Emisarry Of Time And Space-Chapter 200 - 201: Intuition.

(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don't hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)

Power stones people, Gimme it.

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Orion remained still, face neutral, but his thoughts moved quickly now. The picture was becoming clearer, and the implications were heavier than he'd anticipated.

If the jade was tied directly to Sylgrid survival—biological survival—then everything about this mission had just become far more complicated.

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'This is going to be a pain,' Orion thought, resisting the urge to sigh.

Setting aside morality, if the Sylgrid Jade truly held the importance he was beginning to suspect, then the difficulty of their mission had just escalated sharply. What had initially seemed like a retrieval task now carried implications that stretched beyond simple force or leverage. The deeper this went, the more variables appeared, and Orion disliked variables he couldn't immediately quantify.

Seris exhaled softly, her shoulders relaxing as she shifted the direction of the conversation.

"Alright," she said with an appreciative smile, her tone warm but controlled. "Thank you very much. We really appreciate your help. How soon can someone be prepared to lead us to the capital?"

The male Sylgrid inclined his head slightly. "You don't need to thank us. We owe you for getting rid of the abomination. Someone can lead you as soon as you're ready."

It was a straightforward answer. Cooperative. Reasonable.

Orion noted it quietly.

Seris had reached the natural limit of her probing without raising suspicion. The information they had gained was limited, but that wasn't a failure on her part. The couple had clearly been trained—or forced by circumstance—to guard information closely, especially anything related to jade. The female in particular was observant and disciplined. She spoke less, but when she did, every word carried intent.

Erevan glanced toward Orion.

Orion shook his head once.

Erevan understood immediately. Like Orion, he had followed every shift in tone, every hesitation, every subtle exchange of looks. His glance hadn't been about comprehension; it had been about escalation.

Violence?

Now that wordplay had reached its ceiling, force was the next obvious option.

But Orion had already decided against it.

His instincts were telling him it would be a mistake.

He had just witnessed this race converting whatever latent geological energy existed within jade into sustenance. Milk. That alone hinted at applications far beyond basic mining or trade. If the capital learned that outsiders were interested in the Sylgrid Jade, security would tighten immediately. And beyond that, the composure these two displayed—despite having lost the abomination that had crippled their settlement—was unsettling.

These weren't desperate leaders.

They were restrained ones.

Not violence.

Not now.

They would find another way.

"Your friends don't talk much," the female Sylgrid remarked suddenly.

Orion's eyes narrowed slightly.

"There isn't much more to say," he replied evenly. "Whatever lead your connection is able to provide, we'd very much appreciate."

The words were simple, but his tone carried weight. He played the role well—reserved, grieving, unyielding. Someone who wasn't interested in conversation, only results.

"Hmmm," the male hummed thoughtfully.

"That said," he continued, "taking all of you into the capital might prove difficult."

The woman flinched.

It was minimal. Barely perceptible. But Orion caught it instantly.

"Is there something wrong?" Seris asked, concern entering her voice naturally.

"Something's happening at the capital in a few days," the man explained. "Because of it, the number of people heading there has increased significantly. Not everyone is permitted to enter."

The woman flinched again, sharper this time, her gaze flicking toward her husband.

Something was wrong.

If she was trying to stop him, then he was edging toward information that wasn't meant to be shared so freely.

"If we want to get you inside," the man continued, unaware or unwilling to stop, "we'd have to smuggle you in. And taking thirteen people isn't very subtle."

"I see," Seris said, resting a finger lightly against her chin.

Before the woman could redirect the topic, Orion spoke.

"Aren't you attending the event?" he asked, his brow lifting slightly.

The woman's reaction was immediate—brief, sharp, and controlled—but it was there.

The man smiled wryly. "We're currently not in the position to attend the prince's elevation."

Elevation.

The word settled heavily.

"Our jade mining is down," he continued. "We'd have to revive our Ruk first."

Orion's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

The female was already glancing at the man, irritation flickering beneath her calm. She might have thought her husband careless, but her reactions were giving away just as much.

Either the prince's elevation was as important as the Sylgrid Jade itself—or it was directly tied to it.

Perhaps both.

If the elevation was happening soon, and if it had anything to do with the Sylgrid Jade, then time was no longer on their side.

They would have to move quickly.

As if reading his thoughts, Seris leaned forward slightly.

"Is it that close?" she asked with a concerned expression. "Are you sure the security would have gotten severe enough?"

"It's in ten days," the man replied. "That's close enough. A lot of Sylgrid have been arriving for months already."

Ten days.

Orion's mind locked onto the number immediately. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Perfect.

Seris had secured the timeline without pushing too far. Now they had a window—a narrow one, but a window nonetheless. They had to reach the capital within ten days.

Whatever this prince's elevation was, if it involved the Sylgrid Jade in any capacity, missing it was not an option.

Whatever was waiting for them there—

They couldn't afford to be late.

"Alright, we'll head out tomorrow."

"Yes," the male Sylgrid agreed. "If you rest today, we can arrange an escort by tomorrow."

"That would be appreciated," Seris said.

The woman nodded, though her expression remained guarded.

The meeting wound down shortly after. Polite words were exchanged. Arrangements implied, not finalized. When Orion, Seris, and Erevan stepped back outside, the rest of the group turned toward them immediately.