ã€ŠThe Red Orphanã€‹


 Chapter 1: Home

    ¡°You know she can¡¯t stay here,¡± Uncle Greg''s voice hissed in the next room. Hushed whispers gave way to frustration, carrying the words to a blissfully ignorant child. Carmine looked up from the floor with a start, turning towards the room where her father and uncle argued. Why was Uncle Greg so mad? She curled her auburn hair anxiously around her finger until she felt a touch at her arm.

    ¡°Come on Carmine,¡± a young boy, her cousin Filbert, urged her attention back to the floor, covered in small knights and soldiers carved from wood. ¡°It''s your turn, you haven¡¯t saved the king yet!¡±

    ¡°Oh...okay,¡± Carmine replied, picking up one of the toy soldiers and placing it next to a large wooden lizard. ¡°Sir Gentle talks to the dragon¡­¡±

    ¡°Talks to¡­? You¡¯re supposed to fight the dragon!¡±

    ¡°But...My mum said fighting is kinda bad?¡± Carmine gave her cousin a genuinely confused look.

    ¡°Well...the dragon¡¯s bad; you have to fight it.¡± Filbert insisted, pushing the dragon closer to the knight, as he started rambling about what the dragon could do, how sharp its teeth were.

    His voice quickly fell to the back of Carmine''s mind, joining the rain pelting the cabin¡¯s wooden roof as she looked back towards the room where her dad and uncle spoke. They kept their voices low so not to alarm the children in the next room, but Carmine¡¯s ears picked up a few things.

    Unlike her uncle, cousin, and even her father, her ears were longer, ending in points, and with that were more sensitive than they realized. She couldn¡¯t hear everything, but the bits she picked up worried her.

    ¡°If she stays here, they¡¯ll just come here,¡± Her uncle insisted quietly. ¡°What about my wife, my son?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking her to stay for long,¡± Dad replied. ¡°Look, things have been getting bad: our fence was broken yesterday, and not by the storm; rocks hit our house at night; I see people circling our house like buzzards. I think they¡¯re going to try something.¡±

    ¡°So you prefer that happen here!?¡±

    ¡°No! I just....need Carmine to be safe.¡±

    "You think she''d be safer in my hovel, when you''re sitting comfy in the family house."

    "This isn''t about the house, Greg! Can''t you see that!?"

    "I wish I could help, Al, I do, but not at the cost of my family.¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± Dad hissed loud enough to even make Filbert jump.

    The door to the next room swung open, and Carmine¡¯s father stepped out. For a moment lines creased his brow in a deep angry frown. It fell away when he looked at Carmine, but it always found a way back on his face. ¡°Hey, sweetie, have fun?¡± his voice sounded like an attempt at its usual soothing tone, but Carmine knew he was upset. Uncle Greg paced behind him, rubbing his forehead. Father briefly smiled on as he walked over and picked her up, but even she could see that the smile never reached his eyes..

    ¡°Yup,¡± Carmine said, smirking as her father picked her up. ¡°Is everything okay, dad?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Looks like you¡¯ll be staying at home with mum and dad after all.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Carmine retorted, a triumphant grin spreading across her face. She didn¡¯t want to stay at Filbert''s anyway.

    Her grin spread to her father, finally reaching his eyes..

    ¡°Time to go home, say goodbye to Filbert and Uncle Greg.¡± Her father glared sharply at Greg.

    ¡°Bye,¡± Carmine waved as her dad helped her with her cloak.

    "Bye, Carmine," Filbert said, waving back a lot. Uncle Greg didn''t say anything. Carmine thought he even looked a little sad.

    Carmine and her father left the house into the torrential downpour outside. When would it stop? All the sky had done was pour down for weeks now. The water ruined mother¡¯s garden, all her herbs drowned. Some of the farmers had started getting angry too. Were their gardens drowning too?

    Carmine watched a few farmers in the fields during the walk back to her house, struggling to tend to whatever was still alive. One farmer lifted his head, soaked to the bone, his exhausted eyes meeting Carmine''s. The man''s eyes hardened as he recognized her and her father through the rain. A shiver ran down Carmine''s spine as he glared, unblinking. She quickly turned back to the path ahead, feeling the eyes on her back as she and her father passed by. Moving closer to her father, she squeezed his hand. As long as Father was there, she''d be okay. A lot of the villagers sent glares their way these days. Why were they so angry?

    "Dad," she said, inquisitively looking up as they walked.

    "What is, Sweetie?"

    "Did I do something bad?"

    The lines in Father¡¯s face deepened across his forehead. His sigh went unheard under the rain beating down. "You didn''t do anything, Carmine. The storm is just making people think funny. They''re just scared is all. Scared folks don''t think straight sometimes."

    "Oh! Like when I stay up past bedtime?"

    "You do what now?"

    "Nothing." Carmine quickly stopped talking. The jig was up, but her father only chuckled, holding her hand tighter.

    The trail home took longer than normal, their boots sticking to the thick mud along the path, but eventually a familiar homestead came in view: a two storied home, in the center of a wide plain, well-built from white wood, with a green roof to keep the rain out. It stood sturdy enough to withstand the storm overhead, and time¡¯s test. Long fences contained plots of grassland where horses would usually have grazed, but with the storm they all huddled within the stables, staying as dry as they could. Soggy grass probably tasted bad anyway...not that Carmine knew what grass tasted like. One horse waited outside the house, one Carmine didn''t recognize.

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    "Dad, whose horse is that?" She looked up curiously.

    "I don''t know." He replied, pulling her a bit closer to him as he looked around the property. "Let''s get inside."

    Carmine huddled behind her father, feeling his hand tighten around hers as they approached the front door, but as they approached they heard sounds from within. Laughter? Father pushed open the door, and the sounds became louder. Carmine recognized one of the laughs as her mother''s, its musical tone unmistakable, but the other she didn''t know.

    The door gave way to the foyer, and the lounge beyond it, filled with rustic furniture and beast skin rugs covering the floor. At the dining table, Carmine saw her mother sitting with the widest smile she''d seen in a while. Her auburn hair and deep blue eyes were much like Carmine''s own, as were her elongated ears that ended in points.

    The man across from her, however, she didn¡¯t know, but he looked a bit older than Father. Shallow wrinkles crept over his skin as salt-and-pepper hair covered most of his head and face. Father relaxed, did he know the man?

    "Nicholos?" Father said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

    "Alan! Good to see you. I was close by," Nicholos replied with a smile. His voice was gruff and tired, but jubilant. "I''ve been on a journey, looking for old arcane writings. Much like our old work, Antora," he explained as he nodded to Mother. "My travels took me close by, and I haven''t visited in years."

    "And it''s wonderful to see you again,¡± Mother added, smiling ear to ear. "How many years has it been?"

    "Almost eight now," Nicholos answered as he looked between mother and father before noticing Carmine herself. His mouth opened in surprise, before turning to a warm smile. "Is that you, Carmine?"

    Carmine hid behind her father''s hip at the sudden attention, giving a hesitant nod.

    "Goodness me, you''ve grown so big! You were just a babe in your mother''s arms last I saw."

    "Carmine, this is Nicholos, an old friend of ours." Mother explained.

    "Hi, Nicholos," Carmine replied, still apprehensive behind her father. "Nice to meet you."

    "Nice to see you again, lass." His bearded smile put Carmine at ease. He reminded her of her old grandpa before he passed away; soft spoken with a warm face. Carmine moved fully around her father to meet Nicholos¡¯ eyes. "My, You''re the spitting image of you mother." He looked back towards Mother with a raised brow. "Has she shown any of your talents?"

    "Not yet, Nicholos, When she''s older we''ll find out." Mother pulled Carmine into a hug after answering. "It''s late Carmine; time for bed."

    "But I don''t want to." Carmine pouted, to no avail.

    "Come on, Carmine, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow." Mother picked her up and tapped her nose. "After that I''ll make you...a chocolate muffin, how does that sound?"

    Carmine hummed thoughtfully. "Okay." She mumbled, trying to hide her excitement. She followed her mother upstairs, coming to her room. There was not much more than a bed, desk, and dresser inside, but it had all Carmine asked for. Books, blankets and figurines of beasts from legend and myth all across Vembris lay scattered around her room, locked in fantastical journeys across the world of her floor... Carmine enjoyed collecting them from merchants that came through town, each one a precious treasure.

    As her mother tucked Carmine into bed, kissing her forehead before setting her down, Her mother waved a hand over the figurines, uttering words foreign to Carmine. Mother''s eyes flashed white for a moment as she finished speaking and a second later the figures started moving, chasing each other around on Carmine''s desk.

    "Goodnight, sweetie," Mother said, ruffling Carmine''s hair.

    "Goodnight, mum." Carmine replied from habit, watching the display.

    Mother left the room with a smile, leaving Carmine staring at the show on her desk. It carried on for a few minutes, slowly pushing Carmine to sleep, and yet rest wouldn''t come. Once again, she heard whispers not meant for her through the closed doors and thick walls of her home. Even Mother underestimated how much she could hear.

    She crept out of bed, knowing exactly which boards to avoid to prevent a creaking giveaway as she edged towards her door. She slipped out without a sound, then crouched near the top of the stairs as the adults conversed below, just around the corner.

    "You''re serious," Nicholos spoke, no laughter left in his voice. "It''s gotten that bad?"

    "The town headman isn''t even doing anything about it." Father grumbled next. Carmine had almost forgotten what he sounded like when he was mad, but she got a reminder now. "In fact I think the bastard is in on it."

    "Alan¡­" Mother hushed him as he started to raise his voice.

    "Sorry...it''s just so infuriating. I grew up with most of these people, I can''t believe they''re doing this."

    "Desperation changes people." Mother tried to comfort him. "They need a reason for the ill fortune that befalls them so much they''ll invent one if none exists."

    "Even at the expense of others." Nicholos added. "If you both believe you''re in danger, why not leave?"

    Carmine''s heart started racing. Danger? Was something bad going to happen?

    "We have nowhere to go Nicholos." Mother answered. Carmine had never heard her so tired. "Everything we have is here. Our home, our livelihood. If we leave, we''d only have what we could carry. Our cart can''t get through this mud. We''d be starting over from scratch, I don''t want to put Carmine through that."

    "I see...but isn''t remaining just as risky?" Nicholos asked. Both mother and father couldn''t answer. "Listen,¡± Nicholos¡¯ voice lowered, growing quieter but no less direct. ¡°This storm shows no sign of stopping. If folk are already vandalizing your property and making threats, it''s not going to stop. In fact, I''d bet on it getting worse.¡± Carmine waited for Mother or Father to retort; to say it wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought, but as the silence stretched on, second after second, neither of them said a thing. ¡°If you can''t leave then I propose this, and I don''t do it lightly,¡± Nicholas paused for a moment, then said in an almost reluctant tone, ¡°Leave Carmine in my care, at least until you believe it''s safe again to return."

    Carmine gasped, shocked and afraid, but quickly put both hands over her mouth, hoping no one heard. She waited for mother and father to reject the offer, but as the silence lingered she only grew more afraid.

    "I''ll be clear with you both," Nicholos continued, leaning closer, his voice still deadly serious. "My path is no place for a child. I travel in search of artifacts as we once did as a team, Antora. You know that lifestyle is unpredictable."

    "I remember," Mother agreed, her voice exasperated. Carmine heard her fingers tap against the kitchen table. "But the alternative¡­"

    "I don''t want to send Carmine away." Father answered, and Carmine started to relax, but couldn''t shake the anxiety completely. "Her place is with us."

    "I understand," Nicholos said. Carmine heard him stand and push his chair back beneath the table. "You''re a good father, Alan, I know this isn''t easy." Boots stepped across the floor and Nicholos stepped into view. Carmine pressed herself as tightly as she could to the floor, hoping he wouldn''t see. "I''ll be in the area a few more days. I''ll visit again before I leave."

    "Take care of yourself Nicholos." Mother said quietly to him, and a sad smile crossed his lips. Carmine swore, for a moment Nicholos saw her as he glanced in her direction.

    "Take care of each other." He replied as he stepped out the door.

    Carmine sprang up and quickly tip-toed back to her room, heart racing, mind full of questions and fears. She crawled back into bed, pulling her blanket over her head, her figurines now still. Her mind raced: Had she done something wrong? Was Mother really thinking of sending her away? What was so dangerous it even made Father scared?

    Each question without answer drove her closer to quiet panic until she forced her eyes closed, wishing it would all go away. Eventually, a short, difficult sleep overtook her, but dreams offered no solace. Even then, she saw the eyes. Her uncle''s, Filbert''s, the farmer''s, all of them, staring, judging, hating, none would even say why.

    Tossing and turning, little sleep came through the night.

 Chapter 2: Flood

    Carmine wished Mother joked about how much work needed doing. The day after Nicholos visited, they worked from morning to evening, trying to keep the ranch going as best it could in its waterlogged state.

    "How much longer, mum?" Carmine grumbled as she looked down the stables. She rested on her heels, relying more on the lanterns overhead to see rather than the last wisps of drudged daylight. Her hands and feet ached; mud caked on her boots and her cloak could have used an hour by the hearth to dry. One of the younger riding horses nipped at Carmine''s hair as she stood up. Carmine pulled back instinctively as her mother stepped over with a chuckle.

    "Don''t bite, Bandit," Mother said as she brushed the horse''s mane. She turned down to Carmine with a warm smile. "We''re nearly done for the day, dear. You worked really hard, didn''t you?"

    "I want that muffin." Carmine admitted, turning her head to hide her guilty smirk. Mother laughed and ruffled her hair.

    "I suppose I did promise, didn''t I? All right, just one more thing. I need some lamp oil before the lights in here run out. Could you go get a jar from the house?"

    "Sure, Mum," Carmine nodded, patting Bandit''s nose before she stepped out of the barn. She hovered one moment by the door and looked back. "But after this-"

    "I know. Chocolate." Mother smiled warmly at Carmine''s antics.

    With a bounce in her steps, Carmine quickly pulled her hood up but even then her face and hair were already slick with rain. The everpresent gray clouds loomed overhead another day; Carmine hadn''t seen a clear sunny day in weeks. When would it stop?

    One day it would end, she just wished that would be soon. Once it did, she could play outside again, and visit her friends again. A question still gnawed at her mind; would they still be her friends? Their parents had all told them to stay away from her.

    Carmine pushed the thought from her mind, rushing across the field, eager to be indoors. The moment she got home, Carmine made sure to take her boots off. Mum would be mad if she tracked mud all over the house...and cleaning it would be another chore before Mother kept her promise. She went down to the cellar, finding a small jar of oil as mother had asked, before heading back out again. Just one more chore. One more, and the sweet chocolaty prize would be hers, she could taste it already.

    Carmine''s day dreaming blew away as a sudden wind nearly knocked her off balance. She clutched her hood down trying to keep the rain from her face as her cloak whipped around her. Down the path the tool shed on the side of the barn wobbled on its hinges. The wind dug in through the cracks and tore the door open, sending rakes, shovels and more falling onto the drowned grass.

    "Aw beans," Carmine groaned, putting the oil jar in her cloak pocket. She stomped around the side of the barn, feet sloshing through puddles reflecting the storm above. She started to pick up the fallen tools, tossing them back into the shed with the care that only impatient children waiting for sweets could muster.

    From the corner of her eye, she noticed one of the wind-stripped bushes rustle. Carmine turned her head, flinching from a group of figures standing near her property''s fence. Her own shrill cry surprised herself as much as them.

    "Shit, she''s seen us," One of them whispered to the others.

    "So what, best we take care of this now." Another replied and reached for the fence.

    "No," A third pulled them back from the fence, nearly knocking one over. "I''ll do it." This one ducked under the fence, stepping onto the family property, Carmine''s home.

    "You''re not allowed to be here," Carmine whimpered, her voice shaky, as the figure approached. She wanted to run, but fear planted her legs in the ground. Why couldn''t she move? Her breaths turned to panicked heaves as the trespasser took a pitchfork from the ground in both hands. While the figure held the pitchfork, hands trembling around its grip, Carmine saw beneath the hood to the man beneath.

    "Uncle Greg," Carmine squeaked, terrified, but her shock came through first. Greg looked down at her, brow furrowed. He couldn''t look her in the eye. He stood before her like Father did right before a lecture, except he wouldn''t say anything. "Uncle Greg, who are those people? Why are you visiting? Dad isn''t here¡­"

    One of the other figures grunted, a man. He climbed over the fence and stormed over. Another face Carmine recognized. This time it was a farmer she passed along the road when mother or father took her to the city. He used to wave at her.

    "Give it here, I''ll do it," The man snapped, wrenching the pitch fork away from Uncle Greg. His gaze narrowed on Carmine like she was a rat in his pantry. "Fucking mutt."

    Carmine''s breath stilled as he raised the pitchfork over his head. She couldn''t move, couldn''t even look away. Thunder drowned out her cry and deafened all in the moment. She could only see the hate, the desperation etched into the man''s face. Why was he so angry with her?

    With a near blinding flash, lightning arced from one of the stable windows, hitting the farmer square in the chest. He was already on the ground convulsing when another thundering crash followed. Carmine and all the other figures covered their ears.

    "Get away from my daughter," Mother growled as she leapt out of the window, putting herself in front of the trespassers. Lightning crackled and arced from mother''s outstretched hand. Her eyes had never been so harsh before. Carmine scrambled up, getting away from uncle Greg and the other trespassers. She ran behind her mother''s leg and clung to it for dear life. Her fear sunk in and the reality of what nearly happened dawned on her. They...they wanted to kill her! She clutched her mother''s hip tighter, tears pooling in her eyes.

    "Get out of here, now!" Mother roared louder than the thunder. The figures picked up their convulsing member. Uncle Greg kept his face turned away from Mother the whole time. "If anyone comes near Carmine again, there¡¯ll be hell to pay." Mother continued as they started away. "Every one of you bumpkins had better get it through your heads!"

    "Mum¡­" Carmine croaked. She wanted nothing more than to go home but he could barely see the way through her tears. "I wanna go..."

    Mother''s face softened, but she didn''t move until the trespassers left her land. They stood together in the cold rain, both terrified, Mother just did a better job hiding it.

    Only when they were alone, soaked to the bone, did Mother stoop low, wrapping her arms around Carmine. Mother''s tear mingled with her daughter''s as she pressed her face close. Carmine sobbed out her terror into her mother¡¯s arms, all the while Mother held her tight.

    "Let''s get inside," Mother whispered, offering her hand. Carmine couldn¡¯t agree fast enough. Her knuckles turned white, gripping Mother¡¯s hand as if it would disappear at any moment. She turned her head in every direction, jumping at every sound.

    Once inside, Mother took Carmine''s cloak off and helped her to a seat at the kitchen table. The candle flickering in her eyes couldn¡¯t reflect what she still saw behind them; Uncle Greg, unable to meet her eye; the other farmer glaring at her, so angry and violent. Even as Mother placed the promised chocolate pastry next to here, Carmine barely noted its presence. Her stomach churned with too much fear to even consider the small delight.

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    How long she sat lost in her own head, Carmine couldn¡¯t tell. By the time some thumping from the second floor broke her trance the candle had burned nearly all the way down to its base. Mother left the kitchen to go upstairs and she hadn¡¯t even noticed. Though Mother was only a call away, nothing stopped a sickening unease to take her place. In that lonely moment, Carmine looked out the window and hoped Father would return from the town soon. She watched the road to town, jumping at every wind brushed bush, thinking it a person until her eyes refocused. Her heart throbbed in her chest, beating quickly in her ears. What had she done? Why were they so angry?

    She nearly screamed when a hand touched her shoulder.

    "It''s me, Carmine," Mother said, trying to calm her down.

    "Mum," Carmine started to sob again. She hated being a crybaby, but it wouldn¡¯t stop. "What¡¯s going on?."

    "I don¡¯t know, sweetie," Mother leaned in to hug her again, gently brushing her head.

    "Why are they coming here? We didn''t do anything!"

    "You''re right, Carmine. They''re angry and they don''t know what to do, but that''s no excuse. Don''t worry, I won''t let anyone hurt you...I have something I want you to see." Mother placed a large book on the table and knelt next to Carmine. The big book smelled musty, and the binding along its spine looked much newer than the fraying pages. Time had ground the cover''s corners round, and the strange symbols spiraling across its surface had started to fade. Mother opened the book to its first few pages, flipping through before stopping exactly where she intended. More of those strange symbols lined the pages with some words Carmine recognized in the margins and between the lines, scribbled so small she could barely read.

    "What''s this Mum?" Carmine asked as she leaned on her head on her mother''s shoulder

    "It''s an arcane spellbook," Mother answered. "Mine, actually. Remember Nicholos said he was searching for things? He and I used to look for books like these to learn.."

    "What''s it say?" Carmine squinted at the unfamiliar symbols. "It doesn''t look like the letters you taught me."

    "It''s Yarish, a very old language, but one that can protect you." Mother pointed to one of the pictures on the page. It showed a hand in a strange position, some fingers half curled in, and next to it were some more strange letters. Underneath them, though, some scrawled in letters Carmine could read, but they didn''t make any word she knew.

    "What''s that word, Mom?" Carmine pointed to what little she understood.

    "It''s not a word dear," Mother replied with a patient smile. "It''s a sound...for sorcery."

    "Like how you make my figures move?" Mother¡¯s nightly ritual brought a small smile to Carmine¡¯s face even now.

    "That''s right...but this isn''t a trick like that." Mother frowned. Her eyes focused on Carmine, knowledge behind them gleaming. "This is something different."

    "What does it do, Mum?"

    "It does- actually, before we start you need to understand something. What I''m going to teach you is a spell. It''s dangerous...but¡­" Mother went quiet as she looked outside again. "It''s important you learn to protect yourself."

    Carmine swallowed her fear and she nodded along.

    "What-what do I do?"

    "Make your hand like the one in the picture," Mother explained as she helped move Carmine''s fingers into position. "Once you have it, memorize the word- or at least the sound of the word." Mother spoke a strange sound, unlike any word she''d said before, and made Carmine repeat it several times until she got it right. "Once you have the word in mind, you have to...this part is always the hardest," she muttered to herself before focusing back on Carmine. "You have to...focus your intent, want for something, that the spell can provide. This one is force. Think of it like a push." Mother guided Carmine''s hand toward the chair across from them. "When you say the word, think about pushing the chair back."

    "Okay," Carmine muttered. To her, magic seemed like something out of her bedtime stories, could she really do it? If nothing else, she would try for Mother. She thought of pushing the chair back and said the word her mother shared.

    She gasped as a little violet mote left her finger and struck the chair''s backrest. It wobbled back and forth for a moment until resting back where it started.

    "Well done!" Mother said with a proud laugh as she rubbed Carmine''s back. "You''re a natural, I knew you would manage." She smiled, truly smiled, since the incident. It made Carmine feel warm, proud. She wanted to see it again. Mother pushed the chair back into position then knelt back next to carmine. She reached to help Carmine¡¯s hand back to the right position, but raised her brow when it was already there. " Ever the quick learner. Alright, try one more time, think of pushing it back a little further-"

    As Carmine started to focus, Mother''s eyes darted to the window again, growing eerily quiet. All Carmine''s calm vanished with the silence as she followed her mother''s gaze.

    Lantern light shadowed a man walking up the road to their house, hooded in the dead of night. Was it another stranger? Was he going to try to hurt her again? Fear and panic built up in Carmine again. The confidence that started to bud uprooted in an instant. Why couldn''t they just stay away!?

    As Carmine half-cried, half-screamed out the incantation. A larger bolt burst from Carmine''s finger, smashing into the chair much faster than the first. It splintered the backrest and threw the chair into the coat rack, sending both clattering to the floor.

    "Leave us alone! Leave us alone..." Carmine whimpered as her arm fell to her side. The spells had worn her out far more than the full day¡¯s work.. Mother pulled her into her chest, repeating comforts and promises until the figure revealed its face.

    "It''s alright sweetie," she soothed, "It''s just Dad. Don''t be afraid, I''m here."

    Carmine¡¯s tears were only just beginning to dry as Father knocked at the door. Mother slowly stood up and walked over to let him in, picking up the coat rack as she passed it. She barely opened the door a crack when Father pushed inside and closed it again behind him. He pulled his hood down, lines creasing deeply in his forehead.

    "Alan? What''s wrong," Mother asked, trying to hold back her own worry for a moment. She reached up to touch Father¡¯s face but he flinched away with a pained wince.

    "There was an...accident in town," he started, covering his mouth with a clenched fist, knuckles scratched. "A...kid went too close to a river. It was overflowing from rain and¡­" Father looked at mother, his voice going quiet. "He fell in¡­"

    "No..."

    "We couldn''t find him in time...and if that wasn¡¯t bad enough they blamed-" Father looked into the house, noticing the broken chair and pointing at it "What happened here?"

    Mother took a deep breath. She pursed her lips together like when Carmine wouldn¡¯t finish her dinner. "Some...people from town came by¡­" She started with a glance at Carmine. Mother leaned into Father''s ear, whispering so low not even Carmine''s hearing could listen, but she saw her father''s face fall just fine.

    He walked over without a word, and wrapped Carmine in his arms. For just a moment, she felt safe again, but the fear came creeping back soon enough. It had never really left.

    After a minute he let her go, giving her hair a rustle.

    "Can you reach Nicholos?" Father asked Mother. Carmine looked up at her Father, shock and betrayal in her eyes. Was he serious? Were they going to send her away?

    "I can try," Mother replied. "It might take a while¡­"

    "I think we should, but...if you disagree-"

    "I don''t. This...this is too much for a child."

    "No!" Carmine leapt up from her chair, and wrapped arms around her father''s neck. "I don''t want to go!" Tears started falling from her eyes. They couldn''t leave her now!

    Mother and Father exchanged worried glances.

    "Maybe...we should all go." Mother suggested.

    "Not all of us." Father replied. "Someone has to keep the horses fed. I''ll stay."

    "Alan-"

    "You have to have a home to come back to. I''ll make sure you do."

    Mother winced, but nodded. She put her arms under Carmine''s and lifted her up.

    "It''s late." She said, trying to hide the crack in her voice. "It''s time to go to bed sweetie."

    "But Dad-" Carmine stammered only to have mother''s finger pressed to her lips.

    "Dad will be here in the morning." Mother assured her. "We''ll have breakfast together and then...we''ll talk."

    "Night Carmine," Father said as he kissed her forehead. "Don''t worry, Mom and Dad are going to sort this out. Just try to get some sleep, okay?"

    "Okay," Carmine parroted. Some warmth filled her heart. Mum and Dad could fix anything...she hoped.

    Mother took Carmine to her room, tucking her into bed with a smile that didn''t match her brow.

    "Good night, Sweetheart." She said in barely a whisper, lingering for every moment she could.

    "Mum," Carmine called out inquisically. "Are we okay?"

    Silence met her question. Mother sat at her bedside, holding onto a quivering smile as it trembled away from her. Even in the candle light, she saw Mother could hide her tears just as well as Carmine could. She sat up out of bed and pulled her mother into a tight hug, squeezing as tightly as she could. Mother did the same, choking back the sobs that forced their way through.

    Minutes passed. Eventually Mother lifted her head, meeting Carmines eyes.

    "We''ll get through this," Mother promised. "No matter what happens, we''ll be together."

 Chapter 3: Storm

    Shattering glass broke Carmine''s restless sleep. Wind and rain blew into her room and chilled her awake in moments. She jumped up in bed, scattering the broken shards across the room. What happened!? What was going on!?

    Lightning lit her room for half a moment, catching the broken glass in its warning light only to hide them again in the night''s bleak shade. Thunder drowned out Carmine¡¯s cry for help. Once the thunder faded, she still heard the rumble of voices. Dozens of voices, all roaring just outside the house. They were here to hurt her again, she realized with all the day''s suppressed fear returning. Mother or father would know what to do; she had to get them!

    She knew better than to walk on broken glass. Instead she grabbed the blanket from her bed and spread it across the floor, hoping it would protect her. She carefully took her first step, feeling the shards beneath the cloth, but no pain. With a bit more confidence she took her second step without injury, but just before the third she felt something fly by her face. Her wall thudded as something slammed into it, rattling under its own force. Carmine nearly lost her balance from the surprise, but continued on to her door and pulled it open to find Mother already standing just outside. The candle Mother held lit her worried face in faltering light.

    "Thank the ancients, you''re alright," Mother gave Carmine a quick look over before looking inside her room. The candle illuminated the broken glass, rain falling through the window...and an arrow buried in her wall. A lump formed in Carmine''s throat, as she heaved for each breath, barely able to get enough air. That arrow...it nearly...she felt the air pass her by.

    "Mum," she whimpered, hyperventilating into a panic attack. ¡°Who did that?¡±

    "Your father is downstairs." Mother said, quickly pulling Carmine by the hand.

    "What''s happening?"

    "We have to be quick."

    "Why? What''s going on?"

    Mother kept leading forward, refusing to answer. She tried to hide her face, but she couldn''t hide her wide eyes and the sweat of her palm. Mother was just as frightened as she was.

    They descended the stairs to the dining room. Father already waited there pacing back and forth, looking out the front windows. As she followed his gaze, Carmine''s heart seized. The dozens of people she''d heard gather in front of her home. Torches sputtered against the rain, struggling to stay alight in their hands. They clung to tools more suitable to farming than fighting, but held them with malice in their hands. Every moment or two a stone joined the rain hitting their house, thrown by a member of the mob. The rabble shouted and jeered, their words lost in the thunder. Carmine could only imagine the curses they spewed...curses meant for her.

    "Alan¡­" Mother said, her voice low and trembling, but no fear crept into her voice.

    "Just wait a second, they''re just trying to scare us," Father replied back. He held his hand to his face, biting his knuckles. He continued pacing without offering a second thought.

    "I won''t let them hurt her." Mother warned, and it was a warning, more serious than Carmine ever heard.

    "I know!" Father replied, exchanging looks between mother and the rabble outside. "I won''t either, but...I''ve known these folks all my life, I''ve worked with them, gone to their weddings...I thought...thought they were my neighbors, friends."

    "Not anymore." Mother replied flatly. "You see them out there, You know what they want to do."

    "Of course I do...but, part of me can''t- doesn''t want to believe this. Maybe I could still talk to them about this."

    "If they were open to talking they wouldn''t be throwing rocks and shooting arrows."

    "Arrows?"

    "There was one in Carmine''s room, stuck to the wall. They tried to Kill-" Mother stopped herself with a quick glance at Carmine. Something Carmine didn''t recognize overshadowed the fear in Mother''s eyes. Something else, not anger, but close. "This is the second time, I won''t allow a third."

    Father went quiet, his brow deeply furrowed. Conflict raged in his eyes as he looked from his community to his daughter. No answers came. Carmine fidgeted between them, she''d never even seen them argue before. It felt wrong, scary. The tense silence between her parents only drove up her panic.

    Three knocks came from the door, cutting through their wordless discussion. Mother immediately pulled Carmine behind her again, and Father stepped in front of them both. A shape waited at their front door, and for the moment the only thing pelting the house was rain.

    "Now, might I ask you to open this door," a calmer voice than most called from the other side. "Alan, You''re a reasonable man, let''s have a chat."

    "It''s the town headman," Father stepped towards it.

    "Alan," Mother warned again. "You just said last night: you thought he was involved."

    "I know...but he''s the best chance of solving this peacefully. If we convince him to talk them down-"

    "Why would he? He''s here isn''t he?"

    "Antora, Let me try." Father''s eyes pleaded, and Mother couldn''t hold her harshness against them.

    "There''s that look...if he makes any move-"

    "I know, but let''s try talking first."

    Carmine hid herself further behind her Mother as Father went to the door. He undid the bolt lock first and cracked open the door.

    "Is it just you," Father asked, angling his head to see past the headman.

    "Just me," The answer came. Father unlocked the door, opening it fully for their unwelcome guest. Carmine had never seen the headman before. He looked older than father, only having hair around the sides of his head. He wore a raincoat over a tailored blue suit nicer than most clothes Carmine had ever seen, though his hands looked rough like Father''s. He moved with much more spryness than most folks his age. The headman looked around the room and nodded to Father.

    "Why, thank you, Alan," he said as he removed his coat. He looked in Mother''s direction, eyes hovering on Carmine for only a second. They didn''t have the same anger the people outside did. He looked almost sad. "Lovely as ever, Antora-"

    "Save it." Mother snapped, her arms crossed.

    "Suppose I''ll get right to it, then." The headman took a seat at their dining table, pausing for a moment before continuing when no one joined him. "I''m sure you''re both aware of what tragedy transpired earlier today."

    "Depends," Mother said as she leaned on the table, "You aware of what some of your people tried?"

    "I''d like to know that too," Father looked at the headman pointedly.

    "Quite fair." The headman continued as he loosened his collar. "I heard that some folk came here with...uncivilized intentions and you drove them away, as is your right, but please understand: they''re not bad folks. They''re frightened, and rightly so. The curse that has stricken our town just claimed its first life yesterday, and many more will come."

    "Curse," Father leaned back, shaking his head. "What the hell do you mean?"

    The headman swallowed, bulging eyes looking to both parents. "I''m afraid it''s your child."

    Carmine felt her veins grow cold as the headman''s attention settled on her. Mother''s hands curled to fists and Father leaned closer to the headman, his eyes less conflicted than before. He raised a finger and slowly pointed at the headman.

    "Explain yourself." Father''s words were quick and clear.

    "I consulted with the town seer myself," the headman raised his hands defensively. "There''s a curse taken root here. It''s turning nature against us and will keep doing so until it''s dealt with. This keeps up we won''t have a thing to harvest this year, and then who knows how many folk are gonna starve."

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    "So your solution is to murder a child?" Father glared at the headman, eerily calm.

    "N-now, that''s not the correct way to think of it." The headman stammered as the room turned against him. "The seer says if she''s...sacrificed balance will be restored and the town will prosper agai-"

    "Shut your ignorant little mouth," Mother snapped. She nearly lunged at the headman, getting close to his face as her eyes crackled as they had the evening before. "Your ''seer'' is a bone fetishist that sticks his face in cow entrails. He has no bearing in real magic. That he tells you to murder anyone, let alone my daughter, only proves to potency of the mushrooms he ate this morning. You can blather and you can rage, but you will not touch my daughter. Try, and you will see what real magic looks like."

    "N-Now, Antora-"

    "You think that will help Rieland," Father interrupted, his tone no warmer than Mother''s. "Our town needs this?"

    "It does, Alan." The headman insisted even as sweat replaced the rain on his head. "Your father and grandmother before both sacrificed a lot to help keep this village going! This will save our town!"

    "You might think so," Father looked down at the table and shook his head. "But my father and my grandma never gave up their own kids to a mob."

    "Time demands different sacrifices from us all."

    "And what are you losing here?" Mother growled again but father raised his hand to ask for silence.

    "I''d like to speak to everyone," Father said to the headman. "See if they''re as convinced as you are."

    "I-I dare s-say, it might be best," The headman eagerly stood and moved towards the door, away from Mother. He exited and waited for Father on the porch.

    Father stood to join him, first pulling Mother aside.

    "Get what you can carry and go." Father held mother''s face and pressed his forehead to hers, whispering each word. "I''ll distract them for as long as I can. I''ll meet you at the fork, near the signpost to Rolderston, you know the-."

    "Of course I remember. We''ll see you there," Mother said as she touched father''s face in return. They kissed each other, not like their usual way. It was...warmer, weirder. "Be careful Alan."

    "I will." Father let mother go with that promise. Mother shut her eyes tightly as his fingers unwound from hers. She turned and moved to the kitchen, grabbing anything in reach and stuffing it into a sack. Before Father left, he knelt in front of Carmine, looking at her with hopeful eyes without fear. "Hey, Carmine."

    "Hey, Dad," Carmine replied with a whimper. "What''s going on? Is...this my fault?"

    "No, No. I swear to you, no." Father wrapped her in his arms, the only place Carmine felt safe right now. "These people...they''re wrong. I''m gonna try and make them see that. Until then, you and Mum are going to go on a little camping trip. She''s going to need your help, okay? So you need to be strong, alright?"

    "Okay," Carmine started to sniffle, she couldn''t shake the awful feeling taking hold of her.

    "I have something for you," Father said as he pulled a knife from his belt. She recognized its blackwood handle and leather sheath at once. Carmine had often seen father use the tool for all kinds of work around the ranch, in fact, she had never seen him without it. "My Dad gave me this when I was a little older than you, showed me how to look after myself with just that little knife. When I see you, I''m going to show you what he taught me, okay? For now, help your mother anytime she asks."

    "I will," Carmine couldn''t keep the tears from running down her face. The knife felt strange in her hands. Father had never given her something like this before. He didn''t even let her touch the kitchen knives.

    "That''s my girl. Our family built this house. I''m going to make sure it''s a home to you."

    "I love you dad."

    Father smiled, his eyes watering as he pulled Carmine into a hug.

    "I love you too sweetie." He held for almost a minute until breaking off too soon. "I''ll see you soon." He said, standing up and heading out the door. Carmine watched from the window as the headman motioned him towards the crowd. Would he be okay?

    Mother returned, carrying a small sack on her shoulder. She watched Father leave, heaving a deep sigh as he went out the door. With haste, Mother pulled her own coat and Carmine''s cloak from the rack. She put her coat on with practiced swiftness and moved to assist Carmine with her cloak.

    Carmine wrapped herself in the garment, shivering as it was still damp from the day before. Something else caught her attention as she put in on; a strange smell stuck to the cloak, like a flower mixed with an overdue egg.

    Carmine''s nose crumpled as she looked inside the cloak to see the jar of oil cracked and leaking both up and down the cloak''s interior. Did she break it when the coat rack fell?

    "Mum," Carmine said as she pulled the broken jar from the pocket.

    "Damn," Mother whispered, another thing going wrong. "Sorry sweetie, we don''t have time to clean it. Bear with it for now, okay?"

    "I will," Carmine nodded, trying to look serious. She had to be strong now.

    "Good girl." Mother smirked at her. "We''re going to go out the back then-"

    They both jumped as another rock banged into the house.

    Outside father snapped at the one who threw it as another member threw the second stone. Father tried to stop him too when a familiar face grabbed him and forced Father away. Uncle Greg tried speaking to Father, Carmine couldn''t hear him talk but Father went very still as he did. In that moment, Father''s face turned. Fury lined every crevice of his face. Without warning, he lashed out, striking uncle Greg until he fell to the ground, and leaping on him to continue.

    "Dad!" Carmine yelled in terror and Mother looked on as well.

    Several other townsfolk tackled Father, holding him down as he tried to fight back. They just kept hitting him...even when he stopped fighting...they wouldn''t stop, even as uncle Greg tried to pry them off. Carmine cried into her mother''s chest harder and harder with each second this dragged on. Why wouldn''t they stop? After another hit to the head, Father looked back at the house, his eyes glazed over, head tilted too far back. Carmine felt a pit in her stomach. She froze again, unable to scream.

    So Mother did it for her.

    Never before had Carmine ever heard a wail so sad, so furious escape another creature, and creature was her own mother.

    Arcane lightning burst out of her eyes and hands as she screamed father''s name. Rain poured down in a torrent. Wind shook the house to its foundation. Lightning struck around the ranch, carving swaths in the dirt. Trespassers that couldn''t get out of the way fell, struck down by the storm they sought to placate with blood. Most started to scatter, terrified at the reckoning unleashed upon them. All the while, Mother shrieked in rage and anguish. Carmine had never felt fear towards Mother once until that moment. Was this still Mother?

    Glass shattered as the remaining windows gave way, scattering the shards all through the house. Pushed by the gale whistling through, the lamp on the dining table fell, cracking across the floor. Fire spread as the burning oil coated the floor...and splattered on Carmine''s cloak. Despite the dampness the flames found the oil seeped into the fabric. Carmine tried to pat out the flames but they spread too quickly. She called for her Mother but she was lost in her own rage. In seconds the whole left side of Carmine''s cloak burst alight; she could barely scream as the fire enveloped the edge of her body.

    The fire crawled along her cheek, scorched her side, and twisted along her arm. She tried undoing the cloak''s buttons but she couldn''t manage the movement. Her flesh burned until she could feel nothing else.

    Thoughts vanished from her mind. Fear, loss, sorrow, all replaced by pain, burning pain she never thought imaginable. She fell on her side, unable to move, air leaving her lungs unbidden in blood curdling shrieks. Her finger nail tore against the floorboards as she closed her eyes and pleaded for it to stop!

    Make it stop! Make it stop!

    The heat faded after a few more moments, replaced by a frigid wind stinging Carmine''s skin and dousing the flames. Carmine could barely catch her breath, her vision blurry and unfocused.

    "Oh gods, Carmine, I-" Mother looked at her, horrified. She grit her teeth as tears streamed down her face "I''m sorry! I''m so sorry!"

    "Mum¡­" Carmine croaked, reaching for her mother''s hand. Mother could make the pain go away couldn''t she?

    "It''s...it''s okay sweetie," Mother took off her coat and wrapped it around Carmine. "You''ll be okay, we just...just need to leave." Mother reached down to try and pick Carmine up. Mother''s hand wrapped around one of the burns, causing Carmine to yelp in pain. Mother flinched, pulling her hand back, unsure where would be safe to touch. Mother looked past her, and Carmine heard more flames crackling behind here. No more fire...please, Ancients, no more.

    "Carmine, we have to leave," Mother held Carmine''s unburnt hand. "The bad people are coming back! Mum needs you to stand up, please."

    Carmine squeezed Mother''s hand. With a nod, she put her leg beneath her and tried to push up. She started to move, but her strength faded too quickly. She nearly fell on her burned side, but Mother caught her carefully. Together, with Mother supporting her, Carmine managed to get both feet under her. Mother''s hand was all that kept Carmine standing, half hunched over, burnt arm clutched to her chest.

    "You''re doing great," Mother praised desperately. "Just a little more, okay?"

    Carmine managed a small smile, despite the sharp pain pulsing all over. Mother slowly started leading carmine slowly to the back door as fire spread throughout the front rooms.

    "Just a little farther, sweetie, we''ll get to the wagon and then you can rest," Mother said as she opened the door. Lightning cracked along the sky, illuminating a single form with its arm stretched back. In that brief, baleful moment, Carmine saw the bow in its grip.

    "Look out" she screamed out in warning, but as the word left her lips Mother''s body jolted. She fell on her back, a shaft protruding from her chest.

    No...no! No! No!

    "Mum?" Carmine shook her Mother. No response. "Mum, we have to go¡­"

    "Sorry child," The headman said as he ambled forward, suit stained, ruined from the rain and mud. "Wish it didn''t have to be this way." He held the bow at half draw, looking down at mother and daughter with pity on his face. Once he saw Mother''s motionless body sighed, releasing his grip on the arrow and reaching for Carmine.

    "No!" She tried to scramble away as his hand came closer.

    "Sorry lass, you''re coming with me."

    His hand moved inches from Carmine''s arm when Mother suddenly sat up, pointing at the headman as her eyes flashed again. Another bolt of lightning, larger than the last, struck the headman. His body flew far from the porch before sliding to a smoldering stop.

    "You...won''t...touch her," Mother spoke as if it were the hardest thing in the world. Blood leaked from her mouth, and jumped from where the arrow hit her.

    "Mum¡­" Carmine touched her mother''s wound, seeing bright red blood cover her hand. "You''re¡­"

    "I''m¡­" Mother tried to rise but fell back, grabbing her chest. "I don''t...think I...stand."

    "No..." This couldn''t be happening. Not Father and mother. Not like this! Was this because of what the headman said? Because she was cursed? Carmine could barely breathe over her own pained sobs. For a moment she even forgot the burns, replaced by a far different, far worse pain. "Please mum...I got up...can''t you?"

    "I...don''t think...that I can." Mother tried to sit up more but ended up falling even further on her back. "Damnit...Carmine, I- I''m so sorry. I...I wish I could-" Mother couldn''t get her words out. She coughed blood as her eyes grew more and more distant. Carmine reached over but didn''t know what to do. What could she do!?

    "Luh-...Listen," Mother reached up and touched Carmine''s face with one hand, and grabbed the big book with the other, laying it on her stomach. "I...can''t keep you safe...anymore. T-Take this...find Nicholos...learn. Protect...yourself. Mum and Dad will always...be¡­" Her eyes started to drift away.

    "Mum!?" Carmine grabbed her Mother''s hand and squeezed as hard as she could. Summoning what focus she had left, Mother grit her teeth and looked Carmine in the eye.

    "I...love you, Carmine." The light faded from her eyes, her hand falling limp.

    "Mum? Mother!? Don¡¯t leave me here!" Carmine touched her mother''s face, but no reply came. Nothing ever came. Nothing ever would. ¡° I need you¡­¡±

    Tears blurred Carmine''s vision as she stared at her mother''s face. It was as still as a painting. No movement whatsoever. Why? Why did this happen? Why did they do this!? Mother please, why won''t you wake up!?

    Carmine sat there waiting, not even caring about the flames that spread through her home. She wished, like from her storybooks, that Mother would awaken. That the ancients would notice and save her. Wishing for something that would never come. Only when the heat of the flames spreading through the house started to reach her did Carmine remember her Mother''s last request.

    Through determination alone she stood up on her own, leaning on the door frame. Every bit of her wanted to stay, even if those people came back. Every hope, every fiber of her being wanted her to wait, but Mother never lied to her.

    Tucking Mother''s book under her arm, Carmine took her first step into a different world, one with no one at her side.

    Alone.

 Chapter 4: Healing

    ¡°Ow!¡± Carmine snapped again, glaring towards her old, grizzled cart driver

    ¡°Sorry, Carmine,¡± Nicholos replied for the dozenth time. ¡°Not used to driving this thing yet.¡±.

    Every bump in the untended road sent another wave of pain through Carmine as bandages chafed against her burns. It didn¡¯t help that the cart she rode on would have wobbled on a perfectly paved street. Its knotted, uneven wheels shook the roughly hewn cart every moment it moved. Carmine had to remind herself after every wince that this was better than the alternative. She had learned, barely a week ago, that horseback riding didn¡¯t mix well with severely burned skin. Nicholos bought the small, two seat cart from a passing caravan for her benefit the day after he found her; huddled on the edge of her family land, in a hollowed out log, nearly freezing. Unfortunately Nicholos didn¡¯t carry much money with him, so this old cart was the best they got.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Nicholos said, holding the reins to his horse, Beet. Funny name for a horse that was more brown than red. Nicholos smiled at Carmine from the edge of the bench, giving most of what little room there was to her. Carmine avoided his gaze, looking past him to a signpost reading ¡°Rolderston¡±. It took a moment for her to realize where she was: This was where Father was supposed to meet her and Mother.

    Carmine sat up, leaning on the edge of the cart with her good hand. She looked around, knowing this faint hope building was nothing but a childish wish. Everywhere she turned, she felt Mother and Father on the edge of her sight, but no matter what she did, she couldn¡¯t see them. Gritting her teeth, Carmine dropped back into her seat. A childish wish, but one that still managed to hurt.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Nicholos asked, trying to find what Carmine was looking for. He couldn¡¯t. No one could. ¡°Did you see something?¡±

    Carmine wiped her eyes with her sleeve, trying to hide the useless tears she hated weeping. She dropped back into her seat without a word. She didn¡¯t have much to say anymore.

    "It''s alright, Carmine, you can talk to me," Nicholos made another attempt at a conversation. He had tried so many times this week, it started to get on Carmine''s already-fried nerves. "Have you ever been to Rolderston?"

    She answered with an exasperated sigh and nod. She hoped that would be enough of an answer. Why couldn¡¯t he just leave her be?.

    "Really? What did you do?"

    Carmine flared her nostrils at the second question. "Nothing."

    "Come now, it''s a whole different town. Did you get anything?" His tone lightened, and Nicholos brought a smile to his face, though it didn''t match his furrowed brow and uncertain eyes.

    Carmine stared away from his coddling smile. "Father bought me a figurine." She still remembered how happy she was when Father placed the figure in her hands. Now, she had to grit her teeth just to keep herself from feeling anything.

    "What kind was it?"

    "Who cares!?" Carmine couldn''t keep her annoyance at bay any longer. "It''s gone now anyway!"

    "Maybe we can get you another while we''re out here. If you see one you like-"

    "You can''t replace it! It''s gone. All of them are."

    "Okay, Okay, if you don''t want anything, that''s fine." Nicholos raised a hand, trying to calm Carmine down, but she turned away. A sigh escaped him as he turned his attention back to the road, and the town growing closer. "I didn''t mean to upset you. I''m sorry."

    Carmine pouted on her side of the cart, avoiding Nicholos constant glances. It was his fault she was so upset...so why did his apology make her feel worse? She kept her back to him, trying to put him, and her own feelings, out of her mind.

    "You know¡­" The old man kept talking anyway. "What''s new doesn''t have to replace what''s gone."

    "Whatever." What did he know? Mother said he spent most of his time chasing books.

    Carmine''s attitude kept up for the rest of the ride to town, even as she could hear Mother nagging at the back of her mind, telling her not to be so rude.

    A wall surrounded Rolderston, not a big one, but enough that Carmine couldn''t see over it. Through the open gate, she saw people moving about inside, talking, trading, even after all the rain they had in their community. Father told her once that Rolderston didn''t farm as much as they did. Instead the people here made things, like the figurine Father bought her that same day almost a year ago. Carmine didn''t remember anyone there making books though.

    "Why are we here," Carmine asked with an impatient edge in her words. The sooner the cart stopped moving the better.

    "For your sake," Nicholos replied, steering Beet into town. "I called a friend of mine to take a look at your burns."

    "Why!?" Carmine tucked her bandaged arm to her chest. The contact of it sent a sting all the way up the limb and through her chest. She grimaced, but another thought preoccupied her head. She''d heard once that a farmer back home stepped in a fire and had to have his foot cut off. Was someone going to cut off her arm!? "No. No, I wanna go back hom- to the inn."

    "Don''t worry Carmine, my friend is a doctor, she helps people."

    Uncle Greg was supposed to help Dad, the thought wormed its way into her head. How would this doctor be any different than her own family?

    "I don''t care," Carmine insisted, curling up on the edge of the bench. "I don¡¯t want to go!"

    Nicholos heaved a sigh, "Carmine, she can help you feel better." He said, reaching towards Carmine; she tried to lean further away. Some of the folk around the front gate stared at their little cart as it passed. Nicholos pinched the bridge of his nose and lowered his voice. "I''m not going to force you to do anything, lass, but I know you''re in pain. Vale can help. She''s the best doctor I know. Antora- Your mother would have me do no less for her little girl. Please, just come along. Maybe you''ll change your mind."

    Carmine frowned at Nicholos, clutching her own wrist as if she''d lose it. He still had those same kindly eyes he had when he visited before, but now they darkened with more than just fatigue, especially when he talked about Mother.

    "Fine." Carmine said curtly. She unfurled from her corner and sat back on the bench a little closer. "Maybe I''ll do it."

    "Thanks lass." He slowly put a hand on Carmine''s head and ruffled her hair as Father had before. Carmine shot him a frown, and Nicholos looked just as perturbed. "Uh...Don''t worry, won''t do that again."

    "Don''t." Carmine agreed.

    The cart came to a stop before a small shop with the word "Medecine" painted on a big wooden plank nailed over the door. Mother never bought anything from there. Looking at the sign, Carmine knew why.

    Two men walked out the front door as Nicholos and Carmine approached, one with his arming a sling, and bandaged better than Carmine''s arm.

    "Oh, Vale, you''re at it again," Nicholos sighed as he held open the door for Carmine. Because of the bandage on the lower part of her face, Carmine preferred breathing through her nose. Big mistake in this place. The sharp stench of something familiar stung Carmine''s nose, like some of the water Mother and Father told her to stay away from. The smell underneath, Carmine knew better, she smelled it whenever Father butchered an animal he''d hunt. Blood. The last time she smelled it...

    The stench brought her back to that moment a week ago. Her mother dying from an arrow, shirt darkening, and that same iron smell clinging to her like death as she said Carmine''s name.

    "Carmine," Nicholos brought her back to the present. "Are you alright? You''re pale-"

    "Another one to see that damn Doctor," A wizened old lady that reminded Carmine of the hag in her bedtime stories shouted from behind a desk at the front of the shop. Her sour look wasn''t from the apple she chewed between what few of her teeth remained. "This is my shop! You people should be seeing me first."

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    "Apologies, my dear," Nicholos replied. Carmine felt an urgent hand nudging her towards a curtain covering the back of the room. "We have an appointment."

    The old lady descended into a whirlwind of curses that would have earned Carmine a month of grounding, but Nicholos paid her no mind as he pulled the curtain aside.

    Beds lined the walls, covered in cheap linens and thin pillows. Of the eight Carmine saw, only one was occupied. An older man sat on the edge of his bed looking up to a woman wearing a red robe with a strange insignia of a tower on her chest. A white beaked mask hid her face as she spoke.

    "It''s a mild case of pneumonia," The masked woman said as she placed a small bottle in the man''s hands. "Drink this in the morning and before you sleep. Get ample rest, preferably somewhere dry."

    "Thank you, Doc," the patient replied, rising to his feet. "Can''t remember when Gertrude''s sick room was this empty."

    "Just doing what I can."

    Nicholos and Carmine stepped aside to let the man leave. Nicholos stepped forward towards the doctor. "Stop." She raised her hand out. Her tone made no request. Before she allowed either of them to move, she walked over to the wash basin.and started cleaning her hands. Carmine noticed first that her footsteps made a strange sound on the wooden floor. As the doctor stepped around the bed, the cause became clear. Black fur covered the doctor''s legs and instead of feet, she had hooves! Carmine hid behind Nicholos, confused at what the creature in front of her was.

    "There we are." The doctor said with a musical ring to her voice. She dried her hands and removed her mask. Turning around to face her two newest visitors, the doctor gave them both a bright smile that cast away Carmine''s worry. She looked just like everyone else, aside from the floppy, goatlike ears on the side of her head, and a pair of nubby little horns that protruded from her forehead. Carmine expected someone as old as Nicholos, but the doctor looked around Mother''s age.

    She wiped the sweat from her caramel skin and waved them closer.

    "Hi there, Carmine," The doctor greeted as she tied her curly black hair behind her.

    "Hi," Carmine replied after a long moment. Her eyes settled on the strange legs of the doctor before her. "You have goat feet."

    The doctor raised her eyebrows and looked at her own legs with a gasp. "By the ancients, would you look at that? I guess this is what happens when you count enough sheep before bed." She looked back with a reassuring smile. "No need to worry, dear, I was born this way. I''m a faun, see? Nicholos didn''t mention that did he?" Carmine shook her head. "I see, he does forget to mention things now and then, doesn''t he?" The doctor dropped her voice to a loud whisper. "Maybe because he''s getting old."

    "I''m not too old to be deaf you know," Nicholos grumbled back. Carmine couldn''t help a chuckle at his expense.

    "Well, don''t you worry," the doctor continued, ignoring Nicholos'' protest. "Nicholos told me about you, and I''m here to help you feel better. My name is Valentine, but you can call me Vale, everyone does." She crouched down to meet Carmine at eye level. This close, Carmine could see that Vale''s deep brown rectangular eyes turned a bit sad. "You''ve been through a lot, haven''t you kid?"

    Carmine bit her lip, avoiding another set of sympathetic eyes and just nodded instead. Nicholos picked up the silence.

    "She''s got bad burns to her arm and body," Nicholos started explaining. How bad did he mean? Were they really going to cut her arm off!? "I tried keeping them covered as best I could but-"

    "Still have trouble with tact, don''t you old man." Vale cut him off as she stood up to glare at him.

    "What do you-" Nicholos furrowed his brow before looking down at Carmine. She met his eyes with half-panic, half-anger in her own, clutching her burned arm close to her chest again. "Right...sorry. Maybe you should just take a look?"

    "Would that be alright Carmine?" Vale''s smile returned quickly.

    "Are you going to cut off my arm," Carmine asked in a whisper, her tone shaking.

    Vale let out a small chuckle as she shook her head. "No, darling, you don''t have to worry about that."

    Carmine scrutinized the doctor''s face, looking for anything that might hint at a lie. If there was one, She couldn''t see it. "Okay."

    Vale sat Carmine on one of the sick beds and had her take off her coat. With it gone, Carmine had to stare at the off-white bandages on her arm that disappeared up her sleeve. Hinted of warped, red skin peeked at her from beneath. Bile creeped up her throat.

    "I''m going to start with your arm, okay?" Vale warned her as she took the end of the bandage, waiting for a sign from Carmine. All she got was a nod.

    Vale slowly started peeling away Carmine''s bandages. Carmine forced her eyes shut, keeping the tears locked behind them, to not see her skin coming loose on the underside of each strip of cloth..

    "Nicholos," Vale said, pausing, "This might go faster with a distraction."

    "Like what," Nicholos replied with confusion. "I''m no bard."

    "Just talk about something."

    "Fine," Nicholos hummed for a moment. Carmine peeked at him as the peeling started again. "Did...did you go to school at all Carmine?"

    Carmine shook her head. "Mother said¡­the town school didn''t teach properly," she said, trying to focus on anything but the growing sting of the air on her arm.

    "So, Antora taught you?" Carmine nodded. A grin spread over Nicholos'' face. "Seems like her...you know she taught me as well."

    "She did?"

    "Aye. Taught me about sorcery, how to manipulate the world around me through magic. Did she teach you how to channel your intent into existence?"

    She shook her head, what was he talking about?

    "Well...what about the basics of Yarish, what''s been deciphered so far?"

    "Do...you mean the weird symbols in mum''s book? I don''t-¡± Carmine yelped, pain shooting up her burned arm much sharper than before, but that wasn¡¯t as bad as the itching. It felt like the insides of her arm were being stretched and pulled like noodles. She focused on the symbols in her head, the ones mother taught her. Anything other than the horrible feeling would do. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know what they mean."

    "I see," Nicholos furrowed his brow, his smile wanning. "What did she teach you then?"

    "Something normal, maybe," Vale whispered under her breath.

    "Mum taught me how to read and write," Carmine explained, recalling the numerous lessons she sat through each day. She never thought she''d miss them. "She taught me how to count, add and subtract, multiply and divide."

    "Okay," Nicholos nodded along, his tone a bit more curious. "Are you good with numbers Carmine?"

    "Yeah, but¡­"

    "But?"

    "I don''t like them." Carmine admitted with an awkward sense of guilt. She hadn''t ever told Mother that.

    "I never enjoyed numbers either," Nicholos said with a chuckle. "What was your favourite thing to learn?"

    "I...liked history."

    "Really," Nicholos leaned his elbow on the nearby night stand. "Why is that?"

    "Mum told me stories from all over. I liked hearing them...especially the ones about cool animals."

    "Like what?"

    "She told me about,¡± she paused, feeling a little silly about her favorite, ¡°about a cat with a bunch of wings that could fly like a bird, and was as big as a pony."

    "Oh, you mean Feliphs," Vale spoke up, with sudden interest. "Those are actually from Raelis, where I used to live."

    "You lived there?"

    "I sure did! Vembris and Raelis are almost different worlds instead of nations. There, the trees are alive, and some of the animals even talk."

    "What!?" Her eyes went wide at hearing her dream become reality. Never before had Carmine wished more for a talking cat. Not that she hadn''t asked before. "My dad-" Carmine choked up a second, trying to keep her composure with Father''s empty eyes in her head. ¡°Dad...said we could get a flying kitten¡­ so he bought me a figure instead."

    "Probably the best he could do," Nicholos said. "Vembris'' emperor doesn''t much care for Raelis, its people or otherwise."

    "Believe me, I know," Vale grumbled under her breath again. Carmine looked at her, wondering what she meant.

    Her curiosity died with the bile crawling up her throat. Carmine only saw a glimpse of her own arm before tearing her eyes away, but she could see it in her mind all too clearly. Warped red skin tinted black around the edges and yellow within. That was her arm? Just imagining how horrid she must look beneath the bandages made her sick.

    Nicholos patted her back. "Hey, you''re alright. Vale''s going to fix it."

    "I''ll do what I can," Vale corrected him with skepticism that didn''t soothe any nerves. "There''ll be some scarring, but the pain will fade." Vale covered Carmine''s arm with a blanket before pulling out a strange pot from her pack. Even with the lid on, Carmine smelled a weird mix of minty herbs. "This is medicine made from leaves of a Saol tree from my home. I''m going to put it on your arm and say a few magic words so it can help your skin heal. This is going to sting a little but, as odd as it sounds, that''s a good sign."

    "Do you have to?" Carmine asked. She didn''t want her arm to cause any more trouble, especially with how bad it looked. Maybe it would be best if doctor Vale cut the ugly thing off.

    "We don''t have to do anything," Vale assured her. "But let me explain just one small thing okay?" Carmine nodded again. "Your arm won''t get better by itself. It needs medicine for that. Have you ever gotten a cold?"

    "Yeah." Of course she''d gotten a cold, "who hasn''t?"

    "And did your mum or dad ever make you take medicine for it?"

    "They did...it tasted like sour fruit."

    "But did it help you?"

    Carmine grumbled and nodded her head.

    "This medicine is like that," Vale continued. "It''s not going to feel very good right now, but it will make you better later."

    "You promise?" Carmine stared at Vale''s face, trying to catch a lie if it existed.

    "I promise," Vale answered with a smile Carmine couldn''t doubt. "This isn''t any old medicine. It''s an ancient tradition gifted to the Raelish by the ancients. Old magic."

    "Maybe you''ll learn it when you''re older," Nicholos encouraged. "You''re mother taught me; I could pass on that knowledge to you."

    "Mother''s magic?" Visions of her figures running around Carmine''s table filled her mind...followed by the memory of lightning striking her father''s killers. "You...could teach me how?"

    "Of course." A wide grin spread across Nicholos'' face. He leaned closer, eyes bright and eager. "It would be my honor. I owe your mother my life and living. I think she''d be happy to see her daughter learn from her, even indirectly."

    "I could show you a few Raelish traditions too," Vale added as she stirred the paste in the pot. "To help you take care of yourself, just in case."

    Carmine looked between the two magic folk. The eagerness and hope in their eyes looked so familiar to mother''s that night before it all went wrong. Perhaps if she had learned, she wouldn''t have been so useless that night. If she did learn, she''d never get so injured. Perhaps...she could even punish anyone that tried to hurt her again.

    "Okay," Carmine agreed. "What do I do?"

    "Rest for now," Nicholos said, patting her good shoulder with an approving nod. "We should start when you''re feeling better."

    "He''s right, take it slow," Vale said in an orderly voice only doctors could manage. She started to apply the medicine to Carmine''s arm, amplifying the dull sting that was ever present. "Magic lets you shape the world around you, so obviously it takes a lot out of you."

    "But," Nicholos interjected. "learn well, and be ambitious, and you''ll see that you can accomplish anything."

    Carmine listened well, even as the stinging on her arm grew. It didn''t matter. She hung onto Nicholos'' final words with singular focus.

    Anything.

 Chapter 5: Learning to Hope

    "The most important thing to remember is¡­" Nicholos spoke, chewing a half-finished potato from his dinner as he flicked his fork in his hands. He stopped just as suddenly as he started, holding a look on his face somewhere between thought and confusion.

    Carmine watched him with her full attention, ready to take note of whatever wisdom the old mage could teach. He didn''t have a long beard or pointy hat like in the stories, but if Mother taught him magic, then he must be good at it.

    Carmine set her own supper aside, barely touched. Even with Miss Vale''s medicine earlier in the week, her face still stung when she chewed. Not that she didn''t want to, the Rolderston Inn made better meals than Nicholos ever could, but Carmine wouldn''t tell him that. Most of her burns still ached beneath her bandages, but at least now she could push the pain to the back of her mind.

    "Uh...well, there''s a lot actually¡­" Nicholos furrowed his brow, scratching his chin with his fork. Carmine scrunched her nose at that. "The most important thing is¡­"

    "Intent," Carmine offered the answer after a moment of silence. This, at least, was the one lesson her mother taught. "That''s what M-Mother said."

    "That''s an important part of it." Nicholos pointed his fork, finally no longer talking with his mouth full. Maybe Mother should have taught him table manners too. "But that is just a part...but you can''t think of it as just a part because magic is all one whole at the same time and..." Nicholos went quiet again to think, pinching his brow.

    "You''re confusing me." Carmine looked at him, doubts starting to form.

    "You''re not the only one." Nicholos looked around the inn room for the secrets to teaching, while Carmine stared at him from her footstool of a desk. Voices from the tavern below the inn to crawl up the floorboards to fill the quiet. They made sleeping hard some nights.

    Does he know what he''s doing, Carmine wondered, wasn''t there a better place to teach her? Where was his tower? All mages had towers. Except Mother, but she had a horse, so it evened out. For a moment Carmine wondered how Bandit was doing, if the bad-tempered horse was still alive.

    "Why don''t we just start with what Antora told you, eh?" Nicholos put his plate aside on a table, wiping his hands clean on his cloak. "We can go from there."

    "Mother didn''t...couldn''t tell me much." Carmine tried to recall Mother''s teachings of that night, walling off the rest of it. She wished she could recall the lesson better. "She said words in a different language, and that I had to want for what they meant. She made me do funny things with my hands too." She tried to mimic the gesture Mother taught her and curled her fingers in different directions. She only ended up with a cramping hand. "I knocked a chair over once. Mum said the spell was force."

    "That is a starting point, at least." Nicholos scratched his beard, looking at Carmine''s failed flailing with an amused smirk. "I can''t really say there''s a ''most important'' part about magic, it''s all necessary to learn. Maybe an example¡­" Nicholos grabbed a candlestick from the nightstand at his side. "Say i want to light this candle-"

    "Don''t," Carmine stopped him. She leaned further away from Nicholos without even thinking. Every firelight in the room stayed locked in a lantern and that still bothered her. An open flame...even the thought sent cold sweat down Carmine''s neck.

    Nicholos looked at her with a sympathetic nod. "Say...I want to break this candle," he continued with the same tone as if he''d never stopped. Carmine cracked a smile at him. "I would use an application of force, much like what you''ve been taught. Normally you would use your hands " Nicholos grasped both ends of the candlestick and tried to snap it in his hand. It refused. "One...moment."

    Carmine watched him grunt with increasing frustration as the stick bested his strength until he snapped it over his knee.

    "There," he declared, trying to hide the wince on his face with a grin.

    Did Mother really teach him? Carmine tried to fight back her growing smirk before it spread over her face.

    "As you can see...I used force to break the candlestick manually. Ow."

    "Why didn''t you just-?"

    "Use magic? Because, this is the lesson I''m teaching."

    Or make up on the spot.

    "I used my body''s energy to change the candlestick into pieces. Bit of a simplification, but Magic is the same in the regard of using energy to change the world around you." Nicholos nodded, his aimlessness replaced with confidence. "Yes, energy and change; that is the fundamental heart of sorcery."

    "What about the words and hands movements?" Carmine asked as she tried to follow along."

    "They direct our energy, otherwise you''d not be able to use your spirit for magic." Nicholos moved from his chair and knelt in front of Carmine. She tried to hide her confusion, but her furrowed brow was a giveaway.

    "Think of it like this." Nicholos said, pushing Carmine''s footstool an inch aside. "My mind makes the decision to move the stool, my energy fuels my muscles which use force to push the stool. In magic: My mind is the intent, my spirit is the energy, my words turn my energy into force and then, the gestures direct it." Nicholos moved his hand next to the stool and whispered the command for force. His fingers moved with practiced swiftness but never touched the stool as it moved back into place.

    Carmine hummed in surprise. She could only knock things over with that spell; apparently it could be gentle too.

    "Experienced mages can cast spells as easily as you can walk," Nicholos explained, standing up with an assured smile. "The best can manage with a thought."

    "Can you teach me that?" Carmine leaned forward, beaming towards Nicholos in anticipation of the answer.

    "Well¡­" he started to stammer, losing all his momentum. "No."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Oh." Carmine sat back down, a little embarrassed for herself for asking and for Nicholos'' response. Am I a bad student? She already began to worry herself. "Sorry-"

    "Don''t be." Nicholos assured her with more sternness than she expected, but his eyes weren''t angry. If anything, they approved. "A hunger for knowledge is an important trait for a mage. Hold on to it."

    Carmine met his eyes, still finding it a little strange. Her guardian was a stranger just a week ago, but she saw in him just a glimpse of a wise wizard from her stories. "I will."

    "Good." Nicholos turned his attention out the window for a moment, leaning against the sill and gazing up. Rolderston''s lamps burned against the black void of night. No clouds covered the sky, but two of the four moons, white and green, shined amidst the spotless black vista.

    "Some things in sorcery just can¡¯t be taught. You just have to...feel them; gain your own understanding." Nicholas smiled to the sky, pointing slowly to the pair of moons. ¡°The ancients taught us magic many centuries ago, but not just that. Science, engineering, medicine, they taught us knowledge that propelled us into a golden age. Whether it was to help us survive in a harsh world or just to see if we could grasp their knowledge, I¡¯m not certain. Since then, though, we¡¯ve advanced far beyond their starting line. It may not seem like it out here, but if you ever get to the capitol, you¡¯ll see it''s a different world.¡±

    ¡°Why? Because they have castles?¡± Carmine tried to imagine what Nicholos meant, but the most she thought of were old fables she knew were fake.

    ¡°Oh, it''s so much more than that." Nicholos focused on the distant horizon, looking at something beyond its edge. "Imagine towers as high as the clouds, a city with multiple levels, walls and floors that move on their own, and, by Gods, the food!" Nicholos let out a wistful sigh, enough to pique Carmine''s imagination.

    "Fo-food? What kind of food.¡± Living off of the meals at inns was fine, since that''s all she and Nicholos had, but it hardly measured up to Father¡¯s cooking. She made herself a little sad longing for a home cooked meal, but she sought to fill that hole in her heart, and stomach, with something to look forward to.

    ¡°Only the best, Carmine.¡± Nicholas happily obliged. ¡°Over there, they eat for enjoyment. Rich meats, sweet vegetables, and spices that could make your taste buds sing. It''s so-¡±

    ¡°When can we go?¡± Carmine rose clenching her fists in excitement. The capitol, it sounded like a land of dreams, and the food definitely helped.

    ¡°Well, we could try,¡± Nicholos scratched his chin, his smile turning to a shallow frown. ¡°It''s great there, but the people, they¡¯re...snobs.¡±

    ¡°Snobs?¡± Carmine tilted her head.

    ¡°They think they¡¯re better than people from the outer lands, like you and me. They think people need to talk a certain way, walk a certain way, dress like this, bow like that,¡± Nicholos groaned as he shook his head, widening with exaggerated bewilderment. ¡°Sometimes I think those folks have their heads on too tight.¡± He hunched his head between his shoulders and scrunched his face. Carmine chuckled at his expression. ¡°Though, If you want to go there someday, I¡¯ll try to take you.¡±

    ¡°You promise?¡±

    He hummed a moment, pretending to think. ¡°Aye, I say I could promise that, if you promise to be a studious pupil.¡±

    ¡°That means i need to study a lot right?¡±

    ¡°Right you are.¡±

    ¡°Then I promise.¡± Carmine replied, confident she would be the best student Nicholos ever had.

    ¡°We have a deal then,¡± Nicholos nodded with a grin. ¡°You be a good student, and I¡¯ll treat you to the best the Capitol has to offer.¡±

    Knuckles rapped on their door at the end of their deal. ¡°Nico, you in there?¡± Vale¡¯s voice called from the otherside. ¡°Please be, my evening has been awkward enough already.¡±

    Nicholos pushed off the wall towards the door. ¡°You¡¯ve got us, Vale,¡± he replied opening the door to their hooved friend. Vale trotted inside holding a few sheets of paper.

    ¡°About time,¡± Vale sighed, her shoulders slacking. ¡°You would not believe how angry some people get when you accidentally walk in on them-¡±

    ¡°Vale,¡± Nicholas tried to get her attention, motioning to the papers in her hands. ¡°What have you found?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, I asked a few folks I know in town about some odd jobs; finding a lost pet, fixing a leaky roof. You know the type.¡±

    ¡°Right, all jobs that are a little¡­¡± Nicholos droned, waving his hand for Vale to move on.

    ¡°Below your station?¡± Vale raised a brow at him. ¡°You might want to cut that attitude, Nico. Last you told me, you hadn¡¯t gotten a big job in a while.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Nicholos nodded with a begrudged frown. ¡°But still, I am an experienced mage, not a handyman. Fixing roofs and finding pets seems like a bit of a waste of what I can do.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Just don¡¯t get too picky,¡± Vale shrugged, glancing towards Carmine. ¡°You¡¯re not just looking out for yourself anymore.¡±

    ¡°I know. What about those papers? More jobs?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Vale placed them on a night table and looked for a candle, only to find the broken one from Nicholos¡¯ lesson. She said nothing, just gave him a narrow eyed stare.

    ¡°I was teaching.¡± Nicholos shrugged in a futile attempt to look innocent.

    ¡°Right. Might want to keep those lessons a bit less destructive," She wagged her finger at him, "or you¡¯ll have another thing lightening your purse.¡±

    While they went back and forth, Carmine peered between them at the papers Vale laid out. They had a lot written on them, in small writing too, but Carmine read the larger words at the top just fine.

    ¡°Land deed,¡± she read out with slight confusion. ¡°Deed? What did the land do?¡±

    ¡°A deed!?¡± Nicholos picked up the paper and held it to his face. His eyes shifted over it as his brow deepened. ¡°Vale, I was looking to make some silver, not to spend what I have left.¡±

    ¡°Then you should think harder.¡± Vale countered. ¡°Carmine isn¡¯t in a state to travel you know. Not to mention if you take to the road I''ll have a lot more trouble finding you.¡±

    ¡°So I should buy a house?¡± Nicholos slapped the paper with the back of his hand. ¡°Why!?¡±

    ¡°Maybe because the second floor of a tavern isn¡¯t the best place for a young girl to live?¡± Vale rested a hand on her hip. She let the noise from the revelry below fill the silence between them. Yells, howls, and more than a few words that Mother would not have let Carmine say floated up again.

    Nicholos grumbled, but didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Still don¡¯t see why I need a house here,¡± he said.

    ¡°It might help to have a place of your own,¡± Vale suggested. ¡°In time you may not need it anymore, but for now some stability will make it easier for Carmine to recover, and you to adjust.¡± Vale pointed at the paper in Nicholos¡¯ hands. ¡°It¡¯s a small place, a bit further away from town. You¡¯d have your own privacy and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting thrown out in the street. You know, in case you¡¯re too picky about the jobs open.¡± Vale sent another smirk his way.

    Nicholos let out a long sigh, considering the paper in his hands before looking at Carmine. ¡°What do you think, kiddo?¡±

    She shifted from foot to foot, remembering the comforts of home, and how much she missed them. ¡°I...I''d like having my own room again. There''s a lot of people here.¡± Hearing people stomp past the inn room''s door worried her every single time. A home, even a small one, sounded a lot more peaceful, more than the last few weeks at least.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Nicholos relented, turning back to Vale, ¡°We¡¯ll give it a go.¡±

    ¡°Great! Hope you¡¯re ready for an annoying amount of paperwork,¡± Vale warned.

    ¡°This far from the capitol? How!?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, the empire is fond of its land control. Just be glad you¡¯re not a faun. There''d be a dozen more forms to follow, and then an arbitrary rejection to top it all off.¡±

    Nicholos groaned as Vale ushered him into a chair. She put a pen in his hand and sat across from him, pointing at where to start, though Nicholos grumbled that he already knew. The pair of them went over the documents top to bottom, bantering back and forth through the evening. Carmine watched them both, feeling a slight ache on her face from a small smile.

    A new home, she considered without a word, maybe¡­it would be alright.

 Chapter 6: Overreach

    Carmine shut the cabin door behind her, excitement soared in her heart as she ran from the house. Finally, she¡¯d finished copying the Yarish script Nicholos had left for her. Now she could actually practice. Under her arm she clutched mother¡¯s spell tome, holding it close as she ventured into the woods beyond her house. What spell would she master today?

    Tree frogs buzzed amidst the trees while Carmine moved from shadow to shadow under the trees. She adjusted her scarf under her nose and rolled up her left sleeve to at least be a little cooler. The early summer warmth already had her sweating in her coat, but she¡¯d endure it to keep the bugs off. She wouldn¡¯t complain too much about warm weather. She and Nicholos both learned during their first winter here that their cabin had trouble keeping the wind out. A blessing in the summer, and a curse in the winter. They fixed it up during their second year in Rolderston, and the issue hadn¡¯t returned in the third.

    It wasn¡¯t as big, or as nice as her old house, but having a place to call home brought some comfort back to Carmine¡¯s life, something Vale gloated to Nicholos at every opportunity. Vale really liked proving him wrong. Carmine didn¡¯t really understand, but she found them funny anyway.

    After walking for the better part of an hour, Carmine finally reached her favorite spot. She sat under a knotted old maple tree. Its leaves provided the perfect amount of shade from the afternoon sun and the air always smelled sweet around it. On calm days like today she could hear the rustling leaves and the songbirds together in a woodland chorus. Nicholos didn¡¯t really hear it when she tried to show him, but Vale did. When Vale taught her lessons they¡¯d come here if the weather allowed. Vale couldn¡¯t make it today though, apparently someone in town broke their leg yesterday and needed her help. Nicholos had work too, at his own little shop, selling baubles and magic trinkets he¡¯d make. He never talked much about work and always looked relieved to get home.

    Today, though, was an all Carmine day. No more lessons, no more chores, and no more supervision. A mischievous grin played across her face as she opened up the spellbook. Nicholos had her spend most of her lessons reading and writing. He¡¯d only let her cast spells after months of practice and research. The more complex something was, the more research he¡¯d have her do. Once she had to read a whole book on botany before she could help a flower grow.

    Some days, Carmine felt like she¡¯d get further by figuring it out as she went. Nicholos had taught her most basics; levitating objects, small illusions, and protective wards, but more of the interesting stuff he hadn¡¯t even hinted at yet. Today would be a day of advanced classes.

