"I bet he found himself a new 'muse'," a young woman chuckles to his right, earning a half-glare half-pout from her unit-mate. Lina flashes an impudent smirk at Sirius, firelight glinting in her brown, almond shaped eyes while her face is framed by lengthy, dark brown curtains of hair. 

A silver-white flash curls into her pupils as she peers into his eyes before swirling out about her face with delicate lines. "Yup!" Lina states with a sing-song pop, her smile continuing to curl her lips as her attention returns to the scribblings in her notebook.

"Lina!" Sirius complains but is unable to maintain his frown, loosing another sigh before getting back to work.

"They're cute," Lina notes in a casual tone as she considers the lyrics before her eyes, "How long you planning to keep this one?"

"You know I don't plan these things," Sirius answers, his voice lowering as if to dismiss the notion.

"She looks much prettier when she smiles," Leon states, his tone implying generosity, "For a commoner."

"And you're more likeable until you open your mouth," Lina echoes back instantly, matching his tone exactly. A toothy grin flashes across Sirius' face and a string of poorly stifled snickers sound from those gathered. Lina's eyes are piercing as she meets his disgruntled gaze, "For a noble."

"Why are you even tuning that?" Faustin interrupts as Leon frowns, turning from their card game, "Why use an instrument at all when you can generate any sound you can imagine!" Florio stretches and leans to peek at Faustin's cards, jumping back suddenly and giving a suspicious smile as Faustin's head whips back around, "You know how easily I could look at yours?" Faustin grumbles flatly, squinting. 

"Which is why we all agreed," Karl chortles, "No magic!"

"Perhaps its a gift," Danut suggests as he slips down a card, "For this new muse."

"It's so unfair!" Florio whines, looking between Danut and Sirius, "They practically flock to you two yet I can't even catch a glimpse of my spectral beauty's face!" Sirius flashes a look of warning to Florio and earns a quick apologetic grimace.

"Are you still chasing after her?" Aldric raises a disapproving brow at Florio before his eyes return to his cards, "You're being too obsessive!"

"Who's he chasing after this time?" Danut sighs, extracting a snort from Faustin. 

"I first saw her drifting through the plaza, as delicate as the moonlight bathing her golden hair!" Florio gasps dramatically with a hand to his chest and he even pinches his eyes shut.

Aldric groans, dragging his hands over his face as he had heard this proclamation far too many times already. Had watched him dash after this girl to no avail time after time, spiriting away like a true specter.

"She haunts my dreams," Florio continues, earning a smile from Danut, "And yet, every time I catch sight of her, she slips away before I can appreciate her full beauty!"

"Maybe she doesn't want you to see her," Lina suggests vacantly, not sparing him a glance.

"Sides," Karl snorts, "What if she's ugly?" 

"Don't kill his dreams, Karl!" Sirius chides, nearly satisfied with his tuning. Aldric looses another heavy sigh, placing down his cards as he loses interest in the game.

"And what has you so wound?" Faustin questions, eying the prince, "Zetian push you too hard today?"

"I'm surprised you managed to throw her this time!" Danut almost praises, "A pleasant change of pace."

"But she haunts me anyway," Aldric grumbles, crossing his arms.

"She's all up in arms about some incident," Florio explains for him, "Al's been trying to settle it all day but he can't find uhhhh...." Florio blanks, scrounging for the name. 

"Tia," Aldric denotes for him.

"That was it!" Florio agrees with a snap. 

"Well, if you're looking for Tia," Sirius sighs, packing the guitar away into its case, "Guess you can tag along. I'm headed their way!""

So there's yours!" Annie hums satisfactorily, presenting Albert with a simple earring. 

"I gave you this yesterday!" Albert exclaims as he plucks it up, brows high as he looks it over. He can sense the magic humming within nonetheless. 

"With that," Annie states proudly, "You should be as immune to electricity as Tia!" Albert clips the earring into place readily, happy not to be at risk of another stray shock from his unit-mates. Whether that be in practice or an errant spark fueled by Tia's temper. Ifani's fingers find their way to the beads woven into her braids as she listens in, wearing her own pleased smile. Annie releases a sigh as she continues, "Just one left then!"

"Oh!" Tia pops with her realization, catching Annie's gaze, "I actually wanted to ask if you could take a look at something for me?"

"Look at what?" Annie questions, inclining her head to the side. Tia shuffles around her sword, presenting it with a delicate flourish.

"This is a katana, from Nippon," Tia explains as Annie's eyes drag over its ornate sheath, "It's supposed to be enchanted... but I don't know in what way. Would you be able to tell?"

"Certainly!" Annie chirps, already excited to look it over. Annie readily plucks it up as she continues, "Let's take a look!"

Annie places the blade in her lap as she pulls her goggles into place. They all watch as she pinches the metal frame, twisting it and producing a slight click with each movement. Once satisfied with the adjustments, her fingers graze the letters engraved into the metal, bringing to life a dull luminescence. Annie's eyes drag over the sheath first, her fingers feathering over its lacquered surface.

"Seemingly ordinary sheath but..." Annie denotes before twisting her goggle frame again and a smile lights up her face, "A clever deception!" her eyes dart behind her lenses and her fingers drag over the enchantment hidden within the wood, "Someone went through the trouble of squirreling away the usual signs of enchantment. Already quite an interesting piece!"

"My mother said its been in the family for centuries," Tia states, smiling despite the mention of her mother. 

