Despite being one of the youngest Great Families, the Family Velli is regarded as one of the preeminent Holdings throughout Awakened Humanity. Coming to the attention of the WidePond a scant millennia ago, they have become the gold standard to which others aspire.

  While the core family remains fairly small, by Great Family standards at least, their cadet branches and affiliated members can be found in every Organization and non-familial Pond of note. Their presence ensures the flow of goods and information, their schools ensure graduates embark on their future careers with the backing and education that ensures they will rise to the top.

  Princess Maria, known informally as the jewel of the WidePond handles most public efforts for the family, her parents Sovereign and Consort Velli content to remain in seclusion after centuries of tireless effort. The noble and handsome High Duke Mahk, Maria's younger brother, is renowned for his philanthropy and efforts to empower the less fortunate.

  Unfortunately their grace and wisdom is wrought with controversy and baseless accusations. They find themselves constantly fending off claims of unfair contracts and manipulation, of illegal tampering and theft. None of these have ever been shown to have a shred of proof, even the accusers often recanting and admitting they were at fault.

  ~ * ~

  They'd nearly made it out of the second level Depths when Seb felt himself flagging. He paused at the gap in the wall leading to the path downward and looked out at the crossroads. He'd been too focused on reaching their destination when they had come this way the month before to notice the flare of Energy coming from the cavern.

  What is that? he asked, hoping to distract Anya from how heavily he was leaning against the wall.

  What is what? she asked as she stopped, glancing at him before following his gaze.

  Dive Staging Point. Might not be in use but that's what they look like.

  He nodded and pushed himself off the wall to follow her once more, his thoughts focused on the sense of Energy drawing to a focal point from the nearby paths before blooming into the Point.

  I think there might have been one on the third level. I didn't see it but there was a flow to the ambient Energy that looks a lot like the paths leading away from the crossroads.

  I doubt it, she answered as they started the next incline. When we said we were headed to the third they told us the nearest was the second or fourth, and the cost to use it didn't seem worth it.

  There was something though, at least I think I saw a flow.

  He noticed Anya slowing, matching his pace and looking at him. Seb, what's wrong.

  Nothing, he told her before nearly stumbling. Getting worn out. I can still keep going.

  He could feel her frustration but she said nothing, simply walking at his side and offering him her arm every time he started to lose his balance. After the fifth time she stopped him with a glare.

  Your pack.

  I can-

  Seb, she cut him off. Give me your pack.

  He hesitated, felt himself start to wobble only for her to grab his elbow and steady him and nodded. She took everything he'd been carrying and let him lead the way again. He didn't say anything as he stared at the ground, focusing on making sure he put one foot in front of the other. It was getting harder to focus, harder to think about anything other than the fact that he was going to make it to the Depths entrance. He was going to walk the rest of the way on his own despite how tired he was, Anya was not going to have to leave any equipment behind.

  He thought he noticed when they passed the first level exit, everything felt lighter, easier. He found himself picking up the pace and almost falling on his face, only Anya's hand grabbing the back of his shirt keeping him upright.

  Seb.

  I'm fine, he growled weakly, stubbornness flooding his thoughts and making him forget how horrible he felt.

  The next hour was an eternity, the improvement he'd felt as they changed densities fading away after minutes and leaving him stumbling once more. Finally he felt the pressure shift again, everything growing lighter as sounds filtered into the tunnel. He'd made it, he'd managed to cover the distance and make it to the top.

  He heard yelling, he heard panic and fear but couldn't understand why. He'd done what he set out to hadn't he? He'd made it out of the Depths on his own, he was there. Anya wouldn't have to-

  "Help! We need a Healer."

  ~ * ~

  Anya tried not to panic as she did her best to keep Seb from falling to the ground. She'd nearly picked him up a half dozen times on the last leg of their ascent only to have him grumble that he would make it on his own. She could feel he was pushing himself to his limit but didn't realize it was as severe as it seemed until he came to a complete stop and smiled in pride as he stepped into the light. She'd stepped to his side when he did and had been about to say something when his eyes started to roll back and he collapsed against her.

  "Healer!" she yelled again, glancing around the warehouse and spotting someone finally rushing towards them. She barely noticed anything about him other than the fact that he had the Depths Administration logo on his shirt.

  "I've got him, what happened?" the man said as he slipped under Seb's far side, bracing him so she could let go.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  "Who are you?" she asked, not ignoring the question but rather focusing on Seb's safety.

  "Sinclair. I normally deal with arrivals and departures. You came through here a month ago?" He lifted Seb into his arms as he answered, leading her further into the warehouse.

  "Yes. He needs a Healer. Or maybe a hospital if he drops his Husk."

  "We've got one in the room up here. Small clinic, usually not much more than a few cuts or scars. Most don't make it back if they're this badly off."

  He backed through the doorway before spinning around and setting Seb down on the first available bed. "George, we've got one in bad shape. Collapsed right after exiting."

  "Poor boy." Anya spun at the sound of the high-pitched voice, seeing a round-faced woman come around the corner and make her way straight to Seb.

  "Georgette, call me George, Healer George if you're the type to insist," she said as she started to look him over. "I don't see anything, what happened?"

  "He's almost level 2. We were down in the third level and he wanted to show he could handle planning his way through caves on his own. He ran in and found a Horned Rabbit. I hadn't told him about variants yet."

  She choked back her fear before turning towards Sinclair. "Everything in your information said that there were no Variants within 5 miles of the access tunnel. We were less than 3 miles down the path. And we had a Depths rat walk into our camp right after we arrived."

  "I need him out of his Husk to see what's wrong dear," George said. "I'm sure Sinclair will have answers for you in a moment."

  Anya spun back to the bed, leaning close and grabbing Seb's hand. She hadn't realized that their band was still there, that he was still aware on some level despite the confusion and pain.