    Carmine shut her eyes, holding onto the spine of the tome with one hand as the other unfastened the binding straps by feeling alone. Whatever the book opened to was what she¡¯d learn today, and today''s order was:

    ¡°Spider calling,¡± Carmine read the Yarish symbols at the top of the page to herself. She sucked in her lips, shook her head, and slowly grabbed the corner of the next page and turned. ¡°Spider walking,¡± She grumbled at the next page. ¡°Aw beans, why are there so many spider related spells?¡± She let out a sigh and groaned, maybe it would be useful, but did Mother have to name them like this? Did Mother like spiders!? Why?

    Carmine shook her head and focused on the page in front of her. What did she need first? Some spells required materials to work, and from the directions Mother left behind, this was one of them. For this one she needed spider silk. Carmine¡¯s face curled inward as a creeping shiver crawled up her back. At least it wasn''t actual spiders. She stood up and looked in the nearby bushes for any webs.

    If she couldn''t find one she''d be forced to move on. What a shame, she thought after a cursory glance. She turned back towards the tome, eager to move on...just in time to find a spider web face first.

    She cried out in shock and disgust, clawing the webbing from her face and hair. Her skin crawled as she jumped away, patting her clothes to make sure no crawlies stayed on her. Carmine jogged back to her spot, looking carefully where she stepped. Spider silk still stuck to her gloved hands and all over her coat.

    "I did it," She grumbled in hollow victory. She really should have chosen a different page. Oh well, if the mess is already made¡­

    She dropped back down cross-legged with the book sprawled out in front of her. The incantation directed the silk to bond with an object, her boots namely, in order to take on a new, joined purpose. After, she reviewed the hand gestures used to direct her energy. This spell was easy, she just had to trace the webbing along the boots. Lastly, she read the Mother¡¯s guide to what feelings to channel for the intent. Climbing, clinging, crawling, sticking, all things Carmine associated with spiders. Great. Hopefully this wouldn''t all backfire and turn her into one.

    With that fear in mind, Carmine took the webbing in her hands and coated the soles of her boots with it. All the while she uttered the incantation, commanding the change between the two materials. She focused on saying each word correctly while holding her intent in her mind at the same time. Any distraction, any stutter would mean starting all over again.

    Doing both at once proved hard for Carmine when she had first started learning. She used to focus too much on the words she¡¯d be saying and not her own intent behind them. Breaking that habit turned out quicker than Nicholos expected of her. He said she¡¯d surprised him with her focus, but Carmine knew she¡¯d figure it out. She preferred her thoughts occupied.

    She finished the web placement by her fourth repetition, and finished the spell with a confidant shout. The webbing along her boots flared silver for an instant before dulling to a shimmering web pattern imprinted on her boots.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Time for the real test," Carmine told herself, pulling her boots back on. She held her arms out for balance as she lifted one leg onto the truck of her favorite tree. Her foot stuck to the bark without slipping off. A good start. Confident, she lifted the other foot to the trunk. Immediately, Carmines muscles gave out and she fell back onto the forest floor.

    "Ow," She grumbled on her back. She looked up at the tree and saw both her empty boots still stuck to it. She smirked, taking a small victory. "It did work." She noted to herself. "I didn''t. Gotta do the hands next time too¡­"

    She picked herself up, brushing the dust of her clothes before prying her boots from the tree, and it took some pulling. With a word of release, Carmine cut the spell. The webbed pattern fell from her boots like dust in the wind.

    That''s still a success, Carmine decided, once she cleaned herself up. Time for the next one.

    Her excitement bubbled once again as she gave the book a short toss. It landed in her hands, opening to a new page; one with depictions of storms. Of lightning.

    Carmine felt a lump in her throat, her mind briefly showing Mother, lighting crackling between her finger tips.

    No.

    She pushed the memory down. Locked it away with the rest of that night. It was just a spell, just a collection of old words. Nothing more.

    Carmine forced herself to read. Unlike the other spell, it needed no material, just a strong intent. A violent intent. The spell¡¯s incantation read like a plea to the air, promising ruin. The thoughts mother noted down to fuel the spell¡¯s intent burned a pit in Carmine¡¯s stomach.  Erasure, destruction, loathing. Whatever she chose as a target was meant to be a smoking pile when she was done, and Carmine had to want for it.

    Like Mother did.

    The unbidden thought wormed into her mind, along with charred bodies in the rain.

    ¡°Stop it.¡± Carmine snapped, smacking her own face enough to sting, forcing her mind somewhere else, anywhere else.

    It¡¯s just a spell. If Mother could do it, I can too.

    Carmine stood, her eyes landing on a moss covered stone jutting out of the forest floor. She raised her hand towards it, making the correct gesture outlined in the book as she tried to start the incantation. Several false starts stuttered out while she tried to summon the right feeling for her intent. After a few attempts, she spoke every word of the incantation fluently, repeated every hand movement perfectly, but nothing happened. She tried to visualize herself striking the stone with lightning as she¡¯d seen Mother do first hand, but nothing happened. She tried to feel loathing towards her target, to want for its destruction, but nothing happened.

    Her frustration grew, her hands shook. She should be able to do this!

    Carmine glared back at her target, but it was only a stone. She wanted its destruction no more than a pebble on the road. It wasn''t the problem. She was.

    Carmine lifted her hand to try one more time. This time, whispering the incantation, she thought of things she detested. For a short while she stood there, thinking of spiders, boring lessons, cold winters, and yet nothing changed. Her mind started to wander. She dared to peek into her memory just a little, just enough to see that wretched storm above her house. Just enough to see those people again. Lightning arced between her fingers as she continued the incantation, just as the storm continued in her mind.

    The mob, the headman, her uncle, their faces came into her mind, carved in stone. Lightning leapt between her fingers, aching to be released, yearning to fulfil her wish. As she held the people from her hometown in mind the spell sparked to life with frightening ease. At that moment, the forest disappeared, and her home took its place. She saw her mother, heading for the back door...

    ¡°Stop!¡± she screamed, howling to a time long passed. Her ears rang with a thunderous crash, snapping her out of her delusion. The spell flared in her hands, sending a painful jolt shot up her arm, stinging from her fingertips to neck as the lightning left her grip. Carmine pulled her hand back, gripping her wrist until her muscles spasms ceased. She heaved every breath, wiping sweat off her brow. She shouldn¡¯t have done that.

    Carmine turned to her handiwork. The back half of the stone shattered out into the trees behind it, cutting through saplings and bushes as the shards rain onto the ground. Of the moss that covered the stone, only foul smelling ash remained. She did it. She successfully commanded lightning.

    She looked down at her own twitching, bandages burned off to give view at the scared flesh beneath. Carmine¡¯s legs crumpled beneath her, overcome by fear, of the spell, of her memory, and, just for a moment, of herself. The feeling she called on right before the spell went wild churned her stomach. The anger, the desire to harm, all things Mother¡¯s notes warned of. Carmine never thought they¡¯d feel so intense, so raw, almost...hungry. When that spell left her hands, it wasn¡¯t the stone she wanted to strike, but her home. Her first home. She sat by her tree, staring at the ground in a trance, wrestling with the urge that just possessed her. It felt wrong, poisonous...and yet part of her enjoyed it, even for the briefest of moments.

    ¡°Never again,¡± Carmine whispered, her voice shaking. She closed the front of Mother¡¯s spell book as though it were made of glass, and tucked it under her arm. That was enough for one day. She trudged through the underbrush to the nearest dirt path, starting her walk home earlier than usual. Nicholos wouldn¡¯t be back until later. She¡¯d be alone with her thoughts a while yet. She looked down at the path with her mind elsewhere. Her eyes teared up a moment, but she wiped them clear. Just put it out of mind, don''t think about it.

    WIth her eyes downcast, Carmine noticed footsteps going towards her house. First she saw hoofprints in the mud, oddly spaced for an animal, but not a faun. It was probably Vale; Rolderston didn¡¯t have many fauns. Carmine smiled, at least she wouldn¡¯t be alone when she got home. Carmine hoped Vale wouldn¡¯t ask her about her day, but she¡¯d probably notice. Vale had good eyes for when people were hurt.

    Something else weighed on Carmine''s mind as she saw the tracks; Vale visited a few days every week for Carmine¡¯s lessons, but today wasn¡¯t the right day for that. Or the right time either. Normally Vake would still be at the clinic.

    Carmine shifted her focus to the other sets of footprints following after: two sets, side by side, one bigger than the other, and not hooves but boots.

    Strangers.

 Chapter 7: Visitors

    What did they want? Who did they want? Maybe she could duck back into the forest and hide until Nicholos came looking for her, but what about Vale? Carmine couldn''t just leave her alone, who knows what strangers would do? She snuck into the greenery along the path, fighting the urge to go the opposite way as she crept towards her home.

    As she drew closer, she heard voices arguing ahead. Vale¡¯s she recognized, but the other she didn''t. A man¡¯s voice, not Nicholos¡¯, one that didn¡¯t belong. Carmine moved from tree to tree and with luck, the strangers would leave by the time she arrived.

    They didn¡¯t.

    As she rounded the last bend in the path she saw a pair of humans wearing white and blue armor standing outside her home. One man, the younger of the two, looked just a few years older than Carmine. A few scraggly hairs spouted off his chin like a bug¡¯s antennae, a shade darker than the dirty blonde hair trimmed short on his head. The other, a tall and powerfully-built woman who looked around Vale¡¯s age, stood behind the young man with a frown etched on her stony face. Carmine guessed she was in charge.

    Both strangers waited, arms crossed in front of her cabin door like gatekeepers, as if it were their house and not Nicholos¡¯. Carmine¡¯s eyes landed on the weapons at their sides. Swords, and much better ones than she¡¯d ever seen before.

    Vale rubbed her creased brow, glaring with frustrated eyes to the two strangers in front of her.

    "My business isn¡¯t yours to know," Vale grumbled. "But if it will get you to leave, fine. Nicholos is a colleague of mine, and a friend. I visit often. Something you''d know if you were from around here and not a pair of pricks from inland."

    "Watch your fuckin¡¯ mouth!" The man uncrossed his arms and raised his head to look down at Vale.  He moved his hand to his hip, just inches from his sword handle. ¡°You don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking to, do you?¡±

    "Watch yourself," the woman warned, but stood just idly by.

    "You know, I''ve heard Fauns don''t like humans learning magic." He looked at Vale, eyes full of suspicion. He leaned to one side, staring at the backpack she carried for Carmine¡¯s lessons. "You could be here to ransack his house."

    "I told you. He''s my friend, dumbass!" Vale snapped.

    "You can''t prove that, and your attitude stinks."

    "Coincidence! Your breath smells like shit, but I suppose that''s expected when you''re talking out of your ass."

    "You horned bitch." The man''s jaw clenched as his hands balled into fists. Carmine recognized the hate in his scowl. For a moment, his face was among a sea of others in a downpour.

    "Stop!" Carmine yelled, caught between past and present. She ran out to Vale''s side, standing between her and the stranger. ¡°S-stay away f-from us!¡± she stammered, trembling.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this kid?¡± The young man glared, scrunching his face as he looked at Carmine. He opened his mouth again but the other stranger smacked him over the head with a gauntleted hand.

    ¡°I told you to watch yourself,¡± The lady pulled the young man in line by his collar. He glared at Vale and Carmine again but kept his mouth shut and looked away. The lady stepped in front of them both, towering a full head and shoulders over Vale. Carmine had grown over the last few years, standing at Vale¡¯s shoulder now, she even thought she was starting to get tall. Not anymore.

    ¡°Ignore my apprentice''s outburst.¡± She spoke directly without any hesitation or pause. ¡°We¡¯re exorcists from Edrinock.¡± Hearing this, Vale pulled Carmine closer. ¡°We need Sir Nicholos¡¯ assistance with an urgent matter. Our information said he lived here, but it made no mention of a faun or an...elven child.¡± She tilted her head at Carmine. ¡°Are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s Nicholos¡¯ ward.¡± Vale pulled Carmine behind her with no resistance. ¡°Do you need proof of that too?¡± she bared her teeth, spitting out every word.

    ¡°We do not.¡±

    ¡°So Nicholos being friends with a faun is unbelievable, but him looking after a child is just fine, eh? I see. Go fu- uh- find your way out of here.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± The exorcist said plainly. ¡°Tell me, faun: when will Nicholos return?¡±

    ¡°Soon, and then he can tell you to piss off as well.¡±

    ¡°If that is his decision then so be it.¡± The exorcist moved away from the cabin, her lackey following behind her. ¡°But I suspect he will want to hear our proposition. We will wait.¡±

    With both exorcists out of the way, Vale urged Carmine over to the house. They sat on a badly built bench outside the door as Vale checked Carmine over.

    ¡°You all right, Red?¡± Vale asked, brushing the dirt off the young elf¡¯s coat.

    ¡°Who are these people?¡± Carmine asked, clinging to Vale in the face of these strangers.

    ¡°Exorcists, like they said.¡± Vale looked at the pair with a furrowed brow and apprehensive eyes. ¡°They work for the Church of the Ancients, going all over Vembris to root out cults and heretics. Technically they¡¯re supposed to abide worship of all the ancients, like mine, Reala, but I¡¯ve heard stories of them removing any sect that doesn¡¯t pay homage to Vembria, -uh, the human ancient.¡±

    ¡°I know. Dad used to make little carvings for Vembria¡¯s shrines,¡± Carmine commented, bitterness crawling up her throat. ¡°For good fortune.¡± She looked up to Vale with confusion. ¡°What do they want with Nico?¡±

    ¡°Nico might know, but I think it has something to do with their second duty.¡±

    ¡°Second?¡±

    Vale nodded. ¡°They hunt dark mages. Anyone that dabbles in the forbidden arts will find themselves against an exorcist sooner or later. Problem is, they have a history of acting a little too aggressively in their duties. They act on rumors and baseless finger pointing. Steer clear of them, Red. They answer to no one but themselves.¡±

    ¡°Did Nico do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No...but he¡¯s a known seeker of rare artifacts and he''s worked a few jobs for ''em before.¡±

    Carmine looked across the road at the two armored figures and clung to Vale a little tighter. The wait lasted nearly an hour, with neither side breaking the silence. The armored lady kept looking down the path, never even glancing at Carmine and Vale, but the other one, the younger one, kept a close eye on them both. He tapped his foot, moving restlessly in place as if he expected trouble.

    A loud snap boomed around the side of the cabin. Carmine and Vale recognized the noise, but both exorcists turned in surprise. The young one even drew his sword.

    A circular portal opened on the cabin wall, giving a view to Rolderston''s marketplace through the window of a shop of curios and magical nicnacs. Nicholos stepped through, carrying his small pouch of profits for the day. The creases in his brow had deepened since the day he and Carmine first met, and his hair greyed a little more, but the soft smile on his face every time he came home hadn''t changed a bit.

    She rose from the bench and immediately wrapped her arms around the old mage''s side. With him back, the strangers would leave, and they''d be left alone again.

    "Good to see you too, Carmine," Nicholos said, patting her back. He looked across the road, his smile faltering as his gaze landed on the strangers. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± he looked to Vale, all jubilance in his voice fading away.

    ¡°Exorcists. These two chucklefu-¡± Vale bit her tongue, ¡°-Chuckleheads were asking about you in town. I came to check on Red, but they beat me here.¡± Vale looked at the exorcists, halfway between a glare and a smirk. The proof they wanted arrived.

    ¡°And what do two exorcists want with me, hmm?¡± Nicholos looked between them. ¡°Run out of witches to hunt,or are you looking to make one- sorry, ''expose'' one here?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t-¡± The young exorcist began only to be cut off by his boss clearing her throat.

    ¡°I am Sister Tera,¡± The lady said in a level voice before gesturing to her companion. ¡°This is initiate Jordan. We have a job for you Sir Nicholos: we have need of a guide.¡±

    Nicholas glared between them during a moment of silence, letting out a sigh as the boss lady, Tera, started to deflate from her grand message.

    ¡°Did- did you hear-?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Come inside, we¡¯ll talk.¡± Nicholos opened the cabin door and motioned inside. Vale didn''t move, crossing her arms and staring at Nicholos like he''d just scuffed her hoof. "What?"

    "Careful with them." She warned, speaking through clenched teeth before walking inside. She turned back in the doorway and beckoned Carmine. "Let''s go to your room, Red. You can tell me about your walk."

    Carmine nodded, unsure on just how much to tell. Vale might scold her for being too reckless.

    The Cabin interior welcomed Carmine back with its earthy pine smell. Mismatched furniture only shared a single thing in common: simplicity. A wobbling chair sat next to an uneven table, both splinter hazards just to be around. Carmine''s homework still sat, strewn about the tabletop, discarded the moment she finished. Even with all the commotion, Nicholos still set it aside for later.

    Carmine led Vale to her room. It wasn''t as big as her old room. In fact, it was pretty small. Her bed lay pushed up against the right wall as far as it would go just so the door could even open. On the left she had a long desk and dresser with a stool tucked under its gap. Straight forward, under a window sat the one thing Nicholos tried to build himself: the most ramshackle book shelf Carmine had ever seen. It tilted to the left, and the shelves had even spaces between them and It fell over if she so much as brushed its side. Nicholos wanted to burn it, but Carmine kept it. She liked the clumsy thing. She didn''t have much walking space though, just a small lane through the middle of the room.

    Carmine peeked out the door before it closed. Nicholos crossed his arms as he sunk into his armchair, Its depression fitting him perfectly. He gave a nod to Carmine, one that meant he''d be okay. She nodded back. He looked at the exorcists expectantly as she closed the door.

    "How are you holding up," Vale asked, pulling the stool out from under the desk as Carmine sat on the bed. "You looked pretty frazzled out front, even with strangers around."

    "That guy¡­" Carmine mumbled, thinking of the younger exorcist. "He looked like he was going to hurt you."

    Vale scoffed, "I''d like to see him try. That welp is all bluster and no muster." She rustled Carmine''s hair. "And what about you? Running out in front of him like some big damn hero, someone''s getting brave."

    Carmine lowered her head, trying to hide a shy smirk that betrayed her face. Her shoulders loosened and her chest didn''t feel as tight as earlier. Vale always knew how to lighten her mind. "I think it was more panic than bravery."

    "It can be both, darling. Now, show me your hand won¡¯t you?"

    A shiver went up her spine. Vale caught her. Without meeting the faun''s eyes, Carmine put her left,unbandaged hand forward.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "Not that one, you tricksy little- the other."

    "Be more specific next time then."

    Vale scoffed again, feigning anger as she wagged her finger at Carmine''s face. "Don''t forget, I''m your doctor missy. I can make your medicine taste a lot worse."

    "It can be worse?" Carmine flinched, alarm running through her voice as she shot a disgusted look at the pair of bottles on her desk. They stared back with her own reflected eyes, each filled with a menacing slimy fluid she had to take every morning and night. ''To stay healthy'' Vale had told her. A shame they tasted like mud and rotten vegetables.

    Vale''s face fell a little at Carmine''s revulsion. "Hey, I do my best to make it passable already. Don''t make that face. Please."

    Carmine laughed a little. "Sorry" she said, offering her bandaged hand, hesitating as she stared at the singed and frayed wisps of cloth over her palm.

    "How''d this happen?" Vale raised a brow. "Have you been practicing on your own again?"

    Trying not look guilty under the question only made Carmine fidget harder. "M-maybe," she stuttered. "Only a little."

    "This looks like a big ''little,'' Red. What happened?" Vale''s tone held no accusation, and that made it worse.

    "I...tried one of my mum''s spells¡­ spider walking and...one of the lightning ones."

    Vale let out a long sigh. "That''s a war spell, Carmine, nothing like what I or Nico taught you, but you know that now, don''t you?"

    Carmine clutched her wrist and nodded. Not a lesson she needed twice.

    "You''re a fast learner, I''ll give you that," Vale encouraged her as she cut the singed bandages off. "But take care not to rush. You''re young, and you have a lot of time ahead of you. It''s better to be right than fast."

    "I can''t be both?" Carmine asked, half-joking, getting a chuckle from Vale.

    "Not this time. I¡¯m not against you learning at your own pace. I¡¯m like you, experimentation and practice is more helpful than theory and reading, but some things should be taught." Vale explained as she applied a new bandage to Carmine''s hand. "You get me?"

    "I do. I¡¯ll be-"

    "A Necromancer!?" Nicholos'' voice raised in the other room.

    "He fit the description," Tera''s response returned, hushed, but not so quiet that Carmine couldn''t hear. "He was digging up another grave when we apprehended him."

    "Had the mark too," Jordan added in, much louder. Vale turned to listen as well. "A hand as black as tar, and an attitude just as grim. Fucking asshole tried to-"

    "You will mind your language in my home," Nicholos warned.

    Even through the door, Carmine heard the younger exorcist sputter and go quiet. Nicholos continued over him.

    "You''ve still yet to say why you need me."

    "During our interrogation, the heretic divulged the location of his workshop," Tera continued to explain. "An ancient archive located in an arid strip between the Edrinock and Dulet provinces, undiscovered to wider authorities, until now."

    "That so?" Carmine could hear the interest in Nicholos'' voice. "But the trip would be long, yes?"

    "About a fortnight there, assuming the best conditions. Rest assured Sir Nicholos, you would be well compensated for your time and service."

    "I expect so...I''d have to find someone to look after Carmine. Hopefully Vale-"

    Carmine¡¯s bed slammed against the wall as she jumped to her feet. Her bookcase crashed into the floor and the voices in the other room went quiet a moment before Nicholos spoke up again.

    "We should continue this discussion outside," he said. Feet shuffled towards the front door, as if standing just outside would make her hear any less. Carmine''s hands clenched in frustration. Her breath quickened as her head went wild with too many thoughts to keep track of.

    ''Find someone to watch her'' and do what!? Sit on her hands while Nico is off with strangers looking for some neck-romancer? Just be left-behind and useless? No, she could do more now! She didn¡¯t have to be hidden away!

    "Carmine, take a deep breath," Vale said, taking her shoulders. "What''s wrong?"

    Carmine slowed her breaths, doing as Vale had taught her whenever she felt overwhelmed. After a few breaths she found her voice again.

    "T-they want Nico to go with them, go somewhere far." Carmine answered, looking into Vale''s eyes for some solution. "They want to take him to look for some workshop of a necro-thingy, and he''s gonna leave me behind!"

    As she explained, Carmine noticed a shift in Vale, she leaned away, hiding her concerned expression as much as she could. It wasn''t Nicholos leaving, It was something after that. Something that made her avoid Carmine¡¯s eyes.

    She leaned into Vale''s gaze, there wasn''t much else to look at in the room.

    "Vale?" Carmine tried to get her attention. "What is it they want Nico to find? What''s a neck-romancer?" Carmine would''ve joked at how silly the name sounded, if not for the sweat forming on Vale''s face and the long following silence.  "Why won''t you tell me?" Carmine snapped. Why was this such a big secret? Why was there a secret at all!?

    "Fucking exorcists," Vale groaned a curse before snapping her head back to meet Carmine''s eyes. "Nico and I hoped you''d be a little older before you learned about this, but I suppose it was only a matter of time." With a firm grip, Vale sat Carmine back down on the bed. She dragged the stool directly across from the young elf and looked at her with an uncharacteristic sternness. "Listen closely, alright? I don''t want those two bastards out front to hear anything, got it?"

    Carmine nodded, a little more anxious now.

    "Good, and save your questions until I''m done, alright? Necromancy...is one of the forbidden aspects of magic. One of the things I mentioned outside. The first thing you need to know, Carmine, is that this hurts people." Vale paused a second, letting the point hang. "No matter how thos sounds, it''s a practice of pain and death. Do you understand?"

    "You still haven¡¯t told me what it even is," Carmine wriggled under the sudden intensity from her teacher.

    Vale sighed one last time before, "it''s the practice of defying death and...animating corpses to life."

    For a moment, Carmine''s world turned upside-down and backwards. Her eyes widened with confusion, shock and, perhaps, a small hope.

    "No. Carmine, no. I see what you''re thinking," Vale¡¯s finger stabbed at her as she rushed to continue before Carmine could even process the implication. "It doesn''t bring people back. Hey, Listen!" A quick jostling snapped Carmine''s attention back. "I know how it sounds, but it''s not what you''re thinking. It doesn''t bring people back from the dead."

    "But you just said-"

    "I said corpses." Vale hissed. "Necromancers rob graves, and turn the bodies into their obedient puppets. There''s no thoughts, no feelings. It isn¡¯t life."

    "But, isn''t there a way to fix that?"

    "Believe me, some people have tried." Vale looked out the window, in the direction of the exorcists. "They end up hurting a lot more people in trying to save someone who can''t be saved, and those are just the ones with more...altruistic motivations. Others use it to prolong their own lives at the cost of others, or murder dozens just to use their bodies as soldiers or labor or whatever other wretched use they think of. As...awful as they can be, the exorcists are right to stop it."

    "Then...there''s nothing that can¡­" Carmine looked towards the ground, disappointment shattering her fledgling hope. Before she even realized, she felt Vale''s arms around her.

    "Sorry Red," Vale said as she gave Carmine a hug. "We knew this would be a shitty-uh, shifty subject for you, but trust me; this isn¡¯t something you want."

    Carmine chuckled at Vale, trying to keep her head up. Vale really tried not to curse when she was around. "I''m...alright." Carmine told herself, trying to keep her disappointment and sorrow at bay. It hurt, but not as much with Vale there.

    For a minute they waited in silence, the muffled voices of Nicholos and the exorcists still outside, but Carmine ignored them for a moment, thinking to herself.

    "Vale?" She started.

    "What''s up?"

    "I...want to go with Nicholos on this trip "

    "That''s- wait, you what!?" Vale leaned back and looked at her with the most confused frown.

    "I want to go with Nicholos."

    "Red, you hate going to town for an hour. You realize you''d be going somewhere, to quote you, very far away, for a long time, and probably with those two asses. You know that right?"

    Carmine hesitated. She really didn''t like the exorcists. The lady didn''t talk like a normal person, and the younger one was just mean, but she looked Vale in the eye and nodded. As much as she didn''t like them, she hated being left behind even more.

    The cabin door creaked open as only one set of boots thudded inside. No clanking metal either, Nicholos came back. Without waiting for Vale¡¯s answer, Carmine jumped up and walked into the living room.

    Nicholos sat in his chair, rubbing the side of his head. Bags sagged under his thoughtful eyes as he let out a long sigh. A map lay sprawled on the table with a marked ?ine along one of its paths.

    As Carmine walked closer, Nicholos turned,  putting up a smile that didn''t reach his eyes.

    "I take it you heard," he said, sitting back on the chair.

    "Some of it," Carmine admitted.

    "You take their job?" Vale asked as she made her way to the living room as well.

    "Yeah." He nodded, earning a grumble back from the Faun. "Vale, we need the money. The people in town are fine enough, but they don''t have the greatest need for my skills."

    "I know," Vale dropped onto one of the other chairs and crossed her arms.

    "Getting coin together hasn''t been easy."

    "I know. Just be careful with them, alright?"

    "Always." Nicholos turned his attention back to Carmine. He scratched the back of his neck, no doubt thinking of how to tell her he''d be gone for a while. Instead¡­

    "I want to come with you." Carmine declared first. She stepped towards him, holding one hand in the other to keep the anxiety at bay. "I...I can help. I want to help."

    ¡°You what!?¡± Nicholas nearly fell out of his chair.

    ¡°You too, huh?¡± Vale chuckled at him from across the room. She poured herself a cup of water from a jug and sat back to watch. ¡°You heard her right, Nico.¡±

    Nicholos stared between them, trying to get his mind back up to his brain. Carmine grumbled, why was this so hard to believe?

    ¡°I-I want to go!¡± Carmine insisted before he could say no. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot, I can help!.¡±

    ¡°Carmine,¡± Nicholas tried to get a word in, ¡°This isn''t a vacation, where we¡¯re going could be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I can protect myself,¡± Carmine argued, ¡°That¡¯s what you taught me to do. I won¡¯t be in the way.¡±

    Nicholas went quiet, his brow furrowed. His hands clasped together as he lowered his head in thought. ¡°There is...one other problem-¡±

    She knows,¡± Vale spoke up. ¡°You forget how sharp her ears are.¡± Vale gulped down her water and set it aside, giving Nicholos her full attention. ¡°I told her what it means.¡±

    ¡°I thought we agreed we¡¯d tell her when she was older.¡± Nicholas shot a glare in Vale¡¯s direction, but she paid no notice.

    ¡°Shoulda kept your voice down then,¡± She shrugged, ¡°or better yet: don¡¯t let exorcists in your home.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that stuff, Nico,¡± Carmine Continued, hoping he¡¯d believed her. ¡°You¡¯ve...you¡¯ve done all this for me,¡± She motioned to the house around her, her studies, her mended body. ¡° I can¡¯t sit here and do nothing but¡­.but hide.¡± She straightened herself, trying to look as calm as possible, and probably failing, but she didn¡¯t care. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    Nicholas looked her up and down, before nodding to himself with a small grin. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go, together.¡±

    ----------

    The sun had only started to rise over Rolderston when Nicholos and Carmine arrived at the crossroads leading out of town. Vale walked with them under the violet morning sky to see them off.

    Beet, Nicholos'' horse, pulled their cart to a stop at the meeting point set by the exorcists. Carmine saw their camp just off the road. Tera sat near their wagon packing while snoring came from a tent nearby.

    "Seems we''re early" Nicholos noted, surprised.

    "Of course we are," Vale said, stifling a yawn. "Why do you schedule anything when you insist on being a half hour earlier anyway? The sun ain''t even up yet." Vale yawned again, too tired to be grumpy. She saw Carmine smiling at her and cocked a brow. "What about you Red? How''re you so chipper?"

    "I''m used to waking up early," Carmine answered. Both excitement and nerves energized her for the journey ahead.

    "Lucky for you." Vale rubbed sleep from her eye. "You got your medicine?"

    "Right here." Carmine tapped her bag.

    "And you take it-"

    "Every morning and night."

    "Good kid." Vale rolled her shoulders moving from hoof to hoof. "You two be careful out there, alright?"

    "We''ll be fine" Nicholos replied, shooting Vale a confident grin. His eyes had a spark that Carmine hadn''t seen in a long while  "Getting home safe and sound is our first priority. Trust me."

    Vale returned his confidence with a doubtful hum and looked to Carmine. "Keep him out of trouble."

    "I will," Carmine said, puffing out her chest.

    "Then I''ve got nothing to worry about." Vale turned to leave, waving them both goodbye. "You two have a good adventure. My bed is calling my name."

    Tera waited for Vale to make her departure before walking over. Even without her armor, she looked big.

    "Apologies for the delay," she began. "We will be ready to depart soon."

    "No problem," Nicholos answered, getting comfortable in his seat. "I knew we''d be a little early."

    Tera moved along the cart''s side, turning to Carmine in the back. "Did I hear correctly?" She asked Nicholos while holding Carmine''s stare. "You mean to bring this child with us?"

    "Yep." Nicholos gave no further explanation.

    "You realize our road is a long one."

    "I do."

    "And its safety is not guaranteed."

    "You like reiterating, don''t you?"

    Tera''s jaw clenched for only a second as she gave Nicholos her full attention.

    "Very well, how you travel is no business of mine, but be aware, my first priority, and that of my apprentice''s, is the mission. Come what may"

    "Understood."

    Tera held Nicholos'' gaze for a long silent moment. Carmine saw, by her furrowed brow, that she expected an explanation.

    Nico gave none.

    "I know I''m a handsome silver fox, but you''re gonna make me blush-"

    "Right, fine, we''re done." Tera grumbled, breaking away as fast as she could. "Wake up, initiate!" She shouted. The snoring quickly gave way to confused blathering as Jordan''s head poked out of his tent. "We''re moving out!"

 Chapter 8: Stuck

    Two weeks. Two weeks of carting all day, and sleeping outside all night. Carmine hated it. She had brought books along, knowing it would be a long trip, but she learned in the first few hours that trying to read in a bumping, bouncing cart upset her stomach quicker than rotten fruit. All her plans to review her Yarish had to be stuffed into a handful of short breaks and whatever twilight they had left during camp. That wasn¡¯t even the worst of it; the horses stirred up the bugs and they would not leave her alone. The buzzing wormed its way into Carmine¡¯s head for hours and nearly drove her mad, and that was still in the woodlands.

    It got so much worse when they finally hit the arid strip the exorcist mentioned. ¡°Arid strip¡± didn¡¯t do justice to the hot, dry, mesa ridden landscape Carmine now had to endure. The only plants she could see were shrubs no taller than her knees, but at least they had water. They followed a thin stream that ran through a crevice between the red mesas. It barely had enough room for the cart. They had some shade from the sun, but the heat still cooked her inside her coat. She stewed, marinated in her own sweat, cursing that sweltering ball of fire in the sky.

    She wanted to die. How could Nicholos do this for a living? Maybe he was a little crazy. Even with all the constant nuisances though,  Carmine refused to complain even once, but she wanted to. By the ancients, did she want to, but she promised Nicholos she was ready for this. Whether it be another day of the sun beating down or a sudden downpour, he¡¯d not hear an upset peep from her. Carmine just wished her exorcist counterpart showed the same resilience.

    ¡°What do ya think boss,¡± Jordan called from his horse to Tera, ¡°Good time for another break?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already had one a few hours back,¡± Tera replied. Her tone became more irked with every passing day...and every new whine. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re not far, if the map is right.¡±

    ¡°Right, but...don¡¯t you think it''s a bit hot for the horses?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think we should, uh, refill our water?¡±

    ¡°Our store will last until we reach the ruin.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Good.¡± Jordan slumped even deeper on his horse. Despite sharing the desire to take a rest out from under blistering sun, Carmine enjoyed his dismay. She looked up to the sky, wiping the sweat from her brow. Not many hours of daylight left. As warm as this place got, it dropped even colder at night.

    "Should be an underground structure," Nicholos wheezed next to Carmine on their rickety wagon. "Anything to get out of this sun, eh Carmine?"

    "Water¡­" She croaked, reaching at the canteen in the back of the wagon, just a little too far from her hand. Nicholos reached over her and grabbed it for her.

    "Make sure you don''t drink too much," he warned before handing it to her. " You don''t want to make yourself sick."

    "Don''t worry." Carmine unscrewed the cap. "I won''t." She slipped the canteen under her scarf and only took a small sip. The warm water offered little relief, but her true intent came through the whispered incantation under her breath. She uttered the Yarish words of winter and cold, turning the liquid inside the canteen to ice. A welcome shiver traveled down her spine as she placed the frigid container to her neck.

    Nicholos cocked a brow. He touched the canteen and nodded in approval. "You little genius. Usually I''d say not to use magic so frivolously...but this...this is just a good idea." Nicholos plucked another canteen from behind him and gave it to Carmine. "Here, do this one next."

    "What are you two doing back there?" Jordan interrupted. His voice always sounded like he was on the verge of shouting. Carmine rolled her eyes and looked away. "Hey, answer me! "

    "We''re just keeping cool," Nicholos replied, shaking the frozen canteen in his hand.

    "What? Why aren¡¯t you sharing with us? I''m melting out here."

    "Stop complaining," Tera ordered over her shoulder pointing ahead. "There it is."

    Carmine stood up on her toes, holding Nicholos'' head to steady herself. She''d waited to finally see one of these old ruins her teacher spoke so highly of.

    Nestled between the flat mesas, with the stream flowing into its shaded entrance, sat a buried structure, intermingling with the earth. Tarnished, silvery metal stuck out from the sand and rock, resisting the earthen grasp that would consume it. Their path would take them right into its maw and the ominous descent got Carmine''s heart racing with as much fear as excitement.

    "What do you think we''ll find in there," Carmine asked Nicholos, shaking his shoulders. "A book lost to time? A magic talking mirror? Oh! What about a dragon! I hope we find a dragon!"

    "You better hope we don''t find a dragon." Nicholos added as he held Carmine steady. "Just remember Carmine, this isn''t a leisurely trip. A dark mage worked in that ruin. Whatever we do, we have to be careful."

    "Or, you know, you could stay near the entrance," Jordan suggested, earning another sneer from Carmine. "What, you think I''m wrong? You shouldn''t even be here kid."

    "Well...g-guess wh-," Carmine stammered, "I...am here." She quickly sat back down. Her voice deserted her when she tried to speak to either of the exorcists, but the mean one in particular. She bit her lip, annoyed with herself and her wavering voice.

    "That''s not a bad Idea," Nicholos said. Carmine shot him an angry stare. Betrayal! "Now, now don''t get that look. We don''t know how big that place will be. For today, you could really help by helping set up a camp for us. Think of it as...our headquarters."

    "You''re just saying that."

    "I know it doesn''t sound exciting, but once we make sure some areas are safe, I can take you to look around."

    "Okay," Carmine gave a half-hearted smile. She disliked the idea of separating from Nicholos, but she made a deal with herself on the first day of the journey not to cause trouble.

    "Thank you, Carmine," Nicholos gave her hair a rustle.

    "The path narrows ahead," Tera called out. "It might be best to leave the cart and horses here."

    Carmine sat back on the bench, looking around the crevice. "Will the horses be okay here? There''s water but¡­"

    "It''s shaded at least, and hidden." Nicholos pointed out. "They''ll just need someone to put out their feed."

    "And that someone is me." Leagues away from home and she still couldn''t escape more chores. "Alright, fine."

    "Thank you, kiddo."

    "But I''m coming for now," Carmine insisted. "I should at least get to see what it looks like inside there, right?"

    "Aye, fair enough."

    Carmine leapt from the cart, landing in the stream with a splash. Warm water flowed past her angles, leading her towards the old Yarish ruin.

    "Don''t run and slip," Nicholos warned as he walked down after her.

    "I swear, if I have to babysit-" Jordan grumbled under his breath as Carmine passed. She made sure to stomp a little harder past him. Water in his boots might give him something new to whine about.

    Tera stood at the entrance to the ruin ahead of all others. Knowing they''d arrive today, she had armored up already. She must be boiling in there.

    Rock half covered the entrance way, but Carmine could make out an arch, or at least the suggestion of one, inside the stone. From what metal pieces peeked out, she recognized symbols, Yarish runes, and still legible, despite the sediment creeping into them.

    "Ancient''s script," Tera noticed as well. She brushed her hands along the symbols "So the necromancer told the truth after all." Tera side-eyed Carmine as she arrived, and Carmine nearly froze. Any of the exorcist¡¯s attention had her wondering if she was in trouble. "Can you read it?"

    "Wha- me?" The big, scary knight was asking her!?

    "You''re Sir Nicholos'' student, correct? I assume you can do this much."

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    "Uh...o-okay." Carmine dusted of the old runes and began reading. "It s-says ''Our children, be welcome. Enter seekers, imbibe our minds. Heed thy ken. Expect the glut.'' Well, roughly that."

    "Roughly?" Tera narrowed her eyes.

    She doubts the reading, Carmine suspected. "Yarish doesn''t really work when translated into Vembrian." She explained, pointing to some of the runes, eager to prove her understanding. "It''s like doing magic, the words are supposed to have an intent behind them and It gets a little hard when it''s written. The same rune can be written differently to suggest its intent. Look here, the Yarish word for children? It''s intent would be closer to literally saying: my children, unbound by blood, selected scions."

    "You got all that from one word?" Carmine watched with a satisfied smirk as the doubt slowly cleared from Tera''s face.

    "Yup! When you learn how to read it, its-"

    "Really, gods damn, boring," Jordan grumbled as he pushed past Carmine. "I understand what "welcome" means. Let''s just get in there already." Jordan squeezed through the gap, pushing into the ruin ahead of everyone else. Carmine fixed her scarf, glaring after him what a jerk.

    "Reckless," Tera sighed under her breath. She pushed through after her apprentice, her armor scraping across jagged stone as she forced herself through the gap.

    "Good read," Nicholos said, patting Carmine''s shoulder. "Got it in one."

    "Thanks Nico." She smiled beneath her scarf.

    "Holy hell," Jordan''s cracking voice echoed through the gap. "What even is this place?"

    Carmine furrowed her brow, turning back to Nicholos, but he only motioned towards the gap with a knowing smirk he tried to stifle. He knows something, Carmine narrowed her eyes.

    She stepped towards the gap, hesitating at the precipice. Anything could be in there, and that just makes it all the better. She passed through, effortlessly with her size, and in just a few steps the ground beneath her feet changed from soft, red earth to cold, hard silver. Sunlight couldn''t reach inside, but the tomb held its own light. Amid walls of tarnished metal, rivers of pulsing azure snaked through sharp, narrow grooves carved into every surface. Even with them, Carmine''s eyes needed time to adjust to the dim interior. Once they did, it went beyond anything she imagined.

    The entrance corridor opened to a wide circular room with a domed ceiling. More or those strange lights ran over them, showering the room in their glow. The stream they followed ran into the brilliant creases in the floor, disappearing under small gaps between the walls.

    "So far so good," Nicholos said as he followed Carmine. "Believe me, I''ve seen quite a few of these run down into death traps. This one is pretty well kept."

    "If the rest of this place is as welcoming, this will be easy," Jordan boasted, walking around the entrance hall like he''d conquered it.

    "I''m more concerned with the previous occupant''s welcome," Tera said, dropping her pack to the floor. "Anything he left behind will not be so hospitable."

    "Just as dead, though." Jordan added. A shiver ran up Carmine''s spine.

    "W-wuh-What?" Carmine asked, taking a step back towards the entrance.

    Oh, you know," A sneering smile split Jordan''s face, "shambling skeletons, mummified undead, hungry for lost little- Ow!"

    Jordan''s mean grin fell away as Tera smacked his head for the dozenth time this trip.

    "Stop." She ordered. Again. Tera looked past her sore subordinate rubbing his head to Carmine. "Out of line as he is, Jordan is correct. Once we secure this entrance, it would be best for you to remain here."

    "I-...yeah, I know." Carmine swallowed her disappointment. Cause no trouble, she told herself.

    "There''ll be time later," Nicholos consoled. "Leave the dangerous work to us."

    Jordan cackled, "Hear that kid? Leave this to the experts."

    "You''re staying back too." Tera cut in.

    "WHAT!?" Jordan''s outburst echoed down every hall around them.

    "You heard me."

    Despite the apprehension Carmine felt, standing at the edge of a place as dangerous as it was mysterious, she took a very simple delight in watching Jordan deflate. The novice exorcist stammered over every word. The confused look on his mug was priceless.

    ¡°Nicholos and I will explore the ruin." Tera explained. "You will stay back in case we should need your help."

    "I come all this way and you''re putting me on stand by!? Master-"

    "Take a cue from that girl and do as you''re told."

    "I-" Jordan grit his teeth but held his tongue. "Yes, master."

    Jordan couldn''t see past her scarf, but his disappointment gave Carmine a smirk a league wide...until she realized she''s the one stuck with him.

    "Y-You know M-Miss Tera," Carmine tried to protest. "I can l-look after things o-on my own." Her words fell on deaf ears. Tera had already moved on to the next order of business. Carmine looked over at Jordan. He was already shooting a contemptuous glare her way, one she returned. Maybe she should have stayed home after all.

    ¡°First we need to find the dark mage''s workshop," Tera continued, speaking to Nicholos. "This is your area of expertise sir, but I suspect we''ll find it further inside."

    "Perhaps," Nicholos rubbed his chin, walking around the domed hall. He stopped at the corridor opposite of the entrance and with a sudden clap of his hands, Nicholos turned to Carmine and the exorcists with more bouncing energy than she''d ever had before. "In my experience, the ancients adored building vertically!" He explained, separating his hands up and down. "The first floor is usually little more than a reception hall, but we must explore it nonetheless. In all likelihood, we won''t find what we''re looking for but-"

    "Better to be thorough." Tera finished for him. "Jordan, after today you''ll be sweeping behind Sir Nicholos and I."

    "That seems like a sound arrangement," Nicholos agreed. "Carmine...it might be best for you to stay close to Jordan"

    "Why," Carmine droned.

    "What the hell is that supposed to mean," Jordan snapped back immediately, but Carmine ignored him. Seems she''ll be doing a lot of that.

    "Son," Nicholos looked at Jordan straight. "You''re an ass."

    Jordan flinched, caught off guard. He just clammed up for once and looked straight down.

    "And Carmine," Nicholos continued. "You''re going to have to work with people you don''t like sometimes. It would be good for you to learn that now."

    Carmine avoided Nicholos'' eyes. Bad news followed by a mini-lecture. She huffed and sulked before nodding begrudgingly. "Fine...I guess I can practice my Yarish here."

    "There you go," he tousled her hair again as she tried to wave his hand away. He thinks he''s so funny, Carmine thought with a smirk. "Let me know if you find runes you don''t recognize."

    "Sir Nicholos," Tera called, waiting at one of the side paths leading away from the reception hall.

    "I''ll be right there," he replied. He patted Carmine''s shoulder and started off. "Take care of yourself, I''ll be back in a few hours."

    "Be safe," Carmine told him, brooking no dissent.

    He smiled back and gave her a wave before disappearing down the path with Tera.

    The moment Nicholos was out of sight, Carmine''s shoulders slouched. All she had for company now was the human equivalent of a particularly bull-headed mule. And that''s being unkind to mules.

    Jordan started unpacking his and his master''s bedrolls, setting them out in the middle of the hall.

    What''re you looking at," he asked, noticing her annoyed stare and giving one of his own.

    Without reply, Carmine turned back to the dome walls, deciding she would unpack her and Nicholos'' stuff after Jordan had moved away. At least she could distract herself with the ruins.

    She turned her attention to the lines along the wall. What was the purpose? Did they do anything other than shine? Carmine traced her finger along the light bearing crevice, feeling her skin tingle as she followed it along the wall to a new corridor. Only a short one, Carmine could see another room just a short walk away, and Jordan was well occupied, setting up camp and grumbling to himself.

    It wasn''t far, not even a new room really.

    Carmine crept away down the path to the new room. Unlike the big empty hall they walked into, this small room had what might have been furniture. Cubes, maybe chairs, jutted out from the floor, and a tall, rectangle thing, that Carmine assumed was a shelf, covered one wall from floor to ceiling. A bunch of weird Crystal panes lined its surface, tightly packed, yet not crammed together.

    Carmine looked over each one, careful to look for anything that might be a trap. Nico warned her there might be traps. Not that she could tell, every one of these Crystal tablets looked identical. Maybe taking a closer look would tell her something.

    With just her thumb and forefinger, Carmine eased the first of the tablets out of its line from the highest shelf she could reach. She expected it to catch and drag, but it slid right out. She held the tablet before her, looking through its translucent surface, its only deviation being a black stone affixed at its top.

    It''s blank!

    She furrowed her brow in disappointment, turning every which way, even giving it a shake, let go of your secrets! Carmine huffed and sneered. What good is a blank tablet?

    With her empty prize, Carmine moved to one of the cubes on the ground. She could figure this out. Surely, there had to be some secret to the artifacts here. As she went to sit, Carmine felt herself lifted into the air. She yelped in alarm, trying to figure out what, or who had grabbed her. Yet everywhere she looked: nothing.

    A hum reached her ears coming from below and as Carmine looked at her would be chair, she noticed the lines within glowing brighter. Outlines of runes raced within the ley lines as Carmine realized: the cube itself cast a spell. The ruin could cast magic.

    While she floated, comfortably now that she had a moment to calm down, more footsteps came racing towards her.

    "Kid?" Jordan called, storming into the room, his face caught between fear and annoyance. Until he saw Carmine anyway, then he was just annoyed. "Are you fucking serious?"

    Carmine raised a finger, trying to get a word in, "Y-You shouldn''t s-say that-"

    "And you shouldn''t be poking around. You trying to get killed. I''m not you''re damn babysitter."

    "I-I just...saw these tablets- I-I didn''t know-"

    "What? You''ve never seen a lodestone before?"

    That gave Carmine pause. As anxious as Jordan made her, the idea he knew something about this place that she didn''t nearly insulted her.

    "You don''t know what these are," she said.

    "Yeah, I do." Jordan scoffed as he yanked the tablet from Carmines hands. She grabbed after it, but still didn''t know how to turn the cube-chair-thing off. Jordan pressed a finger to the black stone at the tablet''s apex. After a few seconds it went from dull black to bright blue, matching the rest of the ruin. Runes began appearing on its crystal surface, along with images of the desert surrounding them.

    "What?" Carmine marveled at the device, reaching for it as Jordan kept it out of reach.

    "See? Lodestone. We have plenty of them back in Edrinock. Better than having books as thick as your skull if you ask me."

    "What do they do? How?"

    "Do I look like I care how these work?" Jordan tossed the tablet, the ancient, possibly priceless artifact, back at Carmine. "They''re just books by a different name."

    "But books are important!"

    "Not worth getting killed over, kid." Jordan jabbed a finger in Carmine''s face. "Don''t fucking go off again." He sneered, sighing out his frustration as he turned back to the entrance.

    Carmine glared back, most angry at the fact she had no retort. This place may have been hundreds, maybe even thousands of years old, but it was all new to Carmine.

    And all this knowledge even more so.

    At least now she''d have better company than Jordan. Even in this small room, she''d have enough to read for hours.

    Now...she just needed to figure out how to get down.

 Chapter 9: Apprentices

    "Another day stuck with this brat," Jordan complained again, the fifth time since Nicholos and Tera descended another floor. All week he¡¯d done this: Carmine would search, and Jordan would complain. At this point, She just sighed, and tried to focus on picking through a floor already cleared. Maybe she''d find something to cover Jordan¡¯s mouth. Hopefully, she wasn¡¯t too far off. Each floor held something she''d never seen before, beds of warm air, crystals that light a room just by walking by them, even floors that raised and lowered on their own. These things nearly blew Carmine''s mind, but Nicholos didn''t bat an eye. This was all normal to him.

    That meant she had to find something, anything that could surprise him. She''d show him that bringing her was the right decision. Whatever she found had to be amazing, incredible! There would be time to find something, she knew she would, but right now, she would settle for finding some quiet.

    "You know you can wait by the lifts," Carmine grumbled back, turning to point back to the way they came. "Go back and leave me be.

    "They already searched the floor, you''re wasting your time, and more importantly, my time!" Jordan pointed at himself with an annoyed, twitching finger. "I didn''t come all this way to be your babysitter."

    "Don''t then," Carmine replied. She found her voice more easily after a few days with this dolt. ¡°I n-never asked you to come. I can explore on my own."

    "Oh, can you? You sure you won''t jump and run the first time you see a statue?"

    "I only did that once," Carmine fidgeted with a conflicted expression of annoyance and shame. She hid her face by crouching to peek under one of the shelves in the room. Nothing there but her urge to hide. "I-I thought it was one of those m-monsters you talked about."

    "It could have been," Jordan said. He rubbed his forehead as if he had the world''s biggest headache before pointing at Carmine again. "You know, as hard as you make it, girly, it''s an exorcist''s job to protect people from dark and heretical monsters. Human or not."

    Carmine furrowed her brow, his voice twisted in frustration at the end of his words. "But you''re just a Novice." She added.

    "Apprentice," Jordan corrected through clenched teeth, "and I will get there."

    "If you say so." Carmine turned back to the room in front of her. A mural covered the back wall, as pristine as the rest of this place. It showed people at the feet of the Ancients as the ancients touched their heads. No one in them ever looked like an elves though. Was she supposed to feel special or ignored? She reached her hand towards the image, trying to trace the glowing lines running through the walls again, but Jordan pushed her hand down.

    "Don''t touch me," Carmine snapped, clutching her arm away from the sudden grasp, glaring at the novice.

    "Fine, fine." He pulled his hands back, giving her an alarmed look. "Just don''t go touching anything."

    "What is your problem?" Carmine stepped toward Jordan, riding a mix of angry anxiety for all it was worth. "Why are you being so mean all the time? First at our house and now here? Why?"

    "I''m just making sure you don''t try to interfere with the mission."

    "Why would I do that?" Carmine shrugged her shoulders.

    "You''re an elf, your kind does a buncha shit for secret reasons."

    "Wha-!" Carmine flinched back as if the stupidity was infectious. "Are- Are you scared of me? Scared I might, what, stab you with my pointy ears?" Carmine wiggles her ears up and down.

    "Don''t be ridiculous," Jordan with more bite in his voice than normal. "You don''t scare me."

    "Then why are you so mean?"

    Jordan scrunched his nose, grumbling and groaning as he folded his arms. "Look, forget it," he said, turning his back. "Just don''t touch anything...dangerous. I don''t know."

    "You don''t even know? You try to chase off my teacher away from my house, and you don''t even know?" Carmine¡¯s hands tightened to fists just remembering how he treated Vale.

    "That was different!" Jordan whipped back around. "I didn''t know she was your teacher- aunt, or whatever. You can''t take chances with fauns. She could''ve been a thief, or a vandal. You know: fauns hate that we cut down trees for our home. They burn them down, sometimes with people inside."

    "That''s ridiculous!" How dare he even suggest that. "Vale would never hurt us. She wouldn''t hurt anyone! She''s a healer, she helps people."

    "Whatever you say, kid. I just know you can''t take chances around fauns. You know one, fair enough, but tons of them are extremist, greenthumbed cutthroats as like to murder you quick and clean as burn your home to the ground and have a fucking song and dance while it burns."

    For a moment, phantom flames crawled up Carmine¡¯s skin before she banished the memory. No, don''t think. Carmine focused her wincing eyes on Jordan, letting the absurdity of his words fill her head with anger, giving into it, pushing everything else out.

    "You''re- You''re a fff- You''re a really bad person!" Carmine stormed past Jordan, shaking. Her urge to explore completely ruined, now she just wanted to curl up back at camp. She heard steps following and she couldn''t hold her tongue. "Have you even met any Fauns? Spoken to them? And no, without threats I mean. Doubt it, ''cause you''re a- a- an ass." She repeated after Nicholos, hoping it would have the same mouth shutting effect.

    "You''re naive," Jordan dismissed. "You''ll see when you''re older, not everyone''s all sunshine and friendship." He waved his hands at her, mocking.

    "You have no idea-"

    Metal ground against metal in a low hum that sent a chill up Carmine''s spine."What is that!?" Her eyes darted around the room, searching for the source as her heart beat in her ears. Something was coming.

    "God, you''re like a scared little rabbit in a wolf''s den." Jordan lifted his wrist, showing a metal band around it with a small clock at its center. The buzz came again from the curious contraption. "It''s a watch, kid. A watch. They''re used to tell time in the real parts of Vembris." His condescension grated Carmine''s ears before Jordan turned something on the watch and the buzzing stopped. He scoffed as Carmine''s panic faded. "Yeah, you can do this alone, can''t you bumpkin?"

    Self important jerk, Carmine thought, clasping her hands together to still their shakes.

    "I-I just wasn''t e-expecting it. If you''re so worried about this place, why do you even have that?"

    "This floor¡¯s clear, there¡¯s no danger so stop whining."

    "F-fine. That''s your thing anyway."

    "You little- It''s an alarm for when Tera should be back. I''ve been tracking their time below each day." Jordan started walking towards the lift before Carmine could say more. "Come on. Your old man can take you off my hands."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Carmine crossed her arms, turning her face away and remaining planted on her spot. No way she''d follow him.

    As his steps grew distant, Carmine scanned the room around her; across the room, in the corridor, around the next bend...anything could be lurking around the next corner.

    M-maybe it was time to go back, but she wasn''t  following. She was going to meet Nico. Right.

    Carmine half walked, half ran back to the lifts, cylindrical protrusions sticking out of the wall in a familiar dome shaped room, just like the entrance. More than familiar, it looked identical, right down to the smallest line in the wall. Every floor so far started the same; their walls would open up, take people inside, and sink deeper into the ruin. Like a big stone worm, swallowing us into its belly. Carmine turned away, shaking the image from her head, only to be faced with that thing again. Jordan knelt next to the packs and bedrolls, preparing to bring them down to the next floor, and stealing the best place to sit.

    "They''re supposed to be here, right," Carmine asked Jordan as she paced in front of him.

    "They took about this long yesterday," He replied, checking his tiny clock again. "But we don''t know how large the floor down there is, they might need more time. Relax, will ya, kid? You''re making me nervous."

    Carmine grumbled, falling into a cross-legged seat facing the lifts. Making him nervous, she shook her head, maybe you should be nervous. Carmine opened up her own journal, and started writing what she found on the newest floor, even if it was just murals and statues. Nicholos had probably seen all that and more. What hope did she really have at finding something he couldn''t? Brave as she tried to be, wandering the ruin alone twisted her stomach in knots. Of course, the only thing to keep her company did the same for a different reason. Her pencil broke twice as she scribbled in a little stick figure of Jordan, buzzing from the arm up with a buck-toothed, cross-eyed look on his face.

    Despite her smirk at her finished product, it faded without the slightest joy when she looked up to find Nicholos still hadn¡¯t returned. Sweat started on Carmine''s brow, and the sick twisting in her stomach only grew tighter. Where were they?

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they here yet,¡± Carmine bound up, staring at Jordan.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, kid,¡± The young exorcist threw up his hands. ¡°If they¡¯re busy, they¡¯re busy, just be patient.¡±

    ¡°What if they''re in trouble?"

    "They''re not, I''d know." Jordan lifted his wrist again, showing the silver frame of the watch. He pointed to a small blue stone, embedded in the top of its face. "Remember why Tera kept me back? If they''re in trouble, they''d need me. I wouldn''t be much help if they couldn''t signal. If they had issues, this thing would be ringing." He moved his wrist closer to Carmine''s face. "Well? Hear anything?"

    "No¡­" Carmine withdrew, tucking her head deeper in her coat. "B-but it rang before."

    "It''d be different." Jordan took his arm back. He tried to return to his loafing, but Carmine''s uneasy stare called his attention back in under a minute. "Look kid," he said with a sigh, "I can signal my master to check in. Its supposed to be, you know  for actual dangers, so...you took this off me and started pressing buttons, got it?" Carmine nodded. Even if she was just over worrying  Miss Tera wouldn''t believe weak story like that anyway. Jordan thumbed a small button on his tiny clock and the a blue stone embedded within blinked with his touch. he flourished his wrist towards her with a confident grin, while Carmine wrung her hands together in anxious impatience.

    "It''s not like they''re gonna just appear," Jordan excused and he lounged back on his bedroll. Time crept on, and still Nicholos hadn''t returned.

    "How long?" Carmine asked after another minute.

    "How should I know?"

    "What if they''re stuck?"

    "Kid, it''s been literal minutes."

    "What if they''re in trouble?"

    "Why do you have to whine so much?"

    "I''m not whining! You''re not looking!"

    "What do you want me to do!?" Jordan sat up, throwing his arms over his head.

    "M-Maybe we should go down?" Carmine''s voice trembled as she made her suggestion.

    "They told us to stay here. Just give them some time, besides: I don''t really feel like disobeying  Tera."

    "What if she''s in trouble? I thought you wanted to go with her."

    "I did, but if she says stay, I stay." Jordan looked towards the lift. "Besides, it looks like you have nothing to worry about."

    Carmine followed his gaze to the lifts. One of them glowed as the same lights running through the walls flowed up the lift doors. Humming walls sent a tingle up Carmine''s neck as the whole room thrummed with arcane power. She recognized the sensation; this place casted magic again. Carmine ran to the lift door. She had questions, but all of them could wait until she saw Nico okay.

    The humming ended as the lift arrived. Carmine approached the door, clutching her hands close to her chest.

    "N-Nico?" She called out, inching closer. Metal scuffing met her call, shuffling inside the lift. Its doors opened just a crack before getting stuck. Carmine peeked through the door and something lurched inside to meet her gaze. Sickly green eyes landed on hers.

    "Oh no," a weak gasp was all that escaped Carmine as she tried to run, but a spindly arm shot out from inside and snatched her scarf. The fabric tightened around her neck as she felt herself yanked back. She started to fall to panic as she coughed out her few breaths that she had left.

    "Oh fuck," Jordan shouted as he scrambled to his feet, searching his pile for his sword. What a time to lose it! Nico wasn''t here, Jordan was no help...she had to do something while she could still think.

    Carmine strained her head back to the lift, only to see those sickly eyes glowing back. Her fingers shook as she tried to aim through the spots forming  in her vision. She held on to her last breath even as her lungs burned. The lift door inched a little wider, allowing her to see her assailants full visage. Skin stretched thin, almost translucent over a filthy, dirt covered skull. Wisps of hair dangled around the side of its head and chin as its broken mouth opened with an ear piercing screech. She had to act. Now.

    Carmine cast her spell, sending a mote of arcane force into the terrible creature''s face. Its head snapped back, teeth flying off in every direction, and its grip on Carmine''s scarf released.

    She fell to the floor, gasping, coughing, taking in the sweetest breath of stale air she''d ever had. Another screech ended her relief before she could rise to her feet. Metal ground against metal as the creature gripped the lift doors, forcing them open.  Moldy, shredded cloth clung to its skeletal form, putrid and revolting to Carmine''s senses. Vale had shown Carmine a diagram of a skeleton before, yet this thing differed from what she''d seen. Its fingers warped into claws, its ribs split and bent outward, running up its chest in a jagged maw. Its legs looked closer to a dog''s, while its feet made talons out of what bones remained.

    Carmine scrambled back as the creature stalked towards her, scraping the floor with every step. It lowered one hand to the ground, ready to pounce, when one of the exorcist''s backpacks landed over its head. Jordan''s battle cry filled the room, his sword raised in front of him as stood between Carmine and the monster. It flailed, blinded, as Jordan carefully lopped off one claw after the other before landing a swing through the pack into the creature''s skull. Its cries died in an instant, its body clattering apart, leaving only the pair of apprentices heaving every breath.

    "Fuck," Jordan wheezed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Fuck. Damnit, Fuck!"

    Carmine caught her breath. Normally, she''d tell him to watch his mouth, but now...now she agreed."W- Was that¡­?"

    "Yeah. A thrall." Jordan took a deep breath. The tip of his sword fell to the ground, his arms slacking as the tension of the attack faded, at least until realization crossed his face. "Wait, if that was on their lift¡­" He looked at Carmine, genuine fear behind his eyes.

    And his fear infected Carmine. She thought of Nicholos down there, all alone, head lulled too far to one side, robe stained red. The thought alone froze her breath and seized her mind, save for one, second fear.

    The steps she took, alone outside her cindered home, no one at her side.

    "We- We have to go down there," Carmine insisted, already moving before doubt could stop her. A new lift sensed her approach, sliding metal doors from her path to reveal the confining round chamber with only a sphere on a pedestal inside.

    "Wait, kid, wait!" Jordan stepped after her, getting inside the lift before the doors closed and barred him out. "Kid, that was just one thrall and you nearly got your neck snapped. Tera left me to help if there was trouble, you need to stay here."

    "No!" Carmine barked, baring her teeth at herself as every instinct in her body wanted to agree. "If Nico''s in trouble I''m going. Try to stop me and I''ll just find another lift."

    "At every turn, You''re more trouble than you''re worth," Jordan growled, putting his head through the hole of his metal chest piece. "Fine. I''m not gonna balk at a mage, even a novice right now."

    "Apprentice." Carmine glared.

    "Whatever," Jordan reached out to a crystal sphere in the wall. Nicholos and Tera used them to control the lifts. "Luckily, these are the same as back home. I can get us down there. Last thing we need right now is falling down a chasm." Jordan placed his hand on the sphere. Its transparent core brightened at his touch, lighting the lift in soft hues of blue. Jordan closed his eyes, mouthing the words "next floor down."  Carmine''s knees turned to jelly for a second as the room started moving.

    "There¡­" Jordan eased his back to the wall, sweating despite the underground chill. "Alright kid, no jokes or lip this time. You stay close, and do what I say until we see my master, got it?"

    Carmine nodded. "J-Just this once"

 Chapter 10: Taking Back

    "Do you have to be so loud?" Carmine hissed, covering her ears as Jordan forced the lift doors open, scraping metal on metal. "Anything could be waiting out there! more monsters, or- or worse!"

    "Hold yourself together, kid," Jordan retorted, pulling the door open another few inches. "You''ll have to deal with more than just a bad noise soon enough."

    The doors gave way to a familiar reception room, same as above. Only one corridor lead out, dim and dark with only a few of the wall''s leylines to light it.

    "Do we...go forward," she asked.

    "You see any other way?" Jordan took his first hesitant step from the lift. "Was it too much to hope they were right here?"

    Jordan waved for her to follow, and Carmine walked behind him. Her feet dragged every step as she feared what lay ahead.

    Their path carried on forward without deviation or detour until, at last, the corridor opened to a room so grand Carmine thought she stepped into a castle from her old story books. She stood upon a balcony, looking down at a vast library. Silver shelves seamlessly climbed from floor to ceiling, each rack running nearly the full length of the room, with each level stacks with crystal tablets. Yarish runes pulsed along their surfaces, labeling each shelf for the information it held. Pillars spiraled to the high ceiling like cyclones falling from the sky. Carmine wondered how deep underground they were to house such a place. An archive! It had to be, but as much as Carmine wanted to be excited, the shattered bones sprawled between ailes wrung the wonder from her heart. No, Gods, they were here too.

    She started forward, but went only a few steps before Jordan pulled her back by her coat.

    "Don''t fuckin'' run off kid," he growled, "Didn''t you hear me say this place could be dangerous?"

    "But Nico and your master are down there," she said, frantically pulling from Jordan''s hand. "They need us!"

    "All the more reason for you to listen!" Jordan yanked her back behind him and kept one hand on her wrist. "You think rushing in and getting yourself hurt would help anyone?"

    "If I could-¡±

    "You''ll just make things worse, and know it. You said you''d listen, now for their sake, do it!"

    Carmine bit her lip, fighting the urge to break free and do exactly as Jordan said she would. The only thing that stayed her feet was the promise she''d made to Nico.

    She''d make no trouble. This time she''d get him out.

    "Calmed down? Good. Now follow me. We''ll find them," Jordan assured her. "Just gotta keep our heads, literally and figuratively."

    "What if we follow the bones?" Carmine pointed to the broken remains below. "If they fought , that could be their trail."

    "Good call, kid. Now, stick close, and for gods'' sake stay quiet as you can!"

    Shards of brittle bone cracked under every step Carmine took. Even watching where she stepped, the silver floor hid behind scraps of ragged cloth and old weapons, all attached to more of the necromancer''s thralls. How many of them were even down here? By now, they probably passed at least a dozen, all destroyed. Nico and Tera must have fought so hard against so many. Carmine and Jordan struggled with just one, but¡­ even their masters could be overwhelmed. No, she couldn''t think like that. Right now Nico needed her help, not her fear...hopefully he''d be alright with both.

    For most of the walk neither Carmine nor Jordan dared speak, leaving only the incessant hum of the walls around them until a whisper reached her ear.

    "That''s not going to work you know," Nicholos'' voice came from up ahead, hushed, but he was there! Carmine froze, her breath stuck in her chest. He''s alive!

    "At least I''m trying," Tera''s voice hissed back. She made it too, but then, why hadn''t they returned earlier?

    "What''s the problem kid?" Jordan looked back, seeing that Carmine had stopped.

    "I hear them whispering," Carmine pointed ahead. The trail led around the corner and that''s exactly where she heard the voices.

    "You sure? I don''t hear anything." Jordan leaned forward to listen.

    "Come on, just up ahead-" Carmine started again, but Jordan blocked her.

    "What''d I say?"

    "Fine, you go first."

    Jordan swallowed, realizing what he volunteered for, but at least he moved. Slowly. At a snail''s pace.

    "Fine, I- I''ll go." Carmine pushed past.

    "Kid!" Jordan grabbed after her, but she turned the corner faster than he could keep up.

    Her ears heard true; the masters stood before her now, but she still had just as little hope of getting them as before.

    A twisted cage of intertwined bones loomed over them both, digging into the walls and floor. Carmine could make out the skulls of thralls turned inward, watching their captives. Something else caught Carmine''s attention: red liquid streaked across the floor, running towards the cage.

    Towards Nicholos.

    "Nico," Carmine cried, running closer, looking in, trying to get a view of the older man''s face. She reached for the bars of the cage, intending to pull the ramshackle thing open. Before she could even touch the bones, she recoiled as a painful jolt sapped the strength from her arms. "Don''t touch the bars," Tera warned, her eyes darting between Carmine and Jordan with a mix of confusion and relief. When she moved aside, Carmine saw Nicholos looking back at her, sweat pouring off his brow as he gripped a patch of reddened robe on his side.

    "Hello, my dear," he said, giving her a pained smirk. "Apologies for my sorry state."

    "Nicholos," Carmine whimpered, nearly touching the bars again, but resisting the urge. Her eyes clouded, blurring Nico''s face. "Wh-what happened."

    "We fell for a trap" Tera grumbled. She stepped to the edge of the bars and motioned and the splintered bones around them. "We found the workshop, but the necromancer left some surprises for us, and they pushed us into this corner. For every thrall we broke, they built this damn cage out of their own bodies!"

    "Why don¡¯t you just break it," Jordan asked his master.

    "Tried. The bones are warded somehow." Tera pointed to the glyphs engraved into the bound bones. "Sir Nicholos tried dispelling it, but there''s a null enchantment over them; he can''t use his magic in here."

    Carmine knelt next to the bars, as close as she could get to Nicholos. Her teacher smiled at her, but all she could do was wince. She tried to put on a brave face, but she could hear his every labored breath, smell the blood spill onto the floor.

    Jordan stepped closer to the bars, his voice dropping lower than he thought Carmine could hear. He was wrong.

    "How bad is the old man?"

    Tera looked back at Nicholos before answering. "He''s got time, I patched him up with what I could...but unless we get out of here..." She grimaced, trailing off.

    "How do we get you out," Carmine interrupted, wiping her tears..

    Tera furrowed her brow, "This...isn''t something for a child to-"

    "Master," Jordan cut her off. "You know we''re past that point. You need all the help you can get, and we''re it. Besides, even if I were as young as the kid, I wouldn''t leave you here."

    "Seems we''re in their hands now, Tera," Nicholos added his voice to theirs. He locked eyes with Carmine, keeping that reassuring smirk on his face. "Not that anything I say would convince you otherwise, could it?" Carmine smiled despite her unease and shook her head.

    "Thought not." With one hand on the wall, Nicholos picked himself up and stepped closer. "This trap was sprung without its maker to cast it, which means the intent of this spell was imprinted on an object."

    "Likely in the workshop, but we didn''t get a good look," Tera added. "You have to find it, Jordan, and break what''s doing this." She waved at the cage confining her.

    "I am pretty good at breaking things," Jordan nodded, smirking with confidence.

    "Be careful." Tera''s sternness left no room for jokes. Jordan touched the back of his head, as he did whenever Tera smacked the stupid out of him. "There are still some creatures about. I couldn''t get all of them before we were locked up here. You can manage, if you keep your wits about you."

    "You- you really think I can?"

    "This is what I trained you for Jordan." Tera gave him a nod.

    "Carmine," Nicholos called for her attention. He held a small pouch between shaking fingers, sliding it carefully between the bars. "Take this...I know you''ve been reading ahead."

    She accepted the small pouch. Inside, she found components Nicholos used for his spells; among them was some weird oil, a strange egg shaped stone, and spider silk. "Use this." Nicholos poked her forehead. "For people like us, it''s our greatest weapon."

    "I''ll get you out," Carmine promised. "I''ll get you out and we''ll go home."

    "I know you will." Nicholos smiled at her again, easing himself back to the floor. "Listen, thralls like these aren''t really alive. They can''t think or solve problems. They react, that''s all they can do. Keep that in mind and Most importantly: Keep. Yourself. Safe. More than anything else, do that for me."

    "I will," Carmine assured him again.

    "The thralls attacked us when we tried to go deeper down the main corridor." Tera recounted as she pointed back the way they came.

    "We destroyed as many as we could, but what remained retreated back after we were trapped. In all likelihood,  they''re between you and whatever is doing this."

    "We''ll take care," Jordan told her, standing a little straighter, a little more like Tera. With a nod, he followed Tera''s directions towards where they found the workshop. "Come on kid."

    Carmine gave Nicholos one last look. She had to succeed. She wouldn''t be useless again.

    Her fist clenched against the doubts creeping up her spine, and she deafened her thoughts to them. The only way to go was forward.

    The pair of apprentices found their way back to the central path. Just like Tera warned, it led to another wide corridor, bigger than the others she''d seen, as if it were made for giants. The leylines all throughout the archive snaked their way down the path ahead, filling it with their blinking light.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "If we just retrace their steps, chances are we''ll run right into the rest of the thralls." Jordan scratched his chin, looking at the murderous corridor beckoning ahead.

    "I...th-think I have an idea," Carmine said, opening the pouch Nicholos gave her. "Nico said these monsters don''t think like us. They can only do whatever spell says they can." Carmine reached in and covered her hand in spider silk before webbing it over the sole of her shoes. "If they''re protecting the workshop, we can make them think there''s a threat to it in here! They''ll have to come out, and we can sneak past!"

    "Not bad...except how are we supposed to keep hidden? If they spot us, doesn''t that ruin your little plan?"

    "Yeah...but we can try to hide where they might not look."

    "It''s a hallway, where could we even-"

    "Up." Carmine opened her fingers with spider silk webbed between them."

    "What are you doing? That''s disgusting." Jordan flinched from her.

    "What''s the matter? Scared of a little spider web?" Carmine waved her hand closer until Jordan batted it away. "It''s a spell- er will be. You''ll see, just give me your shoes. Oh, hands too." She learned that lesson already.

    "What!? No!"

    "Come on," Carmine groaned, but she saw how Jordan acted at the cage. She remembered where to poke. "Ms. Tera would be really proud of you if we did this."

    Jordan narrowed his eyes at Carmine, nose flaring but, with a sigh, he sat down and handed over his boots. He didn''t get them back until spider silk thoroughly covered them. Then came the hands. Jordan grimaced, his face twisting as Carmine weaved a web over them. She hated the feeling just as much, but she took a grim satisfaction in Jordan''s disgust, so it evened out.

    "You better have a good reason for looking so smug," Jordan warned.

    "I told you it''s for a spell, look," Carmine opened her book and recited the words intended to change her hands and feet. A tingle began in her fingers, climbing to her wrists, as the spider silk sunk into her skin, leaving a familiar webbed pattern in its place. She looked down to her shoes to see the same.

    "Oh, this is fucked," Jordan whined, trying not to gag. "this isn''t permanent right?"

    "Well...maybe," Carmine lied. He doesn''t need to know  "It works for a few hours and then¡­.there''s a risk the markings could stay longer."

    "How much longer?"

    "Come on." She let him sweat.

    "Fine. And how do you propose we draw them out," Jordan waved across the room. "Stomping around yelling ''come get me'' isn''t a plan I''m doing."

    "Well...I have one idea." Carmine wrung her hands together, making a hidden gesture between them. "If you were made to guard an area, and heard a really loud crash, what would you do?"

    "I''d check it out to see- wait-"

    A mote of arcane force left Carmine''s finger just as realization, and resignation, crossed Jordan''s face. The small bead of violet light traveled back towards one of the archive shelves, slamming into one of the higher corners. Its sharp ring echoed through the entire floor like glass shattering in a graveyard. The shelf teetered forward, straining to remain upright until it could bear it no longer. One shelf fell into another, and into to another over and over until the priceless dominoes reached a wall, spilling their tablet bounty all over the archive floor. As quick as the discordant cacophony came, silence reclaimed its oppressive reign.

    "You are gonna get us killed!"

    "Then we''d better hide first," Carmine whispered back, pointing above the corridor. She jumped onto the wall, grinning with relief as her hands and feet found purchase. They both started climbing just in time to hear the clattering steps of thralls screeching closer. Carmine reached the apex first, looking at Jordan to do the same.

    "Fuck this." The exorcist grumbled, thrashing up the wall, sliding down every few seconds.

    "Slow down," Carmine whispered, "let yourself get a grip."

    "I''m not used to being a fucking bug!"  He hissed back, face turning more and more pale with every failed step, but he made it eventually, and just in time.

    Near a dozen thralls heralded their coming, screaming from empty gullets. They poured into the archive, lumbering on mismatched limbs, warped into weapons. All the doubt Carmine suppressed came rushing back at the sight of so many at once. Her stomach rumbled, and air escaped her in unwanted wimpers until Jordan put his hand over her mouth.

    "Quiet" he whispered, but his hand trembled as much as she did.

    The thralls spread towards the fallen shelves like contagious to a wound. Their empty eyes passed over the wreckage before they spread out deeper into the archive. Nico and Tera would be safe in the cage. They had to be. Every minute felt like an hour, but the bony sentinels took their time skulking out of sight. They had as much as they needed, after all.

    The same couldn''t be said for the spell keeping Carmine out of their reach.

    "W-we should go," Carmine mumbled, pushing Jordan''s hand from her face. "The spell won''t last forever."

    "Seems you''re planning wasn''t the worst after all." Jordan gave her an approving nod.

    "This was a terrible idea," Carmine retorted. His approval only confirmed that.

    "But it worked. I can take it from here If you can''t go forward-"

    "I can go." Carmine affirmed quickly. As much as her legs were jelly and numb, she couldn''t stop, not until Nicholos was safe.

    "Fine, but stay quiet. We don''t need them hearing us and turning back."

    "If they''re gonna hear anything it''ll be your clinking butt!"

    Carmine clung to her false confidence. She kept the facade up, fooling herself into thinking things we''re going to plan. Beneath it, she feared her every movement would be her last. She held captive every breath until she could bear it no more and only then dared to take another. Her eyes ached from the unnatural blue dimness the walls gave off, but the road soon came to an end. Light spilled in from the end of the tunnel, brighter than the rest of the ruin.

    "You see that?" Jordan asked.

    "You think I could miss it?" Carmine whispered back. "Lets climb down."

    "Alright, just give me a minute. I''m still getting used to this weird crap."

