Serena quickly found the undines, hurray! And they were indeed in one of Jeff's marked locations.

However, retrieval would be significantly more of an ordeal. As she detailed the multiple layers of security, I soon realized I'd never have been able to manage this on my own.

In brief, the facility was in an 'encased estate,' a sort of bubble enclosure warding off inclement weather and other unwelcome intrusions. The whole property benefited from a thick fence, thicker warding, and unfortunately not-so-thick guards with Skills. A single sign of suspicious activity and the whole place could be instantaneously locked down, sealing our discovery and capture. The only ways in were through the front gate, which was under constant scrutiny by said Skilled guards, and teleporting, which required authorization or would trigger a lockdown even if successful.

And these were just the security measures for entering the general facility. More was in store for each of the higher-risk holding areas, including where the undines were.

(How was it the Breeders were so much richer than Tamers?

...I supposed it paid to keep their charges in cost-efficient confinement, rather than let them roam free over miles of natural wilderness.)

Unfortunately, our planning stumbled slightly when it became obvious I had no particular experience or talent at infiltration. I suggested a raincheck, actually so I could read a few relevant books.

After giving the matter some thought, I also took the time to go shopping in my new disguise for four more. The ensuing strategy session started out awkwardly. Serena eyed my four masked friends with interest, repulsion, and wariness, asking, "Are you all Tamers? Do you usually do this sort of thing?"

"We are here for personal support," Bessie said, clearly enjoying the role of mystery operative.

I felt shamefully vindicated when the tables now turned and Serena was the one scrambling to keep up. Unable to field many of our questions, she agreed to return to the facility for a more thorough inspection.

"But that doesn't solve our biggest problem," Bessie pointed out. "How do we safely move the undines?"

"Can't you use one of your guild's carriers?" Serena asked.

"I don't have access to those kinds of guild resources," I admitted. And I couldn't afford my own personal-use storage item, never mind a specialized holding item.

This bottleneck seemed insurmountable, but eventually Serena sighed and said, "I'll try to think of something." She perked up a little as she added hopefully, "And where will we be moving them?"

"Back to the ocean, basically," I answered. In the ideal scenario, Nailla and I had agreed, we'd make a quick detour to sever our bond before releasing them all to swim on home.

Serena was clearly unhappy with this. "Why not keep them with your guild? At least for a bit?"

"We're freeing them," I said, "Not swapping out their cages." Plus this way the other undines need never know of the Familiar Bond.

"But isn't it dangerous to just let undines go like that?" she persisted. "If they didn't like humans before, they most definitely hate us now."

"Nailla's sworn they will stay away from humans for the next century, with the caveat they'll fight back if their home's invaded." Serena still appeared to be having second thoughts, so I added, "Their normal encounter rate with humans is already low, and anybody who ventures that far and deep should be more than aware of the dangers."

"That will have to do, I suppose."

Sensing her lingering doubts, I couldn't help thinking of Jeff's and Brandon's warnings she was like an unreliable trigger-based Skill. They'd been against me meeting any Breeder -- later any Beste -- from the start and stuck fast to their suspicions since.

"Even if she's personally treated those under her 'care' well, she still serves an institution that treats them as property," Jeff said. "There are Skills to deceive truth stones... I wouldn't be surprised a Beste has them."

"Mark my words, no Breeder gives help without wanting something," Brandon said. "All about hard coin and profit, those."

After some deliberation, I decided against bringing up just yet what it was she wanted. It was disappointing the Tamers could be so close-minded, when they kept such an open mind and heart for others most humans considered nothing but monsters.

Incidentally, Nailla and I continued to sever and reform our bond as needed. At this point I probably should've just asked the Tamers to officially oversee our bonding, since Serena already knew and planned to soon join them, but such a step would drastically reduce both our standards of living. I wanted my time in the library, and undines were social creatures; it was obvious to me Nailla was in noticeably better spirits now she was no longer stuck brooding alone in her river with only my occasional company. (In particular, she and the foxes could often be found playing together when I visited. I couldn't help finding this matchup bizarre, what with their very different personalities.)

