Elwin was utterly furious she spurned him for that stupid kid. After he'd been so gods-damned helpful! Still, there was something in her voice that made the portly youth perk up. Maybe just maybe he could redeem himself. Prove he was the better man. "Well, Arthur's the junior student, why don't we send him and-

"And I'll go find her straight away. Don't you worry." Straightening his robes, Elwin lumbered to the door and out into the halls.

There was an afternoon lull between classes and dinner. A few students, uniforms askew, neckties undone, lounged in the parlors trading in gossip. A few of the smaller ones nearly bounded into him and were warned off by an angry glower. Elwin had gained a reputation for humiliating pupils in the fewer lower form classes he'd helped teach. That, and he was big. Now where the hells was Susie? Juniper had mentioned her last class was in black magic. He descended a stairwell to a row of cramped old rooms below the Lyceum. As he did so he heard a patter of feet below the stairwell as a tiny figure went barreling into him.

"Susie! There you are! Lady Whitechalk is looking for you!" A pudgy hand reached out to corral the girl and usher her along. "Even if you do need to stay after for extra help you can't keep your sponsors waiting. She's in charge, you know."

"Well, it shouldn't have been your home. It was a mistake to send you away." Sage whipped some of the foam from his chin and throat. "But I know your life's here now. I just wanted to know you can come back, if you want, I know it won't ever be the same.

"I don't think either of us will be hiding in the diamond garden anytime soon." There used to be lavish parties on summer nights, children ducking and weaving through the brush catching fireflies. Now it was very quiet and empty. A sad smile crossed his face and he stood up, hand still on the table, as if debating whether to stay or go.

"We'll be staying here a few more days. There is one last lead here I want to follow."

***

"No, no, no. Darkhun takes the old flowers. Very good. Very tasty. Very delicious." The lizard hunched forward, making himself big, in order to corral the boys into a corner. Stalking and ambushing prey was innate to his kind. "Darkhun has questions!

"You have a little friend. A pale boy. Red hair. Painted with magic. He is lost and far from his master. He must go home."

Ewan gave Randal a look and positioned himself between the two. Clutched his shovel like a spear, shaking and white-knuckled, the gangly boy peered upwards. He was still grown and ought to protect the kid. Maybe it was a mistake to keep his body this way. The mutagen he kept for emergencies was gone and there was nothing to do but buy time. "Well neither of us have got red hair or tattoos. S-see?" Good thing Tiffany had removed them.

The lizard snorted, spraying them with hot breath and spittle, probing the air with his tongue. "You are fearful. Slippery. Darkhun has seen you and the boy in your shop. Where? Where does he go?"

Elwin frowned as he went over the tally in his head. The numbers were just too low; there was no way his girls would win. With a sneer he slammed his hand down on the table. "Fine. You win, with a card no one else could possibly get." None of it was fair at all. Arthur ruined everything with Juniper. It was such bullshit.

"Anyway, I didn't mean to waste your time with this. I guess Susie decided not to show up. Why don't I help you find her?" he rose, with some difficulty given his carriage, and extended his chubby hand to Juniper with a fluorish.

The gaggle of students, perched on desks, watched the outburst in uncomfortable silence. Seeing a grown man throw a temper tantrum and slam his fist was not pretty to watch. Elwin was still their better in some sense and few dared outright compliment Arthur on his victory. Liam rolled his eyes, murmuring just above a whisper. "He barely even tried. Or wasn't ready for healing. Its not like you can't do anything about it..."

"Yeah but did you see the look on his face!" He did not hide a gleeful snicker. They were seated a little behind Arthur and Kana had very little in the way of volume control.

***

"Now unless you intend to move this castle, here, back to your room I want more of the material. Low tensile strength and minimal elasticity, but its infusion capacity does make me wonder." The wizard prepared to slice off another chunk of the castle. "You know, I hope, what that measures? Otherwise you can go. Next time, make me something else."

Doesn't do anything. Was the girl ignorant, or had some idiot allowed emotion to cloud their judgment on the entrance exam? Yes, yes, some freckle-faced mousy little girl becoming a proper wizard would be very amusing, but would it ever really happen? Her memory seemed the main thing.

"Ugh! Forgot a basket! Can't believe it." Ewan slapped his forehead, squirming free of his tunic to hold fistfulls of berries. "I was traveling when I became a kid; hunting down new plants and alchemy. I suppose I could go home. But my brother and sister are off studying and teaching, and now I'm last in line to inherit. I do miss them. Its just embarrassing; might get a bedtime or be sent off to school.