    Carmine huffed at the exorcist, still a fair bit behind her. She hadn''t really done this before either, but Jordan''s armor really slowed him down. She made it to the floor before he was even halfway there. He''d be right behind her, but right now every second mattered.

    Carmine inched towards the end room. All the leylines carved through the walls led here, to a massive crystal embedded deep into the far wall. What little she learned of this ruin told her that the room before her now must be the core of the settlement. The air tingled with the same sensation the ruin gave off anytime it used magic, and glowed like a giant version of the same stones used to control the artifacts in the rest of the ruin. In front of it emerged a tilted pane of crystal jutting out from the wall at chest height to Carmine. The crystal ran along every side of the room to the edge of the corridor, alight with Yarish script and other symbols Carmine hadn''t learned yet. What caught her attention most sat in the middle of the room; an immaculate body of a woman encased in glass upon a stone slab. Familiar items piled around it; a bedroll, books, stacks of paper and pack of tools alike to what Carmine had seen at Vale''s work. This had to be it, the necromancer''s workshop. If nothing else, it smelled the part. Where the rest of the ruin smelled of little more than dust and obsessive cleanliness, the musk of dirt, sweat, and a hint of decay invaded Carmine''s nose. It wasn¡¯t going to get any better in the room, better to start the search now.

    Movement caught the corner of her eye as she crossed the threshold. Thralls. Of course there''d be guards!

    "Stupid!" Carmine chastised herself as she tried to step back, but there was no way the undead missed her, not with their shrieks in her ears. The pair of them came running, fast on their dog legs and she knew she couldn''t outrun them. She tried and tried to think of a spell, but her fear overan her thoughts. Her words faltered as the thralls'' feral claws drew closer.

    Before it reached her neck, Jordan came crashing down from the ceiling, landing on the first thrall, scattering it into pieces as the second redirected its wrath.

    Jordan blocked a spike meant for his heart and shoved the creature back as he scrambled to his feet to put himself between Carmine and the skeleton.

    "O Vembria great protector of man¡­" Jordan whispered the start of a prayer, his face calm as he held the thrall at bay, but as the creature struck again and again, Jordan''s expression wrinkled with frustration. "Ah, Fuck it! Any ancient that''s listening, if you can hear me, give me some fucking help!" At the end of Jordan''s plea, a new light brightened the tunnel as his sword''s steel turned pure white. He casted no magic, Carmine knew he didn''t have the focus to pull that off, and yet something enchanted his sword. "The hell?" Jordan flinched, frowning at his weapon.

    The thrall didn''t share his confusion. It stepped forward, snapping one of its fellow''s bones, and pounced, claws aimed for Jordan¡¯s neck. The young exorcist barely reacted in time, blocking the claw with his blade. At the slightest touch, the thrall recoiled in...pain? A dead creature shouldn''t have reacted. The thrall slinked back, its claw turning to dust where it touched Jordan''s sword. The creature watched as its forearms continued to crumble, its attention away from the fight. Unfortunately Jordan looked just as hesitant.

    "Do it now!" Carmine shouted at the slack jawed exorcist.

    "Yeah, right!" Jordan attention snapped back, seeing his foe falter, and struck true. One swing of his pearlescent sword severed the skeleton''s spine. As the undead tumbled end over end, its unholy bones scattered to dust before they reached the ground.

    As quick as it started, it was over. Jordan leaned on the wall, letting out a sigh and wiping sweat off his brow.

    "Did it scratch you," Carmine asked, stepping around the shattered bones of the first skeleton.

    "No, just¡­" Jordan stood straight, resting on his still glowing sword. "That was intense." He lifted his blade in front of him, squinting at it as the dim glow continued.

    "What was that?" Carmine asked, reaching towards the sword only for Jordan to jerk it back.

    "Careful...I don''t know what this might do if you touch it."

    "But what is it?"

    "I think it''s a blessing."

    "What, like...magic?"

    "No. Well, maybe?" Jordan flourished the sword in hand, watching the white streak behind it as it moved. "I''ve seen veterans do stuff like this before, but usually through devoted prayer."

    "And you managed it? With your panicked rambling?"

    "I guess Vembria knew my plea was genuine." Jordan never looked so sure of himself. After all the time Carmine spent learning more and more complicated spells, having Jordan pull off something advanced with a half-assed prayer felt like she''d been cheated. Her annoyance had only moments to last. Shrieks echoed back through the corridors behind.

    "Fuck, they heard all that. Hurry, kid, come on." Jordan pushed Carmine forward, but she needed no goading. She covered her ears against the approaching cries. At this rate, the thralls would catch them before she could find their source!

    "Shit, uh¡­look, you know magic, find the imprint-thing," Jordan demanded, but his eyes were firmly fixed behind them.

    "I don''t know!" Carmine stormed into the room, already rifling through packs and satchels.

    "Figure it out quick I''ll...I''ll try to earn you some time."

    "What!? But you''ll-"

    "I can limit their numbers in the hall, just hurry up and look."

    Before Carmine could stop him, Jordan ran off and left her all alone. Why''d he decide to be a hero now, after telling her not to. Fool! He''d better come out fine by the end of this, if anything for all the curses she needed to pay back.

    She opened onepack, finding it filled with dried food and little else. Nothing but half-finished incantations and sloppily drawn spell circles covered the crumpled papers, as useless as the rest. She tossed them aside and moved to the slab. Whatever kept the magic here working had to be among the things there. She scattered most of the small objects to the floor, tools and pens, things obviously mundane. A wooden box that gave some hope quickly turned out to be full of pipeweed andoff the table it went. She flipped through the pages of another journal out of desperation, finding nothing.

    The cries behind met with clanging steel and grunts of exertion. Jordan''s fight had begun, and Carmine was no closer to finding any source. What could it be!? She cleared off the slab of everything except the body. The body...

    Carmine climbed onto the slab, pressing her face to the glass case surrounding the pale woman trapped inside. There! Embedded in the lady''s chest, just below the neck, rested a small white orb with innumerable faces swimming beneath its surface.

    Carmine pulled at the case, but it refused to budge more than a crack. She needed to get it open, now. Reaching for her side, Carmine pulled her Father''s knife free of her belt and jammed it into the small opening. Every bit of strength in her small body went into pulling the handle back and praying Father''s blade didn''t snap.

    With a pop, the case swung open. Carmine scrambled for the orb, trying to pry it from the woman''s chest with only a whispered apology, but with no success. She thrust her hand towards the orb trying another force spell against it. The mote collided with the orb, but it did nothing but jostle the body. She tried again and again, but she couldn''t even scratch the stupid orb.

    A cry, a human cry, echoed back to Carmine''s ear. Pain. Injury. Jordan was going to die, and then she would too. And Nicholos, and Tera. She had to break it now, and she knew only one spell that could do it.

    She chanted the incantation for the lighting spell she''d practiced in the forest, focusing solely on destroying the object. She breathed the last word, and just as she''d practiced, nothing emerged from her fingertips.

    Not now!

    Carmine tried to recall the feeling she had the first time the spell worked, tried to conjure up the same violent urge she had before  but that alone did nothing. The attempt rang hollow in her mind, empty of any real urge for destruction. She needed her desire to be true, and she knew one place in her mind that would give that to her.

    Home.

    Picturing all those ignorant bastards around her house, shouting and throwing stones flared her smoldering temper. She remembered every face as clear as the night it happened, especially the ones that mobbed her father, and the look of the headman before mother killed him, but most of all she remembered her uncle alongside the mob. A man her family trusted.

    A man she wanted gone.

    Pain shot up Carmine''s arm, knocking her off the slab, as a bolt of lightning shattered the small orb, and disintegrated the body along with it. The faces contained within emerged, like smoke, shrieking a chorus of hounding cries. They lasted only a moment, before vanishing utterly, leaving only the quiet hum of the walls.

    Carmine waited a second, a minute, listening for the skeletons, or Jordan, or anything. Instead, nothing.

    She picked herself up from the floor, holding her arm to her side.

    She''d done it. She saved everyone.

    And it made her sick. The relief in her heart paled under the feelings of anger and injustice three years fresh. All she wanted to do now was go back to her rickety little shack and forget all about this.

    Carmine turned to the exit when one of the journals caught her eye, one she tossed aside without much thought.

    On its face, she saw nothing of interest on it, save for a note sticking out from its margins saying.

    "It''s not too late," Carmine read aloud.

    Over her shoulder, Carmine looked at the remains of the glass case. Her thoughts turned to the woman left inside, kept so carefully from time and harm. Carmine didn''t need to be an exorcist to understand the intent here.

    She understood it. She felt it. Every moment of every day. Sometimes in the back of her mind, sometimes in front of her eyes. The world didn''t care, it just took. Was it so bad to want to take a little back?

    A cursory check down the corridor empty. Not a single soul to see her shaking hand wrest the journal from the workshop and stuff it away in her coat.

    Wretched prize in hand, she ran back to Nicholos, every step heavier than the last.

 Chapter 11: Lost and Found

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d do it,¡± Nicholas praised Carmine as he eased back in his bedroll, far from the bonecage that trapped him and Tera below. ¡°I knew you¡¯d come through for us. I never doubted- Ow!¡±

    ¡°Please just rest, Nico,¡± Carmine said, pushing her teacher back down, again. With Carmine''s treatment, his wound had closed. Still, the treatments Vale taught her couldn''t return the blood he lost. He needed to lay down and rest. Instead, he wanted to celebrate. "Healing spells stress the body, you know that!"

    ¡°Come on kiddo, this was your first adventure!¡± Nicholas sat back up. ¡°Your first time making your own story, not hearing about someone else''s. Surely that¡¯s worth at least some revelry?¡±

    For a moment, Carmine felt proud of herself. Between her and her teacher, she didn''t expect to do any rescuing, at least not so soon. That feeling quickly faded with the guilt in her inside pocket.

    ¡°And what would we celebrate with,¡± Tera asked as she stitched closed Jordan''s injuries across from them. The lantern at the middle of their little camp lit the cuts and bruises the younger exorcist earned when he fought the undead. One of his eyes had swollen shut, but there grinned a happy fool as his master tended him. ¡°We have water and dried rations, and not any to dump into a bland feast.¡±

    ¡°But surely we can think of something,¡± Nicholos insisted. ¡°You feel like they deserve a reward, don¡¯t you Tera? Our students used what we taught them to save us! As a teacher you must be proud.¡±

    "Must I? Jordan fulfilled his duty as an exorcist. This was expected if him ." Tera said with monotoned practice.

    "Hurrah for me¡­" Jordan hung his head, pouting.

    "Oh very well." she rolled her eyes at her bratty apprentice, trying to keep a grin from her face. "Once we return to the cathedral, I should be able to scrape something together."

    "Well, if you think I''m worthy of it," Jordan said, trying to look tough in front of his master. By the next moment, he was already back to whining about Tera''s new stitch.

    "Jordan and I will go back down to do a thorough check of the floor, in case there''s anything else we missed." Tera said, cutting her stitching thread. She put her breastplate back on and helped Jordan into his.

    "You don''t think you should rest?" Carmine urged them towards their bedrolls.

    "No, the sooner we finish our search the sooner we can start our way back."

    "Don''t worry Carmine. If we''re not feasting, I''ll get enough shut eye for all of us," Nicholos said, resting his head back.

    "Finally taking your little doctor''s orders?" Tera gestured.

    "You need to rest," Carmine insisted. She turned all her attention to making Nico comfortable and avoiding Tera''s gaze. Carmine bumped her checked every so often just to make sure the book hadn''t been found by the exorcists...somehow. What would they do if they knew she had it?

    "You treat me like an old man." Nicholos waved her off. "But, if you''re gonna give me free time off from leaving no stone unturned," Nicholos tucked his hands under his head and shut his eyes, "who am I to complain?"

    Tera shook her head and gave the old mage a smirk.

    "Keep an eye on him." Tera said as both she and Jordan departed

    Carmine sat beside Nicholos, watching the lantern burn as she listened, waiting for his snoring to start.

    She needed to be alone. Tera couldn''t blame Nico in case she was found. He''d be so mad if he knew, she thought, looking at his face. Vale would be too. They were right to hide this from her, she knew. She spouted so much at how ready she was to take on some responsibility and now that failure burned a hole in her pocket, and her chest.

    "You know," Nicholos started, his eyes still closed, "you''re younger than your mother was when she went on her first adventure."

    "What?" Carmine turned to him, her brow furrowed as he mentioned Mother.

    "Aye, I wasn''t there and she only told me of it, boasted really, but she was a good ten years older than you when she did her first ruin dive."

    "Mum mentioned she found magic stuff with you," Carmine recalled. "She started before you?"

    "Oh aye, she was digging for silver books way before I could even speak Yarish. She showed me the ropes. She claimed she found a little golem that used to carry her equipment for her. Lucky find..." Nicholos muttered with a bit of envy, reminiscing as he let out a big yawn. "But you! You may not have such a grand relic, but you got to play the heroine, and a young one at that! I''d say that''s a good start for you, aye?"

    "Yeah," Carmine smiled a bit. She stared at the lantern, thinking of her mother, covered in dust, alongside them now...and it hurt. "Do you...do you think she''d be proud of me?" Carmine asked, turning back again to Nicholos.

    He answered with a snore.

    Carmine sighed, smiling at her guardian. At least he''s okay. It only started to set in now how close she came to losing him...and being alone again.

    That can''t happen.

    Carmine''s hand touched the journal in her pocket, gripping it tightly through her coat as she stood up. She grabbed the lantern and walked a small way away from where Nicholos slept.

    It won''t.

    Carmine walked the first floor of the ancient archive, walking back again to that small room where she''d gotten stuck on a chair. The silver shelf sitting with crystal books aplenty still stood with its knowledge intact. Carmine read through much of it while Nico and Tera left her here to search. Most of it was little more than introductions to concepts well known; agriculture, laws, governance, even a little about magic. No doubt the tablets in the lower archive had much more to tell. Had the ancients left all this for them to find? If they brought all this knowledge, all this guidance, why did so many bad things still happen? Why did places like Rolderston and her old home know so little about all this? Why did they let people hurt each other?

    Carmine pulled the journal from her pocket. Perhaps the answers to her questions would be found where she wasn''t allowed to look.

    With the journal clutched to her chest, Carmine turned to the burrow''s exit. She couldn''t read in this place. It knew too much.

    Most daylight faded over the red mesas, but night had not yet started to blacken the sky. She could read here, alone, undisturbed.

    Unwatched.

    Damp stone didn''t even compare to the comfort of one of the ancient''s floating chairs, but Carmine settled as much as she could outside. She flipped the journal in her hands. An unremarkable thing. Just a leather-bound book held shut with a loose cord strip wrapped around it.

    "It''s not too late," She read the margin note again in a whispered tone. "Doubt it."

    Carmine furrowed her brow, skeptical about whatever she may find, but half of her mind pushed her hands to unwrap that book, even if the other half protested.

    She paused at how easy it had been. These secrets were supposed to be destroyed by the exorcist, and here she was taking them right from under their noses. All she needed to do was open it.

    The journal trembled between her hands as they refused to move from its edges. She wanted to open it, but she couldn''t help but feel that the moment she did she would lose something.

    Three deep breaths later and the journal remained unopened. She shouldn''t do this, she knew, but this might be her only chance. Carmine groaned in frustration, rising to her feet, unable to decide, when she heard a clatter and splash.

    Her hand rushed to her belt, finding that Father''s knife had come loose. She saw its hilt sticking half in the shallow creek and her heart caught in her throat. Her hands snatched it up before the next second passed. She looked it over for damage, only realizing she held her breath after she found no scratch. What if it had been chipped. Or rusts?

    She hissed as water sunk into the bandages on her left hand. It stung a moment before fading into the back of her mind where it remained. Even after years of treatment, the pain never really went away. Vale said it would one day, but Carmine doubted it.

    When she looked over Father''s knife, wiping it clean of the dirt and water, she felt another pain that would never go away. Not unless she made it.

    Carmine opened the book.

    The journal revealed little of the writer''s history. The necromancer, some guy named Bernard, had evaded the exorcists for months. He¡¯d searched for one of the ancient barrows, like this one, hoping to use its knowledge to resurrect his daughter.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    He really did feel the same.

    Bernard thought the archive held some of the information he needed, but from his mad scribbling, it didn''t have it all. Incomplete and scratched out magical equations covered the last third of the journal. Carmine flipped back and forth through the book, trying to find translations as she struggled to understand everything she could. It took her more than an hour to decipher everything in its final pages. The sun had long since sunk, and she huddled next to the lantern as her only light. The spell that could tell death to piss off had three parts.

    One renewed the body. Carmine recognized similar symbols to the ones Vale taught her for medicine, but these went deeper. From her readings, this spell would force wounds to close quickly and abruptly, something Vale warned to use only as a last resort. Something could heal wrong, or the patient could be put through agony...but if the body wasn''t alive maybe it wouldn''t be too bad...as long as it didn''t go so far as to warping the body, like the thralls.

    The second focused on repairing the mind of the returning being. Yeah, that would be important. Carmine nodded along. The more she read, the more benign the spell seemed. The exorcists didn''t know everything, that''s for sure.

    The Yarish runes focused on creating calming sensations in the resurrected and restoring their memory to what it was. What if that went wrong? Would someone come back not even knowing who they were? Could...could her parents forget her?

    No. No, not if she did it right.

    She pushed the worry from her mind and turned the page for the next layer of the incantation.

    "No." she snapped as she scanned the equation. "No, no, no!" Her fingernails dug into its leather cover.

    It''s not done.

    The runes barely started into methods of returning a person''s soul to their body. The necromancer had moved ahead to the latter half of the incantation; directions for rebinding a mind to its body, but the whole process of finding the right being''s consciousness and how to pull it back hadn''t even been started!

    Why!? She was so close!

    The equation was there, drawn out in front of her, save for a small but essential piece.

    She flipped back through the pages, trying to find a clue, any clue, but damned Bernard had as little idea as she did.

    And now the Exorcists had him. The spell would never be finished, and asking would only make trouble for Nicholos.

    Why couldn''t the spell just be there!? How could this be so...unfair!?

    Why!?

    Carmine grit her teeth, rising to her feet with a cry on her lips. She threw the journal across the crevice path. "Stupid book!" She roared, cursing with all her hate as it bounced off the stone wall and half into the creek. "You were supposed to have the answers! Why couldn''t you just..."

    She grabbed her face, crushing the heels of her palms against her eyes to keep the tears behind them. She tried to stay angry, at the book, at the necromancer, at the exorcists, something to keep her mind focused on anything but the reopening wound on her heart, but she failed and failed again.

    Those wounds never closed in the first place.

    Carmine fell to her knees, unable to keep the sobbing back, growling at herself to stop.

    She couldn''t do anything but cry, back then, and she was just as helpless now. If she wasn''t so useless Mother and Father might have lived! She should have told them to run, or ran away herself. Instead she hid and cowered and everything burned down.

    Her own reflection glared back at her in the glass of the lantern. Damn worthless coward! She reached out to swat the lantern away. She deserved to be alone, unseen, ignored.

    As her hand moved, faint light arcing between her fingers. The lightning spell manifested even without Carmine''s conscious attempt. She barely got her arm over her eyes as the glass exploded out. The force threw the lantern across the crevice, its flame going out as its iron case smashed and clanged into the rock wall.

    Once the echoing stopped, Carmine slowly lowered her arm. She held her hand in front of her face, noticing the arcing energy diminish and fade.

    She hadn''t meant to cast anything, it just came out. Just like with Mother, when Father died. When she was angry.

    Carmine winced, pain burning across the palm of her hand. Even in the dark of night, she could see blood leaking from her palm, feel its warmth across her hand. She cupped her wounded hand with her bandaged one, clutching it close to her chest.

    "Mom, Dad?" She spoke, hoping they''d somehow hear. "I''m sorry...I-I don''t think I can help you. Please don''t hate me. I''m sorry! I''m-"

    What was the point, she wondered, gritting her teeth before she wasted more breath. Drowning guilt replaced all her anger and sorrow as she remembered where she was. The ruin entrance was barely twenty paces away. If Nico wasn''t such a heavy sleeper, he''d have put a stop to this already. I''ll have to apologize to him too. She sighed, patting around in the dark until she felt the journal''s half-soaked cover.

    She''d betrayed him, and Vale. She''d broken her promise to both of them.

    Finding the lantern took more time, but eventually Carmine stubbed her toe on it.

    With her shame all collected, Carmine drudged her way back inside.

    The camp hadn''t changed from when she left a short while ago, and yet it somehow looked different. Nicholos still snored without a care in the world. He wouldn''t be so proud of her now.

    She dropped onto her bedroll, laying the journal on one side and the lantern on the other. She felt how it looked, broken and tilted to one side..

    Nicholos didn''t stir as Carmine re-lit the light, despite the discomfort it caused her. She looked at him, hoping he''d just wake up and know. She wouldn''t have to say anything he''d just...understand, but that was foolish.

    She would have to wake him herself. She didn''t know if she could.

    "Nico," she whispered, almost hoping he wouldn''t hear. She called again and again, each time a little louder, each time her voice cracking more.

    By the time he stirred, Carmine''s hands trembled in her grasp.

    "Aye, Carmine, what is it," He said, lifting his head.

    "Nico¡­" She called again, her head in her hands. "I''m sorry."

    "Whoa, hey, what''s wrong?" Nicholos pushed himself up, grimacing and holding his side. He reached towards her, but Carmine pulled away.

    "You''re worrying me, kiddo." A nervous laugh escaped him as he leaned to her face.

    "I...." Carmine turned her face away. "I''ve done something wrong. Something bad."

    "What, did you break the lantern?" Nicholos chuckled, poking the poor thing. "Wow, did you drop it? Don''t worry about it, it''s no big-"

    Carmine pushed the journal into Nicholos'' chest, her head hung low, unable to meet his eyes.

    "What''s this?" Nicholos asked as he took the soggy book from her hands.

    Silence answered him, only occasionally disturbed by the sound of paper flipping.

    Her shoulders seized, she bit her lip, punishment lingering in every second.

    Speak up! Carmine yelled in her mind. Tell him! Explain!

    Instead she said nothing, rocking in place as she regretted ever laying eyes on that stupid book, but even more her decision to open it.

    "Oh dear," Nicholos sighed before the journal snapped closed. "Tera is looking for this. This kind of research is...not meant for anyone''s eyes."

    "I''m know." Carmine''s voice turned hoarse, and she felt a lump in her throat. "I know i shouldn''t have-"

    "Stop. What''s done is done. Tera will want to know how this got here."

    "Are they going to take me away?" Carmine looked up, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. She feared the answer.

    "What? No, no, no, no. Please don''t think that. I won''t let that happen." Nicholos put his hand behind Carmine''s head and pulled her to his chest. She frowned. He should be yelling at her, scolding her, turning against her. Carmine felt the warmth of his hand and it confused her.

    "You made a mistake," he said, gently patting her head as her trembling started to subside. "But one I''m at fault. I thought this might be too hard for you. I tried to keep you away from it-"

    "No," Carmine interrupted. "I took it. I knew it was wrong, but I...but...I¡­" her voice cracked, barely able to get words out. "I just wanted to see them again." She broke down, burying her eyes in Nicholos'' coat.

    "I know, Carmine, I know." The old mage tried to soothe her. "That empty feeling, a void like no other. You can''t look at the world without noticing a gap. An empty space where something, someone should be. I know somedays it''s unbearable. I''ve seen you on those days and it hurts me more than any wound. On those days- these days remember: you have people who love you, and care about you, Aye? Vale and I, we''re here for you."

    "I know." The coat muffled Carmine''s reply.

    "You can talk to us."

    "I''m sorry."

    "No more of that. I forgive you."

    One of the archive¡¯s moving doors snapped open, followed by the clanging steps of armor before they stopped suddenly. Anxiety started to creep up Carmine''s spine again, but Nicholos took her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.

    "You made a mistake," he said in a gentle, blameless tone. Carmine nodded her confession. "The best thing we can do for that-

    "-is to admit it."

    "And you did. The worst is already behind us. I''ll talk to Tera. It''ll be okay."

    Nicholos stood up, still holding Carmine''s hand as they both turned to face the pair of exorcists.

    "Everything alright?" Tera looked between them, her care worn brow furrowing once again.

    "I believe you''re looking for this." Nicholos held the journal for Tera to take.

    As the book changed hands, and the elder exorcist recognized it, her brow only furrowed deeper.

    "And how did you come by this?"

    "I found it." Carmine admitted, shaking as she looked up to Tera.

    "It''s been opened." Her low tone sent a shiver down Carmine¡¯s spine, but Nicholos remained ever calm.

    "I think you and I should have a word in private," Nicholos suggested.

    "Yes, we should." Tera''s eyes flickered between the two mages. Her eyes saw through Carmine as if every secret she had was laid bare.

    "Jordan, watch her."

    "Uh, sure Master," Jordan agreed. He stopped removing his armor and looked at the trio with confused concern.

    "Take a rest, Carmine," Nicholos told her. "We''ll be back soon.¡±

    Carmine let go of Nicholos'' hand and sat back down on her bedroll. She watched the pair disappear into a separate room, the door shutting behind them. Not even Carmine''s ears could hear past it. This is it. She¡¯d be right next to Bernard on the pyre...or the rope, whatever they did to bad sorcerers.

    Rest was the last thing on Carmine''s mind. Tera scared her. The look in her eyes was even more serious than when the cage trapped her and Nicholos. Hopefully Nicholos would be alright.

    She waited, staring at the door for only a few minutes until it opened again. Tera came out first, the journal under her arm, face as stern as ever. Nicholos came out behind her still looking haggard, still holding his side. He deserved to be resting instead of cleaning up Carmine¡¯s mess.

    Metal boots snapped Carmine out of her thoughts and Tera marched straight towards her. Oh ancients, here it comes! She shut her eyes.

    Where she expected a slap, Carmine only felt a soft hand on her shoulder. She peeked to see Tera kneeling to meet her eyes.

    "You''re not in trouble." She said in a way for Carmine to completely doubt it. "Nicholos explained a few things. I...know a bit about how you feel."

    "You...do?" Carmine started to relax, more curious than afraid now.

    "I''m an exorcist. I''ve lost friends right before my eyes. Someone your age shouldn''t have to deal with so much so soon. It''s...small comfort, but I''m sorry no one was there for your family when you needed us."

    Carmine looked at the ground. She''d spent so many days wishing someone, anyone had been there.

    "But I can tell you this: It''s hard right now, but you''ll learn to deal with it as you grow, but you''ll always remember them," she finished quietly, her face softened as she tapped above Carmine''s heart with her gauntlet. "We carry them with us, here."

    Tera released her grip, standing tall again with that serious look back on her face. "Get your kit Jordan, we have what we need."

    "Master, its already so late- '''' The young exorcist started.

    "Pack up. Let''s go." Tera pointed to the door and Jordan hung his head.

    Nicholos took Carmine''s hand and helped her to her feet. "Time to go home."

    "Yeah," she agreed, ready for this incident to be behind her.

    "Hey," Nicholos called as she started to turn away. "It''s not easy, admitting our mistakes. I am proud of you kiddo."

 Chapter 12: Good Days

    Carmine fastened the vine around her forearm, and looked up at the tree hanging over her house. She raised her off hand to aim and readied herself.

    Aim for the thickest part of the branch, she told herself, where it can hold your weight.

    She yelled out with exertion, throwing the vine at her target, propelling it with a force spell. Evidently too much force. The vine sailed over her target tree in totality, landing far beyond her sight.

    "Damn it, not again," Carmine grumbled. By the time she would finally pull off this little trick she''d be an expert in coiling vines. If the issue with the archive taught her anything, it was to avoid creepy tombs filled with skeletons and desperate mages. An important lesson, but the second thing she learned was that there are much better ways to get around than walking along the floor. While couldn''t really solve all the dank tombs of the world, she did have an idea for getting around a little quicker.

    Unfortunately, that idea relied on Carmine having better aim than a blind elephant, which, at this point, insulted elephants

    With her makeshift rope all coiled again, she gave it another try. This time the vine barely skimmed the branch''s edge, but that was all Carmine wanted. Before she even allowed herself to celebrate, she switched focus to the vine, muttering a second spell. She asserted control over the plant, commanding it to coil around the branch before it fell too far. Once the vine went taught, it tugged on Carmine''s arm, pulling her up towards the tree a little faster than she wanted. As she swung closer, Carmine came to a worrying realization: she hadn''t planned on how to stop.

    The tree trunk greeted her with an aching crash, sending her dangling by the arm from its branches. The picture of dignity.

    "Still...a success," She muttered to herself in hollow victory. Her side ached, but not badly. At least it worked. Now she just had to refine the idea. First improvement to the process: refine ideas before attempting them.

    While she considered the better aspects of planning, a familiar snap caught her attention around the side of the cabin.

    Oh no.

    She wiggled her arm, trying to get the vine to come free, but it was too late.

    "What are you doing up there," Nicholos asked, stepping out from his portal.

    "The tree started it," She returned, her voice flat to hide her shame.

    Nicholos just smirked and leaned against the side of the cabin.

    "Trying something new are we? Playing the part of live bait for the bears, or just getting used to living among the trees?"

    "You''re hilarious."

    "Correct. Get down from there. I''ve got something to show you."

    Carmine looked up at her coiled vine and commanded it to unwrap. Slowly. She landed back on solid soil, shaking off the vine and aches both before giving Nicholos her attention.

    "What''s new this time, Nico?" She turned up to his face, suspicious of the barely contained grin. "Happen to make some new flavor of self-sweeping broom?"

    "Nooooo," He harmonized. Carmine noticed he held something behind him. "Guess again."

    "No!"

    "Oh, you''re no fun." Nicholos said as he pulled an opened envelope from behind his back.

    "Did you get a pen-pal? Vale always said you needed more friends."

    "Carmine, you wound me. I have plenty of friends-"

    "Ruins don''t count."

    "Oh, fine. Listen here you." Nicholos pulled her in by the shoulder. He pulled a note from the envelope, one with an extravagant crest emblazoned at the top. "You really handled yourself well at the ruin, and with the exorcists. What''s more, you''ve exceeded your studies in more ways than I could have hoped for. I''d say that counts as being a great student."

    Carmine furrowed her brow, searching Nicholos'' eyes for his point when it dawned on her: a promise made a few years back.

    "A-are we going-?" She stammered, her words falling to excitement.

    "I have here three tickets for entry through Edrinock''s waygate. Vale''s already on her way here." Nicholos'' eyes lit up, matching Carmine''s. "How''d you like to see the capital?"

    Within the hour, Carmine cleaned up and returned to Nicholos with her best coat on, her reddest scarf around her neck and a journal under her arm. Everything new had to be noted down and studied for later sights, sounds, events and the capital''s food. Especially the capital''s food.

    Vale had arrived while Carmine prepared, and now all three stood together.

    "What are we waiting for?" Carmine said as she bounced closer to the pair. "Let''s go!"

    "All right, you crazy kid," Vale said as Carmine pulled her towards the side of the cabin. "You''d think you''d been locked up in that house all your life. Nico?"

    "Just a moment," Nicholos replied. Concentration furrowed his brow as he focused on the wall he used to get to and from his shop. He started the portal''s incantation, one he wouldn''t teach Carmine yet because "oooh dangerous". She tried to listen to pick up the words, but her own attention was too focused on whatever would be on the other side of that portal. What grand castles? What magic towers? What colossal walls?

    The familiar snap of the spell linking to its end point rang in Carmine''s ears. She leapt through as their destination came into view.

    "Please come throu-" A voice on the other end started as Carmine''s feet hit the floor. She looked across to a man sitting behind a desk blocked from the room by a pane of glass. His bagged eyes heaved up from an intimidating stack of papers to stare at Carmine. His exasperated glare lingered longer on the scarred side of her face than the other. Carmine turned her face away, pulling her scarf over her burn. "Please wait for proper instructions before entering." He sounded like he hadn''t slept in days.

    "S-sorry." She straightened up, clutching her journal a little tighter. The small room where she landed looked as plain as plain could be: featureless stone walls, a cheap rug thrown over the floor and not even a single place to sit. Not the most impressive welcome.

    "Remember what I said," Nicholos mumbled as he entered behind Carmine. "People here are a little...wound up."

    "He means they like their rules." Vale corrected. "It''s not like home, Red. They have a rule for everything here."

    "Please keep chatter to a minimum as your visit is processed." The man behind the glass droned on, face glued to his papers.

    "See?" Vale pointed.

    "Sir Nicholos of Louis Port?" The clerk called out.

    "Aye, that''s me." Nicholos stepped forward.

    "These two are your companions as expressed in your requisitioned portal tickets?" The clerk''s voice drained Carmine''s excitement by the word.

    "They are. These are-"

    "Please state your names for the chronicle and whether or not you have visited Edrinock before."

    Nicholos clenched his jaw and looked at Carmine. He nudged her towards the clerk with apologetic eyes

    "I-I''m Carmine F-Felis," she started. The blank walls of the room and the clerk''s disinterested stare made her feel like she was in trouble. "I''ve...uh...n-never been here. Before."

    "Thank you," the clerk replied without a hint of gratitude, his pen scribbling away. "And you-"

    "Valentine Verdania," Vale exclaimed, leaning closer to the glass. "Yes, I''m a faun. No, I am not arriving from Reala. No, I''ve no weapons to declare. My herbs are medicinal, not poisonous, and yeah: I''ve been here before."

    The clerk looked up from his paper, a bead of sweat dropping from his bushy brow. He reached into his desk and searched around before finding a large file. "M-miss Verdania, of course," The clerk sputtered. "You are on the approved list, please enter!"

    The clerk pressed a button on his desk and the waiting room''s door popped open. He put on his best fake grin as he motioned for the three to leave.

    "I love it when you do that," Nicholod said to Vale as they walked.

    "Believe me, portal customs loses its charm after the dozenth time." Vale eagerly left the room, no mirth on her face, leaving a frown on Nicholos''. Just like with the exorcists, Vale''s attitude soured around empire folk.

    "H-have you been here a lot, Vale?" Carmine sped up to catch to her doctor before she walked through the door, only to find a corridor as boring as the room they just left.

    "Hm? Oh, yeah," Vale replied.  She smiled as she spoke but the creases from her brow stayed deep. "I''ve had to come by a few times recently. I''ll tell you about it in a bit."

    "O-okay. You...answered a lot more questions than Nico and I."

    "Don''t worry about me, Red, I''ve dealt with ''extra precautions'' for a while now." Vale rolled her eyes and kept walking. "It''s part of living in Vembris when it has gripes with your home nation. If it were different, it would be the Aevans or Vulfans they''d harass.They worry anyone is a spy, but of course Arova and Creed don''t share a border with Vembris...So it''s fauns they bother. But hey, don''t you worry about that, alright? The rest of the city is just fine."

    "Are we gonna see it soon?" Carmine asked, raising her arms at the corridor. "All I''ve seen so far is a boring room and a very sad man."

    "They do that for security," Nicholos explained. "Anyone trying to get in this way without permission will get trapped back there. And look," Nicholos pointed ahead, "there''s our exit."

    The hallway ended in a pair of massive double doors, made of metal! Carmine didn''t even see a way to open it, but as she stepped in front of them, they began to move on their own.

    Through the widening gap between them, Carmine saw a city sprawling across, and above  the land. Below, she saw a sea of grey buildings, bunched together, surrounded by roads all over. Among them, some towers rose up into platforms, looming over parts of the city as whole districts sat atop them. More spires raced ever upward, even piercing the clouds as a network of interconnected bridges linked them all together. Carmine noticed a familiar blue shine run under the bridges, like the one she''d seen in the ancients'' archive. She saw it again, attached to the bottom of a tower that floated unbound midair! If that didn''t shock her enough, she saw sailboats with weird spinning sticks attached behind them flying, really flying, from platform to platform. It didn''t even wobble! Carmine couldn''t even fly herself yet.

    Past it all, one building put all others to shame. A massive palace, it had to be the palace, stretching from the ground level, all the way past the tallest spires. Carmine couldn''t even see where it ended. Every person in Rolderston could move their whole house inside and there would still be room left over. How was such a structure even built?

    "Careful Red," Vale pointed at Carmine''s open-mouthed expression. "Don''t want a bird to nest in there."

    Carmine clenched her jaw, embarrassed. There was so much. "T-this city is so big." She said, opening her arms wide. "What do we even do? Where do we start?"

    "I knew this would be a lot to take in," Nicholos stepped to the edge of their platform. He took Carmine''s shoulder and pulled her with him. In that second she realized; they weren''t on the ground level either. Dizziness gripped her as she stared down at the ant-sized people a long way below them. It was then she noticed the guard rails and how glad she was for them.

    Vale snorted behind her. Carmine glared back. It was no laughing matter!

    "See that platform over there?" Nicholos pointed across the city to one of the few bits of colour that stuck out; a tower with long colored strips of cloth tethered to the edges of its district. "It''s one of the city¡¯s leisure districts. They have all sorts of shops there, and games, and-

    ¡°Uh, Nico,¡± Vale cut in, ¡°That¡¯s...not the leisure district you want. It''s that one.¡± Vale pointed at another platform, equally as colourful.

    ¡°Oh...they pretty similar.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the other one then,¡± Carmine asked Vale.

    For some reason, Vale looked away, starting to look a little embarrassed. ¡±Dunno if I should say.¡±

    ¡°Vale, what¡¯s the other district?¡± Nico repeated the question, just as curious.

    ¡°Nico, its banners are red.¡± Vale said, shooting him an incredulous look.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Nico¡¯s eyes went wide and his face turned red.

    ¡°So what,¡± Carmine turned her attention to him. He knew something. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll, uh...it''s a place where...adults...go to meet each other to...engage in...uh...¡± Nico let the silence hang too long, so Carmine turned to Vale.

    ¡°Brothels.¡± Vale said plainly

    Carmine blinked, her ears going as red as Nico, but the old wizard had one more question.

    ¡°Wait, how do you know-?¡±

    ¡°BUT, we¡¯re here for the restaurants.¡± Vale spoke over him, without a hint of shame.

    "I never forgot what you said about the food here." Carmine replied, turning her attention to the first new subject to arise.

    ¡°Aye...right,¡± Nico composed himself. ¡°We¡¯ll be there before long. Excited?¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Of course!¡±

    No such excitement accompanied the arrival of their taxi. Moving from district to district happened one of two ways, according to Nicholos. Either they took a lift down to ground level and walked through crowded streets and city blocks, an endeavor that Vale claimed would take literal hours, or they took one of those flying boats. An airship, Vale called them. Terrifying, Carmine called them.

    "You sure it''s not going to fall?" Carmine lingered at the edge of the small ship like a tree rooted to land. Seeing Nico and Vale already on the thing tried her heart enough. It would fall any moment, she knew it would!

    "It''s fine, Carmine, these ships have been in use for decades," Nicholos held out his hand, coaxing Carmine as though she were a skittish deer. Her eyes certainly looked the part.

    The young mage leaned towards the lift, her eyes catching the smallest gap where the platform ended and the ship began. So small that not even a pen could fall through it, but on the other side the drop waited.

    "Nope. No. No, no, no. Not happening." Carmine took three life preserving paces away from the edge and turned her back to it. "Walking. On land. Let''s go."

    "Okay. If that makes you feel better, Carmine." Nicholos stood up, acting like he would leave, but she knew that voice, that lofty tone. She crossed her arms and guarded herself. "We can walk sure, but- oh!" He turned to  Vale. "We''ll be late for our reservations at The Epicurean, won''t we?"

    "What? What is that?" Carmine sneered over her shoulder, but they both acted like they didn''t hear.

    "Aw, you''re right Nico." Vale sunk back in her chair aboard the ship, disappointed- no, feigning disappointment. Carmine caught that underlying smirk, she knew better! "And I was just so looking forward to going there." Vale pouted over the city, a wistful look in her eyes.

    "Hey! Stop ignoring me!"  Carmine stormed back to the threshold. Not even their goading would trick her to step on. "What is this ''epicurean'' thing?"

    "Just a modest eatery," Nicholos explained, shrugging his shoulders. "One that''s a little hard to get into. People wait months just for a taste of the masterpieces that come out of their kitchen."

    How dare you, Carmine thought, squinting her eyes at Nico. He couldn¡¯t do this

    "I got pretty lucky too," Vale added, curling her obsidian hair around her finger. "A friend gave me their slot since they couldn''t make it. Guess we''ll have to find some other place. Maybe something closer, quick and cheap-"

    Carmine dropped into the chair between them, arms still crossed against her chest from both fury and anxiety, but...she was getting hungry.

    "You. Are. Both. Awful." She growled through grit teeth, her stomach following suit.

    "The worst." Vale agreed, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

    "Off we go then," Nicholos stepped to the front of the ship. A crystal pane brightened to life, just like the ones in the ruins. At Nico¡¯s touch images slid across its surface. Carmine couldn''t be sure, but it looked like a map of the city. While Nico messed with the pane, something else bothered Carmine.

    Where was the driver? Where was the wheel, or the rudder, or whatever was supposed to control the ship? How was it supposed too-?

    Without warning, the boat lurched from the platform, the weightlessness that accompanied falling not far behind.

    "We''re going to crash!" Carmine cried, squeezing her eyes shut, and digging her nails into her chair.

    "No, no we''re fine," Nicholos tried to calm her. "That''s just how these things work, they can be a little...bumpy, that''s all. Look...we''re flying."

    Carmine slowly opened her eyes, knowing the ground would be right there, waiting to slam into their little raft. Instead, the sky spilled out before her to the horizon. Air flowed all around them as they sailed through this empty ocean. Carmine stood, her legs a bit wobbly as her scarf danced in the breeze behind her. She leaned on the edge of the ship, looking down at the city passing below them, and the welcoming clouds above. Even after all she''d learned, nothing compared to this sense of wonder, of freedom.

    "How is this possible?" She asked, not daring to tear her eyes away from the view.

    "A lot of study in both science and sorcery." Nicholos answered. "Take that glowing stone on the underside of that tower." Nicholos pointed at one of the keeps floating higher than the ship. "This ship has the same thing inside it. It''s called arkanite. The ancients used it in their buildings. Remember how some of the objects in the archive could cast magic? Well, some folks smarter than me figured out how to use stone like the ancients did. They figured out how to imprint energy and intent on the ore and from there it just took some imagination, and they built all this." Nicholos waved at the city below them.

    "There''s nothing even close to this in Rolderston, or any other town I''ve seen." Carmine stared at the towering spires again, this time noticing faint blue glows in their construction. Not a one swayed in the wind.

    "And you won''t see much outside cities," Vale continued. A scowl crawled over her face, landing on the palace. "Arkanite¡¯s a precious resource to Vembris, but that ''emperor'' would rather spend it on making weapons and armor for his armies than bettering the lives of his people."

    "It''s not that simple," Nicholos doubted.

    "Maybe." Vale rested her chin on her hand and stared into the sky. "We can debate that another day." Vale turned her attention to Carmine. "Ever been to a carnival?"

    "Once," Carmine answered. "On the eve of a harvest one year, some traveling performers came through town. They threw a big party to help us celebrate." Carmine smiled behind her scarf and bitter nostalgia. "M-mother baked a lot of sweets while Father let the other kids ride our horses."

    "Carmine," Nicholos reached out, but she stopped him.

    "I''m okay." She answered. "It...it was fun."

    ¡°Welp, get ready for some more,¡± Vale warned, ¡°Our dinner isn¡¯t until evening, and this place has a bunch of games to kill the time. So I say we blow Nico¡¯s money on some games for ourselves. You and I could turn a few odds in our favor and win-¡±

    "Don''t cheat please." Nicholos sighed at her.

    "You know these games aren''t fair." Vale retorted as she spoke in Carmine''s other ear. "You know Red, they''d never suspect a kid like you witching a few things-"

    "Don''t you dare." Nicholos warned again.

    "Just think about it," the faun whispered, feigning defeat to Nicholos as he glared like a grumpy dad. They both knew Vale never gave up anything so easily. Carmine laughed at them both.

    The ship swooped next to the new platform, and Carmine leapt to be on solid ground once again. Before she even took another step, color assaulted her from every direction. Every one of the buildings here ran awash with different hues. Whether it be dyed cloth draped over each wall, or paintings soaked into the stones, each stall, house, and light post spited its own grey upbringing. It treaded back and forth over the line of tasteful to garish.

    The sounds overwhelmed Carmine''s ears just as much; music, crowds laughter, it all blended together into discordant noise. She didn''t know whether to be nervous or mesmerized.

    "Well, what do you think," Nicholos nodded ahead.

    "Whoa- it''s loud." Carmine took in the surrounding chaos.

    ¡°Yeah, that seems right.¡± Nicholos chuckled and walked her forward. ¡°Come, let¡¯s find a game.¡±

    Find games they did, but how to choose? She could hit targets with a toy bow, knock over targets by throwing a ball, or try to win a prize at the ring toss. So many options...she would just have to do them all, starting with the horse rides.

    She missed caring for horses the way she used to. As much as Carmine loved learning magic, remembering how she helped look after Mother and Father''s horses always brought a smile to her face. Sitting in a saddle again took her back years. Even on a horse whose name she didn''t know, even on a small track just to trot in a circle, Carmine could clear her head and enjoy the rhythm of the horse''s steps.

    Unfortunately, the rest of the games were not so peaceful. There were shenanigans afoot, she knew. Some of these "games" were rigged! Had to be! The rings in the ring toss were too small, they bounced right off the bottles. And another thing: when she had to knock over targets with a ball the ball may as well have been made of clouds! She''d have better luck breaking the targets with her angry thoughts than the stupid thing!

    "You''ll get it Carmine," Nicholos consoled her after her latest failed throw.

    "Maybe if I was given a fair chance," Carmine grumbled back.

    "Remember what I told you," Vale whispered, avoiding Nicholos'' narrow eyed stare.

    "That will be another five pennies if you want to try again," the game attendant explained, holding the next batch of spongy lies for Carmine to throw.

    "Five!?" Nicholos'' attention snapped back to the attendant like she was a yarish archive. "It was three just a second ago."

    "The first couple of tries are at a discount." The attendant tried to explain. They went back and forth, the attendant explaining policy and Nico taking exception to it. It would have been funny if Nico hadn''t already done it at nearly every other game so far.

    Please Nico, Carmine thought as she averted her eyes, trying to disassociate from the embarrassment. She almost flinched when she found someone else''s eyes staring back at her. A boy, younger than her, attached to his mother by the hand, had his frown fixed upon Carmine until he realized Carmine was looking back. He hid behind his mother, tugging on her arm and whispering a question he didn''t think Carmine could hear.

    "Mom, what happened to her face?"

    The mother turned to see what her son was talking about just to be met with the same sight. She quickly turned back to her son, hushing him, telling him not to ask such questions.

    Carmine pulled her scarf back up over her nose, shame creeping up from her stomach to her heart. Nicholos and Vale saw nothing, heard nothing, as the former kept arguing with the clerk. It dawned on her there; every game she went to the clerks and other customers all avoided her eyes. Not one spoke to her, preferring to leave all their words for Nicholos or Vale. Even now the game clerk never even looked at her.

    Fine! If they wanted to pretend they couldn''t see her, then she''d pretend they weren''t looking. Carmine stole one of the balls from the clerk''s desk. She hid a brief incantation under a yell as she threw the ball towards the shelf packed full of targets.

    It impacted with far more force than it had any right to, and the shelf wobbled back and forth, spilling every target to the floor to shatter. As the shelf landed on its back, every eye turned towards her, confused and awed.

    "Ha! I did it! I...uh¡­" As her excitement faded, Carmine remembered how awful being the center of attention was. She pulled up her scarf even higher and threw her hood over her head, keen to go back into hiding. Too bad Vale didn''t let her.

    "Well, well, seems Carmine has quite the arm on her," Vale stepped beside her, holding Carmine by the shoulder and giving the clerk her most smug, satisfied grin. "Seems she hit one, two¡­every target. So that''s the main prize right?"

    "Uh...well," The clerk took their head in her hands, staring at the shattered clay mess Carmine had made. "You¡­you didn''t pay-"

    Coin hit the desk at those words. "There." Nicholos pulled his hand back from five dirty copper pennies. His stony eyes left no room for debate.

    "But you...fine," the clerk sighed, flailing their arm at the prizes hanging above the game.

    Carmine looked up at stuffed toys, cheap jewelry, and collections of candy larger than she''d ever seen, but none of them mattered right now unless they could make everyone stop staring!

    She pointed to the first expensive looking thing she saw: a fine black coat with patterns in the fabric.

    ¡°That?¡± Vale raised a brow. ¡°I think that¡¯d be a bit big for you.¡±

    ¡°Good it can hide me,¡± Carmine replied, grabbing the coat from the clerk¡¯s hand and putting it over her head as if she were hiding from rain. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±

    ¡°Fair enough, Red.¡± Vale pulled Carmine along. ¡°You know, i¡¯m proud you took my advice-¡±

    ¡°Magic shouldn¡¯t be used to cheat Vale,¡± Nicholos mumbled so the crowd couldn''t hear.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t cheating, that was just making it even. You know the games here aren¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Can we just go eat please?¡± Carmine interrupted their squabbling before it really started. As fun as the games were, she¡¯d seen enough crowds for one day.

    Thankfully, no one stopped them when they left, and according to Vale: not getting caught is pretty much the same as not cheating at all. Nico wanted her to stop talking after that. Evening couldn¡¯t come soon enough, and by the time the sky turned violet and the sun disappeared below the horizon, Carmine and her guardians found their table on a balcony overlooking the city.

    Its grey facade fell away at night, leaving the city awash with light. Each glow signaling another life living in the city. A life with a family, a life on its own. What would Carmine be if she were one of those lights out there? Before she could think too much about it, she became extremely, and justifiably, distracted.

    The aroma of fresh spices and cooking meat wafted out from the Epicurean¡¯s kitchen turning Carmine¡¯s nose, and thoughts, towards food.

    ¡°Uh oh, she¡¯s drooling,¡± Vale teased, tossing a napkin towards Carmine.

    ¡°Am not!¡± She sneered back, but wiped her mouth anyway, just to be safe.

    "Why not? Your nose works." Vale turned all her attention towards the kitchen exit, leaning forward on her chair. "I would trade every meal in my life for whatever comes next out that door."

    "Let''s not get too crazy," Nico tossed a napkin over Vale''s face. "You''ll get us thrown out for leering at the staff."

    "They''re not so bad either-"

    "Vale please...we had something else to talk about."

    "Right, right, fine spoil sport. Onto business." Vale twisted in her chair to look back at Carmine.

    The young mage soon found both her guardians staring at her intently. She started to sweat.

    "We''ve been thinking," Nico began.

    "That''s not good," Carmine blurted out.

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Nicholos frowned, confused, while Vale just laughed.

    "No!" Carmine raised her hands in defence. "I didn''t mean it like that...just...you both seemed so serious."

    "She''s got us there Nico." Vale added as she sat up. "You looked like you were going to pass a stone. Maybe this isn''t as big a deal as we think."

    "What''s not a big deal?" Carmine asked. It''d be great if they stopped leaving her in the dark.

    "We''ve been thinking," Nico started over. "Maybe it''s time you had a more...stable environment. As good as you did on our little adventure, leaving home behind to explore a dangerous ruin every few weeks for money isn''t the best upbringing for a young lady, or a young mage."

    "It...it was pretty scary," Carmine admitted. Most ruins probably didn''t have shambling thralls running amok, but it wasn''t something she wanted to risk twice. "So what do we do?"

    "That''s what we wanted to talk to you about." Nicholos looked towards Vale.

    "I''ve been offered a position to teach at the Laval Institute for arcane studies." Vale explained. "They want me to be their expert on restoration magics and head doctor."

    "That''s great!" Carmine clapped her hands together. "Much better than Rolderston''s dingy clinic."

    "I liked dingy you know," Vale pointed back at her. "Made things even more rewarding when I fixed folks up, but this is too good a job to pass up for me. Not many places would hire fauns in such a high position."

    "So...you''re leaving?" Carmine''s smile faltered, as happy as she was for Vale, she didn''t want to see her go.

    "Next year, yeah, but that''s not what we wanted to talk to you about. I was able to do some negotiating and...they agreed to take you on as well."

    "Me!?"

    "Yep. The institute is a school. They take students around your age and help you find a future where you can use your talents. I told them that you were my prot¨¦g¨¦ but also a gifted mage in your own right. They''re always looking for talented students¡­mostly for their own reputation, but you would learn a lot."

    "And be with people your own age," Nicholos added. His face lowered with sadness, aged lines digging deep across his face. "You know better than most that life can change in an instant. If...if anything were to happen to me, I wouldn''t want you to be alone again. If you go, you could meet people, make friends, gain experience that will help you later in life."

    "But you can''t come." Carmine read his face for that detail. His silence gave the answer he wouldn''t.

    "It''s not by his choice," Vale came to Nico''s defence. "The institute has on site lodging just for students and staff."

    "It''s fine Vale." Nico raised his hand for her to stop. "It''s fine if you want to stay. I''ll keep taking care of you as long as I have strength in these bones, and I''ll keep teaching you of course. I...I just really believe that this-"

    "It''s okay Nico," Carmine stopped him, seeing the pain in his eyes. She saw he hated the idea of separating as much as she did, but he would let her choose anyway. "I...I''ll go." Her voice cracked in her throat. "If you think I can learn and...and make friends, I''ll do it. I want to do it."

    "Oh, Carmine." Nico circled around the table on one side, and Vale squeezed in on the other. She felt sandwiched between their embrace.

    Carmine''s eyes warped with bittersweet tears. "I''ll- I''ll be the best mage you ever heard of. I''ll make you proud."

    "We already are." Her guardians said at once. Their warmth soothed Carmine''s anxiety at what she''d just agreed to. She would do her best for them.

    Her found Father and Mother.

 Chapter 13: Enrolled

    Overgrown grass rose to Carmine''s waist as she waded through. Weeds and dead leaves from years past crunched beneath her feet. Nature reclaimed the once-tended clearing. No surprise there, her former home''s grounds sat abandoned for four years.

    Gentle rain pittered on the charred remains of her house as mold and fungus grew through the cracked wood. The sight twisted Carmine''s stomach in knots. She used to love that house. Her hands trembled only a second before clenching to fists.

    It''s alright, She calmed herself. No one lives there anymore...I am alright.

    A few deep breaths calmed unwound the tight feeling in her gut.  She focused on fond memories and pushed grim reality a little further away. Riding the horses with mother, going to the collecting statuettes with father, those moments would always be with her. Moving past her home, Carmine swore she could smell one of Mother''s fresh baked chocolate muffins. Maybe Carmine would try making one herself if Vale''s new school offered baking as a subject. If only magic could conjure such delights, Carmine would become a cook-o-mancer in an instant.

    Her musings came to an end as she stopped before two short, rough standing stones.

    Tombstones for Mother and Father.

    Grass grew over the faint dirt recesses where the bodies had been interred. Dust and mud caked the stones as they sat lopsided, sunken into the mud.

    Nicholos had come back during the weeks Vale treated Carmine''s burns. He dug these graves all by himself, erected the stones, but couldn''t tend them in the years that passed. He worried if some townsfolk knew someone was visiting the graves; they might get suspicious and come looking for her.

    She could barely read Mother and Father''s names through the gunk in the carved recesses. Carmine decided that today caution didn''t matter.

    Ancient words left Carmine''s lips as she put a hand to the soil. Flowers budded and blossomed at the base of each stone. She then turned her attention to the stones themselves and with another spell she cleaned the muck from their faces. They deserved that much at least.

    Her chores finished, Carmine sat on her knees in front of her Mother and Father...before correcting her posture like they''d tell her.

    "Hi mum. Hey dad," she began. "It''s been a little while, so sorry for the wait. You''re both looking well. You''re welcome." Carmine dusted off one of the tombstones with a smirk. "I''ve been studying. A lot. This school Vale is taking me to has some pretty big expectations. Nico and I have spent a whole year just getting ready for its admission test." Carmine let an anxious grimace rise to her face. "A test which happens to be...today...goody." She smiled with mock joy. "Guess you could say I''m a little nervous. Like...I know I''ll pass it, I''m your daughter after all, I''m just worried what happens when I do...Reefcliff is a big city. Vale says it''s a port town. I have no idea how I''m gonna live there. Rolderston was like Rieland, minus the scum. Gonna be farther from you as well, but..." Carmine frowned, her hands clenching her robe as anxiety loomed ahead, but she took another deep breath and tried to control it. "No, nevermind all that. Didn''t come all this way to complain. What I want to say is...I''m okay. I''ll be okay. So don''t worry."

    Carmine smiled, feeling a lump in her throat. She rose to her feet before she got too comfortable to leave. "I got you both something." She reached into her satchel and pulled out two small figurines. Each fit in the palm of her hand, just like the ones she used to have on her night table. "Since visiting will be harder, I''m making sure these two keep you company. For you dad," Carmine placed the statue of a horse riding knight on his tombstone, "And for you mum," on the other, she placed a statue of a sorceress, pointy hat and all. With a brief incantation, the bases of each statue fused to their respective tombstones, starting their eternal vigil. "I made them with magic, so someone might call it cheating, buuuut I won''t say anything if you don''t." She chuckled at her own joke for only a moment before the rain filled the silence. "Miss you both. I''ll come back when I can." She put a hand to the stones, running her fingers across the names "Alan" and "Antora."

    "I love you both very much."

    With all that needed saying said, Carmine took her hands from the stones, turned her back with all her strength, and marched back towards the road.

    Would they be proud of her? Or would they have wanted a different life? Carmine wished she knew. So little time they had, she couldn''t remember ever hearing their wishes.

    Before she realized it, she emerged from the brush, with two familiar faces staring back at her.

    "Oh, good your back," Nicholos came over, already doting. "Did anyone see you? Did anyone-"

    "No, Nico," Carmine answered, trying to push his embarrassing embrace off her. "Nothing happened. I didn''t see anyone."

    "Give her some space Nico," Vale came to the rescue. "Red''s fine, you can see that."

    "I don''t hold the people around here in the highest regard," Nico grumbled back. He and Carmine shared a knowing stare. "You said you wanted to go alone, and I respect that. I worry, what can I say."

    "It''s fine," Carmine sighed. She didn''t like Nicholos coming here alone either. "Doesn''t seem like anyone goes up to my old house anyway."

    "Hmm...good." Silence hung between them as each knew the other had no want to continue with that subject.

    "If you two are done," Vale said, tapping her wrist. "It''d be best if we were on time for the opening ceremony. Getting fired on my first day would be funny if it weren''t extremely distressing to our future."

    "Oh! Can I do it!" Carmine looked to Nicholos, eager to show off another skill she''s been practicing. Her excitement faded with a shake of his head.

    "Best that I do," he answered, "You''ll need all your strength for the test."

    "And so we don''t end up lost in some frozen wasteland," Vale added.

    "Hey!" Carmine snapped "Now I know I''ve never done that."

    "Ladies," Nicholos interrupted. His eyes shut tight with concentration. "Trying to focus."

    Goosebumps crawled over Carmine''s skin. She wanted to believe that it came from the magic Nico controlled, and not the nervousness locked in the back of her mind.

    The snapping portal proved to be the key to set that all free again.

    Salty wind wafted out from the portal, warmer than the air around them now.  Sounds of a city at work soon followed as Carmine laid eyes on Reefcliff for the first time.

    Dozens of voices, all chattered over each other about things drowned out in the discord. Squawking gulls hovered in the sky unafraid of the dozen bells all ringing in the coming ships. Carmine could see their masts sliding above the nearby rooftops. The portal itself had opened onto a wide road, with dozens of other groups walking forward towards its end; a tower, built of dark blue stones stretching tall into the clouds. The Laval Institute.

    "M-maybe we should have visited before now," Carmine murmured.

    "You know I offered to," Vale said, smugly shrugging as she stepped through the portal.. "But every time I offered it was ''Vale, I have to practice,'' or ''Vale, today''s a break day.'' We''re out of time, Red. Today''s the day."

    "Right...guess we''ll just-"

    "Off we go," Vale grabbed Carmine by the shoulders and pull her through the portal despite her whines of protest. Nico followed close behind and the portal snapped shut behind him.

    No way back now.

    Carmine froze in the middle of the road. She''d never seen so many people in one place, let alone mages. Everywhere she looked she saw another apprentice like herself. How many of them had come to study at the institute? Did that single tower really have room for them all?

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Past the tower she saw the namesake of the city itself. Structures climbed the back of a massive cliff that curved northward, its edge sheared to a dead drop facing the sea. All along its green hued surface webbed stone crawled out from the water, up the cliffside side. To Carmine''s eyes, it looked like a piece of land fell into the ocean, and what was left tried to cover the scar. She shook her head free of the sight before she sunk any more thought into it¡­and hid the fact she started to relate to a rock formation.

    "Do we just go to the tower?" Carmine looked to Vale.

    "Follow the crowd, Red," Vale replied, pulling her along. "Being late to the opening ceremony isn''t the best first impression."

    "Uh...Nico?"

    "I''m here," her old mentor walked beside her. "You''re going to do fine."

    He knew her better than anyone. If he said she''d be alright, she''d be alright. Her shoulders felt a little less heavy as she took another step forward.. Sometimes a few words were all it took.

    The mages gathered into a line outside the Laval gates. Looking ahead Carmine saw a portly man with a big mustache directing them all through. He wore an extravagant blue coat, the same colour as the tower, complete with frills and an ascot. When it came to their turn his eyes bulged wide in recognition.

    "Ms. Verdania! So good to meet you," he bellowed, engulfing Vale''s hand in his own, nearly shaking her whole body with his hearty handshake.

    "Uh yes,¡± Vale threw on a smile , rearing back from the man¡¯s forwardness. ¡°Sorry, who might you be?

    ¡°Forgive me, forgive me.¡± The man pulled back, face flush with embarrassment. ¡°I am Professor Robert Castadio, you may simply call me Robert if you wish. Once again, apologies for the overly excited greeting. We¡¯ve not had a new addition to the faculty in half-a-decade. It''s always interesting when someone new joins our ranks. I¡¯m looking forward to learning your techniques blending Raelish and Vembrian medecine.¡±

    Vale relaxed, nodding to the gateman, ¡°Thank you. I look forward to working with you.¡± She gave Carmine a little nudge forward to bring them beside each other.

    Oh no¡­Introductions.

    ¡°H-Hi,¡± Carmine raised a wavy hand. ¡°I¡¯m Farmine-¡± Shit! Carmine clamped shut, closing her hand into a fist as her face went red. Already she lost her tongue. Just never speak again. Problem solved.

    Robert chuckled to himself, and patted Carmine¡¯s shoulder. He looked at her, face gliding to a knowing grin without a hint of mockery. He didn¡¯t even stare at her scar.

    ¡°I understand, believe me.¡± He said.  ¡°When I first enrolled so many years ago, I let my mother speak for me. I didn¡¯t say a peep. Can you believe it, a big guy like me?¡± He chuckled to himself, his jolly demeanor easing Carmine¡¯s embarrassment. ¡°Now, come on, let¡¯s hear it again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Carmine Felis,¡± She tried again, not letting a single word slip away this time. ¡°Apprentice to Vale Verdania, and Nicholos the wise.¡±

    ¡°Nico the wise¡± Vale nudged her old friend, ¡°Since when?¡±

    ¡°Hey I didn¡¯t make her say it,¡± Nico replied, flicking Vale¡¯s floppy ears. ¡°But I''m not gonna tell her she¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful to hear Ms. Carmine,¡± Robert gave her a proud nod and shook her hand much like Vale¡¯s. ¡°I look forward to teaching you what I know, and learning from you as well.¡±

    What she could teach an instructor at an academic institute, Carmine had no idea, but already she thought this might not be as bad as she feared..

    Professor Robert opened his coat, the inside black as a void compared to its blue exterior. As Carmine flinched back, he reached in, hand vanishing from sight until it emerged holding a necklace. A black cord with an effigy of the laval tower attached. A tiny ruby sat embedded into the tower¡¯s center, shining in the daylight. Before Carmine could admire it fully, he held it out for her to take.

    ¡°That¡¯s for me?¡± Carmine pointed at the trinket, surprised.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Robert nodded. ¡°I thought you might prefer the ruby, but if you want, there¡¯s amethyst, sapphire-¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± Carmine took the necklace and put it on. ¡°It''s just really nice. You sure it''s alright for me to have?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s yours now,¡± Professor Robert kept smiling. He turned Carmine towards the Laval courtyard, a square surrounded by beautiful gardens and brick walls, and guided her to one of the four quadrants where apprentices were distributed.

    Strange, the person before Carmine was sent to a different part.

    ¡°This is where I leave you, for now,¡± Vale said. She rested her hands on her hip, flashing a confident smirk to Carmine. ¡°You better show all these others that you had the best teachers in the land, got it.¡±

    ¡°Vale please,¡± Carmine feigned worry, ¡°That¡¯s guaranteed.¡±

    "Of course, how could I even think otherwise?¡±

    Vale went towards the front of the courtyard where other people, probably the other professors,  all lined up. Carmine and Nico moved to the designated quadrant of the courtyard and stood among a group of fellow apprentices and their guardians. Mostly humans surrounded her, and well off ones at that, with their fancy dyed cloaks and their...beautifully carved staffs that Carmine definitely didn''t want for herself. Nope. She didn''t need one, and that''s what she told herself. Mother''s book will be enough.

    Aside from the humans, she saw a few fauns around, and a person with feathery wings coiled around their waists, an Aerovan, followed by a gang of wolfish people hanging around the youngest of their number, probably the student. Vulfans¡­seems this academy attracts people from all walks, but during her searching Carmine noticed there were no other elves around, as guardians or students. And hopefully no one would notice her.

    Carmine pulled her hood a little tighter. The last thing she wanted was to stick out. People who stuck out got stared at-

    "Hi!" A cheerful, and entirely unrecognized voice yanked Carmine from her thoughts. She slowly turned back in front of her to see a boy her age staring at her with a big toothed grin. He wore a deep blue robe similar to professor Roberts'' at the gate. The boy had a soft round face with dimples surrounding his smile. Eyes blue like the ocean never moved from Carmine''s, and his black hair had been trimmed just above his eyes without a single stray strand.

    Carmine jumped at this sudden social monster that had selected her as a target.

    What kind of person just approaches strangers!? What did she say back? Should she say anything back? Maybe if she went quiet it would just get bored on moved on-

    Carmine yelped as an icy chill touched her neck. She whipped around at Nico as he started chatting with one of the other older mages nearby, frost fading from his fingers. Traitor!

    "My name''s Emmet," the boy continued, apparently ignorant of the hundred panicked thoughts burning through Carmine''s mind every second he spoke.

    "I''m, uh, Carmine," She managed to introduce herself. "Hi?"

    "So you are her!" He knew who she was!? "I heard we were getting a new professor, and she was bringing her student with her." Emett leaned a bit lower to look under Carmine''s hood. "I''ve never met an elf before."

    Why did he have to say that?

    Of course, the moment he said that, about a half-dozen others within ear shot turned their way.

    Carmine groaned, tugging her hood lower. The day had started so well too¡­

    "Is it true you live for a thousand years? Or that you can read people''s minds?"

    "I...don''t think so," Carmine shrugged, hoping he would lose interest. What rumors spread about elves here? Her mother may have been older than she looked, but a thousand years seemed a stretch. And reading minds? Who came up with that hogwash?

    "Maybe we can learn together. I hope we''ll be in the same classes, Carmine!"

    "Right," she replied, her voice wavering. "guess we''ll see."

    "Students-to-be, your attention please." A lady wearing a silver embroidered blue robe stepped upon the stage before courtyard gates closed. Her gold hair blew in a soft wind, from the wrong direction of the actual wind blowing through town. Carmine sensed a strangeness to her face, it looked closer to a woman in their 40s but all wrinkles and lines had been erased. Piercing blue eyes looked over the crowd, passing over every face without lingering on anyone.

    "Gotta go," Emett said as the speech began. "Good luck with the exam."

    "Thank you?" Carmine called after, but the boy already scurried off. What a stranger.

    "Every five years," the lady on stage continued, "the Laval Institute is glad to open its doors to a new generation of students. That time has come once again, for all of you. Our headmaster, Thomas Leval, my husband, would impart some words of wisdom."

    The Lady stepped aside, clapping her hands. She gave a narrow glare to the crowd, one that expected every person to join in her applause, probably on pain of death.

    Carmine and Nico both exchange concerned glances, slapping their hands together the obligatory one or two times.

    Another man staggered up on stage, and already Carmine had begun to question if she was in the right place. She expected a wizened old man older than Nico, grey beard, held up by a staff. Instead, a man thick with muscle, likely four times the weight of the lady moved to center stage. He just wore a casual shirt and shorts bearing the Leval crest. This was the headmaster? The boss of the tower?

    "Humble greetings out there folks," he began with a kindly wave as his voice boomed over the crowd. "I''m not gonna take up too much of your time, after all, it''s gonna be a long day for everyone, no time distortions needed for that." He chuckled at his own bad joke. "Parents, guardians, I know it''s not easy sending your kid off like this, but rest assured that the safety and well being of our students is our utmost and chief concern. They will be safe here under the protection of city guards, thank you for your service, and the brightest minds in sorcery in all of Vembris." A short applause moved through the crowd, even Nico legitimately joined in. "Now students, you''ve got a great journey ahead of you, with so many roads to choose from it''s crazy! Good news is this school is here to help guide you to your path, and teach you what you need to walk it. You''re all here having shown some level of aptitude with magic. Whether you''re a beginner or an adept, there will be something for you here. But first, we like to gauge where you are on your path."

    Carmine heard a quiet whine all around her. She looked left, right, and down to the necklace placed around her neck. Its gem glowed, brightening unseen runes carved into the metal pendant and chain.

    "No doubt you''ve all heard rumors of a grueling, terrible entry test. Well...it''s honestly a little exaggerated, but-"

    "Dear," Lady Leval spoke up. "Timing."

    Carmine heard the whine grow louder. Everyone else had started to finally take notice.

    "Oh. Right. Well, uh, work hard, cooperate, and show us what you can do!"

    A spell circle appeared at Carmine''s feet, with her inside. Every other student wearing their necklace found themselves in the same trouble.

    Alarmed, she turned to Nicholos, hoping he''d have an explanation as the circle brightened her vision white.

    "You''re more than ready," he said, his voice fading away. "Good luck Carmine."

 Chapter 14: Rivalry

    From blinding light, to pitch darkness, Carmine found herself in a void. The only sound came from her own guarded breaths and shaky footsteps. She saw nothing.

    The shock of the sudden transportation wore off after a moment. Perhaps shoving the students-to-be into darkness was meant to make them panic. As for Carmine  she''d already survived far worse situations than a little fear of the dark.

    With a word she called a ball of light to her hand, tossing it over her shoulder where it hovered in place.

    She surveyed her surroundings only to find she''d been encased in a small stone dome. She recognized the layered patterns of lines along its surface, a sign it had been made by accelerated sorcery but days ago. Properly done it would be as indistinguishable as normal earth, and just as tough.

    This, Carmine thought, plucking a seed from her pocket, this would break easily.

    She placed the seed against the stone and hastened its growth through sorcery. Roots sprouted forth, digging through the rock''s surface and spread throughout. Once the seed was thoroughly embedded, Carmine amplified the spelled power. Directing the growth with her hands, she mimicked tearing a hole through the surface of the stone. Cracks spread through the wall, allowing wisps of sunlight through. With a little more force the roots came alive, tearing the ripping the stone open and leaving a sizable hole in their wake. Carmine stepped through it like an open door, but only a step. Any more would send her into a long fall.

    Chilling wind rushed into the small dome as Carmine found herself atop a spire high above icy snow. Somehow, she saw green forests to her left, the hazy beige of a desert on her right, even deep blue waters like Reefcliff¡¯s sea. She recognized different biomes all within impossible proximity to each other. Even the sky churned with different weather. A storm rages over the sea, while not a cloud obscured Carmin¡¯s view of the uncanny sky.  It too was carved into sets of segmented territory. How this place worked, or even where it was, Carmine knew not, but somehow it mocked the rules of nature by sheer existence.

    In the middle of it all, the Laval tower reached down from a breach in the sky and planted itself where most zones intersected. However they made this fake sky and crafted land, the tower stood in the center just as it had in the city.

    Carmine noticed a red glow from the tricky pendant around her neck. Unlike before, this seemed more inert, but it did grow stronger when she pointed it at the tower.

    That''s where I''m going, she thought.

    Still in control of the stone splitting roots, Carmine whispered commands for them to wrap around her waist. Fueling their growth with her own energy, Carmine used them to climb down the spire.

    An explosion split her ears about halfway down the climb. What the hell was that!?

    Carmine looked above to one of the other spires, dust clouding her view. She heard coughing as a human girl about Carmine''s age stepped to the edge of their spire. Flowing blonde hair, bright rosy skin, sharp blue eyes, and a general contempt for her situation. Yup, probably one of those nobles Nico said had their heads on too tight. Though this one seemed like she had a screw loose. Did she really create that explosion within the small stone dome? Carmine shook her head, that girl was lucky she didn''t hurt herself.

    The proud look on the girl''s face vanished as she surveyed her surroundings, seeing Carmine already halfway down her pillar.

    "I''m not first!?" The human snapped, stopping her foot as she yelled into the distance. "Inconceivable! You!" She pointed at Carmine. "Don''t think you''ve won. We''ve only just begun."

    What was her problem? Carmine lowered her eyes, ignoring the other student¡¯s ramblings.. She continued her climb down, and hoped that would be the end of it.

    "So that''s how it''s going to be." The other student took Carmine''s neglect as a slight. "Fine! I''ll show you who''s the better mage." She started shouting incantations at the top of her lungs. For some reason. Carmine recognized the words as warding incantations. One ward usually did the trick but she kept making them, layering one over another until a blue hue surrounded her body.

    That''s devoting a lot of energy for just a ward, Carmine thought, she could stop a galloping horse with that much. Why did she need so many?

    And then she jumped.

    Carmine nearly lost her grip seeing this suicidal plumbet. Was she out of her mind?

    The other student crashed into the winter ground below, kicking up a cloud of snow as Carmine wondered if she survived the fall.

    When the snow cleared, Carmine saw the student''s wards crackle and dissipate, but at least she moved.

    Not the kind of accident Carmine wanted to see on day one.

    The girl sat up worse for wear, already a little bruised and covered in snow, but she still had enough strength to look at Carmine and smirk.

    "Ha...s-see that?" She said between breaths as Carmine bid farewell to her sympathy. "First place is mine! See you at the finish, Scarface!"

    Carmine''s grip tightened around the roots.

    Competition didn''t interest her, it created anxiety where none needed to be. She preferred doing things at her own pace, whether that be faster or slower than others.

    This test just earned an exception.

    "You will regret that," Carmine whispered at the upstart. Carmine pulled a length of root free as she scanned below the spire. Naked trees reached up from below, their branches only covered by a thin veil of snow. The cold became her ally, for once, aiming would be simple.

    She''d spent a year perfecting her technique for one special trick.

    Carmine shouted an incantation of controlled force, guiding the root exactly to the branch she wanted. Her improvised rope wrapped around the tree before she reversed the forced spell to pull her towards it. Most importantly: she learned to stop. Carmine stifled the spell¡¯s energy, gradually slowing her speed until she landed on the branch, feet firmly planted. She looked back at her opponent, still in her snow-drifted crater.

    Not so full of yourself now. Where is that bravado?

    Carmine coiled the root back around her arm, smirking with spiteful pride, before finding her next destination.

    Before she just wanted to prove herself to the instructors; show that she''d been trained well. Now, she couldn''t lose.

    Carmine wasted no more time, zipping from tree to tree, rushing for the tower before little miss noble could catch up. Even with her behind, Carmine kept her guard up. Whatever this test was, Carmine knew there¡¯d be more challenges than climbing down one tower. Obstacles meant to test their repertoire made sense, but aside from the dome, she saw nothing else but a clear path.

    Carmine threw her vine to the next tree, already readying her follow up spell to propel her as leaned on the edge of her branch. As she waited noticed a tingling up the back of her neck just like when Nico would open his portals.

    There¡¯s sorcery nearby, she realized, trying to pull back her vine ,yet  It refused her pull, growing taught and unmoving. Carmine looked towards the far end to see what snagged it, but nothing barred its way. It hadn¡¯t even reached the other tree yet. Something didn¡¯t make sense, and where unreason holds sway, magic bars the way.

    Nico was really proud of himself for that one.

    The tension in the root fell away at once, Carmine barely had time to duck before it whipped into the tree trunk behind her.

    She let out a shaky breath, glad she avoided a second scar on her face

    That''s it, she decided, no more progress until I figure this out.

    Carmine clambered down , shivering as snow sank into her shoes and covered her shins.

    She hated snow, the cold too. In her mind winter was months of hell in an aching body and food with too much salt.

    Why did anyone want to make an artificial winter?

    She cursed whoever was responsible as she kicked up the snow ahead of her. On one hand it vented her frustration, on the other, it would find the effective range of this weird spell.

    "There we are," she muttered to herself as the last bit of scattered snow split in two. Half fell back on the ground, normal as ever. The other half lingered in the air, its fall so slow it verged on motionless.

    A slowing field of some kind? Something that restricted movement? Could be...but something still didn''t sit right. Carmine''s root snapped back with such force even after she stopped pulling on it. What then¡­

    Her mind went back to the headmaster''s speech, and his awful joke.

    A time distortion?

    Carmine stepped back from the threshold. She¡¯d only heard of that extremely advanced tradition. She hadn''t so much as spied a word of it.

    So how could she get past? As fake wind blew through the trees, Carmine saw a swath of woods move in slow motion. The field extended too far to go around and too high for Carmine to avoid.

    Snapping wood drew Carmine out of her planning. She turned to face the disturbance, seeing that girl from before barreling through the underbrush in a blur. She crashed to a stop, carving a trench through the snow as she lost her balance.