"This sheath doubles as a shield," Annie explains cheerily, "By the look of it, it cannot be broken. A strong Gokrilvek enchantment interlaid with a number of other Shield manifestations using..." Annie pauses, her mouth hanging open before her smile returns, "Material magic and alchemy!"

"What does that mean?" Tia questions timorously, not following her explanation.

"Oh," Annie peeps, "Don't worry about my fussing. Just admiring the craftsmanship!"

"So when you say it's unbreakable...?" Albert questions, jumping in.

"It means no matter how hard you hit it or what magic you toss at it, the sheath won't suffer any damage!" Annie states enthusiastically, "As long as you have enough energy to fuel the enchantment, that is, and the strength to hold it in place!"

"What about the person using it?" Orin questions and Annie's eyes slide to him, "Does it protect them?" Annie looks over the sheath again, studying the finer details and working out different scenarios. 

"Probably not," Annie answers, to everyone's disappointment, "It only protects the sheath itself so," she gives a weak laugh, "Perhaps be wary of your fingers!"

"Okay," Tia chuckles in response, still already quite happy with Annie's discernment so far, "What about the sword?"

"Right!" Annie sounds, already considerably excited to see what else lays in wait.

Firelight glints across the blade as Annie draws the katana, laying the sheath gently aside. Wonder immediately washes over Annie's features as she studies the sword, taking in every detail. The steel of the blade appears totally stained by smooth black ink and seeming stardust is scattered within the metal. This is interrupted only by the letters engraved into the blade, a mixture of ancient accian and kanji. These letters gleam with the same ethereal mineral spattering the black steel. 

"Well I can tell you already," Annie breathes, sliding her fingers along the dull side of the blade, "This is an extraordinary piece!" she gives a sniff of a laugh, "Both the materials and spells poured into this are breathtaking!"

"I've never been so jealous," Euan snorts as Annie marvels over it unabashedly, gently running her fingers over the starry steel, "Of a damn sword!" Annie's hands freeze and her shoulders rise, her flush visible despite the goggles shielding her face. Brynjar coughs down his own chortle, struggling to stifle it despite Ifani's frown in his direction. 

"Don't be a pig!" Tia barks at him with a fiery leer. 

"I-It's fine," Annie squeaks, Tia looking her over with concern.

Brynjar catches Inge's smile, spotting her shoulders jump with the slightest of laughs. He nudges her, giving her a stern shake of his head, and her smile falls away. Ifani watches the interaction, her eyes gliding between the twins as she is unsure of their exchange. 

"A-anyway," Annie takes a deep breath, trying to refocus, "The sword shares the same protective enchantment, it's also unbreakable!" Tia's eyes widen, quickly followed by a smile, "But I'd say the most remarkable quality it possesses is thanks to these beautiful inlays," she grazes the seeming stars within the blade, "These are syltharian crystals, crushed into a powder and mixed into the steel!"

"Syltharian crystal?" Tia questions, her ears popping forward at the increasingly familiar name.

"Syltharian crystals possess a number of unique qualities," Annie chimes, "Supposedly, they are found at the heart of every star! They can contain or channel energy like no other material. In this case," Annie snaps and holds a flame in her palm, "This sword should be able to channel magic!"

Annie presses her ember to the blade and, as the stars gleam with an orange light, fire sprouts across its surface. Delight touches her face while the rest of the gathering marvels in wonder. Annie wafts her hand again, her embers falling away until water takes their place and this liquid quickly overtakes the blade as well, the stars shifting into a cerulean hue. 

"It looks like there might be some kind of blade enchantment as well..." Annie states with some uncertainty, "But..." Annie's smile drops into a dissatisfied frown, "As beautiful as this piece is..." she lets her goggles drop back around her neck and her eyes slide to Tia, "You can't possibly use it."

"What do you mean I can't use it?" Tia questions, her joy falling away, "I thought you said it was unbreakable!"

"Oh, the sword isn't the problem," Annie half-laughs before grimacing, "I mean that you can't use it," Tia searches Annie's eyes for answers and she is hesitant to disappoint her, "There is a reason we don't ordinarily place so many enchantments into one item. Especially powerful ones like these."

"Energy consumption," Albert sounds to Tia's side, his tone carrying something akin to dread.

"No ordinary person could even begin to wield this blade, not without considerable risk. Overconsumption to this degree could even be lethal!" Annie emphasizes, "I doubt it was even made with the intent to be used on the battlefield. At least not by human hands!"

"But I..." Tia releases a pressured breath, glancing to Albert, "I have a lot of energy, don't I?"

"I don't think you understand," Annie tries to state delicately, "It would take someone like myself or a divine descendant to wield something like this to its full potential. If not an actual Aethid!" her eyes fall on the sword again, "If it weren't a family heirloom I'd offer a trade but..."

"I..." Tia hesitates, pressing her lips together as she recalls her interaction with Zetian. Her eyes graze her friends, her nerves falling away as trust takes caution's place. "I might be a divine descendant...?" Tia shares timorously and watches as brows shoot up across her friends' faces.

"Bullshit!" Euan teases, earning a quick leer, "Ye even know whit 'at is?"

"You... don't have that kind of ancestry," Albert speaks more gently than Euan, "As a Minx. Are you saying...?" Tia's shoulders tighten briefly as she braces herself, dropping again as she releases a sigh.

