Valerie stepped forward, her boots squelching in the thick mud. *SQUELCH.* She placed a gentle but firm hand on Sebastian's arm, silently telling him to dial back the homicidal landlord routine.
"Stand up, Aelion," Valerie said, her voice projecting with the clear, unyielding authority of a corporate CEO who was completely used to dealing with chaotic boardrooms. "We don't do the whole worship thing here. You're on Earth. If you want to stay, you follow our rules."
Aelion hesitated for a fraction of a second before slowly pushing himself up to his feet. The other nineteen Elves followed, shivering violently in the cool air, their teeth chattering audibly. *Clack-clack-clack.*
"Thank you... Lady Valerie," Aelion murmured, bowing his head respectfully.
"Now," Valerie crossed her arms over her oversized gray sweater. "You said you followed the ripples of the final compile. You tracked us through the Juncture. How exactly did you do that without the System's navigation interface?"