    Carmine noticed a faint arcane trail streaking behind her before it dissipated.

    Raw infusion spells? Nico taught Carmine about those; incantations that pushed the body beyond natural limits. From what she knew, those spells were effective as they were draining. From the way the girl heaved for breath, covered in welts and cuts from her rush through the frozen forest, that sounded about right.

    She tired herself out just catching up. Carmine sighed, turning away to more important matters..

    "Th-thought¡­thought you had the win already, did you?" Noble girl stumbled to her feet before she even caught her breath.

    How was she still talking? Why was she still talking?

    "Wuh- what''s the matter?" She forced herself to stand on wobbly legs. "Did you tire yourself using that weird spell? Lucky for you they''re willing to accept anyone here."

    "Maybe gloat when you can stand up straight." Carmine retorted, crossing her arms against her attempted bully.

    She grinned inside her hood as the other student''s face went red. The "noble" cupped a handful of snow and gave it an enfeebled throw. Carmine watched it fall wide, slowing as it entered the distortion.

    "What in Vembris'' name?" The girl shared the same confused frown Carmine had before. "Some kind of restraining field?"

    "Not quite. It''s a-" Carmine caught herself. "Sorry, you don''t need me to explain, do you?"

    "O-Of course not," The girl sulked to Carmine''s side. "Whatever it is is irrelevant. If it''s meant to slow me, all I must do is overpower it with my own spell."

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Carmine held back a snicker. She had no idea what she was dealing with and her first plan was brute force.

    "What''s that?" The girl snapped her head to Carmine with a contemptuous glare.

    "Nothing," Carmine pulled her scarf over her smirk. "By all means, show me how it''s done."

    The student narrowed her eyes, lips tightened holding back curses and beratement no doubt. Carmine only thinly veiled her doubt, and that only irked the student further.

    "Fine!" The student turned towards the distortion, her second thoughts rising to her face as the snowball she threw still hadn''t hit the ground. She looked around, eyes darting from clue to clue the same way Carmine''s had before she arrived.

    "You going?" Carmine asked.

    "Yes! Be quiet, I''m...concentrating."

    "Really?" Mock surprise dripped from Carmine''s voice.

    "You just watch!" The student leaned forward, placing her hands in the snow as she prepared for a sprint. Her voice thundered with infusion incantations. Yarish runes ran over her legs, constricting cloth as they tightened against her skin. It honestly looked painful.

    "See you...at the finish." She growled, sweat pouring off her brow. Snow burst from behind the student as she rushed forward. Carmine''s eyes could barely keep up with the speed until the student ran into the  distortion. As expected, her pace slowed, but not enough for Carmine to be comfortable.

    She uncrossed her arms. At this rate she''d fall far behind.

    Think. She had to get past distortion. No spell Carmine knew could power through like the other student did, but perhaps she could protect herself. Loathing as she was to take ideas from her competition, Carmine thought of how the other student used wards to protect herself from gravity.

    Perhaps Carmine could weave a bubble from wards specialized for magic?

    No way to know but to try.

    Carmine pulled a snail''s shell from her pouch. Unlike her opponent, Carmine knew using components saved herself more energy and time..the shell helped ward structure, and snails moved with their shells on their backs. Carmine hoped that essence would keep the ward intact as she moved.

    She recited her incantations, turning the ward''s focus against magic rather than mundane forces. Like the bratty blur had before, Carmine layered the spell a few times until she saw a translucent shell form with her at its center, Its violet spirals identical to the shell Carmine held in her palm.

    She moved to the distortions threshold hold.

    This better work.

    With one last deep breath, Carmine stepped forward.

    Invisible knives plunged into her eyes as a vice crushed her brain. By her second step her knees buckled as she grabbed her own head. Never had her mind pounded with such agony. The ward''s edges shrunk inward as Carmine felt the pressure as a weight trampling her mind.

    How did they expect anyone to beat this?

    In that brief moment of distraction, a crack fractured  her ward, mirrored in the small shell she held. She pushed all other thoughts from her mind. So long as the ward remained, she was safe. All she had to do was focus on feelings of safety, and the ward''s intent would endure.

    Push through the pain, Carmine told herself. This is nothing you haven''t faced before.

    She pulled memories from her past, Nico taking her into their new home for the first time, walking as Father led her by the hand through town. She focused on her feelings in those moments as she rose back to her feet, resting one hand on Mother''s spellbook.

    The crack in her ward vanished as it pushed back to its normal size. The world moved slowly around Carmine as she braved her way through one step at a time. She stomped past the other student, still blurry from her high speed in a slower time. That brat could never learn this idea came from her.

    Ever.

    Before she could get too proud, the migraine reminded Carmine she still had much to learn.

    There had to be an easier way of doing this, she thought, cupping one hand over her face to shield from all the light. This place didn''t even have a sun. Why was it so bright?

    One foot in front of the other, Carmine moved forward until, without warning, the pressure stopped. She grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it outside her ward. Never had she thought she''d be glad to see snow fall.

    Carmine released the spell, and released her need to stand along with it. The snow cushioned her fall as she pushed more of it against her still throbbing head. She tried to shout curses, but all she managed was an angry groan. Carmine swore if she ever learned who came up with that challenge she''d flood their room with spiders.

    She took time to breathe and let the pain die down. Every time she opened her eyes, the light sent echoes of pain all through her head. To hell with the competition, she¡¯d move when she could see straight. When the migraine turned to just a particularly bad headache she sat back up and opened her eyes just in time for a blur to crash in the snow next to her.

    "Shit," Carmine grumbled on instinct.

    "What?" The student pulled her head out of the snow and turned to Carmine, aghast. "How did you get here!?"

    "I walked."

    ¡°And I ran. I didn¡¯t see you sauntering around.

    ¡°Maybe you need to pay more attention to your surroundings.¡±

    The other student grumbled, standing over Carmine.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got her before me, but it looks like you exhausted you.¡± The snobbiest smirk split her face. ¡°Unless nosebleeds are common for you.¡±

    Carmine flinched, rubbing her face to find a thin streak of blood on her hand. Her cheeks flushed as she avoided the other student¡¯s eyes. Looking down, she noticed that the student put all of her weight on one leg.

    ¡°And what about you?¡± Carmine looked back up. ¡°Twist an ankle? You¡¯re favoring one leg pretty heavily there. Think you can still walk?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern!¡± The student put her weight on both legs in defiance. Pain twisted her face and her leg gave out beneath her. Back in the snow she fell, eyes shut tight, holding her calf, teeth grit in a grimace. ¡°O-ow.¡±

    Carmine furrowed her brow, remembering all the time she¡¯d spent as a pseudo-nurse to Vale. No matter if they were screaming, cursing or your worst enemy, you treat them.

    That was Vale''s creed anyway, and It annoyed Carmine to no end right now that she felt compelled to follow it.

    "Hey," Carmine grumbled, reaching for the student''s leg. "Let me see."

    "Why?" The student snapped, glaring. "Keen to make or worse, or just want to gloat?"

    "Why do we do this Vale?" Carmine whispered to the sky before turning back to the student. "You''re not going anywhere right now; you can barely stand. You really think I''m going to waste my time and energy making it worse? Somehow?"

    The student''s glare wavered as embarrassment pushed it away. "When you put it that way...You know what you''re doing right?"

    "I''m the apprentice to the new medical instructor," Carmine explained dryly. "Now, leg."

    The student extended their leg as much as they could in Carmine''s direction and pulled up the pant leg. Rings of unnatural bruises circled her leg. Yarish runes left her skin purple exactly where Carmine saw the spell dig in.

    "You do this to yourself?" Carmine shook her head.

    "Powerful spells have powerful side effects." She replied with pride. "I can take it."

    "Say that when you can stand."

    Carmine examined the student''s leg, finding swelling surrounding the bruises. "How does it feel?"

    "Painful." She replied the obvious. "And it gets worse whenever I try to move."

    "Probably because you pulled a muscle pushing yourself with all those infusion spells. You''re lucky it''s not worse."

    "I can take-"

    "You think you can take it, I know. Let this remind you that your body isn''t as strong as your ego."

    "Rude." She frowned.

    "Don''t injure yourself," Carmine countered, reaching into her pack for one of Vale''s ointments. "She should ease the pain. Now stay still." As Vale had done for her, Carmine used the ointment as a conduit for her sorcery. She opened Mother''s spellbook to a new chapter written in Carmine''s own hand. She recited.healing magics she learned from Vale, and coaxed the student''s natural healing to quicken a little earlier than normal. By the time she finished, the swelling receded, and the bruises turned to a fading yellow.

    "There." Carmine snapped her book shut. She sighed, even more exhausted. "Now don''t go running off, or you''ll tear something that won''t fix."

    "C-can that happen?" Fear crossed the student''s face.

    "Yes." Of course it could, wasn''t that obvious?

    "Very well," The student rose to her feet, hesitantly testing her leg with more and more weight until she stood balanced. "You really fixed it."

    "I started to." Carmine stood up as well. "Your leg will do the rest."

    ¡°Is it normal to be hungry after that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Your body¡¯s healing. Now take it easy, understand?¡±

    "Of course. Of course." The other student met Carmine''s eye just long enough for the latter to see embarrassment. ¡°What is your name?" The student asked in a shaky voice.

    Now she asks. "It''s Carmine," she grumbled, rubbing her eyes as the headache came back through.

    "Very well, Carmine." The student gave a short bow, for some reason, and then stood straight and proud. "Know that I, Adelaide Winters, owe you a debt."

    "Uh-huh."

    "And...I apologize...for calling you Scarface."

    "Right." Carmine nodded, and tried not to hold a grudge. Tried. "The tower isn''t far. Good luck-"

    "Wait." Adelaide raised her hand. "There may be another trial there. As exhausted as we are, it might give-" A deep sigh escaped her, "It might give us trouble. Maybe we should arrive together."

    "Now you want to cooperate?" The headache intensified. "I thought this was a competition to you."

    "I''m being pragmatic dammit!" Adelaide caught herself raising her voice and cleared her throat. "It''s. Simple. Pragmatism."

    "Fine." Carmine didn''t want to admit it, especially to Adelaide, but she wanted nothing more than to sink into a bed. "We can finish this quickly and be done."

    The walk to the tower took only minutes. Carmine and Adelaide climbed the stone steps to a large dias where the tower made its foundation. No one else arrived yet. Adelaide smirked seeing they were the first one''s there, though it wavered a little when she turned to Carmine.

    It''s mutual, Carmine replied in her head.

    No door broke up the tower''s walls, but Carmine knew that didn''t mean there wasn¡¯t one.

    "I thought there would be an instructor, or at least a senior student." Adelaide commented as she surveyed the scene. "This is the end, isn¡¯t it?"

    "Maybe the test isn''t over yet," Carmine suggested. She looked towards the tower and saw Yarish runes carved into its side. "Over here." She called out.

    Adelaide rushed over and looked over the runes alongside Carmine.

    "I don''t recognize this spell." Adelaide confessed.

    "Spell?" Carmine furrowed her brow. "It''s not a spell, it''s just writing."

    "Of course it is, I know how to speak the words."

    "Do you not know what they mean?"

    "Do you?"

    "Yes."

    "Oh." Adelaide narrowed her eyes, turning away. "I suppose we had different teachers."

    "I thought all mages could read it." Carmine furrowed her brow.

    "It''s not as common as you think. I would have preferred to learn, but I don''t think my instructor knew what they meant either."

    "Good thing I can." Carmine turned her attention to the writing. "Pupils of our minds, heed this truth. Knowledge transient lone learner''s make. Learned hands grasp another, create knowledge undying. Our apprehension, an enduring circle. A mind and mind to share the burden."

    "Okay," Adelaide droned. "They couldn''t have written that a little better, could they? Perhaps for a person to understand."

    "The ancients had different minds from us." Carmine stepped back from the wall. "But yeah, deciphering their meaning is hard." Carmine looked back across the constructed landscape. "I think this script is authentic."

    "Meaning¡­"

    "The instructors didn''t write. Look around, a desert next to the sea, a lush forest beside a place with arctic cold? This place obviously isn''t natural, maybe the ancients made it."

    "Perhaps. What does that have to do with our test?" Adelaide shrugged, the mystique lost on her.

    "Fine. From the sound of it, there should be something around that requires-" Carmine sighed, "cooperation to solve."

    "Something to do with this perhaps?" Adelaide dragged her foot across the snow, clearing it away to show parts of a spell circled engraved in the dias."

    "When did you-?"

    "You lost me halfway through the translation." Adelaide admitted, pointing behind her to another part of the circle already cleared. "I figured my time was better spent searching."

    "So you weren''t listening." Carmine glared. What happened to wanting to learn?

    "I was half-listening." She shrugged back. Adelaide turned her attention to the dias, pulling an ebony wand from her sleeve. She shouted a spell at the top of her lungs and her words truly became wind. Within a second, not a snowflake remained.

    With the whole spell circled revealed, an idea clicked in Carmine¡¯s mind.

    "I recognize this," she pointed at the circle and grabbed her necklace. "The spell circle that brought us here looked nearly identical."

    "Nearly?" Adelaide raised a brow, doubting Carmine again.

    "Look," Carmine pointed at the runes. "They''re signs for transportation and translocation, the same words are used for portals-"

    "I still can''t read Yarish, show-off."

    "Ugh, fine. The spell that brought us here had one active position. This circle has two." Carmine pointed to the pair of triangles drawn in the spell''s center. "It''s a two person portal. The spell is already written and imprinted on the dias, all we have to do is provide the power."

    "Just say that!" Adelaide threw her hands up, impatient to finish. Before Carmine could even retort, Adelaide moved to one of the triangles. "Hurry up! It''s bad enough I have to share this win."

    "You know what? Fine." Carmine had enough of this forced partnership. "The sooner we''re done the better."

    Carmine took the position opposite Adelaide. They both placed their hands on the edge of zones and channeled the magic in the dias.

    The circle glowed to life, growing brighter and brighter as it blinded both students to the world outside.

    "Whoever stands first, wins." Adelaide challenged as the light enclosed them. Carmine rolled her eyes as the world around distorted.

    When the light fell away, they found themselves back in the courtyard, in front of the stage where the headmaster made his speech. The adults had moved to the edges of the yard, leaving just Adelaide and Carmine in the center.

    No other student had returned.

    "Yes!" Adelaide exploded to her feet, pumping her fist skyward.

    Carmine realized all eyes were upon them. First was a bad idea, she thought, pulling her hood tighter.

    "Impressive," The headmaster clapped from on stage. "The spires barely lowered a moment ago."

    "Were- Were we supposed to wait?" Sweat started on Adelaide''s brow, as if the mere thought of disqualification meant the end of the world.

    "Not technically." The headmaster tilted his head thinking. "Most students don''t risk a fall from that height, but you do you. Good news is you''ve taken your first steps as students of the Laval institute-"

    "Uh, dear-" The headmaster''s wife tried and failed to get his attention.

    "By the advice of the Ancients long ago, knowledge is meant to be shared and learned together."

    "Dear, wait for all the-"

    "To make that happen, the next step is for each student to build their own mage circle. A team of six that will work and live together for your years at the tower, and hopefully the years beyond."

    "Dear- please-"

    "But fret not, for you''ve already chosen your first partner."

    Nooooooo.

    Cold revelation washed over Carmine as she looked to Adelaide, sharing the same mortified look.

    "Congratulations to all of the new partnerships, may they flourish in the years to come."

    The headmaster finished his speech to a confused and haphazard applause from the audience, though the headmaster''s wife ended that with a sneer.

    "Great...rehearsal dear," She said to the headmaster. "Now be sure to do it exactly like that when all the students are back."

    The headmaster''s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He turned away from the crowd in shame.

    "Why do I have to make the speeches?" He muttered.

    Carmine smiled, sympathetic in that regard. Vale caught her eye from the stage. Her mentor gave her a wink and smile. Carmine spotted Nicholos in the crowd of spectators, the one face smiling at her. He nodded her way, one that said I''m proud of you.

    And for once, Carmine felt that she truly earned it.

    I did it Nico. I won.

 Chapter 15: Orientation day

    "I can''t believe I''m stuck with you," Adelaide huffed. The closest students backed away from her outburst. After the headmaster finished his speech, again, hearing it a second time only annoyed the young noble further.

    "I could say the same," Carmine muttered from beneath her scarf. She had to share a living space with her? And four more people besides!? She felt her heart sinking deeper and deeper into dread thinking what the next chapters of her life would look like

    "Students," Professor Robert called everyone''s attention back to the stage. "Now is the time to bid farewell to your parents and guardians. They may visit again soon, but for now you must be shown to the tower. Some of our senior students have graciously volunteered to be your guides."

    "We can figure it out later," Carmine said, already moving away from Adelaide. "Besides, we need four more people. Maybe you can find someone else to bother."

    "One can hope." Adelaide retorted. She crossed her arms, remaining in place as other students went to see their families off.

    Carmine pushed Adelaide from her mind and readied herself for a harder farewell, but one she knew was coming.

    "First place, eh?" Nico smirked as Carmine walked the last few paces towards him. "What happened to the girl who hated being the center of attention?"

    "She''s still here," Carmine hid her fidgeting hands behind her. "Despite all my boasting earlier, I would have been fine finishing a little later."

    "What happened?" Nico tilted his head.

    "I¡­" Carmine thought of Adelaide''s goading. Even now, her new roommate¡¯s stuck up, arrogant behavior irked her. No way could she ever lose to that. "I was challenged."

    "Really?" Nico chuckled, his eyes tinting with nostalgia. "Antorra was the same way. Goading was best way to get your mother motivated for just about anything. Problem was getting her to stop later on."

    "Oh no." Carmine sighed. "That''s going to be a problem."

    "Or a resource. Spite is one hell of a motivator for some people."

    "I feel like I''ll be on both sides of that very soon." Carmine checked over her shoulder to find Adelaide hadn''t budged.

    "Not a happy meeting?" Nico read Carmine with ease.

    "I''ve been stung by wasps with a better attitude."

    "I believe I understand all too well. Most exorcists have the same temper."

    "She''s comparable." Carmine shrugged.

    "Well, for now," optimistic doubt lightened Nico''s voice. "Don''t make too many judgments too soon. Sounds like you''ll be spending more time with each other, so give things a chance."

    The idea of more time brought Carmine back to how little time she had left to say goodbye, and she wasted enough talk on her roomate.

    "I''m gonna miss you." Carmine looked her mentor in the eye.

    "Me too, lass." Nico looked down at her, but not by much. He reached up and suddenly placed his palm on Carmine''s head.

    "...okay." Carmine furrowed her brow at him, hiding her embarrassment through stoicism.

    "I remember...when you were the perfect height to be an armrest."

    "Fuck you." Carmine''s veneer cracked, or more so snapped right open.

    "Hey!" Nico warned with a chuckle as she lowered her eyes. "I''m just saying you''ve grown. One of these days you might be taller than me."

    "I hope not, I don''t want to be too tall."

    Nico laughed again. "Ignore everyone that tells you to correct your posture then."

    "That''s not funn-" a tight embrace squeezed the words out of her.

    "You take care of yourself now." Nico told her. "I''ll be back around as often as I can to check in."

    Carmine breathed out, returning the hug. "Thanks Nico." They separated after another moment. "I''ll see you soon, ok?"

    "Yeah. Now you go find some folks for your circle." He gave her a gentle push back towards the tower. "Make sure they can keep up."

    Carmine smiled, nodding her head as she turned back to the tower. She wiped her eyes in one swift movement before Adelaide could notice.

    ¡°Finally,¡± The young noble groaned as Carmine rejoined her. ¡°Finished with your sappy farewells?¡±

    ¡°For now,¡± Carmine said. ¡°What about you? Did you come here alone?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Adelaide turned her nose up at the suggestion. ¡°My parents sent their best wishes along and delivered me here at the hands of our family¡¯s majordomo. Naturally, he left when the test began as my success was assured.¡±

    ¡°A major-what?¡± Carmine furrowed her brow.

    Adelaide rolled her eyes and Carmine felt the condescension in her bones. ¡°My family¡¯s head steward. How did you get an education to match mine in your backwater mudhole?¡±

    ¡°Well, first it started with manners¡­¡± Carmine started to recall.

    ¡°Whatever! They¡¯re letting pairs in through the front, and only pairs.¡± Adelaide pointed to the tower¡¯s doors. Older students wearing blue robes waited by the entrance and guided students inside tow by two. ¡°If I could have gone in without you I would have.¡±

    ¡°Should I thank you for your patience?¡± Carmine asked as she moved alongside Adelaide

    ¡°Just walk.¡±

    The terse pair made their way to the entrance and joined the growing line of students. Everywhere she looked, Carmine saw other pairs getting along better than she and Adelaide. Maybe Carmine was just unlucky, and all the agreeable, easygoing students were already inside. Hopefully less ¡®nobles¡¯ too.

    As she waited in silence Carmine realized one of the older students would act as their guide, an obvious thing given the fact announced , but her head filled with things she should say and ways she should act until all the information bled into each other. By the time it was her turn to step inside, she froze.

    ¡°Hi,¡± An older student waved as he stepped in their path. Carmine looked up wide-eyed, struggling to manage even a ¡®hello.¡¯

    "Greetings," Adelaide said for the both, her normal contempt contained. "And you are?"

    "I''m Aaron Burke." The older student pressed his hand against his robes. Carmine dared to look up and saw a young man perhaps four or five years older than herself. Too much time indoors paled his skin to a pasty white, dotted with red acne. Shaggy brown hair fell aroud his face as shadowed eyes peeked out between the dangling wisps. Carmine didn''t know why, but looking at him reminded her of a leech. Not in the parasitic sort of way, but the way his dark hair matted down, Carmine couldn¡¯t think of anything else. He slouched in front of both young mages and offered a welcoming grin. ¡°I¡¯m your guide to the tower for the day. Hope that¡¯s ok¡­anyway what are your names?¡±

    ¡°I am Lady Adelaide Regan Winters, Heiress to the county of Krenwal,¡± The noble brat made sure everyone knew.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Familiarity flashed across Aaron¡¯s face as he nodded along to her introduction. Carmine guessed he¡¯d dealt with this before. ¡°And how do you prefer to be addressed, Lady Adelaide Regan Winter, heiress to the county of Krenwal?¡±

    ¡°Adelaide will suffice.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Aaron¡¯s shoulders sagged even further, Carmine couldn¡¯t tell if it was relief or dread. Though, if she had to guide around Adelaide all day, it would have to be the latter. ¡°What about you?¡± He turned to Carmine.

    She stuttered, anxious after Adelaide¡¯s grand self-introduction. All she could manage was, ¡°Carmine.¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Good to meet you, Carmine.¡± He smiled a little wider at her simple introduction. ¡°I saw you both managed pretty well during the placement test. You both must be pretty resourceful.¡±

    Some more than others, Carmine thought, thinking of her partner¡¯s brute force methods.

    ¡°We managed.¡± Carmine barely spoke loud enough to be heard. ¡°...somehow.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Adelaide sneered, but Aaron spoke over them both before it went any further.

    ¡°How about I just show you both inside?¡± He motioned through the doorway. ¡°Stay close, alright? The tower¡¯s got its fair stack of weirdness.¡±

    Carmine looked past their guide and already her brain spun in circles at the tower¡¯s interior. The tower¡¯s base spread over a fair distance, like a large manor, the widest point of the whole structure, yet as Carmine peered into her new home the other side of the tower spanned an impossible vastness closer to a city square. She moved through the doors and immediately craned her neck upwards to find the building stretched even taller than the outside. Lightness unsteadied her feet as the daunting distance seemed only to grow larger with each second she stared. Dozens of floors spiraled upwards all through the tower¡¯s length, and other students were flying floor to floor. For them it looked as natural as walking.

    ¡°Pretty crazy right?¡± Aaron read Carmine¡¯s mind. ¡°I nearly fainted when I saw this for the first time¡­I¡¯m not great with open spaces ya see¡­¡±

    Carmine pointed up to the impossible space and looked back at her guide. ¡°How?¡± She sputtered out one word.

    ¡°I¡­admit,¡± Adelaide added, wide-eyed, taking in the sights herself, ¡°I¡¯m also curious.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I know all the details,¡± Aaron began. ¡°But from the way I heard it, there was an ancient archive where this tower was built that focused on creating and expanding space within itself. You¡¯ve been there, it''s where your test took place.¡±

    I was right, Carmine gloated internally, but Adelaide did not care¡­or even seem to remember.

    ¡°The Gallyians, the family that governes the province, founded Reefcliff here and partnered with the old Lavals to figure out how to best use the site. They used its knowledge to help build the tower over it.¡±

    ¡°Then, is this place unique?¡± Adelaide asked.

    ¡°Probably. I doubt you could find any mage capable of replicating this on their own, but if another site like this existed it¡¯d be possible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± Carmine marveled¡­until she realized she said that out loud and pulled her scarf up to hide herself.

    Aaron laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Come on, I¡¯ll show you where you¡¯re staying.¡± He led them along to one of the nearby walls. The azure bricks moved aside at their approach to show a small room with a crystal panel embedded into its side wall. Carmine recognized the lift. The ancient archive she visited more than a year ago had the same designs.

    ¡°These lifts are everywhere,¡± Aaron explained as he beckoned them along. ¡°Literally, walk up to any of the outer walls and one will open for you. Once inside,¡± He touched the crystal panel as words flashed across its surface. ¡°Just pick your floor and off you go.¡±

    The wall rebuilt itself just as the floor jolted with the lift¡¯s movement. A short cry escaped Adelaide as the ground beneath her feet moved. She saw Carmine staring at her and responded with a glare.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have these is Krenwal,¡± She grumbled before jutting a finger at Carmine. ¡°Why are you acting so calm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been on one before,¡± She smirked. ¡°In an archive built by the Ancients. This isn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Wait, Really?¡± Aaron interrupted, leaning into Carmine¡¯s field of view and pulling all of her confidence from under her. ¡°Can you read Yarish properly?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Just a few questions pushed her to near sensory overload. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Wow. We don¡¯t learn that until our second or third year.¡± Aaron stroked his chin. ¡°And even then, I still suck at it. You¡¯re gonna have a leg up on other students if that¡¯s the case. Good for you!¡±

    ¡°Thank¡­you?¡± Carmine lowered her head, hoping her hood would hide her delightfully panicked expression. When they arrived she didn¡¯t wait for the wall to fully unveil her destination before she squeezed past.

    ¡°Careful,¡± Aaron warned. ¡°It¡¯s easy to get lost up here.¡±

    True to his words, the floor Carmine stepped onto had as much variety as the gentrified customs office in Edrinock. A curved hallway rounded the tower with a red carpet along the center on the floor and dark wood doors embedded into both walls every few steps. Each door sported a small recess carved into its midpoint and Carmine recognized the shape as a perfect fit for the tower effigy around her neck. She looked at her own and once again the ruby glowed within.

    ¡°It''s like the test,¡± Carmine remarked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Aaron reached around his own neck and pulled his own emerald jeweled effigy. ¡°These things are attuned to certain points in the tower, usually your dorm unless there is an assembly. It will guide you where you need to go, so do not lose it.¡± Aaron tucked his necklace away. ¡°It is possible to get lost in this place for hours. Ask me how I know.¡±

    ¡°H-how do you-?¡±

    ¡°Experience.¡± Aaron shook his head and led them further down the corridor.

    Carmine followed the light of her necklace to the door it shined upon. At Aaron¡¯s urging, she placed the effigy within the doors recess. Yarish flashed red along the door¡¯s surface before it swung back on its own and welcomed them into their new home.

    A massive crystal orb filled Carmine¡¯s view. It floated in the middle of a furnished lounge replete with the most cushioned couches and chairs she¡¯d ever laid eyes on. Each seat faced inward to a crystalline ring table sitting just below the orb¡¯s surface.

    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Carmine stepped back from the threshold.

    ¡°It¡¯s a scry stone.¡± Aaron gently pushed her inside. ¡°It can be used to contact other rooms inside the tower¡­but mostly it¡¯ll be when a professor wants to talk to your circle. One of my partners uses ours as a canvas for painting. It really pisses the head mistress off. Take a look around, there¡¯s more to see.¡±

    Carmine moved beyond the lounge to a kitchen outfitted with a stove and oven that she assumed were powered by sorcery, and next to them a large box, cold to the touch. A wash basin sat embedded in a countertop with a strange crystal hanging over it. As Carmine pressed her fingers to the stone, water began pouring out from its surface.

    She jumped back, did she break it?

    ¡°You really are a country bumpkin,¡± Adelaide said, reaching out and touching the crystal to stop the water¡¯s flow. She started pointing at each device, condescending  once more. ¡°This is a sink, that''s an oven, and here is a refrigerator.¡±

    ¡°I know what an oven is.¡± Carmine glared. Even if it was an oven unlike anything she¡¯d ever seen.

    ¡°There¡¯s a small library too,¡± Aaron pointed across the lounge to a few bookshelves clustered in  a corner. ¡°Any books you need for a lesson you can find there.¡±

    ¡°That will be adequate.¡± Adelaide replied. Her nonchalance drained Carmine¡¯s excitement by the word. ¡°Where are our quarters?¡±

    ¡°Right here,¡± Aaron knocked against one of the walls and a hidden door flashed into existence. ¡°Yours first Lady Adelaide.¡±

    Noble buzzkill moved up and put her effigy into the recess. Just as before the door opened on its own accord to a decent sized room. A bed pressed up against one wall as a desk rested opposite with a small lamp powered by an arcanite crystal. Wall shelves hung above, empty for the moment, and a strange translucent window gave view to Reefcliff¡¯s pier. Compared to the cramped room Carmine lived in before, this easily doubled the size.

    ¡°All rooms are identical to start,¡± Aaron explained to Carmine as Adelaide looked around. ¡°You can move things around however you please, and bring your belongings in as you see fit.¡±

    ¡°This is great,¡± Carmine exclaimed. ¡°Mine is just like this?¡±

    That¡¯s right. And only your necklace can open the way. No parents barging in, eh?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Carmine nodded, her grin fading. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­look at my room later.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Aaron tilted his head, and checked the clock hanging in the dorm¡¯s kitchen. ¡°Alright then, how ¡®bout some lunch? The residential floor has a cafeteria in case you can¡¯t cook.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Adelaide turned her attention back. ¡°I was concerned for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t cook for yourself?¡± Carmine asked.

    ¡°I had more useful things to learn.¡±

    Carmine huffed. We¡¯ll see how long that lasts.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Aaron snapped his fingers. ¡°Nearly forgot!¡± he pointed back to the crystal orb in the center of the lounge. ¡°We can check your standings.¡±

    ¡°What standings?¡± Carmine followed Aaron back and forth. Between him and the headmaster, she worried everyone at this school might be a little scatterbrained.

    ¡°Our rankings as students, correct?¡± Adelaide knew that too, and she just loved to explain every little thing. ¡°Understand Carmine, not all sorcerers are equal in ability, some of us are more empowered than others. There are subtitles for registered magi denoting their ability and status. I¡¯m sure with my ability,¡± she sighed at Carmine, ¡°and yours¡­we¡¯re likely in the upper echelons of the school at least.¡±

    ¡°Hand over your necklaces and we can find out¡± Aaron opened his hands. Both students eagerly gave over the effigies and Aaron placed them onto the crystal table. Lines of arcane energy similar to the walls of the desert archive ran through the table, the necklaces. The gems on each shined bright, red for Carmine and blue for Adelaide. Yarish runes ran over the orb¡¯s surface before they coalesced into Carmine¡¯s and Adelaide¡¯s likenesses ¡­along with their height, weight, age, and place of origin before coming to the tower.

    Carmine flinched back, wondering how that little thing she wore around her neck took all that information. While she felt disturbed, Adelaide cheered.

    ¡°Just as expected!¡± She tightened her fists. ¡°This will prove my ability.¡±

    ¡°Aspirants¡­¡±Aaron scratched his chin. Carmine swore a tinge of disappointment crossed his face. ¡°I¡­was still an aspirant until a few months ago.¡±

    ¡°Is Aspirant good?¡± Carmine looked up at her name on the display. ¡®Aspirant Carmine Felis,¡¯ it sounded like a real title.

    ¡°I¡¯d say. As rankings go, there are ten,¡± Aaron explained, holding up all his fingers before lowering four of them from one hand. ¡°As a student, you¡¯re really only concerned with the first five. First is neophyte. We always have a few of those at the tower every intake, and that¡¯s fine. Believe me, don¡¯t judge people for that.¡± he gave a pointed look to Adelaide. ¡°Some people come here having started their education already, some come to begin it here. Waste time thinking less of them and they might well surpass you. Next is an apprentice, someone that knows the basics, pretty average starting out here. Adepts are after that, they¡¯re the folks who show a bit more development along the path. Aspirants come after them, which is where you two are.¡± he waved his lonely finger at them both. ¡°You¡¯re at the level where our instructors are going to expect significant improvement from you in order to advance to Brim, that¡¯s where I am. Brim is just on the cusp of being recognized as a full sorcerer.¡± Aaron scrunched the one finger on his second hand. ¡°To start off as aspirants¡­The instructors recognize what you can do for sure, but they¡¯re gonna expect a lot from you at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Let them,¡± Adelaide retorted. For once she looked at Carmine without a hint of annoyance or dread. ¡°This is only the beginning, correct? If we¡¯re in the same circle then we¡¯re going to go much further, understand?¡±

    Carmine saw the fire in her partner¡¯s eyes and it was infectious.

    ¡°Right.¡± She pumped her first, her excitement rekindled.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude.¡± Aaron praised. ¡°Just to finish, after you become a sorcerer that¡¯s not the end either. There is Major, Ascendant, Maven and Sage all above. Some folks stay here longer to study and reach those higher levels. So, never think you¡¯re done learning, or you¡¯ll get reminded at the worst moment. I guarantee it.¡±

    ¡°We won''t,'''' Carmine answered, full of anticipation for the future. ¡°We¡¯ll keep growing and never stop.¡±

    ¡°That attitude is going to carry you here.¡± Aaron clasped both their shoulders. ¡°But you won¡¯t get very far alone. First, lunch. Then, you both are going to find the other members of your circle.¡±

 Chapter 16: Full Circle

    ¡°Here is how this is going to work,¡± Adelaide told Carmine, pointing with a half-eaten sandwich, talking through bites.¡°We¡¯re splitting up to find our next members.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Carmine answered. Finally she could have a moment to herself.

    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Aaron tried to keep them both seated at the cafeteria table before they split their separate ways. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? You¡¯re going to be sharing your space with whoever you recruit for a long time. You should try to find people that you can both get along with.¡±

    ¡°Do we look like bosom companions to you?¡± Adelaide leaned over the table, tilting her head towards the elder student with a doubtful sneer. "Our skill level is the only thing that matches between us. We''d be better off finding partners we can get along with, even if it is only half the circle."

    "I think that would be better," Carmine added with a whisper. "Cooperating for the circle is one thing, but I think I''d like to find someone friendly."

    "You can look for whoever you want," Adelaide shifted her focus to Carmine. "But keep in mind if you choose anyone lax or incompetent then we¡¯ll all be dragged down. I won''t have it."

    "You worry about your choices," Carmine grumbled back. "Whoever I find will pull their own weight.¡±

    "They''d better." Adelaide''s head snapped towards Aaron. "You. I need to locate a specific student, can you help me do that?"

    "Uh, yeah, I can, but," Aaron stuttered, caught between his two charges. He turned to Carmine. "That would mean you''re on your own. Will you be alright for a little while?"

    She looked down at her fidgeting hands. She came here to meet people like Nicholos wanted, but it still terrified her. Even so, she mustered her courage. "I can handle it." Her shaky answer didn¡¯t convince herself, but she needed to do this.

    "Alright." Aaron took her word, but she saw doubt in his face-wrinkling frown. "If you need to, just head back to the dorm and I''ll find you later, okay?"

    "Alright¡­but I can handle it." She repeated.

    "See?" Adelaide shrugged to Aaron. "She''ll be fine." She gobbled up the last of her sandwich and slid off her chair still chewing. "Let''s go then."

    With a heavy sigh, Aaron lifted himself from the chair. "Good luck, Carmine. I look forward to meeting whoever you find-"

    "Hurry now," Adelaide beckoned from halfway across the room.

    "I really look forward to it." He gave Carmine a knowing nod as they shared a sigh, but within moments he was gone, Adelaide too. Once again she was alone with nothing but the amalgous crowd and its discordant chittering in every corner of the gentrified eatery.

    Everywhere she looked over the white-tiled room she saw other students, her age and older, gathering together and holding conversations.

    How did they do it? She knew nothing about any of them, and they knew nothing about her. She couldn''t just start talking to anyone out of nowhere, they''d think she was weird, or that she wanted something.

    The last time she spent any prolonged time with someone her own age was back in Rieland with her cousin so very long ago. She never grew close to any of the other kids in Rolderston. They all thought she was either cursed or witch¡­turned out they were right about that last part. Unfortunately, casting spells made poor preparation for making small talk, but maybe it would come naturally. Carmine had read people were social creatures, perhaps that nature would kick in¡­any moment now.

    Yeah, right. Wishful thinking for the desperate.

    All the faces in the mess hall blended together, dozens of conversations rang in her ears without something to anchor her attention. She randomly picked a table of new students and decided to walk over.

    Her legs decided to remain still. An ambivalent urge built up in her chest on the one hand wanting to take that first step, while on the other she feared the likely rejection and shame that would inevitably follow.

    They''re new students too, they would be expecting to be approached¡­but they already had a full group¡­maybe they''re still searching? Not for anyone that would break into their conversation.

    Carmine leaned her head in her hands. This is hopeless.

    Seconds dragged on and Carmine realized the group she''d been staring at as she ruminated started staring back.

    Shit.

    She turned without a word and fled the hall, pulling her hood further down over her face.

    Way to go, Carmine, now they know you¡¯re weird.

    Maybe she should just go back to her dorm. Aaron could probably help her but¡­the thought of Adelaide looking down on her again boiled her blood. Frustration grumbled in Carmine¡¯s throat as she stomped aimlessly back and forth, unable to decide on whether to give up or persist.

    Maybe she should make a sign? She could write far more eloquently than she could speak. At least she¡¯d get her words out, but¡­no. Carmine¡¯s face went red just thinking of standing in the middle of everyone looking that desperate.

    Then do what!?

    She had no plan and only bad ideas. Perhaps going to the entry square would have better results. Maybe someone might approach her looking for a circle. It would be easier being awkward in the passive role.

    A wry, pathetic laugh crawled out of her throat. At least it couldn¡¯t be any worse than leering at people from a distance¡­no, it could be. It certainly would be.

    Carmine approached one of the outer walls. Just as Aaron said, a lift revealed itself to her approach. At least no one else was inside. While the lift crawled down, Carmine used the moment of solitude to focus. If she could just quell the anxiety for  just a moment all she needed to say was: Greetings, my name is Carmine. Are you looking for a circle?

    ¡°Greetings," she practiced, "no, too formal. Hi? No, too¡­friendly. I don¡¯t know them yet. Hello, my name is Carmine¡­basic, but it will have to work.¡± She repeated the sentence aloud to herself a few times, trying to work out the stutters and tone, but the lift reached its destination all too soon. Maybe she could ride it up and down one more time,  work the best words to say?

    As she reached for the control panel to send the lift back up, the wall opened to the tower''s central square and a crowd on the other side. Several students waited just outside the door and moved inside as Carmine slipped out to avoid them.

    She watched her one hope at practice seal up and move on its way. Nothing to do now but try.

    People moved in a single, writhing crowd; a swarm of nudging elbows and trampled feet. Carmine waded into them, her feet dragging through an invisible swamp that slowed her pace to one shaky step every few seconds. Surrounded on all sides, she knew she made a mistake. Lost in a sea of people, Carmine¡¯s head swam adrift. All of her preparation melted into the cacophonous drivel invading her ears. Everywhere she looked new students made deals and trades, forming groups with rules and requirements enough to fill a contract.

    Did she have to worry about that too? The only thing she¡¯d ever signed her name to was the student admission Vale brought to her a year ago, now she had to worry about signing away the hours of the day?

    She needed more time. To prepare, to think. It may all get jumbled again, but at least she learned new information for the next try. Carmine turned to retreat only to find a group of four students making their way past her. She moved aside to let them pass¡­only to watch them change course to meet her.

    Wait.

    They all had their eyes on her.

    No.

    There had to be a way out, Carmine spun on her heel, trying to slip though the crowd, but only ended up colliding with another student head first.

    ¡°Ow!¡± The green clad student, a faun girl with coppery skin and black curled horns, rubbed her forehead as a sneer split her face. ¡°Who the hell-?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Carmine squeaked as she tried to find a new escape route, but another girl with short black hair and a high-collared coat unknowingly blocked the way. When Carmine turned she found herself boxed in by the four students chasing her. She froze between someone she just upset and four others who wanted to talk.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± The lead of the four stepped forward, a rosy cheeked human boy wearing garments similar to Adelaide¡¯s without any of the practicality. Each button minted in silver and not a thread stained with a day¡¯s effort. Even Adelaide¡¯s garments looked made for an expected amount of hardship. Compared to them, Carmine must have looked like something a stray dog spat out. ¡°Pardon the interruption, but I hear you are one part of the team that completed the aptitude test first, correct?¡±

    Why did that matter, she thought.

    Before waiting for Carmine¡¯s response he kept going. ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss an agreement for you to become part of our circle.¡± She regretted ever hoping someone would approach her, this was ten times worse than awkwardly staring.

    Her composure cracked and crumbled to ash as she felt the burning eyes of the other students assessing her, judging her. ¡°We can offer you wider connections and resources than you¡¯ve ever seen. All we ask in exchange is that you assist us in reaching the level of sorcerer and that you share your techniques with us-¡±

    ¡°Wow, really?¡± Carmine heard another voice next to her before an arm landed on her shoulder and turned her thought blank. She shuddered to see the student she bumped into turn a mocking smirk on the four.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is this your business?¡± The rosy boy''s face turned sour at the interruption.

    ¡°Well, no,¡± She shrugged without a hint of shame, ¡°but fun thing about eavesdropping: I can stick my horns in whenever I hear a load of bullshit.¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon!?¡±

    ¡°Not as much as you should be begging first-place here to join your basic-ass circle.¡± She tapped Carmine¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Feel free to call me out, but wasn¡¯t your gang one of the teams that timed out and had to be summoned back by instructors?¡± All four students shuffled in place, biting lips and muttering curses. ¡°So what was the plan here? Offering to buy your way into talent while you drag everyone else down around you?¡±

    ¡°Mind your own business, goat.¡± The boy¡¯s veneer cracked.

    ¡°There we go,¡± Instead of being deterred, the fauns¡¯ eyes sharpened on her target. ¡°By all means, go on. Embarrass yourself more, if your weak skills haven''t enough. I could use a good laugh.¡±

    Carmine felt she stood in the middle of something dangerous. Her flight instinct kicked in several minutes ago, yet her feet ignored every order.

    ¡°I think that''s quite enough of that,¡± Another human intervened, an older student from the look of it as he stepped between the group of four and Carmine. ¡°I think you oughta find someone else for your group,¡± he told the four.

    The lead of the group huffed and called his lackeys away. Carmine took a deep breath, feeling a little more at ease with them gone. She turned to the faun leaning on her shoulder.

    ¡°Th-thanks.¡± She muttered.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± The Faun said, stepping back. ¡°You looked a little out of it.¡±

    ¡°I-¡± all of a sudden Carmine worried about making a bad impression. ¡°I was.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We all have things we¡¯re good at and things we¡¯re not. You, for example, sound like you¡¯re one of the real up-and-coming sorceresses around here. Not so much on the public speaking side, though.  Be careful that people don¡¯t try to take advantage of that. My name¡¯s Almyra by the way.¡± She motioned to the hazel-eyed girl in the collared coat behind her. ¡°This is Kay.¡±

    Kay raced to Almyra¡¯s side with a smile in her eyes and a silent wave of her hand. Her coat blocked out the lower half of her face the same way Carmine¡¯s scarf did for her. Kay looked to Almyra and began making strange symbols with her hands.

    ¡°She likes your scarf,¡± Almyra relayed.

    ¡°Oh. Thank you.¡± A smile widened beneath the scarf in question. ¡°My name is Carmine. It''s nice to meet y-you.¡± Practice finally paid off.

    ¡°Wait,¡± The older student grumbled. Something about his voice that grated Carmine''s ears. As they both turned to each other, Carmine saw his blue robe was no robe at all, but a cape clasped to the back of shining silver hued armor. She frowned up to an unfortunately familiar face. He trimmed his dirty blonde hair clean, and his beard had grown less patchy, but Carmine recognized the shape of a nuisance when it stood before her.

    ¡°You.¡± They both said at once, each mirroring the other¡¯s look of confusion.

    ¡°Should have known you¡¯d be here kid.¡± Jordan broke the silence first, offering a begrudged smile. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t expect this to be your kind of place. How, uh¡­how have you been?¡± He stood a little taller and his armor shined with improved care, but Carmine still crossed her arms at the whiny apprentice that once darkened her doorstep.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a student.¡± She ignored his question. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Jordan clicked his tongue and heaved out a long sigh. His eyes broke away as the forced smile faded from his face. ¡°After our¡­trip, I realized I needed to broaden my experiences. I took a post here. The exorcists and sorcery institutions have an understanding; they look after things we find, and help teach exorcists ways to combat magic, in return we provide security and safe artifacts for study.¡±

    ¡°So you became a doorman?¡±

    ¡°It''s a little more complex than that.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude?¡± Almyra frowned at Carmine. ¡°What did our guide do to you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Jordan bit his lip with a pained expression and let out another sigh. ¡°No, she''s got her reasons. I¡­I used to be a pretty ignorant assh- uh, an ignorant man.¡± Carmine raised her brow at the sudden admission. ¡°I used to believe things about people-... fauns that weren¡¯t true. I harassed a friend of hers. ¡° He met the gaze of the three students in front of him. ¡°I was wrong¡­and an idiot. You were right about that, kid.¡± Carmine would scoff if Jordan¡¯s behavior hadn¡¯t so thoroughly confused her. ¡°I have since pulled my head from the dirt and smartened up. I''m trying to be better and I''d be grateful if you would give me a chance to prove that.¡±

    Carmine furrowed her brow even deeper. Was this even the same person? The Jordan she knew had the self-awareness of a buried rock.

    "We''ve only known you for the afternoon," Almyra answered first, "but you''ve treated Kay and I decently enough. If you''re trying to be better then sure, you got a shot."

    Kay nodded her approval alongside Almyra.

    "You¡¯re serious?" Carmine asked. Experience wedged doubt between what Jordan said and his past actions, but¡­the Jordan she knew never apologized.

    ¡°I am,¡± He answered, his tone more earnest than she ever heard. She watched every line of his face, every twitch and quiver, knowing how his mug moved when it mocked and lied. She went quiet, uncaring of the awkward tension descending around her as a near minute passed.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Carmine answered. She didn¡¯t find any deception, but she¡¯d be watching. "I can give you one chance."

    "That''s all I ask." Jordan brightened, a relieved grin spreading over his face. "But look at you three, already helping each other out. I think you''d make a good circle- well, semi-circle at least."

    The circle completely slipped Carmine''s mind when Jordan showed up. All of a sudden standing and talking with Almyra and Kay became a source of heart-thundering stress again, but she did her best to quell it with a breath.

    "W-Would you like t-to-" Carmine tried to force the words out, "to j-join our-"

    "Sure." Almyra answered before she finished asking. Kay agreed with two thumbs up over her shoulder.

    "Oh." Carmine''s anxiety turned into happy embarrassment. It really wasn''t that bad. "G-good!"

    "Then it''s settled," Jordan smirked at the trio as he pulled a small notebook from a nook in his armor. "Now, if I remember right, to form a circle pact, you all have to take your medallions," he pointed to the tower effigy around Kay''s neck as he read, "and place them around your dorm''s central lodestone.¡± Carmine saw he had no idea what he was talking about. ¡°This will cause all the circle members to be joined." Jordan snapped the book shut. "Weird magic shit." He looked at Carmine. "You get that?"

    She nodded and turned to her new partners. "Follow me," Carmine beckoned, leading them to the lift. Her pendant led them past all the wandering students back to the dorm. As she placed her effigy in the recess, she felt proud to be returning with her task complete, rather than giving into failure.

    "This way," Carmine pushed the door open, welcoming her new circle members to her home, but she found Adelaide returned first, and with company.

    "Ah, you''re back," Adelaide said, leaning back in her chair at the lounge table, sipping tea alongside two others. One, a boy with a stoic face, stood taller than everyone else nearby, Jordan included. He held his arms crossed and Carmine saw old scars and calluses kneaded into hard olive skin. She''d seen the same on town guards and drunken brawlers she helped Vale treat in Rolderston. She could scarcely believe he was a student of magic.

    That student stood watch over a second face that Carmine did recognize; the same blue-eyed boy that found her before the test. His grin spread just as wide as it had in the courtyard.

    "Carmine! There you are," he beamed, bouncing up from the table. "This is great! I hoped we''d be in the same circle."

    Carmine slowly waved her hand in greeting. At least he was friendly.

    "You know each other?" Adelaide cocked a brow.

    "We met before the test." He answered before looking back to Carmine. "I had a feeling you would do well."

    "Th-thank you," Carmine stammered. How does he have that much energy? "What brings you here-? Wait, d-did you say ''same circle?''"

    "That''s right," Adelaide confirmed. "This is Emmett Leval, the son of the headmaster and headmistress."

    "The- The headmaster''s¡­son?" Carmine had the sinking feeling this circle would be anything but covert.

    "That''s right," Adelaide confirmed before nodding to the larger boy. "and this is Xander King, another prot¨¦g¨¦ like myself and arcknight in training."

    "What''s an arcknight?" Almyra leaned over Carmine''s shoulder and asked the question in Carmine¡¯s mind.

    Adelaide leaned back on her chair, glancing past Carmine. "My, my, you actually brought someone back with you."

    "A knight that uses magic and blade," Xander answered Almyra. He sounded as far from Carmine''s expectations as he could. His voice flowed light and friendly, almost at odds with his sternness. "And you are?"

    Carmine Shuffled aside for Almyra and Kay to step inside.

    "Hi there," Almyra spoke undaunted before the others. "I''m Almyra. This is Kay. Pleasure to meet you."

    Kay waved at the group, making more of her hand gestures.

    "Kay says-"

    "You as well." Xander replied before Almyra could finish, making a few hand gestures of his own.

    Kay''s eyes lit up as her hands moved faster by the second. What they meant, Carmine decided she would have to learn, but Xander''s rocky contingencies cracked with the suggestion of a smirk as he responded to Kay''s communication.

    "Huh," Almyra looked towards the pair. "Didn''t expect someone else to know sign here."

    "You''ll have to teach me," Carmine added.

    "We can all learn together," Emmett agreed. "Maybe you can teach us Elvish."

    "Elvish?" Adelaide flinched with a frown. "Why would she know that?"

    Don''t say it.

    "Because she''s an elf." Once again, Emmett revealed things in front of everyone without any warning.

    Adelaide leaned back forward on her chair. "What."

    "Wait, really?" Almyra spun on her heel towards Carmine. In fact, everyone stared at her again.

    "Please stop doing that." Carmine whispered.

    "Oh," Emmett deflated, sitting back into his chair with an apologetic grin. "Sorry."

    "It''s okay." Carmine reached up to her hood, her eyes fixed at her feet as she lowered it to show her long, pointed ears reddened to the tip.

    "Well how about that," Almyra dropped her arm around Carmine''s shoulder again, more sudden contact she wasn''t prepared for. "And here I thought I''d be the only cool one here." Almyra leaned in a little closer tilting her head. "Oh hey, is that a scar on your cheek?"

    "Yeah." Carmine pulled her scarf up. "It''s nothing."

    "If you say so."

    "How did I miss that?" Adelaide stared up at the ceiling. "Now they¡¯ll think I was only first because of her."

    "This is irrelevant," Xander frowned at Adelaide. "Our skills are our measure, not our bloodlines or family names."

    "No," Adelaide shook her head as her expression returned to the resting smugness it usually was. "No, you''re right. With our skills pooled together, no other circle can hope to match us." She looked back to Carmine. "And I apologize. Doubtless, you labored for your skills as well."

    "Oh." The sudden apology caught Carmine off guard. "Uh¡­apology accepted."

    "Great, we''re all friends," Almyra trotted to the room''s center, her finger curling on her chin before the lodestone. "So, how do we do this?"

    "If you''re ready for the circle binding," Aaron spoke up from the corner of the room. "Gather round."

    All six students took position as the points of a hexagon surrounding the large arcane orb floating in the dorm''s center. One by one they placed their pendants on the surrounding pedestal; Aspirant Adelaide Winters, Aspirant Carmine Felis, Apprentice Xander King, Aspirant Emmett Leval, Adept Almyra Matilda-Leonne, and Adept Kay Marlowe.

    "As a sorcerer of Leval, I witness the pact of these six." Aaron recited as he placed his own pendant upon the pedestal. "By the rite and will of the ancients, I recognize them as fellow sorcerers. As their senior I will guide them true, and foster their skills to surpass my own."

    An azure ring encircled the equator of the massive stone, expanding beyond its surface. It descended around the seven students, draining the room of all its light, save the ring''s own glow.

    Just as Carmine wondered what the ring meant, it collapsed in on itself, passing through her, and every student''s, body.

    "What just happened?" Adelaide asked, pressing her hands where the ring passed through.

    "The tower has recognized you six as a circle." Aaron explained. "All your quarters can be connected to this room, and so long as you''re connected like this, you''ll always be able to find each other within the tower¡­if you want to be found anyway. Privacy is important."

    Carmine looked down to her wrist feeling an arcane presence. With a little focus, a blue ring brightened on her skin. She felt a sense in her mind, like knowing the way home, only it pointed to each of her compatriots.

    "I can sense it," She said, a giddy smile coming to her face.

    "Me too," Almyra echoed, a ring on her hand as well. All members lifted their hands, showing the arcane brand.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Xander looked at Aaron.  ¡°The circle passed through you as well.¡±

    ¡°Each circle has a senior student attached to it.¡± Aaron answered as he showed a similar ring on his hand, though his appeared layered with another. ¡°Think of me as a tutor, or someone who has just been where you are. My insights are here for you when you need them.¡± Aaron motioned to the ring on his hand. ¡°These rings mark you as students of this great school. You¡¯ll have them as long as you study here for as long as you want. Consider this your formal induction. Welcome, all of you. Your future only gets brighter from here.¡±

    Carmine looked down at her own ring, cradling her hand as her heart warmed with pride. All her effort paid off, and she even made some friends already. It may have been a simple shape, just a mere illusion, but in that moment Carmine treasured nothing more.

 Chapter 16-x: Glimpsing forward, looking back

    Pain shot through Carmine¡¯s skull as her awakening arrived with the sound of scattering papers and her head hitting metal.

    ¡°OW! FUCK!¡± She roared, pulling herself off the floor, looking around her empty hovel eventually settling on her tipped-over stool and a desire to see it burned. She rose to her still-sleeping feet with only her unsteady desk for help. Every bone and muscle ached in protest of consciousness, but they all paled compared to the hammering inside her skull.

    Damn it all. Carmine looked down to her drool-stained notes, peeling one off her face. Fell asleep in the middle of work. Again.

    Served her right for reminiscing, Carmine thought as she sat back at her desk. She gazed at the back of her hand, skin tinged gray halfway to her wrist with sickly black veins, no arcane brand to be found. Why think back on that now? How long ago was it, a decade? More? Carmine grit her teeth; keeping track of time down here felt impossible.

    She straightened up, her desk wobbling on its mismatched legs, rattling vials and sending papers sliding off the side. Carmine¡¯s blood boiled in her veins as she watched the messy stack scatter apart, slowly floating all over her study.

    Fuck it.

    She''ll clean up later. Right now, she needed something to calm her brain from cracking her skull open. Pain pulsed almost in time with the blue lights lining the silver walls. She tried covering them all by gluing papers over them to dull their light, yet there was always a crack where they¡¯d shine through, right in her eyes. If only she could shut them all down; candlelight hurt less.

    Carmine reached under her musty wooden desk, looking for her most reliable painkiller. She wrapped her fingers around a cool glass bottle. A fine vintage of ice-wine from Creed in the far north. Whatever those Vulfan did kept it refreshingly chilled. One of the few joys she could still find, though Carmine worried how long she¡¯d be able to keep importing it. Her hand knocked into the wine stained glass sitting on her desk, a dark red stain lining its spot as she lifted it to the bottle¡¯s breach. As she tilted her relief to pour, only one pathetic drop came out.

    ¡°Are you fucking serious?¡± She let out an exasperated growl.

    Great start to the day¡­or was it night? What did it matter? She sighed, looking at the tarnished ancient walls around her. No sunlight reached her down here. She hadn''t seen the sun in¡­in¡­a concerning amount of time, apparently.

    Groaning at the effort, Carmine forced herself from her desk. Part of her wanted to fall in the well-made and dusty bed opposite her desk, but the winerack was only a few steps further along the wall. With the grace of a tumbling brick, she stumbled to her favorite part of the room and pulled a full bottle free. Her own reflection in the bottle caught her eye. Her crimson hair started growing long again, past her shoulders, and she could see every vein in her bloodshot eyes. and touched her cheeks a moment, wondering if they looked a little gaunt or if it was the angle.

    "Did I eat yesterday?" She asked herself, unable to remember.

    "No." A voice answered.

    "Who the fuck-?" Carmine spun to the door, her heart racing as fast as the lightning beginning to arc through her fingers. The spell lived only a second as her stomach turned with the sudden motion and she nearly emptied it further. Carmine covered her mouth, looking at the familiar face at her threshold. A woman with iron gray skin greeted her threat unblinking. Her blemishless face wore a neutral expression only slightly offset by the cat-like amber eyes fixed on Carmine''s every move. Her drab green clothes hung loose around her lithe yet powerful build though her left sleeve dangled empty at the shoulder. The visitor gripped a bowl in her only hand. Even despite this injury, to the unknowing she would appear an echo of perfection, a person perfectly crafted. And that¡¯s exactly what she was.

    An Echo. A created being.

    Carmine relaxed, lowering her hand from her mouth as her stomach''s tantrum abated.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "For fuck¡¯s sake, Kathir?" Carmine leaned on the wall for balance. She let out her held breath, relieved it was no intruder¡­and that she hadn¡¯t thrown up. "Do you have to sneak everywhere you go?"

    "Apologies." The echo replied in an unchanging voice.

    "It''s fine. What do you want?"

    "You have not consumed a meal in thirty hours." Kathir stepped forward, pushing the bowl into Carmine''s hand. "I cannot allow your health to suffer, it contradicts my-."

    "Yeah, yeah, mission this, directive that, you''re doing terrific." Carmine put the bowl at her desk, shoving her materials aside. For once, a pleasant smell reached her nose. Onion soup, not bad. "Thank you."

    "Your thanks is unnecessar-"

    "I said, thank you." Carmine insisted as she uncorked the new wine bottle. She felt Kathir''s eyes on her back as wine filled her glass. Her insistent caretaker had things to say, Carmine knew. "Ask your questions."

    "Are you unwell?" The echo started her interrogation.

    "Just hungry, why?"

    "You appear agitated."

    "More than usual, you mean."

    "Yes." Not a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    "You never holdback, do you?¡± Carmine chuckled as she sampled the soup. Finally a decent meal. ¡°Never change, Kathir."

    The echo paused for a moment and Carmine knew the familiar dance approaching.

    "Is that an orde-"

    "No, that''s not an order," Carmine grumbled before Kathir finished. "I''m not going to give you orders, so stop asking." Another awkward pause wormed its way between them.

    "Is that not an order?" Kathir asked again.

    "No! Fuck- It''s not- just do what you want." Carmine groaned, slapping her hand to her face. It¡¯s too early for this shit. Kathir had to be doing this on purpose, and yet Carmine wondered if the echo could even joke. Even now, she couldn¡¯t be sure. Carmine peeked between her fingers to find Kathir¡¯s unblinking golden eyes still on her. "What were you asking before?"

    "You are agitated. Why?"

    Carmine sighed, debating whether to even talk about it. What good would digging up the past-...no, to hell with it. Kathir wouldn''t care, and even if she did, she rarely voiced it.

    Carmine took a long drought from the bottle to loosen her lips. The taste of cold wine washed over her tongue, carrying the worst of the headache away with it. Carmine grinned at the familiar flavor, the intoxicating fumes.

    "Had a dream," Carmine said, wiping her mouth.

    "A nightmare?"

    "No, actually¡­ more like a memory." Carmine put the bottle down, but never far. "I was thinking of my first day at Leval." she looked to the back of her hand again with a feeling she couldn¡¯t place as forlorn or frustrated. ¡°How naive I was. Ignorance is bliss, eh? If only there was a way to send a message to your past self, don¡¯t you think?¡± Carmine asked Kathir with a wry smirk.

    ¡°I would not know. I have never experienced regret.¡±

    ¡°Lucky you.¡± The smirk fell away. Carmine took another swig, bitterness tainting the taste. ¡°Maybe if I was built as a killing machine I¡¯d have no regrets too.¡± She grit her teeth the second the words left her mouth. Maybe it was too early for wine. ¡°I- uh-, damn it.¡± Even after so many years, she still struggled to find the right words to speak, and to get them past her clenched jaw.

    Kathir narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, and without changing her expression, ¡°Very agitated,¡± She said in a deadpan voice only she could manage. Somehow, this being of constructed flesh and devoted purpose managed to make Carmine laugh, even a little. ¡°Ah,¡± Kathir noted the sudden shift in demeanor and turned to leave. ¡°Perhaps not-¡±

    ¡°No. No, you¡¯re right. Absolutely right.¡± Carmine gestured for her to stay. ¡°I¡¯m pissed. You don¡¯t dig up the past, and for good reason.¡± She drowned back the memories with more wine. ¡°Nothing good comes from there.¡±

    ¡°You should speak of it.¡± Carmine flinched at the sudden advice.

    ¡°What the hell makes you think that?¡±

    ¡°My creator often vented his frustrations aloud. It aided his demeanor. You hold your failures like grudges."

    "So?"

    "They reduce your efficiency. Rather than halt your progress with days of drunkeness, you could attempt to voice what irks you."

    "And dwell on everything I''ve done wrong?"

    "Not dwell; learn."

    "I didn''t know you were made as a therapist."

    "I am sharing my past observations of the natural-born. Most of you are creatures of emotion you attempt to suppress."

    "And what fine, calming emotions they are." Carmine began to tilt the bottle again, but stopped. She looked to the wine inside, lamenting if she would lose another day to it. Another day gone. Another day she couldn''t get back. She rested the bottle on her desk, nudging it away with scarred fingertips. ¡°Why do you want to know anyway?¡±

    ¡°You have scarcely any one else to confide in, and it is affecting your health.¡±

    ¡°And you can¡¯t allow that can you?¡± Carmine pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the fatigue of her drunk induced sleep from the night before. "Maybe¡­maybe it might help¡­to talk about it all. A lot¡­a lot happened in those years. Actually, it''s around the time I met you after all.¡±

    ¡°I recall.¡± Kathir nodded. ¡°You were still short then.¡±

    ¡°I was not, you¡¯re just very tall.¡± Carmine jabbed a finger, a momentary smirk on her face living all too short. ¡°Don¡¯t expect it to be a happy story, alright? For all the good there was, I was the one to break our circle¡­I had to.¡± Carmine clasped her hands together, nails digging into her flesh. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stay¡­I had to break the circle. The last person they need is a murderer.¡±

 Chapter 17: School Life

    Nicholos knew little of teaching, he had said as much when Carmine went under his wing. He was her guardian first and teacher ninth or tenth on his list of skills. It''s why she resorted to learning most of her spells from mother''s book on her own. Nico helped her refine the process, but he never knew how to start. Only now did Carmine realize the gaps that had left in her learning skills. She could cast a new spell with ease, but when she looked down at her haphazard scribbling about the school day''s lectures, she broke into a sweat. It was nonsense, all of it, and the day hadn''t even ended.

    "The ranger learned the tongue of the Riven people and built an alliance under one banner," Professor Castadio explained as arcane writing clattered across the class'' blackboard. He spoke as if the room was filling with water and the board notes scrambled past with the same urgency. The words echoed around the auditorium, attacking Carmine from all sides. Every time she tried to copy the board''s notes, she missed the professor''s speech. Any time she tried to note what he''d say, she''d miss the words on the board. If that wasn''t enough, she could hear students behind her whispering about their evening plans. She nearly snapped her pen against her desk. At least Nicholos taught with a conversation. These classes were just a recital she was just supposed to memorize. She couldn''t rely on her magic talent for any help either, the institute forbid all magic during lecture classes. Students had to learn by sitting, listening and nothing else. She squirmed in her chair, sitting for hours and hours of lectures just told to remember didn¡¯t work for her. Already she felt herself falling behind.

    "Professor," Xander interrupted Castadio''s lecture, his voice booming through the hall. "Could you slow your pace, please? I fear you''re too quick for me."

    "Ah, excuse me," Castadio apologized, laughing as though he''d made a mistake. "When you''ve taught this subject as many times as I have, you tend to move through too quickly. Apologies Mr. King, I''ll take it a little slower."

    Carmine looked to Xander with a mix of appreciation and admiration. She still couldn''t speak up in front of dozens of people the way he could. Then her sight drifted to his notebook, filled top to bottom with notes in neat order. He had no problem at all. Xander noticed her gawking, and nodded her way with a courteous smile.

    "Thank you," she mouthed, returning to her own notes to hide her embarrassment. He played the fool for her. Carmine shook her head at herself. She had to get it together. The circle didn''t need someone holding it back.

    ¡ª

    "I hate lectures," Carmine sighed, dropping onto the dorm''s couch the moment she returned from class. For a school dedicated to making sorcerers, few of their classes even touched magic. History, grammar, etiquette, Nicholos mentioned them, but only enough to get a fringe idea. Carmine fumbled her notes and texts from her pack and sprawled them on the table before her. She needed to absorb every detail, and knew she''d have better luck on her own than in the classroom.

    Kay sat next to her, gesturing with her hands. Thanks to Almyra¡¯s lessons over the weeks, Carmine roughly understood what Kay communicated.

    ''Are you alright?'' Carmine pieced together Kay''s question.

    "My head hurts," she answered. "Why do they teach us all this stuff? I''m trying to be a sorcerer, not a historian."

    "It''s still a school," Xander answered as he moved to the dorm''s kitchen. He returned with glasses of water for both Kay and Carmine. "There are things the empire says it must teach. Sorcerer or not, besides it''s important to learn basic knowledge and skills for our society."

    "I guess," Carmine took a sip from the offered glass. "I''m sorry about class today. I''m not used to learning around so many people. They''re really distracting."

    ''You were schooled from home,'' Kay signed. ''You''ll adjust.''

    "And until you do, you can ask for our help," Xander added. "The circle is here for all of us."

    "Thank you," Carmine looked down to hide her smile. "For this, and your help today."

    "I don''t know what you mean." Xander shrugged and moved back to the kitchen. Out of everyone in the circle, only he knew how to cook decently well. Since everyone else only knew the recipe for charcoal, he became the circle''s unofficial chef. Despite being just a couple years older than Carmine, he also cooked better than anyone she''d ever met. At the end of the day she could at least look forward to a good meal.

    The dorm door burst open, and the other half of the circle barged through. They looked how Carmine felt. Ash marks covered Almyra''s face, while Adelaide stood slumped with her eyes half-closed, bundled in extra robes, shivering. Emmet looked fine. No matter the training, he always looked fine, somehow.

    "What happened to you?" Carmine made room on the couch.

    "Headmaster Leval happened," Almyra groaned back, shuddering.

    "I don''t understand," Adelaide said, starting to remove her extra robes. "How is he the headmaster?"

    "Headmaster-clerical-error maybe." Almyra agreed as she moved over the sink to wash her face. "Are we sure he''s a sorcerer?"

    "Come on now," Emmet said as he bounced over to the gathering couch. "Dad Isn''t that bad, he just prefers to take training seriously."

    "''Seriously'' is sticking to a schedule and working up to push your limits," Adelaide countered. "Your father wants us to break them every other day."

    ''What did he make you do?'' Kay asked.

    "Endurance training,¡± Almyra grumbled through a clenched jaw. ¡°I had to sustain my spells in the center of a ring of fire, ¡®for concentration.¡¯¡± she scoffed and shook her head. ¡°Addy there needed to draw her spell circles and make the hand symbols on the verge of frostbite.¡± Adelaide pulled her last coat tighter and nodded in confirmation. ¡°Emmet had to cast spells underwater!¡±

    ¡°It was fun,¡± Emmet simply retorted.

    ¡°You could have drowned!¡±

    "No, I can swim."

    Almyra groaned, throwing her arms up, and leaning back on the couch. "You''re just as crazy."

    "Hopefully the headmaster will be a bit calmer tomorrow." Carmine said, worried it would be her turn soon. As eccentric as Emmet¡¯s father was, he never forced Carmine to participate in the fire themed exercises.

    "He only has one mood: crazy," Almyra answered. She slid down off to the lodestone''s round table. "C''mon, let''s get the exchange over with. I need a shower."

    "Then let''s begin," Adelaide called everyone over.

    All six circle members took their positions. In the weeks since they''d formed their team, this gathering became a small ritual by necessity. Every day, Leval split their circle in two. Each half attended different classes, and learned different subjects. Once the school day ended, both sides came together to share what they learned with the other half. They had to; by the next day, both sides switched classes, and continued exactly where their partners left off. Those in the lecture halls needed their notes detailed and clean, while the attendees of the practical tests needed to test their partners in the same way. At first it seemed counter-intuitive, and perhaps it was, but over the weeks they¡¯d tried their little council Carmine found it easier to talk to her circle members, and overcoming the institute¡¯s challenges as a team proved easier. By working together, and teaching what they just learned, everyone reached a greater understanding At least, Carmine suspected that was the school¡¯s rationale. On days like today, where she struggled to keep up with a lecture, she worried about bringing everyone else down.

    ¡°Carmine,¡± Almyra nudged her elbow. ¡° It''s your turn to share.¡±

    "Right," Carmine pulled her notebook to her face, hoping no one else would see her sloppy writing. "Today, Professor Castadio covered the formative years of the Vembrian Empire." She recalled mostly from memory rather than reading her notes. "More than a thousand years ago, when maps were being redrawn, and the bright birds went extinct, Vembris sent out people called rangers to go explore new territories and make contact neighboring settlements. One of the first rangers met the Riven in their webbed mountains, learned their language, and helped broker their alliance. It''s actually the first interspecies alliance Vembris made."

    "So the empire wasn''t always filled with bigots?" Almyra grumbled, her displeasure plain.

    "Allegedly," Carmine shared her tone. She lowered her notebook, and looked at her circle. "A thousand years is a long time for a story to be distorted."

    ¡°The Riven¡­¡± Adelaide tapped her cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of that group.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re pretty out-of-the-way,¡± Carmine flipped through her notebook to the map of Vembris printed in its back. ¡°They normally keep to their mountain near the southern ocean. They''re described to have evolved from rodents and prefer dimer light.¡± Carmine leaned closer to Adelaide pointing out the region for her on the opposite side of the continent.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°They mostly dwell underground.¡± Xander added, smiling as he continued. ¡°They make some of the wonders of our age. Much of the machinery powered by arcanite bears the bones of their designs, and their mines find most of the arcanite in the empire.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Adelaide sat up with a smirk on her face. ¡°Perhaps this warrants further reading. The suppliers of ensorcelled ore would be good friends to have.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a book on the shelf about the different people in the empire,¡± Carmine pointed. "We can have a look later, but the next subject-"

    Before Carmine could continue, the Lodestone hovering over their council thrummed to life. Its cerulean surface brightened as an image took shape within its confines. A dour, scowling shape that all but Emmet froze before.

    "Students." Madam Leval snapped, barely parting her pursed lips to command their attention. "A word." She made no request. Carmine and the others went still and prepared for a scolding. Madam Leval''s face sat in its stony glare as it always had. If the head master''s one mood was crazy, then the madam''s was vitriolic, with one exception.

    "Hi Mom," Emmet waved to the massive face in the orb.

    "Hello dear." A momentary smile warped the headmistress'' face before she turned her attention back to the circle in full.

    "The faculty have determined that your circle is sufficiently acclimated," she decreed, whether it was true or not. "You shall be given your first field assessment."

    "Field? We get to go-?" Almyra started to question, her face brightening with excitement before the madam''s glare fell squarely on her.

    "If you have a question, you will wait until I am finished." Madam Leval''s face loomed over Almyra.

    "So sorry," Almyra faked, "Next time I''ll have Emmet ask."

    The madam narrowed her eyes but decided not to pursue it any further. One of these days, Carmine felt Almyra would push the wrong button, but until then vicariously enjoyed the defiance.

    "As I was saying." Madam Leval continued. "In accordance with our curriculum, students are required to visit a notable city in Vembris. You will then tour said city and write an individual and group report on how the resources within the city could further your goals as a sorcerer and how you, in turn, would serve said city. As such, each of you are required to submit a preliminary report of your choice of destination for approval by the end of the week. That is all." The lodestone''s hum faded as the Madam''s visage, thankfully, went with it.

    "So much for questions." Almyra crossed her arms.

    "Sorry she does that," Emmet said with a shrug. "My mother gets terse when she''s busy."

    ''She''s always busy'' Kay signed out of his view. Almyra snickered and Carmine covered her grin.

    "Having fun over there," Adelaide called them out, her voice as serious as ever. "This is our first important assignment. It will likely hold more sway than the entry test ever did. We should start planning now, before the headmistress decides to demote us."

    "Really," Almyra groaned. "You heard her, we have ¡®til the end of the week. We can start tomorrow."

    "Maybe, but¡­" Emmet furrowed his brow in thought. "I''ve heard people who fail their first assignment usually end up flunking within their first year and get expelled."

    Everyone looked at Emmet wide-eyed with new-found urgency.

    "Alright," Almyra clapped her hands."Where are we going?"

    "Slow down." Adelaide urged. She closed her notebook and looked to the rest of the circle. "Just as you said, we have the week to decide. Whatever we choose, we must explain our decision, otherwise I doubt our trip would be approved. Let''s start with something we can all answer right now: Why are we sorcerers? Why did we choose to come here? From there we can figure out what kind of place would best serve our joined interests. Here, I¡¯ll go first.¡± Adelaide straightened her posture and sat at the circle table as if it was her own courtly audience. ¡°I came to the Leval institute to improve my education and understanding of sorcery for the day that I take up the title of my county. When that day comes I wish to lead my people as a wise and disciplined leader capable of defending them legally, morally, and if it comes to it, martially. For my selection, I would choose somewhere with a focus on governance.¡± Adelaide relaxed her shoulders the moment she finished her speech. She looked to her left at Emmet, ¡°Just like that, not so hard. You go next.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­okay,¡± Emmet opened his mouth with the same confidence yet no words came out. As the pause grew longer he wrung his hands, staring at his reflection on the table. ¡°This might sound pretty simple, but I just want to be like my parents and become an instructor at our school.¡±

    ¡°Nothing wrong with wanting to follow your parent''s example,¡± Xander commented. ¡°Even with your family, it still requires much of your own hard work.¡±

    ¡°I''m sure both Mr. King and I share your experience. It¡¯s not surprising either,¡± Adelaide agreed. ¡°You come from a prestigious family after all.¡±

    ¡°Thanks guys,¡± Emmet raised his head a little. ¡° As for what I''d be looking for, I think a place that has its own schools of sorcery would give me a reason to go.¡±

    "Sensible," Adelaide approved. "Carmine," her sudden call made Carmine jump, "what about you?"

    "Uh¡­" Carmine''s mind went blank. She really should have used the time to think of her own reasons. "I¡­uh¡­I''m not sure. I came here because Vale and Nicholos, my-my teacher, said it''d be good for me."

    "Wha-? You''re learning at the most renowned mage school in the nation. You can''t not have an end goal in mind." Adelaide leaned forward, disbelief on her face. "After all the effort you and your family put into getting you here, surely, surely there''s something-"

    "I get it, alright?" Carmine retorted. She came to this place to try and connect with other mages, and that already took a lot of her focus. "I''ll think about it. Skip me for now."

    "Fine." Adelaide shook her head. "Apologies for the insistence, but at least think of a reason for the assignment."

    "Just come up with anything Carmine," Almyra added. "You just need to fool that crone.¡±

    ¡°My mother, you mean,¡± Emett narrowed his eyes, his grin tightened.

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    ¡°Do put some thought into it,¡± Adelaide groaned glaring at Almyra. ¡°You have a lot to say, what¡¯s your goal?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Almyra rose to her hooves, ¡°I¡¯m going to be the master of elements at the imperial court.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Adelaide nodded with interest. ¡°That¡¯s an ambitious goal.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the master of elements?¡± Carmine whispered to Kay. it sounded like another lofty title, but if Almyra wanted it, then it probably meant something.

    ¡®A mage advisor to a leader for arcane matters.¡¯ Kay explained, She signed to Carmine without looking, her eyes shadowed by a concerned frown in Almyra¡¯s direction. ¡®The imperial court''s master of elements advises the emperor.¡¯

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be really hard for you, Almyra?¡± Carmine asked carefully. ¡°The empire treats fauns pretty unfairly, My teacher had to go through a lot of trouble just to be allowed to work here.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Almyra only boasted louder. ¡°Right now, a lot of folks might try to stop me ¡®cause Raelis and Vembris are at each other''s throats, but I¡¯m not from Raelis. I was born here, which means I got as much a shot as anyone else. Besides, I¡¯ll just get so good at what we do that no one else can hope to get the job.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not lacking in confidence, that¡¯s for certain,¡± Xander said with a smirk.

