It’s pretty obvious when Ketu’s party arrives and pushes the centipede through into our plane. I don’t understand why they’re helping when they could be mustering a last-ditch effort to murder the monster.

When Ash steps into the grassland a few seconds later, flanked by Ketu and Danessa, things start to click into place. The other ascendant mentors and mentees follow close behind, fanning out in a circle. The hunt is clearly over, though whether my team will be declared the victor is yet to be determined.

I suddenly spot Crystal next to Karanos, the fish’s wide-eyed gaze as expressionless as ever. Hey, I think. What the heck is going on? I kept the centipede alive like you asked. I think it might be sleeping now that I’ve stabilized it.

“It is sleeping. Also, you do not need to worry that Ash will suspect my illegal interference. I pinned all the blame for keeping the centipede alive on Messeras.”

I blink. You what?

Any explanation is cut off when Ash begins to speak. “So, the centipede lives, in the end.” I can’t read his expression at all. “I’ll acknowledge that keeping it alive as you have is more of a trial than killing it outright. In spirit, the team of ascendants composed of Ian, Vik, Marcus, Maria, and Alan wins this round of the pageant.”

In spirit. That isn’t encouraging.

Ash gestures to the centipede’s body, which isn’t difficult, given that its body is sprawled in all directions. “I think an explanation is in order those of you who made it this far. The centipede is an agent of destruction, and I have some part to play in its creation.” His eyes narrow. “I want it dead to finish what I started, and admittedly forgot to finish, many years ago. I mean, really, just look at it. It’s a death machine only black faction could love. And yet, you all looked into its thousands of beady, evil eyes and saw something there that I still do not.” He raises his eyebrows. “Enlighten me.”

Didn’t you say that you pinned this all on Messeras? I taunt Crystal. Then why is Ash asking us our reason for sparing the creature?

“Messeras confessed!” Crystal affirms, genuine confusion filling her thoughts. “I do not understand why Ash still seeks an alternative explanation.”

The answer is rather obvious to me, but I’ll spell it out for her. Ash is a powerful Beginning practitioner, Crystal. You had Messeras lie to him; are you really surprised that he didn’t fall for it? It’s at times like these that I remember that despite her age and wisdom, Crystal is naive, almost childlike, potentially deceived by someone like Ash who can fully defend his mind from her intrusions. You could come clean about your involvement. Ash isn’t a Remorse practitioner–he can’t read the thoughts of the centipede like you can. He has no way to perceive its spark of intellect. I’m sure he’d be very interested to learn of it from you.

“But Karanos said I will get in trouble for interfering,” Crystal says, mentally moping.

Sometimes we have to face the consequences of our actions, rather than trying to scheme them away, I reply honestly. I’m also culpable for listening to you, rather than ignoring your request outright.

“Do you regret it?”

My lips twitch into a slight smile. Nothing has even happened yet–what’s there to regret?

“I do not know what to say.”

I roll my eyes inwardly. What’s the worst Ash will do once he learns of Crystal’s interference? There’s no way he’ll kill her, right?

The thought gives me pause. Maybe Ash would kill Crystal on a whim, for something as minor as going against his directions. Ancient Ash all but admitted to being the Life practitioner responsible for creating the centipede’s parent and destroying Vizier’s Crown. And there’s likely a reason Karanos looked like he’d seen a ghost when he first encountered the ancient in the faction complex.

But if Ash were really that callous, Karanos wouldn’t have let the fish interfere at all. I genuinely believe that.

Ash’s eyes survey those present. “No one has an explanation for me?”

To their credit, my teammates maintain impassive expressions, never once looking my way, clearly trying not to implicate me. It’s a show of loyalty, but it’s unnecessary.

If you won’t say anything, I will.

The words roll off my tongue. “The beast is intelligent.”

Ash nods slowly, his hands clasped behind his back. “So that’s how it is. I never detected anything intelligent about its movements and activities, but it has been largely dormant its entire life with only a trickle of energy to sustain it.” He smiles. “How did you know? Your team has no mind reader.”

He definitely knows this is your doing, I think. “I confess that Crystal informed me of its intelligence.”

“Did she merely inform you, or did she interfere further?”

“She asked me not to kill it. There was no other interference.”

Ash hums. The atmosphere is heavy with tension. Suddenly he vanished, his form reappearing next to Crystal. Karanos visibly flinches, one arm reflexively moving toward Crystal’s side.

“I’m disappointed,” Ash says. “You could’ve come to me with your knowledge, Crystal. I thought we were friends.”

The fish shudders. I don’t need to hear her thoughts to tell that she’s terrified.

Ash wipes his face with a hand and sighs. He then glares at Karanos. “What did you tell her, to make her fear me so?”

Karanos stiffens, then bows his head. “I merely said that there are punishments for breaking the rules of the pageant and advised her to be cautious. Because of the last-minute nature of this hunt, stipulations regarding punishments were never codified, meaning you would be within your rights to punish anyone transgressing in any way you wish.”

“You can’t undo fear,” Ash snaps, showing Crystal his back.

“It was not what he said,” Crystal interjects, “but what he did not.”

Karanos’s eyes raise to meet Ash’s; the two of them gaze into each other’s eyes for a moment before Ash turns to face Crystal again.

“I’m not going to punish you, Crystal. You saved an interesting specimen from destruction.” He suddenly turns on Karanos, a hand clasped around the man’s throat, his long, talon-like nails threatening to draw blood. “I am displeased with you, Ascendant Karanos.” His hand crushes inward, decapitating Karanos with a snap and a squelch of flesh. Karanos’s body explodes into particles.