Additionally, other than the initial pain after bond severance, a subsequent rest day spent recovering my mana, and the cost in time, effort, and coin, I didn't note any unwelcome consequences to our repeat activities. Well, except for a vaguely unclean feeling, like I was maybe misusing or exploiting something that should be sacred... no, logically, just our very souls.

Our bond also didn't appear to noticeably improve or worsen. We were still much more limited than if joined by [Familiar Bond], but I was beginning to appreciate the possible advantages of our noncommittal arrangement, even as I recognized it wouldn't make sense for most people; probably better to preserve the sanctity and success of [Familiar Bond].

Regardless, we soon stopped bonding before meetings with Serena, since she never asked to see Nailla. She did ask about reuniting with Leo and Rolf, which I had to tell her could only happen after (the Tamers had flatly refused).

After that second visit to the undines' prison, Serena determined she could indeed help us bypass most defenses... except fellow members and employees of her guild. "We could just knock out anyone with sleep spray," Blake said. "Quick, easy, quiet."

I would've expected Serena to balk at this, but after some clarifying questions and reassurances, she seemed perversely gleeful. I could only presume she was packing some serious resentment towards her soon-to-be former guildmates.

Then I had to look away and swallow down guilt. I couldn't tell her we had one sleep spray reserved for her, so she could wake up after and be fed some story about my broken bond, including maybe that it was so traumatizing we'd prefer she never mention it again, please.

Most importantly, we decided on a date. April 4, the last day of the spring festival. Fortuitously, this was the holiday associated with nature and familiars, so both Breeders and Tamers should be out there in force to celebrate and advertise. And thus, the facility should be operating at minimum staff.

With the actual time for action approaching... everything seemed different, colored by this knowledge, underscored by a vague sense of impending doom. I didn't want to think too deeply about the possibility of failure or the very real consequences, even as I understood ignorance was cowardice.

I was leading my friends into danger and crime and possibly Hellsfell.

I knew it wasn't the end of the world, that in the grand scheme of things nothing consequential would change, but I couldn't help feeling as though the next step marked a major turning point, a crossroads of no return. I could be the type of person who pulled back, selfishly or fearfully, from helping a fellow sapient being in need; or the type who risked her friends and broke human law to help a monster.

I would rather stay here, innocent and untried. But time plowed mercilessly onward, forcing me forward into my choice and judgment, left or right, black or white or grey.

I'd long since decided already. I could regret where I'd steered my ship but not enough to turn the wheel. I... was afraid.

Almost unnoticed amongst the higher drama, I'd finally finished a Scroll of Advanced Appraisal. Then I'd purchased the necessary materials and whenever I had the mana to spare Scribed a copy, though I kept putting off finding a buyer. Honestly, it wasn't my finest work, consuming an excessive amount of the user's mana for a onetime cast of short duration after a comparatively long casting time. (Look, at least it worked, all right? Even Senior Grace conceded it was functional!)

Anyway, this was only noteworthy because Georgina came knocking with a business proposal. She was willing to supply us with proper disguises to go with our magical masks for the low, low price of only a dozen of my Scrolls per outfit plus discounts on future Scroll options. Seeing as she'd suddenly morphed into a Merchant -- though she'd hate the comparison -- I treated her as one and ruthlessly bargained her down.

I could sense she was eager for this commission anyway, though I didn't understand her motives until we shook hands and she said: "Oh, and if you happen to be caught, don't forget to credit me for your costume. While posing like this for the mugshots."

"I thought you're particular about your clientele," I said, reddening.

"I am. The type of customer who sees a fashion-forward criminal in the papers and decides 'I want that'" -- her ruby-red lips curled upwards -- "sounds like my idea of a fun time. Cutting edge, you know?"

I glanced behind her to where Naomi was nodding seriously along as she took measurements, apparently unconcerned she'd be doing the bulk of the grunt work on a rush job. "Absolutely!" the assistant said with total sincerity. "Anybody can slap together a store display, but this! Is genius!"

Well... I had to appreciate their dedication to their craft.