    ¡°Damn right! If I¡¯m going for the best job, I¡¯ll just have to be the best. When I do get there, I can help change the perception of fauns in the empire anyway. Do some overdue good, you know?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Adelaide smiled with a hint of surprise. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a noble goal. In terms of our assignment though, you would need to study under a court mage, so a place with one will be necessary.¡±

    ¡°Now you Kay,¡± Almyra nudged her silent friend. Kay¡¯s hands fell beneath the table, her face sinking deeper in her collar. ¡°Come on, don''t be shy, you¡¯ve got a great goal.¡±

    Hands trembling with reluctance, her eyes never leaving the floor, Kay slowly signed, ¡®I want to be an artist.¡¯

    ¡°She wants to be an artist,¡± Almyra repeated for Emmet and Adelaide. Knowing Almyra said it aloud, Kay buried her face into the table, her ears red as she tried to appear as small as possible.

    ¡°An artist that uses magic?¡± Carmine pondered the thought. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s doing it,¡± Almyra explained, rubbing Kay¡¯s back, trying to coax her from her shell. ¡°Kay use to go on and on to me about how most people just see sorcery as a tool, and very few mages use the expressive side of-¡±

    Kay lifted her head and covered Almyra¡¯s mouth. ¡®Enough,¡¯ she signed. ¡¯Next. Wherever we go is fine. I¡¯ll figure something out.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll go next,¡± Xander said, straightening his posture. The soft grin ever-present on face turned to a neutral expression, one Carmine recognized from Jordan and Tera. The look of discipline. ¡°As I mentioned before, I am training to be an Arcknight. My studies here will eventually delve into battle magics.¡±

    Adelaide started to summarize. ¡°So a place that could provide martial-¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Xander cut her off. ¡°I¡¯ve trained for this all my life. What would truly help me would be a better understanding is the smithing process of arcane weapons and armor. A knight must know their equipment better than themselves."

    ¡°Oh.¡± Adelaide recovered from the interruption ¡°Then a place with metallurgy I suppose? This list is getting complicated. Carmine, it''s back to you, give us something at least.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Carmine rubbed her head trying to think of what she wanted and what her circle expected of her. She started learning magic to feel closer to her Mother, to learn about her in the time they lost, but in that time she remembered the words of the wretched village headman that night. She was cursed, a bad omen condemned by a seer too high on mushrooms to be coherent. They all knew nothing. If they had, so much would have been different. So many people across the empire hated and feared simply because they didn¡¯t know any better. There had to be something, someone to change that. ¡°I think¡­I think I want to travel. Go to places and help them learn about other parts of the world¡­maybe teach a little magic where I can and work as a healer since aunt Vale trained me for that too.¡± Carmine shrugged, looking at Adelaide with an apology on her face. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s probably not a very descriptive answer.¡±

    ¡°Actually it makes more sense than you know,¡± Adelaide paused in thought. ¡°There¡¯s a word for sorcerers that travel to the edges of countries to impart their knowledge and training-"

    "What, like a hermit?" Almyra cut in.

    "No, a witch."

    "A witch!?" Carmine buried her face in her hands. "You mean like a mean old lady? Forget everything I just said, I don''t want to be a witch!"

    "Not that kind of witch, Carmine," Adelaide fought back a laugh. "Recent stories may have twisted the word for people like you''re thinking of, hags in deep woods, laying curses, but that''s superstitious blithering. The old meaning was for what you described before: wandering healers and teachers."

    "I haven''t even heard that," Emmet admitted. "How did you know?"

    "A witch helped my mother in childbirth." Adelaide smiled. "There were complications with my younger brother''s birth, but a wandering witch saved both their lives." She turned back to Carmine. "There¡¯s little prestige associated with their work, but they¡¯re often the first mentor to most would be mages. My talent was discovered by that same witch, actually.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Carmine perked up. Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a flimsy idea after all. ¡°Do you think it could work?¡±

    ¡°Probably. I¡¯ll tell you now, witches don¡¯t see much in the way of silver, except for their medical expertise, so best keep up your healer studies.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Carmine frowned a little, thinking of the paltry meals she and Nico squeezed by on in the early years. ¡°That¡­wouldn¡¯t be new.¡±

    ¡°You know what?¡± Almyra leaned over, staring at Carmine with a ponderous frown. ¡°I think it suits you.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­I think you could pull off the scary witch-of-the-woods look.¡± A smirk creased the faun¡¯s lips in approval.

    ¡°Gee¡­thanks.¡±

    ¡°I think with that¡­¡± Adelaide lowered her list of the circle¡¯s goals, revealing her confident sneer to the lodestone over them. ¡°I have our destination in mind.¡±

 Chapter 18: A trip far away

    "Are you sure you''re ready for your trip?" Vale asked, her hands occupied filling a bottle of Carmine''s medicine, leaving her mind free to fuss over every detail. "The mountains can be pretty cold, and you know how your scars can ache when it''s too chilly-"

    "Believe me, I know," Carmine huffed, avoiding Vale''s half-distracted glances. She tried staring at the anatomy charts lining the infirmary walls, but really she wanted to bury her face in her hands, anything to avoid the stares from her fellow students waiting their turns. As Vale''s patient, Carmine made regular trips to visit, usually for nothing more than to restock her medicine and pain relievers, but if she so much as sniffled, Vale hovered right over her. Are you getting a cold? Are you sleeping enough? What are you eating? How are your scars? She worried over everything. Buried under the embarrassment and frustration, Carmine knew she should appreciate the care, but she just wished Vale could hold her doting away from the public.

    "Be careful in the mountains." Vale warned again. "Walk with a staff for support, and avoid slipping hazards, even when you''re inside-"

    "I know, Vale, please," Carmine stuck her hand out for her meds, face red as she tried to ignore Almyra''s cackling from the door. "Hurry, please?"

    "Sorry, sorry," Vale placed the vial in Carmine''s hands. "I''ve just been so busy lately we hardly have time to catch up."

    "Don''t worry about it," Carmine tried smoothing things over with a shrug. "I''m busy with classes and circle projects anyway. Neither of us have much time."

    "We have to make time," Vale insisted as she squeezed the young elf''s shoulders. "After your trip we should sit down and you can tell me all about the friends you''ve made¡­especially the one laughing at us from the door." Vale turned her steely glare on Almyra. The younger faun fled out of sight with a curse. "She seems like a troublemaker¡­"

    "This place could use a bit more trouble," Carmine countered. The head mistress in particular, she wanted to add, but held her tongue. No doubt that bat had ears in every wall.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Vale agreed with a chuckle. ¡°But don¡¯t do anything that would get you expelled, alright? At least not in your first year.¡±

    ¡°So I can start the really crazy stuff when the year¡¯s up? Got it.¡± Carmine nodded, an obedient angel.

    ¡°Wrong message to pick up there, Red.¡± Vale wagged her finger. "I do have something for you though," she continued, opening the drawers of her desk. She pulled out a thin arcanite crystal as long as Carmine''s finger. Within glowed a faint prismatic light trapped in its center. "This," Vale started as she tied a cord around the crystal''s tip, "is me just being an anxious and paranoid nanny, but I''d like you to take this along."

    A snapper, Carmine recognized. Sure, they had a long fancy name some instructors used, but most students just called them snappers. It was easier. A mage stores a spell within, and breaks the crystal to cast it. Carmine knew they were common, but hadn''t used one outside of class before. That cost money.

    "What''s inside?" Carmine asked, staring at her through the transparent crystal.

    "You''ll ruin your eyes," Vale pushed the crystal down. "That is a little portal attuned to my infirmary. If you get in trouble," Vale tilted Carmine''s chin to meet their eyes, "any trouble, break that and you''ll be back here in seconds."

    "Oh." Vale worried too much, but, to be fair, even she admitted it. "That''s a bit excessive don''t you think? It''s just a little field trip."

    "Humor me, please?" Vale smiled patiently.

    "Alright." Carmine tucked the snapper away, a mischievous grin playing across her face. "Maybe it''ll sell for a bit of silver over there. I could get a souvenir!"

    "Do. Not-"

    "Just joking." Carmine gave Vale a hug as the faun nearly popped a blood vessel. "I know you''re just looking out."

    "You¡­" Vale calmed down, returning the hug as she flipped between calm and embarrassed. "You little devil. This city''s a bad influence on you. You never asked for silver before coming here."

    "Rolderston didn''t have anything worth buying," Carmine countered. "But here, there''s books, components, and food. Much better food."

    "You''re not wrong there," Vale eased back, straightening Carmine''s auburn hair before Carmine tussled it back to normal. "Have a safe trip, Red."

    "I didn''t plan to have otherwise." Carmine stepped back with a wave and walked to the exit. Even before she passed the doorway, she heard Almyra''s snickering.

    "Alright," Carmine turned the corner, rolling her eyes at the giggler. "Get it out of your system."

    ¡°You are so cute with her,¡± Almyra nudged Carmine with an elbow as she slung her bag over her shoulder. ¡°I know you¡¯re just looking out for me.¡± she mimicked Carmine¡¯s voice, putting her arm around the elf¡¯s shoulders to imitate her. ¡°And the way she dotes over you. Walk with a staff, take your medicine.¡±

    ¡°Do you know you¡¯re really bad at impressions?¡± Carmine started walking forward, forcing Almyra to let go or tumble.

    ¡°That¡¯s just your personal bias.¡± Almyra retorted as she strutted beside. ¡°I¡¯m obviously amazing.¡±

    ¡°And you say I¡¯m biased.¡± Carmine shook her head, smiling as she tucked the tonic away.

    ¡°That stuff looks rank.¡± Almyra flinched at the sight of the grizzly vial. ¡°What do you need that for anyway?¡±

    ¡°You heard, it¡¯s medicine. It helps keep me from getting sick. That and dulling aches.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Almyra faced forward, staring down the plain tower corridor, punctuated only by wall drapes every few steps. The portraits of past sorcerers stared at them, turning an abrupt silence oppressively awkward.

    Almyra''s gait lagged just for a moment as she stole a glance at Carmine¡¯s scar. One, then another. Nothing new. Almyra did it. They all did it, but they always thought they were subtle about it. As if Carmine couldn¡¯t see their expressions fall, or hear the sudden silence. She sighed, continuing forward, frustrated with the barrier burned into her skin so deep it-

    ¡°Does¡­¡± Almyra sped up to match her. ¡°Does it¡­hurt¡­much?¡±

    Carmine blinked, trailing a half-step back to Almyra. ¡°Well, it, um¡­hmm¡± She hummed, words scattering around her head. No one besides Vale and Nicholos ever asked her that. ¡°A-a little, yeah.¡± Carmine rested her hand on her left sleeve, keeping her grip loose. ¡°It''s like a bad itch that I can''t scratch. It stings, but I can ignore it with Vale''s medicine.¡± She flexed her hand open and closed, wincing as her bandages shifted against the raw skin beneath. She showed her wrapped arm. ¡°Except when we have to change these. That sucks, medicine or not.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Almyra shook her head, staring down the hall with a smirk that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked, should I?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Carmine offered a slight smile. ¡°It''s almost refreshing, really. No one else ever does. They just stare, then realize they''re staring and try to pretend nothing happened.¡±

    "Sorry if I do that. It''s not intentional, just¡­"

    "It''s just different." Carmine finished for her. Almyra shrugged, making no rebuttal. "Part of me understands. I''m sure I''d be staring too." A smile crept across Carmine''s face. "Actually, when I first met Vale I kept staring at her horns, hooves, eyes- I don''t need to list, you know." Carmine motioned to Almyra. "She was the first faun I''d ever met."

    "Yeah, I know that feeling." Almyra agreed. "I¡¯ve heard kids ask their parents why I''m half-goat."

    "One actually did something similar to me at a carnival once."

    "Nosy little shits aren''t they?"

    "Feels like it." Both smirked. Carmine thought of that boy''s face from a few years back, tugging on his mother''s skirt. She frowned, surprised it didn''t bother her as much. "But, that''s not a bad thing really."

    "And how do you figure that?" Almyra raised a brow. "One actually asked me if I eat grass."

    "But that''s it; they ask questions. If anyone would ask enough they''d learn that we''re not that different. Instead, their parents drag them away, and feed the same superstitious crap they''ve been fed until their kids believe the same lies. They don''t realize how wrong it is." Carmine grumbled, her grip tightened against the bandages. Her skin ached beneath, each sting evidence.

    "Eh, fuck them," Almyra shrugged and pulled Carmine forward. "Good thing we don''t need them, yeah? Why waste time worrying about small-minded assholes?" She smiled, so self-assured of their success. "We''ve got higher goals in mind."

    "Yeah," Carmine sighed, letting go of her own arm. "You do, anyway."

    "Damn right! And when I''m the imperial sorcerer, I''ll make you head witch."

    "I don''t think witches are organized like that."

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "Then I guess that will be your job to do."

    "Do not make work for me as your first decree. Please?"

    "Best stay in my good books then. Come on, the others are probably at the portal waiting for us by now."

    "Yeah, right." Carmine scoffed. "Emmet''s mum would probably dock us marks if we''re late."

    "I almost feel bad for him sometimes¡­and then I remember that he probably has it made, and his mom will make sure he passes no matter what."

    Carmine hummed in thought, not that she disagreed, but¡­"Don''t say that to his face, he''d get upset. He works hard too."

    "Yeah..." Almyra frowned. "It''s not his fault¡­and he''s alright. Not like his mom at least."

    "She''s crazy."

    "Oh yeah. It will be good to get out of her sight for a while."

    "Is everyone ready to go?"

    "Yup. They were all doing their final checks at the waygate when I came to find you."

    "Sorry about that, Vale really wanted to make sure I was ready."

    "I saw. You don''t have to explain."

    "Thanks- wait. You won''t tell anyone, right?"

    "About your a-dorable chat with your auntie? What gave you that-?"

    "Rephrasing; you will not tell anyone." Carmine threatened with a pointed look, but Almyra just laughed.

    "You got it. Wouldn''t want to make an enemy of the future witch of the woods. Oooooooh!" Almyra wiggled her fingers, making ghostly noises.

    Carmine rolled her eyes, trying not to grin as she stepped into a tower lift. The pair rode down for a few minutes, descending into the multi-biomed undercroft beneath Reefcliff. At the tower''s base, opposite of where Carmine and Adelaide completed their entrance exam, they found the rest of the circle, and Aaron, gathered near a silver arch. Complex engravings covered the artifact, so minute and plentiful Carmine felt the urge to stop and read them for hours, but alas, she had somewhere to be.

    "There you both are," Adelaide called. She tapped her foot, her expression tight lipped as she turned on Aaron. "I told you they would arrive. We can leave today, as planned."

    "Are you sure?" Aaron sighed, struggling to pull his pack over his shoulder. "The Riven mountains are a few hours ahead of us. If we go now it will be evening."

    "Exactly." Adelaide pointed. "Why start with a half-day? We''ll go there now, make our introduction and spend the night. Our work can start in the morning when theirs does. It''s Perfect!"

    "Perfect wouldn''t throw off our sleep schedules." Emmet complained.

    "Hush." Adelaide waved his comment away, looking to Carmine. "Are you fully prepared? We won''t return for anything once we depart."

    "Why?" Almyra tilted her head. "We''re using waygate portal, Addy, we can just-"

    "Adelaide," she resisted her nickname. "And It''s the principle. We have to make a good impression."

    "Whatever." Almyra rolled her eyes and joined Kay. Kay and Carmine exchange signs of greeting before the latter faced Adelaide.

    "We have everything," Carmine confirmed, her grin enduring Addy''s micromanagement. "I''m actually looking forward to this."

    "That''s the spirit!" Adelaide returned a surprised grin before turning to the nearby girthy instructor managing the waygate. "Professor Castadio, we''re ready."

    "Excellent," Castadio boomed, strolling around to the front of the arch. "Now, all of you, stand a safe distance back. Portal accidents are quite serious. Come now, good." Once he did a head count of all students, Castadio spoke to the silver arch in the ancient''s tongue, similar to opening a portal, though the professor more-so described the place he wanted and asked the gate to reveal a path. A cloudy white lodestone embedded at the arches'' apex pulsed with brightening light. Its glow spilled into the carvings, flowing down the arch and flooding the dias on which it stood. With a loud thrum, a black rift cut through the center of the gap, widening to each edge as an image slowly focused in its abyssal hollow. Unlike a normal portal, fraying at the edges, the waygate filled its arch with a perfect image of their destination as if it were another room in the tower, not the other side of the continent.

    Carmine saw a few people standing on the other end of the portal, waiting for them. Just as her text described, the Riven were a species of rodent humanoids, covered in a layer of fur with pure black or red eyes and large set of incisors teeth. The only thing Carmine hadn''t expected was their height. Most of them stood about as tall as Emmet, and he was a little short for a teenager. For a moment, Carmine couldn''t help but think they were a little¡­cute.

    "Come on," Adelaide strode forward. "Lets not keep them waiting."

    One by one, the circle filed through the waygate, the temperature dropping the moment they crossed the threshold. Carmine pulled her coat tighter, a shudder running down her spine as she caught sight of the lamps bolted to the walls burning with a strange white, smokeless fire.

    "Welcome to Dwerra, young sorcerers," one Riven said as she stepped in front of the others. "My name is Tarvi, you could say I''m the speaker for this part of our network. We''re honored students from the esteemed Leval institute would take an interest in our ways."

    "And we are honored to be your guests." Adelaide replied with a curtsy. The entire circle agreed beforehand she''d be the talker. As she dealt with the pleasantries, Carmine looked around this new land she stepped into.

    Unsurprisingly, this underground, mountain dwelling culture didn''t bother with any windows. Only artificial light from those lamps brightened the stone cut interior. Perfect triangular tunnels led out from the chamber, so neat Carmine inferred the Riven had to have a machine of some kind either excavate the path or smooth it down for them. Metal pipes ran across the walls, more than she¡¯d ever seen before nearly completely covering the stone behind them. As she surveyed her surroundings a mechanical tick echoed through the mountain, its clicking rhythm showing no signs of stopping. She followed the pipes upward, trying to see where they would go when what she saw left her breathless. High above the waygate the light faded away leaving the stone roof as black as night, and yet dozens of peculiar tiny lights dotted the darkened canvas unlike anything Carmine had ever seen. She couldn¡¯t tear her eyes away, didn¡¯t want to as the beauty stirred something in her, something she couldn¡¯t explain in words or thought.

    ¡°Hey, they¡¯re all staring at you,¡± Almyra nudged her shoulder. ¡°Maybe say something, introduce yourself. You know, greetings.¡± Carmine simply pointed up. ¡°Why, what¡¯s the- holy shit.¡± Almyra followed her gaze, and one by one each member of the circle followed suit, equally speechless to what hung over their heads.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Carmine asked the Riven speaker, tearing her attention away.

    The speaker chuckled without a hint of surprise. ¡°It¡¯s one of the oldest art pieces in Riven history, even prior to our union with Vembris. Everyone that visits Dwerra has the same reaction.¡±

    ¡°No wonder why,¡± Adelaide said, regaining her composure quickest of all. ¡°As¡­enthralling as your art is, I would be very grateful if you would explain the procedure you¡¯ve decided upon for our visit.¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Tarvi took a step to the side and waved to the Riven accompanying her. "These are the experts I''ve chosen to mentor you while you''re here. I''ll give you all a moment to meet each other before I show you to the quarters we''ve reserved. We can all get a good start in the morning." Tarvi continued, going down the line of Riven one by one. She introduced Carmine and Emmet to a quiet looking man named Grik. As the other members of her circle started chatting with their hosts, Carmine and Grik both looked at each other quietly before averting their eyes from the awkwardness, right into Emmet

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Emmet.¡± He introduced himself, outgoing as ever.

    ¡°Yes- H-hello,¡± Grik replied. Carmine watched sympathetic. ¡°I¡¯m Grik¡­nice to meet you.¡± He shook Emmet¡¯s hand before turning to Carmine, eyes wide hoping she could improve the situation¡­somehow.

    "Hello-"

    "Hi-"

    They both started at the same time-

    "Oh, sorry-"

    "Oh, sorry-"

    They did it again. Carmine winced. As first impressions went, she knew hers sucked, but Grik''s faced curled in amusement.

    "I think you and I will get along," he said with a smile, and held out his hand. Carmine composed herself as best she could and shook it.

    "T-thank you for hosting us." She said, suppressing her usual anxiety. "I look forward to learning from you."

    "You''re a polite young woman." Grik lifted his head, a hint of surprise in his voice.

    "Were you expecting otherwise?" Carmine furrowed her brow.

    "No, no. Well, not exactly. I didn''t know what a witch actually was until Tarvi showed me your report. For a moment I thought you wanted to learn curses or something." His awkward laugh was as convincing as his confidence.

    "So you read it." Carmine looked down. The thought of someone reading her work unnerved her.

    ¡°Yup. I¡¯ll be glad to show you how it''s done, but part of me can¡¯t help but think of the evil witches from storybooks.¡± Grik chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one.¡± Carmine thought back to the circle gathering.

    ¡°Did you read mine too?¡± Emmet chimed in. ¡°Are you going to be teaching both of us?

    "Y-yes, uh, to both questions." Grik confirmed, voice shaky. "I agreed to take you on¡­admittedly before I knew there were two of you, b-but that¡¯s a good thing, right? I think the world could use more teachers.¡±

    ¡°Hear that, Carmine? We¡¯re going to be partners for our time here!

    "I guess our goals were pretty similar.¡± Carmine smiled a little before looking her host in the eye. "So¡­uh, sorry if this is rude, but what do you do here?"

    "Yeah, I should be explaining." Grik winced like he¡¯d just remembered his role. "I''m a teacher for fledgeling mages. the young''uns are just starting out." Carmine started to worry. "I teach classes to a handful of kids that are learning their first spells, and I¡¯m hoping during your time here you can be my assistants. Show them what it''s like once you get going, so to speak."

    "H-how?" Carmine stammered. She could barely sit in a class, let alone teach one. She preferred to do what Nico did with her, working one-on-one with an apprentice.

    "It won¡¯t be so hard. I¡¯ll start you off easy, just sitting in to watch how I teach, then you¡¯ll assist me in teaching the class and maybe do an entire lesson on your own by the end."

    "Ah." Carmine nodded, holding her face neutral as she hid the abject terror behind it. ¡°And th-that would involve¡­standing in front of all your students and- and talking¡­to them.¡±

    "Exactly. It wouldn¡¯t be much of a lesson if you didn¡¯t."

    ¡°That sounds fun,¡± Emmet said, ever undaunted.

    ¡°Okay¡­okay.¡± Carmine looked at her circle. Each one looked right at home with their mentors and Carmine didn¡¯t want to be an outlier. Besides¡­stepping out of her comfort zone might be good. Maybe. There could be a slim chance. ¡°I suppose¡­I¡¯ll do it?¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Grik brightened, though his chest fell as though he''d been holding his breath. "I, uh, really didn''t know what I''d teach you if you weren''t interested."

    "Well¡­I am."

    We both are!¡± Emmet beamed. ¡°Tell me whatever you want me to teach and I''ll get it done.

    "Good¡­Good¡­I won¡¯t lie, I didn¡¯t expect to be teaching a Leval of all people."

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t fuss about the name,¡± Emmet chirped, his grin wavering for less than a second. ¡°I¡¯m a pretty good student in my own right.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­good to know.¡±

    Silence descended between them again. Background conversations pressured Carmine to speak. Adelaide¡¯s insistence about first impressions rang in her head, down to the demanding glare. She didn¡¯t need to look over her shoulder to sense Addy¡¯s eyes on her.

    Carmine summoned her voice, grabbing whatever words came to mind.

    "You can count on me. I''ll do my best to learn everything you teach."

 Chapter 19: Teaching is Hard

    Carmine heaved a shuddering sigh as she sat on the bed of her windowless quarters. The field assignment would last three weeks in a place with new faces and new obligations. After leaving home and joining the Leval institute, the task felt less daunting, but anxious excitement jittered her hands for the first day. She squeezed her hands together, trying to control her breath. Her cramped quarters reminded her of Rolderston home, with about as much leg space. If she closed her eyes she could be back there in an instant. As much as part of her enjoyed venturing further into unknown territory, another part yearned for the safety of her isolated little shack. Those two parts went back and forth in her mind, trying to assert whether she should be happy or terrified. In recent weeks, she felt she could push back the terror, rather than let it push her into a corner. Maybe Adelaide''s attitude was rubbing off on her, or Almyra''s confidence, or maybe even Emmet¡¯s sheer obliviousness. Either way, she liked the feeling. Despite her anxiety, when a knock came to her door, Carmine leapt off her bed, ready and able to start the day.

    She greeted both Grik and Emmet waiting at the threshold.

    "Good morning," Carmine said.

    ¡°To you as well,¡± Grik smiled, briefly looking at Carmine¡¯s tidy garb. ¡°You¡¯re already prepared. Excellent.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Carmine tilted her head.

    ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t,¡± Emmet answered, a flustered smile crossing his face. ¡°Turns out I''m a heavier sleeper without the sun to wake me up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not too irregular for surface folk to need an adjustment period,¡± Grik added. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine, I even came a bit early just in case.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I was so nervous I woke up an hour before I planned and couldn¡¯t get back to sleep,¡± Carmine said. ¡°B-but I¡¯m still looking forward to this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡± Grik stepped out from her doorway and motioned down the tunnel. Carmine followed his direction as he and Emmet fell in step beside her. ¡°Today will be very light. We¡¯ll just introduce you to my students and then I¡¯ll get on with the usual lesson. For now I¡¯d just like you to watch  while considering how it¡¯s structured. I imagine the contents will be old news to Leval students, so just focus on the teaching techniques.¡±

    ¡°That seems easy enough,¡± Emmet said.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Grik nodded, ¡°but you¡¯ll know if you noticed enough when it¡¯s your turn to teach.¡±

    Grik led them up a tunnel to a wide opening to what must be the center of the mountain they inhabited. An immense column traveled up the center of a deep shaft, connecting all the way up to the mountaintop. Lights and buildings climbed the column just as they did on the mountain shelf. She looked out over the Riven city from a spiraling walkway that traveled around the mountain wall, all manner of buildings carved into the stone next to this settlement¡¯s winding main street.

    ¡°It kinda looks like my parent¡¯s tower,¡± Emmet pointed to the column.

    ¡°That¡¯s a decent comparison,¡± Grik agreed. ¡°The pillar is our place of learning in Dwerra, same with most Riven settlements. It¡¯s not just for mages of course, we Riven have many renowned schools for artisans and engineers.¡±

    ¡°But how do we get over there?¡± Carmine asked, looking over the edge as a long drop stared back. The nearest bridge looked several levels down, and only lightly traveled. Just as Carmine wondered why, Grik spoke up.

    ¡°We take one of those.¡± Grik pointed to a large metal box sliding over the abyss, only kept from falling by a thick steel cable running from the mountain wall to the pillar. A pit cramped Carmine¡¯s stomach just the same as the day she stepped on an airship fpr the first time.

    ¡°Why?¡± She lamented. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just portal over? Why do we have to be so high up?¡±

    ¡°Not a fan of heights, eh?¡± Grik patted her back. ¡°I assure you, it¡¯s completely safe. We¡¯ve never had any accidents with them once they left the prototype stage.¡±

    ¡°Oh good, we can be the first.¡± Carmine held her stomach tighter as she walked down with Grik and Emmet. They stopped at a waiting station, next to many other Riven as the cable car, as Grik called it, drifted closer and closer. She took a full minute to step into that suspended coffin, and even then, took a seat that faced away from the windows as she stared at the ground.

    "How does this thing work?" Emmet asked, looking around the carriage. "I don''t see a lodestone or anything."

    "It''s powered by a different kind of energy generated by water wheels in a river far below us,¡± Grik answered. ¡°I can explain it to you in detail later, but it''s somewhat unique to the Riven mountains."

    "It''s bumpy." Carmine grumbled. Every shake and shudder traveled through the car and down her spine.

    "A little." Grik chuckled, trying to help her feel at ease. It didn''t help. "Before these automatic cable cars, my grandparents had to use hand cranks to get across. Sometimes their arms would cramp up and they''d be stuck for a little while."

    "Please don''t mention being stuck up here," Carmine asked, the thought tightening a knot in her stomach.

    "You''ll get used to it, Carmine," Emmet said. "After all, we have three weeks worth of rides to look forward to."

    Carmine ¡®s breath escaped her in a haunted moan as she rode the rest of the way in silence.  Some days she beat back the terror, other days it was entirely justified.

    Grik¡¯s study hall consisted of one small classroom, his office, and access to a recreational courtyard shared by other schools. Though Grik only had half-a-dozen desks in his hall, each shined wish polished cleanliness. As much as she looked, Carmine couldn¡¯t find a single speck of dirt maring the marble stone floors. Charts and study guides covered the walls, each straight and perfectly spaced from its neighbors. The chalkboard at the room¡¯s front bore the marks of past lessons erased yet embedded into the surface. Carmine¡¯s only comparison was a rickety schoolhouse she attended just a few times in Rieland before her mother decided to teach her herself. Compared to that, she sensed the care Grik put into every corner of the hall.

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have extra desks for you just yet,¡± Grik said, hauling a pair of chairs from out of his office. ¡°But I do have these. I won¡¯t make you stand all day.¡±

    ¡°This is pretty nice.¡± Emmet walked through the room, turning his head all around to take in the sights. ¡°Where are all your students?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon. As you might have guessed, I only have six pupils. It might be strange for you, coming from a tower full of mages, but sorcery talent is somewhat rare.¡±

    ¡°I thought there would be more considering all the machines you have here,¡± Carmine said.

    ¡°We Riven have always been industrious folk, but we didn¡¯t see the reason to rely solely on magic as our means of advancement, and not to toot our own horn, but all of Vembris has benefitted from that thinking. Airships? That was us. Trains? Us too. Can¡¯t forget-¡± Before Grik finished his prideful waxing, a series of knocks rattled his study door. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s them.¡± He straightened his shirt, dusted off his pants and looked at Carmine and Emmet. ¡°Please, stand at the front of the class and we¡¯ll have you introduce yourselves.¡±

    Before Carmine could even respond, Grik jogged over to the hall¡¯s door and opened it wide. Six children stormed inside, some skipping like wind, others stomping as thunder. Carmine guessed they couldn''t be older than seven or eight, some more pleased than others to be there. Happy or grumpy, they all stopped in their tracks when they saw Carmine and Emmet. Most of them were Riven, unsurprisingly, but of the six there stood one human and one Vulfan among them.

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    "Take your seats, Class," Grik called as he joined Emmet and Carmine at the front. "As you can see we have some new guests who will be joining us for a little while. They''re mage students just like you, and they''ll be my assistants for the next few weeks." Grik turned to Emmet. "Introduce yourself if you''d like and tell us a little about you."

    "Hello," Emmet started first, waving to the pupils. "My name''s Emmet Leval, and I''m from The Leval institute in Reefcliff. I''m going to be a professor there one day, so I''m here to learn how to teach."

    Carmine side eyed him as he finished. How did Emmet make that look so easy?

    "Well said, Emmet," Grik looked past him to Carmine. "How about you Carmine?"

    "Hi," Carmine addressed the pupils. She should have thought of something to say, bad introductions, just like yesterday.  "My name is Carmine, like mister-er, professor Grik said. I''m from a small town in the north called Rolderston¡­you probably haven''t heard of it. I''m trying to be a wit- traveling teacher and doctor."

    "Thank you both," Grik nodded. "Now class, be kind to-"

    "What happened to your face?" A pupil, a white furred Riven, asked, a curious frown on his face.

    "Hern!" Grik snapped.

    "It''s fine." Carmine crossed her arms, meeting the pupils'' curious eyes perhaps a bit harsher than she intended. Introducing herself never occurred in her mind, but this she knew was coming. "A bad man broke a lantern and my clothes caught fire." Carmine wanted to leave it at that, but the pupils kept staring.

    "Cool." A whispered voice escaped another student, the brown haired Vulfan girl.

    "Probably hot, actually," that Hern kid joked. His smirk lasted less than a second as Carmine¡¯s glare snapped to his face. Every student in the room, even Emmet, shrunk back.

    ¡°N-now Hern,¡± Grik tried to calm the situation. ¡°It¡¯s not polite to joke about someone else¡¯s injury.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hern squeaked.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­fine.¡± Carmine pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Good job Carmine, it''s been one minute and they¡¯re all scared of you.

    "With that out of the way," Grik steered the conversation away. "Why don''t I introduce who you''ll be teaching?" Grik motioned to the Class.

    First he introduced Hern, a white furred Riven boy, who, according to Grik, asks a lot of questions with little tact. Carmine nodded, feeling that first hand.

    Next was Powell, another Riven boy with gray fur, and a pouting face. He mindlessly scratched grooves into his desk with his claws, barely paying attention to anyone at all.

    After him were Tak and Taggi, a twin brother and and sister pair who showed magic aptitude at the same time and joined the school together.

    Then there was Maeve, the class¡¯ only Vulfan. Her parents worked as local hunters and leather workers, often trading with Dwerra. When Maeve showed signs of sorcery, her parents enrolled her under Grik.

    And last was Gwen, a blonde haired, bright eyed human girl staying in Dwerra for a year with her uncle. By her telling, she came from Reefcliff as well, and her family built ships for the Vembrian navy.

    After meeting the class, Grik settled in for the daily lessons as Emmet and Carmine watched from the back. By the pupils¡¯ current progress, Carmine guessed Grik already taught them about the fundamentals of magic, energy, incantation, and intent. As she watched on, she couldn''t help comparing Grik''s lessons to Nicholos''. By every regard, Grik showed far more structure and planning. He had diagrams and charts committed in memory as learning aids for students, while Nicholos taught mostly by improvising. Carmine finally understood why; it took a lot of work, focus, and commitment to teach.

    In front of his pupils, Grik''s usual squirmy demeanor fell away. He chose words the pupils could understand, each sentence providing more insight, and it¡¯s as if he knew every question the pupils would ask before they did. Carmine wasted no time noting down everything she saw, writing without looking down at her notebook as she realized an evident truth; teaching was hard.

    As hard as it was, Nicholos had done his best, never intending to be a mentor until he had a pupil. With a growing sense of appreciation, Carmine spent the next few days observing and absorbing Grik''s techniques.

    As time passed, Carmine and Emmet spent time assisting the pupils with class work at Grik''s behest.

    Hern was a joker. He couldn¡¯t stay focused on anything for more than a few minutes. While that made assisting him difficult, once he and Carmine moved past the frightening incident, Carmine caught herself smirking at his quips when she knew they should be studying.

    Powell didn¡¯t want to be in school. He dreaded every lesson, and thought they were wasting his time. He only enjoyed the minutes between classes and when it ended. Carmine had no idea how to assist a student that didn¡¯t want to tlearn. She relied on Grik¡¯s assistance at that time.

    Tak and Taggi would never stop speaking to each other, even when Grik insisted on working alone. Between their constant chitter, Carmine could barely get a word in, but at least they focused on the work they¡¯d been given.

    Maeve struggled with reading. Carmine sensed that Vembrian might have been her second language. Carmine spent most of her time reading aloud to help Maeve understand her texts, but once the young pupil heard the material her mind retained it in a vice.

    And lastly, Gwen shared a bad habit Carmine did in her early years; she read ahead on her own. She barely needed any assistance in learning lessons or incantations, but struggled when it came to casting spells. Carmine guessed it was because she mixed up too much information in her head.

    By the end of the week, Carmine had each of their names and faces memorized and as she helped them along she caught herself smiling more and more. The desire to teach may have been a snap decision for her in the pressured moment of a circle meeting, but perhaps it had been the right after all.

    ¡ª

    "I''d like to plan what you both do for your lessons." Grik said after the final day of the first week. All the students departed, leaving Carmine and Emmet alone with their mentor, cleaning the classroom. "I''m hoping to have you both help with a little application activity. Do you think you could be ready for it?"

    "Yup," Emmet replied. Doubt, once again, never rooted in his mind, but for once, Carmine shared the same conviction.

    "We¡¯re ready," Carmine added, ¡°but what do you have in mind?¡±

    "Oh," Grik flinched in pleasant surprise. "I expected a bit more hesitation. You¡¯re both taking to this quite well."

    "We''ve been watching like you wanted." Carmine assured him. "I think trying it would give us a better idea of what''s needed next."

    "Good to hear." Grik smiled.  "I was thinking that it''s important for students to see practical use of basic sorcery in a day-to-day activity, like travel." Grik focused on Carmine. "Especially when traveling is going to be part of your trade."

    "Yeah, I''ve been considering buying some good walking shoes," Carmine nodded. "So we show how sorcery is used in daily tasks?" Grik answered with a nod. "We can do that.¡±

    "I have bigger plans than just a lesson." Grik shifted on his feet, excitement slipping through his composure. "There''s an ancient sanctuary in the mountains, a place of power where you can feel the presence of old magic. I want us to guide the pupils up there on a small expedition. Shouldn''t take more than the week to go there and back, and teaching practical skills is an important step to being a mentor."

    "That sounds good to me," Emmet raised his thumb in approval. "I''ve been going a little stir crazy underground this whole time, it''d be fun to see what''s outside the mountain."

    "Besides the cold?" Carmine grumbled, but a smirk fought its way to her face at the thought of a new adventure. "Are you sure it will be allowed? A week-long trip seems irregular."

    "It''s actually a yearly trip for my pupils, I''m just moving it ahead early so you both can participate as well. I''ll have to confirm it with the parents, but I doubt there will be a problem," Grik explained. "With the sanctuary being so close, scholars and devotees make pilgrimages to see it quite often. The road is well traveled and safe."

    "Awesome!" Emmet pumped both his fists skyward.

    "Whoa," Carmine flinched.

    ¡°Someone likes the idea.¡± Grik chuckled.

    "Sorry." Emmet blushed as he tried to contain himself. "I''ve never had an adventure before. Not like you, Carmine. My mom doesn''t like me leaving Reefcliff unless it''s with her or Dad." His eyes widened as he looked at Grik. "We don''t¡­have to tell her, do we?"

    "I don''t believe it''s necessary," Grik answered with a sly smile. "It''s part of your field assignment after all."

    Emmet¡¯s eyes shined on his face, his grin a mile wide as he turned to Carmine, spreading his enthusiasm. "This is going to be great! We''re gonna climb mountains, go camping, maybe even fight bears!"

    "Don''t fight bears, stupid," Carmine chuckled. She sensed she''d spend more time on the trip looking after him than the pupils, and yet, that idea didn''t bother Carmine at all.

 Chapter 20: For the experience

    "Can we stop for a second?" Emmet asked, resting on his knees, catching his breath.

    "Looks like we''re stopping no matter what I say," Carmine leaned on the narrow tunnel wall, smirk shaded under a flickering lamp.

    "Sorry," Emmet lifted his head. "I''m not used to walking uphill for so long. How deep underground were we?"

    "Deep enough," Carmine checked her map of Dwerra''s tunnels. "We''re going to the surface, of course we''d have to climb a little."

    "A lift would have been easier."

    "True, but remember: we''re helping Grik lead his student on another hike once we reach the surface." Carmine pointed up the tunnel. "Think of this like a¡­ warm-up."

    "Crap. I really should have remembered the adventuring part of adventure." Emmet straightened up, a tired smile on his face as they both chuckled. "Dad always tried to tell me to exercise as much as I read, but I didn''t listen."

    "And now?"

    "Now I hear my legs screaming and they''re much more persuasive."

    Carmine hummed in agreement, nodding along. "Thought so. Come on, we don''t want to hold up the class. It wouldn''t be a good example if we were late."

    "You can really just keep going?" Disbelief flashed in Emmet''s eyes. "What are you made of?"

    "I''m from the country, Emmet. Before coming to Leval, I lived in a small town without much to do but hike and practice sorcery. Before that I helped my parents on our horse ranch. I''ve always been used to stuff like this."

    "Wow¡­in that case," Emmet raised his brow, "do you think you could carry me?"

    Carmine scoffed, catching herself on her knees before laughter sent her skidding back down the tunnel. "Not a chance, bookworm. You have legs."

    "Worth a try." Emmet dragged himself forward, pushing himself to keep pace with Carmine''s slowed gait. Luckily they managed to arrive at the gate at the same time as Grik''s last pupil, Powell. Not late, technically, but Carmine saw a few smirks from the pupils, silently gloating about their victory.

    "There you both are," Grik said, hand on his chest, relieved. "I worried you''d gotten lost." He looked at Emmet and the sweat he wiped from his brow. "Are you alright? You don''t have a fever, do you?''

    "Nope, just¡­warming up," Emmet answered, nodding at Carmine.

    "Yeah, we took a little more time because he wanted to stretch first," Carmine added with a helpful, unbelievable smile.

    "I see." Grik caught on, eyes narrowing. "A good idea¡­our road isn''t what I''d call difficult, but it has its share of hills to climb."

    "Damn," Emmet whispered, shooting a widened worried eye to Carmine. "I''ll do your share of the dorm''s chores for a month if you carry my bag later."

    "Done." Carmine shook Emmet''s hand. A little more to carry was a small price to pay for freedom.

    "Everyone is here-" Grik started

    "Wait!" Another voice called from down the tunnel. Carmine recognized Aaron sprinting his way up before he dropped on all fours. He looked in worse shape than Emmet. "Oh good, I made it."

    "Young man, can we help you?" Grik asked.

    "It''s okay, Grik," Carmine explained, "he came with our circle, if you remember. He''s our¡­what are you, Aaron?"

    "Supervisor works." Aaron pulled himself to his feet, facing Grik. "I''m sorry, I would have introduced myself earlier, but I only heard about your plans this morning. You see, if any student is going to leave their exchange city, I''m supposed to go with them."

    "Ah, I see." Grik nodded. "Apologies for making you run, young man."

    "No, I should have checked the student plans earlier." Aaron caught his breath and shook Grik''s hand. "I''m sorry to intrude-"

    "Not at all, the more the merrier on the road." Grik scanned over all his pupils and assistants. "But if we''re all here, and there are no more surprise guests, let''s get underway." He moved to the cave wall, grasping a lever in both hands before heaving it down with a mighty clunk.

    Stone doors inched apart, sunlight cleaving between them as the gates retracted into the walls. Carmine shielded her eyes against brightness she''d not beheld for days. Even near blinded, she relished the flowing fresh air, and the open gray sky. She and Emmet walked out first, familiar with the surface, and yet they both stopped once they''d left the tunnel''s confines. Carmine expected some weirdness; she remembered her text calling the Riven''s home ''webbed mountains.'' Like most sane people, she thought it referred to their tunnel systems and underground dwellings. Emphasis on under.

    Over evergreen forests and snow capped mountains, entire networks of stone tunnels and chambers hung in the sky, held aloft by rocky tendrils piercing into the mountains beneath. Scaffolding supported cracked segments of the hanging network, so treacherous no sane person would ever traverse it. As far as Carmine looked she realized it was no local phenomenon. More stone pillars supported the sprawled network, clawing into valleys, rivers and lakes. More tunnels veined their way between mountains in a system far too complex to be natural, yet too impractical, too impossible to be made.

    "It''s alright Hern, you can step outside," Grik''s coaxing reminded Carmine she hadn''t come to just gawk; she had responsibilities. As she stepped next to Grik, she saw Hern hovering on the tunnels threshold, staring at the sky with terror in his beady eyes. "You won''t float away as you can see." Grik nodded to all the other students outside.

    "Everything''s so¡­open," Hern looked at the mountains and trees, grasping his coat with trembling hands. "Th-there could be monsters, or I''ll get lost."

    "Is this your first time coming to the surface, Hern?" Carmine asked, expecting the fearful nod she received. She smirked, knowing she must have looked the exact same way when Nico and Vale tried to get her on an airship for the first time. She doubted the promise of trail mix and berry picking would have the same effect as gourmet food. "Is it the big spaces?" She guessed. Hern nodded again. Given where Riven usually dwell, his fear made sense. "Think of it like this; yeah, the surface is very open, but the paths we need to follow are pretty small and narrow, just like your tunnels."

    "I guess," Hern answered, looking at Carmine instead of the sky, but he still doubted everything around him.

    "Just keep your eyes on the ground in front of us. You can tell anyone if they''re going to trip."

    "Maybe¡­" He started to come around. "But what if a monster comes out of the forest? It''ll get me!"

    "Not with all of us around. I have really good ears, remember? You can''t whisper in class with me around." A faint guilty smirk broke Hern''s worry. "Walk with me and nothing will sneak up on us, okay?" Carmine offered her hand to the trembling Riven.

    He reached out, braving his hesitation as Carmine took his hand he stepped onto the surface. He kept his eyes on the floor, as she advised. Not the best travel advice, Carmine knew, but Hern just needed time to adjust. She understood that. Grik gave her an approving nod as he walked to the head of the line.

    "Alright everyone, let''s set out," Grik announced, steps giddy over the gravel. "Everyone stay with a partner at all times. Always be in sight of either myself or one of our studious assistants." Grik motioned to Carmine, Emmet and now Aaron. "Leval folks, if you could help form a circle, Emmet on the left, you young man, Aaron, please be on the right, and Carmine in the rear. Excellent!" Grik turned forward as he started with a brisk march. Carmine laughed to herself. She never expected him to be more confident above ground than below.

    Their walk carried on for a few hours, stopping regularly for the young pupils to rest and rehydrate. During the march, a few pupils asked questions about the surface, and Grik was all too happy to let Carmine and Emmet handle them. Between Carmine explaining how trees grow and Emmet insisting against eating yellow snow, the pair had their hands full with questions. Aaron kept quiet, observing with a lax grin. He tried to say he was ''watching the watchers'' in an attempt to be either mysterious or interesting to a group of eight-year-olds and failed at both. Since there was nothing else to do during the walk but ask questions, Carmine had no better moment to ask about the strange tunnels.

    "Grik," she called to the front. "What happened to the mountains around here? Did the Riven build all this?" She pointed over their heads.

    "I was wondering when you''d ask," He answered, looking above. "No, we''re not so skilled to be able to raise stone from the ground like that. Can you imagine the amount of energy and power it would need?"

    "So it''s somehow natural?" Carmine furrowed her brow, staring at the impossible network. "That seems¡­"

    "Unlikely? I''d agree, but many people in Vembris thought a moving forest was impossible before they had to push one from Raelis back across the border. But, there is one thought nugget for you to chew on."

    "What''s that?" Emmet asked, thrilled too by the mystery.

    "While we''ve mostly moved under grounded mountains for stability, some of our oldest known settlements were up there." Grik pointed above. "Still are too. Some Riven make their homes in the over-tunnels, but most moved down. It''s easier to make more room when you''re not digging into sky."

    Grik looked between the stone tendrils to the sun, cresting towards the horizon. "This is far enough for today," He announced. "We''ll make a camp here, have a good supper, and rest up for the early morning march."

    "You sure?" Aaron asked, peering through his hands at the sun. "Seems like there''s a few hours of daylight left."

    "It may seem that way," Grik countered, "but night falls quickly in the mountains. I''d prefer to have enough light left to set up our tents and gather necessities." Grik slung his pack to the side as he stepped off the road. He began pulling small collapsed tents from his bag and the moment he placed them on the ground they grew to a large enough size to shelter a few people each.

    "Woah, how''d he stuff those in there?" Hern gasped, watching his teacher.

    Carmine chuckled. She knew she''d have said the same years ago. "It''s an enchantment Hern," she explained. "Grik used sorcery to shrink the object down so he could bring them. He¡­tricked them into thinking they were smaller than they are, so their forms changed to match." Hern stared up at her in wonder, if not understanding.

    "But they became big again," he said. "Now they know the trick."

    "Tents aren''t that smart, Hern." She rustled his head.

    "While I set the tents," Grik said as he stood to face the group. "Why don''t we split up and spread the work?"

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    "Is that safe?" Aaron asked.

    "Yes, young man," Grik''s chin tightened. "As I explained to Carmine and Emmet, this road is often traveled, maintained, and patrolled. None of Dwerra''s rangers spotted anything of concern recently, I checked before we set out."

    "Oh. Good." Aaron stepped off to the side. Trying to avoid the Riven professor''s attention.

    "Anyway, Emmet, you take Tak and Taggi to gather up some kindling and firewood. Carmine, have Gwen and Hern go with you to a river close by that way to get some water and¡­" Grik lifted a few simple rods from his pack. "Fish! We have some travel food, but foraging is a part of the experience."

    "Lovely," Carmine grimaced as she took the fishing rods. She examined Grik''s jubilant grin and bouncing steps, realizing with horror he was more outdoorsman than sorcerer. Oh well, she''d make it work.

    "Powell, Maeve, you can help me set up the tents." Grik continued. "You too, Aaron. Your height will be helpful."

    "Oh, uh, sure." Aaron stumbled to assist.

    Before Carmine set off with her two charges, she stopped and looked at Emmet. He stood slightly winded, but more so lost.

    "Do you need any help?" Carmine offered.

    "Yeah, uh¡­" Emmet stammered, scratching his head. "I''ve never had to gather kindling before¡­Do I chop down a tree?"

    "No! No, that''s dangerous." Carmine shook her head. "Just look for twigs and branches on the ground. The dryer the better. There''s a bit of snow too so try using a spell to pull out the moisture¡­if it makes a good snap when you bend it, then it''s good." She added for good measure.

    "Okay," Emmet nodded. "I''m glad you know this stuff. You''re pretty smart Carmine."

    Any further advice she had to give vanished with every other thought in her brain. She turned, hiding an embarrassed grin. "W-well, m-my Dad taught me a few things a long time ago." She tucked the rods under her arm, pulling Hern and Gwen to her side before Emmet could say another word. "Come on you two, let''s find this river. It can''t be far."

    Carmine didn''t know why she was rushing, but her flight instinct demanded she leave, so off she rushed.

    Trees flanked both sides of the narrow dirt trail, but within minutes Carmine heard running water over her own snow crunching footsteps. At least Grik was right about the river''s proximity.

    It flowed down the mountain into a distant lake. The trees stopped short about twenty paces from the River''s edge, while on the other side, the alpine forest thickened and blocked out the sun.

    Carmine moved ahead of her charges, ensuring the river bank posed no risk of collapse while checking the stream''s depth. The water looked no deeper than her knees, and the frosted ground held firm against her prodding. Even from the bank, she saw fish crowding the running water, following it down the mountain.

    "Seems safe enough," Carmine announced to Hern and Gwen. "So, either of you fish very much?"

    "Only once," Hern said, holding up a single finger. "I went to a big under-lake with my mom, but¡­we didn''t catch anything."

    "I didn''t get to at all," Gwen huffed, crossing her arms. "Papa always said I had to study¡­but he would buy the fish from the market for supper."

    "So we''re all about the same experience," Carmine faced the pupil pair. "My home''s river flooded too much to be safe. Tried once in a pond, but only my Dad could catch anything."

    "We''re not going to catch anything, are we?" Gwen looked up, innocent eyes full knowing they were out of their depth.

    Carmine looked at the fishing rods, profound lack of bait, and the patches of snow covering frozen grass. Her left side already ached in the cold.

    "Nope." Carmine tossed the rods into a pile on the ground. "But we could sit out in the cold for an hour¡­you know, ''for the experience.''" She mimicked Grik''s tone. Gwen and Hern shook their heads with a chuckle.

    "Then we can go back?" Hern asked, frowning at their surroundings.

    "We''ll be ok, Hern. We won''t be that long." She looked back the way they came, finding no trace of Grik or anyone else. "Hey¡­if neither of you tell Grik, I''ll show you a better way to fish than rods."

    Like that, she had both pupils'' attention, eyes shining at the promise of a secret, a hidden technique. Carmine approached the water, students at her sides, watching her every move.

    "You might want to stand back a little," she warned as she began casting. Knowing she was being watched, Carmine added a few flourishes to her movements, trying a few poses she''d practiced in secret where nobody could see. Once she finished complex posturing, she casted an extraordinarily simple spell. The first she ever learned. A small, off-violet bead of force flew from her hand to the river. The bead phased under the waters just before the spell erupted. White water exploded up, halting the river''s flow for an instant before it all rained back down.

    "Oh, crap," Carmine turned to Hern and Gwen, opening her cloak to shield them from the downpour.

    Definitely overpowered that, Carmine thought, ice water running down her nape, but both pupils laughed, mostly dry.

    "That was awesome!" Hern clapped.

    "Can you do it again?" Gwen asked.

    "Not if I want some of my clothes to stay dry," Carmine answered with a smirk, tossing her now damp cloak next to the rods. "Besides: won''t need too." Carmine pointed near the river bank, where several fish lay scattered. She had to learn this little trick in Rolderston when she and Nico were short on food.

    "We got so many!" Hern said, running to collect their dinner. "This was easy."

    "What spell was that?" Gwen asked, turning over Carmine''s hand where the spell manifested.

    "Just a simple force spell¡­with too much power behind it," Carmine admitted. "It''s pretty straight forward. I could teach it to you some time. A few words, a gesture, with the intent to push¡­or erupt in this case."

    "Then why did you move your arms so much?" Gwen asked, her brow furrowed.

    Carmine felt her confidence crack. "You''re too sharp, kid," she grumbled, slouching her shoulders.

    "I got''em," Hern called, running back with an armful of fish. "Do we go back now?"

    "Not so fast, Hern." Carmine shook her head. "There''s a few things we have to do first."

    "Collect water." He nodded. "Sorry, I forgot."

    "That''s one thing. We also need to gut the fish."

    "What!?" Hern winced, dropping every single one.

    "Ew!" Gwen stepped back. "Can''t professor Grik do it?"

    "No, we can''t leave fish guts at our camp, the smell will attract animals. I can do it here on a rock. Come on, it''s not that disgusting."

    "Can I just get the water?" Gwen asked, leaning even further back from their soon-to-be dinner.

    "I won''t force you to watch, but it''s not really that bad, I promise."

    "I''ll watch," Hern said, though his disgusted, wincing face told a different story.

    "Only if you want to, Hern," Carmine said as she knelt next to a mostly flat rock, pulling Father''s knife from its sheath. "It''s a little gross at first, but it''s not a bad thing to learn. You never know when you might need to do this yourself¡­I didn''t even know I''d be doing this today." Carmine placed one of the fish on a stone, bringing her knife to bear. "It''s really simple: all you do is cut along the belly." Carmine sliced the fish open, as Hern edged further back. "I know, it''s gross when you first see, but all you do is just reach in and pull out the insides, cutting where you have to."

    "Are you sure there isn''t a spell to just¡­magic the gross parts away?" Hern asked as he averted his eyes.

    "Believe me, if there were, it would probably be so complex for something that''s easier to do by yourself. Part of being a sorcerer is knowing when to cast a spell and when to save your energy."

    "Mr. Grik says stuff like that."

    "Mr. Grik is right." Carmine showed the finished fish to Hern, showing only the meat inside. "And look, it''s all clean. Not so gross now, is it?"

    "I guess not." Hern tilted his head, his expression relaxing.

    "Great." Carmine smiled. "Can you rinse the fish in the river when I''m done with them? It''ll be faster that way."

    "Oh, sure!" Hern sped to the river. Carmine guessed he was just happy to help.

    For a while, Carmine stuck to a pattern; she''d gut the fish, and Hern would rinse it. After she filled all the canteens back up, Gwen joined them too, overcoming her disgust much the same way as her partner. By the end, they took turns running to the river as the other watched Carmine work.

    "Did you learn to do this at school?" Gwen asked, after she traded spots with Hern.

    "No," Carmine shook her head. She grinned at the thought of her circle in a fishing course. "No, my dad taught me this." Her hands stopped a moment, picturing her Father in her mind clearer than usual. Smiling, she continued, "We lived in the country. went on walks, just the two of us. He showed me things like this, how to climb trees, what animal tracks were which¡­"

    "That sounds fun." Gwen smiled with her.

    "It really was," Carmine agreed, about to place the next cleaned fish on Gwen''s hand when she heard a faint snap. Her eyes shot to Hern by the water''s edge. Relief eased her knife grip as she saw him fine, cleaning the last fish by the water. She furrowed her brow as something caught her eye beyond him; a pair of golden rings in the shade across the river. She squinted for a moment before the rings shifted, focusing on her.

    Those are eyes, Carmine realized, hands starting to shake. As she focused, Carmine saw those eyes belonged to a large feline face and black-furred body.

    Is that''s a fucking mountain lion!?

    Carmine grit her teeth, feeling sweat in her palms as she fought the urge to yell a warning. If she panicked, Hern and Gwen would panic, and she didn''t know what that thing would do if it saw an opportunity.

    "Hern, we''re leaving," Carmine said as she stood, gripping her knife tighter than ever. "Come here."

    "But I''m not done-"

    "Just leave it, we have enough." Carmine hoisted the sack of fish on her shoulder. In her peripheral, she saw Hern slink over like he''d lost his one true calling, but she never took her eyes off the beast lurking just a few dozen paces away. "Start walking you two," she told them. "Stay together."

    "Okay¡­" Gwen did as she was asked, but Carmine heard the worry in her voice. Once again, that kid was too sharp.

    Carmine followed behind, walking backwards guided by the sounds of their steps. She threw the last fish in her hand on the river bank, hoping the beast would be satisfied with that.

    Her heart nearly ripped out of her chest as the black lion leapt across the river with terrifying ease. It stalked over to the pair of fish they''d left behind, gathering both in its mouth. It gave Carmine one last look, eye to eye, before it vanished into the forest back the way it came.

    "Oh, thank the ancients" Carmine fell on her behind, legs giving out.

    "Miss Carmine, are you okay?" Hern looked at her like she''d gone crazy.

    "I''m fine." she caught her breath. "Let''s just get back."

    At Carmine''s urging, they returned quicker than they departed. Even so, Emmet''s group had returned first. They started a campfire, courtesy of Emmet''s sorcery. Hern and Gwen presented their bounty with cries of victory as they began putting the fish on sticks near the fire.

    Carmine fell on her back near one tent, her energy entirely spent through hiking and fading adrenaline.

    "You okay down there," Grik asked kneeling next to her. He smiled at the pupils trading stories about their tasks. "You had quite the haul¡­"

    "There''s a mountain lion, or something up here," Carmine whispered, and his smile fell in an instant.

    "Did- did you see tracks or-"

    "No." Carmine sat up. "I saw it. Clear as day. It jumped across the river and took the fish we left for it and bound off again."

    "You sure it was a mountain lion? I mean, it could have been anythi-"

    "It was a big cat with black fur, massive teeth and huge claws," Carmine hissed. She knew what she saw! "It was big, it was quiet, and it was watching us like we were dinner!"

    "Okay¡­but it left you all alone?"

    "Yeah¡­" Carmine eased herself back down. "Like I said, it took some fish and left. I had the kids walk ahead of me back here, but I kept my eyes out for it all the way back."

    "Good thing you did. You handled yourself pretty well. Do Hern and Gwen know?"

    "No¡­I couldn''t have them running off. Should I have told them?"

    "No, you did the right thing. You kept a cool head, and everyone turned out okay." He patted her shoulder. "Good job. Get some rest, I''ll bring you some food when it''s ready."

    "Should we go back?" Carmine asked as Grik stood up.

    "I don''t think we''ll have to. I''ll ward our campsite and we''ll do everything as a group from here on, but chances are that thing was just hungry. With food in its belly and us as big a group as we are, it will probably leave us alone."

    "Are you sure?"

    "I am." Grik nodded. "Believe me, I won''t let anything bad happen to you or any of my students. You know what that feels like now, don''t you?"

    Carmine thought back to the moment she saw the lion, and then how she put herself between it and the pupils. Perhaps not the smartest thing she could have done but¡­it seemed the right thing at the moment. "I do." She answered, staring at the campfire, and those around it. "I get it."

    "Good." Grik smiled. "You''re already on track to be a teacher. In my eyes, at least."

    Warmth spread through Carmine''s chest as she turned on her side, trying to hide her grin. Terrifying as the situation was, for the briefest moment, she became someone she was proud to be.

    A witch.

 Chaoter 21: Snap

    ¡°Just a little longer,¡± Grik marched among his pupils, urging them ahead towards the stubby mountain down the road. The ancient sanctuary sat so close at hand, yet Carmine lamented the hours of walking still to come. Her feet ached, her body shivered and her scars stung, really stung, from the cold. As the pupils marveled at the snow trickling down around, she hated it. The dampness in the air sunk into her clothes and Vale¡¯s tonic only did so much. Still, she hid her discomfort for the others. The last thing she wanted was to drag everyone else down and ruin their excitement. She knew she¡¯d feel better once they found shelter indoors, she just had to endure until then.

    She sipped her canteen, examining the sanctuary at a distance. Its silver walls shared the same blue leylines she recognized in the desert archive. Even from afar, Carmine recognized the glow. Despite the afternoon slowly fading to evening, the structure shone silver, bathed in sunlight under a clear sky. Standing the test of time, the structure itself stood with an enduring beauty. Cubic towers flanked the entrance arch, its base melded into the mountain. As it stretched back, the structure grew taller and taller, spires reaching skyward. When it reached its end, dozens of silver tubes both massive and miniscule pierced through its back, catching the howling winds from high.

    As peculiar as it looked, something else beckoned Carmine forward. None of the others made mention of it yet, but something sang through the ancient structure. Wordless, yet serene, the melody eased Carmine''s frustration, and kept her focus. The wildlife too showed little concern for the traveling students. Deer grazed within sight of the path, birds sang along the road, and critters passed nearly underfoot, heedless of any threat. Carmine saw neither hide nor hair of any predator since the mountain lion on the first day. Perhaps the others couldn''t hear the tune so far out, but Carmine believed more surrounded the sanctuary than just cultural significance, and the thrill of unraveling that mystery carried her forward.

    "Mr. Grik, there''s someone up ahead," Aaron warned, pointing down the road.

    "What?" Grik spun on his heel to follow Aaron''s direction. Those few words disturbed Carmine''s calm as she spied the other group. A few tents cluttered the road forward, and a sentry already spotted the student headed their way.

    "So there are!" Grik cracked a smile, trying to ease the uncertainty slowing everyone''s steps. "They look like fellow travelers to me. Everyone, stick close and be on your best behavior. We''ll say hello and be on our way. I''ll do any talking that needs to be done."

    They proceeded forward under the watchful eye of the distant strangers. As they approached, a human man raised one hand to halt them as the other rested on a crossbow.

    Grik waved at the guard. "Hello, good sir, we-"

    "Road''s closed." The reply was swift and curt.

    "I- excuse me?"

    "Road''s closed. You can''t come through."

    "Well I never- you can''t close the road!" Grik frowned, hands on his hips. "Who do you think you are? This is Dwerra''s territory, and you''re not one of the rangers. You have no authority."

    "Doesn''t matter." The man shrugged. "Road''s closed."

    "Looks like negotiations have already failed," Emmet whispered, smiling wryly as he watched the show.

    "Looks like," Carmine sighed, wringing her hands together as Grik stammered for words, his plans upended.

    "What''s all this noise?" Another man stepped up behind the guard, clad in the same uniform if a gray breastplate could be called one. He looked senior to the other guard by at least ten years. Streaks of gray lined his hair and a bushy mustache crawled over his upper lip. He took one look at Grik and the students before raising a brow. "Locals?" He mused. "What brings you fine folks out here?"

    "I could ask you the same," Grik countered, "along with why you''re blocking our road."

    The mustache man sighed through his nose, shoulders sagging with fatigue.

    "Follow me," He said, turning towards his camp.

    "Oh," Grik''s bluster turned to surprise. "Alright then¡­pupils stay close¡±

    "Name''s Oscar, by the way," The mustache man continued towards a gaudy wagon in the center of camp. "Regardless of how it looks, we''re not highwaymen asking for a fee. This road''s got problems, but I''ll leave it to my¡­employer to explain that." He rolled his eyes towards the wagon itself.

    Carmine held her pack tighter, counting five more guards in addition to the two she''d seen so far. Her throat tightened as her palms started to sweat. If it were up to her, they''d turn back and wait for the road to clear, but Grik had to think he could talk his way through anything.

    Oscar stopped next to the long wagon, the words "Laurence''s ''Lixirs" emblazoned along the side in offensively green lettering. He bashed his fist against the wood thrice, and a surprised grunt erupted from within.

    "What is it now?" A man''s head poked through the cloth flaps at the wagon''s rear, curly blond hair dangling down, pungent with perfume. The man glared at Oscar before his eyes went wide at the larger group behind him. "Oh, my. Um¡­hello?" He flashed a wavering smile, twisting a goatee so thin he could have drawn it on himself.

    "Afternoon, Laurence. These good folk would much like to know why we''ve stopped and blocked the road," Oscar explained. "I was wondering much the same, so if you could get your ass out here, we''d all appreciate it."

    "Right. Certainly. One moment." His head withdrew as Carmine heard rustling cloth and grunts of exertion.

    "Got to get his show clothes on," Oscar sighed, climbing onto the wagon''s coach for a seat.

    Several minutes passed before the cloth flaps opened back up and the man sauntered out.

    "Terribly sorry for the wait," He apologized, strutting forward in shoes with only the barest hint of trail mud. A smile crossed his face again, this one much more practiced as he went over each face one by one, his brow raising when he saw the Leval students. He offered his hand towards Grik as the shoulders of his black and white doublet puffed out, wrinkly and sad. "My name is Laurence, proprietor of Laurence''s ''Lixirs."

    "Are you the boss of these folks?" Grik asked, leaving the hand wanting.

    "Employer would be more accurate," he replied with a short bow, removing his feathered hat as blonde curls escaped down his shoulders. "I understand there''s been a misunderstanding. Join me by the fire and I''ll clear everything up."

    "What ''misunderstanding?''" Grik dug in his heels, gesturing at Oscar. "Your guard here said we couldn''t go forward."

    "Curt though he is, he''s right." Laurence side eyed the guard, and received an eye roll in response. "You all ought to turn back; a man-hunting beast prowls these woods. It''s already killed one of these men and injured another."

    The pupils huddled closer to Grik at the announcement, and Carmine felt Hern squeeze her hand tighter. Already, she wondered if it was the same creature as before.

    "What did it look like?" Grik asked.

    "I''m afraid I have few details to give you, we''ve only stopped so I might concoct a¡­well, concoction to ease our injured." the flamboyant man waved them towards the other side of the wagon. "But come, let''s sit, and I''ll share what I can." Without waiting for confirmation, Laurence sat himself on one side of the fire, and motioned across.

    Grik begrudgingly dropped onto a stump opposite. His pupils competed for the spot closest to him, worried glances abound. "I don''t think you ever mentioned what brought you here," he said.

    "Did I not? Pardon my rudeness." Laurence bowed his head again, deeper this time. He placed his hat back on with a flourish, if only to hide the sweat on his brow. "As you might have guessed from my shop, I am an alchemist extraordinaire."

    "An alchemist?" Grik furrowed his brow. "What are you doing out here? Wouldn''t Dwerra be a better place to hawk your wares?"

    "My friend, you make it sound so uncouth, but yes, after a brief sojourn up to the sanctuary, we''ll be visiting there next."

    "Why visit the sanctuary?" Emmet asked. "Is there something up there for a potion?"

    "That''s right, young Leval." Laurence wagged his finger. "Rumors say the frost that covers the sanctuary grounds before winter carries a blessing that soothes the mind when melted into a dew. I planned to incorporate it into my next line of potions."

    "Sounds like snake oil to me," Aaron grumbled, and Oscar burst out laughing from the wagon''s perch.

    "Some rumors lead to dead ends, true," Laurence nodded to Aaron. "but some have bits of truth to them, and you''ll never find that through skepticism."

    Carmine knew little of alchemy, only what Almyra shared from her classes, it being an interest of hers. She explained it as a method to create sorcerous effects through the mixing of specific materials, using magic as a catalyst. According to her, the energy could be stored in alchemical creations. Even those with little talent as a mage could excel in alchemy.

    So, if this man were telling the truth, he was a sorcerer to some degree. Carmine shifted further back from the strangers, her distrust only growing.

    "Enough about that, would you care to stay a while to join us for dinner?" Laurence offered.

    "Don''t think that''s a good idea," Oscar said, Carmine silently agreeing.

    "Surely it''s no trouble," Laurence waved his guard''s concern away. "We''re just about to sit down. It''s the least we can do in return for interrupting your trip. Where else could you be going than the sanctuary?"

    "Well, we-" Grik started, but Carmine stood up.

    "I-if it''s alright," She said, barely keeping her nerves under control, "you said you had someone injured. I''m a healer''s apprentice, I could take a look, make them more comfortable¡­"

    "A healer?" Oscar sat up at once.

    "I suppose if you''re offering." Laurence'' turned his rigid grin on Carmine. "I don''t see why not."

    "I can show you to him." Oscar slid down from the wagon. "He''s under one of this peddler''s numbing potions to keep him quiet." He jabbed a thumb at Laurence.

    "Right," Carmine frowned, looking over her shoulder. "Emmet, can you come help me?"

    "Why me?" He replied, tilting his head. "I don''t have much experience-"

    "I just need an extra pair of hands." Why couldn''t he just come along? "Please?"

    "Well¡­alright." Emmet walked to her side.

    "Right this way," Oscar showed them to a tent far from the wagon. Already, Carmine smelled the faint trace of blood in the air. "If you can get him on his feet, that''d be great," Oscar said, sweeping the tent flap open to show a bloodied man lying in his cot with a blanket pulled over him. Only a dim-burning lamp joined him in solitude. "But I''d settle for keeping him breathing."

    "Okay," Carmine said, warily crouching into the tent. "We''ll be a little while, I think. It''s best if only Emmet and I are here, we''ll need the room."

    "Healers and their space," Oscar grumbled again. "Fine. I''ll leave you to your work." he closed the flap behind Emmet. Through its swaying gaps, Carmine watched him stomp his way back to Laurence muttering to himself, "Gotta keep an eye on this fool anyway."

    "Soooo, what do you need me to do?" Emmet asked, his face a shade paler than normal. He turned away from the wounded man in the room.

    "Just be quiet a second," Carmine answered, pulling open the wounded man''s eyelids. His pupils stared back at her devoid of focus. Whatever potion he had in his system kept him quite sedated.

    Good.

    She unwrapped the blood dampened bandages haphazardly wrapped around her new patient''s leg. Beneath, long deep wounds crawled up his calf and thigh. It reminded Carmine of a cook she had to treat in Rolderston who tried to throw a house cat from her kitchen, though those cuts were far smaller. The wounds in front of her now hadn''t even been sutured. Aside from the potion, they''d left him to bleed into his bandages. Carmine shook her head, whispering an incantation to quicken the staunching. Wrapping her hands in gloves, she took a clean needle and twine from her bag and started stitching.

    "You didn''t need my help, did you?" Emmet asked, keeping his focus off Carmine¡¯s work.

    "Not for this. Had a question for you, though," Carmine dropped her voice to a whisper. "Have you ever met that guy before?"

    "Who, that Laurence guy-"

    "Hush," she hissed an insistent whisper.

    "Wha-? You asked me-?"

    "Keep your voice down."

    "Fine." Emmet gave her a patronizing stare, but dropped his voice. "No, never seen him before."

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Then how did he know you were the ''young Leval?''"

    "Oh," Emmet paused, frowning in thought. "Guess he did say that¡­maybe because of my robe?" He pointed to an embroidered tower over the robe''s breast. "Kinda has our symbol on it, and we''re not exactly a small name, Carmine."

    "You really think he could recognize you from that?"

    "It''s not too much of a stretch for me. Even if I don''t know him, he might know my family one way or another."

    "I don''t trust these people," Carmine confessed, anxiety crawling all over her mind. "We should double back and wait for them to leave."

    "I think you''re worrying about the wrong thing, Carmine," Emmet gestured to the injured man. "If something out there can do that to people like us, then we''re safer with the guards here. Sure, they''re kinda grouchy, but it''s better than wandering alone."

    Carmine grumbled, her anxious hum filling the tent. Why did he pick now to be reasonable?

    "If you''re worried, just stick with me," Emmet continued, "I won''t let anything bad happen to you or anyone else." He beamed with such self-assured confidence, Carmine lifted her collar to hide her smile.

    "Fine," she nodded, conveniently returning her attention to her patient, though she''d done all she could. "Just¡­be careful of Laurence, alright?"

    "Don''t worry," Emmet beamed. "I''ll get everything straightened out right now."

    "What do you mean?" Carmine asked as Emmet left the tent. She held the flap open and walked after. "Wait, what do you mean?

    "Mr. Laurence," Emmet said as he sat back near the campfire. "Do you know my parents?"

    Carmine''s heart seized in her chest.

    "Your parents?" Laurence looked away, thoughtful. "I''m afraid that doesn''t narrow it down my boy-"

    "Thomas and Symphonia, from the Leval institute of Magic."

    "Ah, now I see it. I thought you looked familiar," Laurence chuckled, as Carmine wanted to scream. "Yes, I do believe I''ve had the pleasure. I spoke to your mother on just a small visit to trade for potion ingredients. The school is quite impressive."

    "Oh, that''s cool," Emmet nodded in approval, looking at Carmine with a confident smirk.

    She grit her teeth. One story was all it took for Emmet to lower his guard.

    He trusts too easily. Whatever Laurence''s story was, she wasn''t so easily convinced.

    "So, we have a lordling in our midst?" Oscar asked as he stood next to Carmine.

    "No, my parents don''t have a title like that," Emmet explained, ¡°they lead a school for mages."

    "That''s quite grand. Good for you lad." Oscar nodded, impressed, before he looked at Carmine. "How''s my trooper?"

    "Uh- He''s¡­still out," Carmine stuttered under the seasoned man''s gaze. "I managed to stop the bleeding and did some simple stitches¡­someone really should have helped him before me, though."

    "That''s why we stopped," Oscar replied, voice quieting, "or so he said." He nodded at Laurence. "Made a big promise he was brewing something up. Doesn''t seem so keen to do it now though. I''d give half my men for a decent healer like you, lass. You looking for a job?" Carmine held her hands together, trying to remain calm, unsure of what to say next. "Relax, lass, only a joke. Grab a bite on Laurence''s coin, if he''s so insistent. My men will keep watch." Oscar patted Carmine''s shoulder as he stepped past to talk with his troops.

    "We should go back," Carmine whispered to Grik while Laurence distracted Emmet and the pupils with his tall tales of strange places. "I don''t like these people."

    "We will soon," Grik replied, "If there''s a man-hunter prowling around, we''re not staying."

    "Good." Relief flushed through her mind only staunched by Grik''s next words.

    "But first, We''ll have a meal with these folks to keep our supplies steady¡­sorry you won''t see the sanctuary after all."

    "That does seem safest!" Laurence''s haughty tone carried over.

    "What do you know?" Carmine snapped at the intrusion.

    "Calm down, girl, I''m agreeing with you." Laurence gave Grik an earnest grin, sidelining Carmine from the conversation.

    "Mr. Grik, you seem a good fellow. My guards aren''t what I''d call an experienced bunch, and I''d not trust them to take care of so delicate a group as yours. It might be best you forgo this trip and return home. Perhaps returning with a ranger or two might help secure everyone''s safety, and make a rest an easy thing."

    He''s hiding something, Carmine glared, his speech suddenly strange.

    "Perhaps," Grik nodded, his back stiffening despite the chuckle from his chest. He started gathering his pupils. "I think we''ll take your advice. You''ve been so courteous, I''d hate to impose-"

    "First we eat," Laurence insisted. "Can''t have too sudden a send-off."

    It took only a few minutes before Laurence presented a hearty meal for all. Unlike Grik, he brought almost a whole kitchen in his cart, and enough food for a bowl of thick stew for everyone. Carmine left hers untouched, instead surviving on the nutty trail mix and jerky Grik brought along. She watched those around her eat, half-expecting them to start coughing, or suddenly fall asleep, and yet¡­they were fine. Except for Grik, normally he''d be the first to lead his pupils in conversation, but around Laurence he sipped his soup in silence. Carmine caught him glancing around more than once, surveying Laurence''s camp.

    "Hello, again," Oscar sat by the campfire, pouring himself a bowl of soup and looking at Grik. "You know, you never mentioned why you''re heading up the mountain.

    "Oh, well," Grik exchanged a glance with Laurence. "It''s a field trip you see, taking students to see places unlike our burrows. Making the trip to the sanctuary is sort of a tradition."

    "Ah, sightseeing." Oscar smiled. "Too many folks never get to see much beyond where they''re born, did you know that?"

    "I''ve heard that said, yes."

    "Well, you''re so close, why not travel up with us on the last leg, hmm? No point in wasting a good trip."

    "I don''t think my pupils'' parents would be pleased if I kept them out with a dangerous animal around."

    "Perhaps even more so without proper guards."

    "Maybe, but I think it''d be cumbersome for everyone to group up. We''re intruding on your group, my students don''t recognize you¡­"

    "It''s no problem. We''re going to Dwerra right after."

    "I''m afraid my mind is made." Grik declared as he stood, gathering all his pupils behind him. "Thank you for the hospitality,"

    "Twas nothing," Laurence stood and bowed. "Just make sure you mention me to your friends in Dwerra-"

    "Alright, get off it," Oscar interrupted. He furrowed his brow at Laurence, irritated . "You think I wouldn''t notice this farce?"

    Carmine saw the other guards starting to converge on all sides, and Laurence''s smile wavered.

    "My friend, I don''t know what you-" he started as Oscar rose to his feet, smashing his bowl into the merchant''s face. Grik''s pupils recoiled, and their teacher placed himself between them and the guards.

    "Nice try, peddler," Oscar stood over Lawrence, casting an eye over the students. "But I''m not letting a bonus like this go away." Oscar turned on his heel to Grik, his eyes switching between Carmine and Emmet. "Here''s what I want: you leave the rich kid, and the healer, the rest of you can go as you please if the beast doesn''t catch you."

    Carmine''s breath froze in her throat, Oscar''s words from earlier ringing alarms in her head as she tried to process what just happened.

    "No." Grik answered, hiding one hand behind his back, starting the gestures for a portal.