"From my mom's side," Tia states almost vacantly, "The women of my mother's clan are known to carry the blood of the goddess Amaterasu, often serving as concubines to the emperor. I think Amaterasu might be Sylthari... but I'm not totally sure," Tia pauses to scowl, "There's a lot I don't know about her clan, they wouldn't have anything to do with me!"

"That would explain," Albert mutters, laughing to himself before continuing, "Your seemingly bottomless energy!"

"I could tell you," Annie peeps, regaining Tia's focus, "I can give you a reading, if you'd like?" 

"Reading?" Tia questions warily. 

"Clairvoyance," Annie responds and presents her palms, "If you let me,  I can tell quite a bit about you!"

'This is a bad idea,' Duff sounds from Tia's shoulder, catching her gaze.

"You think everything is a bad idea," Tia mumbles to him but still finds herself sighing, looking back to Annie with a half-hearted denial, "You've already done so much for me today. I don't want you to push yourself too hard for my sake!"

"If you're not comfortable with receiving a reading," Annie reassures her quickly, "I understand. But..." she pauses to return the katana to Tia, "You won't know for sure if it's safe for you to use this otherwise. Just let me know if you change your mind, okay? It's really not any trouble for me!"

 "I..." Tia sighs, her eyes resting on the blade as she contemplates the temptation, "Would really like to be able to use this...!" 

Tia looks to Annie, her bright and eager eyes brimming with curiosity, before glancing to Euan behind her. She considers his unquestioning confidence in Annie. Tia's shoulders rise and drop again with another huff and she can sense Duff's dissatisfaction with her decision.

"Okay," Tia finally answers, stashing the katana at her side and offering her hands to Annie, "It can't hurt!"

"Okay!" Annie echoes with a beaming smile, wiggling closer to Tia and cupping her hands underneath Tia's. Annie's magic reminds Tia of a reclusive mountain glade, a quiet pocket of deep forest. Another wilder energy lay beyond this, out of Tia's reach. "Let's take a look then!" Annie chimes and presses her thumbs to Tia's palms. 

Tia can feel Annie's energy pressing into her immediately, feel Annie's mind press into her own similarly to Duff's probing. As Annie shuts her eyes before Tia, they open in her own perception within Tia's mind space.

Caught Orange-Handed

A long but satisfied sigh drags from Tia's lungs as she enters the shadow plane, running her fingers through alabaster locks as she moves towards the compound. She always felt refreshed after speaking with Al. Yet as she moves forward, she collides unexpectedly with another. Her eyes flash open, resting in terror on Euan standing before her with a giddy smile.

"Hey," Euan chimes readily, "Been trying t' catch up t' ye fur... I dinnae ken how long!" Tia's face drains of color as he continues jabbering, her stomach dropping, "Am Euan, whit's yer name?"

'Get out of there!' Duff's voice stirs Tia from her panicked daze, jumping into action himself from within the compound. Tia stashes her hands behind her back and her eyes dart, seeking out an optimal escape. Keeping her hands out of sight, Tia whips around and swims urgently for the mesa top knowing Euan can't follow her there. 

"Oy!" Euan barks, already jumping just behind her despite his confusion, "Why are ye running??"

"Leave me alone!" Tia demands breathily, fear humming away in her chest as a sense of exposure swallows her. 

"I just wanna talk t' ye!" Euan persists, leaping in drastic bounds and quickly closing the distance between them, "I've never met another shadow stepper!" 

Tia's shoulders jump with a harsh wince, her movements faltering as the guilt pangs into her chest like a hammer. Euan gives another strong kick, appearing at Tia's side. He swings around in front of her as she turns away from him, placing himself between Tia and her intended escape. 

"Whit are ye so scared of?" Euan questions, popping a brow at her, "Is 'is about ma cousin?"

"Your..." Tia husks, her eyes sliding to his as the fog encroaches on her mind, "Cousin...?"

"Cuz 'at nyaff needed a good nubbing," Euan chortles, eyeing Tia as a sharp cut jabs into her brain, "Ye dinnae remember?"

"I..." Tia yelps, forcing away the thought and pushing the fog aside, "I'm sorry!"

Tia swivels and dashes back towards the compound, sensing Duff enter the plane. She imitates Euan's way of moving through the shadows, kicking off of them rather than swimming through, but Euan is close behind her. 

"Ye shouldn't run 'at way," Euan tries to warn her, "It's no' safe!"

"I don't want to talk to you," Tia insists, continuing her reckless flight, "I'm not what you think I am!" 

"You heard her, boy," Duff rumbles and a massive silhouette enshrouded by oblique shadows begins emerging amid the compound, "Back off!"

"Azryth's bawsack!" Euan breathes, his eyes widening as he slows.

Duff's eyes enlarge until he seems to eclipse the shadowy imitations below him. The sheen of caliginous scales and even darker, pointed horns poke out from the shadows. Yet before either of them reach the compound, Duff is yanked into the sea below. Azowyr drags Duff below the charcoal waves, restraining him with swaths of shadow and even muzzling him as he attempt to release a raucous screech. Neither Tia or Euan can see him as he's pulled into the center of the plane. 

"Duff!" Tia shouts after him, only met with silence.

'I'm alright,' Duff assures her through their link, 'Just get out of here!'

With a shuddering breath, Tia crosses over into the compound. She slinks into an alleyway in the lodging zone, ready to shift her appearance, but Euan steps out behind her before she can. She shifts into her father's form without altering her appearance, her feathers as snowy as her hair while the usually white spots splattering the inside are instead silver. Tia takes to the air before Euan has a chance to question her further. 

