"You know what I mean," he responds with mild irritation before floating himself back to the bed, facing Verin once more. Essek settles on it cross-legged, fingers intertwined and palms pressed together thoughtfully. "The Bright Queen will find another reason to battle the Empire again soon enough, even with the beacons returned. Our mother wishing you to take up a position on the front lines is for her own prestige, if that is not what you want. For all their wisdom, even the Umavi cannot predict all of the forces at work."

They are perilously close to dangerous topics. Essek betrays nothing, voice even and breath calm. But it is uncomfortably close. The Empire has uncovered another beacon. There is likely one within the ruins of Aeor, somewhere. War will likely happen again, in the not so distant future.

"If you wanted to spurn her even further, you could always join me up north."