Chapter 497 - Far Future Ch. 207 – Time for Some Witch Talk (1/2)

The longer I fought here, the more plugged in I was to the information channels of the defense as Imperial Forces with Marked among them filtered down and in, pumped that data into Markspace, and cycled it through the Strategos to give insight and advice.

There were some Marked junior officers who were going to get some very quick promotions after all this.

They key information is that they had determined the location of the goblins' primary headquarters, where their warlord was leading the fight from.

It was time for me to pay some sort of visit to the place. Of course, it was literally a continent and an ocean away, which actually didn't mean anything if I teleported into orbit, spun around the planet, and came plummeting back down. Half hour tops.

I skidded to a halt in the shadow of some war machines obliterated by artillery fire. A few seconds later, looking rather ragged and smudged despite herself, and with streaks of green goblin spread around here and there tastefully, Madame Lolith flowed over the goblin transport and landed a couple steps away.

She was eying me carefully, seeing that I looked completely unmarked by all the slaughter and running around at superhuman speeds I'd been doing, and hadn't even broken a sweat at any point.

”So, it turns out the goblin command post is located seven thousand miles in that direction,” I pointed kindly, and she glanced that way, doubtless making calculations in her head. ”I'm going to go orbital, circle the planet, and drop down on top of them, then make a nuisance of myself. So, if you want to have a duel, I'll make some time if you want to go at it.”

She regarded me carefully, glancing around. The Song from Chalice had faded, and all the noise of combat seemed to be very energetically heading in another direction. Nobody was currently able to see us, and if they could pretend we weren't there, they'd doubtless be very happy-

I snapped my head around, the goblin sniper went ”akkK!”, and then his flat, wide head blew apart four hundred yards thataway.

Chalice made up another stanza on the spot.

”Here?” she asked with a sniff.

”No.” I flicked Chalice, and a slit in space opened up. I glided on through, and she hesitated only a second before following me.

----

Keva waved her arm through the Rift, forcing it shut, while Jensa shoved us both off towards the bath there, making stinky-faces at us. Madame Lolith raised an eyebrow, took it right in stride, and peeled off her attire without hesitation.

None of us were in breshkt mode, but we did all have Masks on, and our hair was still black, and skins a tanned bronze.

There was wine and fruits and cheeses of the subtler sort, as elvar only liked strong tastes in special circumstances. Blood was one of them.

She held her glass of wine nonchalantly, sniffing it once. ”Rodigerian,” she pronounced. ”Twenty to thirty years old. Grown off-world. Pruscima?” It wasn't a question... she was quite sure of her answer.

”Yes, the gene strain is right there,” I agreed. ”The mineral configuration would fit Pruscima. That's some sense of taste.”

Since she was sensing it psychically at that level, my reply amused us both. ”I see you aren't seriously considering dueling me.” She glanced tellingly at Jensa, Keva, and Celestia playing cards nearby, practicing sleight of hand on one another.

”Nor were you. If you haven't realized I'd kill you in duel by now, you're nowhere near as smart as I think you are... and I think you are murderously smart, Madame.”

Her delicate chin rose aloofly. Truly, she was a fantastic beauty by the standards of humans or elvar, and she knew it. I was tamping mine down with the Curse, although I was sure she could survive the revelation.

”You are not breshkt,” she stated firmly.

”If you mean our drow genetics weren't passed down the traditional ways, you're right. High gravity nymphals.”

She looked at my Nothing to See Here, at the girls, quirked an eyebrow. ”Elective, I see?”

”Distracting when needed. Amusing, at other times. Lethal in yet others.”

”And you have a way in and out of Gloom.” Kinda hard to disguise all the black, white, and grey environment around us.

”Courtesy of the drow,” I toasted her, and she lifted her glass in like amusement. ”So, I've a few questions for you, Madame?”

”Oh?” She was probably looking for some sort of bargain, but she had nothing in that area I was interested in.

”Why aren't you post-Twenty and Eternal?” I inquired calmly.

Just a flicker of eyes and a pause. My hair reached out, grabbed another bottle, popped it, poured me another glass, and then extended out across the scented bubbles to offer the same to her. She accepted smoothly.

”Eternal.” She gave me a look. ”You sound certain of this.”

”One hundred percent certain,” I agreed firmly.

Her nostrils flared just so. ”I have not found the way,” she admitted.