"Whit th' fuck...?" Euan mumbles, watching her flit to a nearby roof. Her usually emerald eyes instead resemble rubies, their crimson hue striking as they dash to Euan before grazing the compound for an escape route. 

Unfortunately for Tia, security staff spot her perching atop the compound first and are quick to jump into action. The bell tower announces their urgency, winged security staff instantly leaping forward to pursue her. Tia's face drains of color, raw fear rooted into her expression. Euan watches with his own astonishment as Tia soars in the sky above the compound, several staff tail-chasing and attempting to flush her into their co-workers' grasp. Two other staff even lock beams of light onto Tia, carefully illuminating the skies and trailing after her.

Tia is considerably agile thanks to her merlin features but she quickly realizes this evasion won't last. That they are simply keeping her busy while their allies fall into position. A bolt whizzes into the air past Tia, detonating in the face of one of her pursuers and causing the rest to scatter. Her eyes lock onto Euan below, crossbow in hand. He waves for her to approach and even prepares a portal for her. Tia swallows her hesitation, diving dramatically into the shadow with Euan close behind her. Light shines into the alleyway too late thanks to his aid. 

"Whit wis 'at??" Euan questions in his full rolling dialect, Tia letting her form fade as she pants for breath. Once able, Tia shifts back into Euan's form and continues to flee, buzzing with too much raw panic to remain still. "Och c'mon!" Euan gripes but this frustration gives way to alarm as he realizes her path, "Wait!" Tia flees towards the school and runs into Annie's vines before Euan can stop her. 

"What is this...?" Tia questions breathlessly, eying the grasping vines which caught her. 

"Dinnae move!" Euan warns her urgently, his voice dripping with caution and his own gaze raking Tia's surroundings, "Trust me, ye dinnae want tae get stung!"

"Stung by wha-" Tia pauses, a sheer black honeybee meandering past her head and landing on a nearby flower. She watches more carefully, spotting at least ten more bees in her vicinity, "W-why...? What are they?"

"Void bees," Euan states, deathly still himself despite maintaining his distance, "One sting will hurt like Azryth touched ye himself but if they swarm ye..." Euan grimaces, "Ye'll be torn t' pieces!"

"Gods dammit!" Tia gives a squeaky husk, already shaking, "W-what do I do?"

"Just stay very still," Euan instructs.

"Of course," Tia bites before meeting his eyes with a heated look, "You just couldn't let me go??"

"Can ye blame me?" Euan answers, popping another brow at her, "Hevn't ye always wanted t' meet another shadow ste..." his eyes narrow suddenly onto her hands, marked by bright orange flame patterns identical to his own, before Euan himself grows pale, "Ye... Yer a shape shifter!"

"Kuso!" Tia curses in a shrill breath, finding herself cornered, exposed and quivering. 

"Azryth take me!" Euan roars, swiveling and swinging a furious fist through empty shadows as a flush works its way up his neck. He shakes with anger, knuckles white as his disappointment overwhelms him. "I should o' known," Euan chastises himself in a deathly low tone, "Thir's no one else like me...!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Tia squeaks, unable to fathom how she might feel had Al been a fake. She waits through an agonizing silence until Euan's shoulders fall, a harsh sigh dropping out of his lungs in one huff.

"Jus'... dinnae move," Euan grumbles, "I'll get ye out o' there."

Euan moves towards the lodging zone without another word, without turning to even look at her. Tia's every reflex screams at her to flee amid this lonesome pause, testing her patience and self control. Yet the same fear which urges her to flee also locks her into place as a honeybee scuttles along her shoulder. As Duff remains silent and out of her reach. As she is left alone in uncertainty, the kingdom already alerted just outside the plane. All of this falls away as Annie and Euan approach, Tia releasing a gasp of a sigh. 

"Oh...!" Annie squeaks, eying Tia's appearance with wide eyes before she refocuses on the hive, "I-I'm afraid this is my fault!" 

"Its fine," Tia mumbles with no power in her voice, unable to meet Euan's gaze, "Can you help me?"

"Yes, of course!" Annie breathes, her eyes sliding to Euan briefly. He stands silent, arms crossed with a stony expression. "I can put them to sleep," Annie explains, "So you can step away."

"I want t' ask ye something first," Euan cuts in, gesturing for Annie to wait as his eyes seek out Tia's, "Are ye really a spy?"

"Am I what?" Tia questions, narrowing her eyes at him but his expression doesn't waver, "No I'm not a spy!" 

"Yer th' one th' king is after," Euan states, inclining his head as Annie's eyes dart between them, "'at's why they were after ye up there, aye?"

"I...!" Tia breathes, her heart hammering away, "I don't know why they're after me but I'm not a spy!" they hold each others' gazes until Tia's softens, "I'm just trying not to get caught!"

"Why would a shape shifter stick around 'is shit show?" Euan questions with furrowed brows, "Especially if they're after ye?"

"Because I'm a recruit," Tia squeaks at first, her tone sharpening as her aggravation builds, "I can't just leave everyone and everything behind!"

"Ye can be anybody ye want t' be," Euan snorts, "An' yer wasting yer time as a recruit?" he gives her another laugh, "Yer either an eejit or yer actually a spy!"

"Gods-dammit Euan!" Tia barks heatedly, "Just let me go!"

"Wait a second..." Euan mumbles, wandering closer to Tia despite the bees. He circles around her and studies her face as she glares at him. He pauses face to face with her.

