Shinsou had no time to answer before Remy spoke for him, between light breaths for air. Her words were ever so slightly slurred by her Telgradian accent, and her remaining hand remained primed on the hilt of her sword, Koro Kogo. Osiris was already cringing inside; Felicity was not to know, but Remy was no bored official. In the wrong mood, she was a warrior itching for blood. The Telgradian knew that his apprentice had to choose her words with great care.

“I am Remy Krystanthia, the leader of the Telgradian Council of Five.” The caramel haired woman spoke, her eyes narrowing to slits. “And I know fully of your situation. If you won’t listen to Shinsou, then listen to me.”

The contrast between the two could not have been more pronounced. Felicity was heavy-set, muscular and bandy-legged; Remy was slender and of middle age, her complexion not as ruddy as the Neanderthal’s. Felicity was only just entering womanhood, and as pale as a dying blossom, the product of too much exposure to her powers, no doubt. Felicity spoke with brash purpose and blatant challenge; yet Remy’s voice was calm and but authoritative. Even though the physical differences were telling, Remy’s power was far beyond anything even Felicity’s abilities could touch, and the Councillor knew it.

“This one is not particularly good at conveying his feelings.” Remy gestured towards Shinsou, who grimaced ever so slightly. “But I know what he is trying to do. He is nurturing you, by getting you to control your abilities, and by keeping you out of harm’s way. That’s why he hid you from Arius, and took the brunt of the punishment himself. That is why he came to Telgradia, to re-forge Enpera to try to unlock the parts of his power that stopped him from dealing with Mephisto properly. No-one in the Brotherhood was safe whilst Arius lived. So, you weren’t ignored, girl… ”

Remy inched closer, her straw sandals scraping on the stony path. Her blue eyes focused hard, and her hand remained attached to the hilt of her sword.

“You were saved. And he’s trying to save you still, from both others and yourself. Even if you can’t see that, it’s the truth. I-”

The uneven shuffle of the Telgradian on Remy’s right indicated Shinsou’s discomfort with the situation. He kept most of his attention on the Neanderthal to his fore, and Remy’s katana that remained as yet sheathed beneath a layer of malevolent blue lacquer. He recognised the subtle stance, the specific set of the feet and poise of the torso. It was defensive, as if she were expecting Felicity to explode.

“Remy, stop.”

The woman paused for a moment at Shinsou’s request, before sighing, reluctantly pulling her hand away from her own weapon within the folds of her robes. The expression on the Telgradian’s face changed as he settled to his feet, his golden eyes finally settling upon the faces of his companions, both equally shocked.

“Felicity,” Osiris now addressed his apprentice directly, “I’m sorry. Remy is correct, but that doesn’t excuse the method behind the means. I should have told you what I was doing and why. I just assumed that you would understand that what I was doing, I was doing for a reason. I see now that assumption was a mistake, one that has caused you significant distress. For this, I apologise, and I hope now you understand why what happened, happened.”

Shinsou could see the anger and frustration clouding Felicity’s vision like a fog, compounded by the effect of too much emotion. He needed to give her time and space to calm down, but he also needed to put into practice exactly what he had just preached.

“The news that Remy has brought me today is personally significant for me. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, but it boils down to this; Telgradia needs my help, and I owe them a debt. The bastards that put me in that position in the first place are planning to rain fire down on my world, and re-activate the weapon that turned me against my people. I won’t let that stand.”

“Remy,” The spellsword spoke, suddenly calm again. “Tell my father he has his general. I have a score to settle.”

The woman sighed gently as he replaced her hand out of her robes, to her side. “What of this one? She is Brotherhood, is she not?” Remy squinted through the ambient light at Felicity.

“She is Brotherhood.” Shinsou confirmed, tucking Enpera away within his white coat, and then looked at Felicity with a smile. “But this time, the choice is hers alone.”