: a symbol of beauty that withered as the seasons changed, only to rise from death and be reborn in all its glory.

Her eyes fell on the weeds that she had yet to pluck, weeds so audacious that they would dare to steal the life from her beautiful flowers. As a gardener, it was her responsibility to purge the filth that threatened the glory of her world. And she would do just that soon enough. But like any good gardener, she needed to have patience.

And a little help, she added, casting a furtive glance back at Derrin.

"Forgive me for being so direct with you, dear, but there is a question that I have been meaning to ask you for a while now." Her voice, while still seemingly friendly, had suddenly taken on a far more serious edge. "I have my own goals that I wish to accomplish, and it is obvious to me that you do, as well. Why else would you come into an alliance with me? I have only the faintest idea of what you want -- you hide your affairs well, I commend you for that -- but it matters not. You don't need to tell me what you're working for, but know that as a fellow immortal, I am more than willing to help you."

She turned to face Derrin, smiling again. "Which leads me to my question. As you've likely figured out, I have a mission of my own. I'm not at liberty to discuss the details yet -- I'm sure you understand -- but if we are to help one another reach our goals, I need to know that you are capable of what I might ask of you. I am telling you now that my mission will result in some... necessary sacrifices. Tell me, Derin: Are you comfortable with killing for the greater good?"

[Derin Edala]

Killing? She was to be an assassin?

Derin wasn't concerned with Navarre's motives, but she was a little puzzled. It was starting to look like she simply wasn't going to be able to figure out Navarre's motives with the information and time she had available. But the woman probably wasn't an immediate threat, not if she needed Derin.

Unless she was another government spy. That was a risk, a risk that was looking all the more likely with these questions of killing. Was she being accused of murder? Was the whole thing a trap? Perhaps. But if that were the case, the battlemages would simply have killed her. Not set up an elaborate interrogation. Not unless they wanted her cooperation with something. Derin pondered how best to ensure her own safety with her response, not yet sure of what Navarre was trying to do.

"Unnecessary killing is not something that I've made a habit of," she said slowly, "but I'm largely neutral to the concept. If lives have to be sacrificed for a greater good, then that is what must happen. We can't allow ourselves to hesitate and be held back by overestimating the value of certain lives, any more than we can allow ourselves to charge to our own doom by destroying them too readily."