"What?" Tia bites, planting the hint of a smile on his lips. 

"Moggy...?" Euan questions, watching carefully as Tia gasps. As her eyes widen minutely his smile morphs into a grin. "No," Euan chortles as Tia's stomach drops, "It cannae be!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Tia insists, her tone too high. All of his suspicion falls away and Euan cackles at her reaction despite how his realization grips her with tension. 

"Ow!" Euan sounds as a bee stings his arm, thanks to his jostling.

Tia watches as the flesh surrounding the sting expands with a sudden and violent pop, leaving nothing behind. The surrounding bees zip after him, stinging him twice more before Annie can raise her hands. A buzzing sensation washes through the area, putting every bee to sleep. The tension is quick to return, however, as Duff bursts from the shadowy sea below in his lupine form and snaps at Euan, forcing him back. A snarl sits in his lungs, his attention wholly on Euan and Annie as he looms before Tia. 

"Duff no!" Tia blurts, sensing murderous intent. 

"They know who you are..." Duff reasons grimly, his hackles raised, "I won't allow them to leave!"

"Oh shit...!" Annie squeaks and Euan is quick to step between them, his eyes planted on Duff warily. 

"C'mon now, pup," Euan reasons, taking a dagger from his belt despite his playful tone, "Ye think I'd get moggy into trouble?"

"I don't plan on giving you the chance, boy," Duff snarls and Tia leaps onto him. She throws herself over Duff's shoulders as he lunges, wrapping her arms about his neck and digging her heels into the shadows.

"Stop it!!" Tia roars in his ears and she can feel his body lock up briefly. Euan grips his dagger more carefully, poised and ready to defend Annie. 

"There is no room for your bleeding heart in this!" Duff denies harshly, thrashing and attempting to shake Tia off, "If we spare them you will have to leave everything behind!"

"If you hurt them," Tia rumbles in his ear, stifling her own panic, "I won't ever forgive you!"

"Would th' both o' ye calm yer shit?" Euan barks, Tia and Duff pausing to meet his gaze. 

"H-he's right,"  Annie peeps behind him, "There is no reason to panic. Let's all take a breath!"

"Do you think," Duff growls, matching the rumble in his chest, "I'd give you the opportunity to whisper in the king's ear, Shadow?"

"Wh-what does he mean by that?" Tia questions, glancing between them.

"Yer talkin' about th' King's Shadows?" Euan laughs at the suggestion, "I've got no loyalty t' th' king or his weird club!" Duff eyes Euan carefully, a bluish tint shining in his black eyes. He sees no deception as Euan speaks, none of Irkath's little black maggots creeping across his skin. 

"Then why were you so persistent about her being a spy?" Duff questions, his body relaxing in Tia's grasp. 

"Weel," Euan flashes a smirk, "It wouldnae be any fun getting into trouble wi' someone up t' serious bullshit like 'at," Tia blinks at him, "I finally got someone else t' share the plane wi'! Ye got any idea th' kind o' shenanigans we can pull together?"

"You... believe me?" Tia squeaks at him, earning a quick snort.

"Once I knew it wis you, moggy," Euan reasons in the same tone he always teases her in, "I knew ye weren't a spy! Ye cannae keep a secret t' save yer life!"

"Apparently not," Duff drones, turning his gaze to Annie as Tia releases him, "And you, Allmage?" Annie still hides behind Euan, surprisingly sheepish. Spooked even.

"Ye already knew, aye?" Euan questions her and Tia blinks.

"Yes," Annie peeps, clinging to Euan's arm, "A-and I won't tell anyone. You have my word."

"I need more than your word," Duff rumbles, causing Annie to retreat further behind Euan. 

"Duff!" Tia complains before looking to Annie herself, "How did you know...?"

"The reading," Annie states in a delicate tone, "I... accidently stumbled into a very pertinent memory. O-of your transformation."

"And you didn't tell anyone..." Tia mumbles, looking poignantly to Duff before returning her attention to Annie, "Can I ask why?"

"My life was ruined when the kingdom learned what I was," Annie explains, her voice too soft, "I lost everyone I loved. I would never inflict the same onto another... especially a friend," she pauses, her eyes finding Duff again, "Even if this is all a bit... terrifying."

"Oh..." Tia's gaze falls to Duff. Annie eyes him as if he were a nightmare brought to life. "But you still acted like everything was fine...?" Tia mutters, recalling their encounters since.

"It's not... you I'm scared of..." Annie assures her thoughtfully despite maintaining a timorous tone, "I-I knew from the memory you didn't have a choice in any of this."

"Tia is not contagious, mage," Duff states simplistically, "And I can have only one partner."

"Dinnae worry about Annie," Euan chuckles as she clings to him, "People living in those wee villages in the Chain are superstitious about 'is shite. But she's a smart lass, she'll come around!"

"S-sorry," Annie peeps again, giving Tia an apologetic glance. 

Despite Annie's apprehension, the relief that washes over Tia is contagious. Even Duff can't help but shake out his body in response. Annie and Euan both blink as Tia's eyes pour out tears, sniffling them back as she laughs. All of the tension which had wracked and gripped her body melts away in the face of their understanding. The number of instances she had pictured sharing her secret with her friends was only matched by how many times she had imagined their worst reactions, their utter rejection. Despite her fear of Duff, Annie approaches Tia and clasps her into a hug.