Ash waits a few seconds for Karanos to re-enter the plane. Karanos appears wearing the same light armored vestments as before, his expression, stern as ever, unreadable.

Nodding to the returned ascendant, Ash continues as though he hasn’t just crushed Karanos’s throat to pulp. “I declare the team that incapacitated the centipede the victor of the hunt.” He snorts. “Since Ascendant Messeras has claimed the centipede’s body, and I accept that claim, another prize is in order. I saw most of the fight from afar, so I have seen enough to determine the contribution rankings. Fifth is Alan. For your prize, you can claim an artifact from my hoard–nothing too fancy, mind you. I’ll have to approve it. Fourth is Marcus.” Marcus’s fists tighten. “You will also get an artifact. In third is Maria. Your prize will be tied in with Ian’s. Second is Vik, to whom I’ll bestow a token of favor for a lesson with an ancient who has mastery over wind. You have many masters and mentors around you–I encourage you to save that token until you can no longer benefit from their guidance.” He turns to me. “And Ian Dunai, first of the lot. You’ll be taking a short sabbatical with me, and I’ll also be giving you another prize, to be disclosed later.”

“Karanos thinks that it may be a return beacon!” Crystal cheers.

My eyes snap to Karanos, whose complexion is ashen, though he maintains his composure. Without Ash’s display a minute earlier, I might not have understood the full weight of what was happening. Ash’s reward for me has a dual purpose as a punishment for Karanos.

The only true leverage that Karanos has over me is the promise of a return beacon. It’s technically in my best interest to return as soon as possible to my home world to stop the Infinity Loop. I should be overjoyed that I’m not beholden to Karanos anymore, that I don’t need to follow his scheme to kill Achemiss and put my life at risk.

But instead of excitement, I don’t feel much of anything at all. That’s what Karanos assumes, but how could he know? There’s no reason for Ash to give me a return beacon. It makes no sense.

The more I think about it, the more certain I become that Karanos is wrong. He’s projecting his own fear.

As a member of the faction, it’s within Ash’s best interest to see me kill Achemiss, is it not? Why would he interfere in Karanos’s efforts? I shake my head slightly. Ash already vented his anger on Karanos by killing him–would he really be so petty as to punish him by undoing all of his preparations?

“Perhaps you are right,” Crystal acknowledges. I sense a hint of surprise from her at my rebuttal. “

And just between you and me, I add, even if I had a return beacon now, I wouldn’t use it.

“I know.”

Of course she would.

“It will take more power than you have now to make a difference,” she continues. “At least, that is what you think.”

It’s not just what I think, it’s the truth. Even with ascendant energy, I’m still a squishy Death practitioner. I might be able to cheat death, but only in specific circumstances, when I’m in control. If I’m betrayed after I return, perhaps incapacitated or assassinated in my sleep...that’ll be the end, and my world will still fall to the corruption of the Infinity Loop.

The truth of the matter is that I’m not just trying to gain power to kill Achemiss, but to prepare myself for my return and the near-impossible task of stamping out every vestige of the Infinity Loop technology. Accomplishing the former is almost a test of qualification for the latter.

Taking place in the mind, my conversation with Crystal passes quickly, unnoticed by others. Having delivered his judgment, Ash turns and re-opens the tear in the veil leading back to the fragrant veil. Nobody moves after him.

When the tear mends itself, the whole contingent takes a collective breath in relief. I had been partially aware of the tension in the air, but only now recognize how oppressive Ash’s presence was.

“Do you have a habit of pissing off ancients?” I murmur. Karanos is standing close enough that I nudge him with my elbow.

Karanos blinks. “I think...I need a drink.”

—

Though my team developed some level of basic companionship over the course of the challenge, we break apart after re-entering Messeras’s plane, most of them returning to Vizier’s Crown.

In an utterly pissy mode, Karanos sulks behind me, while Crystal and Maria follow along next to my side. Maria’s diadem is active, so she looks and feels mostly alive.

I roll my eyes and look behind. “We’re going to get you that drink,” I remind him.

Soon enough, we reach Messeras’s tree bungalow. The wind elementalist would have needed to be asleep or dead not to sense our approach, so I’m not surprised to see him leaning on a balcony railing with a dry expression, what looks like a blue martini held in hand.

“I hear that you’re in need of drinks?” he says, projecting his voice over the wind into our ears.

Rather than flying up, we climb the steps sticking out of the tree like fungus, Crystal’s Death energy paws clacking on them as though they’re made of stone.

Messeras is in his humble living room to greet us.

That’s definitely not a martini olive, I think, now close enough to see his unconventional drink. The round ball impaled by a toothpick floating in his drink almost looks like an inflated raisin. It’s not particularly appetizing, but who knows–probably tastes great, given Messeras’s penchant for cooking.

“So, can someone other than Crystal explain what’s going on?” Messeras snorts. His eyes settle on Karanos for an extra second. “She’s been bombarding me with all sorts of informational tidbits, though it’s not a particularly cohesive narrative.”

I clear my throat. “I suppose I can start from the beginning.”

Maria’s lips quirk into a smile and she raises an eyebrow. “Where is the beginning, exactly? When you left with Karanos, or the pageant?”

Uh...

Messeras chuckles, setting off a wave of laughter through the room. Even sullen Karanos smiles, his cold demeanor thawed.

I didn’t realize how good it would feel to see Messeras again, but now that I’m here, I find all my worries melting away for the moment. At least for tonight, I won’t worry about the sabbatical with Ash or the possibility that he’s planning to bestow upon me a return beacon, as unlikely as that sounds.

Tonight, we celebrate.