    "I''m being reasonable," Oscar insisted, "but that can change very quickly.¡± he looked past Grik to the pupils, ¡°You sure you want to risk that?"

    "They''re under my protection." Grik warned. "You won''t lay a hand on-" his body shuddered as a bolt pierced his chest. The pupils screamed as Grik fell on his back, coughing, a shaft protruding from his chest.

    "What the fu-" Oscar looked at the shooter behind him. "Did I say shoot!?" He snatched the crossbow from his man''s hands. "What a fucking mess."

    Carmine rushed over, pressing her hands to the wound. Her head buzzed with too many thoughts, her eyes cloudy and unfocused as screams rang in her ears. She needed to stop the bleeding.

    "To hell with it; grab them all," Oscar ordered. "We''ll sort this out later."

    The pupils shrieked as the guards moved in. Aaron and Emmet tried to calm them down, but they were no better. Someone yelled Carmine''s name, perhaps Hern, or Gwen but she barely heard it over the screams, the crackling campfire,

    And the rain.

    Bright red blood stained her hands. Her scars stung as her eyes grew distant.

    "Sorry, lass," one bastard said as he reached for Carmine, "You''re coming with me."

    A vicious thunderclap brought the discord to silence as the brigand flew off his feet, sliding to a smoldering stop.

    Carmine stood up, turning on the pupil''s captors. Their faces, sneering and shouting, mirrored the mob from that night. Wrathful intent burned in her mind as lightning arced from her fingers, driving the scum into a writhing pile in the dirt.

    "Shoot her!" Oscar commanded his remaining troops as Carmine electrocuted another. With shaking hands, they raised their crossbows, pointed at the young woman seconds from frying them all.

    A black blur raced from the tree line before the deadly exchange. It pounced on an arbalest, tearing into them with fang and claw.

    "Fuck this! Get on the wagon!" Oscar shouted. The remaining men scattered, as the beast chased down another. Only Oscar and two others clambered aboard Laurence''s wagon and drove its terrified horse towards the sanctuary. Lightning crackled over their heads as Carmine tried to force them to stop. Her aim drifted, her eyelids hung heavy as her arms shook with fatigue, but she couldn''t stop. Not yet. Rage growled in her throat as she watched the bastards get away.

    "Carmine!" Aaron shouted in her ear as he turned her around. "Stop it! Get a hold of yourself, we need you." Past the senior student she saw Emmet and the pupils gathered around Grik. The kindly teacher barely kept his eyes open as all his students tried to keep him awake. Aaron pulled Carmine by the wrist to the dying Riven, his every move sluggish and uncertain.

    "You- you can fix him, right?" Aaron asked, shaking and sputtering, hairs'' breadth from panic. "You know what to do-?"

    "Move," Carmine yanked her wrist free and knelt down. She eyed the quarrel in Grik''s chest, knowing she needed to stop the bleeding and repair the damage. As she muttered her incantations, eyes transfixed on the wound, nothing changed. The bleeding continued, and try as she might to heal, she couldn''t force the image of the brigands from her mind, nor the rage from her heart.

    She couldn''t do it, and watching Grik slip away only stoked her frustration.

    "Fuck!" She cursed, pulling Vale''s snapper from around her neck. She forced the small crystal into Grik''s hand and closed his fist around it until she heard a snap. A translucent portal opened beneath Grik''s body before he sank through like a stone in murky water.

    Carmine clenched her fists as the portal closed up.

    "What happened?" Emmet asked. "Where''d he go?"

    "I sent him to Leval." Carmine answered as she rose. "Vale will take care of him.¡±

    "Will Mr. Grik be okay?" Hern asked, tears streaming down his face as he clung to Emmet.

    "Vale''s good. He''ll be fine." Carmine turned towards the carnage around them. The men she''d struck down still lived, crumpled on the ground as they were. If they knew what''s best for them they''d stay down.

    The beast''s victims had no such choice. They lay bloodied and still, the creature responsible sitting among them, cleaning its claws as it stared at Carmine with singular focus.

    "Are you going to be a problem too? She asked, lightning arcing between her fingertips in case it made any move on the pupils. The beast stalked to one of its kills, every step slow and deliberate. It dropped a paw onto the fallen guard''s cloak, digging its claws in as its hair stood on end. Carmine recoiled as a low groan erupted from the creature, followed by sickening cracks as its body shifted. Hair retracted into dark gray skin as its limbs thinned and grew. Its face flattened to one more human as it pulled the cloak over its body in one swift movement. Where the beast once prowled, a woman rose on two legs, her expression neutral, unmoving. As human as she looked, her eyes remained golden and slitted, fangs sat in her mouth and bloody claws lingered on each hand.

    "I mean you no harm," she answered, her voice a soft growl, like wrinkled silk. She strode past Carmine and the pupils, not sparing a glance as she arrived where Laurence huddled in a ball.

    "Ah¡­Miss Kathir," Laurence squeaked as the woman dragged him to his feet with one arm. "You have no idea how happy I am-"

    "You were warned." The woman said. "Had you listened to master''s council, you would not have needed rescuing."

    "Excuse me," Aaron raised his voice, stepping up to the pair. "Could someone please explain what is going on here?"

    "M-may I?" Laurence pointed to Aaron and Carmine. Without a word, or any expression at all, the strange woman, Kathir, released her grip. "Thank you," Laurence nodded as he turned to the Leval students. "Those men you saw weren''t here for my protection."

    "You don''t say?" Emmet snapped.

    "I suppose that is obvious now." Laurence nodded, rubbing his bruised chin. "I am an alchemist as I explained, one with a talent for identifying and procuring rare and¡­perhaps dubious materials."

    "You''re a smuggler," Aaron said, jabbing his finger at Laurence.

    "An ugly definition, but given the circumstances, fair enough."

    "What the hell did they want us!?"

    "Right, right¡­with you? I suspect they were interested in a ransom." He looked towards Emmet. "Please forgive me young Leval, I didn''t mean to bring up your family. To wretches like them," He glared at an unconscious brigands, "you''re worth more than every potion in my wagon¡­which they''ve stolen, damn it all."

    "Why''d they want you?" Emmet questioned again..

    "All I knew was we were going to the sanctuary. I can speculate they needed my eye for artifacts to pilfer from there¡­which is why you''re here, I imagine." He looked at the gray woman as she listened, arms crossed. She gave no answer. "...Right. Thanks anyway." Laurence turned back to Aaron. "Listen, you lot need to return to Dwerra, and seeing how you lost your guide, I can show you the way back, so long as you don¡¯t mention the smuggling bisiness."

    "Fine. No funny business." Aaron warned. "These kids have been through enough-"

    "What about them?" Carmine pointed towards the sanctuary. "Are we going to let them get away?"

    "We''ll report them when we get back," Aaron answered, eyeing Carmine with guarded concern. "We need to leave."

    "So they can just escape?" She asked with a snarl. "After what they did?"

    "Carmine, everyone is still here. We''re not guards, rangers, or whatever. We need to get back to safety. Our priority is the pupils."

    "And when they come after us again-?"

    "Again?" Aaron frowned confused before a glint of realization sparked in his eye. He opened his hands to soothe her anger, his tone softening. "Carmine, you need to listen to me: you''re experiencing something called war-lock. This is why they don''t teach battle magic at school; it messing with your head, keeps you locked into a fight instinct. The danger is gone. Everyone is safe. Please," he reached towards her hand. "Come with me. We''ll all go back-"

    "No!" Carmine pulled her hand back. She covered the burn on her face, its rough touch was all the proof she needed. "They''ll come again. With more, you''ll see. No one''s safe until they''re all gone."

    "Carmine, they ran-" Aaron tried to continue before the shapeshifting woman interrupted.

    "I may have a use for you," Kathir said, placing herself between Aaron and Carmine. "Should the sanctuary be vandalized, I will need a sorcerer''s assistance to repair it. You will follow me."

    "Hey," Aaron tried to grab Kathir''s shoulder, yet she avoided his grip without a care. "You can''t take her-"

    "She is willing," Kathir placed a clawed finger under Aaron''s chin, barely touching his skin. Despite the threat, the fear spreading over Aaron''s face, her expression never changed. "And I have need." She lowered her claw as Aaron stepped back. "She will be returned when we are finished. Laurence," she stared at the flinching merchant, "do not find trouble again."

    "Understood, miss," Laurence agreed with a mix of relief and urgency before gathering the students. "All of you follow me, I''ll take you home."

    "You," Kathir grasped Carmine''s shoulder with a firm grip, bordering on painful. "Your name is Carmine, yes?" She nodded. "Our time is short, climb upon my back." As she gave the order, Kathir''s body already started to snap and shift. Within moments the same black lion stood before her, eyes unblinking as before.

    Carmine hesitantly clambered on, sparing one last look towards her peers. Emmet lingered behind the rest, steps reluctant as he looked back at her.

    "Good luck," he said, "and be careful."

    "I-" Carmine''s reply never came as Kathir jolted forward, and the young elf gripped tight to her fur. A brief regret wormed its way into her mind, but she buried it deep, turning her mind to the pursuit ahead.

    This time she was no helpless child.

    This time she could fight back.

 Chapter 22: Sanctuary

    Carmine dug her hands deep into Kathir''s fur and held for dear life. Horses couldn''t compare. In her panther skin, Kathir leapt up the mountainside, certain of her steps no matter how small the foothold. Carmine lacked the same confidence. She slammed her eyes shut, heart beating in her throat as she felt momentary weightlessness with every jump. Kathir cared for speed, not safety, and each time Carmine let out a frightened whine, it went utterly ignored. When they finally reached the sanctuary¡¯s base, Carmine could barely stand on her shaking legs. Kathir transformed back into her humanoid shape, though not fully; black fur coated her skin while her fangs and claws remained pronounced.

    "We are not far behind." She announced, pulling the cloak back over herself. She started towards the entrance. "You will follow a short distance behind me and avoid danger."

    "Why?" Carmine retorted. "You saw, I can fight."

    "You can lash out." Kathir glanced inside the silver sanctuary. "You are inexperienced and unfocused; a liability in combat."

    "Wrong, you can''t cast spells if you''re not focused on them," Carmine countered. "And I showed them-"

    "You failed to heal the Riven." Kathir turned back, her face frustratingly neutral. Carmine grit her teeth and crossed her arms. "Your proficiency for combat is irrelevant, and you are useless to me war-locked. Collect yourself and avoid danger." Without waiting for any confirmation, Kathir rushed through the entrance without a sound.

    Carmine remained still for a moment, recalling what Aaron explained of war-lock. Her urge to punish the lying brigands still seared her mind, but in the time it took for Kathir to catch up, the haze over her other thoughts thinned.

    She conjured a simple illusion of a horse in her hand. It trotted around her palm, discernible but distorted, as if she watched through frosted glass.

    Carmine shook her head, grumbling curses at everything in sight. Something that simple should have been easy, yet she could barely hold the image in mind. Perhaps Kathir was right, but impaired or no, she didn''t come all this way to sit out. She lightened her steps and crossed the threshold .

    The sanctuary''s presence eased Carmine nerves as she caught herself humming an unfamiliar tune. Shaking her head free, she cast a ward over herself. No way she could be that calm right now. The sanctuary wasn''t so majestic, sorcery ran through its song. Listening hard, Carmine heard different pitches and tones depending on how the wind entered and left the building. Alone, disjointed notes, but together they formed loose words in the ancient tongue.

    Carmine knew objects ancient structures could cast sorcery, but to have the entire structure be part of the incantation surpassed her knowledge. She strained her ears, trying to discern what words made up the incantation, but another conversation echoed louder.

    "Oscar, where the hell are we going? If that thing comes back," the brigand''s question carried through the windswept halls.

    "I''m thinking!" Oscar''s familiar tone snapped back. "That ponce Laurence was supposed to know what to do, now all we got is this fucking thing."

    "Is it moving?"

    "Keep watch! I doubt we''re out of trouble yet."

    "We can take the rest of this stuff, right boss?" Their third asked. "We''ll need the coin now-"

    "Grab what you want. So long as we deliver what was asked, we can still come out ahead."

    Thieves on top of everything else. Carmine clenched her fists, feeling her urge to lash out bubble and brew.

    No.

    She breathed deep, held to her senses. She had to. If nothing else, she couldn''t prove Kathir right. That crazy cat woman didn''t appear capable of smugness, but Carmine could imagine it on her face all the same. She would not be a liability again.

    Carmine followed the voices, a test which proved easier said than done. The ancients built the damned sanctuary like a giant instrument, its halls twisting and winding back on themselves, making what seemed the most direct route long and confusing. She could only trust the mud. Oscar and his men wanted speed, and none cleared the gunk from their boots. That, if nothing else, stuck out on the silver floors like rot in a wound. Kathir, on the other hand, left no trace. The moments she moved ahead of Carmine were enough for her to vanish, not a single hair left behind.

    Unfortunately, that meant Carmine found the brigands on her own. They lumbered through one chamber after another, taking anything with the slightest shine. Crystal tablets, silver statuettes, if it wasn''t nailed down, they tossed into over-stretched burlap sacks, jagged with stolen loot. While his last two men plundered, Oscar focused on his hands. No, not his; a severed hand. Its fingers had bent out of shape, pulled apart beyond what a normal body could allow. Carmine flinched, her face twisting in disgust. It reminded her of the undead wretches she''d seen years ago; gray skin pulled taut over bone, fingers elongated, nails long and sharp as they moved by an unseen force.

    Its middle finger wretched forward, pointing Oscar deeper inside.

    That was their guide?

    Carmine waited for him and his lackeys to move for the next corridor when a brief movement caught her eye. In an opening dangerously high above the room, barely lit by the wall''s leylines, Kathir waited for the men below. When they''d taken everything they could, and began moving towards the next room, she dropped.

    She landed knee first on Oscar''s rear guard. His armor screeched beneath the blow, his bones breaking the fall. Only Kathir rose. She should have been a puddle on the floor. What was she made of?

    The last of Oscar''s men had no time to react. Sparks flew from his breastplate as he recoiled from Kathir''s claws. Before he could gain his footing, she lunged again. To save his own skin, Oscar pushed his last trooper into Kathir and ran. Tightening her fingers together, Kathir jabbed a hole through the brigand¡¯s breastplate, piercing through his chest up to her elbow. Of all things Oscar and his men threw at her, she only slowed because her arm became stuck in the body. Carmine grimaced at the carnage, averting her eyes to the ground. She walked into the room, her steps loud and clear. Alarming that woman seemed a quick way to end up dead. Besides, Carmine doubted she could sneak up on the furred murder machine.

    "You found your way," Kathir said, wrenching her arm free with a spray of viscera. "Good."

    Carmine covered her mouth. Don''t puke. Don''t puke. Don''t puke. She swallowed her disgust.

    "Where did you go?'' Carmine asked, throwing her arms wide with frustrated confusion. "You went in first. How did I find them before you?"

    "All paths in this place lead to one central chamber," Kathir replied, wiping her arm on her pilfered cloak. "I moved to cut them off by taking a different route. It took longer than expected. Regardless, one remains."

    "Oscar," Carmine frowned. "He had a weird mummified hand leading him around." She tried to bend her own fingers to mimic what she saw, stopping before they snapped.

    "Did he?" Kathir turned down the tunnel. "Follow as you can." without waiting for a reply, she ran off faster than Carmine could manage. Not that she would complain. Seeing Kathir do her dirty work once is enough.

    Carmine turned away from the dead. She had followed them far in, likely only the central chamber remained.

    "Don''t come any closer!" Carmine heard Oscar just as she rounded the corner. He hid on the far side of a sarcophagus as Kathir approached. Like the case in the archive, a layer of translucent crystal covered the sarcophagus'' top. Inside, Carmine saw a Riven skeleton made of pure arcanite shining with prismatic brilliance under the sanctuary''s leylines. The mummified hand had escaped Oscar''s grasp. It crawled along the sarcophagus, breaking its nails against the case.

    "Tell me who gave you that hand and you will keep your life," Kathir stopped on one side of the sarcophagus.

    "I don''t think so." Oscar unsheathed his sword. "I get paid extra for discretion."

    "Your coin will mean nothing when you are dead."

    "Maybe. Though, you don''t seem likely to keep your word either." Oscar grabbed the moving hand and tossed it at Kathir. "Let''s find out."

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Kathir swatted it aside, but in the moment''s distraction, Oscar smashed his pommel into the crystal glass. The lid shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, and he wrenched the arcanite skull free of the entombed body with a smirk on his face. He made it one step before Kathir''s claws swiped his throat, and she knocked the relic from his hand. The wind fell still. The skull clattered to the ground at Carmine''s feet. The only sound left was the choking sputter of a dying man. Kathir stalked over to the sarcophagus'' side to finish what she started.

    Carmine stopped herself from turning away. She made herself watch. She needed to know it was over.

    With the second strike, Oscar gave a short groan, and breathed no more. Carmine expected relief. That man wronged her; nearly killed someone she called friend and threatened more, but the sounds¡­the sounds echoed in her head. Wet, bubbling hacks growing weaker by the second. Unease quickly overshadowed what relief she might have felt, as she remembered how fragile life was.

    Her gaze fell to her feet. The arcanite skull stared back, flecks of blood on its surface. Why''d they come so far for this? Inflict such harm, even die, for this? She lifted it in her hands, heavier than she imagined, looking at it as if it held any answer. Before she found any, the disembodied hand leapt onto the skull.

    "What the-" Carmine tried to shake it off, but its grip held firm. Even without a body, its strength nearly pulled the skull from her hands. "Let go!"

    Its grip tightened in defiance. Elongated nails dragging through Oscar''s blood. With a crimson glow, the hand carved a spell into the air between them.

    "Do not let go!" Kathir warned, just as the skull lurched in Carmine''s grip. The hand lifted midair, tugged back. Black blood spilled from its stump, gathering into a hanging sludge behind the hand itself. The sanctuary''s ley lines went dark. Under what little light remained, bits of sinew emerged from the miasmic gunk. Flesh knit into the severed hand and its strength grew by the second. Still, Carmine held on, her feet sliding across the floor towards whatever hell appeared.

    A whisper reached her thoughts. Something unheard by ear, but the message resonated from the tips of her fingers to the depths of her mind.

    We have been found.

    A second monstrous hand emerged, tearing at the seam of its sludgy confines. With a terrible screech, it tore a portal open in space. What lurked on the other side came from a land Carmine had never seen. A bleak world, covered in ashen sand as far as the eye could see. No sun, no moons, yet millions of tiny lights speckled the blackened sky.

    Before she could comprehend the view, a shadow loomed in her sight. Its eyes held no light.

    It lunged.

    Carmine tried to pull back, but felt herself shoved to the ground. Kathir intercepted the attack, and the creature eagerly accepted the bait. It stood half-again the shape-shifter''s height and twice as wide, though not from muscle. Two furred torsos haphazardly fused together, their builds misshapen and bulbous. The lopsided monster''s arms curved around Kathir''s body, excess joints grinding against each other. Its bones snapped and reformed with each movement. The severed hand reconnected to one arm, while the other split into three at the elbow, all wriggling in uneven length. It tore at Kathir as she held it half inside its rift. Carmine lingered on its face for longest; it was Riven. The fur had fallen out, and tumorous growths covered its sunken skin, but its shape resembled the skull in her grasp.  Each tooth in its mouth, torn further open than possible, had mutated into incisors long enough to pierce through its own cheeks, even as it clamped through Kathir''s left arm.

    It gnawed and gnawed and gnawed. The deep gashes Kathir carved through its face deterred nothing. She roared in a mix of pain and fury before tearing the monster from its portal and throwing it to the ground. For a moment the creature reeled, thrashing and wailing as it chewed on something left in its mouth.

    An arm.

    Kathir¡¯s arm. Carmine looked up at her guardian and saw her missing a limb. She covered her mouth, holding in her scream. It ripped through Kathir like she was nothing. If even she couldn¡¯t stop it¡­

    "That thing''s going to kill us," Carmine edged back from the rising monster. "We have to get out-"

    "Hold." Kathir held her in place. Blood drained from her stump like a faucet, but she paid it no mind. How long could she even stay standing? No one could ignore a wound like that. No one. "I brought you here for a purpose and you will fulfill it."

    "But that thing-"

    "I will handle it." Kathir pushed the skull into Carmine''s chest. "Put it back. Get the wind blowing again.

    "How would I even-?"

    "Figure it out." Kathir turned back to the creature and pounced on it before it could counter. Despite her promises, Kathir''s movements slowed. Her claws dug shallow wounds, while the monster tried to swat her aside. She kept its attention, but for how long?

    Carmine glared at the skull, disembodied and to blame. She hurried over to the coffin, trying to ignore the sound of flesh tearing while she climbed inside. No safer place at the moment.

    The skull fit snugly back into its own recess and the body was whole once more. Of course, it was too much to hope for that to solve everything. ''Get the winds moving?'' Easier said than done, though Carmine doubted that Kathir cared. All she had to start were a few half-heard words amidst a gale. She might be able to call the wind back, then maybe the temple would do the rest, but to get anything more than a disappointing puff, she needed more energy. Much more than she had ever summoned before, and certainly more than she had at her disposal. The sanctuary had the power, and if the skull''s removal was any indication, the skeleton powered the sanctuary. How was irrelevant; She needed it all now.

    Carmine extended her arcane sense to the skeleton. More than any lodestone or arcanite battery she''d touched before, Carmine felt as though she fell into an ocean and saw nothing but a bottomless sea. So vast and empty, she almost lost herself. She tried to withdraw, but couldn''t find the way back. All awareness outside her body faded to black, yet with her vision dark, and ears deaf, she knew something stirred around her. She felt potential. A coiled spring, a taut wire, a wealth of energy waiting for a form to fill.

    And something more. Something old.

    A presence.

    It dragged Carmine in a current, rushing back to her body. She gasped for air, panicking as her senses returned. A tingle started in her fingertips, a subtle itch as the corpse''s energy connected to her body. In a second, that small tingle became a swarm of  needles, stinging up her arms.

    Carmine cried out, lurching back from the coffin with the skull still in her grip. She tried to throw it away, but her hands refused to move. She couldn''t even lift a finger! The needles crawled up higher, foreign intent superseding Carmine''s own.

    The bones weren''t as dead as they pretended. They waited. They watched. The presence lurking inside flooded Carmine''s mind, acting on single minded instinct, devoid of intelligence.

    Needles pierced through her brain as Carmine tried to call for help, but her voice no longer answered to her.

    Her hands released the skull; its luster gone. Carmine''s arm raised above her head unbidden, and her legs stood beneath her. She could only watch; an observer in her own body.

    "Nekilim''s sky." Ancient words passed her lips. The presence possessing her cast a spell as she understood it, but instead of intent, Carmine sensed nostalgia. A memory of porous mountain spires, tunneled by windy canals spanning far across the land.

    In an instant, the deafening winds returned. Carmine¡¯s robe whipped around her, yet the entity in control merely opened her arms to feel the passing rush.

    Carmine saw the Riven creature turn its attention at her. Kathir rested on a knee, swaying, barely upright. She couldn''t stop it as it lurched Carmine''s way. Its jaws opened wide. No matter how she wanted to run, the being in control refused. It merely raised her hand in the creature''s path.

    "Lost kith, lost kin,"  Carmine''s mouth sang a spell, echoed on the wind. "Lay thy anguish to rest." Carmine''s hand on the monster''s snout. All its motion stalled with one contact. The creature lowered its claws, looming over Carmine, awaiting the next words.

    "Here thy home will ever remain," the entity continued using Carmine''s voice. "A home of beauty. A home of safety. A home under mountain stone."

    The words joined the last on the winds, and in them Carmine recognized traces of the song she heard from afar. The entity continued to sing, adding a verse she hadn''t heard before.

    "But yee cannot remain to see it. Lay thy anguish to rest, and part with thy pain." Bits of the Riven''s body flaked off in specks of dust, joining the melodic wind. Its size dwindled. Claws shrank. Fangs blunted. Carmine saw now a withered husk of a Riven, starved and piteous. Glazed eyes focused on Carmine. They lacked the faintest hint of life, and still they focused everything on her words.

    "Forget what you have seen, but hold peace in thy heart, and flee. Here thy home will ever lie."

    Carmine''s hand pulled away from the Riven. It backed away, steps slow, reluctant. It retreated back through its portal, never looking away from the sanctuary as the rift slowly closed. Deep regret pained Carmine''s chest before she reminded herself it was not her own.

    The entity lurched her body back to its own corpse and rested her hands clumsily onto its cheeks.

    Carmine felt the presence leave her body as the bones regained their light. The moment she had control of herself again threw herself from the coffin.

    She landed hard on the silver floor, scrambling back on weak hands and knees. She cradled her throat, coughing and hacking speck of blood onto the ground.

    Everything hurt, but her voice more than anything. As she wiped her face, she found blood leaking from her nose and eyes. She tasted it in her mouth, and saw more lining her nails on each finger.

    What was that thing? What did that thing do to her?

    On the verge of screaming, she felt a hand touch her back.

    "Can you move?" Carmine jumped as Kathir was suddenly behind her.

    "W-wh-what was that-?" She stammered.

    "Later. I am surprised you survived."

    "Surprised I-did you think I wouldn''t?" Carmine frowned. "Did you know what that thing would do!?"

    "It prevented that creature from escaping. It also saved both our lives. My master would call that a ''pleasant surprise.''" Kathir hoisted Carmine to her feet. "I deemed your survival unlikely."

    "Fuck you," Carmine yanked her arm from Kathir''s grip. "You look no better. If you''re going to keel over, you better say something now."

    "I will survive. I am not like you. My wounds heal quickly."

    "And¡­" Carmine looked at Kathir''s stump. The bleeding already stopped, and some parts began healing over the gash. "Your, uh, arm?"

    "I will survive without it." Kathir grabbed Carmine under the arm. "Come."

    "Wait, what was that monster? Was it a person-?"

    "I am aware you have questions. For your aid, I will answer what I can. Elsewhere.¡±

 Chapter 23: Adaptability

    The morning chill settled into Carmine¡¯s bones beside exhaustion. Hunger ached in her stomach, but she willed it silent. She ignored her discomfort as she advanced one creeping step after another. Sorcery cloaked her sound and scent, keeping her all but invisible to the quarry before her: a fluffy little snow rabbit. It trotted along its trail, cute perhaps, but a full stomach overshadowed its adorableness by a long margin.

    She raised her arm, a stone tight in her grip as the rabbit¡¯s ears turned in her direction. She threw the stone wide, striking the bushes behind the skittish animal. It bolted in the opposite direction, exactly as Carmine planned. A three legged panther pounced in the rabbit¡¯s path. Kathir landed inches from it, snapping her jaws, but her balance shifted beneath her. She fell towards her missing limb, barely catching herself before she tumbled. By then, the rabbit fled from her reach. Carmine chased, grasping a second pebble from the dirt and enchanting it with a quick spell. She threw it full force this time, and the stone curved midair, seeking out her target as bid. It struck the rabbit¡¯s head. While it fell stunned, Kathir caught up and clamped her teeth around the rabbit¡¯s neck. It didn¡¯t suffer.

    Carmine sighed in relief as Kathir returned with their catch. Three legged or not, her feral presence hadn¡¯t diminished, and Carmine hesitated to get so close. Probably a wise fear.

    ¡°Any easier this time?¡± Carmine asked, pulling the carcass from Kathir¡¯s maw and handing her her cloak in its place.

    ¡°No.¡± Kathir answered after shifting back to her humanoid body. A layer of fur remained, to ward the cold. She clothed herself and retrieved the first rabbit from their earlier hunt.

    ¡°Are you sure two will be enough?¡± Carmine tilted her head. ¡°How much do you need to eat anyway?¡±

    ¡°Two will suffice.¡± Kathir slung the rabbits over her shoulder. ¡°You have sharp reactions. Useful.¡±

    ¡°Was that a compliment?¡±

    ¡°A fact.¡± Kathir walked past her towards the road. ¡°We will continue our march until dusk.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not stopping to eat?¡± the young sorceress frowned in disbelief. ¡°But we just caught-¡±

    ¡°We will need to stop at dusk for rest. Best consolidate all our time stationary in one spot.¡± Kathir¡¯s pace continued, and Carmine had to quicken to keep up.

    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± she grumbled, her stomach joining in displeasure. ¡°Fine, if we¡¯re not stopping, then we can talk on the road. You said last night you¡¯d give me some answers, and I think you owe me some.¡±

    ¡°I gave my word.¡± Kathir answered, her eyes never moving from their path. ¡°Do not claim a debt where none exists. You may grow into a useful ally. Allies are most useful when informed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sooooo flattered to be both those things.¡± Carmine leaned into Kathir¡¯s vision, but the shapeshifter didn''t so much as glance.

    ¡°Before I begin, we must make a pact.¡±

    ¡°After how the last one went?¡± Carmine flinched back. She tried to avoid remembering the day before, most of all her possession. The feeling of her body wrenching outside her control as it was puppeteered by a foreign entity lived in her mind as a fresh wound. She fell a few steps behind Kathir as she relived the moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°This is for your own protection, and my master¡¯s.¡± Kathir continued. ¡°Were the exorcists, the empire, or any sorcerous authority learn of your experience, you would lose your freedom. Were you to mention my involvement, it is possible I could be traced back to my master. I cannot allow that.¡±

    ¡°Not much of a choice there,¡± Carmine furrowed her brow as she caught back up. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t tell anyone. Now, What''s so important that they''d lock me?¡±

    ¡°Your experience. The creature that took my arm was a Ba¡¯el, and it was capable of much more than the carnage you saw. Given time, it would have withered this forest and sickened all life in it. The exorcists hunt them and any who would summon them from their realm.¡±

    ¡°Where did they come from?¡± Carmine asked, looking up at the clouds above her, recalling what she¡¯d seen. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it; a dead land with a brilliant night sky.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Kathir stared forward. ¡°Only the Ba¡¯el reside there.¡±

    ¡°A whole land of those things.¡± Carmine shuddered. One was more than enough. Still, she remembered the mournful, desperate look of the Ba¡¯el¡¯s- no, the Riven¡¯s face as it retreated back through its portal. No doubt, it was dangerous, but she couldn¡¯t help sparing it some pity. Though one doubt still remained. ¡°Is that really the whole reason? For the pact, I mean. You said yourself the exorcist already hunted these things, I doubt they¡¯d jail someone cooperative enough to tell them about one.¡±

    ¡°Be careful with that assumption,¡± Kathir tilted her head, adjusting the rabbits on her shoulder, ¡°but you are correct. Your possession would earn their attention. A surviving host to such an entity could be both a bane and a boon.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Carmine moved in front of Kathir, walking backwards, her curiosity piqued. ¡°What was that thing?¡±

    ¡°Powerful. Something you avoid for the moment.¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± Carmine groaned, slacking her shoulder in disappointment. ¡°You can¡¯t just leave it at that. The damn thing nearly turned me inside out,  you thought it would.¡±

    ¡°Precisely the reason you should avoid it.¡± Kathir kept staring up the road.

    ¡°Fine. if you¡¯re not going to say anything¡­¡± Camine turned her back on Kathir, marching forward, hand to her chin. The more Kathir insisted, the less she would let it go.

    What was so important to the exorcists, and Vembris, and sorcery? If it were just a Riven, Kathir would have no reason to hide it. She already spoke of the Ba¡¯el, so Carmine doubted that fit. When she first saw the arcanite skeleton, Carmine had thought it ornamental, but it had a will of its own. One strong enough to supersede hers.  She¡¯d heard folk tales of spirits following the last will of the dead, if their intent was strong enough. Remembering how the entity acted mostly on instinct, not thought, that fit. That couldn¡¯t be the whole story. Hauntings, if they were even real, involved moving loose objects or crying in the night, not calling powerful gale by spell. Even the way it casted was different. It had the power to change the weather but it didn¡¯t call for the wind by word, but recollection. ¡®Nekilim¡¯s sky¡­¡¯ A place? None she heard of, but the world was vast. She felt an echo of the entity¡¯s nostalgia, recalling the mental images of the porous mountains. The entity knew them well, but for the breadth of time the feeling suggested, the place would have to be¡­

    ¡°Ancient¡­¡± Carmine lifted her head, eyes wide. She spun off her heel, stopping in the middle of the road. ¡°It¡¯s an ancient!¡±

    Kathir¡¯s eyes snapped to Carmine.

    That¡¯s a yes. She slapped her fist into her palm, ideas rushing in and out of her mind. ¡°Not just any ancient either,¡± Carmine started pacing back and forth, accidentally blocking Kathir. ¡°It¡¯s the Riven¡¯s ancient.¡±

    ¡°Be careful where you voice that theory,¡± Kathir warned, but it may as well have been a confirmation. She continued past Carmine, but the young sorceress quickly stepped at her side, unable to stop her rambling.

    ¡°It¡¯s true isn¡¯t it! But that would mean there were more than just the four we know.¡± Carmine waved her hands, her exhaustion forgotten. ¡°Each made a nation, then claimed a moon as their seat. Vembria for Vembris, Raela for Raelis, Sashira for Sashiris, and Amalia for Creed. No coincidence that the powerful nations had an ancient associated with their species, but why just the Humans, Fauns, Aevans and Vulfans? Where are the ancients for Riven- well, I know, but what about Elves like, or any of the other species on Oyara? ¡±

    ¡°Carmine.¡± Kathir grumbled.

    ¡°Are they dead too? If so, how? Why did the ancients hide this from-¡± Carmine stopped her rambling only when she walked into Kathir¡¯s arm. She looked up to the towering shapeshifter, startled to see her slitted golden eyes burning into Carmine¡¯s own.

    ¡°Why indeed.¡± She said, her tone a warning. ¡°Be. Careful. Where. You. Speak. That question can cost you your freedom.¡± Kathir slung the rabbits back over her shoulder and continued. ¡°Come.¡±

    Carmine followed in silence as the sun crested further and further down, but her mind stormed with dozens upon dozens of thoughts. Heeding Kathir¡¯s advice, she kept those ideas to herself. The shapeshifter was likely just repeating herself, but knowing what she did, Carmine raised a ward over herself just in case.

    She bit her thumb, falling deep in thought. What else was believed true simply because the ancients said so? She remembered Nicholos telling her how the Ancients imparted knowledge to the people, improving their lives and granting them sorcery, medicine, science¡­but it seemed they kept some knowledge withheld. Perhaps finding it would lead to more advancements the likes of which Oyara had never seen.

    Carmine imagined the possibilities; hidden secrets she could reveal to the world. Better ones. Ones that could help banish ignorance and make anything possible.

    She quickly quashed that naive delusion. Some knowledge was more burden than boon, she learned that from the necromancer in the archive. Hidden knowledge could be dangerous, but that was true of anything in the wrong hands.

    She loathed the idea of exorcists on her back. She had a good thing at the tower; a warm home, a place to learn, and real friends. Too much to jeopardize on half-truths from a stranger.

    Still, a crumb of temptation rooted in her breast. The yearning to know hidden secrets beckoned with future pride and accomplishment. She began to understand why mages had a reputation for sticking their noses where they don''t belong.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°We camp here,¡± Kathir nodded to an alcove sunken into the treeline.

    ¡°Camp?¡± Carmine lifted her head and saw, at some point, the sun fell out of sight. ¡°Ah. alright-¡±

    ¡°Construct a fire.¡± Kathir commanded as she dropped their rabbits to the ground.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Carmine furrowed her brow, half horror, half disgust.¡±

    ¡°Can you?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like I want to start fires!?¡± Carmine motioned at herself, her face.

    ¡°Can you?¡±

    ¡°Are you listening-¡±

    ¡°If you cannot, we will eat our prey raw.¡± She sat next to the rabbits, claws extending from her remaining hand. ¡°I can. Can you?¡± She set to skinning their quarries. With one hand, she struggled to keep them from slipping from under her grip.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we switch?¡± Carmine suggested. ¡°I can skin the rabbits, it¡¯ll be easier-¡±

    ¡°I must adapt.¡± Kathir countered, shifting her gaze up to Carmine. ¡°So must you.¡±

    Carmine¡¯s arms fell to her side in defeat. She moved to the treeline, pulling her father¡¯s knife from her belt. She snapped twigs off trees, and gathered what fallen branches seemed dry enough to support a flame. She winced even at the idea, hands shaking as she stripped bark free with her knife. Her empty stomach churned as she tightened her hands into fists.

    After what she faced already, she could handle lighting¡­a small fire. She knew the spell, but Professor Castadio never made her cast it. She could do this. She just needed to control her fear, and focus.

    She built a small fireplace, setting stones and stacking a tripod of sticks like father taught her. She prepared the kindling and took a step back¡­then another for her sanity¡¯s sake. She pointed a finger at the kindling, taking deep breaths, ignoring the stronger than usual ache from her scars. She whispered a spark to life, sending the tiny thing into her target. When smoke started rising from between the sticks, she tossed in larger ones to feed the fire. Within moments, embers warmed Carmine¡¯s shins. A paltry little thing, but she managed.

    ¡°Well done,¡± Kathir made her jump. ¡°I too succeeded.¡± She lifted the skinned rabbits in her hand. Claw marks covered the poor things, but they were ready to cook. She set them over the fire and finally gave Carmine her full attention. ¡°I will tell you more.¡± Kathir suddenly declared, sitting across from the young sorceress.

    ¡°Uh, Ok?¡± Carmine huddled her knees to her chest, letting herself warm up.

    ¡°My Master seeks to contain and study Ba¡¯el, and to seek out knowledge outside of what the ancients shared. He created me to aid in this purpose.¡±

    ¡°Created?¡± Carmine furrowed her brow.

    ¡°You will learn in time, you¡¯ve made that apparent. Given that time, I judge you would make a strong ally, if my master¡¯s goal comes to align with yours.¡±

    ¡°This.. is a lot to take in,¡± Carmine admitted. She still hadn¡¯t wrapped her head around all the discoveries she¡¯d learned. ¡°I need time to think-¡±

    ¡°I am not seeking an answer. We will meet again when the time is right. If it never comes-

    Clinking metal turned both their heads towards the road. Carmine recognized the scraping shuffle of plates in motion.

    "Armor," she said, rising to her feet. "Sounds like there''s a few of them. Do you think it''s Oscar''s other men? Some survived."

    "No. Mercenaries do not chase a stronger foe, unless they sought death. Oscar''s men sought riches." Kathir faded into the bushes. "They are coming closer."

    "Did they notice the fire?"

    "Irrelevant. Hide." Kathir faded into the forest with frightening ease, her black fur blending with the dark, leaving her eyes as a pair of golden moons flickering against the fire light.

    Without delay, Carmine joined her and whispered a spell to conjure an illusion of bushes and twigs where she hid. Only a thorough search would have a chance to find them¡­she hoped.

    Within minutes, torchlight flickered between the trees. Two exorcists broke the camp''s perimeter, swords drawn, cloaks wrapped around their armor against the cold. A pair of Riven joined them, spears in hand, wearing thick hides, probably the rangers Grik had mentioned.

    Kathir tensed beside Carmine, her fur standing on end as her claws extended.

    "Don''t," Carmine whispered. "I think you''ve done enough for one day."

    An exorcist knelt by the wavering campfire. "Looks like whoever was here just left," he said, voice echoing inside his canned helm. He reached for the rabbit. "Even left us a little dinner¡­"

    "Jordan," Another, a woman, said with familiar frustration.

    "What!?" The patchy bearded exorcist lifted up his visor. Yup, Carmine pouted, that''s his mug. "We got dragged out here on no notice to search an entire forest. I¡¯m starving to death over here!"

    Tera sheathed her sword, a deep grumble vibrating her armor. "Perhaps¡­a quick rest would help."

    "I know these people," Carmine said, hushed. She rested her hand on Kathir''s arm until the claws went away. "They can take me home."

    "Good." Kathir''s fur thinned, retracting into her iron gray skin. "Better they do not see us together. Go to them, but remember-"

    "Tell them nothing. I know, I know.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    "Wish I could say it was lovely working with you, but it wasn''t. This time" She stood, readying to reveal herself. "I¡¯ll think about what you said¡­" She turned back to Kathir, but found only the cold woods as her audience. She still felt eyes on her back, and doubted that feeling would leave for a while.

    Carmine ended her illusion and walked back towards her camp. The group all turned on guard at her steps, until they recognized her Leval-blue robe.

    "Hi." She uttered with a small wave. Supposed rescuers, or not, exorcists unnerved her on a good day. Except for one. One exorcist she barely tolerated.

    "It''s the kid," Jordan announced to the others. He relaxed first, taking his hand off his sword.

    "I have a name," Carmine grumbled, rolling her eyes in his direction. "You know it."

    "Yeah, you''re fine. What are you doing wandering around in the dark? We''ve been looking for you for hours, you know!"

    Carmine smirked. Jordan''s frequent complaints were a welcome dose of the ordinary. "Hours? How did you get here so quickly? I thought it''d be days before I saw anyone."

    "When an injured Riven drops into the infirmary, things tend to move quickly," Tera explained as she raised her visor. "Ms. Valentine couldn''t get much from him, but whatever he said caused a call to action."

    Grik. At least Vale got to him in time.

    "Next thing we know, the headmaster is pulling us through a portal to look for you blue cloaks," Jordan finished.

    Anxiety crawled back up Carmine''s back. With all that happened in the sanctuary, she hadn''t spared a thought for anything else. "The others," she stammered, "did you find them, are they all okay?"

    "Relax kid," Jordan raised his palm. "We found ''em. Pretty quick too with a master sorcerer''s help."

    They are shaken," Tera added, frowning. "I''m sure you understand. Physically, no one is injured."

    "That''s something." Carmine frowned. She remembered how Grik''s pupils panicked when everything went wrong. This day would never leave them. Maybe she could help talk to them, or maybe they''d be even more afraid of her after what she did. "What about Grik?" Carmine watched their blank faces. "The injured man I sent to the tower."

    "Him." Tera nodded. "Ms. Valentine was still tending him when we left."

    "I''m sure he''s fine." Jordan waved off the question. "The doc''s got real talent, right kid?"

    "She does," Carmine nodded, her worry fading.

    "Then we got no worries." Jordan slapped his knees with a metallic ring as he rose, a rabbit haunch in his gauntlet. "Ready to get back? You can tell us what the hell happened on the way."

    "I''d also be interested in hearing," Tera added with a stern stare, or maybe just stern in Carmine''s head. Her heart beat faster as she remembered Kathir''s warning. She didn''t trust anything that shapeshifter said, but that didn''t mean she doubted everything either.

    "Sure," Carmine answered, looking at the road. "It all happened pretty fast, so sorry if the details are fuzzy."

    As they marched back along the trail, Carmine told them as much as was safe. Luckily they were under the impression Kathir abducted her, a point she saw no reason to correct. As to why, Carmine explained that the shapeshifter needed her to tend to the wounds the brigands inflicted, and then left her in the wilderness. The Riven rangers departed for the sanctuary once they heard Carmine''s tale, but Tera and Jordan remained.

    Jordan believed her. His face couldn''t trap doubts if it were barred iron, but Tera''s expression remained stone. Same as years ago, Carmine couldn''t read her face, but if the exorcist had any concerns she kept them to herself.

    Which was more unnerving.

    Even walking exhausted Carmine after the day she had, but the night still held few plans left for her.

    "She''s back!" Hern called up from the camp. A half-dozen heads all turned to look at her. Hern and Gwen stood and ran to meet her as she returned. Emmet joined them too, in the shadow of the massive Headmaster Thomas.

    "You''re okay! I thought that big mean cat was going to get you too," Hern''s brow held a firm crease. He must have worried all night.

    "Well, I knew you''d come back," Gwen raised her chin with pride. "If that cat-lady-thing tried anything, I know you''d zap her down like the bad men." A flash of fear crossed her eyes. "Th-they won''t be back, right?"

    "No," Carmine answered with a smile. "They''re all gone."

    "We found a few unconscious where we portaled in," Jordan added. "Some rangers are already taking them back to Dwerra in irons."

    "See?" Carmine held both her pupils'' hands. "All safe now."

    Emmet stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance as he met Carmine''s eyes.

    "I¡­" he started, mouth open but wordless. He bit his lip. Carmine recognized his need to share, but fearing to speak. She knew it well.

    "Hey," she said, "we''re safe."

    Emmet closed his mouth, eyes a mix of relief and tears. He stepped through the distance between them and suddenly wrapped his arms around Carmine.

    "I''m sorry. This was all my fault," he cried, squeezing her shoulders. "I was so stupid, just running my mouth like I knew everything. They would have taken us if you didn''t stop them."

    "I- uh- it''s- fine- you- you''re-...welcome?" Her brain turned over as her body stiffened. What should she do? What should she say? She could manage neither, as her face felt very very warm.

    A soft chuckle thundered from the Leval headmaster. Carmine lifted her eyes and saw him smiling directly at her.

    What? What did that laugh mean? What did it mean!?

    "You''ve done well aspirant," He ignored her mental inquiry. "As a would-be teacher, you protected your pupils¡­and as a friend you saved my son." Unlike his wife, Headmaster Thomas wore his expressions plain. He smiled, warm and relieved, as a father. He gently pulled Emmet back, possibly sensing Carmine would melt if the hug went on any longer. "This experience was trying for all of you, and if you need help to work through it, we will provide. I''m of the mind that hardship shows who we are, and who we can be. You did well today young miss Felis, and when we return, your courage will be recogniz-"

    "Courage!?" Aaron spoke up behind them, pointing at Carmine. "Headmaster, she lost control. It wasn''t courage, she went mad! We''re not even supposed to learn war magic until we''re full sorcerers. She-"

    "Enough." Headmaster Thomas retorted, standing between Aaron and Carmine like a dam. "I told you we''d talk no more of this."

    "Headmaster-" Carmine tried to counter what Aaron said, but Thomas raised a finger

    "You kept everyone safe. That''s all that matters." He turned back to the young pupils huddled around him. "I''m afraid we''ll be cutting this trip short," Thomas announced. "We''ll take everyone back to the tower. A warm bed and a hot meal would do all of you good, hmm?" He looked to Grik''s pupils and received several nods back. "Excellent," he said, opening a portal to a familiar courtyard. "You''ve all earned a rest."

 Chapter 24: Friendly Council

    Gathered in the tower¡¯s expansive undercroft, Carmine joined the small crowd of sorcerers and pupils around the portal gate. Grik held on to her arm steadying himself on his own feet with the help of a cane. Thanks to Vale, he¡¯d make a full recovery, but Carmine knew he would still feel weak for a while.

    But he was alive. When Carmine recalled how bad the situation on the trail had been, she considered it a miracle no one died. No one that mattered to her, anyway. Grik¡¯s pupils congregated around his feet. They clung as close to him as possible from the moment he could stand. After everything they¡¯ve been through, Carmine wanted to send them home as soon as possible. No child should have to go through what they did, but at least they¡¯d be with their families.

    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, truly,¡± Grik said as he patted Carmine¡¯s hand. His usual anxious energy sunk under recovery fatigue. ¡°Really, I don''t even want to think about what would have happened if you weren¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Grik,¡± Carmine deflected his gratitude. She¡¯d heard a lot of it over the last day and every time it just felt weird. ¡°I just did what needed to be done.¡± She looked ahead to the portal, hoping it would open soon. In truth, she struggled to remember what was going through her head when she lashed out at the brigands, and she preferred not to dwell on it either. A shame that Aaron kept trying to bring it up.

    She side eyed her circle¡¯s upperclassmen. He stood on the other side of the crowd with Headmaster Thomas, Mistress Symphonia and Professor Castadio all between him and Carmine. She caught Aaron staring at her. Again. Even though the headmaster told him to drop the issue, Carmine sensed he held her actions against her. He could stuff his judgment back down his throat where it belonged. He was the circle''s senior student, their supposed source of guidance, but all he did was stand and watch while two of his charges were nearly abducted. If he kept pressing this issue, she¡¯d request a different guide for their circle.

    The portal snapped to life, and the image of Dwerra''s reception room solidified in view. Alongside the recognizable faces of her circle, a small crowd waited on the other side. Immediately, Grik''s pupils shouted for their parents and stormed through to the gate.

    "All''s well that ends well, I suppose," Grik grunted as Carmine helped him through the portal. "You''ve been a dear, Carmine. I''ll admit I was worried about the whole witch business when I read it on paper, but," he patted Carmine''s wrist again, smiled, and looked her eye to eye. "You''re going to do great things. I can feel it."

    "Come on," Carmine smiled to the floor, "you''re exaggerating."

    "I don''t have enough energy to do that," Grik countered, "but I guess it''s up to you whether I''ll be a seer or a liar. My reputation is in your hands, you know."

    Carmine gave a soft chuckle as a Riven nurse took Grik''s weight. "I''ll try to keep it strong," Carmine relented.

    "That''s what I wanted to hear." Grik glanced to their side, seeing the Riven speaker bouncing foot to foot. "I think it''s time for goodbyes. Be well, Carmine. Visit again someday."

    "I will," Carmine promised as she stepped in line with her circle.

    "If it isn''t the lady of the hour," Almyra teased. "Words are buzzing about your trip. How much was true?"

    "Not now," Adelaide grumbled, jutting her chin the the throat-clearing Riven.

    "Honored guests of Leval," the Riven speaker began. Tarvi, that was her name. "We are grateful you chose Dwerra as your host. We hope you learned much from your mentors in the short time you were together. Rest assured we Riven remember our friends, especially those who have done us a service." Tarvi nodded over her shoulder to a dusty Riven with a small box in her hands. She moved forward to the Circle of young magi, sharing a smile with Xander as she started with him. If Carmine remembered correctly, that Riven was his mentor. Some kind of forge master? She opened the box to reveal a set of silver rings, each with a small arcanite crystal embedded within. As the forgemaster handed the rings to each member of the circle, Tarvi continued.

    "These rings mark you as friends to Riven everywhere," She explained. "Never forget: you have friends under the mountains." she bowed, followed by each of the Riven mentors, even Grik. Carmine smiled, a flush of embarrassment turning her eyes downward. Adelaide returned the bow, and Carmine followed her lead. Addy did know these decorum protocols best. With a wave farewell, the circle departed back through the portal to Leval.

    "How are you two," Adelaide barely waited a breath after the portal snapped shut. She looked between Emmet and Carmine, her concern matched by Kay and Xander. "We didn''t hear much other than your trip had been interrupted-"

    "Ms. Winters, surely you will have time to discuss this later," Symphonia droned, beckoning her son to her side. "Come with us, Emmet."

    Emmet''s shoulders sank as he gave an apologetic smile. ¡°I guess I''ll see you later,¡± he said, stepping obediently to his mother''s side. The Leval family retired to the nearest lift, and Carmine saw Symphonia pull Emmet into her arms as the brickwork closed before them. Camine hummer; the head mistress did have a soft spot.

    "One thing goes wrong and she reels Emmet back on a leash," Almyra shook her head. "Isn''t that what we''re here for too? You know, to look after each other when shit goes wrong?"

    "What happened went beyond the usual student problems. Far beyond." Carmine still felt a twinge of anger as she recalled. "Brigands shot our mentor and tried to kidnap us."

    "Oh shit." Almyra''s confidence vanished as raised her brow in disbelief.

    ¡°We thought it was just an accident,¡± Adelaide added, ¡°Like a fall or some such. Seems the truth is much worse than we heard."

    "The Riven never mentioned this," Xander explained,  "only that your mentor was critically injured, and they were cutting the trip short. We had no idea-"

    "They said you were fine though," Almyra recovered a grin. "I knew you would be. After all, its our  circle we¡¯re talking about."

    ''Lies,'' Kay signed, a mischievous smile on her face as her hands played her next words. ''She didn''t sleep at all last night. Too worried.''

    "I will put mittens on you, I swear," Almyra caught Kay''s wrists, but only proved her point.

    "It was bad,¡± Carmine confirmed. ¡°I can''t blame Ms. Leval for keeping Emmet close after that."

    "Yeah, really.¡± Almyra nodded along. ¡°Is there anything you need?"

    "Our dorm would be a good start." Carmine turned to start back to her room when she nearly headbutted Vale. ¡°Woah, careful there.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to sneak up on you.¡± Vale apologized, though the slightly amused smile on her face fell to a brow creased with a familiar worry Carmine was seeing everywhere these days.  "I''m not interrupting something, am I?" She asked, looking between Carmine and her circle.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "No," Adelaide replied for everyone. "We were just heading back."

    "What do you need?" Carmine asked, but she already knew where this would go.

    "I was hoping to talk to you about¡­well, a few things. As long as you have time." Vale tried to smile, but the apprehension in her eyes was clear as ice.

    "What''s wrong?" Carmine asked her plain.

    "It''s about the incident. I want to hear your side of it."

    ¡°My side?¡± Carmine frowned. She hadn¡¯t told Vale anything yet, and neither should have anyone else. She was too busy taking care of Grik all night. ¡°What do you mean-?¡±

    "I¡¯d prefer to talk with just the two of us. We can take a walk through the forest area; it''s close to Rolderston¡¯s woods down here."

    "Alright," Carmine answered, her voice guarding the confusion beneath. She turned, forcing the frown off her face as she gave her circle a short wave. "I''ll catch up in the dorm. I¡¯m sure this won¡¯t take long."

    "Very good," Adelaide nodded her approval. "We''ll see you soon."

    "Think of what you''d like to eat," Xander said. "I''m cooking for you when you''re back."

    Carmine nodded, watching them leave, before following Vale on the undercroft''s forest trail. Normally, she had no trouble talking to Vale. Even more than Nico, Carmine found it easier growing up to share little secrets and personal problems with her. That comfort deserted her today. As they traveled the undercroft''s man-made trail through a cultivated forest under a false sun, Vale started their chat with eggshell niceties.

    "Amazing place, this undercroft," She began. "It has its own day and night cycle, even simulates the wind."

    "Right." Carmine gave a passing acknowledgement.

    "They cultivate plants from all over the world down here. I¡¯ve even made a little garden myself. Sometime I forget i¡¯m not actually outside-"

    "Vale you had something important to say," Carmine interrupted. "Just say it already. You¡¯re making me nervous with all this mundane crap."

    "I know." Vale wrung her hands, sliding under a tree. She leaned against the bark, brow creased several times over, yet still she didn''t begin.

    "You''ll get wrinkles if you keep frowning so hard," Carmine teased.

    "Quiet you." A smile cracked through only a second before it drowned under another frown. "Fine. There''s no good way to ever talk about this so," Vale took one more deep breath and looked in Carmine''s eyes. "I spoke with Aaron late last night."

    "Oh, here we go," Carmine rolled her eyes.

    "He said some worrying things."

    "He¡¯s a whiner, just ignore him. The headmaster told him to drop it."

    "It''s a good thing he didn''t." Vale put her hands on her hips. Carmine grit her teeth, bracing against the incoming tirade. "Warlock is serious. You''re lucky your case was mild or you could have hurt someone you cared about."

    "But I didn''t. I saved them, something Aaron likes to forget. If I didn''t act, we''d have all been taken who-knows-where."

    "Don¡¯t misunderstand, I''m glad you¡¯re safe, but I¡¯m not like the headmaster. I can¡¯t just smile and pretend nothing bad happened so long as it ended well. Aaron didn¡¯t know how you learned war magic. I do, and I know where your head goes in order to cast it. You told me that yourself, if you remember.¡±

    Carmine bit her tongue, searching for any retort instead of wishing she kept her mouth shut those years ago.  ¡°So what?¡± she snapped. ¡°It¡¯s not like they didn¡¯t deserve it; the bandits or those fucking bastards back home.¡±

    ¡°Carmine, this is what I¡¯m worried about.¡± Vale gestured at the young sorceress. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t channel your trauma to hurt people, it''s not healthy.¡±

    ¡°Neither was being burned alive!¡± Carmine growled, baring her teeth, ¡°They¡¯re lucky Mother killed them, or I¡¯d do-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Vale cut her off, her tone only rising now. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. No one, not Nico, myself, or your parents ever taught you to hurt people. They¡¯d be disappointed to even hear it.¡±

    ¡°And how the fuck do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Because I am!¡± Carmine flinched, stunned for a brief moment as Vale pinched the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath and started again. ¡°Look, I know our world is filled with shit people. I¡¯m a faun living in Vembris, I see them every fucking day. That doesn¡¯t mean we have to sink as low as them.¡±

    ¡°So is that your point?¡± Carmine shrugged, eager to get over this drivel. ¡°Or did you dig up old wounds without one?¡±

    ¡°My point is: Nico and I helped you distance yourself from everything that happened. I don¡¯t know, maybe we hoped you''d move past it somehow, but clearly leaving it alone hasn¡¯t helped anyone.¡±

    ¡°You really thought It¡¯d, what, slip my mind?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­I hoped you find enough reasons to be happy, you wouldn¡¯t think about what you lost.¡± Vale¡¯s eyes clouded, her face twisting with a pain that quelled Carmine¡¯s intense anger, if only slightly.

    ¡°It was the worst moment of my life.¡± She explained, ¡°I wouldn''t even be here without it. We might have never met. Did you really think that¡¯s something I could forget?"

    ¡°I know. It was stupid wishful thinking, I understand that. I thought I was being considerate by letting it lie, but I don''t think that''s best for anyone."

    "So, what?" Carmine leaned back, guarding against whatever idea Vale had next. "We''ll just make it a common subject? No thanks."

    "Of course not," Vale sighed. "The tower has a good counselor for students. I''ve worked with him since coming here, he''s a good person."

    "I don''t want to talk about this with some random guy!" Carmine recoiled in disgust. How could Vale think that was a good idea?

    "He''s not a random guy, he''s a counselor. Helping people through their problems is his job. I can heal a body, Carmine, but wounds of the mind aren''t my area of expertise."

    "I don''t want to-"

    "I know it''s not easy to open yourself up to someone new. It''d be much easier to bury it again, but I''m worried that might just leave trouble down the road. Please, just take some time to think about, ok?"

    Carmine rolled her eyes. After everything Vale had done for her, she didn''t deserve to just be brushed off, even if Carmine hated, hated, the idea.

    "Fine," she relented. "I''ll think about it. No promises."

    "No promises." Vale squeezed Carmine''s hand. ¡° I really think this would help, though.¡±

    On the trail behind them, Carmine heard a bush rustle, but saw nothing when she turned.

    "I''ll let you know later, ok?" Carmine told Vale as she advancedup the path. ¡°I think I want to be alone right now.¡±

    "I''ll see you later," Vale let her go. "All things aside, I''m glad you made it home safe."

    "I know." Carmine answered as she continued on.

    After a few minutes, when she could be certain Vale was gone, she turned back. "I know you''re there," she called out. "You''re not as sneaky as you think you are." Silence met her claim. Likely whoever was trailing thought she would second guess herself after a minute, but Carmine trusted her ears. "I don''t mind waiting-"

    "Alright you got me," Almyra huffed as she pulled herself from behind a tree. "Don''t get the wrong idea, I wasn''t spying, or anything."

    "Then what were you doing lurking around?"

    "You make it sound so devious. I was just¡­making sure you were fine. You looked pretty worried when Ms. V wanted to talk. I didn''t hear anything, by the way," she added in a hurry, "Well, there were some raised voices, but I didn''t listen is what I mean."

    "It''s fine," Carmine shrugged. The energy for another argument walked away with Vale. "She¡¯s just worried about the whole thing."

    "I mean, that makes sense," Almyra trotted beside Carmine. "Our teachers haven''t taught us to kick ass yet, and still here you are."

    Carmine chuckled. Almyra''s gusto never wavered, no matter the subject. How would she have reacted to what Carmine had been through? Would she have fought as well? What was Carmine thinking, of course she would have. Still, Vale''s point stuck in her head. She''d never shared too much about herself with anyone else. To some person she never met? Hell no. To a friend though¡­maybe it would help.

    "Hey," Carmine began, "Can I tell you something?"

 Chapter 25: Ghost Stories

    "I think now is a good time to break," Adelaide closed her itinerary, her tilted smirk the same shape as the checkmark she penned in. The only thing to make Carmine smile was the word ''break.'' For a moment she thought a draft whispered through their dorm before she realized it was the collective sighs of her circle. Even after five years living with each other as equals, Adelaide still acted toward her noble standard, and expected everyone else to rise to it.

    "About time," Almyra groaned, first to rise, knees cracking.

    "Have somewhere else to be?" Adelaide raised a brow, her lips tightening. Carmine groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. Really? The first thing they do after a long day is argue?.

    "I do, actually," Almyra turned, pointing towards the door. "Outside, in direct sunlight. Bit of a foreign concept to a library gremlin like you, I know, but it does wonders for a little thing called sanity. Seriously, this is the¡­I''ve lost count, Kay?"

    Kay held up nine fingers.

    "-Ninth time this month you''ve trapped us all afternoon. Some of us have lives outside school, you know."

    ¡°Trapped? A bit drastic don''t you think? Sorcerer trials are right around the corner,¡± Adelaide tapped a calendar in her inkstained notebook. ¡°Circle¡¯s that don¡¯t progress stagnate. Circles that stagnate, get expelled.¡±

    ¡°As if that¡¯s going to happen to us.¡± Almyra scoffed. ¡°As circle¡¯s go, we¡¯re already pretty well off. We''re Brim ranks all. Not saying we don''t study, but at this rate we''ll all be recognized as full sorcerers before any of us are even twenty. We can take it a little easy.¡±

    ¡°A little easy?¡± Adelaide crossed her arms. ¡°You really think you can be the imperial master of elements by taking it a little easy?¡±

    ¡°Oh, take that silver spoon out of your mouth before you rant about hard-¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡± Carmine cut Almyra off before the argument really started. She shot them both a tired stare, but one that commanded their attention. ¡°We¡¯ve been cooped up all day. Adelaide, you know we¡¯ve all been working hard, and Almyra, you know why it''s important. We''re all just a bit stressed out. Let¡¯s just¡­go out tonight, and just relax for an evening. We can keep at it tomorrow.¡±

    Kay raised a thumb in agreement. At least someone was on board.

    "Thanks, Kay."

    "I agree,¡¯  Xander added his support. ¡°We''ll burn out if we keep pushing ourselves like this."

    "You know," Emmet said, a thumb to his chin, glancing between Adelaide and Almyra. "That one fishing boat you both like so much is moored in the harbor today. I saw it when I was out with my dad."

    "The Chipper?" Almyra slammed her hands onto the table, her fatigue replaced by dumb urgency. "You''re sure?" She leaned over Emmet as he nodded with mild concern. Almyra turned back to Adelaide, her animosity replaced by hungry purpose. "Truce, Addy. We missed it last month, we gotta go."

    "But¡­" Adaide frowned, her face curling as an inner conflict raged in her eyes. "We need¡­"

    "Fish ''n'' chips, Addy, it''s been too long since we had it last." Almyra pressed and the crevices on Adelaide''s face carved deeper. "Not just any, the best, crispy fish around."

    "Stop it, we''re really quite busy-."

    "Fresh from the sea."

    "We-,¡± Adelaide blinked, ¡°we need to study¡­"

    "Battered and fried-"

    "Alright, fine!" Adelaide snapped. "Just this once, damn you!"

    "Excellent." Almyra''s cheshire grin played across her face as she threw her robe on one shoulder after the other. She looked to the circle as she trotted to their dorm door. "Get a move on," she urged the others. "I''m not missing this twice in one season."

    "If only you were this motivated to study," Adelaide whispered as she donned her coat.

    "Addy¡­" Carmine hushed back.

    "Fine, fine. You hear bloody everything, don''t you?"

    "Only when you don''t want me to," Carmine replied with a shrug as she wiggled her pointed ears.

    Within minutes, the circle found their way down and out of Leval tower. Brisk fresh air wrapped them in a soothing embrace, revitalizing their overworked minds. Adelaide and Almyra walked ahead of the group, their arguments forgotten as they discussed what to do with the evening after supper. Carmine used to think they''d never find common ground, but after discovering their shared love for seafood, more similarities came to light between them. Both sought positions of authority, though Adelaide had more experience. In addition to Almyra''s classes, Addy taught her courtly etiquette on the side. It wasn''t easy, and watching Almyra talk in Adelaide¡¯s roundabout noble speak was downright weird, but she could manage anything if she found the right motivation. In return, Almyra could get Addy to do something Carmine thought impossible: relax. She could find the chip in Addy''s armor to remind her she wasn''t just a noble, but a person too. The two shared a friendly rivalry that fluctuated by the day.

    Xander and Kay walked closely behind and close to each other. For a moment, Carmine thought the size difference amusing. Xander had only grown larger over the years as he trained both his magic and his physique for his future in the Arknights. Kay remained the shortest of all the circle as she refined her control over sorcery. With her manipulation of light and stone, Kay could craft the most amazing sculptures Carmine had ever seen. Kay even gifted her a small collection of figurines once she knew of Carmine''s interest. Whenever Xander and Kay were together, their corner of the room radiated quiet contentment. Carmine wished them the best.

    Emmet lagged at the rear of their group, his eyes glued to his feet as he followed. Carmine saw his brow furrowed deep in thought, or worry. She slowed her pace to walk beside him.

    "A penny for your thoughts?" She asked, leaning into his view.

    Emmet gasped in surprise, flinching as he saw Carmine staring at him.

    "What?" He looked up, his eyes unfocused. "Sorry, I was distracted. What''s wrong?"

    "That''s what I¡¯m asking you," Carmine replied. "You looked deep in your head there, and not in a good way, honestly."

    "Ah," Emmet raised his head, straightening his hunched back. "I guess I was¡­just brainstorming.."

    "Right, but was it the productive brainstorm, or the anxious brainstorm?"

    "Damn." Emmet clicked his tongue.

    "Yeah, I''m not your parents. That story won''t work on me. Talk to me, what''s in your head?"

    Emmet let out a sigh, slowing his pace further. "I''d like this to stay between us, okay?"

    "It will if you want," Carmine lowered her voice, "none of them would judge, would know."

    "I know but, I just¡­don''t want to hold anyone back."

    Carmine furrowed her brow, confused how he even could. "I don''t follow."

    "I can''t stop thinking about what will happen at our Sorcerer trials, after rather. I know we all have the skills to pass. We''ll be made full sorcerers but¡­" Emmet trailed off. The lines on his forehead deepened as his lips pursed together, holding in the words. "I''m worried what happens when we all split up, you know? We''ve lived together for a while now, grown up together, but eventually you''re all going to find new mentors or go off on your own paths¡­and I''m still going to be here."

    "Oh, Emmet," Carmine hooked her arm through his. "We might be farther apart, but our bonds won''t change. We''re all a portal away after all, and you can send me a message any time."

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    "I know that, but I also know we''ll all have new tasks and duties. They''ll be less time-"

    "We''ll make time." Carmine assured him. Emmet smiled, his frown easing.

    "You know, sometimes I think someone like you should be the next headmaster, not me."

    "What?" Carmine flinched, a disbelieving smirk on her face. "You can''t be serious, it''s what you''ve trained for. I''ve trained to be a sketchy hedge mage in comparison. I doubt anyone could do the job as well as you."

    "Tell that to my mother." Emmet sighed. "She''s been¡­disappointed with my recent progress."

    "Why? You''ve passed every written and practical test with good scores."

    "But not the highest. Mom doesn''t like that you and Addy are beating me." Anxiety flashed in his eyes. "Don''t repeat that, ok?"

    "Sorry if this is out of line, Emmet, but your mom has a stick up her ass." Carmine grumbled in displeasure, just as she had every time that joyless hag stuck her nose into their business. "People like her are never satisfied. If you want to be headmaster, do it for you. If not, you can always change course."

    "It may seem that easy from the outside but¡­" Emmet lifted his head and looked at Carmine. "I do want it, and I do want to do better¡­I just don''t think that my mother realizes that she''s giving me more pressure than motivation."

    "If that''s the case, then let me know if you ever need help." Carmine smiled. "You can always count on me, Emmet."

    "That''s good to hear-"

    "Ya''ll done flirting?" Almyra teased from up front.

    "Shut up." Carmine grumbled, untangling her arm from Emmet''s as she stared at the ground. She hadn''t noticed they''d arrived at the harbor.

    ¡°Cute. Don''t stop on my account, you can continue onboard.¡± Almyra smirked and pointed to one particular vessel. A small sloop compared to the larger galleons moored in port further down the line. A single sail rose out from its center, surrounded by a small cabin at its base. Wooden shutters lifted to show a kitchen on the other side of the counter, and a half-dozen people sat on stools eating their dinners as the chef inside regaled them with sea tales in his booming voice.

    While Addy and Almyra came for the food, Carmime went for the chef''s tall tales. Captain Fisher everyone called him, though Carmine doubted that was his real name. A bright smile crested his deep umber face as the circle walked aboard. He removed his cap and placed it to his chest, the dusk sun shining off his bald head.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t my favorite witches and wizards from the tower,¡± Fisher welcomed, his voice loud but light. He waved to a line of polished stools along the cabin and urged them forward with his other hand. ¡°Come, sit. Just the usuals?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Xander answered for the circle. ¡°It''s been too long for all of us.¡±

    ¡°I noticed I didn¡¯t see you last month.¡± Fisher plucked a knife from a block and sliced through fish with ease. His hands moved with practiced precision, even as he kept his gaze on the sorcerers. ¡°How are things at the tower?¡±

    ¡°Busy,¡± Almyra answered. ¡°Things are getting serious for exams, promotion trials, you know the drill, tight asses all around.¡± She waved her hand with a dismissive scoff. ¡°We''re going to be fine, but it''s been taking all our time.¡±

    ¡°A familiar story to me,¡± Fisher replied. ¡°Everywhere I sail, there are always tired students in need of a proper meal.¡±

    ¡°And a good story,¡± Carmine added as she leaned on the counter. She¡¯d never been on the ocean, nothing out of sight of the coast at least. To her it seemed a land, or rather, a sea of mystery, and Fisher always had the best stories to share. ¡°Anything interesting happen out there?¡±

    Kay tapped her hands on the counter and leaned closer beside Carmine. She''d based more than one sculpture on Fisher''s storied creatures.

    ¡°Always, my friends, always.¡± For a moment his hands stopped moving, and he shot the circle a curious side-eyed glance. ¡°Though I do have a peculiar one this time.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Carmine listened in.

    ¡°Perhaps the six of you could make sense of it.¡° Fisher tilted his head up, reminiscing, though his hands continued their work unpaused. ¡°I suppose this would be¡­.two, two-and-a-half weeks ago now. My crew and I were sailing north-west of here, in the sea between Vembris and Creed. Big catches out that way; tall as you Ms. Kay. We were hitting it big. Never have we had so much good fortune as we did those days, did we lads?¡± He looked behind him to the scattered ¡°Ayes¡± in response, a glint of pride in his eyes. ¡°Entire schools swam under us from the east. We didn''t even need to bait our hooks; they almost leapt aboard. I should have noticed something strange at the time, but a bounty like that¡­¡± He grunted, raising his hands in surprise.

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Adelaide commented. ¡°It''s your livelihood after all. Of course it would take your focus.¡±

    ¡°Not wrong, Lady Winters, but a sailor that gets too focused on bounty misses the sea¡¯s warnings.  And miss them, we did. A mild storm caught us off guard. A small one, more wind than rain, but it pushed us eastward.¡±

    ¡®Where all the fish came from,¡¯ Kay hurriedly signed, and Almyra relayed to Fisher.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± He nodded back. ¡°We found ourselves on the edge of the Black Maw. Any of you familiar?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Emmet spoke up. He turned on his chair towards Carmine and the others. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard it''s a deadzone. The water turns black as you enter and all the wind dies down. Ships get stranded out there, with no food to catch so they just drift. Sometimes forever. The previous headmaster, my grandma, tried to send a team to study it and only half of them came back. Something messed with their portals out there.¡±

    ¡°That place is cursed,¡± Fisher explained, sending a shiver down Carmine¡¯s spine. ¡°When I knew where we were I ordered us rowed out, but my first mate shouts at me. ¡®Man overboard,¡¯ she says, and sure enough, there¡¯s someone out there clutching to driftwood.¡±

    ¡°Were they alive?¡± Xander asked, fist to his chin.

    ¡°Barely. We pulled this lass out, chilled to the bone and starving, she was. Sketchy lass, but grateful. I''d guess a smuggler, not that she¡¯d tell us. Anyway, after filling her stomach she tells us her captain wanted to take a shortcut to Creed. They tried to go through the Maw rather than around it.¡±

    ¡°Bad move,¡± Emmet added.

    ¡°Bad move,¡± Fisher agreed, ¡°but more than I¡¯ve had thought. This Lass, she¡¯s shaken, you know, but she swears the ship stopped dead in the water, like they hit a reef. Their rowing gets them nowhere. Now this is where I start to get lost: next, she says, the water starts speaking.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck that.¡± Almyra pushed back from the counter.

    ¡°What¡¯d it say?¡± Carmine asked, enthralled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, neither did our survivor. She didn¡¯t have much time to listen either. She says some half-finned monster folk start climbing out the water, pulling people under and shredding the ship¡¯s hull.¡±

    ¡°Mermaids!¡± Adelaide gasped.

    ¡°Mer-monsters,¡± Almyra shook her head.

    ¡°Both, I would wager,¡± Fisher shrugged. ¡°But as the survivor says, they dragged damn near everyone to an early grave.¡±

    ¡°So how¡¯d she escape?¡± Carmine asked, eager to hear the conclusion.

    ¡°She says a gunnery officer moved a cannon back from the hull and blew a hole in their own ship to drive them off. They scuttled their vessel, but the gun must have scared the monsters off.¡±

    ¡°Or they misfired and destroyed their own vessel,¡± Xander said, his face now disinterested with skepticism. ¡°She probably made up this story to cover her own crew¡¯s incompetence.¡±

    Fisher made no retort, but his smirk said enough. He put his knife down and reached for something else behind the counter. He lifted a weathered wooden plank, and placed it in Xander¡¯s hands. Xander¡¯s brow furrowed deeper as his doubt gave way to confusion.

    ¡°Hey, hey, share with the circle,¡± Almyra grumbled, trying to lean over his shoulder. At her goading, Xander turned the plank to reveal a strange claw mark with five jagged streaks; one shorter than the rest in the shape of a hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s left of the ship,¡± Fisher said.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Emmet ran his fingers over the claw marks.

    ¡°Perhaps¡­there is something to this tale,¡± Adelaide mused.

    ¡°Yeah, it means never go on the fucking ocean,¡± Almyra grumbled, looking back at Fisher. ¡°Food¡¯s almost ready, yeah? Mind if we get to it soon?¡±

    ¡®Scared?¡¯ Kay signed with a smirk.

    ¡°Do these look like fins to you?¡± Almyra tapped her hooves on the deck. ¡°I eat stuff from the ocean, I don''t go into it!¡±

    ¡°Very well, Ms. Almyra,¡± Fisher raised his hands with an amused grin. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want you losing your appetite.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± She stood. ¡°A little story ain¡¯t gonna make me lose anything-¡± Before her voice raised too much, Captain Fisher dropped a plate of the most appetizing, crispy fish¡¯n¡¯chips in Almyra¡¯s hands. All her protestation faded quickly after that. ¡°T-Thanks, chief.¡±

    Left to their own meals, the circle ate in contemplative silence, each eyeing the clawed board left behind. Were there really monsters in the maw? Did something curse the sea out there? It was a terrible idea after what Emmet said happened to the last team that went out there, but curiosity ever pushed Carmine towards bad ideas. Part of her wanted to sail out and discover the answer for herself.

    On the way back home, Carmine¡¯s thoughts completely occupied her attention. For the first time in a while, she thought back to the Sanctuary back near Dwerra, and the monster she saw within. It oozed black ichor from its wounds, and from the portal whence it came. What if there was another portal somewhere beneath the ocean and it was spawning monsters down there? Who could even deal with something like that? Kathir was capable, but she didn¡¯t have gills¡­at least Carmine thought she didn¡¯t. Maybe this was worth looking into-

    Carmine felt herself yanked to the side without warning. She nearly fell off balance as Xander held her steady, looking over her shoulder.

    ¡°Sorry for that,¡± He said, nodding behind Carmine. ¡°That horse tried to bite your ear off.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Carmine turned around to see her equine attacker. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying atten¡­tion¡­¡± Her voice choked in her throat as she saw the horse staring back at her. It pulled as much as it could in its wagon harness, nudging Carmine¡¯s hair as her hands moved up on their own to pet its black fur. She knew him. ¡°Bandit?¡± Carmine tilted her head, her eyes wide and her mind in discord. ¡°What¡­are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Hey, sorry,¡± a young man with dark hair and green eyes rounded the wagon and tried to push Bandit away, but the big horse refused to budge. He looked around Carmine¡¯s age. ¡°He¡¯s pretty temperamental¡­as you can probably see.¡±

    Carmine stared, frozen. She recognized him too.

    ¡°Carmine,¡± Almyra walked up next to her, worry in her voice. "You okay?"

    ¡°Carmi-¡± The young man whipped his head from Bandit to stare. A frown furrowed his brow as he looked at Carmine¡¯s face. It shifted from curiosity, to recognition, to astonishment, eventually curling into a repulsive smile. ¡°Carmine!?" Filbert raised his voice in disbelief. "You¡¯re alive?!¡±

 Chapter 26 Part 1: Life Isnt Fair

    Was this some kind of joke? Her estranged cousin stood before her in Reefcliff, hundreds of kilometers from Rieland. He flubbed his words with a simple grin on his face, splitting wider and wider as he tried to contain his astonishment. Carmine felt similar with one major difference: no joy rose in her heart. As Filbert blithered on, repeating how surprised he was and how he couldn''t believe who he was seeing, Carmine clenched her fists. The girl she used to be wanted to run away. The woman she was now tried to hold her composure, betraying no emotion one way or the other. Deep down, a monster pulled at its rusted chains eager to lash out and wipe his stupid grin from his face.

    "Carmine," Almyra called low, gripping the elf''s shoulder. "Let''s go back to the tower. It''s getting late anyway-"

    "It''s fine," Carmine replied, struggling to keep heat from her voice. "I''m fine."

