Let's Find Out About Everything

A paper hits the desk. Another.
“What the fuck am I supposed to do with this portfolio?” Peg demands. “Oh, look, another article about the gods.” The paper gets slammed on the desk. “Oh, wait, what about this…no, still an article about a god.” On the pile it goes.
Philomenes Taras waits patiently for her to finish her rant.
“Finished?” He finally asks when the last paper leaves Peg’s hand. She glares at him and pushes the pile off his desk onto the floor.
“Yes.”
He nods. “Then I have something you may find interesting.” He gently sets a paper onto his now empty desk and pushes it across to her.
 
The paper is a scroll with a wax seal on it. The wax is blue, with an O and a swan pressed into it. Peg’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Vera…what did you do?” She takes the scroll and carefully breaks the seal.
The script on the inside is elegant, a wispy cursive of someone who takes pride in their letters:
 
To the Esteemed Lady Margarete Esch,
 
I write to you with much humility and respect after hearing the tales of your accomplishments by the side of our great and glorious Goddess during her time on this mortal plane. My name is Boris Naminkov, Colonel of the 2nd Aerial Brigade, deployed to Elementaris V. We are currently under siege from a rather large titan who is causing havoc with our harvesting at IV, as well as a lava dragon named Incidiarus, who has decided that they are going to rule over Elementaris III.
One of my subordinates, a cleric by the name of Ichabod, came to me this morning and told me of a vision they had, of a giant meteor named Marjorie that lit up the sky and descended upon our enemies, destroying them. After some research, I thought that I might best contact you in the hopes that you might be able to decipher the vision and provide us aid.
 
If this tale strikes your interest, please come at your first opportunity. Accompanying this letter will be an Imperial Letter of Marque, allowing you to command and operate the Victoria III, a newly commissioned ship docked at Elementaris I. You can travel to the port through the Imperial Portal in Sterga by presenting the letter to the naval base there.
 
I look forward to meeting one of the Heroes of the White Empress. I hope that you take me up on the offer.
 
Sincerely,
 
Colonel Naminkov
 
Peg reads the letter, rolling her eyes when she gets to ‘Marjorie.’ She starts to grin as she gets near the end, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet. She looks up from the scroll and back at Taras.
“Interested?” He asks.
“Obviously,” she responds quickly. “What has this to do with you?” She asks.
Master Taras smiles. “Bring me a good story.” He hands her a small box. Peg takes it, still grinning, and dashes out the door.
 
******
 
The door to Aloysius’ office bursts open. “What do you want to wear to Sterga? And go pack your bag for travel to the elemental planes.”
His pen goes down and eyebrows up at about the same rate. “Darling, which elemental planes? You know that the color schemes are completely different for each.” He stands, admiring his wife and reading her body language while capping his pen and getting the papers put away. “I have an outfit left over from the last trip to Ruskovich that never came out. Oh, should I dress for dancing or fighting? Little of each?” He winks.
“A little of each. Probably a good deal of fighting.” She grins, coming over and kissing his cheek. She hands him the box Taras gave her. “There’s a scroll from Colonel Naminkov explaining everything. And we have an Imperial Letter of Marque. Apparently, we are the Heroes of the White Empress.” She laughs brightly.
“Is it wrong that I love that name for Vera?” The scroll in his hands and reading the contents. “Lava dragon? Right, more fire resistance potions. I’ll need a quick jaunt to the A.G. to get some more. Mmm, probably a side trip to Riddle’s office, I probably need to register as a foreign agent or something before I violate a half dozen laws nobody has ever heard of.”
“I am delighted that you do, dear. I am certain Vera would be very pleased to know it.” Peg waves off the need for preparations with a laugh, though Aloysius knows that she will let him do what he needs to.
 
******
 
Packing doesn’t take long, it’s awfully convenient being able to slip entire travel trunks into the portable hole. He dithers over taking a new scarf he had made for Peg, a heavy silk in a water patterned Gorathian pink, the relations with Bharat still being a ready supply of fashion finds. As ever, he doubles up on the potions. He lays the silken length across her shoulder and down her arm. “Will you wear this for me when it suits you?
Peg smiles brightly at him and steals a kiss as he comes close to place the scarf. “Of course I will, my love. It is beautiful. Thank you.”
Aloysius pauses for the kiss, letting it be his world for the moment. "It’s important for you to have pretty things, Peg. You are the only Eisener that I’ve ever seen completely own this color.”
She laughs. “Of all the gods that I talked to, Gorath was strangely the one that really helped me the most. I think it’s fitting to keep the color.”
“Then do.” He softly encourages, stepping around her, draping the bright length of the scarf to best effect. "There we are, everything just so.”
Her smile grows softer and she reaches to place her palm on his cheek. “Everything just so.” She murmurs.
He takes a deep breath as he looks at her, turning his cheek into her touch. “It is, you know? Just perfect.” She can feel the emotions in him, not that it’s ever been difficult for her.
“Not fated. Not destined. Not crafted. Just perfectly imperfect.” Her fingers softly caress his cheek. “Thank you for making sure that we get to keep doing this.”
“You are completely welcome to my fondest wish.” It’s a joke but maybe not really. “We’ve done so much and come so far that I… it didn’t seem right to let the changes take our someday from us.”
Her lips find his in a soft kiss. “I am going to enjoy this someday and all the somedays to come.”
“Peg…” he murmurs, lips close by. “It came too close, didn’t it? Losing all of this.” He finds his wife’s hand and threads his fingers through hers.
“Perhaps…but it is not lost. It is all here. Everything that matters to me.” She squeezes his hand. “We got to choose this and we get to keep choosing it.”
“No, it’s not lost” finding a stray curl and playing with it. “We have to go get on an airship, don’t we?”
“Have to?” She shakes her head. “No. Get to?” She grins at him. “Yes. It’s been a while since we’ve had a really good airship ride and then we get to deal with elementals and lava dragons? It’s practically a second honeymoon.”
“When you put it that way, how can I balk?” That grin she incites in him is excited and a little devilish. “This is going to be fun and romantic. We’re going to absolutely scandalize the Rus when we get there. Do you think Vera warned them?”
Peg considers that for a moment and then shrugs. “You know, I haven’t the least idea whether she would have or not. Let’s go find out.” She grabs him by the front of his shirt and pulls him to her, kissing in quite scandalous ways.
How he kisses her, committed to this little madness between them. Loving her with his touch and kiss, every part of him here with her. “Yes, love, let’s find out. Let’s find out about everything.”