Fourth Interlude - Warnings

Vasha wasn't vain, but it was still a relief to get back to civilisation and finally be clean again. Rata Sum might not be perfect, but its asuran engineering ensured it never ran out of hot water, which made up for a lot of the faults Vasha could think of.

It was dusk when she stepped out onto the lower concourse again. Asura were gathering at the nearby bar, creating a low hum of conversation in the air. Vasha kept her distance from the discussions and arguments. Her head was too full of the map she'd retrieved from Cursed Shore. She was certain she was on the verge of understanding it; all she needed was quiet and a little more time.

And for the game to continue, of course, even if they were down to three teams. Between Marissa's schemes and Yelazar's death, Vasha wasn't sure Yinn would want to organise another round. He still had his clients to please, but perhaps they'd be satisfied with how events in Orr had ended.

Which wasn't necessarily a disaster. The sooner the game came to its conclusion, the sooner she could go looking for Artair.

"I'd tell you to watch where you're going," a voice said, "but there are more important things you need to worry about right now."

Vasha came to a stop, realising she'd been walking without thinking and was now in a much darker, quieter corridor. She glanced around, finding an asura with coppery hair and startling blue eyes, leaning against the wall to her right. "Do I know you?"

"No." The asura pushed away from the wall. "But your friend Jean knows me as Explorer Primm, which is close enough."

"Jean isn't my friend–" Vasha cut herself off. What a ridiculous thing to care about when she'd been accosted by a strange asura. "Explorer, you said? You don't look like you're from the Priory."

Primm smiled, showing too many teeth. "You're sharper than your not-a-friend. It took him days to figure it out."

Vasha shrugged to hide a spark of satisfaction. "What do you want?"

"From you? Nothing. I'm just here to warn you to stay well away from a certain sylvari with a silver tongue."

Vasha stared at her, truly surprised for the first time. She didn't deny it; Primm would take that as clear evidence that she'd met Artair. How long had the Order been watching this game, though – and what was Primm after?

As though seeing her confusion, Primm held up a hand. "I'm not here to interfere. The Order keeps tabs on any dealings that could affect the safety of Tyria; Yinn's game has grown large enough to be one of them. I'm not here as their representative, though. I like Jean and he likes you – that's all there is to it."

Vasha wasn't sure she believed that, but there was no point arguing. "Why are you interested in Artair?"

"Anything that could affect the safety of Tyria, remember? Listen to me, Vasha. Artair has made a career out of getting what he wants, by any means necessary. Threats, violence, manipulation – and yes, flattery. Don't let yourself become another one of his prizes, or his tools."

Vasha shook her head. Primm didn't understand. Everything Artair had offered her... It had nothing to do with flattery. The chance to join a real, functioning guild, though... To live in a way that wasn't a constant scrabble for survival, to contribute something meaningful to the world, to be part of something greater than herself – what were honeyed words compared to that?

Primm's forehead creased. "He's got to you already."

Vasha scowled at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Artair is a master manipulator and always has been." Primm shook her head. "You're better than this, Vasha. Half of Tyria would hire you after the skills you've demonstrated in this game."

But she didn't want half of Tyria, Vasha found herself thinking. Artair had offered her something more valuable than even Yinn's game could.

Primm sighed, looking almost defeated. "I can see you're not interested in warnings. Let me ask you a question, then: what do you think Artair is actually researching?"

Vasha opened her mouth, then closed it again. She didn't have an answer, but she also didn't see any reason she should know. Why would Artair reveal something like that before she'd even agreed to join him?

A soft chime sounded. Vasha reached into her pocket, pulling out the invitation card that was making the noise – and when she looked up again, Primm was gone.

Vasha shook her head. She wasn't about to listen to an asura she'd never met before. Besides, it was like Primm had said: she had more important things to worry about.

The invitation card had flashed up a message. PLEASE REPORT TO CREATOR'S COMMONS. ROUND FIVE WILL BEGIN SOON.

A shiver of anticipation ran down Vasha's spine. Round five. Apparently, Yinn was willing to finish the game properly – though presumably with more precautions for his own safety this time.

Vasha shoved the card back into her pocket, already scanning the area for the rest of the Marauders. She was certain they'd all want to join the final round – just as she was certain they were going to win.