Inspired by his persuasive argument, Vienna responded as a fine nobel should "Fine. stay here worthlessly, let my people, my family die. You must have been the worst Potesta in history! Stay here for eternity and rot!" And with those gracious words, she left. to be fair to her, she was having quite the day.

Vienna took a moment to calm down, even the sky of this strange place seemed to roil with wrong colors. she simply couldn't shake feeling like this wasn't enough. Perhaps it was simply her insecurities or the ominous environment, but the feeling was unnaturally strong- she felt trapped, like she couldn't do anything from here, but also that she must act or else everyone was going to die. To make things worse no one seemed to be listening to her- not the trustworthy Oddosatum, she couldn't even find him, not SvenKa, though he did listen eventually. Not the crowd, a few were listening she supposed, not that she could see them from here, and well she supposed that a lot were listening to her currently, but not Samuel. Samuel didn't listen to her, and as her predecessor, he's supposed to know a thing or two about this. he should at least empathies. Fate itself was failing her, and she didn't even believe in fate! There was something greater going on, she just knew it. If fate were real, something important would happen right now-.

"Office, I need help. What else can I do about the spiders?"

But her question was met with silence.

"Office? Where are you?" her voice was met naught but her own voice and the gently lapping of water. she scolded herself, she was inside of the office, where could it possibly have gone. It having gone somewhere doesn't even make sense.

"Office?" she repeated, somewhat less boldly, her voice being consumed by the empty. Wasn't it somewhat darker than it was before? Rather, the light was more akin to a sunset, gentle purples, yellows and reds more than the mesmerizing rainbow of color.

"Where in the world..." but the light was not the comforting light of a sunset, rather the flickering light that allows illusions to enter a disturbed mind, something lurking behind every pillar and wall- except there were no pillars, no walls, just the feeling of being watched. Right about now, Vienna wished beyond wishing that she were not alone, because she knew she in her heart of hearts, that she wasn't.

"Hello?" a gently voice called out, causing her to jump. "Dear me, I've given you quite the fright!" the voice continued, chuckling in a comforting tone. A plump elderly woman sat on the well's rim, her legs dangling in the depths, her skirt up rolled and tied to keep dry.

"How are you here?" Vienna asked with trepidation. The woman's visage was clear despite the lighting.

"That's quite the story my dear, and I would love to tell you all about it, but unfortunately I've come on business. It's a bit embarrassing you see, but I've gotten a bit stuck, and I'm hoping the Delver might help me out a bit, is she about?"

"Did you mean Samuel Hartwell? The delver's nearby." she said in an obtuse manor, still feeling quite fragile. "Who should I say is waiting, and what should I tell them you want?"

With a smile too deep for comfort "Of course dearie, I'm looking for help as I've gotten quite stuck, and I don't know how to get free all alone. Some years ago, my father, a man you would think you could trust, imprisoned me for being what he made me. But this is something for the delver, if you wouldn't mind getting her. The truth is that I was hoping to make a deal with the Delver, make a trade with her to gain my freedom, would you mind finding the Deliver for me, so we can negotiate? There must be something a mighty being like myself could offer, don't you think?"

Vienna glanced around the room, trying to find whatever presence was watching her. "Right, well maybe I could help. What should I do?"

"Look into the well, and when you need my help, call for me."

Wary, Vienna circled the woman and well, approaching from the far side, all the while keeping an eye on the woman. Despite sitting on the edge of the well, the woman swiveled to follow Vienna, maintaining a semblance of pleasantness. Her back was never exposed, her face never containing a shadow, and her smile, her deep, deep smile never wavering, and her legs remained in the well- there was no water, just a pit with a pair of legs stretching- Vienna felt a shove from behind her, and toppled down past the legs, down down down past the legs, until splash! she was inside the well! In contradictions of all matter, force, and cosmic order. A mountain opened to infinite black rimmed with golden hues- the abyss was an eye. For an eternity she stared into the abyss between one heartbeat and another until something familiar she'd never known wrapped around her waist, pulling her back to the surface. Reality returned, sight, sound, time, thought, her heart's beating, and perhaps most importantly, air.

Vienna gasps, the world rushing back in a violent flood. With an attempted breath, Water, thick and suffocating, cold and burning spills from her mouth in an uncontrollable torrent. With a second attempt, blessed air fights for space within her as fire expels the same, her lungs rebelling against the invasion. On their own volition, her fingers explore her own soaked form. Convulsing with each breath, cold, wet and clammy with shock, tears flowing freely, she laughed. It didn't make sense, she felt amazing! She felt a strange emotion surface from deep inside her, a thrill unlike any other, she was alive! The thrill of surviving terror caused every emotion swirling within her.

She rolled onto her back basked in this. Staring at the tree and sky beyond. The twisted branch grew. She saw it grow at visible speeds. With what she'd just seen she was different, she felt herself changing. just like the branch she was changing. The twisted branch represented her. She was the warped one. But if the twisted branch was her... then she was wrong about the who the other branches represented. Then Kenji must be the strong- but that would mean Heromi was the branch to follow behind their parents, and that did not ring true. So Kenji isn't strong, he just seems strong because of his position. And Heromi... Heromi's the best of us. With his own cute little bud.

Still laughing, her lungs encouraged her to roll to her side, easier to expel the water that way. Samuel was laying there next to her, their eyes caught, and Vienna worried that she'd have to explain why she was laughing- which of course, made her laugh. Looking deep into his eyes, She shouldn't have judged him so harshly, who knows what this man has seen and done. His eyes did not see her. face to face she gazed into the unblinking eyes of Samuel Hartwell. The delver was dead. Long live the delver.

***********************************

Laughter turned to horrified silence as Vienna realized Samuel lay lifeless beside her. Panic surged. She shoved against the ground, desperate to escape. Wet tiles provided little traction as she slid away from the grim reality. The air felt suffocating, but the water was worse, her deep panicked breaths caused it to again remind her of its presence. She had just talked with him not ten minutes ago and he was dead. Here. in this place. It was free. It was here. And it kills Delvers. Oh god, she was the delver.