The early afternoon had already passed for quite a while and their guide, the Silver King, had still not returned from his small detour into the cellar of the estate, the very same the Triumvirate decided to gift to the siblings as a place to live in. But Denton was not at all annoyed by it, as he finally saw a chance to properly get to know the automaton, who accompanied him to the house, while his sister still received relaxing care to restore her spent abilities. He looked over to the freezer automaton, who was currently inspecting the spacious stairway, being mesmerized by the reflections and breaking of light a massive chandelier in the ceiling caused on the entry to the estate. Thousands of glimmering reflections illuminate spots all around them and as Denton looked closer at the icy body of Thilarie could he see that she as well further reflected those reflections adding lovely blue specks around her feet. Denton, who was at that time holding something akin to a long stick with a silver reinforced bent end, used the stick to hook Thilarie's left arm in it, gently prodding his friend to look over.
"You know a bit more about all this strange stuff we found in that hilariously oversized stairway. Can you tell me what these hooks are supposed to be? What is their purpose besides looking oddly pretty?"
The automaton giggled heartily as she swiftly twirled her caught arm, and unhanded the cane out of Denton's curious paws, holding it now like a sword. She unscrewed the bottom of the silver cladding and took off the wooden sheath, showing Denton the sharp blade.
"That here is a cane, Denton. Fancy folks use them to walk around and, as you can see, carry hidden armaments in case they get ambushed. Quite the sneaky way to be prepared while being on a walk." She chuckles and points the sheath at the kobold. "You haven't seen anything of these gadgets before?"
"No, never. The snotty folks only rarely get lost in the slums, and if they do have they already lost everything. I couldn't feel more alienated by all this ... single purpose junk in this hall alone. A small cup on a stick to blow out candles? Can't the fancy pants open their maws?"
Thilarie waltzed around Denton and reached down to massage his shoulders, trying to get the overwhelmed albino to relax and just enjoy his new home as that is what it is. She looked around and sighed a digital interference. That estate is pulsating of chic her friend would probably never understand without guidance. She let her icy hull melt a bit to apply more surface on the small kobold, then gently yet firmly pinches his shoulders.
"I know that all is quite alien for you, Denton. But you can always ask me to explain to you what all this is. I may not be nobility myself, but the spearheads have encountered enough of these 'snobs' to know quite a bit about their strange behaviour. Leave it to me."
The automaton witnessed with joy that Denton relaxed in response to her massaging and affirming words. Despite their differences in knowledge about the world, Thilarie had a good feeling that they would have an easy time being in synch. He had shown no signs of rejecting her presence, which caused the robot to feel more than just tolerated. He liked having her around. She was sure of it. A few moments of silence passed, as they began walking slowly past the stairway into the rooms behind it. Denton's voice emerged once again, now softer, even a bit compassionately in its tune. A deep purring can be heard far down his throat.
"Thank you, Thilarie. I appreciate the aid and quite like the aquatic massage. I am feeling lost here, but also found, being able to explore it with you. Say, where should we move to in this labyrinth of a palace to grab a bite? Is there any rule of thumb I can follow to navigate in here ... it is all so big, way too big!"
Food! Thilarie was ashamed that she didn't further prioritize it. This cute kobold must be famished, having stood his ground against the whole triumvirate, arguing his very soul out. She reached down hugging him tenderly, pointing then to a few seemingly randomly placed symbols in the wallpaper, embedded but sticking slightly out of the flowery pattern. Some twigs form certain icons with the flower pointing either left or right. A twig, formed into a ribbon of two spoons, would guide their way to the left, to the kitchen.
"There is a quite ingenious way to navigate in this estate, Denton. Look closely at the wallpapers and you will find stylized signposts in the pattern. Look! Spoons! We have to go left!"
"Ohh I can get behind this style of orientation. Come, chilly lady! The last one in the kitchen has to prepare the meal.~"
A surge of excitement overcame the magical automaton as she guided Denton over to the kitchen. It felt nice being around the kobold even if he was still a bit rough around the edges. Observing his alabaster scales reflecting the light she sighed to herself, getting reminded once more about the lucky unlucky fate her new friends might have to face. As they walked past multiple beautiful corridors Thilarie made some mental notes on how to best protect Denton from his future. The Ivory Jack was quite the formidable fighter and had enough of a lifespan left to allow the albino to enjoy his new life to its fullest. But he was cocky and in her eyes a very bad diplomat, making enemies left and right. Sooner or later ... no! He will survive and so will the cute feathery kobold. And she will make sure of that she vowed to herself.
Not paying attention to the surroundings the freezer had no choice but to bump into Denton, sending chills down his mostly bare body. They arrived at the kitchen at last and the prospect of getting something to eat in there was unsurprisingly high, even for her. As she had no mouth to chew or a digestive tract to process food her way of getting sustenance was to absorb fluids and pastes into her icy body. And the table featured, what a chance, one of her favourites. The soft puddings were prepared probably for her especially. Even the flavour was just the one she enjoyed the most. Blueberry. For Denton, there was an assortment of meat, pastries and fruits placed neatly on multiple runic enchanted heated or cooling plates. Sideeying the kobold she saw the glow in his red eyes, his pale tongue hanging out and saliva dripping to the ground. He looked in disbelief over to her, blinking a few times.
