Perspective

By the time that most of the troops arrived, the keep had been secured, camps and lodgings established, and people had started to settle in, it was starting to get dark. Tzesira had dragged Kallista with her to go and do a more thorough exploration of the area, and they'd wound back up at the tower where they'd fough when they first portalled in, looking out across the river to the city. From that vantage point, they could make out the huge fires that marked the center of the Geyr Hextor encampment. Tzesira glared at the orange glow.

"So, that's where those fuckers are."

Kallista shivered, looking down into the city that seemed to squirm and pulse with the masses of demons moving through it. She felt her stomach lurch. There was something familiar in those flames, as though they bore the stamp of her father. She knew he was out there, somewhere in the mass of devils. She could almost feel his presence. She wondered if he knew that she was here; if he could sense her the same way.

"That's the place," she said quietly, "I hope we're ready for this."

I hope I'M ready for this, she distinctly failed to add.

"Pfft." Tzesira glanced back over her shoulder at the fires from their own soldiers camps. "We're so fucking ready." She looked back at her friend, and her grin turned thoughtful. "How are you doin', though, bitch?"

Kallista shrugged and leaned on the waist high parapet surrounding the tower.

"As good as can be expected, I guess. How would you be if you knew you might have to kill your own father?"

"Come on Kay. You know me better than that. You really want me to fuckin' answer that? I mean, shit, you know I don't get your deal with 'family'."

Kallista sighed.

"Yeah. I know. I kinda wish I felt the same. In a day or two we're gonna march down into that mess and it's likely that not all of us are coming back out. But that's not what scares me. I'm used to that. What scares me is that I don't know what will happen when I see him again."

She turned to her friend.

"Does that make me weak?"

Tzesira shrugged. "Shit Kay, if you're worried about that - there's gonna be plenty of other people to fight. You can't know 'em all." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Maybe it's... shit, like Delona's wedding. You sit that shit out, we get to prove that you belong with us now, and fuck if we're gonna let them have you."

Kallista gave her friend a smirk.

"And you say you don't get the 'family' thing," she said.

"I guess we'll see. Who knows what'll happen in the chaos of battle. I don't want to fight him... but I also can't keep running from him. One way or another this battle is gonna change everything for me. For all of us, really."

Tzesira shrugged at the last part, and stretched, hopping up on the wall for a better look. "I guess. For people who live here, it'll shake shit up. I dunno though, really. There's always another challenge, whenever you walk away from a fight. Nothing's gonna change that."

Kallista chuckled.

"That's assuming you walk away from it. But hey..."

She put her arm around the shadar kai's shoulder.

"...at least whatever happens, we'll be there together, right?"