Valeria Torres and the Midas Vault

Chapter 20: The Two Sovereigns

The next day went by painfully slow. Jada Pipino had sent spies to sweep and monitor the house, but they had nothing to report so far. She wasn't too surprised; she knew Lawrence Tyrell well. While Frank and the other guild leaders were skeptical, she wasn't. She could spot one of his lies a mile away.

While they waited patiently at Coterel over the weekend, Jada decided it was time to address some practical matters surrounding her new protégé. She had planned on outfitting Valeria with gear later on in her training. But when life throws you a curve-ball, you just have to adjust your swing.

Jada knew her protégé had a difficult task ahead. She had enrolled Valeria in school to force her to interact and blend in with ordinary teenagers. Celestials sent most of their protégés to private schools, and Jada doubted Valeria would meet or befriend one in a public school.

But Lawrence's decision to enroll their adopted daughter in public school was not completely shocking to Jada; he had picked one of the best in the city. While Elmyra Tyrell came from a wealthy family, Lawrence did not. Jada assumed that sending their protégé to public school was a compromise. Elmyra wanted the best education, but Lawrence wanted a public school to toughen Erin up and keep her somewhat modest.

Jada was used to playing moves and countermoves against her old friend and their rival faction, but the recent course of events was unprecedented. She knew most relationships between Rogues and Celestials ended with disaster, and recent events had the two factions edging toward war. And yet, here Jada was, encouraging her new protégé to befriend a protégé from a rival faction, hoping to keep their house and current alter-egos.

It's about more than that.

Jada knew Valeria was special, and she wondered if the young Celestial had sensed it. If so, she hoped Lawrence's daughter realized just how important Valeria is. If not, that part of the plan was completely out of Jada's hands. All she could do was focus on the here and now.

After spending the first night at a two bedroom in Coterel, they took Valeria to the market. They started at Legendary Leatherworks, where Valeria received her first Aegis. It had taken them a while, but the girl eventually found one she liked.

The one I knew she'd like.

An Aegis was a set of leather armor that offered its wearer numerous protective effects. There were many styles, and while Jada had suggested a more modest look with plain black colors, her protégé had opted for a more colorful one. The body-fitting black leather jacket and pants reflected a more punk rock look, with hints of green accents trimmed in various locations.

As she dressed, Jada looked over to the tailor and whispered, "Same Aether concentration? Even with the modifications?"

The tailor winked as he leaned close. "I barely made any modifications," he whispered.

Nodding, Jada inspected her leather clad protege as she stood in front of a set of mirrors. So far, everything was going according to plan. Valeria had picked the most powerful Aegis their faction could offer. Jada would know - it used to be hers.

"Okay," Valeria said, studying herself in the mirror, "This is pretty cool. Umm...wait a minute." She stumbled and dropped to her knees. Her eyelids flickered and it looked like she was having a seizure as her body trembled.

Jada winced as the scene unfolded. She wanted to offer aid, she wanted to stop what was happening, what would happen. But she knew better than that. Valeria wasn't just special - she was strong. Stronger than she anticipated. She hadn't been so sure at first, but Valeria had proven herself day after day. When her eyes opened, Jada crouched beside her. "Are you okay?"