"As for Niamh? I got into a scrape with some slavers. People in Zantaric helped me hide."  He fell silent. Why didn't he go home? It would be much more comfortable. "Not ready to say goodbye to my new friends, I suppose, and maybe its a bit like play acting. Instead of my usual handsome self I get to be this little urchin on the road, scampering through dark alleys." A dumb grin crossed his face as if it were a game. Maybe it was, as Ewan could bow out when he pleased.

They began their trek back to the wagon. They had enough nuts and berries for a small meal. Anything more would hardly be worth the wet and the dark.

"Everyone has to leave home eventually, I guess. Is this your first time away from your mother and brothers?" The girl seemed pretty handy when it came to scrounging and survival, but there was something very green about her just the same.

"In a hurry, I suppose." Niamh prodded the fire. The man was fairly ordinary. He looked poor, probably more mystic than some fat priest, but there was one thing wrong. "Stranger that he's Serenian. Granted, Ewan and I are down here, but there can't be that many of us. Especially dressed as monks. But we are near the border, I suppose." It was best not to stoke Elowen's imagination with Niamh's own suspicion and paranoia.

"Should take the boy. Not a night to be going out alone and getting lost." She would have been happy with trail rations just the same, but giving the Elowen an opportunity to feel useful wasn't a bad thing.

"We just spent twenty minutes shifting rubble in the rain. I wouldn't-" Ewan grumbled before Niamh gave him a look. "Well, I guess a cooked meal might be nice. Come on then."

***

Ewan and Elowen walked a ways off the road to forage for dinner. The scrubby hills were largely untouched, too rocky for farming, but plenty of foliage. "Sorry, by the way, didn't mean to sound like I didn't appreciate your cooking. Sometimes I think she just likes ordering me about. But I guess most of the time she doesn't need me doing magic." It was hard to find berries with the overcast sky and fading daylight. His attention swiftly turned to a phosphorescent wasp gliding through the twilight...

"You have nothing to apologize for. And Basil, well, he's special." Sage took took a swig of his beer with a cough. He preferred sweet wines and meads. Zantarian alcohol was too strong and bitter for the young man. "He's like Green Gaelyn. If you remember those old stories. That's why someone might want him." Green Gaelyn was a stock character in Verdan folklore. He was a miserly little goblin and sorcerer who would often test the heroes of various tales with puzzles or tributes. It would always end with him granting a wish or some other wondrous treasure.

"And it was good to see you, too." Sage studied her closely. "I wanted to say that you're welcome to come home, if you want to." Even if Sage was not technically lord he would be eventually. There was little point in questioning or contradicting him because, eventually, he would be getting his way.

***

There was a midden heap not far from the Blue Orchid. The lizard sometimes pawed through it for scraps. Wagym's Wort was an annual plant, pus colored, and with a rank odor. Its leaves and pollen were harvested to make a calming tea, but the flower had to be discarded before making a horrible stench. Darkhun had developed a taste for them. Four weeks he had watched the store, like the beard-man said, but the dark haired boy was never alone. Never far were the cruel women who beat and taunted Darkhun. Today, after much watching and waiting, Darkhun found his luck.

Two boys with shovels, one with dark-hair and one with none, had ducked behind a building to relieve themselves against a wall. Now was his chance. The lizard crept closer, slinking between the rubble, scales shifting color as he went. People feared Darkhun. To talk to the human child he would need to get close.

"So is Taza okay with me now? She was pretty suspicious when I started. I mean I know Porcelina doesn't like me but I can't figure that one out. What- whoa!" the bald boy whirled in surprise.

"Hello, hello, hello boy who sells flowers. Such nice flowers." Darkhun bared his teeth like the humans do, tongue tasting the air. "They smell so very good. I am Darkhun. And for you I have questions."

Elwin snorted in annoyance, an ugly snuffle. "How is this even allowed? Fine. My Queen Bee uses Sensual Sting to causes paralysis, that being a fifty percent chance not to act, and my satiated Bloodfeather hits with her claw. She's satiated." The portly apprentice was in a dour mood, nursing the scratch along the dorsum of his hand. 

***

"You cast the spell is cast here in the hall. I'd be remiss if I did not inspect it." The wizard popped a lens, bright green, into his right eye and squinted at the brittle material. "And if you did it once you can do it again.

"Now, what does it do?"

"A meeting? What sort of-"

"Sure we'll help!" Kana was maybe a little too loud, but offered an earnest smile.