"I can't imagine how scary it must've been," Annie mumbles in Tia's ear, "Carrying this by yourself...!" Tia gives a gasping laugh in her ear, eagerly returning the embrace, "Does anyone else know...?"

"Just my family," Tia answers with a wisp of a voice, wiping at her face as Annie pulls away. 

"And the kingdom is after you...?" Annie questions, glancing to Euan and receiving a firm nod. 

"I don't know why they think I'm a spy," Tia states weakly, "Or how to prove I'm not. My dad is looking into it."

"Weel," Euan sounds, "I can see whit I can learn as a 'Shadow' candidate an' Annie hears a lot as th' Allmage, aye?"

"Mmhmm," Annie hums, pondering briefly, "The staff are definitely plotting something... I'll see what I can find out!"

"Just," Tia blurts before pausing, "Don't get yourselves into trouble for me, okay?"

"But trouble is th' best kind o' fun!" Euan snarks, earning a quick laugh, "Oh an' I gotta ask... whit did Ben do tae piss ye off so much?"

"B-ben...?" Tia questions, her mind fogging over. 

"Yeah," Euan chuckles, gesturing to his own cheek, "Ye gave him a nasty cut!"

"Ah!" Tia cries, clutching her head as a monumental migraine cuts into her skull. 

"You idiot!" Duff snarls, pacing about Tia and whining as her agony pings through their link. 

"What's wrong...?" Annie breathes, reaching out for Tia but recoiling as Duff snarls at her. 

"I-Its the..." Tia pants, shuddering as she tries to shift her focus, "The binding."

"Ohh," Euan hums, "That's whit yer missing!"

"Stop!" Duff barks at him, Annie flinching. 

"He's right," Annie peeps despite this, "Y-you might hurt her, Euan."

"Alright, alright," Euan agrees, gesturing to both of them with wide hands. 

"The best thing we can do for her right now," Annie sounds with resolution, "Is finish the last enchantment. Come on." Duff steps in front of them as they turn to leave. 

"If either of you," Duff warns as Tia regains her bearings, "Give Tia away, I will hunt you down. Are we clear?"

"Such a doting familiar," Euan teases, triggering a low growl from Duff, "Dinnae worry Duff," he grows serious only briefly, "I've finally got a partner in crime, Am no' gonna let anything ruin at!"

Tia can feel an emptiness swallow up her panic and hopelessness and sorrow, swallow her up entirely. It leaves behind only a cold wrath, her own hunger for revenge and the ever insufficient satisfaction wielding this power supplies her with. With an icy leer and teary eyes, Tia draws this power to her, plucking the teensiest pieces of void from all around her and chilling the air with her touch. The wintry wind which previously bit at her wetted skin no longer bothers Tia and her shivers fall away, this cold now at home across her stygian flesh. Miniscule at first, little black shards begin humming to life all around her as she concentrates the power together, guided by the unseen hands overlaying her own.

Before Tia can continue, a tentacle finds her leg and yanks her into the air by her ankle. The kraken hoists Tia before its face, its unnerving gaze boring into her. Tia's eyes find their way to Duff's body behind the kraken, shorn nearly in half and tossed aside with an empty gaze. Tia's rage burgeons further at the sight, further fueling the severe vacuum formed within her chest as she continues pulling this ravenous power to her.

The kraken doesn't see the growing shards hovering all about as it clicks and pops at Tia with narrowed eyes. It speaks to her in an unknown tongue. Tia mashes the shards together into one long razor edge with a squeezing gesture as the creature exposes its beak to her, the cold hands directing Tia clawing into her flesh with the gesture. Behind the kraken, unseen to Tia beyond its hulking form as it readies to swallow her whole, Duff's two halves begin to tremble violently and pour out shadow. 

"Eat this," Tia hisses, the guiding fingers gnawing into her flesh as they press too tightly, "You slimy shit!"

Euan steps out of a shadow in the forest as Tia's blade cleaves the kraken open in one brisk motion, splitting it in two. He blinks, Duff hissing to life behind the colossal beast and bringing his own draconic head over it as if to strike. The blade passes over him, not touching his flesh, and he freezes as his eyes fall onto the corpse and Tia before it.

Tia lands atop rubbery legs as the kraken dies but her shriek isn't from this tumble but from the agony dressing her arms. Most of the inky markings leave her body as she cuts the connection but long jagged streaks of blackened flesh remain across her hands and arms nearly to her elbows. Her flesh is split open and even frostbitten where these marks touch. Tia shivers from the pervasive cold starving her body of heat and blood dribbles out where her flesh has split apart.

"Wh-what is this?" Tia wisps in a squeaky voice as her hands tremble uncontrollably before her, tears streaking her face alongside rain. Duff shrinks down into his natural form, stepping to her and regarding her hands carefully.

'No...!' Duff gasps, his lupine body quivering with guilt as he regards her wounds, 'Y-you shouldn't have- I could've... ' he glances back to the kraken's corpse, 'How could I let this happen...!' Tia ogles him with wide-eyed disbelief as he paces before her, unable to still himself as worries flood his mind. As he chastises his own overconfidence against the kraken.

"Y-you're alive...?" Tia squeaks, "But you-"

"Damn!" Euan sounds, jogging over and ogling the kraken and then Tia's state. 

'Tell him to get the mage!' Duff demands as Euan approaches.

"Moggy ye-" Euan begins.

"Get Annie!" Tia yelps, the flesh of her hands continuing to burn cold, "Please!"

"Right," Euan sounds, quick to melt into the shadows. 