    Almyra withdrew her hand as Carmine met her eyes for just a second. She could see the hesitation there, the worry. Almyra looked between the circle and Carmine as only one who had been trusted with Carmine¡¯s past. Had it been anything else and she might have spilled the secret, but not this. The circle knew nothing, and Carmine doubted Almyra would break her trust and tell them.

    "I think we should go-" She started quiet so only Carmine would hear, but Emmet stepped forward first.

    "Who''s this Carmine?" He asked, giving Filbert a curious frown.

    "This is my cousin," Carmine explained, her words measured. "We haven''t seen each other in a decade."

    "A decade, and one!" Filbert added. "I thought you were dead. Where have ya been?" His eyes darted over her cheek, down her neck. Carmine recognized the reflexive shock. "Those scars are pretty, uh, big-"

    Carmine grit her teeth, lifting her collar over her cheek before facing her circle. "As you might have guessed, we have some catching up to do. I''ll see you later at the tower."

    "You sure?" Adelaide asked; choosing now of all times to be perceptive, damn it. "We could all meet your family. You''ve never-"

    "Not now." Carmine insisted. Her sudden sternness caused surprise to ripple through her circle, but she didn''t care. If they felt something was off, so be it. This was her business. "I''ll introduce you later, Filbert and I have a lot to say to each other, I''m sure."

    "She''s right, I got a wagon full of questions," Filbert added. Carmine huffed beneath her collar; she didn''t need his support. "Ya''ll seem like fine folks, I''m sure I''ll meet ya later."

    "If-" Almyra stuttered. "If you think you''ll be okay¡­"

    "I am." Carmine answered, her voice clear, level, and all too calm. "Go back. I''ll see you tonight."

    "Very well," Adelaide acquiesced, nodding to Filbert. "Until next time young sir."

    "Sure thing, miss," Filbert answered. "You have a good evening."

    Carmine watched her circle leave, ignoring their unease and backward glances. She turned to Filbert, fixing her eyes on him. "What are you doing here, Filbert? Where is your father? You''re quite far from Rieland."

    "Suppose you''re right about that," he answered. "By the way, I just use Fil now. Filbert is a bit, uh, childish to my ear."

    "Right." Carmine tried not to sound too dismissive. "Your business here, again?"

    "Sorry, got a wandering mind I''m told, ever since- ah," he raised a finger, "almost did it again. After the storm, you know the one that drowned our fields? The town needed some folks to run supplies from other regions to help us out. Since the storm, uh," he paused for a moment casting a wary side eye at Carmine. "Since the storm struck your house and burned it down, uncle Alan wasn''t around to lend his horses to the caravans no more, so my dad stepped up. He rebuilt the old family house, and took over for your dad."

    "Did he?" Carmine replied, blood boiling in her veins. She crossed her arms tight together to hold them back.

    "Oh yeah!" The stables were fine, all our family''s horses were okay."

    "That might be the one piece of good news I''ve ever heard about that night." Yet she didn''t smile. They were my family''s horses, she thought, not "ours."

    "Yeah," Filbert shook his head, looking down at his hands, "there was a lot of bad news that night. Pa said a lot of folks got hurt trying to put out that fire."

    Carmine blinked. Filbert''s droning faded from her ears as her head grinded towards her cousin. "What did your dad tell you?"

    "Uh, well¡­ he doesn''t like to talk about it," Filbert turned and flinched as he saw the glae burning a hole in between his eyes. The reins tangled in his hands as he faced back forward. "B-but, he talks about some nights after he, uh, drinks a little too-"

    "What were you told, Filbert?" Carmine asked again, insistent, her mask slipping.

    "I¡­dad said your house got hit by lightning during the storm. The headman organized a group of people to help out, but by the time they got there your house was already burning. Folks tried to help, but they ended up needing saving themselves. Some even died. Dad said they couldn''t save any of you. I¡­I thought you were dead, Carmine." He looked at her again, and despite the anger slipping into Carmine''s face, she could see his furrowed brow, his soft eyes, the genuine concern for her. She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she looked to the road ahead.

    "I almost was," She grumbled. He didn''t know. He wasn''t responsible. Carmine''s fingers dug into her arms, barely containing her turmoil.

    "I don''t mean to be rude, but your scars, the headman has ''em too. They tried to save you-"

    "No, Filbert." She cut him off. "They didn''t."

    "Then¡­what did happen that night?" Filbert stared at her for an answer, but Carmine paid his question no mind, staring out of the cart in contemplation.

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    "Where is your Father,?" She asked again.

    "At a bar," he answered, urging the horses to a faster trot.

    "Take me there," Carmine ordered, pulling her hood over her head.

    Filbert drove them to the other side of Reefcliff, closer to the city¡¯s road entrances. This side of town had less crowds and less business than the port, but it did have a wider collection of inns and taverns. Despite there being a good dozen around, Filbert steered towards one called Respite Keep. He parked the cart outside  and hitched Bandit and the other horse to a post. As Carmine started to climb down he raised a hand between her and the tavern.

    "I''ll go in and get him," Filbert said. "He''s not the best at holding his liquor. I''ll try to get him straightened up and we can sort this out, okay?"

    "Fine," Carmine replied with a single terse word. She grit her teeth behind her lips, and nodded for Filbert to get going. He whispered his thanks and pushed through the front entrance. The door wobbled in and out of its frame, barely holding together. A small push is all it would take for it to fall off its hinges.

    Carmine barely waited half a minute before she followed after. A few dozen conversations buzzed in her ears; dock workers discussing work, strongmen using booze to dull their pain after friendly bouts, drunks betting their coins away on games of chance. Carmine sifted through the drivel, voice by voice until she caught one she recognized.

    "Dad, put the beer down and listen to me," Filbert''s voice carried from the bar. Carmine homed in on the direction, her feet already carrying her towards it before she could even think.

    She saw his face. "Uncle" Greg. His hair had thinned over the years, and wrinkles lined his face, but it was still the same face from that night. The same face that stood with the rest of them. She approached Filbert from behind without a sound, her footsteps lost in the revelry.

    "Fil, my boy, d''you deliver the lumber? ''Course you did," Greg clasped his son''s shoulder. "Come on, son, have a drink."

    "Dad, no. You need to sober up right now." Filbert pulled a glass bottle away from his father and placed it on the bar. He didn''t notice Carmine took that same bottle in hand.

    "We''re leaving," Filbert insisted, "Now. There''s something you need to explain."

    "Oh," Greg droned in drunken revelation, his glazed eyes shifting to Carmine''s hooded form behind his son. "I see. I see! You''re making friends without me son?"

    "What?" Filbert frowned, his tone confused until he turned behind him.

    And he found Carmine seething. She glared into her uncle''s drunk, carefree face. A face unmarred by guilt or injury. A face smirking as if he''d never done anything wrong. As if he didn''t even remember all the pain he caused.

    "Oh shit, wait a second-" Filbert tried to interpose himself, but Carmine pushed him aside. She raised the half empty beer bottle and lunged with hot murder in her eyes. The bottle shattered over her uncle''s face, blood mixing with beer and glass shards as he crumpled to the floor. The tavern fell silent.

    "You crazy bitch!" Greg howled in pain, his fingers gingerly touching the jagged shards embedded in his cheek. "Who the fuck do you think you are."

    Carmine tore her hood down and stood over the waste of human life on the floor. The blow must have sobered him up, because there was the briefest hint of recognition before his drunken bluster fell away to shame and fear.

    "Carmine, what the fuck!" Filbert stepped back, his hands on his head, nearly in panic.

    "Remember me now, Uncle?" Carmine snarled.

    "Not you," Greg inched back. "This can''t be real."

    "Oh, I''m real." Carmine pulled back her sleeve, tearing off her protective bandages from her horribly scarred arm and held it to his face. The tavern patrons recoiled in the corner of her eye, but for the first time she didn''t care. Her rage hyper-focused on one man. "You led that mob to us," she growled, her voice raw. "You let them kill my parents. You would have let them kill me. So you could, what, steal my father''s land, our horses and then live in my fucking house!?" Greg tried to turn over to crawl away, but Carmine grabbed him by the collar and made him look her in the eye. His fear was met by absolute loathing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He mewled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve forgiveness.¡± She raised one arm high, arcing with electric sorcery. "You don''t deserve to live-"

    Before she brought her arm down on his neck, Filbert grabbed her by the shoulder. He pulled her off his dad with the strength of a farmland. Carmine twisted in his grip, and with her free hand, struck him in the solar plexus. His strength faded instantly as he gasped for air. Carmine slipped out of his grip, and as he stood doubled over and heaving, she aimed her spell at him.

    Lightning lit Filbert''s face in sparking hues, reflecting the fear in his eyes. Mere seconds ago he had no idea he¡¯d be staring death in the face, and Carmine¡¯s restraint already teetered off the brink.

    "Not my boy," Greg pleaded from the ground. His face contorted in terror as he begged, pathetic, and soaked in beer. "Please, anything, but him."

    Filbert would be perfect, Carmine thought as she faced her cousin. Greg took the people who mattered most to her, she was well within her right to do the same.

    "I know what he did wasn''t right," Filbert said as he straightened up, though his voice trembled. He raised his hands and offered no resistance. "I ain''t gonna let it go, but he''s my dad." Despite being a whim from death, Filbert''s gaze didn''t waver. "I ain''t gonna let you kill him."

    "He deserves it," Carmine growled.

    "Probably."

    "And still¡­"

    "Yeah. I can¡¯t stop you, but it''s gonna be both or neither."

    Carmine sneered. What right did he have to make such an ultimatum? He had a good life, from the look of it. He still had his home. She could do it. It would take a second, then a portal would take her anywhere she wanted. It would be easy, justified.

    It took all her strength to close her hand and dispel the magic. She lowered her arm, simmering frustration as her mind still screamed at her to do it. She stormed past Filbert towards the door, only stopping to grab an opened wine bottle from the counter.

    She forced the door aside and it swung out, lopsided. She brought the wine bottle to her lips and started down the street before she stopped at Filbert''s cart. She looked Bandit in the face and his eyes followed her wherever she moved. She slid father''s knife from her belt and cut him free of his harness.

    "Come on," she said as she led him along. "You''re still family."

    Night fell by the time she returned to the tower. The Leval Institute did own a stable on its ground, so she set Bandit up with his own place to sleep before returning to her dorm. As she opened the door, only Almyra sat in the common room. She stood up, rushing over and starting to worry, no doubt.

    "Not right now," Carmine raised a hand and walked past. She entered her room and nearly collapsed on the bed. She couldn''t remember the last time she was so tired, but sleep was a distant fantasy. Her mind ran with the events of eleven years ago, and the matter of the day past. She''d never forget, but it had faded into the background. At school, and with Nicholos, all the pain almost felt like it happened to someone else.

    Not anymore. Not after today.

    Uncle Greg, the Headman, the other villagers, they were still alive. More than that, they moved on. After everything they did, they faced no consequences.

    It wasn''t fair.

    Carmine couldn''t tell if minutes or hours passed, but she snapped up out of bed. She stood by her desk, scribbling down a sigil from memory, one the exorcists didn''t want her to know. It may have been incomplete, but it was a start. She dropped her blue Leval robe and grabbed a black coat from her wardrobe, along with an old red scarf.

    She slipped the scribbled sigil into her mother''s spell book, and tucked it under her arm. With a word and a gesture she tore open a portal in her room. Familiar scenery looked back at her from the other side and her heart beat cold in her chest.

    She went home.

 Chapter 26 Part 2: But Death Is

    Six years, and she hadn''t visited in all that time. As she returned to her birth home, of all things, that was the thought that rattled in her mind. Carmine last visited her parent''s graves on the eve of her induction at Leval. Since then, her life moved from one school deadline to the next. Even so, she should have made the time and visited.

    That might have caused its own problems, she thought, looking at the new house under moonlight. Filbert said they rebuilt her home. Father told Carmine that her great grandfather built that house. It didn¡¯t surprise her someone in that wretched town knew how to replicate it. It was close to the original in form, certainly, but in Carmine''s eyes it was wooden blocks arranged in a pale imitation of something lost forever. Fortunately for them, Carmine didn''t come for her house. Everything that made it a home was long gone.

    Just as Filbert said, the old stable survived the attack. Carmine recognized it, but it looked smaller than what she remembered. The broken fence had been mended too. No matter the changes, so long as they kept the tools in the same spot, she''d manage. Carmine pushed the doors aside ignoring the cautious stirrings of the horses as she moved to the tool rack. She took a lantern off a wall hook and grabbed a shovel.

    Her parent''s graves sat far enough away that the townsfolk shouldn''t have found them. Only Carmine and Nicholos knew the way, and Nicholos was busy on another dig. Moss climbed up their tombstones, but the small statuettes Carmine placed still stood untouched; a peaceful resting place amidst the woods.

    This wouldn''t work. She knew that. She didn''t have knowledge, not nearly enough. Her best shot was a recollection of an unfinished spell circle she''d read years ago. Their bodies had long since decomposed, and Carmine hadn''t the first idea how to restore them. If the exorcists found out, she would be prohibited from ever practicing sorcery again, at best.

    This would not work.

    The shovel blade bit deep into the undisturbed soil. Once, and again, she tore up the ground by the bladefull. Dirt covered her boots as it rose in a pile until she found them: a pair of soiled shrouds sunken amidst the earth.

    Carmine descended into the chest deep hole, throwing her shovel aside. Her hands trembled as she reached towards the shrouds, fingers stumbling over the clothes edges as she unraveled them.

    There they were. After eleven years she saw them again; a pair of withered skeletons in a shallow grave. Unrecognizable, if not for the names upon the stones. Nausea churned in Carmine''s stomach as she fought the urge to retch. Father''s skull didn''t connect properly to the rest of his body. She remembered how his head lulled after the mob struck him too hard. He grew up with those people, and they broke his neck. Fire had charred mother''s bones black, almost ready to crumble in the breeze. Carmine still didn''t know how long elves were meant to live, only that her mother''s life was cut short long before its time.

    They deserved better than this. The life they could have had together¡­all the years stolen. Perhaps by Carmine''s hand, perhaps, they could get some back.

    She arranged the bodies side by side in the hole. She climbed out of the grave, calling an ember to her hand with a spell, and in one gesture she burned the grass around her to ash. In that ash she carved the spell to enchant her parents'' bones, to reconnect them through magic, and through magic allow them to move, to see, to speak. Despite the years, every symbol and rune from that infernal notebook had burned into her memory, and she followed each step meticulously until she arrived at the one essential gap in its information. How could she bring their souls back from death? Magic responded to intent, and yet, she doubted want alone would be enough. Were it so simple there''d be a lot more once dead people walking around. Intent was easy, choosing the words to make it real however¡­

    "I call upon the souls of the beings that once occupied these bodies," Carmine began, choosing her words to be as specific as possible. "Alan Felis and Antora Felis, hunter and sorceress, horsemaster and historian, father and mother, hear my call and heed my wish. By the power in me, return to this world and inhabit your remains for¡­two minutes." Bitterness stained her tongue as she added the time constraint. Their bodies weren''t ready yet. Condemning them to existence in bones was not her aim. "I call upon you, return and live again. Return, and speak to me."

    Her voice trembled as she completed the spell.

    The moment the words left her mouth, her parents'' bones jolted stiff in the graves. A piercing agony ran out from Carmine''s chest, stealing her breath and driving her to her knees. The sensation extended from her body, tethering to the pair of corpses below.

    She knew this feeling, felt it once before in the Riven sanctuary as she drew power from the dead ancient. Where the ancient''s corpse felt like a boundless ocean, her parent''s corpses were all consuming voids. They drained her of spirit rather than the other way round.

    Sustaining the spell drained her more than any other she''d cast before. Her consciousness waned but she forced her eyes to remain open. She couldn''t even be sure if it worked, but refused to release her concentration. She''d already committed, damn the consequences. It would take more than pain for her to relinquish this chance.

    Blood rain from her nose as the strain wracked her body. As she wiped her face the blood running through her fingers glowed crimson for an instant before evaporating in red mist. That instant bought her a moment''s relief; just enough time to catch her breath.

    A seconds relief mattered little as the drain persisted minutes. It may have been a wasted effort after all, but she expected little from the first attempt. She could still learn from failure. Before she released the spell, however she sensed a change through the tether. Something filled the voids of her parent''s bodies.

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    A presence.

    Carmine''s blurred eyes struggled to focus on the rising skeletons. Both skulls turned on her, their movements, slow, sluggish. Their jaws parted, and though they had no voice, she sensed a whisper through the connection.

    "Carmine?" The name came as a question, and pierced her through the heart.

    "Mom?" She¡­she''d done it? "Dad?" She reached forward, hesitant yet eager to grasp their bony hands. Their fingertips barely touched when her parents withdrew. Voices flooded the connection in a torrential scream. Mother''s and Father''s among them, but several more, more than she called. Their bodies jerked and convulsed, limbs moving independently of each other, clawing at themselves, and damaging her parents'' remains.

    "Stop!" Carmine screamed. If they kept this up they''d destroy themselves! She acted fast, weaving a force field around their bodies to lock them in place.

    "What''s wrong?" She asked, but only hollow screams replied. What had she done? From the feel of it, more than just her parents'' souls found their way in. "What can I do?" She asked, though she doubted even her mother had the answer. Even if she did, she was in no state to give it. The drain on Carmine¡¯s intensified, and the pain with it. She couldn''t keep her focus on the barrier much longer. Despite her desire to release the spell, the wayward souls kept hold. They wanted a living body, her body, and they''d get it if she didn''t stop the spell.

    She stared at her parent''s bones; anchors for the called beings. Without them, the souls had no grounding, nothing to hold them here.

    "I¡­I''m sorry I hurt you. I didn''t mean-" screeches cut off her apology. Her words reached no one. "I''m sorry." A brief flash erupted within her force cages, and the drain ceased, its connection severed. Carmine sensed what presences lingered in the area fading away. As she released her concentration, what remained of her parent''s fell into a pile of dust on the floor.

    Look what you''ve done, she thought, sulking on her knees. Just had to rush. Had to act without thinking.

    Leaning forward on her knees, Carmine collected the dust in her hands, stopping as she noticed a gray hue on her right fingers, digging halfway down her palm.

    The black hand, not as black as she imagined it, more pale like the flesh of a corpse a few hours old. An old curse made to mark those who¡¯ve touched necromancy. She pressed her fingers together, barely feeling any sensation.

    Just one more scar to cover up. She pulled her sleeve over the cursed marking, and gathered the dust with her burned hand. She put what little she could grasp in a small pouch and tucked it to her belt. A long drawn out breath escaped her lungs.

    She wished the spell fizzled out, did nothing. A total failure would have been better than the crumb of success she tasted. They were there. Just for an instant, but it was her mother and father. She was certain.

    It was possible. It could be done.

    Carmine rose to her feet. With a simple spell, she dumped all the upturned soil back in the grave. No need for caution now.

    "I''ll find a way," She promised the graves, and turned towards Rieland. She had one more task before the night was over.

    The last time she walked the road to town mud came up to her ankles, and the sky was doing its best to drown everything beneath it. Where soggy, dead crops once littered the field, a healthy harvest grew tall. A wry chuckle crawled out from her throat.

    Maybe she really was cursed. Even so, she''d be a curse of their making. Rieland didn''t change much over the years. Same wooden cabins, same lantern lit road, it all carried on without pause or change. For a moment she was grateful to have escaped this rigid backwater.

    With the night aging on, no other took to the streets. Carmine moved along, her coat swaying under a howling wind. Loose shutters and signs rapped against walls, hiding the sounds of her footsteps. She stalked up the main road, never beheld by eyes unwanted.

    The headman''s home stood taller than all others. Once she thought it a sign of station, and respect, but now she knew better than to mistake greater means as a mark of good character. A blue door barred the entrance, its lock sturdy but simple. It obeyed her spoken command and allowed her inside her quarry¡¯s home. The parlor offered hollow comforts in well made furniture, but she didn¡¯t save for one short table. A bottle of clear liquor offered liquid confidence, and she poured a mouthful down her throat before dumping the rest on the floor as she went. She checked each room in passing, finding stale bedrooms gathering dust and studies only used by mold. The house made no sound, even as she climbed each stair, not a creak warned of her presence. Moonlight slithered through a crack in the bedroom door, its hinges refusing to close. It welcomed her inside.

    His room had the stink of an old man and a weak bladder. A cane sat next to his bed, its crook indented with the subtle handprint from years of weight. She stood over the headman and moonlight struck his face. Scars climbed over his visage in a fractal pattern; Mother''s work, but not enough. Father''s knife found its way into her hand as she pulled the sheets back.

    He stirred, wizened eyes opening. They met each other''s gaze in a brief instant. His face twisted in horror, and he raised a hand in defense. He gasped when the blade fell once. By the fourth, he made no sound at all. Only by the sixth did Carmine realize the deed was done.

    Her throat stung raw and her first felt warm and wet. She lit the headman''s bedside lantern, only to find his horrified vacant stare fixed upon her, dead and hollow.

    She held his stare for a minute, half expecting him to blink and cheat death a second time. He didn''t. Carmine made sure of that.

    She never expected to feel any better from this, but she at least expected to feel something. She''d thought the headman dead for years, but even then she wanted him, or someone in Rieland to face punishment for their actions. Now, with the deed done, and by her own hand..perhaps she should have been horrified by killing another being, or satisfied with revenge, but neither sentiment came. She felt neither horror nor satisfaction.

    "You deserve nothing less," Carmine sneered, and spat on his corpse.

    She placed her grayed fingers to the burning lantern''s glass, barely feeling its singing heat as she pushed it from the nightstand.

    It shattered against the ground, spilling burning oil onto the floor, and the headman''s bed. The fire spread to the liquor Carmine had spilt, and traveled out the room through the house.

    By morning, this place would be ash, along with everything in it. She looked at the headman''s body one more time before tearing a portal back to Reefcliff''s outskirts

    By morning, her new work could begin.

 Chapter 27: Dissonance

    In the corner of the dingiest tavern in Reefcliff she could find, Carmine sat jotting the bare essentials of a plan. She''d not returned to the tower in days, despite it being just a walk across town. She couldn''t go back, not yet. She needed some time to process what happened. What she''d done.

    She killed someone. Some would call what she did murder. Maybe they''d be right. In the days since she returned, the headman''s empty eyed stare lingered in her mind. It didn''t haunt her, as she thought it might. Part of her knew she should be horrified by what she did, taking a life, but in place of those thoughts, she just remembered how he''d wronged Carmine''s family, and discovered: she could live with it. She killed him, sure, but after everything he did, that didn¡¯t bother her one whit. The fact that it didn¡¯t bother her did bother her. Carmine didn¡¯t consider herself the best person, but neither was she the worst. Killing shouldn¡¯t be an easy thing. It shouldn¡¯t.

    What really stuck in her mind was what she did to her parents. By the ancients, she hoped they weren¡¯t too aware when the spell went wrong. The horrified souls in their bodies clawed desperately for life. Hopefully it was just a bad dream to them, if the dead dreamt at all. Mother and Father deserved better, and she''d give them that, if she could. The only matter was how.

    Leval tower was one of the major magical authorities in the empire, and she had the good fortune to be a student. She doubted she could just waltz in and start researching forbidden magic, but as a starting point, it gave her better access than most. It''s no hidden lair, though; she¡¯d have to keep her work quiet.

    Which meant lying to the people closest to her.

    That really bothered her, but¡­there was no other way. Her circle couldn''t be complicit in her deed. She wouldn''t allow it. They¡¯d understand why Carmine was doing what she planned, and they¡¯d try to talk her out of it, or worse, they¡¯d try to help. This would be a lonely affair, but as a traveling witch that is pretty close to what she studied to do.

    Rattling armor plates called her attention to the opening tavern door as Carmine snapped her notebook shut. A single exorcist walked inside, stilling her heart cold in her chest. Had they found out already? She pulled her gloves tighter and clasped her hands together, waiting patiently as the exorcist surveyed the room. As his eyes landed on Carmine she readied a dozen possible spells in her head for a confrontation; anything from transmuting his armor to a heavier metal, or a sunburst to blind him for time. With her options ready she waited as he approached her table.

    ¡°So this is where you¡¯ve been hiding,¡± Jordan said, lifting his helmet¡¯s visor. His beard finally grew patchless. He looked at the several bottles lined on Carmine¡¯s table and cocked his head. ¡°Did I miss a party?

    ¡°No,¡± She replied, her curtness flinching the exorcist. She pushed the bottle aside, hoping her breath didn¡¯t reek too much of alcohol.

    ¡°This is all you?¡± Jordan shook his head with an impressed huff. ¡°Remind me never to challenge you to a drinking contest.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Carmine asked.

    ¡°Bit touchy today?¡± Jordan glanced to the side, shifting uncomfortably. ¡°I was looking for you, and heard someone matching your description was over here. Your circle said you¡¯d been missing for a few days. They¡¯re worried about you.¡± He glanced back at the bottles. ¡°They got a reason to be?¡±

    Carmine huffed a long, weary sigh. Of course. She stood up for the first time in hours, unsteady on her feet. Shoving the table out from her path, she headed towards the door. ¡°Back to the tower, then.¡±

    ¡°Uh, right.¡± Jordan followed after, plates clinking as he rushed to keep up.

    Carmine emerged from the dank interior. Wincing she lifted her hand against a sun she hadn¡¯t seen in days, her mood fouled further. Jordan marched up beside her. Nowadays, Carmine stood taller than him even in full armor, but they were still eye level to each other; the perfect height for Carmine to see his concerned frown shifting her way every other second.

    ¡°Fallout with old family.¡± She told him, not turning to meet his eyes.

    ¡°Oh.¡± He gave an exaggerated nod, as if he understood. ¡°Problems with Sir Nicholos?¡±

    ¡°No. Other family. The kind that sells you out to an angry mob and gets your parents killed.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Jordan¡¯s eyes widened as he realized he did not, in fact, understand. "Yeah¡­uh, Tera mentioned something like that with the archive¡¯s journal-" Carmine snapped her head towards him. "-you know what, forget I said anything."

    "I don''t need to be reminded of all that right now," Carmine said, only half a lie. In that little slip, she recalled an earlier truth Jordan let loose years passed. On her first day at Leval, when she met him again, he mentioned a vault.

    Arcane knowledge resided in Leval''s walls, as any academy held, but few others had exorcists patrolling the halls. No guard protected burnt books; they kept them stored. What profane, indestructible secrets did they hide, trusted to the Leval family? More importantly: where?

    Carmine walked back to the tower, finger to her chin in thought the whole way. If Jordan thought it strange, and he probably did, he said nothing. Good, the less anyone involved themselves with her, the better.

    "Thanks for finding me," she gave the standard pleasantries. "I''d better get back to my circle."

    "They are pretty worried," Jordan agreed. He scratched the back of his neck, words on the tip of his tongue. "If you, uh, want to talk to someone, someone who¡¯s a bit more of a stranger, I guess, just¡­let me know? Or you can forget I put my foot in my mouth, either is fine."

    Carmine narrowed her eyes. He probably just wanted to help, but she couldn''t help some suspicion, given what she intended. "Sure, Jordan," she answered. "Maybe I will."

    "Right. Good." Jordan pointed behind him. "I''ve got some patrols to do. See you later."

    Carmine stepped inside without another word. She found the nearest lift and through the whole ride up she thought about what she could say to her circle. She didn''t want to lie to them, but the truth couldn''t be shared. As for what she would say, no answer came by the time she opened the door.

    The clicking doorknob destroyed any hope of slipping in quietly, and before she even stepped in the room, Carmine felt eyes on her. Kay stepped close first, her hands shaking as she signed before giving up half-way through the question and pulling Carmine into a hug. She felt a tremble through her friend''s arm in the moments before she pulled away.

    "Where have you been?" Adelaide asked, her tone exasperated, yet relieved. "You disappeared with no warning for days!"

    "We thought something bad might have happened to you," Emmet added. "Almyra told us you came back late after you left with your cousin, but then you vanished."

    "We didn''t know what to think." Xander finished. "Your¡­attitude felt off when we separated."

    "I needed some time alone," Carmine gave a vague explanation. "My cousin, well he''s fine, but his dad, my uncle," Carmine motioned to the scarred side of her face, "he did this."

    "I..see." Adelaide stepped back, giving Carmine a path to the dorm lounge. "So¡­the bad kind of reunion."

    "I laud your grasp of the understatement." Carmine retorted. She moved towards the lounge, dropping onto the most comfortable couch she needed after days of uncomfortable bar stools. As she looked around she noticed the circle''s resident faun absent from the dorm.

    "Where''s Almyra?" She asked.

    ''Out there, looking for you.'' Kay signed.

    "Even though the exorcists and tower staff said they''d handle the search, she insisted on going anyway," Adelaide explained.

    "We were looking too, but," Emmet started, though a look of guilt passed his face. "We stopped after they took over. We¡­the exams are getting closer and-"

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon."It''s fine Emmet." Carmine eased his conscience. "I should be the one to apologize. I wasted your time. I should have left a note."

    "And now?" He asked. "Do¡­you want to talk about what happened?"

    Carmine shifted in her seat, crossing legs and folding her arms. Her uncle''s mewling face, cut with glass, and the headman''s burning home stood fresh in her mind. "No, I''d¡­prefer something more normal for the moment. You said final exams are close?"

    ¡°We finally have a date for them,¡± Adelaide said, pulling out her notebook. ¡°They¡¯re next at the end of the mouth, over the course of a week with each circle member having their own specific day. We take our trials independently, and we don¡¯t have the details of what exactly we¡¯ll be tested on, only that all our skills will be examined.¡±

    ¡°Just two week? Great," Carmine grumbled. "We don''t know what they''re testing specifically, only that everything might be tested. Sorry I picked such a shit time to be a problem-"

    "Hey, no apologies needed," Xander wagged his finger. "If you needed time alone then it''s what you needed. It''s not like we were just sitting around while you were gone."

    "Fair enough, Xander." Carmine wished he''d be less reasonable; It made lying all the harder. "If it''s all the same to you I wouldn¡¯t mind a bit of studying."

    "We were planning to use the tower''s library," Adelaide offered a welcome distraction. "I''ll send a message to Almyra to meet us there."

    "Good idea," Carmine inwardly winced. She would be harder to work around. She knew what happened years ago in Rieland, and had a frustrating way of getting Carmine to talk. "I''ll just drop some things off in my room. No need to wait, I''ll catch up in a minute."

    "Not going to portal out this time I hope." Adelaide smirked.

    "Not this time." Carmine smiled as she shut her door. She dragged a tense sigh from her lungs the moment the door closed. At least they believed her, for now. She moved over to her desk, plucking a small puzzle cube from its surface. Rearranging its blocks, she opened a gap in its center leading to an impossibly large space within; her own arcane safe. She couldn''t risk her notes being found by anyone, and as much as keeping them close at all times would be a comfort, that seemed to ask for trouble. She dropped the hand drawn necromantic sigil inside, along with her observations from the ritual itself and sealed them away for the moment. She placed the cube back on her desk and cast an illusion over it, making it appear no more than a small horse statue. With that away, she tried to get a grip on her thoughts. Stop thinking like Carmine, the dark mage, and just be Carmine, the student. She had time to think a plan through, not rush-

    Three knocks at the door interrupted her ruminating. She inched closer, ready for any potential confrontation as she pulled the door open a crack. She relaxed when she saw Emmet. He fidgeted, but straightened up when he saw Carmine had answered.

    "Emmet, what''s wrong?" Carmine opened the door wider. He stood alone, the others stepped away. "I told you I''d be right out. You didn''t have to wait."

    "Yeah¡­Adelaide told me you probably needed space right now¡­but this was sort of a private thing."

    "And it is¡­about what exactly?"

    "About what I told you before, at the pier before¡­well, you disappeared. I just wanted to apologize, it wasn''t fair to dump that on you, and-"

    "It''s fine Emmet. Honestly, I wouldn''t mind helping with someone else''s problems right now." Truth be told, she hadn''t thought about what he said until that moment, but¡­she remembered how he wanted to impress his parents. Maybe, as shitty as the thought made her feel, there was an opportunity there for both of them. "I¡­actually had an idea, Emmet."

    "That''s dangerous," he joked, closer to the truth than he realized. "What is it?"

    "If you want to impress your parents and the tower staff, just showing what they expect you to know won''t cut it. We need to do something beyond the usual student trial."

    "You sure about that? Leval is the best institute of magic in the nation. This test is already plenty advanced-"

    "For normal sorcerers, sure, but we''re not just normal sorcerers. You are going to be the next headmaster." As much as she wanted to help and motivate Emmet, the thought of manipulating him tainted the words bitter on her tongue. "You¡­we could go beyond what they taught us. We could do more than just pass a test."

    "OK." Emmet nodded with a shrug. "What did you have in mind?"

    "Look, the library is great and all, but anyone at Leval can pull from the same tricks. Your parents have to have a restricted repository, right?"

    Emmet immediately furrowed his brow. "Where are you going with this?"

    "I''m not saying we do anything actually illegal," not you, at least, she thought, "But they have to have some books and guides locked away from students, higher magics, and whatnot. If we found something like that¡­¡± she left him to think of the possibilities.

    Emmet cupped his chin. ¡°They do have an advanced section for higher rank sorcerers. Usually you have to be a court sorcerer for a noble, or another authority figure to even request access."

    "That''s what I mean." Carmine grasped his shoulder with an excited shake. "We''re practically sorcerers already, and I''d bet my favorite cloak we''ll be promoted to higher ranks the moment we pass. We could advance our careers right out of the gate. You know this tower better than most, you know how to get around it."

    Emmet''s face scrunched inward as he delved deep in thought; humming, shaking his head, nodding before frowning again.

    "This could backfire," he countered. "Being found out is one thing. It would take a lot of explaining, and we might be in hot water for a while, but honestly my parents would probably bail us out. Not exactly fair but," Emmet shrugged. "No, what if we choose something that''s beyond our reach and¡­and it goes wrong. Instead of impressing people, I embarrass mysel-"

    Carmine covered Emmet''s mouth. "Emmet, please. You''re the fucking heir to this tower, and not just by blood. You''re going to be the master of it someday because you have the talent. I see it, and everyone else will too." Manipulation or not, that was no lie. "You can do this."

    Carmine lowered her hand from his mouth, expecting another rebuttle. Instead,

    "You know what, fuck it. Let''s do it." Emmet agreed, standing straight and motivated. "I''ll see about getting us in to look around. Should we¡­tell the others about this?"

    "I don''t¡­" Carmine pinched the bridge of her nose. "Adelaide''s too much of a stickler to protocol, and Xander is annoyingly honorable sometimes. I¡­can talk to Aly and Kay, but-"

    "It''s fine," Emmet said. He clasped Carmine''s hand in his own and he smiled. "I-I''m fine if it''s just, uh, us. In fact, I-I like that idea."

    Carmine''s brain froze. Emmet''s face flushed, and struggled to meet Carmine''s eyes. Oh no.

    "Right," She agreed despite her inner voice telling her to call it off now. "It will probably be easiest if we keep this between us."

    "Then we have a deal." Emmet grinned wider. "But first we should probably catch up with the others so they don''t think we''ve run off together this time."

    "Yeah, I doubt they''d be so understanding a second time." Carmine replied, forcing a smile on her face. Her plan already hit its first hitch; one thing she could never plan for.

    Feelings.

    She and Emmet had been stealing glances at each other for a while now, but neither made any move. Carmine, at least, had no idea how. Now she''d gone and planted an opportunity between them, one Emmet would try to make work more than likely. If she stuck to her plan¡­she would use that against him whether she intended to or not.

    Would she do that to him? Could she be that cold?

    The image of the dead headman flashed behind her eyes, and she quickly pushed the thought aside.

    She needed to get to the library. Everything else could wait.

 Chapter 28: Larceny at the Library

    Leval tower, renowned as it was, still housed many abandoned shadows. Carmine hid in one such place; a private lecture hall, unused for a long while save for spiders spinning their webs in its corners. From the size of it, it couldn''t fit more than three, maybe four students at once. Perhaps it was an old classroom the professors stopped using after more students came to enroll, or maybe they just forgot about it.

    Either way, its insignificance was Carmine''s gain. It was the perfect place for a quiet meeting. A knock at the door came at the appointed time. Carmine cracked it open to see Emmet hooded, but smiling. Their plan matured quickly; only two days had passed since Carmine''s return, but Emmet¡¯s ingenuity already had them progress.

    "Did you get it?" She asked, pulling the door wider.

    Emmet stepped inside, flicking his hand out of his robe with a shining silver key. In a room lit only by candlelight, a soft green glow betrayed runes in the key¡¯s ornate design. The key to the high archive, Emmet actually got it.

    "Well done!" Carmine marveled at the key, a smile slicing across her face. "How long can we keep it before your parents notice?"

    "As long as we like," Emmet boasted. "This one is a copy. I made a mold from the original key and had a metal-mage from another circle make this one. Since I copied the runes I enchanted it myself. We can slip into the high magic archive as many times as we need."

    "So long as we''re not seen," Carmine added. "Shall we try it out?"

    "No time like the present, especially with our exams less than two weeks out." An urgent tremor lingered in Emmet¡¯s words, and his smile hinged between confident and nervous.

    "You read my mind." Carmine pushed him into the hallway, following just behind. ¡°So, where is the door?"

    "Hidden, but not that well." Emmet explained on his way to the lift. "It''s not really a secret, you know? Just a restricted area. It''s in the library. The key fits into the spine of a locked book. We find the right one, give it a turn, and we''re in."

    "Do you know which one?"

    "Well, no, but that''s where you come in. It''ll be enchanted, like the key, and you''re pretty sensitive when it comes to ambient magic. You can probably sniff it out."

    "Like a bloodhound?" Carmine raised a brow. "How nice."

    "Hey, I got the key. I did good, you said so."

    "I did." Carmine gave a sigh feigning resignation. "I guess if it''s what I''m good at, I''ll stick my nose where it doesn''t belong."

    "It is a very nice nose." Emmet remarked, scratching his chin with an appraising glance.

    "Shut up," Carmine scoffed.

    The tower library remained open through all hours of the night. Some students had some messed up sleeping patterns, and Carmine suspected she was doomed to be one of them. A few different professors rotated the role of librarian. In the evening, only one tired professor was the full extent of supervision for students. An unspoken trust existed between mentor and pupil in Leval. Students had free access to the curated tomes the tower had accumulated, and in return the students would be disciplined and responsible with that knowledge, yet that rule was often tested. Many times, Carmine had seen other students up to mischief or slacking between the aisles. Never did she expect to become the worst among them. Now¡­she began to understand why the exorcists might be necessary.

    "Sense anything?" Emmet asked.

    "Not yet, Emmet, we''re barely through the front door," Carmine replied, gesturing at the wide room ahead of them. "I''ve been in here dozens of times and I didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary."

    "We weren''t looking before." Emmet raised a finger with an optimistic smirk.

    Carmine rolled her eyes and huffed. If they had to examine every inch of the library, they''d be searching for weeks, weeks they didn''t have.

    "Do you have any clues to where it might be?" Carmine asked. "We can''t afford to waste time."

    Emmet curled a finger on his chin. "Well¡­maybe," he lifted his head with sudden realization. "I might have seen the title when I was looking for the key

    "Wait, you have?" Carmine gave him her full attention. "Come on, what was it?"

    Emmet grunted, tapping his head as he tried to recall. "I was more focused on the key¡­"

    "We just need one word. That''s enough to get us started."

    "The?" He offered with an uncertain smile.

    "Other than that!" She shot him a frown.

    "Gate." Emmet said after another silent minute. "I''m pretty sure it had the word gate in the title."

    "That''s not nothing." Carmine nodded. "We''ll split up then. You check the library''s index for all the books with that title. I''ll head over to the section about spatial travel."

    "Why do I have to go through the index?"

    "Didn''t you say my keen senses would find the book faster?" Carmine smirked while Emmet let out a defeated sigh.

    "Fine¡­if you don''t find it, then I suppose the index will."

    "Exactly," Carmine waved as Emmet drudged toward the crystal tablet holding the names of every book in the library. "Good luck!"

    By this time the library''s aisles echoed only with her own footsteps; She had as much time as the night allowed. Unfortunately, locked books weren''t exactly rare in Leval. The tower shared its knowledge with students on request, but some of its more exotic books required an approved requisition from a professor. Knowledge is everything; Leval, and by extension the Empire, loathed to see any of its precious collection go missing.

    The hidden door may have been impossible to find if all she used were her eyes, but she had another sense. She touched each possible book; Gate to the City, Gate of the Elements, and dozens more, each time extending her arcane sense, searching for lingering sorcery hidden in the pages. Soon enough, she found her answer.

    Her gloved fingers brushed over a shelf, and she felt the waiting magic in the tome like a drawn bow.

    The Gate to High Magic, a fitting title, she supposed. Using her Circle''s arcane brand, she contacted Emmet.

    "I''m up to 237," his voice hummed in her ear. "I really hope you''re having better luck than me."

    "Much better," She replied, her words carried across space to Emmet alone. "I think I found it. Bring the Key."

    "Thank the Ancients. I''m on my way." The link went quiet, then abruptly returned. "I can ditch this list, right?"

    "Wha-? Yes, just get over here."

    "Right. Good. Coming." The link silenced for good this time as Carmine suppressed a chuckle. For someone usually competent, Emmet had trouble breaking the rules. She heard Emmet''s steps just before he ran around the corner. He looked left and right before stepping into the aisle.

    "I don''t think anyone''s seen us," He said.

    "Just as well. Running in the library, Emmet? When did you become such a rascal?"

    "Well, I met this girl, you see," he said, reaching into his robe for the key. "I think she might be a bad influence on me."

    "Is she?" Carmine replied as she pointed out the book. "You should keep your distance then." She laughed to hide her nerves.

    "I don''t think I will- wait, the Gate to High Magic, seriously? I bet dad thought of this." He grumbled, shaking his head as he slid the key into a hole on the book''s spine. As it turned, the runes on the key flashed green, and the light spilled into lines on the book''s exterior. Suddenly, all the books on the shelf began moving on their own. Both Emmet and Carmine stepped back, as the books reordered themselves, matching their seemingly insignificant spine markings to each other as the light spilled from the keyed book to the others. Within moments, the outline of a door took shape before them.

    "Are¡­are they done?" Carmine asked Emmet.

    "Don''t look at me, I''ve never done this before," he said, raising his hands.

    "Let''s find out." She shrugged, reaching for the key which served as the doorknob. She gave it a pull and the shelf swung open and another library waited on the other side. "This is it." An eager grin split her face as she moved in. "Let''s go."

    "Guess we''re doing this." Emmet followed behind, closing the gate behind them.

    To the naked eye, this new section only appeared a league richer. A library is a library, but the books here had a touch of refinement to them: embossing with precious metals, gem inlays, or patterned embroidery covered the tomes in one way or another. They sat on shelves closer to display cases, covers facing out uncrowded and clear of purpose.

    To a mage, the entire room hummed with potential. Carmine felt as though she walked into a powder keg, and opening any one book would strike the flint to set the place ablaze. It was perfect.

    "This is definitely the place," she said, a hungry elation seeping into her eyes.

    "I can feel it too," Emmet agreed, equal parts apprehension and anticipation. "We need to stay focused, we don''t have all night."

    "You''re right. Let''s split up again, try to find a grimoire for each of us. What are you looking for?"

    "Something about spatial manipulation and creating space. You?"

    "Higher healing magics. Anything that relates to restoring wounds or bodies that can''t heal with own vitality ideally, but I''m not going to be picky." Such a book likely didn''t exist, given healing magics principles, but it would keep him looking.

    "I''ll keep my eyes open. I''ll take right, you take left?"

    "A good enough plan as any," Carmine nodded. "We have about eight hours until morning classes. We should be back at our dorms in four by the latest."

    "Happy hunting." With a short wave, Emmet split off in one direction, and Carmine pursued another.

    What she sought had to be around here too, perhaps in some restricted section or behind another hidden door. Still¡­a little browsing might not hurt if she found the time. As she passed the shelves, small crystals brightened with magelight to show the tempting titles under their glow. She''d heard of a few of the domains on display. In particular one titled Time Sorcery: The Hidden Hour Of The Day, and Solar Magic; Harness the Sun, both seemed useful. She heard of mages using the latter to forgo eating food, and using the former just for more time sounded useful. Perhaps she''d comeback and have a look if she had the chance, but she and Emmet agreed not to pull too many books at once. If too many went missing, there''d be a hunt. If there were a hunt, her cursed hand would show her deeds. No, she needed patience. She needed focus. She needed that vault.

    Redoubling her search, Carmine looked past the books, instead seeking signs of another hidden passage. All paths came to a nexus; a small lounge at the center of the High Magic library. Four statues led to a hearth, burning with blue flame. Luxurious, if dusty chairs all pointed at the warm fire. A plaque written in ancient script lay embedded in the stone. "In knowledge, thou shall thyself discover," Carmine read it aloud. "We''ll see about that." She narrowed her eyes, seeing a smaller inscription hidden by dust beneath the plaque''s words. As she brushed it off for a closer look, an icy cold shot up her arm. Carmine grit her teeth as the frigid numbness concentrated in the cursed flesh on her right hand. Her fingers spasmed, twisting, moving of their own accord as they reached for the hearth. Carmine gripped her wrist in a panic, holding her arm to her side, as she hoped the episode would pass quickly. While she suppressed her overwhelming revulsion, something reached back from beneath the hearth. Something cold, foul, it held the same wrongness that nested in Carmine''s hand after she cast her first necromancy and it sensed her own.

    It was here, right under her. She found the vault.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original."You okay?" Carmine jumped as Emmet rushed out of an aisle behind her, his face frowned with concern.

    "Oh, yeah," Carmine released her gloved hand and raised it to Emmet. "Just¡­stubbed my finger."

    "Really?" Emmet raised an eyebrow.

    "I can be clumsy too, damn it!"

    "Fine, fine. Shatter my illusion of elven elegance, why don''t you."

    "You''re hilarious." Carmine stood straight, putting her hands behind her back. "Find what you''re looking for?"

    "Yeah, I think I got a bit lucky with this one," Emmet pulled a book from his satchel. "The Perfect Place, by Desdemona Leval, my grandmother many a great in the past. Seems like it''s about the tower and the enchantments it holds. Perfect for me. No luck for what you were looking for yet."

    "I haven''t found anything either," she lied. "I hoped maybe this place might have an index like the other library, but¡­" she shrugged.

    "This looks like a reading area," Emmet stepped into the lounge. After a few steps, his attention fixed on the statues leading up to the hearth. "Oh hey, we have the same statues up in mom and dad''s living quarters."

    "You do?"

    "Yeah." He walked over to the statues, tilting his head at them, and touching their surfaces. "These are all crooked though."

    "Crooked?" Carmine moved in front of the nearest for a good look. The stone sculpture of a man and woman driving an old horse drawn cart sat straight on its pedestal. Carmine noticed the road underneath the cart marred with intentional damage, but nothing out of place. "It seems straight to me."

    "That''s the issue," Emmet explained, wiggling with a statue with a burning tree. "They''re meant to point at each other. The way my mom tells it, they''re not separate pieces. They''re a parable of how my ancestors'' yearning for knowledge founded the institute."

    "If that''s true¡­" Carmine glanced back at the false hearth. "Can you show me?"

    "If you want, but we''ll have to put them back when we''re done. Leave no trace¡­well, except the books we''re re taking. Eh, we''ll be fine." He waved Carmine over to the first statue, a couple stepping out from a quaint homestead. "So it goes like this: the search for enlightenment begins by leaving our known world behind, for no new knowledge can be discovered in the well-known." He shifted the first statue to face the cart, and moved over. "Knowledge must be explored, within and without. It spurns the gilded road, and ventures to the edge of our world and further still."

    "Spurns the gilded path, eh?" Carmine scoffed as Emmet turned the cart statue towards the burning tree. "So says one of the most renowned, and wealthy magic institutes in the world."

    "What do you want me to do about it? It was written centuries ago by my ancestors, and not even the ones that actually founded the place," Emmet replied, smirking, as he moved to the burning tree statue. "They probably took some liberties. You know: make it sound more epic than it truly was."

    "So what truly was it?"

    "My old ancestors had to flee their home due to some natural disaster, and they ran around panicking until they discovered the ancient compound underground, and they built a tower over it for study. Weird anomalies brought in other curious folks." Emmet clapped his hands. "School founded. "

    "Oh¡­that''s-"

    "Not as grandiose? Exactly why we have a parable and not a historical journal."

    "So how does it end?" Carmine nodded back at the statue.

    "Right," Emmet started shifting the burning tree statue. "Chaos presents trials and obstacles, but also opportunities never before seen; something new." He pointed the statue towards the replica tower and marched over. "Knowledge becomes a monument, a beacon, to learn and teach, and forevermore be more than you were," he grunted, turning the tower to face the hearth''s plaque. "In knowledge though shall thyself discover." As Emmet uttered the words, those same words burned white on the plaque. The entire hearth shifted with the sound of stone grinding against stone. "That''s not part of the story." Emmet flinched back as the hearth sunk into the ground, and the stones making its body shifted out, reforming into a stairway leading down into darkness.

    Carmine started down, her gaze focused on what lay below, but Emmet moved beside her, anxiously reaching for her shoulder.

    "What''s wrong?" She asked, trying to hide the anticipation in her voice as surprise. "Whatever they''re hiding down here must be their best material right?"

    "Well¡­maybe, it''s just¡­" Emmet looked down the stairs at the Iron door waiting at the bottom. "I have a bad feeling about this."

    "We''ll just have a look, Emmet. A secret door behind a secret door; you can''t tell me you''re not curious."

    "Fine, but just a peek." Emmet acquiesced. "Let''s try to leave everything as it was."

    Carmine grinned as she descended one step after another, the sound of her stone-met footfalls drowned in her ears by her own excited heartbeat. She pushed open the iron door with a heavy creak and stepped in. Unlike the high library displaying its contents with a glowing pride, the vault hid its contents behind veil and shutter. More than just books, it contained shadowed display tables of wands, staves and other artifacts chained in place. Carmine wondered why the exorcists didn''t destroy these profane objects ever since she heard of the vault in the first place. Perhaps they kept them intact as a means of study, to know one''s enemy, or perhaps they simply wanted control. Maybe the artifacts couldn''t be destroyed. Whatever their reason, it would be Carmine''s gain.

    "I don''t think this is a library," Emmet said, voice warbled by his uncertainty. "We shouldn''t stay long."

    "We won''t." Carmine assured him. She wanted to orient herself, get a sense of where things were for her next return. A displaced shutter caught her eye. Where all the others were firmly shut, one misaligned with the rest by a fingernail''s breadth. Unable to resist temptation, Carmine answered the call. She slid the shutter wider, an iron tang wafting past her nose. Inside lay a few tomes, all too shadowed to make out their names save for the first: The Waters of Life.

    Carmine reached for the book when a small sheen caught her eye. Hair, red as crimson, dangled out, caught between its pages. The hairs stood up on the back of Carmine''s neck. She felt eyes on her, and not just Emmet''s.

    Someone else had come down here. Someone else accessed these books, and recently. Someone else had the same aspirations as Carmine.

    "I think we''re done here." Carmine sealed the shutter, and stormed towards the door. Emmet only lagged a few steps behind and eagerly followed her departure. Carmine approached the first statue in reach and turned it back the way they found it. Just as she hoped, the path to the vault hid itself back beneath the floor.

    "I don''t think we should have gone in there," Emmet said. "I heard we hold on to artifacts for the exorcists and the empire, but¡­I think some of those things were made by dark magi. We can''t afford that trouble."

    "You''re right," Carmine said, making sure all the statues returned as they had found them. She heard Emmet''s breaths, quickened and unnerved. Carmine cursed herself in her mind. She let herself get too impatient. He wasn''t supposed to get involved. "Let''s go back to the dorm."

    "What?" Emmet looked up from his stupor. "B-but we haven''t found you a book yet. What are you going to study-"

    "I''ll come back another day," she answered. "I guess, I''m a little shaken. I don''t want trouble with the exorcists."

    "Glad to hear that," Emmet sighed. "Let''s go. I don''t mind getting an early night."

    The two sorcerers left the library in silence. Both unnerved by what they saw, but each with their own reason. Neither spoke on the path back. Already Carmine involved Emmet more than she intended, but at least he''d go no further than one stolen book. He probably could have taken it anyway, had he asked his parents. The one Carmine spied however¡­

    The Waters of Life¡­perhaps it, or another tome held her answers, but she had new questions to ponder first. That would take another night. This little adventure took a greater toll than she expected.

    Carmine opened the dorm room door, and stepped towards her room.

    "Welcome back you two," Almyra''s voice froze both magi in the entrance. "Having a fun tryst?"

    "What? No, it- it wasn''t" Emmet stuttered, face growing red.

    "She''s just teasing you Emmet," Carmine grumbled, familiar with Almyra''s games. "What are you doing still up?"

    "Waiting for you," Almyra answered, pulling out an unfolded paper sheet. "Vale came by, wanted to talk with you, but you were gone all evening. Left a letter."

    "Is that all?" Carmine moved closer, trying to snatch the letter, but Almyra pulled it back with a smirk.

    "Not quite," she said. "I wanted to talk to you too," she glanced at Emmet, "in private."

    "Fair enough," Emmet jumped at the excuse. "I, uh, got some studying to do." He tapped his satchel and made a quick escape, leaving Carmine to a moment she dreaded for a while now.

    She dropped into her seat next to Almyra, facing the central table, only catching her friend in her peripheral.

    "Here," Almyra placed the paper on Carmine''s lap. "And before you ask, no I didn''t read it. Vale said it came in her mail. One for you, one for her."

    Carmine furrowed her brow and gave the letter her attention. It was a short thing, but her she focused as she caught Nicholos'' sloppy penmanship littering the page.

    My dear Carmine,

    I trust you have been well. Apologies for the lack of correspondence recently, my own archeological assignments have been taking much of my time of late. Good news, however: I will be stopping in Reefcliff for a brief respite in a fortnight. I hope we can get together, and perhaps you can show me this ship-borne eatery you mentioned in your last letter. Looking forward to hearing from you.

    With love,

    Nicholos.

    Carmine felt a smile tugging her lips as she read the last words a second time. She folded the note and tucked it into her robe, careful to avoid crumpling it further.

    "Good news, then?" Almyra leaned on the couch.

    "Nicholos is doing well. He''s got time to visit soon." Carmine''s smile crumbled to a frown. "But he''s coming the same day I have my exam!" She grit her teeth, a curse on the edge of her lips.

    "Wrong." Almyra raised a finger. "Your exam got moved."

    "What?" Carmine turned, confused.

    "Vale mentioned Nicholos was coming when she got here. I mentioned the schedule, and since she''s faculty, she signed off on you and me trading our exam days."

    "You did that?" Relief flooded Carmine''s chest.

    "Of course I did." Almyra shrugged. "You seemed like you needed a break after¡­well, you know."

    "I¡­" Carmine smiled, but bit her tongue all the while. "I did. Thank you."

    "No need." Almyra shifted, her face''s warmth cooling to a serious concern. "Listen, you''ve been acting a bit¡­withdrawn ever since you came back."

    "Almyra-"

    "I know it''s your business, but when you''re ready to talk, I''ll always be here."

    Why did she have to be so understanding?

    Carmine leaned forward and gave Almyra a hug.

    "Thank you," she said, pulling away. "Maybe after the exams, when things calm down¡­I''ll be in a better place to talk."

    "Take your time," Almyra agreed before rising. "I, however, am going to take mine in bed. I didn''t plan to stay up all night waiting for you two love-birds."

    "Almyra, its not-"

    "Sure it isn''t." The faun smiled as she trotted to her room. "I''ll see you tomorrow."

    "Yeah," Carmine waved as the door shut¡­

    Damn her.

    Carmine didn''t deserve her kindness.

 Chapter 29: Hideout

    Only a fool would practice dark arts in their own home. Carmine needed a place she could study without risk of interruption. She needed a place of her own. The first book she spied in the vault already sat in her pack, but it didn''t sit alone. If the vault had been disturbed, it couldn''t be as closely monitored as she feared. Circumstances could change at any time, without warning, so she stole more than just one book. What Emmet didn''t know wouldn''t get back to him. She hoped.

    The question of who disturbed the vault still rattled in her head. How many people had access? Aside from her and Emmet, the Levals certainly did, some exorcists she had to guess, but who else? She had no way to know, not yet, at least.

    That question had to wait. She had more important things to solve; like finding a study. Once again, she slipped out from the tower on the edge of night. This time, at least, she left a note that she''d return at noon tomorrow. Where she went, she didn''t say.

    Stalking through Reefcliff''s old town, she analyzed building after building. She hoped to find a place with at least four decrepit walls still standing, maybe a locked door, if she were lucky. Her feet ached already, and she considered lightening her requirement to at least one of the two. She didn''t have an eye for this work. Everywhere she looked, she saw broken windows and busted doors. Someone walking in on her was the last thing she needed, right beside fellow tenants. Displaced folk used the crumbling buildings for shelter. Some of the best candidates for her study already had occupants. Her work already veered on the abhorrent, she didn''t want to cause any more needless suffering by forcing people out.

    The looks she got told her to keep her distance. Folk in this part of town regarded Carmine with abject suspicion. A sentiment she returned. Desperation could make a rogue of anyone, not that she had room to judge. She forewent her blue, and obvious, Leval robe in favor of a simple white shirt and dark pants, but the spellbook holstered at her ribs stood out no matter what she wore. Coming here alone made her nervous, but she drowned her unease with a few sips from her new flask. For once she hoped her scars would do well to keep others away.

    Reefcliff''s old Town curved around the bay, edging closer to the expansive ocean and all its perils. A mild landslide a few years past rendered the area partially flooded. Nothing a few sea walls couldn''t fix, but the empire devoted its resources to strengthening its fleet, rather than repairing a decaying district. So long as the shipyards met their quotas, naught needed to change.

    Their neglect became Carmine''s opportunity. One old manor suggested a promising candidate. Boards covered its windows. Overgrowth consumed its west wing, while water tainted the east. Carmine strained her eyes to read the fading letters above the door. It claimed to be a dockmaster''s lodge. Carmine scoffed. It had neither authority, nor comfort.

    She pulled the door open. Its locking chain dangled limp from its housing, jagged hacksaw marks carving through its rust. She suspected someone had looted the place, but the foyer was virtually bare. Rotted chairs and empty portrait frames crawled towards a long wooden desks nailed into the ground. Rusted posts tilted at odd angles, the ropes between them unraveled. Carmine imagined the place in its prime: dozens of people lining up to report their goods, scheduling passages, paying for docks, and perhaps the dockmaster skimmed some profit for himself. Now, she claimed it.

    Deeper inside, offices had been gutted and store rooms pilfered. What might have been a bedroom now bred enough varieties of mold that Carmine shut the door never to open again. Far from perfect, far from healthy too, but the work didn''t allow Carmine the luxury of choice. She found the office in the west wing that smelled only a little wood rot. It would do. Time to unpack.

    A mage''s bag always fit more than it appeared. Thanks to space-altering spells, Carmine had everything she needed. She set her books on the desk. How could she begin without notebooks and research to fill them. Next, she carefully placed down a black crystal tablet. It allowed her to create and erase spell circles without leaving a trace, and she could mark it by touch alone. So long as she didn''t need to draw anything larger than its surface, she could practice as many times as she needed. Next, she retrieved her portable safe, and all her necromancy notes from within. Last, Carmine pulled a case of common spell components from her bag. Silver, rare stones, specific herbs and sands, some spells required some strangely specific focal points. What these  new spells would need, she had no way to know, so she brought everything. As she set all her materials aside she stood before the desk.

    Her feet gave her a throbbing reminder she''d been walking on crumbling roads for hours. This decrepit place offered little in comfort. She shook her head, almost laughing at her own absurd concerns.

    One of those concerns stared back from between her hands. The Waters of Life, a tome of forbidden sorcery, was now her bedtime story. Her knuckles rapped the desk in soft thuds with the book between them. Its dark crimson cover beckoned Carmine down. It wanted her to open it. Her hands stayed still.

    Ridiculous.

    She''d stolen a relic, killed an old man in his bed, even lied to people who trusted her, but this is what gave her pause? Turning the page in a fucking book? She laughed, shaking her head, but not the feeling that she stood on a precipice. Which way was up? Which way is down?.

    She''d already come this far¡­all the wrong she''d  done would make her lose everything if the exorcists found out. If she continued, some good could come out of all this. Her parents could live again¡­if she continued.

    She wiped the cold sweat of her brow, and turned the first page.

    Blood. The tome taught the secrets of blood. The mingling of soul and body infused flesh with vitalic essence concentrated in blood. A mage could draw on that energy, if they knew how, but doing so would drain the source of life.

    In moderation, the subject could heal the harm in time as one would heal a wound, but too much at once, and Carmine guessed what would happen even if the book wouldn''t admit it.

    From what she read thus far, this¡­blood magic offered an alternate, more powerful source of energy to fuel spells. If used alongside the standard spiritual method, her spells would have more power than she could wield before. That alone would be useful, but not directly relevant to her goal. Learning to control vitalic forces however, that could help her unravel the transition of life to death, and perhaps, turn it back again.

    Before making any assumptions, she had to learn its function. That required testing. Using an animal felt wrong, and another person would be even worse. There was only one subject at the moment.

    Carmine plucked her father''s knife from her belt, her own haggard reflection in its steel. All this¡­was for them. She rolled up her left sleeve and unraveled her bandages to the flame-kissed flesh beneath. The knife nibbled a red line over her arm she, and at last realized one benefit to her mutilation: her dulled, damaged nerves barely felt pain at all.

    She cut shallow, only enough to get a few drops. With her blood on her gloved hand, she whispered a healing incantation to close the fresh laceration. She focused her intent through her blood, and it brightened crimson when her breath finished. The wound closed, as expected, but the fatigue, the mental pressure she associated with spellcasting never appeared.

    The book was right.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The front door creaked in the foyer, cutting through Carmine''s focus. She rolled down her sleeve and wiped the knife on her pants. Did someone follow her? An exorcist? Carmine snatched a hand mirror from the desk and reflected everything in her study. Whispering an illusion, she captured the sight in her mirror. As she snapped it closed, her books, her tablet, her vault, it all disappeared. None had moved in truth, but until she reopened the mirror, they would be invisible unless disturbed. A stronger focus created a stronger illusion, and Carmine hid the mirror beneath her desk before stalking into the hall to confront the intruder.

    ¡°Could you be a little quieter?¡± A rough whisper carried from the entrance in an annoyed hiss. It bristled with irritation.

    ¡°Can you get off my back?¡± The retort snapped louder, squirming and uncertain. ¡°You can''t see shit unless I spot it first.¡±

    ¡°And you wouldn''t have the spine to follow. Now keep quiet before they hear us!¡±

    Much too late for that. Their light, yet unpracticed steps creaked across the rotten floorboards towards the west wing. Flickering firelight betrayed their movement ahead of them. Carmine shut her door, and slicked into the darkest part of the hall. Her eyes better pierced the night than lantern totting humans. They rounded the corner into the corridor where Carmine waited and watched. She saw only two: a young man and woman. From their faces, Carmine guessed they were a few years younger than herself. Sixteen, seventeen, perhaps, but they wore familiar expressions of folks with twice their years, and thrice the troubles. The young woman led the way, a deep frown creasing her grime tinted brow. Knotted black hair slithered from her scalp, unevenly cut likely but an untrained hand. Behind her, the young man held a lantern low to the ground. He lacked the same intensity as his partner, but Carmine noticed his brown eyes darting towards each room, calculating, appraising, before he followed. Both wore dark tunics, color faded, stitches frayed, and stains of varying ages matted their trousers.

    They were the desperate people Carmine hoped to avoid. They¡¯d seen her wandering the old town, said as much, and they followed her inside.

    Annoying. She cursed in her mind. Such carelessness threatened all her work. If she were going to act outside the law, she needed a better eye for such threats.

    ¡­A better eye. She smirked. Perhaps she could turn this misfortune into a benefit after all.

    Carmine waited for them to near her before she stepped on the edge of their light. Her footsteps cracked against the wood, clear and close. Both humans jumped at her sudden presence. The young man lifted the lantern, illuminating Carmine''s scared face and stern glare. He looked upon her and flinched. For the first time, that put a smile on her face.

    "Holy shit," the young man gasped, "that''s a fucking elf! You''re going to get us killed-"

    "Find your spine, Marcus," the young woman snapped. Her knuckles tightened white around her dagger hilt, its point glinting at Carmine. "You. You don''t belong around here. We- uh- we have certain rules for new folks."

    They leaned away, their stances half-way between confrontation and flight. Carmine understood their confusion. She often was the first elf most people met, but they had the fortune of attending the same school, or being in a calm environment. Calm deserted this pair of vagabonds. They dared intrude on her space and she caught them by surprise. Confusion gave way to uncertainty, mystery¡­fear. She could use that.

    "Truly?" Carmine stood straighter, emulating Symphonia Leval of all people. "I have some rules of my own." Her language switched to the ancient''s tongue, as Carmine called the lantern¡¯s fire to her hand. A small part of her mind still screamed as she cradled the flame in her hand, but she forced it down.

    "Fuck! She''s a mage too!?" The man stepped behind his partner. Carmine''s smile grew.

    "My rules will take precedence under this roof," she continued, "First you will explain why you''ve come."

    "W-well¡­" The young woman''s bravado all but deserted her now. "I-if you''re going to, take some ground around here, you gotta pay tribute for¡­protection."

    "...And that''s supposed to be you?" Carmine soaked each word in doubt.

    "The district is ours," the young woman insisted, frustration rising in her breath. "It wasn''t free, we fought for it."

    "Fought who, the fish?"

    "You have no idea-" she fell for the goad. The girl stole one step closer. Carmine responded with a flick of her wrist and a whisper. The lantern flame flew into the knife, and its blade heated bright orange in an instant. With a sharp cry, the blade clattered to the floor. Its dim glow left the three in near total darkness.

    "You have two options," Carmine declared. "You can try to extort me, and get yourselves hurt¡­or worse." She left them a few seconds to wonder. "Alternatively, we can come to a more amicable arrangement." Carmine let her words hang in the dark with only the heavy breaths of the intruding pair for company. She hid her spell signs behind her back as she called magelight to brighten the corridor behind her. "It''s your choice."

    "What do you want?" The young man caved immediately.

    "Marcus!" The young woman snapped, but had no counter.

    "You''re right about one thing, I am new to this town," Carmine spoke over any second thoughts they could have. She weighted each word, demanding attention. "I''ll need things retrieved, an odd job done, and a watchful eye to ensure I''m not disturbed."

    "We''re not your grunts! Do that shit yourself. Better yet: shit yourself." The young woman snapped again, still cradling her hand. A pang of guilt struck Carmine for burning her, but the woman would recover with some cold water.

    "You''re funny," Carmine chuckled, "but I prefer a bit of discretion in my dealings." She reached into her pocket, sliding a few coins between her fingers. "Make no mistake, you would benefit from this agreement." She pulled out a pair of silver coins: a piece of the stipend provided to students from the Leval institute. The ancients used silver as a conduit for their great works. The Vembrian empire, Raelis, and even other nations acknowledged its worth.  The church of the ancients claimed its divine value as the blood of the ancients themselves. One coin was worth ten in gold. Only Arcanite eclipsed its value. To Carmine, two coins was a week''s budget. To these two, Carmine estimated it was more than they''d made all year. Even in the dark, silver glinted in their eyes. It persuaded them more than any word she could have said. She tucked her coins into her fist and held it aloft.

    "I''m willing to give you all this now, and two more coins each week you work for me. Don''t involve yourselves in my affairs, save for what I ask, and you''ll do quite well for yourselves."

    "Regan," the young man looked at the snappy young woman, gesturing his eyes to the moneyed fist.

    "Fine," the young woman swallowed her pride, a bitter sneer on her lips. She glared at Carmine "You better not try to cheat us."

    "I wouldn''t dare," Carmine replied. She divided the coins between her hands and offered one in each palm for the pair to take. As they reached out, wary and uncertain, Carmine grabbed their hands, and spoke an illusion to life. She called the arcane brand of her circle to the back of her own hand, and mirrored a similar symbol on both her new assistants.

    "What are you doing?" The woman tried to pull back but Carmine held tight as she completed her sham ritual.

    "Just a matter of insurance," Carmine replied as the illusion faded. She released her grip, leaving them with the coins she promised. "You are marked to me," she lied with grim determination. "Should either of you try to run off without fulfilling your part of the deal, or tell anyone, I will find you." She made no more threat than that, letting the two think of their own price for betrayal.

    "Keep paying us like you promised, and you got nothing to worry about." The man examined his share with a hungry grin. Silver replaced his apprehension.

    Good. Carmine hoped she''d pull this off, but she surpassed her own expectations. A self-satisfied grin crawled over her face as she enjoyed her mysterious mage act. Spending so much time in the tower made her forget how ignorant most folk were of sorcery.

    "Now with all that out of the way, who are you two?" Carmine looked between them, huffing with faux-boredom. "What are your names?"

    "I''m Regan," the young woman replied. "He''s Marcus, my brother. We lived in this part of town when it went to shit."

    "And then it flooded." Marcus added.

    "I see," Carmine felt a pang of sympathy. She lost her home too. "Well, Regan, Marcus, we may not have started on the right foot, but for clarity''s sake: be fair with me, I''ll be fair with you."

    For once, Regan''s expression softened. Distrust still darkened her eyes, but the fighting tension in her stance finally relaxed. "I can get behind that."

    "Same here," Marcus agreed. "So¡­you got something for us to do, or should we just come back tomorrow?"

    "It''s late, come back in the morning." Carmine turned back to her decrepit study. "And bring a chair, would you? There''s no place to fucking sit around here."

 Chapter 30: Unraveled

    Five hours. That was the most time Carmine could sleep at night. More often than not, she got less. She''d study through the evenings at her hideout, deciphering new spells, before venturing back to Leval tower before dawn. It was all to maintain her cover. The sun always rose too soon.

    The clock in Carmine¡¯s dorm rang nine times. She dragged herself out of bed. Fatigue pressed on her like an aching band around her head. It throbbed in and out, choking her focus. One more week, she told herself. She just needed to get through one more week, and her schedule would open up.

    She tugged her robe over her body, crumpled and disheveled. She pulled her arms back in and rotated it after she realized it was backwards. It would do. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, Carmine stepped into the dorm''s common room.

    ¡°Are you sure you''re fully prepared?¡± Adelaide grilled Almyra in the middle of the dorm. ¡°You have your staff? Your materials? All your spells memorized?¡±

    ¡°Cut it with the checklist. I''m ready,¡± Almyra boasted, a confident smirk enthroned on her face. All the other Circle members, except Emmet, gathered around, though only Almyra lacked the usual robe. Instead, she wore a form fitting white vest and a long red skirt. It accommodated her movements far better than the usual robe.

    Carmine sensed sorcery in its threads. It was a garb made for battle, or at least the show of one. With Almyra aiming for a lofty position as an imperial mage, she needed both a keen mind and an iron spirit. Carmine knew she had both, now she had to prove it to her examiners.

    Almyra turned towards Carmine as she left her room, surprise raising her brow. Her smirk morphed into a genuine smile. ¡°You''re here!¡± She beamed. ¡°Here I was worried you fell asleep in the library last night.¡±

    ¡°Not this time.¡± Carmine smiled. She saw no need to correct Almyra. ¡°I had to at least see you off.¡±

    ¡°Damn right! I could have gotten a few more days of practice if I didn''t trade spots with you.¡± Almyra feigned aggression, but her smile persisted.

    ¡°Sure¡­It''s not like you wanted to go first, show off, and set the bar high, correct?¡± Carmine crossed her arms, giving the faun a knowing eye.

    ¡°It''s gonna be harder for them to pass any of you once they see me.¡±

    ¡°While your confidence is¡­inspiring, I''d remind you that too much ceases to be a virtue,¡± Adelaide tried to ground them. ¡°If you try to impress the judges too early, your stamina will be found lacking later.¡±

    ¡°That''s what these clothes are for,¡± Almyra spread her arms, showing off her attire. ¡°I had these specially made for this test. The enchantments improve my spells by giving them a bit more¡­boom. They also help me recover and conserve stamina. Vale helped me with that bit.¡±

    ¡®Good thinking,¡¯ Kay signed, ¡®they look good on you.¡¯

    ¡°Right? I modeled them after a warrior priestess from a story in my hometown.¡±

    ¡°So you''re just emulating a childhood hero?¡± Adelaide teased.

    ¡°Whatever, Ice queen, don''t think I don''t know you ordered a new robe too.¡±

    Adelaide pursed her lips and glared. ¡°You''ll do fine.¡± She grumbled her final encouragement.

    Xander walked into their conversation, paying little heed to its contents as he pushed a deep bowl of oatmeal towards Almyra. ¡°Eat this. You''ll need the energy for the day. I''ve heard these tests last for hours.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­thanks big guy.¡± Almyra took the meal only slightly perturbed.

    ¡°When do you start anyway?¡± Carmine asked.

    ¡°An hour before noon, but all examinees have to be there two hours prior.¡± Almyra answered. She rolled her eyes with a contemptuous sigh. ¡°Bureaucratic bullshit, forms to sign, big introductions, speeches, blegh!¡± She gagged in disgust. ¡°You''re lucky you''re excused, the speeches are a day-one problem only.¡±

    ¡°Try to show some respect, Almyra,¡± Adelaide pinched her brow. ¡°These are important visitors and alumni from our school. They might be your future employer.¡±

    ¡°Or I might be their future boss.¡±

    Adelaide groaned.

    ¡°Where is Emmet?¡± Carmine asked. She hadn''t seen him all morning. Usually he''d be one of the first awake. Why wasn''t he here?

    ¡°His mother called him away.¡± Xander answered. ¡°She summoned him earlier this morning, and didn''t tell him why.¡±

    ¡°She probably wants to bitch at him about how important people will be watching, noble families, investors, and he has to act all stuck up in front of them and- blah blah blah.¡± Almyra droned.

    ¡°Remind me never to introduce you to my parents,¡± Lady Adelaide Winters replied.

    ¡°Speaking of Parents,¡± Almyra smiled at Carmine. ¡°Tell Nicolos we all said hello. If he''s still around after my exam, we''ll join up with you.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know about that,¡± Carmine laughed. ¡°He still remembers the bill from the last time he treated all of us.¡±

    ¡®Then It will be our treat,¡¯ Kay signed. She nudged Almyra with her elbow until the faun nodded in agreement.

    Quiet descended over the circle, half-tense, half-trusting. This was it. Their time together was drawing to a close. They''d be full sorcerers soon, official mages. All it took was one last step.

    ¡°Good luck Almyra,¡± Carmine reached out to touch her friend''s arm, but Almyra closed the gap first with a hug.

    ¡°Don''t you worry about me, Red.¡± She said as she pulled back. ¡°Take some time off. We''ll see you later.¡±

    One by one Carmine''s circle drifted out the door, and she remained. Soon she would meet Nicholos again. It had been months, many months, since she saw him last. She should be happy.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Instead, the thought of meeting her old caretaker inspired only dread. He had a way of getting Carmine to open up, to say the secrets on her mind, but she couldn''t this time. How would he react to her now? She¡­was a killer, and a mage studying forbidden sorcery. She pictured the disappointment on his face, the potential anger. Carmine had crossed a few lines he wouldn''t forgive.

    No. She couldn''t tell him a thing. They''d have lunch together and go their separate ways. She''d ask about his archeology, and leave it at that.

    Or¡­she could avoid the meeting. That would be the safest thing. Making up an excuse wouldn''t be hard, Carmine had plenty of practice lying to people close to her now.

    That was the best course of action. Her mind already eased at the idea. She felt bad, but she couldn''t risk spilling her crimes to anyone, no matter how much they loved her.

    She decided not to go.

    Carmine pulled open the dorm door and headed to meet Nicholas. The reply she sent to him those weeks ago urged them to meet by the same fishing boat her circle frequented. They always ate there when they could. Nicholos tended to overeat. Living inland most of his life, he didn''t know his craving for seafood until Carmine enrolled in Leval.

    She smiled as she walked. I shouldn''t have had that second serving, he''d say, gripping his bloated stomach and every time, Carmine would say she warned him. He''d do it again today. She was sure.

    Carmine arrived at the boat an hour ahead of when they agreed. Nicholos tried to be punctual, but with his work, and now his age, his travel became somewhat inconsistent. She never knew if he''d be early, late, or on time.

    ¡°You come alone today, Miss Carmine?¡± Captain Fisher asked. Carmine took a seat in front of the sea cook, watching him fillet a fish with his usual expert precision.

    ¡°I''m meeting someone today.¡± She answered, trying to keep her voice neutral. ¡°You remember Nicholos?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I''ll start his usual order. Does he still like the extra fluffy batter?¡±

    ¡°Do fish swim in the sea?¡± Carmine retorted with a smirk. Fisher refocused on his work. Nicholos tended to pay well and praise better. No need to wonder why Fisher remembered him.

    She watched the shop''s clock tick over the hour. Almyra''s test would be starting. Another guilt anchored in her mind: she didn''t help Almyra prepare as much as the others did. She''d make it up to her when exams were done. She''d make it up to all of them. Then¡­she''d have to put some distance between herself and the others. The thought poisoned her heart with sorrow, but it was for the best.

    ¡°That''s not the face I was hoping to see.¡± Nicholos¡¯ familiar voice caught her by surprise. She turned away, unfurrowing her brow, and taking a deep breath before she faced him.

    ¡°Hi, Nico,¡± She said with a tired smile. His beard billowed out as the sea wind blew it against his chest. His hair had grown longer, mixing down to his beard in a gray avalanche. Carmine chuckled. Now more than ever he appeared the raving historian she pictured him to be.