  Seb, True Self, she sent as squeezed his fingers. They can help you if you-

  Before she'd even finished speaking she saw his appearance shift. Normally she couldn't tell if he was in his Husk or not based purely on appearance, but his skin turning grey and his breath catching made it clear, even if his clothes had not changed along with him. Panic seized her again, only somehow remembering their difference in strength and not crushing his fingers.

  He had to be fine, he had to.

  "Dear, I've got him, you don't need to stabilize him," George said gently, startling her.

  "Stabilize?"

  "You've kept him steady. But I can take it from here. He's bleeding, he's been bleeding for hours I suspect. Pushing himself like a fool no doubt."

  Anya just stared at her blankly, her fingers barely relaxing their death grip on his hand. "Pooling in his abdomen? That's where the horned one hit him. Punched a hole through his thinner exo and only barely missed his spine as it kicked through."

  "What's his name? Yours?" George prompted.

  "Seb. It's Sebastian but he tells everyone to call him Seb. It doesn't matter who they are, what their station, he's just Seb."

  "Seb. And you?"

  "Lysanya. Lady Lysanya," she answered, barely processing her own words.

  "Lysanya, I have him," George said gently. "I can't make him good as new right this moment but I'll get the bleeding stopped and set him on the way. I'll need him to wake up before we can do anything with his War Husk though. Talk to Sinclair, give me a bit of space to work my magic."

  "Lady Lysanya," Sinclair said on the tail of George's words, having stepped away then back in while she had focused on Seb. "On behalf of the company I apologize for your bad luck. We have never had any reports of Depths rats in the third level passages you descended to. Horned rabbits have not been spotted within 10 miles or more either."

  Anya slipped her hand out of Seb's, noticing George nod out of the corner of her eye and lean over Seb's abdomen. She focused on Sinclair and frowned.

  "Then either your records are atrociously out of date or you filled with lies."

  "The last survey of that level was performed a month ago before you descended, I assure you the information was up-to-date."

  "Must not be reliable scouts then. The information packet didn't even have the passage to the third level in the right place. It said it was on the far side of the crossroads but it was a tunnel to the right only a few yards from the landing."

  Sinclair went to correct her then paused, his eyes widening ever so slightly before narrowing. "As I said my Lady. The provided information was up to date. We are however willing to void the tithe and entry fees as an apology for your unexpected challenge."

  "… Anya," she heard Seb mumble.

  She turned away from Sinclair, holding up a hand to make it clear she was not done and turned to the bed.

  "Seb?"

  "He's stable, probably be a few hours until I can see about his husk, even if he wakes up before then." George answered.

  "… love you… Staging point next time… saw it…"

  Anya froze, her eyes jumping from Seb to George and back. She'd heard what she thought she had. She was sure of it. He'd said he loved her.

  Sinclair coughed behind her, not gaining her attention as she tried to process what she'd heard.

  "Lady Lysanya? Is the refund acceptable?" he continued on, his tone sounded more nervous than the confidence she had heard in the first offer.

  What had changed? Seb had said he loved her, but why would that matter to Sinclair? He was a clerk, a functionary. George had stepped away, humming under her breath as she made a show of tidying up the already tidy clinic. Seb had said something. He said he saw the Staging Point. But there was no Staging Point. They had made it quite clear that despite the safety of the region there was no staging point without going up or down a level. They'd also said the path from second to third was on the far side of the crossroads. They'd said-

  She spun around, nearly knocking Sinclair over as she tried to loom despite him being taller. "That wasn't your depths path we took down. That wasn't the area you have rights to."

  "My lady you-" he tried to interrupt her.

  "That was a new path that we went through, a shift in the system or perhaps a fault? That's why you'll forego your profits despite the clear notices that we were Diving at our own recognizance."

  "It isn't what-" he tried to explain himself, only to have her speak over him.

  "Holding Syl formally lays claim to the Staging point and associated passages spreading from the newly found third level region. Exploration of these new Depths and any level transitions beyond their connection to the existing networks is prohibited without Our explicit approval."

  "Skall's Depth Administration formally acknowledges Holding Syl's claim," Sinclair stated in a monotone, both his nerves and poorly masked anticipation gone as he completed the ritual.

  "Witnessed," George said from the far side of the room before nodding in her direction.

  "You have EDN access so the claim can be recorded?" Anya asked before the moment was lost.

  "Back here my lady," George said before Sinclair could so much as blink. "You'll have to get the Staging Point signature on file so the mapping can be done as I'm sure you know. And if your partner was wrong I doubt Skall's will ever allow you access to their facilities in the future."

  "He wasn't wrong," Anya stated with more force than necessary as she completed the initial claim. "You certainly know a lot about Depths claims for a Healer."

  "I've been on a Dive once or twice, took the time to find out what I might get a share of."

  "… Anya?" she heard Seb say even as the band stabilized and his words filled her thoughts as well. Anya? Where am I?

  She spun around again, this time banging into an empty bed in her haste before lunging across the room, not caring about whether it was proper to race to his side.

  "Seb," she said as she took his hand. She knew his bleeding had stopped, that his body was stable, that he was finally safe. You collapsed as you made it to the surface.

  "The Staging Point you said you saw? It's ours once we go back down and record it. You were right," she said as she leaned over, hugging him in a mixture of joy and relief.

  "I- I said I saw it. I remember you were talking to someone, I said-" he trailed off, confusion painting his face as he clearly tried to remember what he'd said.

  You said you love me, she sent as barely more than a whisper. He'd been barely conscious, clearly not aware of where he was or what was going on, the band had been little more than chaotic flashes at the time.

  I did? he asked, his thoughts nearly as hesitant as her message had been.

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