"Duff..." Tia whimpers, her eyes seeking him out, "You died!"

'Don't worry about me right now,' Duff states, curling his body around her as he lays at her side and attempts to warm her.

"B-but..." Tia gasps, "I-I don't understand what-what just happened and..." her voice trails off and her eyes narrow as she parses through her restored memories, "You... you bound me!" Duff's head pops up and his eyes widen. It hadn't crossed his mind that his death might release the effect. 

'Tia...' Duff drones in a cautious tone.

"How could you do that to me??" Tia's voice leaps as her pain only seems to worsen. She expects her accusation to lash at him but his composure is unwavering as she continues, "It was you this whole time!"

'Everything I do is to keep you safe,' Duff answers with a steady tone.

"My friends could have died today!" Tia seethes, "And all for what, for more of your secrets?"

'I don't care what I have to do,' Duff rumbles suddenly, 'To keeps his hands from you! To keep more of this from happening!' He points his snout to her hands and Tia falls silent, her expression pinching as she contemplates further.

"You know what would have kept whatever this is from happening?" Tia levels an unforgiving leer onto him and he flinches as she holds out her hands, "Telling me what all of this is!"

"What's wrong?" Annie sounds stepping out of a nearby shadow and glancing wildly for Tia. Her eyes widen onto Tia's hands, dropping down before Tia immediately. 

"Whit's wrong wi' her?" Euan questions, his eyes skimming Duff briefly as he lingers nearby.

"Elemental marring...!" Annie breathes, brows knit as she studies Tia's hands. 

"What...?" Tia peeps, Annie's eyes flicking to hers briefly. 

"It..." Annie speaks hesitantly and her hands cup Tia's, earning a wince, "It happens to mages, sometimes," Annie explains as she pours energy into Tia's hands, a gentle warmth refreshing Tia's frostbitten flesh, "When we use more elemental magic than we can handle. Each aspect will corrupt the caster's flesh in its own way."

They all fall silent as Annie works away at Tia's wounds, fingertips dragging over each branch of the markings. Annie's magic pulls her flesh back together and breathes warmth into Tia's injuries until the markings fade away. Despite this, Tia's hands are left with thin white scars, reaching from her wrists along her forearms. It remains cool to the touch, a dull ache remaining, and she still feels as though those cold fingers grip her hands.

"Am no' surprised ye pushed yerself too far," Euan notes and he juts his chin to the body of the kraken, "I've never seen anything like 'at before!"

"Oh...!" Annie gasps, "Right, the spell!"

"I don't need it anymore..." Tia mumbles in a bitter tone, her stormy expression finding Duff again, "I remembered."

 "Really?" Annie questions, cocking her head to the side until Tia offers a sour faced nod. Her eyes slide back to the kraken as she continues, "Would it be... inappropriate of me to... to take a few pieces?"

"Go ahead," Tia gives a harsh sigh, her body still sluggish and heavy as she rises to her feet, "After all you've done for us? Take whatever you want! In fact, grab something for me. I want a momento," Tia's voice drops into a severe tone before she looks to Duff, "And what about you? Are you going to give me any answers today?"

'Just one,' Duff answers coolly, 'If you continue to wield these powers, the scars that mark you won't just be physical. They will change you.' Duff fades into shadow as he utters his warning.

"I dinnae whit he said," Euan chuckles, "But he's just as dramatic as Azowyr himself!"

"What..." Tia mutters, eying her new scars, "Are we going to tell everyone happened...?"

Euan eyes the kraken as they both fall into thought, as Annie meanders the remains plucking up pieces here and there. Tia even catches Annie drawing circles in the air with hands stained black, stashing materials into teeny portals.

"We say Annie did her spell on ye," Euan states, meeting her eyes, "After ye and yer familiar killed it," a smile tugs at his face, "An' maybe I helped out a bit!"

So Close

"Take a seat," Modeste directs, barely stifling an irate tone. Ben paces the confines of her office, Modeste watching his brisk steps and wide-eyed gaze. The man pauses in front of her desk, rigid as he tries to reel in his emotions. "What is this about?" Modeste questions into his silence. 

"I..." Ben husks, taking another deep breath, "I remembered something about the girl."

"You did?" Modeste inflects dramatically.

"I did," Ben answers and gives a grimace, gesturing to his head, "I-I think her familiar did something to me, so I would forget... But I remember!" Ben gasps, his eyes flashing to Modeste, "I have to tell the Marshal!"

"Give me your report first," Modeste insists, gesturing to the chair before her desk, "I'd rather not waste her time with something trivial."

"You don't understand," Ben exclaims, gesturing wildly in his urgency, "I know who she is!" Modeste watches him with brows raised, holding his gaze before rising to her feet. Ben flinches, feeling particularly wary with who hears this information.

"Wait here then," Modeste requests with a curt sigh, her tone heavy, "I'll send for her."

Modeste gestures again for Ben to sit, the man releasing a tumbling sigh as he settles into the chair. His leg still jumps and he quickly finds himself glancing to the door. Modeste steps into the hall, cracking the door shut, and he hears her ask an aide to bring Beatrice. His brows knit as he realizes there are no footsteps outside as Modeste shuts the door. There is no one in the hall.

Ben's gaze searches the floorboards at his feet as he tries to work out why Modeste would keep him from the Marshal. Modeste herself steps steadily back to her desk, settling into place as she regards Ben. A moment of silence passes between them, her sky blue eyes never leaving his.