What did she want? It didn't matter, really, he supposed they were doing this. "Well she has the keys. I guess we need to get her away from the desk or bypass the lock entirely. But I suppose it has protections. Any thoughts? Once we get up there I'm pretty good with illusions. I could disguise us easily. Any thoughts on how to get up there?

"He is pretty good! Voices and all! I can, uh, do storms and earth and stuff!" Kana thumped their chest proudly. "Probably not, uh, helpful here though..."

The first floor of the Library was packed, of course, with bookshelves. The outer walls were rimmed with a perpendicular arrangement of heavy wooden shelves, and an inner circle of lower lower surrounded the Librarian's desk to give her a wide view of the occupants. Tapestries belonging to old Kings of Fell, the skull of a yale, and a rather grim arrangement of pinned insect-people adorned what empty space remained. It was musty and smelled of dried ink and parchment. The assistant Library, frown and all, seemed utterly poisoned to quash any mischief performed by younger visitors to the Stacks. A pair of heavy wooden doors, flanking the entrance and directly within her view, lead upstairs.

"Ah- AH!" the color drained from Elwin's face. He was pale and trembling Why was she doing? "I just- I thought since we helped eachother out today-" The portly young man tried to put aside his sulking. It wasn't her fault. Enough stories and songs about charming princes and girls just think that's the way to go.

He just had to show her.

"So my bloodfeather and queen bee both attack Matango. Bloodfeather is satiated-" It had not occurred to Elwin that Arthur was not done.

***

"Pity more of our students don't have an interest in creating something." An eiditic memory was an amusing trick. Useful for learning, at times, but at most an amusing aberration. 

"Light material." The wizard pulled at one of the spires, producing a knife to cut one off. His golden eye flickered to Susie, rattling off questions before doing taking a sample. "Your aspirations aside what does this materia you created do?  What are the properties? Tensile strength? Ley conductivity?"

"Its not much of a City anymore. Its just a castle from the old days. It belonged to a fellow called Gydwanith. But that's a really good point about following the river; can't subsist on one little well." Ollie almost struck himself upside the head. How could he forget that? "But traveling here is easier said than done I guess."

As Ollie chatted with the woman there came a burst of light and heat from his weapon. Wisps of black smoke rose from his scabbard, forming the shape of a tiny dragon. "A fellow! Don't be such a glib little pissant. Gydwanith was one of the greatest warriors in all Serendipity. Turned himeslf into a giant bull-man and single-handedly cut down an invading army of trolls. Country would've shit its pants and starved without him! How could you even-" the smoke-dragon flapped about wildly, hissing.

The 'barbarian' rolled his eyes, "In any case I'm supposed to find his resting place as a kind of test. I'm Ollie by the way. And this is Karuthuux. What are you doing out here? These woods are terribly gloomy to travel alone. Especially unarmed."

The little dragon snorted, sending a tiny red spark into the air. Obviously this was a trap! How could that moronic titsucker not see this?

The same boat as-

As who? Sage paused. A flicker of rage clouding his thoughts. Basil was not ordinary! How could she think that? The young lord took a deep breath, "He's much more than that. Basil can do, well, anything. If you know what to ask for. And he's wonderful, really, just very naive.

"But it doesn't seem like you even knew. So this is a dead end." He gave a heavy sigh, running a hand through his white mane of hair. The dog just gave a nod.

"Uh, sorry! Not used to eatin' these..." Cody's ears flattened. The dog-man wished, very dearly, not be doing this. Even if it was for Basil the entire affair was just humiliating! He plucked a napkin from the table and cleaned his muzzle, trying to be more subtle. "S-sorry."

***

"So you don't believe me about being grown? Or if you just really enjoy the idea that someone else around here has to be back by dark." Ewan turned to watch Eckhart tend the masked boy. How was he so squeamish about this? The worst possible result would be an extra lung or more ribs. You could get rid of those later! Ugh.

"It doesn't matter. We're the same now. I guess." Working together their scrawny arms managed to lift a single flagstone. Not quite at Griselda's efficiency.

"See the healing is pointless. My Queen Bee is going to do Toxic Kiss on Matango." Elwin plucked a green marble from a pile and placed it stop the fungus. It represented poison; a persistent damage effect. "And my Beautiful Bloodfather attacks with Talons for another one twenty. So that's one thirty to your Matango. How much health didnir have again?" A smug smile crossed his double-double-chinned face.

