As the group arrived outside the portal Maiev wandered through, seeming confused to see them there. She then rested her eyes on Lyani and darted towards her to check on her. She stopped short when she noticed the group of girls staring at her with guarded looks. They were gathered around the Nightsaber, and the cat herself was also rather tense. Shandris stepped forward.
"There was an incident." She offered simply.
"What? Explain!" She stared around the exterior of the portal.
"Where the hell is Cordana?"
"She came to meet us. She wanted to take Lyani." Shandris explained cautiously. Delaryn observed closely. For all the flak Shandris got for being simple, she was being smart. The girl was letting on very little about what happened in order to draw more out of Maiev, just in case. Behind them, Lyani did not react to Maiev the same way she reacted to Cordana, but she still seemed cautious and uncertain.
"Miss, didn't Cordanna report to you what I said? I came to her and she said she would send word through before coming back with me." Amara asked.
"I received no word."
"Don't you think that's suspicious?" Shandris implied.
"I don't even know what the hell happened!? Careful who you grill, girl!" Maiev pointed harshly. Shandris simply stared back, unmoved by the threatening tone and posture. She took a breath and leaned back.
"Let's start with what happened. I am out of the loop."
"Alright. We found the Proctor naked and unconscious. When she woke up she was babbling and seemed to have gone through some things, but there was no sign that she was attacked. We immediately stopped what we were doing and tried to get help for her, but instead of coming back with you, Miss. Amara came back with Cordana and she scolded us and told us off for not trusting her."
"As she should have." Maiev rasped, rubbing her eyes wearily.
"W-what!?" Delaryn shouted.
Shandris held a hand up. "Say what you're gonna say."
"Cordana is a Warden. She is second only to myself. Why on earth would you disobey her orders!? She is a proctor on this test! For what? Because a woman who has been affected somehow mentally is showing the exact signs one might expect? You were irresponsible and Cordana is correct in every way."
Shandris cocked her head to one side. "Would you say that if she was my Sister's subordinate?"
Maiev inhaled slowly through her nose. "What are you implying? It is your turn to say what you are going to say."
"I'm saying, you're maybe giving a bit too much credit to your own people?" Shandris argued.
"What about Cordana not telling you!?" Delaryn interjected.
Maiev chuckled. "Ah... The nepotism case is accusing me of favouring my own? Interesting." Shandris sneered at her, her light purple cheeks darkening.
"Have you considered that Cordana is capable of acting on my behalf? As I said before, her authority is second to mine. If you do not trust her there is no point in trusting anyone here." Maiev motioned around the whole area before the portal.
Shandris nodded. "You're right." Maiev seemed to relax in response to the remark, however she grew twice as angry when she continued to speak, adding:
"I don't trust you, either. I'll bring Lyani with us."
"You can not." Maiev warned.
"Debriefing and interrogating her is DIRECTLY under my division's authority within the Guild. That is without even considering that she is one of my own subordinates."
Shandris smirked, walking forward confidently. "Yeah, well... I'm a 'Nepo Case', remember? If you got a problem, take it up with my Sister." Shandris waved a hand dismissively. They all followed walking past the hesitant Warden into the portal. Delaryn breathed. They successfully returned to the actual world.
"That was so nerve-wracking..." Amara's shoulders slumped.
Shandris scratched her head. "I may have overreacted."
"You think? We're gonna get blacklisted from all the Sentinel Dungeons, now." Raene exhaled through her nose sharply, commanding Korra to shrink into a cub again before picking her up by the scruff and dropping her back in her hood.
Delaryn's face went pale. "A-all of them?" She turned around.
"M-maybe there's still time to apologise."
Shanris gripped her shoulder, turning her back around. She was smiling wide. "Two things." She held up two fingers for Delaryn.
"One, Maiev never forgets a face. Two, she holds a grudge. She still hates my Sister."
Delaryn whined. "Can't we appeal to your sister, Shandris?"
Shandris shrugged. "Uhm... Truth is, I'm kinda here against her wishes, anyway? So..."
Raene interjected. "We are screwed. Sentinels Guild is basically closed off."
"No no no..." Delaryn held her head in her hands.
Shandris sighed. "Relax. You showed your loyalty back there. I won't forget it. You can come with us. We'll do some of the public Dungeons together to make up for it. As far as we're concerned, you're a part of our group now. Right?" She looked at Amara and Raene. They both nodded. Korra let out a very small roar from Raene's hood.
"You all don't understand!" Delaryn shouted in a panic.
They all gathered around in the nearest coffee shop. Lyani was bundled up in some clothes they were able to get for her. She was not talking for the moment, but she seemed happy to be back in the normal world and away from the Wardens. Shandris, Raene and Amara all stared down at Delaryn's Huntress Badge. In the background, Korra laid on the table lapping at a plate of cut up lunch-meat.
"So... You're D Grade?" Raene asked out loud.
Delaryn nodded. She hung her head in shame. Her face was bright red. "I- I'm not actually that skilled."
"Hm." Amara tapped her chin in thought.
"I suppose you could get into Sentinels with that Grade based on your race."
"I was hoping for a guard posting or something. For a D Grade I can only enter the public beginner Dungeons, and for the few that there are they require me to have a group. No one'll take me. You can't take someone of my Grade into the types of Dungeons you all would enter. What even is each of your Grades?" Delaryn looked around the table hopefully. She steeled herself for Shandris's answer.
"I'm A Grade." The girl admitted after hesitating for just a moment. She was looking at Delaryn sympathetically. Obviously her mind was occupied with trying to think of a solution.
Raene raised her hand. "I'm B Grade on my own, but with Korra around my Grade goes up to A."
Amara smiled politely. "I am actually D Grade-"
Delaryn lifted her head hopefully. "Then we can-"
She finished what she was trying to say. "But, when I am in any sort of group my Grade rises to A."
Delaryn slammed her forehead down on the table. "No... No no..." She looked up tearfully.
"So Raene is a Tamer, which means her effective Grade is A. Amara is a Healer, so the Grade is low on its own but increases drastically when with a group."
Amara nodded, speaking quietly. "Yes. Well... It is very rare for a healer to have a natural Grade of B or Higher. The only one would be-"
"Anyway!" Shandris interrupted.
"That shit doesn't matter. We just need to funnel our girl."
Delaryn lifted a brow. "Funnel?"
"Seriously?" Raene groaned.
"You shouldn't have to do that." Delaryn waved her hands in front of her.
Shandris leaned back. "What's the issue? We go in, we get materials and bring them back to help boost Del." She made it sound incredibly easy.
Raene leaned forward onto the table. "The whole purpose behind joining a Guild is increased reward and decreased risk. Big guilds like Sentinels have raids that distribute loot evenly. They can do that because they own those Dungeons for a fee from the government and take all the responsibility for running them and keeping them from 'breaking.'"
Delaryn understood everything that was being said, but Shandris's head seemed to be spinning. She tried to explain in simpler terms.
"Shandris, when you go into a public Dungeon, it is owned and regulated by the Public Defense Force. In those Dungeons the loot gets taxed as you leave, meaning that you keep around twenty-percent of what you find."
The warrior's eyes shoot open as she does a spit take. "What the fuck!? That's robbery!"