"What makes you so sure you know who she is?" Modeste questions him finally. 

"I..." Ben draws out his breath as he considers, "I've seen her before."

"The same girl who attacked you?" Modeste questions, popping up a brow and receiving only a stiff nod from Ben, "I see." 

A silence persists between them, confounding Ben further. She was making no attempt to question him or to stall. Modeste was indeed waiting for Beatrice's arrival and Ben wonders if he's being too paranoid. She watches his shoulders lower as he takes another calming breath. A knock sounds on the door, Beatrice arriving much quicker than he had expected. She steps into the room, a smile touching her lips as she glides to the desk with arms tucked behind her back. 

"Is it true?" Beatrice questions, holding his gaze with surprising intensity, "You know who she is?" Ben nods to her, a brief movement, and she struggles to stifle her excitement, "Lets hear it then!"

"I met her before my assignment here," Ben explains, his eyes jumping between the two women, "On an escort. Before she..." he presses his lips together at the memory, "I think before she became a shape shifter."

"So you know her true identity?" Beatrice questions with eager eyes.

"Yes," Ben answers rigidly, holding a breath in his lungs as he considers the implications of Tia's identity. As he tries to grasp how she could possibly be a spy. This was one of many questions his revelation has left him with. Beatrice and Modeste glance to each other, Modeste easily recognizing the exuberance barely restrained in her superior's expression. 

"Go on then," Beatrice requests, "Who is she?"

"Her name is..." Ben begins, falling silent as a butterfly lands on her shoulder and he stiffens, "W-why are you... in the wrong uniform...?" 

Ben watches as Beatrice freezes, her eyes dropping down to the fabric framing her. Her uniform is red where it should be white. Her body tightens and her hands clench into fists amid her silent lamentation, as she chastises her own hastiness. She releases her disappointment all at once in a dramatic sigh, leaning her body lazily against the desk as she regards Ben with a frigid leer.

"And we were so close...!" Beatrice complains in a lilting tone, her shift in behavior leaving Ben pale, "Gods, I truly do hate these gaudy garments."

"Ma'am?" Modeste questions stiffly, pulling a chuckle from her superior. 

"The jig is up, hun," Beatrice titters, flicking a sly look to her cohort, "I don't think he's falling for our little act anymore."

"I see..." Modeste hums, pacing her way to the door and switching over the lock. The sound claws Ben's shoulders with a cold fear, his stomach jumping. 

"Ben, wasn't it?" Beatrice questions with narrowed eyes, tilting her head to the side, "You strike me as the fearful sort of man. A man who values his own life." 

Ben flinches as a knife flies over his head, striking the string holding the curtains to the side and washing the room in shadow. Modeste steps forward and places her hands on the chair just behind Ben's shoulders. He watches as her skin takes on an almond tone, as she morphs into a less feminine body. Ben's eyes widen, darting to Beatrice as she shifts back into Lily. 

"Sh-sh-shape shifter spies...!" Ben gasps as his eyes dart between them.

"Ohhh, yes," Lily titters, clapping her hands together with amusement, "Such a cute little fabrication isn't it? A bit on the nose, really. Yet here we are, playing it out anyway!"

"Mother," her companion admonishes her, dropping their voice. 

"Oh, I know," Lily sighs, chuckling briefly, "Nothing to worry about, Cuntur. I don't think this one will survive to tell anyone..." her smile only sharpens as she sees the panic which touches Ben's eyes, "Or... I suppose that depends on the choices you make, Ben. There is only one way you're walking out of here, you see." As Lily continues to speak, the butterfly on her shoulder morphs and Wyrm takes on his favored serpentine form. He coils about Lily's shoulders as claws extend from Cuntur's fingers, resting on Ben's shoulders.

"Y-you think I'd crack," Ben denies despite his fear, "Just because you threaten to kill me? I'm a soldier!"

"Oh, Ben," Lily's voice lilts with a string of laughter, "Death surely isn't the worst I have in store for you!"

Lily steps closer to him, running a finger over his forearm. Ben jumps, Cuntur holding him still as he grimaces, sharp sensations digging underneath his flesh. His stomach wrenches as maggots begin wriggling their way out from underneath his flesh.  Another laugh graces Lily's lips as Ben fights getting sick, feeling them gnaw away at his arm and burrow through his skin. 

"Why do you even need my help," Ben hisses, "She's one of you!"

"All I need from you, Ben, is her name," Lily hums, leering over him, "And then me and my children will take her and go! No more spies, no more traps, no more shape shifters hiding among you. Everyone gets what they want!"

"His majesty... wants the girl," Ben drones quietly at first but his quivering fades as he makes up his mind, "I don't care what you do to me. I won't betray my kingdom!" An orange light wells before Ben, within his palms, but before he can finish Lily exhales a puff of spores into his face. The orb peters out as Ben falls unconscious. 

"I suppose I misread him," Lily sighs as he droops in Cuntur's grip, "Take him back and have the children work on him," her eyes slide to Wyrm as she speaks, "Get me that name!"

"Do we have anyone lined up to take his place?" Cuntur questions, shifting back into Modeste's appearance.

They watch as Lily presses her lips together in thought. Mushrooms sprout all about Ben's limp body as Wyrm coils about him, quickly swallowing up them both before they fade into Ithkor's Plane. Lily waves her hand, the remaining mushrooms fading away at her gesture.

"No, we won't be replacing this one," Lily states decidedly, "I think it best Ben goes missing!"