"Not sure Primordial Tarrasque is really a good trade for that thing. It's rare and from an older set. But Tarrasque has a massive statline." Juniper was watching that boy again instead of paying attention. His heart was pounding. It was now or never. Gently, his sweaty hand slid across the table and rested on her's, to redirect her attention toward the game, to his little victory.

***

Maergath snorted with surprise at the display of magic. Unusual. More to the girl than expected, even, but this was how you brought it out. Heavy silence hung in the air as the wizard regarded her creation, searching for just the right reply. "I did not think pre-Di'Veerian third age castle construction was part of our curriculum."

He reached for a vial at his belt, coating his hands in an inky black oil, and moved to inspect it. The tiniest ghost of a smirk crossed the Magister's face at the sight of the gargoyles. Three horns; two curved and a straight crest. "Fair eye. Did you memorize it or call the image to your mind?

"And this material. Not ice, stone, or wood." A black hand tugged at one of the tower, testing its strength.

"A what?" Liam frowned, looking a bit annoyed. What was a Nevinyrral exactly? Some kind of necromancer. "Sounds like an old fashioned- ow!"

Kana gave him a playful nudge. If he didn't Liam would argue every little thing. "The lady at the circulation desk probably has a way up. Mages come from all over and get to look for a fee; just not our sort. If we can get up there Liam knows all sorts of illusions and disguises!"

The other boy flushed. He didn't get a lot of complements, even if Kana liked everything he did it felt good. His gaze turned back to Ryvana, weighing her carefully. "Kana and I need it for, well, stuff to do with our body. I want my right hand back...

"What do you want this book for, exactly? This is a pretty big risk you know..."

A woman with scaly skin drifted near the table, setting down a tray of fried dumplings still glistening with oil. She filled poured a frothy dark stout into their cups.

"They did not leave- Oh! This is nice. It smells absolutely enchanting. Tell the cook thank you." He flashed smiled at the wench, eyes twinkling, as she departed.

"Sorry. No, they did not leave a note. The reason they want him is-" Sage paused. This was the moment to ask, to see what she knew or might've told anyone. He looked to Cody and gave a soft nod.

The dogboy was, daintily as possible, trying to chew the dumplings. Some were stuffed with potato, others pickled cabbage and salted. It wasn't quite working. Licking his chops, Cody edged just a bit closee to Sarah. He could smell liars...

"Tell me what you remember about Basil. He was really small when you left, right? Did his magic even show back then?"

***

"Sorry! I was just- sorry." A blush rose in the little wizard's pale cheeks until he looked like a strawberry. Maybe it was stupid to get in Eckhart's way with that kid looking so injured. He sullenly marched off to join Griselda and Randal by the pit.

"Hope I didn't mess him up... I really did just want to help..." He mumbled, looking to the young florist and thug for some consolation. "I guess you'll be wanting us to fill this in?"

Wylie watched Petrin give her speech, adoring eyes upon her. It must be nice to be that way, to so easily draw friendly and admiration. Such things were harder fought for him.
"Brave of you to draw their fire, but they seem fixed to take the keep. You being in there? It's just more danger and you might not make it out alive. At most we send a runner to pull your soldiers and servants out.

"I think we need to reach the gates and cut off reinforcements." Wylie looked her up and down. She seemed a bit like a storybook heroine. The kind of leader men might really.march to death for. But did she have the stomach for it? "We'll trap their frontline in a burning city with nowhere to run.

"We need to get you far from any Mordecai, and make your winds can fan the fires. Most soldiers aren't more than children in shiny armor, really. They can only take so much smoke and heat. We can pick them off as they come out." The Lord of Caelshire left the rest to her imagination. It was not exactly pretty. But where would the world be if people didn't think like him?

They pressed in grim silence through the passage. It was damp, dark, and musty. It seemed to be a crude crypt. Some of the bones and dried flowers laid out But soon they could hear the screams above as soldiers pressed into the sacked City. At the end of the roughhewn corridor there was a flicker of sunlight; the exit was near.

Liam let his gaze settle on the girl, looking her up and down while his mind worked. There was no chance any practical times of animancy or spirit magic were down here. Whatever knowledge the school had was in the same place as this Maw of Mysyryx. It was a risk if course. Risks were not something he took, usually...

"The reason I'm asking is because we need something two. It's a book on animancy. Soul magic." He enunciated like she was a child. It was kind of fun to show off in front of year-ones who didn't know a thing. "It's probably up there with Maw of Mysyryx.

