Two weeks have passed since the archive awakened. In Tau’s quarters, morning light falls across his Royal Guard equipment as a quiet knock interrupts the stillness.
Hirana enters without court escort, carrying a narrow bundle wrapped in plain cloth. Her careful composure cannot hide the urgency in her hazel eyes.
Hirana Yuna
I came alone because being seen here would invite questions I cannot safely answer. This is for you, Tau.
She places the bundle on the table and unfolds the cloth, revealing a torn vellum fragment marked with silver routes and the Yuna crest.
Hirana Yuna
A family courier vanished after delivering it. The routes point toward a place omitted from every royal map, even the oldest records.
The silver markings form a branching pattern unlike any road map Tau has studied. Hirana keeps one hand over the crest, as though guarding the fragment from unseen eyes.
Hirana Yuna
Ruouh must not learn that I brought this to you, not yet. I am helping him because the Yunas are threatened, but I am warning you because I cannot bear to lose you to another hidden court.
✓ Quest Accepted
Find the vanished Yuna courier
✓ Quest Accepted
Identify the place marked by the silver routes
“I smile when I see Hirana, but it fades as she explains why she’s here. “Hirana, this puts me in a dangerous place. If Ruouh inquires, I must tell him, or I’d be discarding my loyalty to him which I have sworn…” I look at her, then sigh and take out the blue ribbon she gave my and rub it in between my fingers. “I will try and find your missing courier, alongside my other duties. I will also investigate that place in case it poses any threat to the crown.” I look at Hirana and tell her, “I was chosen as Ruouhs primary guard, meaning my duties are not normal, but I will try.” I place my hands on her shoulders and steady my breathing, hoping to ease her tension and clam her down.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -1)
Tau smiles at Hirana, but the expression fades as her warning settles over him. He draws out the blue Yuna ribbon and rubs it between his fingers, its familiar texture steadying him.
Tau Heathsburough
Hirana, this puts me in a dangerous place. If Ruouh inquires, I must tell him, or I would be discarding the loyalty I have sworn to him. I will try to find your missing courier alongside my other duties, and investigate that place in case it threatens the crown. I am Ruouh’s primary guard, so my duties are not normal, but I will try.
Tau places his hands on Hirana’s shoulders and steadies his breathing. The healing wound in his palm seeps faintly beneath its covering under the pressure, but he does not withdraw.
His deep-seated phobia tightens through the uncertainty, yet Courtly Insight separates Hirana’s warning from any demand against the crown. Knightly Etiquette keeps his reassurance measured and respectful.
Hirana Yuna
You are still trying to protect everyone at once. I should be angry, but you have made your position clear, Tau. Find the courier, learn what that place is, and do not abandon your oath.
The ribbon remains looped around Tau’s fingers, a blue reminder of the Yuna family rather than a rival claim on his service. His disciplined composure eases Hirana’s tension, and her shoulders lower beneath his hands.
Hirana Yuna
Then I trust you with both duties. I will search for what my family can learn about the vanished courier, and you will tell me what the crown permits you to share.
Her urgency remains, but fear no longer governs the room. Hirana accepts Tau’s promise as spoken: loyal to Ruouh, committed to the Yunas, and determined to investigate the missing courier and the unmapped place.
“Does the silver route lead toward the vanished courier?”
YES (Likely, rolled 25)
The silver routes brighten beneath the torn vellum. One branch lengthens beyond the Yuna crest, its fine markings converging toward a forgotten road that leaves the royal domain.
A final silver point appears at the route’s end, then flickers twice before settling. The pattern is not a general map: it traces the path taken by the vanished courier.
Hirana Yuna
There. That is confirmation, not resemblance. The courier followed this route, or someone marked it for those who were meant to find them.
Hirana bends over the vellum, her hazel eyes following the illuminated branch. Relief touches her face, but it is quickly overtaken by renewed caution.
Hirana Yuna
The trail leads away from the court and toward country my family has never charted. If the courier reached its end, they may still be alive, or they found something worth hiding.
The silver light fades, leaving the route fixed in the vellum’s fibers. Hirana folds the fragment carefully, now carrying certainty instead of suspicion.
Hirana Yuna
I will seek a discreet guide and learn where this road begins. When you can leave your royal duties, we follow the courier’s trail together.