"Why ... why is there a week's ration of food just sitting there, waiting to be consumed? There are currently only three people here, with Sis joining us shortly. Are ... we supposed to eat that all?"
Thilarie chuckled softly at his stumped gaze, she could literally watch how his new life situation began to dawn on him. Gone are the days of starving, of being unimportant for Nemthi. She widened her arms and let her icy body shine bright, welcoming her friend into his new life.
"You may not believe this, but this is a normal ration. Of course, doubled for your sister and you. The puddings are mine, however. I will let you taste them if you ask. Can't really eat the rest on the table. By all means, dig in.~"
The insecurities of the alabaster kobold were graspable as he brushed nervously through his orange feathers, his mind conflicting with his expectations and the sheer reality. Thilarie was concerned that this sudden uprising from the literal slums to being the owner of a private estate inside Leaston may unearth some complexes that could mess with the doctor's pleasant yet raw personality. He needed an ally, a friend, to process this all.
Feeling a sudden bump in the water-filled crystal at the centre of her skeletal chest the automaton was subjected to a sensation of urge she never felt before, a desire that frightened her immensely. Her arcadian body spoke out its desire to undergo a mental link with the kobold to be able to protect him at all costs. A desire that would have been welcoming for any other arcadian species, born from the ligaments of the Veil itself, as it would mean a chance to develop a personality and will on its own, but not for her. Freezers have a reverse polarity to that rule, giving in to that desire would mean she had to give up on everything that made her ... well her. And yet she felt drawn to the kobold, wanting to support him in his new life. What an odd feeling given they have known each other by now only for a few days.
"Come join me, Thilarie. I never tasted anything that good before. You have to t-try it."
The silently weeping undertone of the kobold finally stuffing his face caught the brooding Freezer cold and she jolted up, seeing the tears of happiness in the corners of his eyes, his snout dirtied up by the sauce the piece of meat he chewed on was presented in. Table manners were another thing he seemingly never heard of, using the knife alone and leaving the fork on the side. He may had the brains to create the cure that brought him here, but she realized quickly that he would go under amongst the nobles he would inevitably have to meddle with to prove why the Triumvirate trusted him.
"On my way. Is it that good? What a mess.~" The icy crown of hers melted a bit with her warming up more and more to him. She grabbed one of the blueberry puddings and let her icy chest absorb it. "The food goes for you into your maw, not around it. Can't absorb it like I can. What would your sister say seeing you like that?"
"She would probably find ways to make sure we don't waste anything. She was always the more ... clean eater. Preservative." A slight chuckle escaped his stuffed maw before he swallowed. "So the pudding just stays there, stuck in your chest?"
"O-of course not. Just takes a bit till I have dissolved it." She clouded the see-through ice covering her thorax, blushing, realizing the food stuck in there dissolving slowly would not be the most aesthetically pleasing thing to share with onlookers. She had to learn manners as well she realized. "There ... tastes heavenly by the way. I love berries.~"
Deep below the estate, behind a set of hidden doors just past the wine cellar, the Silver King came into an argument with his informer, a small feminine-looking teal kobold he knew was named Regor. The silver Naga's eyes were widened, his light magic illuminating the entire cavern, leaving not even a singular trace of shadow in the room. He couldn't believe his earholes, it was impossible.
"Plans~s received. And you are really s~sure that that~s intel is~s correct? They wouldn't! Do you know where?"
Regor shook his head and grinned up, his webbed paws grabbing the open letter he was supposed to deliver. He pointed once more at the marked section.
"That's everything the Showrunner is aware of. We wiretapped the infamous button of Marshal Fide. It got pressed half an hour ago. Whoever pissed off Etherium will feel what betrayal will feel like. Carnage will reign, ohh I wish could see it, bask in the imminent chaos.~"
Creeped out by his informant's craving for blood So'teyo looked up, his thoughts with his country. Cold fear crawled down his spine, he felt unease spreading like a contagious wildfire. Who made Etherium their enemy? It could be any country on this planet given what happened at the Peace Conference. Have they done something that could have forced their hands? He had to immediately contact Lady Bisfourth, she must have heard something with her ears being everywhere. Looking back to the kobold So'teyo flared his gleaming hood wide, putting up a confident facade.
"Thank you for the us~seful information, Regor. And I hope the S~showrunner will be pleas~sed with the us~sual in return for your continuous~s ~services~s. I have to return to my gues~sts~s."
The kobold chuckled and heaved up the heavy package, nodding slowly. It was enough, more than enough. A heavy sack filled with credits. Employing the Underground as a personal spy network didn't come cheap. But it was worth every single coin. Especially in the war with Scorzosa. He hid away the marching plans of Nemthi's enemy inside his toga, eager to provide them to Jack tomorrow. But the thought of crippling fear wouldn't leave his scalp as he closed the hidden door leaving the kobold behind in the darkness. Why today?