"If you're not planning on doing something bad with it maybe we can work together?" His voice quivered with a hint of excitement, trying to sound tough but terrified of getting into trouble.

A look of visible surprise crossed Kana's face at this. And then both sets of eyes were on Ryvana, awaiting her reply.

"How much did your father pay for that?" It was a rare card from an older set. The entire thing made him bristle, though, as his harpy was meant to finish the thing off in one blow! "It doesn't matter because it can't do anything to her. Fine. Bloodfeather Harpy hits Matango with one-twenty attack.

"And I play Emerald Hive Queen. She's named after, uh, some jungle wasp. See?" Elwin was positively giddy to show juniper the design, wafting it uncomfortably close to her face. The card showed a woman dressed in green chitinous armor, with gossamer wings, and an insectoid abdomen, tipped with a stinger, extended from her backside. She was drawn straddling some poor young adventurer and driving the barb into his belly. In her defense he seemed excited about being stung but it was this sort of 'art' that made the Dreadful Damels notorious.

***

"You're off to what then? Some little social club?" Maergath scoffed. "Run along then.

"Unless you want to show me you've actually learned something about caution and anticipation? A little test. That imbecilic girl who calls herself your patron is rather one-track when it comes to your development. Quite a pity." He arched a graying brow. Most students would run away from a Magister's microscope. Or, worse yet, be entirely apathetic like that melon-headed Clearwater boy. Only the runts with something to prove were worth his trouble.

The castle of Gydwanyth, the Horned King, was a mere ten miles from the village of Hylop. A thick canopy of old firs, and windy path through the hills, made the journey seem much longer. It was cold and Ollie was near-shivering. And to make matters worse the young man was being made to haul an enormous boulder.

"Pick up the pace! Got to push it if you want more muscle! Ought to lose the cloak if you really want to make the most of this. Cold won't bother you if ya don't let it!" A voice cackled. It came from his sword.

"I'm not going to leave it you know. Mother knitted it." Kaaruthux could be so irritating. For spite, Ollie snuggled into his colorful serape. "Now you're sure Gydwanyth's castle is up here? I don't mind seeing the countryside, really, but isn't there some tournament atop a tower down south you'd rather me be wrestling in? I don't see why you want to see this place so badly."

"Its a journey transformation, and I'm guide. Gydwanyth was a conqueror! A tamer of wild-places! Iron fisted! Iron willed!"

"You know I've never heard of him. He sounds lovely."

Soon the smoke of a campfire came into view. Its glow was a welcomed sight in the gloom. The camp was occupied by a lone woman, a peasant by the look of it. "Hello?!" the boy called out. "I'm a bit lost. I don't suppose you know these woods?" Really he just wanted an excuse to stop and rest.

Kana's face fell, looking disproportionately hurt, at her cold rebuff to his introduction. Ordinarily he could make anyone smile. Did she even introduce herself back? Probably a good thing he didn't show off how he could make Liam belch. Of course most girls didn't find it near as funny as he thought it was.

The illusionist bristled at Kana's obvious upset. His other head could be such a child sometimes, much as Liam hated to see him hurt. "Maw of Mysyryx? It sounds daemonic." He lowered his voice and cast a furtive glance toward the circulation desk. It was manned by an angular young woman, hair in a bun and nose in a book. Maya was just an upperclassman, really, but a terrible busybody. "We could ask the librarian but I don't think she'd help. Believe me, we've tried. Would probably shoe us off. Anything useful is in the upper stacks and out of bounds to our sort.

"What do you want it for, anyway?" Of course the girl could ask the same of him.

Violet eyes bored a hole in Sarah. He could ask her and use Cody. And yet, somehow, that all felt wrong. "We thought maybe living here you might have told people about the family. About Basil. And that maybe someone overheard and got the idea to take him.

"I don't think you would've done it. Not even to be spiteful, but I have to look." He fell silent, and then gave a small nod to the dog-knight. "Is your life here good, at least?"

***

"At least we weren't the only ones sent to our rooms!" the boy cackled with laughter, flashing Randal a wicked grin. "Was it Hildegarde or the cat?"

The mood darkened as they stepped out into the street. There was a massive crater in the cobblestone where the elemental emerged, and a small crowd of onlookers gawked at the destruction. Griselda and the Connlaothian were tending Pavew. The youth's breaths were slow, short and labored punctuated by something between a cry and a cough.

"Ribs got squeezed into his lungs I guess. Busted them. Do you got anything for that?" his gaze fell to Eckhart's book, reaching to grab and page through it if not stopped.