    Carmine''s laughter eased his own concerned frown. ¡°That''s a bit better!¡± He grinned, lumbering forward with his arms out. Carmine stood from her chair and accepted the fatherly embrace. It warmed her, as it always did. If only for a second, she forgot all the roiling chaos in her life.

    ¡°I missed you.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°I can see that.¡± He patted her back. The lines on his forehead deepened slightly. ¡°I missed you too, my dear.¡± He pulled back, keeping his hands on Carmine''s shoulder as he looked in her eyes.

    He was doing it already. Reading her. Carmine turned towards Fisher to break eye contact. ¡°The captain''s been working on your usual.¡± She deflected. She pointed at the stool beside her. ¡°Sit down, it''s almost ready.¡±

    ¡°Oh good! I''ve been craving a good dinner since I sent you that letter.¡± Nico sat next to Carmine as she wished. Despite his words, she''d known him long enough to hear the veiled concern in his voice. ¡°I''m sorry I''ve come at such a bad time. I know with exams and all you''re quite busy.¡±

    ¡°It''s fine. We''re both busy.¡± Carmine sensed a chance to turn the focus away from her. ¡°Tell me what you''ve been doing. Where have the Ancients taken you this time.¡±

    ¡°To the capitol if you can believe it. Some new slates were discovered in a lesser known repository, and the empire asked me to decipher them.¡± Nicholos gave a wry smile. ¡°It was meaningful work, and well paying, but the empire is a strict taskmaster. I devoted many hours a day solely to learning what new information came to light.¡±

    ¡°Can you share?¡± Carmine asked, her mage''s interest piqued.

    ¡°Alas my dear, I am under contract to keep most of the secrets close.¡± He lifted his hand and an arcane brand revealed itself, not unlike Carmine''s own circle brand. ¡°Were I to attempt to speak about the secrets I learned, I''d lose my voice until sunrise, and my employers would be aware of my loose lips. The empire pays well, my dear, but they also pay for discretion.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± Carmine sighed. ¡°I never thought you would work for them, Nico. I thought you didn''t like the empire.¡±

    Nicholos sighed and looked to the sky. ¡°I''m getting old my dear. My knees and back don''t quite agree with expeditions the way they used to. I still try, but more and more I find myself¡­getting tired.¡± He spoke with a reserved smile, but Carmine saw a resigned sadness as he explained. ¡°I miss it, but so must I adapt.¡±

    ¡°I sympathize.¡± Carmine sighed as well. ¡°I''m¡­not getting much sleep lately.¡± She bit her tongue. Why did she say that?

    ¡°I can tell.¡± Nicholos replied. Silence lingered in the moment as Captain Fisher delivered their food. Neither rushed to touch it. ¡°You seem¡­rundown, Carmine. Is it the exams, or is there¡­something else¡­?¡±

    Carmine looked up to Fisher. ¡°Whiskey.¡± She uttered. The Captain raised his brow but set a glass down before her nonetheless. She watched the amber liquid fill the cup, then took a sip to calm her nerves.

    ¡°Carmine?¡± Nicholos looked at the drink in her hand, his brow deeply furrowed.

    ¡°What? I can drink now.¡± She brushed off the stare.

    ¡°I know¡­I''ve just¡­never seen you do it.¡± Nicholos started picking away as his food. He didn''t want to stare. ¡°It''s¡­noon.¡±

    Carmine set her glass down. Both started to eat. The usual back and forth banter of their conversation never began. The silence weighed on her more and more with every second. ¡°I¡­saw my uncle.¡± The words escaped her, and the clattering of utensils froze. ¡°He was here, my cousin Filbert too, delivering something, I think. Can''t remember.¡±

    ¡°Carmine¡­I''m,¡± Nicholos struggled to find anything to say. ¡°That had to be hard for you. Did you tell Vale?¡± Carmine shook her head. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°What could she do? What could anyone do? They have my home, my horse. I took Bandit back at least, but they''re just going on, never having paid for what they did.¡± Carmine grit her teeth. ¡°Mom and Dad are dust in the wind, and they''re living on the graves.¡±

    ¡°I know it''s-,¡± he paused, ¡°I know it''s not fair.¡± He put his hand over Carmine''s. Even through her glove, his hand was warm.

    Carmine huffed. She already thought she knew that, but it still aggravated her. ¡°I just- I don''t know what I''m doing anymore,¡± she confessed. ¡°I feel just like it was when it happened. It''s always in my head, and I can''t think of anything else.¡± Tears welled in her eyes. The weight of her actions dragged her down ¡°I thought I was better. I thought I could¡­that I did move on.¡± Nicholos squeezed her hand, but this time it reminded carmine of the taint it bore. She withdrew it to her chest, clutching it like a wounded animal. ¡°I haven''t. I can''t.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my dear,¡± Nicholos stood, his eyes empty of judgment. He placed his arms on her shoulder, and pulled her to his chest. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, she was that scared little girl again, fleeing home for the first time. ¡°I''m sorry. I don''t know what we can do, but¡­Do you want to travel with me again? We can get far from all this, give you more time to heal, or find someone we can talk to. We can figure this out.¡±

    Carmine opened her eyes. Leval tower loomed in the distance. She considered the proposal, putting everything behind her and leaving then and there. She wanted to. By the Ancients, she wanted to. But the others¡­her test¡­

    ¡°Nicholos, I-¡± Carmine started.

    Her hand burned without warning. She pulled back from Nicholos hissing curses as she clutched her wrist. Her circle brand flared to life unbidden, one of its segments glowing red, the epicenter of agony. Then¡­nothing. The pain subsided as quick as it came. The brand¡­it went out.

    She only sensed four of her companions; Kay, Xander, Adelaide, and Emmet.

    ¡°Almyra?¡± Carmine stared at the empty part of the brand. Cold confusion bewildered her for a moment. She tried to contact the other circle members, but something was wrong. She looked up to Nicholos, confusion and concern plain on his face. ¡°I have to go.¡± She turned and ran.

 Chapter 31: Crysthesis

    Normally, using flight magic to travel outside the tower would earn Carmine disciplinary action. The laymen knew more superstition than truth about magic, and a student hurling over their rooftops did little to allay those fears. Right now, Carmine did not care. She felt the spell strain burning through her energy as she pushed herself faster over the town.

    The tower gate threw itself wide, knowing it could not impede her progress. Uneasy silence prevailed over the tower lobby. Students, most younger than Carmine now, huddled in groups. Their whispers tinged the air with their confusion and concern. From what snippets reached her ears, the exams had been delayed.

    ¡°You,¡± Carmine plucked an underclassman from a clique and turned him to face her. ¡°Explain this.¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! T-There was an accident,¡± he replied, squirming. ¡°They brought up one of the exam-takers from the underground. It¡­looked serious.¡±

    ¡°They take her to the infirmary?¡± Carmine asked. The intensity of her question never occurred to her. The other student nodded, pointing to a floor above.

    Lifts were slow. Carmine resumed her flight and ascended the tower''s core. She landed on the infirmary''s floor balcony, and rushed towards the door. She tried contacting her circle, but the brand¡¯s enchantment remained disrupted. A sixth had been carved out of the emblem as one would slice a pie. A whole part of its power hadn''t just faded, it had gone away outright. Carmine threw open the infirmary door.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Almyra!?¡± She asked, storming in. The rest of her circle crowded around a bed, and Vale tended to a patient. It took a moment for Carmine to register that it was Almyra who lay in the bed.

    The faun lay unconscious, and at a glance Carmine knew that was a blessing. Jagged silver crystals covered- no, emerged from her skin. Blood tarnished each jagged spike in dark specks. They poked out of her clothes in sparse formations all over her body, but the crystals growing from her arms grew the largest. They also sported the densest clusters, rivaled only by the clusters on near her hooves.

    Carmine held her breath at the gruesome sight. The wounds hadn''t healed but stopped bleeding. She recognized the desperate healing technique Vale had used to put Almyra in an artificial coma. In reality, the state resembled suspended animation, or torpor. The body''s functions would be put on hold, and not without risk.

    It was the kind of drastic action you took if the alternative was death. The realization hit Carmine like a hammer. Almyra came that close.

    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Carmine asked again. She looked to her whole circle, seeing the same haunted concern etched on their faces. Vale''s brow contorted in focus. No one dared disturb her.

    ¡®We don''t know,¡¯ Kay signed. She had to repeat a few gestures from her shaking hands. ¡®The exam looked easy. Almyra passed every test they threw at her. Near the end, she had to do a test of spirit to measure her energy and stamina remaining after the trials. She stepped into the spell circle and gathered her power. Everything looked fine, but then¡­¡¯ Kay stopped signing. Her eyes welled with wretched tears.

    ¡°She screamed,¡± Adelaide added. Carmine had never heard her voice shake, not once, until that moment.

    Xander relieved Kay, and pulled her to his chest. He took over the rest. ¡°Those crystals started¡­growing out of her body. There was¡­so much blood-¡± Xander cut himself off. He shook his head, his eyes landing on Vale. ¡°If Doctor Valentine wasn''t there-¡±

    ¡°I was.¡± Vale stopped the line of thought. Without taking her eyes off Almyra she beckoned Carmine closer. ¡°Red, Help me with her. The torpor slows down healing, so we''ll split the effort.¡± Carmine wasted no seconds weaving her energy in Vale''s spell. The strain felt normal, yet the torpor slowed progress to a crawl,  like cutting a wheat field with a pocket knife.

    ¡°The rest of you should leave,¡± Vale continued. ¡°Go¡­do anything to get your mind off this.¡±

    Emmet stepped forward. ¡°But Almyra-¡±

    ¡°-Will survive. With the two of us here, she''s not in danger. There isn¡¯t anything you can do but give us time. Carmine is the only one in your circle with healing experience. Besides, you all still have your own exams to pass.¡±

    Silence met Vale''s suggestion. Seconds dragged on, but no one moved.

    ¡°She''s right.¡± Carmine added. ¡°Almyra wouldn''t want us to fuss and fail. Trust me: I won¡¯t let anything else happen to her.¡±

    Their faces twisted with reluctance, frustration, but eventually acceptance. With solemn nods and bowed heads, Carmine''s circle departed.

    ¡°If you need anything,¡± Adelaide said, hovering by the door, ¡°we''re here.¡± Her footsteps trailed into the hall.

    Only the light hum of healing sorcery kept absolute silence at bay. The pair of healers focused on staunching any bleeding first. Using her magic, Carmine had a sense for how far the damage extended. As bad as the wounds on Almyra''s limbs were, there were worse dangers inside her.

    These grim crystals grew from the bone out. The largest may be on her arms, but it was the small pins growing on Almyra''s ribs and spine that posed the most danger.

    It was right for Vale to send the circle away. Most crystals in the extremities could be displaced, pushed out, by healing the body, but for the ones inside¡­they¡¯d have to operate. They moved Almyra to a clean room, sterilized through sorcery. Normally a faculty nurse would assist Vale, but given Carmine''s experience as Vale''s direct apprentice, she participated instead.

    ¡°I''ve never seen anything like this,¡± Carmine said as Vale plucked a small crystal from Almyra''s chest. ¡°Is this an attack? A spell gone wrong?¡±

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    ¡°A disease, actually,¡± Vale replied. She dropped the shard in a small, water-submerged pile.

    ¡°That''s-¡± Carmine would have said impossible, but¡­ ¡°I feel like I would know about a disease that makes crystals grow out of people!¡±

    ¡°It can only manifest in magi, and even then, it''s extremely rare.¡±

    ¡°So, being a mage is a cause, or a symptom?¡±

    ¡°Neither, it''s the test. You''re good at sensing magic. Probe the crystals a little deeper.¡±

    Carmine furrowed her brow, but retained her focus on the task. Carmine monitored Almyra¡¯s vitals and located the crystals, while Vale removed them herself. Once extracted, Carmine healed the surrounding damage to let Vale move on to the next shard. Since Carmine already sensed the crystals, probing deeper was an easy task. As she sensed the stones, a two-fold familiarity dawned on her: The stones carried sorcerous energy, and that energy was Almyra''s. The latter fact, she didn''t understand, but the former¡­

    ¡°It''s arcanite.¡± Carmine remarked. Vale nodded. Arcanite, the same rare ore found deep in the veins of the world. It could carry and store a mage¡¯s energy. Without it, many enchanted items would be useless lumps of junk without the constant attention of a mage. ¡°Why is ore growing inside Almyra?¡±

    ¡°It''s called crysthesis. The cause is unknown but it creates a dangerous complication in the manifestation of magic.¡± Vale closed the last of her incisions on Almyra''s torso. With the greatest danger passed, they moved to extract the crystals from her arms. Carmine took the left while Vale took the right.  ¡°Instead of a mage''s energy going to the spell, part of it bleeds out and coalesces into Arcanite inside their body. Some mages call it mana rot. The growths emerge from bone, as you saw, and focus on areas where the energy is most concentrated. For most of us, that''s the hands.¡± She lifted Almyra''s crystal covered wrist.

    ¡°It still feels wrong.¡± Carmine shook her head. As she healed her friend''s wounds, the arcanite crystals fell free from the regenerating flesh. Carmine''s stomach turned at the sight. ¡°She''s been practicing all week, why now?¡±

    ¡°That is the question I''ve been thinking about since I put her in torpor.¡± Vale met Carmine''s eye for the first time since they entered the surgical chamber. ¡°Crysthesis is a chronic condition. Progressive too, if the mage keeps using magic. It rarely manifests after birth, but even if it did, a mage would feel aches and persistent pains before any shards would poke through the skin. Even then they¡¯d be small. Eruptions like this,¡± Vale removed a crystal several inches long from Almyra''s forearm, ¡°they don''t happen, at least naturally.¡±

    Carmine''s eyes sharpened. ¡°Are you saying what I think you''re saying?¡±

    ¡°It''s either that, or Almyra has been somehow suppressing a very painful and very deadly condition, and it escaped my notice for up to five years.¡±

    ¡°We''d notice.¡± Carmine stated.

    ¡°My thoughts exactly, Red.¡± The last crystal fell from Almyra''s arm. It clattered to the floor, unscathed. Vale let out a long sigh and wiped her drenched brow. ¡°I''ll look into it. Quietly.¡±

    ¡°So will I,¡± Carmine retorted, her chronic fatigue forgotten. ¡°If I find the wretch responsible-¡±

    ¡°You''ll leave it to me,¡± Vale finished. She moved to a wash basin. Removing her gloves, Vale threw them aside and started washing up. Steam rose off her clenched fists. ¡°You have other responsibilities right now.¡±

    ¡°Fuck exams, Vale, Almyra nearly died!¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Vale turned around, her face fell, and she struggled to even look at Almyra. ¡°She survived, but¡­I ran a test to confirm the disease before you arrived. Whatever happened to her today, she has crysthesis now. Do you understand what that means? She can''t practice magic anymore.¡±

    Carmine''s heart sank. ¡°Even¡­even though we got all the crystals-¡±

    ¡°More will grow. If she uses anything but the most basic spells, she could put her life at risk.¡±

    ¡°But- but she¡­she''s a great mage!¡± Carmine could barely believe what she heard. ¡°She''s aiming to be a court sorceress. She worked so hard¡­¡±

    Vale put a hand on Carmine''s shoulder.

    ¡°She''s going to need you, all of you,¡± Vale spoke plain. ¡°This is the worst news a mage can get.¡±

    Carmine''s arms fell to her side.She stood there, stunned.

    Just like that, Almyra may have survived, but her career as a mage was dead just as it began. No mistake, no failing, no reason why, it was just¡­done. This news¡­it would kill her.

    Carmine left the operating room. Another of Vale''s assistants would move Almyra while they cleaned up. She waited until the wash basin was clear before washing her own hands. Carmine still had the necromantic mark to conceal. She quickly pulled her own gloves back on before her hands dried, and rejoined Vale in her office.

    ¡°Any idea how we find who¡¯d do this?¡± Carmine asked. Her own test, even her own forbidden project fell to the back of her mind.

    ¡°We don''t know for certain it was an attack,¡± Vale said, raising a finger as she sensed the retort coming. ¡°I suspect it. Until we can figure out how Almyra contracted crysthesis, assigning suspicion at this point is not just foolish, it''s dangerous. I''m going to run some tests, and see if there is any trace to find.¡±

    ¡°So I should just sit on my hand?¡± Carmine crossed her arms.

    ¡°No, since I''m going to spend the next few days looking after Almyra, I need you to take my place on the safety panel during the remaining exams.¡±

    ¡°What!? I can''t do that. I''m not a certified healer like you.¡±

    ¡°Healing arts were always going to be part of your own exam, and as your mentor, it''s up to me whether you pass or fail. Carmine, you and I just completed a high risk, high difficulty operation and saved a life. I think you pass. I''ll have the certification for you by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­you can¡­just do that.¡± Carmine hadn''t expected to pass her exam like this. One of them, anyway. ¡°Wait,¡± Carmine frowned. A thought wormed its way into her head. ¡°The exams are going to proceed?¡±

    ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vale confirmed. ¡°Despite this incident, they¡¯ll be back up tomorrow. While you''re watching, keep an eye out for anything unusual and note it down. Examine the test area if you can for any spell traces. Your spell detection far exceeds my own.¡±

    ¡°I''ll check when I can get away with it.¡± Carmine nodded. ¡°If there is a culprit, we don''t want to let them know we''re looking.¡±

    ¡°Good. There is just one more thing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Carmine furrowed her brow. Vale rested her hand on Carmine''s shoulder without warning. The sudden contact almost made her flinch.

    ¡°Get a full night''s rest.¡± Vale''s voice carried a motherly warmth Carmine had not heard in a while. The kind she¡¯d been avoiding. ¡°I see those bags under your eyes. You haven''t been sleeping enough.¡±

    ¡°As if I''m going to get any sleep now.¡± Carmine nodded towards the recovery room.

    ¡°I know, but try. You''re only hurting yourself with exhaustion. Do it for me?¡±

    The genuine concern humbled Carmine as much as it did invoke shame. She was hardly worth it at this point. Still, Vale was right: exhaustion dampened her capabilities. Catching the fucker that hurt Almyra would take her full attention. ¡°I''ll try Vale.¡± She promised, a smile tugging at her lips unbidden. ¡°Are you¡­going to see Nico too?¡±

    ¡°I was going to when I have time. Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ran from our meeting when all this happened. When you see him, tell him¡­tell him,¡± she fell silent, considering what she even wanted to say. ¡°Tell him¡­when the exams are done, I want  to travel together again.¡±

 Chapter 32: Gnawing Doubt

    A good night''s rest did wonders for Carmine''s focus. She wouldn''t call her mind settled, but she could organize her thoughts and observations with more clarity than the day before.

    After some actual time to reflect, one piece of information stood out to Carmine: the distribution of the arcanite crystals in Almyra''s limbs. The largest grew from her arms, as expected, but the second largest emerged from her legs. That warranted attention. Almyra¡¯s preferred spells and methods for casting focused on channeling spells from her core, through her arms, and out of her hands. She sensed her powers begin in the center of her chest, which matched the clusters that grew inside her. However, each mage could do so differently, it all depended on how they envisioned the source of their power.

    Almyra and Adelaide often argued on the better method in the years prior. Unlike Almyra, Adelaide believed her power came from her mind, like Carmine. Because of that, they both felt their spirit depletion in the form of headaches. Almyra on the other hand, felt it as a form of fatigue; she¡¯d get winded after casting for too long. With that thought in mind, the distribution of shards didn''t match the tendencies of the caster. Almyra didn''t cast spells with her legs, and yet a large potion of her power crystallized there. Had she been using a spell that channeled a spell in her legs, it''d be different, but nothing Carmine heard from her circle or Vale suggested that.

    Carmine rode the lift down to the undercroft in the dead of morning, and stepped out to examine the remnants of the grisly scene. She hoped to gain some insight from the residue. Instead, she laid eyes on a clean dais and polished floor.

    They erased it. Carmine grumbled in frustration, kicking the nearest wall. Someone better have investigated this before her or she''d tear the tower down for incompetence. With a deep breath, she set her anger aside. What was hidden from the eye may yet remain to a different sense.

    She strode to the center of the testing ground, recalling how she and Adelaide won the entrance exam there so long ago. Kneeling on one knee, she touched the dais. She closed her eyes and extended her arcane sense over the testing ground. In her mind, she caught the fading wisps of sorcery carved into the ground by powerful magic. She poured her own mana into the remnants as metal would fill a mold. It might not be perfect, and it took a fair bit of time, but she started to see the shape of the erased magic circle in her mind.

    The gauging spell was clear, as she expected. However, over the next hour, she felt her energy fill a second spell circle weaved under the first. An extra mark here, a connected line there, subtle things that, alone, seemed like quirks of the caster, but together formed the basis for a second intent.

    Carmine recognized the markings. She didn''t know what spell they made, but she''d seen the Waters of Life use similar runes for draining essence. That dispelled any doubts Carmine had left. This was deliberate.

    ¡°Ms. Felis, I didn''t expect to see you here so early.¡± Carmine startled at the headmaster''s voice behind her. She''d been so focused on her investigation, she didn''t hear his arrival.

    ¡°Headmaster Thomas,¡± Carmine greeted back, rising from her crouched position. She dusted her off her robe and half-turned to face him. He wore a reserved smile, careful not to be too wide given the circumstances. ¡°I take it you heard from Vale.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yes.¡± the Headmaster nodded along, struggling to meet Carmine''s eyes. Instead, he kept glacing back to the testing ground behind her. ¡°Vale informed the panel you''d be taking her place. We''ve chosen to accept her judgment and have the¡­procedure you undertook be considered a practical exam. I would say congratulations are in order, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But it''s not the time.¡± Carmine finished.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Headmaster Thomas¡¯ nostrils flared with a long sigh. He stepped beside Carmine and stared at the spot where Almyra presumably suffered the incident. ¡°How is Ms. Leonne?¡±

    ¡°Almyra is stable for now.¡± Carmine crossed her arms. ¡°The physical damage from the arcanite shards is repaired, and Vale is watching in case of any more sudden growths.¡±

    ¡°That''s good.¡± Thomas¡¯ shoulders sagged in relief. ¡°I feared the worst when I saw it happen. I thank the Ancients Dr. Valentine knew what to do.¡±

    As he spoke, Carmine kept her eyes on his face. She scrutinized every line and shift, trying to catch any signs of deception. As headmaster, he was one of the few who would have access to those forbidden tomes, which made him one of Carmine''s suspects. His reactions seemed genuine, but she knew better than to rule out his involvement on that alone.

    ¡°The panel came to another conclusion, Ms. Felis,¡± The headmaster stated, his hands folding over each other. His mouth tightened, and Carmine could see he struggled to even start his next thought. ¡°In consideration of Ms. Leonne''s exemplary grades, and her performance up to the incident¡­we have decided to award her the rank of Sorceress despite it the incident.¡±

    Carmine raised her brow. She thought for sure Almyra''s exam would be inconclusive. Objectively, it was good news, but another side of Carmine didn''t trust it. ¡°No disrespect, headmaster, but that rank is a hollow gift. She''s been cursed to give up on her dreams. No court will retain a powerless sorceress, and being called one at this point almost feels like a sick joke. It''s just going to remind her of what she''s lost.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The headmaster shook his head. ¡°I agree. I just don''t know what else we can do.¡± He stared down at his feet. Carmine had never seen him look so small. ¡°Emmet''s exam is today.¡± He said suddenly. He lacked his usual proud-parent grin present when he usually mentioned his son. ¡°As the head of the emergency response team, please look out for him carefully. I''m asking as his father, not the headmaster.¡±

    His concern ran deeper than Carmine realized. Even during the crisis in the Riven territory, he wore a reassuring smile for his students. Now, every crease on his face had deepened by five years in a day.

    ¡°I''ll look after him,¡± Carmine promised. If someone went after Emmet too, she''d do whatever she could to save him. That said, she doubted there''d be another attack. One could be deemed a freak accident, two was a pattern.

    Either way, with the headmaster around, Carmine put her investigation on hold. Just below the platform lay a few long tables with chairs behind them. She found her designated spot and waited. As students and instructors trickled into the testing area, Carmine organized her thoughts and findings.

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    The two facts of which she could be certain were thus: Almyra was attacked, and whoever was responsible used blood magic to do it. While she wouldn''t know which spell until she got back and read the Waters of Life herself, Carmine believed the spell used came from the forbidden tome. She took that book from the Leval vault only recently, so it had to be someone with access before her. She supposed it wasn''t impossible someone outside the tower could orchestrate the attack, but given the adjustment to the spell circle, it wasn''t likely.

    Carmine shifted to watch the dozens of test takers seat themselves in the testing order. Observers stood wherever they could find room, while instructors and guests sat on the opposite side of the students. Around two dozen students were tested each exam day. Add their circles, instructors, and everyone else, and there had to be around 150 people all watching the testing ground. The blood spell couldn''t have been added during the test, but was in place prior. It didn¡¯t trigger for any of the other students before Almyra, meaning there was either a trigger, or the caster activated it themself. Carmine glanced at the few exorcists positioned around to observe. They would have seen someone preparing blood magic¡­but they didn''t notice it when it was cast.

    Carmine lifted her head, an epiphany striking her as the first student stepped onto the testing dais. The crysthesis was for the exorcists, so they wouldn''t notice. That, and the preparation had to be before they arrived to watch. Only an instructor, or a senior student had that access. They had to know about the vault too. Only a scarce few fit that bill.

    Carmine glared towards the judge''s table, at Symphonia Leval. Perhaps it was a bit of prejudice, but Carmine never liked her. Symphonia had access and opportunity. Carmine could see the headmistress pulling something like this, the question was why.

    Test after test went by, and Carmine could think of no more fitting suspect then her. While she pondered how to confirm her suspicions, she almost missed Emmet stepping onto the testing dais. She set her deliberations aside for now, she owed him that at least.

    ¡°My name is Emmet Leval,¡± he declared to the judges of his success. ¡°Six years ago I enrolled as a student in this school to one day carry on its legacy. That goal has not changed.¡±

    ¡°Very well, Mr. Leval,¡± Symphonia addressed her son. ¡°You may begin the¨C¡±

    ¡°Before we do,¡± Emmet interrupted, causing a stir through the judges. ¡°I have something I want to show you.¡±

    ¡°Emmet, this is somewhat irregular.¡±

    ¡°I know. Just listen. Centuries ago this school was founded over this ancient complex. Using its principles, my ancestors raised a tower that bent space to their vision to accommodate all who wished to learn. That skill is the tower''s foundation.¡±

    ¡°Emmet, what is this about?¡± Symphonia looked at her fellow judges, concern flitting over her face.

    ¡°I''ll need some room.¡± Emmet pulled a page out from his robe.

    Carmine realized what he planned and a small grin tugged at her face as she prepared for the surprise. She had every faith he could do it.

    He slammed the page face down on the dais, causing a spell circle to expand beneath him. Carmine felt herself shift in place. She hadn''t moved a muscle, and the ground remained still, but distance grew between her and the testing platform. Everyone else in the undercroft let out shocked cries and startled groans, but Emmet continued his show. Stones erupted from the ground, molding mid flight into bricks. One by one, they laid themselves into the shape of a small keep, and Emmet hopped down from the dais to its side. Carmine expected he¡¯d show off, but the lengths Emmet reached surprised even her. At this rate, he risked over exerting himself.

    Emmet placed one hand on the newly constructed keep, and began reciting a new spell. In its doorway gap, space itself cracked and creaked like breaking glass. Carmine sensed the immense magic at play pushing against her mind as a gale. Something¡­wasn''t right.

    Carmine focused her arcane sense on the spell in front of her. She felt Emmet¡¯s energy, as she expected, flooding into the keep, warping the space inside, but that wasn¡¯t all. He emanated a second power in parallel. At first, Carmine thought he might be getting aid from someone else, but it all escaped from his body. It made what she sensed all the more confusing. He had a piece of Almyra¡¯s spirit.

    Horror turned her heart cold. She didn¡¯t want to believe it, but she sensed the same feeling in him that she felt in the arcanite crystals from yesterday. Almyra¡¯s magic hadn¡¯t just been drained; it was given to Emmet.

    Using stolen power, Emmet expanded the space inside his stone keep. The cracks in the doorway shattered and disappeared with the spell¡¯s completion. He invited all the judges inside to look, and witness his feat of mastery. Approval and disbelief moved over the crowd in equal measure. Carmine even heard her circle cheering on the other side.

    This¡­couldn¡¯t be real. He couldn¡¯t have been the attacker, could he? Emmet was kind. He respected his friends and valued their dreams as much as his own. At least, that¡¯s what she thought. Going over her suspect criteria, Emmet met a few of the same requirements. To call it impossible would defy the sight in front of her.

    Emmet emerged from the keep at the head of the judges moments later. A proud smile creased his face. Carmine knew he passed even before the judges announced it. How could he not? He replicated high magic from the tower¡¯s founding. More than succeed, he planted the seed for his eventual ascendency to headmaster of the tower. If there were ever a test where he needed to impress, this was it. Carmine¡¯s hands tightened to fists as she struggled to reconcile the facts. She needed to talk to him. She needed to hear him explain this.

    Adelaide, Xander and Kay joined Emmet on the dais, giving their praise and congratulations. He looked happy. Carmine didn¡¯t see a shred of guilt on Emmet¡¯s face. She hoped this was some kind of misunderstanding. Otherwise¡­

    With several deep breaths, she cleared the confusion from her face. Carmine stepped out around her table and joined her circle.

    Emmet turned her way with a wide grin. ¡°Did you see that?¡¯ he asked. ¡°I almost can¡¯t believe it myself.¡±

    ¡°You did well, Emmet.¡± Carmine praised. She forced a small smile on her face. Hopefully if he thought it was strange, he¡¯d chalk it up to yesterday¡¯s incident. ¡°You looked pretty calm giving that speech when you started.¡±

    ¡°Really? I was shaking inside, believe me.¡± Emmet stepped forward and took both her hands. Normally that contact would have flustered Carmine, but her head was too full to be shy. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done this without you, you know. Thank you, Carmine, I really mean it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Carmine replied, her tone more curt than she intended. ¡°You¡­did this on your own.¡±

    Emmet grinned, eyes wavering. Without another word, he wrapped his arms around Carmine. It was warm, caring. He said nothing further, but she felt no malice or deception in him. Even so, she could not be sure.

    Carmine lifted her arms and held him back, if only for a few seconds. If only¡­

    She pulled back, rustling Emmet¡¯s hair as she did. ¡°So when should I start calling you headmaster?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Never.¡± Emmet answered. ¡°We don¡¯t need that between us.¡±

    Why couldn¡¯t you have said that earlier?

    ¡°I¡­need to get back to my post.¡± Carmine pointed over her shoulder to the other medical staff. ¡°We should talk later.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a promise.¡± Emmet agreed. He followed the others back to the student¡¯s side, and Carmine returned to her own seat. She stared down at the hair she plucked from his head, hoping beyond all hope she was wrong.

 Chapter 33: A question of Trust

    Carmine¡¯s heart tensed in her chest. Hers was not one of butterflies and fire, but walls and dread. Emmet should arrive any minute.

    She braced herself against the tower gate, feet already sore from a trip nearing repetition. Two of Yar''s moons glowed bright in the night, while the other pair hid in the featureless black. An ill omen. Two light and two dark moons meant a sign of disagreement and impasse, if the church of ancients could be believed. Carmine put no stock in back-alley fortune telling, but even she hoped for a positive sign.

    ¡°Hi-, uh- Hey.¡± Emmet passed through the gate. His voice dropped a note lower than its usual tone. He tried to force his expression calm, and in doing so looked like he was on the verge of laughing, or crying.

    Despite everything, Carmine let out a laugh, her own nerves threatening to settle. She cleared her throat of mirth and focused on her task ahead.

    ¡°Evening headmaster, practicing your teacher''s voice?¡± Carmine asked, her brow raised.

    ¡°Ugh, nevermind.¡± Emmet''s voice returned to normal. ¡°I got your note. You wanted to head into town?¡±

    ¡°That''s right. There''s somewhere I want to take you, and I need to talk to you about the exams.¡± She picked each word carefully. Anyone could be listening.

    ¡°This isn''t a celebration, I take it.¡± Emmet''s expression fell slightly, but he recovered with a shrug. Carmine narrowed her gaze.

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± She knew the situation wasn''t exactly difficult to read, but his thought process was as important as his words.

    ¡°First off, Addy, Xander, and Kay still need to finish their exams.¡± Emmet started, raising one finger, then another. ¡°Second, you seemed a little off at the tests earlier and third, I know you. You wouldn''t go off celebrating while one of our own is in a hospital bed. This is really about her, isn''t it?¡±

    His deductions didn''t surprise Carmine. Emmet might be na?ve, even verging on gullible, but she would never think him a fool. Tonight she wanted to learn if he was honest.

    ¡°Let''s walk.¡± Carmine pushed off the fence and headed into town. In spite of the ambivalent moons overhead, Reefcliff''s nightlife rumbled on as strongly as ever. Port city that it was, Reefcliff always had new faces and old friends reveling day in, day out. Its pulse lived in the chatter of crowds, its rowdy taverns, and its wondrous markets. Of all the towns she''d seen in her life, Carmine''s favorite was here.

    She and Emmet walked side by side in full view of many passers-by. They exchanged greetings and pleasantries on the crowded street, trying to get past merchants hawking wares with embellished fervor. Carmine fought the urge to pick up an ale to calm her nerves. She needed her head clear.

    ¡°Any update from Doctor Valentine?¡± Emmet asked as they went.

    ¡°Yes, actually ¡°A trace of good news; Almyra should wake up soon.¡± She glanced to her side, gauging his reactions. ¡°As early as tomorrow, she could be up and about.¡±

    ¡°That''s a relief.¡± Yet his brow furrowed. ¡°Dad told me about Crysthesis. Have you any idea what we''re going to tell her? And how?¡±

    ¡°There''s no good way to put it,¡± Carmine answered with a sigh, ¡°So, I''m just going to tell her, and go from there.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± Emmet asked his earnest question.

    ¡°Not unless you can reverse time, Emmet. Some things can''t be undone.¡±

    ¡°That feels so unfair.¡±

    ¡°You don''t know the half of it.¡± He would learn. By the end of the night, he and Carmine both should have all the pieces to the puzzle. ¡°Emmet, we''ve known each other a long time now. I''d like to think half a dozen years of friendship and awkward flirting means we can trust each other a fair bit.¡±

    ¡°We weren''t that awkward, right?¡± Emmet smiled wryly.

    ¡°We were teenagers: the most awkward beings on the planet.¡± Nostalgia tugged at her cheeks. ¡°You know we were.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that''s fair. Some of the things I''ve said make me cringe in the middle of the night. But to answer what you said, yes, I trust you, Carmine, and even considering how closed off you''ve been recently, I still believe you trust me. You didn''t ask me out to reminisce. Please tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±

    Carmine looked ahead, the crowd thinner before her than it was behind. They had crossed the threshold into Oldtown, and Carmine noticed the thinning guard presence even if Emmet didn''t.

    ¡°Almyra was attacked.¡± Carmine said bluntly. Emmet''s reaction would tell her all she needed. If he tried to turn back to the tower, to safety, then he knew he had cause for suspicion. If he stayed, he wouldn''t be cleared, but it''d be a step in the right direction. ¡°The crysthesis sprouting from her wasn''t natural. Someone induced it through forbidden sorcery.¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Emmet asked, seemingly genuine concern frowning his face.

    ¡°Vale suspected, and I confirmed it myself.¡± Carmine nodded down the road. ¡°I have some notes that can convince you in Oldtown. I''ve been doing my own research in what spare time I can carve.¡±

    ¡°So this is why you¡¯ve been so hard to find recently.¡± Emmet surmised. ¡°This¡­attack¡­why would anyone hurt Almyra? She¡¯s got ambitions, sure, but she¡¯s never hurt anybody, never made any enemies that would do this.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea.¡± Carmine shot Emmet a sideways glance, her walking evidence. ¡°I¡¯ll explain it when we arrive. This isn¡¯t a conversation I¡¯d like to have in the middle of the street.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Emmet passed his gaze over the Oldtown roads, lingering on the notably rougher crowd than the usual folk that surrounded the tower. He made sure to keep pace beside Carmine, closing the distance between them a step.

    Carmine took every winding alley between them and their destination. She wanted no tails as she led Emmet to her molded manor. With a subtle force spell, she creaked open the front door. She had to keep up appearances for her questionably loyal assistants. They waited in the dark close by.

    ¡°This¡­is where you¡¯ve been staying?¡± Emmet frowned at the environs, covering his nose against the stench of mildew Carmine had learned to endure. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about getting sick, or something?¡±

    ¡°I assure you, it¡¯s no cause for concern. Even if it were, remember I¡¯ve spent the last 10 or so years apprenticing to a Doctor¨C Actually as of this morning, I¡¯m one too.¡± Somehow she''d forgotten that little fact. It was uncanny how the achievement of what she¡¯d studied for the last six years had felt so insignificant it barely lingered in her mind. Focus up, she reminded herself. ¡°Forget about the building. You wanted to know why someone would target Almyra, and I can tell you.¡± She beckoned him to follow as she headed into the courtyard. At its center, a lone tree grew gnarled and twisted towards the sky to spite the soggy soil that barely sustained. Grass grew in sparse thickets in between patches of weeds and mud. It might have looked presentable once, but now it grew into a miniature bog. Carmine liked it.

    She led Emmet beneath the tree''s canopy and lit a lantern she had set at its base hours ago. The moment the day''s exams had finished she traveled back to confirm her suspicions. The wispy, flickering light struggled to illuminate a ritual circle scrawled into the dirt.

    ¡°I replicated the l circle from Almyra''s test.¡± Carmine skirted its perimeter, never daring to step past its threshold. ¡°You have a keen eye for formulae, Emmet, what do you see?¡±

    The Leval scion approach, steps slow and uncertain. With a finger to his brow, he examined the circle in silence. For minutes only his eyes moved, darting across the floor, devouring each symbol. He noticed quicker than Carmine expected. Emmet squatted down, picking up a nearby stick to point at the seeming imperfections woven throughout the circle.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°The runes have a secondary pattern in them.¡± He surmised, pointing out the same markers Carmine had noticed when she traced the circle¡¯s imprint. ¡°I see¡­mentions of draining, a curse perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Keep looking,¡± Carmine directed. Curiosity tickled her mind; how much would he figure out alone?

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± he stood and continued his examination. She watched him circle the scrawling, following her caution to avoid its edge. He''d stop suddenly, pointing out runes that didn''t belong. ¡°There''s a mark for arcanite. Another for siphon. One for¡­blindness I think.¡±

    ¡°Blindness?¡± Carmine narrowed her eyes. She didn''t see that one at all, even as she drew the damnable thing.

    ¡°Look here.¡± Emmet directed her to a point where three runes intersected. Their overlapping ends created the outline of a rune on the space between them, one Carmine completely overlooked. ¡°Blindness might not be the most accurate word here, given that it''s a sensory rune traced in negative space. It may mean some kind of sensory deprivation, but I can only guess the intent of the caster.¡±

    ¡°I¡­missed that,¡± Carmine admitted. She knew what to look for having read the Waters of Life, but Emmet still found more. What''s more, he revealed it. Skepticism reminded her that, even now, he could be deceitful, but she had to make a choice eventually. She either trusted him, or she did not.

    Before she could decide, the stick fell out of Emmet''s hand. It rolled into the grass while he barely moved, barely breathed.

    Carmine sighed. He saw it. She didn''t have to ask.

    ¡°Transference.¡± One word escaped him.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She confirmed. ¡°Almyra''s spirit wasn''t just drained. It was transferred¨C¡±

    ¡°To me.¡± Emmet sat in the mud. Triumph and scrutiny both deserted him, leaving his face paler than the Vembrian moon. ¡°That test was too fucking easy. I should''ve known. I should have fucking realized!¡±

    Rage had scarcely crossed Emmet''s face in the entirety of their time together, but it twisted him now. Veins bulged in his neck. Tears swelled his eyes. How could they not? His greatest triumph never belonged to him.

    She knelt beside him, her hand resting upon his back of its own accord. Words of comfort struggled to reach her lips, but she gave her company. It was all she could give.

    ¡°Emmet,¡± she called carefully. ¡°You know who did this, don''t you?¡±

    His sniffling subsided, and he nodded his head. ¡°Before the first exams, my mother called to see me. She started talking about the representatives that would be watching us and delegates from the empire. It was so early, and so boring I¨C I actually nodded off. Or¡­at least that''s how I thought it...¡± His reddened eyes looked to her for a denial he knew wasn''t coming. ¡°She did something to me, didn''t she?¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry, Emmet.¡± Carmine leaned closer and embraced him. ¡°I sensed it myself. A large portion of Almyra''s power rests in you now. But¡­¡± Carmine met his eyes, trying to say something that might alleviate his horrible burden. ¡°The knowledge you learned, the risks you took, and effort you put in to your goals, they''re still yours.¡±

    ¡°But my success is stolen.¡± Guilt shook his head. ¡°What will Almyra think of me? I took her future.¡±

    ¡°We don''t know that for sure.¡± She squeezed harder. ¡°Almyra is stronger than you give her credit for, and she has us. All of us. And¨C¡± Carmine pulled back, ensuring he met her eyes, ¡°¨CWe might be able to reverse what happened.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Hope brought life back to his eyes.

    ¡°Symphonia placed the curse, I''m certain of it. Your mom is the only one that knows every rune and will behind it. So, she''s going to teach it to me.¡±

    ¡°How? This is her plan isn''t it?¡± He looked at himself in disgust. ¡°She made me more powerful to secure the Leval tower remains in the family, even I can see that. She''s not going to teach you the spell just so you can undo her work. I know my mom: she hates waste.¡±

    ¡°We won''t give her a choice.¡± Carmine replied, her voice resolved.

    ¡°You''re not¡­going to hurt her, are you?¡± Concern flashed in his eyes. Even if she''d done terrible wrong, that woman was still his mother. Such bonds weren''t broken so easily.

    ¡°I won''t lie; we may come to blows, but she''s the only one that can undo Almyra''s curse.¡± Carmine gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze. ¡°I promise, I''m not out to injure her, or anyone else. I just need to pressure her enough so she gives us what we need.¡±

    Emmet''s stare scrutinized her face for every intention and emotion broiling beneath the surface. She let him see it all: her anger, her sorrow, her desire to right the wrong done to one of their own. Beneath all of those things, she hoped he saw something more: trust. Despite the chaos and confusion in her own embattled soul, she would never, never, hurt him. Even if his eyes couldn''t peer so deep, that wouldn''t change.

    To answer, Emmet entwined his fingers with her own. Doubt and uncertainty seeded his eyes, fresh additions to the garden of disillusionment Carmine stumbled in herself, but at least they shined brighter in each other.

    ¡°How do we do this?¡± He asked.

    ¡°That¡­will be a bit more unpleasant.¡± A wry smile crossed her lips. ¡°Your mother wouldn''t risk all this for you to fall to random danger. I''m willing to bet she has some monitoring spell on you, in case something were to happen.¡±

    ¡°And something is about to happen, right?¡±

    ¡°That''s up to you.¡± Carmine put a hand on his chest. ¡°I can stop your heart, just for an instant. It will sting, but there''s no danger with me beside you. Just say the word.¡±

    ¡°So¡­I''ll be dead for a second?¡±

    ¡°Not technically, your brain would still be active, and all your cells would be alive¨C¡±

    ¡°I already knew you could make my heart skip a beat.¡± Emmet gave a sly smile.

    ¡°Ah¨C you¨C?¡± Carmine¡¯s entire thought process crashed.

    ¡°Sorry, I just needed a moment to prepare myself for the shock.¡± He tried to be suave, but he couldn''t pull it off even when his eyes weren''t puffy and red. While he couldn''t make her swoon, he made her laugh for a moment, honest and carefree. ¡°When this is all over,¡± he continued, ¡°will there be time for us?¡±

    Knowing everything she''d done, everything she still planned to do, promising anything was a fool''s word. For the first time in her life, she wanted to be a fool.

    ¡°I promise.¡± Carmine answered. She cast her spell, and Emmet''s eyes closed into unconsciousness. His heart''s rhythm ceased only for a second. An arcane pulse emanated from his body, urgent and quick. A moment later, life beat again in Emmet''s chest.

    It''s done.

    She took what little time she had to prepare.

    ¨C

    Before the hour ended, not one, but two figures pushed open the doors to the courtyard: One, a stern middle aged woman,  once-cold eyes alight with rage, and a burly man, the strongest sorcerer Carmine had known.

    She figured they''d both show up, she had hoped it would''ve been just one. Cold sweat broke out on Carmine''s neck, but she refused to let it show. Inside, she quaked. No amount of preparation would be enough for the second most terrifying night of her life.

    ¡°Headmasters Leval,¡± Carmine called out from the courtyard''s center. Emmet''s body lay behind her, covered by his robe. ¡°You''ve arrived right on time.¡±

 Chapter 34: Duel

    "What is the meaning of this Ms. Felis?¡± Thomas Leval bellowed. Gone was the warmth, the gentle, mentorly patience that accompanied his voice like birds to air. Fury and worry had him now. He spoke to Carmine, yes, but his narrow eyes never left the body on the ground. Emmet lay wrapped in his robe face down, motionless. This was what it took to anger heasdmaster Leval.

    Next to him, Symphonia remained an ice sculpture. The disdainful frown carved into her face barely moved even now, but Carmine wasn''t fooled. Bits of feeling bled through the fa?ade; a quivered lip, a twitching eye. Even if she didn''t love Emmet as a son, she still invested on him as a legacy, one now under threat.

    ¡°I told you we should have expelled this charred little ingrate,¡± Symphonia barked at her husband. Charred? That earned a glare with more to follow. The headmistress''s eyes hardened on Carmine. There was loathing, clear as night above, but underneath it dwelled a fear different from her husband¡¯s. His eyes widened in concern. Hers narrowed in suspicion. ¡°Answer us now, cur, and an expulsion might be the most of your punishment: Why have you attacked our son?¡±

    She¡¯s worried she¡¯s been exposed. A smile played over Carmine¡¯s face. It may be a small victory, but one she relished. ¡°Oh, I think you know Symphonia,¡± Carmine answered, playing the villain with whimsy flair. She kept the courtyard dark save for the lantern Emmet dropped when he fell. Even with two moons out, the manor walls shaded the courtyard in shadow. Human eyes struggled to pierce the dark while her elven one could see in monochrome. ¡°Emmet there has something he shouldn¡¯t. That he has it at all means he¡¯s one of the people who hurt Almyra.¡± She strutted over to where they body lay. ¡°I asked him some questions, but he wasn¡¯t too helpful. So, I asked a little harder.¡± Carmine reached for the hood covering his face. ¡°Want to see? You might not recognize him in this conditio¨C¡±

    ¡°Get away from him!¡± Thomas snapped. A spell followed his warning. Calling stone to his order, just as Emmet had done in his exam, he tried to encase Carmine in a cage. Mud bubbled and shifted from churning stone. Instead of bricks and columns, mere rocks and pebbles erupted from the dirt. Carmine jumped back from the earthy hail before she came to any harm. Alarm spread over Thomas¡¯ face, and it was Carmine''s pleasure.

    ¡°Oh, headmaster, don''t tell me you didn''t notice,¡± Carmine threw her arms open to the courtyard. She might have had a little wine to still her nerves before they arrived.  ¡°You''re in my barrier, good sir, a dampening field. I''m sure you know it: I learned it from your own instructors.¡± Almost skipping at her plan''s success, Carmine moved near the center tree. ¡°This one suppresses the spirit, limiting what a mage can draw out to barely a tenth of their full power.¡± She couldn''t help the smug grin on her face. Planning for the confrontation was one thing, but to see it work? Bliss. Elation. ¡°There''s two of you, after all, this was never a fair contest.¡±

    ¡°Well thought,¡± Thomas Leval nodded, squaring his shoulders. A sneer from his wife cursed his praise. ¡°But you''ve forgotten one important detail.¡±

    ¡°Have I?¡± Carmine''s smirk faltered.

    ¡°I''m not just trained in sorcery.¡± He stomped forward, clenching his fists. ¡°A great mage trains their mind and body. I''ve trained mine every day for the past thirty-five years.¡± With no more warning, the boar of a man charged. Faster than his age hinted, the headmaster nearly crossed the distance in a split moment. Headlong, straight and direct, he was no schemer. Oddly enough, his charge convinced Carmine he wasn''t involved in the conspiracy. A snap judgement as Carmine snapped her fingers to a point in the dirt. She expended less than a tenth, less than a hundredth of her power; merely sending a single word of command.

    Sigils brightened aglow beneath the headmaster''s feet. Before he took another step, lightning erupted from the now visible spell circle. His body convulsed, and a pained roar echoed into the night. It wouldn''t gather attention. Pain was common to this part of town.

    On his knees and heaving, the headmaster stared at the sigil around him. Surging electricity met any sudden moves. Trapped like a bird in a cage.

    Carmine smiled without her eyes this time. This man would have rescued her once. She doubted he''d smile her way ever again.

    But she had a role to play.

    ¡°It''s been too long since you''ve sat in a class as a student, headmaster,¡± Carmine lectured, hands behind her back. ¡°You''ve forgotten how to listen. The spirit from which we can draw is bottlenecked to a tenth. Spells prepared and empowered in advance though¡­¡± Carmine gave a chuckle, turning on Symphonia. ¡°I''ll give Emmet back, you know, once I figure out how to return what he stole. I¡¯ll be thorough, I¡¯m a doctor after all. Hopefully, he''ll still be in one¡­piece¨C¡±

    Ringing. Sharp pain in both Carmine''s ears distracted her goading. Her eyes instinctively shut for only a moment. A chill shivered through the air.

    Carmine lunged to the side, but piercing cold still shot through her arm and out the other side. Warm liquid ran down her arm. Forcing her eyes open, Carmine spotted the several water globules floating about Symphonia as they caught the lantern light.

    ¡°There''s your bullshit,¡± Carmine shook her head of the ringing. ¡°Emmet told me you fuck with people''s senses.¡±

    ¡°He told you too much,¡± Symphonia muttered back.

    ¡°Good to know he doesn''t take after his lying bitch of a mother.¡± Carmine shook her arm: her left. Fire had dulled the nerves there and she didn''t feel as much pain. Still hurt, but it sharpened her focus.

    Symphonia used what little power she could muster to disrupt Carmine''s senses, then launched a small burst of pressurized water to pierce her. A nasty trick, but Carmine knew what to look for now. Dampened by the barrier, Symphonia couldn''t sustain all her spells at once. The chill in the air was her warning.¡­unless that too was a trick. Either way, Carmine decided she''d keep at least one eye open at all times.

    The window behind Symphonia shattered outward, but she deflected the shards with a thin water current. She retaliated with desperate bursts of pressurized water. Using a barrier no larger than a buckler, Carmine deflected each shot. The first few targeted her joints: knees, elbows, debilitating wounds had they hit. As the attacks continued with no purchase, more often Carmine had to guard her vitals. Symphonia tried for her liver twice, heart once, and lungs four times. The intent to kill might have been stunning, but Carmine had faced it before. Held It before.

    Maintaining her defense, Carmine activated another of her prepared sigils. Arcane missiles bloomed from the bog, battering Symphonia from all sides. The elder sorceress had decades more experience, but Carmine had preparation. Unlike the headmistress, she could attack and defend at once, and she used that advantage to back Symphonia into a corner.

    Under the sustained barrage, Symphonia retreated to the cover of the central tree. She must have spied the missiles circling around the paralyzed headmaster, because the cold bitch used him as cover too. No doubt she still had a trick up her sleeve. Carmine needed her to use it.

    Extending her senses to the sigils around, Carmine could count those still powered on one hand. They''d have to be enough, or it''d turn into a battle of attrition, and one she''d probably lose.

    The ringing returned; a high pitched whine worse than any sound Carmine had ever heard. It incited a migraine on demand, driving her to a knee. Symphonia rounded the tree, ice-forged knife in hand and moving fast. With no time to react, Carmine detonated two of the few sigils she had left. The ground between them erupted in fire and force as an explosion threw both sorceresses back. Dazed on her side, the heat threatened Carmine with unpleasant memories, but fire didn¡¯t panic her any longer. The impact on the other hand, that left her in a stupor.

    Where was Symphonia? The blast caught her too, but her body wasn¡¯t anywhere in sight. Movement by the tree called Carmine¡¯s attention back only to see the headmistress slinking out of cover without a scratch. An illusion.

    Vision blurring, Carmine saw three Symphonias step around the tree. Her stone face cracked into a sickening smile. ¡°Insolent upstart,¡± She spat. Drawing moisture from the bog, she formed one of the globules she¡¯d launched at Carmine a two dozen times so far. This one meant to finish it. ¡°Let¡¯s see how arrogant you are without working legs.¡± She pointed a finger at Carmine¡¯s lower abdomen. A chill permeated the air.

    Three Symphonias, all raising to use the same attack, but only one emanated an arcane aura Carmine could sense. She snapped her fingers, and her last sigil brightened on the gnarled tree. Roots slithered from the mud, snatching the leftmost headmistress in their grasp. Wrapping around each limb, and coiling around her torso, they pulled her arms wide, nearly twisting them out of their sockets. As her two hallucinatory copies disappeared, Symphonia tried to lash out. Pressurized water cut across Carmine¡¯s forehead, but weakened before it could pierce. Another thin root circled Symphonia¡¯s neck, threatening to choke off any more attempts to cast.

    Her threats came up empty. Carmine had won. Blood ran over her eye, and she had a hole in her arm, but she won.

    Ss she stood, she touch where Symphonia¡¯s last spell cut her. Beneath the parted skin, she felt exposed bone. Another scar for her growing collection.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.¡°Despite your best efforts, Symphonia, I¡¯m still standing,¡± Carmine gloated. ¡°You lost to a sorceress that had the rank for only a day.¡± She received a sneer in response, but not words. No doubt Symphonia understood if she opened her mouth, the roots would tighten. If she wanted out, she¡¯d have to think of something else. ¡°No more demands? Good. I wasn¡¯t quite finished with Emmet, but oh well. If I can¡¯t find a way to reverse what he¡¯s done¡­maybe the exorcists can.¡±

    ¡°Excorcists!?¡± Thomas grumbled from his crackling cage. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯ll be punished for this. You attacked the founding house of the institute.¡±

    ¡°I think once they get a good look at your son, they¡¯ll see things my way.¡± Carmine turned her back, marching back towards Emmet¡¯s crumpled form.

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen!¡± Symphonia snapped. She uttered a single-word spell, too quick for the roots to silence. One final water jet burst up from the ground, slicing Symphonia¡¯s own wrist. Blood leapt from the wound, further than any human heart could push. A crimson light brightened inside Symphonia''s chest, and, in a blink, it traveled down the arteries in her arm, extending to the blood shed from. But it did not fall. It swept around her as a scythe, severing the binding roots like blades of grass. Her eyes flashed red, hair tinting the same, and in a moment she was free.

    Symphonia needed no spell, no spirit for what came next. She thrust her arm towards the younger witch, and obeying her will, the blood speared Carmine through the chest. Lifted off her feet, Carmine collided with the wall behind her, pinned in place.

    Calm down. Calm down, she warned herself from slipping into shock. Deep breath. Pain. Short breaths then. Note the damage: Wet coughing, shallow breathing. She got a lung, that¡¯s all. That¡¯s not fatal. She coughed blood. Not immediately.

    Symphonia stepped closer, murder in her eyes, but she stayed her hand for just a moment. Wanted to repay the humiliation for sure.

    ¡°Symphonia¡­that¡¯s¡­¡± Thomas stammered, but she ignored him.

    ¡°Release my husband,¡± She ordered. ¡°Try anything else and I¡¯ll burn the other half of you an inch at a time.¡±

    ¡°F-Fine,¡± Carmine acquiesced. The arcing cage that kept Thomas still died away. The headmaster climbed to his feet in stupor, as if he¡¯d never seen his wife before in his life.

    ¡°Symphonia¡­blood magic?¡±  He struggled to comprehend the scene before him. Between Carmine''s words, and Symphonia''s action, he finally realized the truth. ¡°What have you done?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± She replied, a softness to her voice Carmine hadn¡¯t thought possible. ¡°Check on Emmet. I¡¯ll handle her.¡± And then it was gone. The cold returned. ¡°You¡¯ve stirred up far too much trouble, elf, but at least your corpse will make a useful scapegoat.¡±

    Carmine glanced at Thomas, trudging slowly towards Emmet. He stumbled again, unsure if he should intervene. Move faster, old man!

    ¡°It was supposed to be you.¡± Symphonia whispered. Carmine stared back. ¡°Dr. Valentine never told me about your little trade with the faun. By then it was too late, so she was sacrificed instead. I knew Emmet fancied you. He would have insisted we help you find your place, maybe even keep you at the tower. Instead, your friend will be an outcast and a burden. Think about that while you bleed, you wretched little¨C¡±

    ¡°What in the hell!?¡± Thomas¡¯ shock cut through the whispers. As he knelt over his son¡¯s unconscious form, ¡®Emmet¡¯ sprung up. His hood fell back to reveal a face far different from their expectations.

    Marcus played his part to perfection. Low praise, considering all he had to do was lay still and cover his face, but he stayed. Silver really went a long way with him. That it was Leval¡¯s own made it all the better. Now, his part over, and Marcus ran into the manor without a backwards glance.

    ¡°Where is my son!?¡± Symphonia roared. She twisted her bloody spear, and agony ran through Carmine¡¯s body, but still she grinned.

    She. Won.

    ¡°C-can¡¯t you sense him?¡± Even struggling for breath, she relished this moment. ¡°Or does your mark fail up close?¡±

    ¡°Play games with me, witch, and you will die slowly.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d like that.¡± Carmine retorted, glancing at a window on the second floor in full view of the courtyard. Symphonia followed her gaze, and paled. The window opened outward, and Emmet, the real Emmet, floated down. Regan climbed after. She had her own job preventing Emmet from intervening too soon.

    ¡°Emmet,¡± Symphonia called out, opening her mouth to explain herself, but no words came. She finally realized the trap she walked into. It wasn¡¯t the dampening field, the prepared sigils, or even Carmine herself.

    It was Emmet: a son more honest than his mother would have him. Symphonia could silence Carmine, persuade Thomas to lie, but she couldn¡¯t destroy her legacy. She hated undoing her work, after all.

    ¡°Let her go, now.¡± Emmet said, hands shaking in fear or anger, Carmine couldn¡¯t tell. The blood spear retreating inside Symphonia veins, she felt keenly.

    ¡°Emmet, all this was¡­¡± Symphonia found her tongue, ¡°s-she put you in danger¨C¡±

    ¡°Less than you. I know what you did.¡± Emmet refused to look at her. He moved to Carmine¡¯s side and helped her to her feet. Most of her weight leaned on him, even as Regan came to support her other side.

    ¡°That was to help you.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t.  You were using me to¨C¡±

    ¡°This needs to wait, Emmet,¡± Carmine clutched his shirt, feet numbing from blood loss. She needed to wrap this up soon, or the dark spots at the edge of her vision would be the least of her problems. ¡°You,¡± she rounded on Symphonia. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a long¡­long talk about what you did to Almyra, and you¡¯re g-going to tell me everything. Nod,¡± Symphonia nodded. ¡°Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight.¡±

    The headmistress flinched back as Emmet and Carmine headed for the manor. What went through her head right now, Carmine could care less. She had plan to force Symphonia into using her blood magic, but taking a spike through the chest was not part of it. Thomas made no move to stop them. She would pity his ignorance later.

    ¡°My room¡­¡± Carmine coughed to her carriers. ¡°Bed¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re uh¡­bleeding a lot boss,¡± Regan''s harsh tone actually carried a mote of worry.

    ¡°Ah, Regan¡­didn¡¯t know you cared.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been fair to us.¡±

    Precious minutes dragged by before Carmine found herself in her musty room. She let her robe fall off her shoulders and found her white shirt beneath stained red. She put a hand to her wound and uttered memorized healing incantations.

    Her wounds didn¡¯t close. Exhaustion clasped her in its gentle talons.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Carmine sighed.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it working?¡± Emmet asked. Concern gave way to near panic in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m too tired. I can¡¯t¡­gather my spirit.¡±

    ¡°We can use mine,¡± he suggested exactly what Carmine dreaded. He was right, She knew he was right. And still, there was some hesitation she couldn¡¯t shake. ¡°Tell me what to do.¡±

    ¡°F-fine.¡± Carmine forced herself. ¡°I can¡­guide you¡­with my intent, but¡­you¡¯ll have to say the words, and use your energy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, just tell me how.¡±

    Carmine took a deep breath. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of her shirt, no fault of her wounds. No one had seen her full scaring except for Vale. Fear coursed her heart as she pulled the blood-slick cloth from her skin. Not fear that Emmet would fail, but fear that her scars would revolt him. She had so much more to fear, yet that thought¡­that cowed her.

    Dark red  and warped flesh covered the left side of her bare chest, an ugly reminder melted into her body. The fresh wound sat among the scars. Emmet, bless him, tried not to flinch, but he was never good at hiding his reactions. He stared, and it hurt. But he pressed his hand over her ribs, and it hurt less.

    ¡°Tell me what to say,¡± he looked into Carmine''s eyes. She rested her hand on his shoulder. What little power she could manage would guide his own. He repeated after her, word for word. Slowly, Carmine''s pain lessened. The terrible itching of a healing wound followed, but she could breathe easier after coughing out the lingering crimson.

    Next came her arm. The same hesitation returned as she rolled up her sleeve to the wounded bicep. In one night Emmet saw most of her scaring, and more than anyone she''d met in the last decade. It shouldn''t have bothered her; she just fought for her life¡­but it did. Absurd, comical even. She would have laughed if her stomach wasn''t tied in knots.

    Last, she guided Emmet to close the wound on her forehead. ¡°How''s that?¡± He asked when they finished.

    ¡°Amateur work, but I''m not leaking anymore.¡± Carmine offered an awkward smile, but she couldn''t meet his eyes. She didn''t want to see what was in them, or what wasn''t anymore. ¡°I can¡­take care of myself from here¡­if you want to go back to the tower¨C¡±

    He embraced her again. It felt the same as before the fight, before she stopped his heart, but there was something new. His lips pressed against her scared cheek, gentle and caring.

    ¡°I''m not going anywhere,¡± he whispered. ¡°I love you, Carmine.¡±

    Those few little words, she couldn''t have imagined the weight they lifted. Her tension unwound, and she leaned her head into his shoulder.

    ¡°I¡­¡± she started, but exhaustion took the reply from her. In the throws of her fading consciousness, Carmine promised herself she''d answer properly when she woke up.

    There would be time, after all.

 Chapter 35: Overtime

    Stirring from her dreamless slumber, Carmine awoke in a groggy haze.  Exhaustion still wracked her eyes as she forced them open, spying the noonday sun from her window. She stared at her mildewed ceiling, forgetful of how she even arrived. Groaning, she rose to sit when a painful twinge in her chest reminded her of last night¡¯s battle. Wasn¡¯t success supposed to feel good? Her body needed the rest, but Carmine knew her work hadn¡¯t finished yet.

    Cloth rustled over her restored, but still-tender wound. Touching her shirt and glancing at her sleeve, she realized something: these weren''t the clothes she had on last night. Someone changed out her stained clothes for the clean shirt and long skirt she kept under her desk in reserve.

    Who changed my clothes!? Her head ran through the possibilities as her face flushed. It¡­it didn''t matter. At least that''s what she tried to believe.

    Dizziness threatened to spill her over the floor as she lurched out of bed. Grabbing her desk, Carmine told herself to take it slow. Her wound may be closed, but she couldn¡¯t replenish the blood she lost so quickly. She¡¯d be anemic for a short while, and fatigued with it. She wanted a beef stew, a warm hearth, and a book to read. Maybe¡­that wouldn¡¯t be too tall an order soon enough.

    Not in this place though.

    Steadying herself along the wall, Carmine set out to find the others. She hovered by the door, recalling Emmet''s final words from last night. That was real, right? She didn''t dream that up in her condition?

    Her face tinted red again. Maybe she could stay in bed another hour  Or day. As if she could stand the boredom.

    The door creaked open to the manor''s east wing. Voices drifted in from the courtyard through the window broken in the fight last night. A Small regret winced through Carmine. This place was already falling apart, and she didn''t know much about fixing it. The Levals knew its location too. At this point, she''d have to find a new place to conduct her research. No big issue there; graduation waited just around the corner. Right now, Kay would have been taking her exam. Xander''s would follow the next day, and Adelaide''s after that. Carmine had already passed thanks to the circumstances of Almyra''s surgery. If they wanted to excuse her from the exams for her benefit, she wouldn''t complain. She hated presenting to a crowd.

    Pausing midstep, Carmine considered her villainous performance last night, and wondered if that was really true.

    The courtyard doors squeaked open, announcing Carmine''s presence to the others. Emmet rambled the story of how Carmine won the institute entrance exam to an entranced Regan, but both turned their attention at her approach. Morgan lingered near the courtyard¡¯s edge, and his attention remained there.

    ¡°You''re up!¡± Emmet said, rising from the rickety chair he''d dragged out. He and Regan both moved to meet her, offering to help her sit like she were their elderly grandmother.

    ¡°Enough, enough!¡± Carmine pulled her arms back. Their worry was as touching as it was embarrassing. ¡°I walked this far on my own, I can make it.¡± She waved them off and sat down with welcome relief.

    Before she even settled in, both bombarded her with questions. Was she alright? Was she hungry? Did she need anything?

    ¡°Both of you can take a deep breath, I''ll live,¡± Carmine answered. She looked again at Regan, surprised still at the concern the brusque young woman displayed. ¡°Emmet''s been telling you stories?¡± She nodded. ¡°So¡­I guess you know I''m not the grand sorceress I pretended to be.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know about that boss,¡± Regan shook her head. ¡°What you pulled off last night seemed pretty grand...especially if you''re just a couple years older than Morgan and me.¡±

    ¡°There goes all my mystique,¡± Carmine sighed, relief flooding her more than frustration. One less lie she had to keep spinning. ¡°Thanks, Emmet.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome,¡± He replied, catching the slight smile on her lips. He seemed pleased with himself, and Carmine couldn''t help wanting to mess with him a little.

    ¡°Did you dress me?¡±

    ¡°Did I huh?¡± Emmet froze.

    ¡°These weren''t the clothes I had on last. Sneak a peek, did you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­uh, No- not that you''re not- shit¡­¡± He sputtered, face shifting between surprise, bashfulness, embarrassment, before settling on a red-faced combination of the three.

    ¡°I squared you up, boss.¡± Regan admitted, her hand raised. Unlike Emmet, she treated the ordeal with a matter-of-fact attitude. ¡°I figured it''d be better than letting you wake up filthy. I bathed you too.¡±

    Carmine flinched, ¡°You what¡ª!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I thought you like teasing, boss?¡± Smiling like a coyote, Regan winked. ¡°Can''t take it as well?¡±

    After a deep breath of her own, Carmine regarded the cackling thug with a thoughtful gaze. ¡°You''re not as wary as you were before.¡±

    ¡°And you''re not the ancient crone I thought you were.¡± Shrugging off the formalities, Regan leaned against the central tree. ¡°Don''t go thinking too much has changed. That silver of yours has kept my brother and me fed better than we''ve had all year, and it''s nice to have a roof over our head that we don''t have to fight for. Could do without the smell though.¡±

    ¡°We''re moving out soon anyway,¡± Carmine announced. Nursing her mild headache, she turned her focus to the future. ¡°We can''t really stay here anymore after last night.¡±

    ¡°A sound decision,¡± Emmet added, ¡°Long term exposure to the mold here can''t be good for your health¡ª¡±

    ¡°Neither is Symphonia knowing where we are.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­maybe.¡± Turning his eyes to the tower peeking over the city, Emmet sighed. ¡°Knowing my mom, she''ll stew for a while before she tries anything. If you have a plan, we should get it moving sooner than later.¡±

    ¡°That was the idea before your mom stabbed me. I might need a few days more because of her.¡±

    ¡°What is the plan boss?¡± Regan asked. ¡°You only told me to keep smiles, here, from jumping in too soon.¡±

    ¡°Smiles?¡± Emmet raised a brow at his nickname.

    ¡°I want you and your brother to look around town and see if there''s another place we can hide out,¡± Carmine explained. ¡°It doesn''t have to be as big. If we have to rent a place, so be it. Do it in your name, and I''m sure there''s a well off sorceress willing to give me a stipend to fund it.¡±

    ¡°You''re going to extort my parents?¡± Emmet frowned.

    ¡°Consider it more compensation for injuring me, and fucking over Almyra. Speaking of,¡± Carmine pointed at the distant tower. ¡°We should get back before anyone misses us. When Aly wakes up, we should be there.¡±

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    ¡°What do we tell Kay and the others?¡± Emmet asked. His eyes rested on the new scar etched on Carmine''s forehead. Her burns never reached that high on her face, so the new mark hung over her eye alone.

    ¡°My hair can cover it.¡± Carmine brushed some strands over her forehead.

    ¡°That''s not my point. Even if they don''t see that, they''ll notice your condition; you''re pale, and unsteady on your feet.¡± Crouching next to her chair, and pouting, Emmet''s stern face drew more comedy than severity, but Carmine contained her smirk. He continued, ¡°you''ve been keeping a lot to yourself. All this, what you told me, and what you haven''t.¡± Breath caught in Carmine''s throat, admissions stuck half-way between revelation and secrecy. ¡°We''ve been with you now for years. Whatever you''re doing, you don''t have to do it alone.¡° His hand rested on her shoulder. ¡°None of us want to lose you, least of all me.¡±

    Carmine put her hand over his. Maybe¡­he was right. Keeping a healthy distance between her projects and her circle could be possible. She didn''t have to cut ties, nor did she want to. Before coming to Leval, she never imagined forming such tight bonds, and distracting them with avoidance was an insult to the people she came to love.

    But there were things too dark to accept. Recalling headmaster Thomas¡¯ face when he realized his wife''s practices gave Carmine a shivering pause. She never wanted to inspire that dread. Ever. If she told Emmet everything, would he really stay? Could she hold his affection if she didn''t?

    ¡°I¡­need to think about it,¡± Carmine delayed. ¡°Later, I promise.¡±

    ¡°That''s fine.¡± He gave her the most understanding smile, bless and damn him. ¡°We''ve been through a lot in a short while. I''ll be here when you''re ready.¡±

    ¡°So, you two gonna kiss now?¡± Regan barked, arms crossed. ¡°I can turn away if you want. Morgan found a cute cat; I can distract myself.¡±

    And the moment was gone. Emmet withdrew his hand, blushing deep red. Narrowing eyes at Regan only made her smirk grow wider.

    ¡°You know what you''re doing?¡± Carmine sighed, trying to get her on task.

    ¡°Yeah: looking for a new place,¡± Regan nodded. ¡°A better place, with locked doors and less mold. Maybe new beds too¡ª¡±

    ¡°Right, fine. Morgan,¡° Carmine called out. ¡°Did you hear all that?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Morgan turned with a smile, holding a cat in his arms. He beamed as he scratched its black fur, while it barely emoted at all, content to let him continue as he liked. Its unblinking golden eyes stared at Carmine, betraying no feeling at all. It felt familiar. Narrowing her eyes, she noticed only one paw dangling from its front.

    ¡°No bloody way.¡± Carmine stood up. Suspicion set her on guard as she regarded the small feline. ¡°Morgan, put her down.¡±

    ¡°Her? You know this kitty? She''s so cute. And calm too¡ª oh!¡± The cat leapt down from Morgan''s arms, already growing in size before touching the soil. Its body shifted, and expanded, bones crunching as they reminded themselves that their shape was only temporary. Regan hid behind the tree, and Morgan fell back, transfixed on the sight. Both Carmine and Emmet had seen the transformation once before, yet that still couldn''t prepare them for the visceral sounds. The change took less than half-a-minute, Carmine''s stomach turning all the while, but at the end, Kathir stood before them once more. Unlike her first appearance, a layer of black fur remained on her body; the same hybrid-form she used to combat the brigands in the Riven sanctuary. Memories of how sharp those claws could cut surfaced, breaching from times better kept buried.

    ¡°At ease,¡± Kathir''s raspy voice prowled from her throat. She coughed, as if those were the first words she''d spoken in since they parted years ago.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Carmine asked, defensive. Kathir had never attacked her, but she still took Carmine into peril without intending her to survive. Calling someone like that an ally was presumptive, but being her enemy proved far more dangerous.

    ¡°I am here to retrieve you,¡± Kathir declared, straightening her posture, tail flicking behind her. ¡°My master seeks an audience, and I will deliver you.¡±

    ¡°Is that a request,¡± Emmet asked. He stepped between Carmine and their visitor, ¡°or a demand?¡±

    What the hell was he thinking? He saw what she could do, and whatever spell he weaved behind his back wouldn''t protect them if Kathir decided to attack.

    ¡°My master said to let you choose,¡± Kathir answered, ¡°but also gave me a message to share.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡± Carmine moved beside Emmet.

    Instead of answering, Kathir clenched her clawed fist. Gouging her own hand, she flicked the now-errant crimson onto the central tree trunk. As Emmet and Regan both recoiled, the blood brightened and slithered across its surface.

    Slowly, it formed into the outline of Vembris, devoid of any details save one: two swords crossed over a moon emblazoned shield. Carmine recognized the sigil of the exorcists, and she also recognized where on the map it sat.

    Rieland.

    Carmine swallowed hard. Her impulses almost caught up to her, and no doubt sometime soon the exorcists of the tower might call on her for questioning. If they detected necromancy near her old home, and word of it reached Tera or Jordan¡­well, they weren''t stupid.

    ¡°I''ll go,¡± Carmine said to Kathir. At her acceptance, Kathir opened her palm, and the bloody message returned to her veins.

    ¡°Exorcists, Carmine?¡± Emmet looked at her, concerned. His brow furrowed as he only understood half the message. ¡°Is this related to last night?¡±

    ¡°I''d be surprised if it wasn''t in some way. You should get back to the tower¡ª¡±

    ¡°And leave you alone with the shape-shifting slayer and her unknown boss?¡± Emmet shook his head. ¡°No. I think not.¡±

    With fatigue reminding her of her precarious condition, Carmine fought her instinct to send him away, even if it was to safety.  Her plan wouldn''t have succeeded without him, and she''d probably be dead if he wasn''t there. She could trust him. That¡­and she didn''t want to push people away any longer.

    ¡°Looks like we''re both going.¡± Carmine leaned on Emmet, and he supported her weight. She faced Kathir. ¡°That won''t be a problem.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Kathir assented. ¡°I will guide you to my master''s location.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking did her form begin to shrink. Her body returned to the form of an alley cat, and it seemed slightly less violent than her first transformation. The three-legged cat looked at them expectantly, and ventured towards the road outside.

    ¡°Do what we talked about, Regan,¡± Carmine told her in passing. ¡°I''ll return this evening or the next.¡±

    ¡ª

    Traveling back through the Reefcliff streets felt different than night. Amazing what could a few hours could change. Chief among those changes was Emmet lending his arm to her as they walked. He said it was to help steady her gait, yet the closeness between them as they moved¡­Carmine felt her chest tingle with bashful excitement. While he tried to keep focused straight ahead, Emmet too couldn''t hold back the goofy grin on his face.

    Leading their way, Kathir leapt along fences and trotted down the path in her diminutive form. Her balance seemed keen, despite the lost limb. She had adapted, just like she predicted. If she weren''t capable of shoving her arm through an armored man''s chest, Carmine would almost think her cute.

    Still, the echo''s presence unsettled. Personally, Carmine liked Kathir; her determination and focus inspired as much as it terrified. She didn''t seem the type to lie, but neither would she be forthcoming without reason. Wanting to call her a friend, despite their past, was premature, and her presence spelled no good news. What it meant, Carmine could only guess, but she expected a disryuption her plans.

    And already that proved true. Of all the places Carmine expected to go, a cafe nestled in Reefcliff''s mid-quarter was as far off the mark as she could get. A quaint little place, there were only a half-dozen tables in the rectangular lounge, though all were full. Coffee''s scent welcomed them inside, and Carmine begged for a cup, silently of course.

    ¡°Hey, no pets- oh, damn it!¡± The clerk behind the counter, a ruddy-faced old woman in a coffee stained apron, watched Kathir leap past her reach and further into the store. Her narrow, miffed eyes turned on Emmet and Carmine next, accusing them of letting this terrible beast inside.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lory,¡± a man called over from the table closest to the counter. Kathir leapt up beside him and sat, vigilant. ¡°She''s a friend of mine.¡±

    ¡°We''ll see how you feel when you find its hair in your lunch.¡± The clerk countered. Impatience stuck in her eye like salt. ¡°You two just blocking my door?¡±

    Quick with an apology, Emmet moved aside. He pulled out a chair for Carmine, gentlemanly as ever, and sat next to her across from the stranger. Suspicion only mounted as Carmine laid eyes on him. A veil covered half his face, and he wore a hooded cloak over his fiber-woven garb. Flexible wooden braces ran parallel over his right arm, and silver glyphs embedded within hinted at some enchantment. Carmine knew the desire to hide certain scars, but wisps of arcane leaked out from his being. Focusing her eyes, she started to peer through the cracks in the illusion. Where his braced arm slipped out through the sleeve, she saw the image of flesh flicker and fade. In its wake remained varnished wood, and a doll-like hand crafted finer than mortal hands could make.

    ¡°Kathir was right,¡± A smile cracked out from beneath the veil, where his face remained mostly flesh and blood, ¡°You are good.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Carmine asked. She raised her guard higher, but more so her curiosity begged an answer to his condition.

    ¡°My name is Fenix,¡± he replied. Lowering his hood, a pair of pointed ears sprang free, one flesh, one wood, ¡°and I''ve come to give you a warning.¡±