Oddly routine

After getting Victor and Amara settled in, you speak with Lira about having the small contingent of troops they brought stay in the barracks for now. She readily agrees, and gives the order to her commanders. Satisfied that everything is going well, you head back to the guest quarters.

Things around the city have gone well. The people seem to immediately accept Lira as the city’s leader, and there’s been very little in the way of resistance. In fact, it seems like business as usual, with everyone mostly just happy that the twins are gone. It’s one of the things that seems universally true; the people won’t care about who the leaders are, unless they’re personally affected.

Despite the seeming apathetic attitude, you can at least say that it’s a friendly city now. There’s not the kind of revolutionary fire you had in Hope, but ambivalence is better than active hostility. And now you have a good starting point for pushing forward.

You and the girls enjoy the respite, and if you didn’t know what awaited you in the capital, you’d be happy to settle in here for a while. The strangest thing that happens is involving Lilith. The bound succubus is becoming less and less antagonistic, and less and less vocal. She’ll still fire off her quips here and there, but more often you get the sense she’s quietly observing. You’re not sure what to make of it, and she refuses to be drawn into a conversation about it. So for now, you let it be. There’s too much coming to worry about it for the moment.

You also spend time training. Melora and Cassie learn more about combat from Ferra and Sarah. Alex works with Nadia on expanding her newfound powers, with Amara joining them to help however she can. Sarah and Kaeli spend a lot of time examining your armor, and seem to be plotting something between them, though when you ask, they simply shrug and promise to explain after Samus’ mission.

As for you, you spend time sparring with Victor when you’re not with the girls. It soon becomes apparent that your skill is beginning to outstrip the panther man’s abilities, though it’s still fairly close. You even let him use Caliburn against some target dummies, and the power of the blade leaves him incredulous.

Before you know it, the week is over. Samus returns without fanfare, simply walking into the guest building in the morning. He looks rested, and there’s a look of determination in the demigod’s eye. Conversation stops when he enters, and all eyes are on him. Looking around the table, he nods, and speaks.