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Tree branch: check. Assorted lightweight seed-bearing fruits and nuts: check. Other seeds: check. Water bottle, for when she has to veer away from the river: check.
Better not linger in her starting place too much longer. Yellow's faster than her and may have already come home to a wreck. Thorn might have a habit of checking up on the place, even, just in case. She's invisible, inaudible, unsmellable - that won't help if he sends someone thorough. Or comes in person.
She sets out.
She's been flying for about thirty minutes after her shopping trip when she falls through a tear and squeaks inaudibly and lands in the middle of -
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imeanforever
imeanforever
"Thank you," Promise tells Vista. She scans the room for sorcerously relevant things. A lot of light sources, but she can work with that. To make sure that this isn't going to be a completely wasted attempt at a gate, she first makes a fairylight, too, hovering above her hand; when it doesn't disappear, she nods to herself and then says, "I should probably mark on the floor where the gate will be. How do you prefer I do that?"
wormcan
"Whatever non-destructive method is easiest. It's an unimportant room in every way not related to sorcery. Are there any mundane supplies that would help?"
imeanforever
"A pen or something is fine. The sorcery doesn't care about the marks, it would just be so no one wanders into Fairyland by accident. I'm planning to put the gate a mile above the ground, by the by, so I don't recommend that anyone who can't fly follow me even if they want to see the place."
imeanforever
"I could, if you don't want me to come back after all? I suppose while it's settling you could tell me the Endbringers' names and I can see if they count."
wormcan
Vista stares when she hears that Promise's unstated power might work on Endbringers.
Piggot answers, "The Protectorate would be happy to work with you, you just gave the impression of trying to get away and, presumably stay away. I'll make sure this area doesn't get set back to normal.
The Endbringers are Behemoth, Leviathan, and the Simurgh. Would you know if that did it, or would you need to meet them first?"
Piggot answers, "The Protectorate would be happy to work with you, you just gave the impression of trying to get away and, presumably stay away. I'll make sure this area doesn't get set back to normal.
The Endbringers are Behemoth, Leviathan, and the Simurgh. Would you know if that did it, or would you need to meet them first?"
imeanforever
"...I would need to know a little more about them. Besides that they belong in this category. I don't have to encounter them in person."
wormcan
"That's easy enough." She takes a small rectangle out of a pocket, pokes at it, and in a few seconds is showing Promise a Wikipedia page describing Behemoth. Forty-five feet tall, externally appearing to be made of magma and obsidian, capable of manipulating all known forms of energy, and with a habit of killing capes en masse. A picture accompanies the text, and the full page is very long.
imeanforever
"Not his real name, for this purpose. Or doesn't count as something I can take as a vassal."
wormcan
"That's to be expected, unfortunately. They are immune to most ordinary Master powers."
imeanforever
"I can try the others. Or if he may have been called something else first, that might be what counts as his real name."
wormcan
"Alexandria called him that when he first appeared, if that matters. If there was an earlier name, we have no way of knowing." But she shows the descriptions of the other two anyway.
wormcan
"We had to try."
Vista cuts in, "Why is it that Fairyland is dangerous?"
The Director agrees, "Especially given that there is a portal to it, even a remote and well-guarded one, in our building."
Vista cuts in, "Why is it that Fairyland is dangerous?"
The Director agrees, "Especially given that there is a portal to it, even a remote and well-guarded one, in our building."
imeanforever
"Because there are fairies there. It's extremely unlikely that any fairies will find my gate in midair, and I will close it when I'm not using it, particularly since I should be able to close it from either side."
wormcan
"Unless fairies are more dangerous than you've seen fit to mention, we should be able to handle that risk simply by not using names. Certainly not worth avoiding an entire world for."
imeanforever
"You may take that risk as you like, but if one fairy gets one of you that fairy then has all the names that person knows. And fairies as a group are always immortal, often risk-seeking, frequently interested in possessing mortals, and not necessarily opposed to torture or force-feeding. ...Food works more or less like names do."
wormcan
An obvious omission.
"Thank you for the warning, then. It sounds like a potentially manageable risk, but we have little reason to take it."
And, more importantly, "Would you be willing to construct gates between PRT bases? The theoretical ability to call in allied heroes is the Protectorate's greatest advantage; it could be a substantial deterrent if that becomes less theoretical."
"Thank you for the warning, then. It sounds like a potentially manageable risk, but we have little reason to take it."
And, more importantly, "Would you be willing to construct gates between PRT bases? The theoretical ability to call in allied heroes is the Protectorate's greatest advantage; it could be a substantial deterrent if that becomes less theoretical."
imeanforever
"I don't know nearly enough about your organization to know if I wish to hand it large strategic advantages, but I am willing to remain nearby and learn more, as long as I'm treated well and can go back to Fairyland through this gate on my own schedule."
wormcan
"I certainly don't plan to keep you prisoner here.
As for this organization, it's the parahuman law enforcement. The only group to be sanctioned by and part of the government, and accountable to the public in a way that New Wave or Haven is not. I can arrange information from less biased sources, of course, but it's going to bear that out.
And we are in a position to pay you, once we can find something of value on both sides of the gate."
As for this organization, it's the parahuman law enforcement. The only group to be sanctioned by and part of the government, and accountable to the public in a way that New Wave or Haven is not. I can arrange information from less biased sources, of course, but it's going to bear that out.
And we are in a position to pay you, once we can find something of value on both sides of the gate."
imeanforever
"Fairies don't use currency. Or, apart from the Queen herself and the various masters of larger courts, anything resembling government or law enforcement. ...And of course I've never heard of New Wave or Haven."
wormcan
"Other hero groups. There are some.
From what you've said of fairies, I'll hazard a guess that their version of law enforcement isn't something to make a positive comparison to?"
From what you've said of fairies, I'll hazard a guess that their version of law enforcement isn't something to make a positive comparison to?"
wormcan
"I could try explaining from the ground up why having a remotely functional system of laws is better than having none, but the relevant part is that the Protectorate is what stops any sufficiently powerful parahuman from moving to a city with fewer heroes than villains and committing as much crime as they please. Or to be honest, more like limits it."
imeanforever
"I think I have the general idea, but so far I only have your word on any of this. And I still need something to mark the floor with."