The final result was that the whole team wore stylish matching outfits on the morning of April 4, making us appear considerably more prepared (than we really were). I had on a fine cloak fitted neatly over my mage robes, like a cover over a book. Hidden underneath were comfortable platforms to obscure my true height. Everything was in dark colors, naturally, even including said platforms. On casual inspection we now more resembled partygoers masked in the name of fashion than obvious outlaws.

And that was all I would say on clothing. Ready or not, the appointed time had come. Come what may, the waiting and worrying was at an end.

Again, the preparations on our side looked far more impressive than in truth. Serena's eyes fairly popped when I began casting with my Scroll of Advanced Teleportation despite my best attempt at discretion. I felt her concerns and suspicions grow, obviously wondering how I could obtain such a valuable Scroll yet claim lack of resources. She began to open her mouth then quickly snapped it closed, unaware I could cast through a few interruptions.

We teleported all together to a conveniently isolated location within walking distance of our destination, which I'd previously taken a portal out of disguise to scout out. The high fence, wrought iron gate, and idyllic scenery visible from outside suggested the property might belong to anyone from a wealthy retiree to even a noble, which I supposed was the point, deterring casual trespassers lest the incident become much more serious than intended.

The next step would be all up to Serena. Having 'liberated' a carrier from her guild, thankfully sparing us the details, she activated it and waited with trepidation.

One by one we entered the holding item. It was filled mostly with water, leaving a small floating platform that barely fit the five of us. "Did I mention I hate this plan?" Blake said, after we'd bobbed silently for a time.

"This blows," Bessie agreed. "But hey, if they catch us at the entrance, we haven't yet committed any crime."

I still breathed a huge sigh of relief when we emerged not inside an interrogation room or prison cell but within the facility itself. As I'd thought, the wards were effective against forcing or stealing one's way inside, but they weren't sophisticated enough to detect simply entering unseen along with an authorized visitor.

Unfortunately, the same tactic would not be sufficient for entering the undines' section. Access required a key kept on this side, thus preventing any successful monster escapes. Serena had estimated but been unable to confirm its location, and so we hurriedly began our search... or rather, I told my friends where I sensed presences and otherwise kept out of the way, while they searched. Despite the holiday and supposed drop in occupancy, this place was just filled with presences... and I couldn't always distinguish which were human. I erred on the side of caution and filled my friends' ears, ignoring Serena's curious glances.

The Breeder facility reminded me of a cross between a giant laboratory and menagerie: sterile white walls, long corridors with closed doors, and occasional windows through which we could observe separate habitats occupied by a single species each. We were still in the low-risk area, so I saw mostly small cuddly critters likely intended as household pets, hedgehogs and lemurs and the like.

I was glad I didn't sense any miserably crying out for rescue. I probably wouldn't have been able to help myself, Empathy reveal or no.

Eventually, Blake obtained the key with a few efficient applications of sleep spray. Or so I assumed from my friends' happy reactions immediately following the people I'd indicated nodding off; I was still on lookout in the white corridor outside.

They came back out, nodded to me, and headed for the undines. Everything appeared to be going smoothly. Just as planned.

But my heart still hammered in my chest, Nailla rolled within me like my personal embodiment of seasickness, and I felt constantly on edge, like I was waiting for some hammer just out of sight to drop. Clearly I wasn't meant for this kind of quest. Or maybe it'd get better with experience?

Anyway, my tense hyperawareness caused me to sense the new arrival immediately, even through the many distracting presences. "Somebody is coming!" I warned.

Rather than risk the holiday-busting workaholic spotting us down a long unobstructed hallway, we hurriedly piled into a random room -- oh look, snacks, and even a small bed -- and waited.

But the person didn't pass us by. Instead the steps turned down our hallway, continued forwards... and then paused just outside our door.

Through my disbelief, I managed to hiss a warning, and everybody but Serena dove for cover. As I flattened myself behind a sofa, I couldn't help wondering at the unreal coincidence... except no, we'd happened upon a break room, so maybe it wasn't that ridiculous?

Then the door swung open, and Serena's emotions spiked with shock. "Dad?"

What.

"Serena Belladonna Beste." Unlike everybody else present, including myself, the gravelly voice's owner felt unsurprised. "What are you up to now, young lady?"

"What am I? What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on my only daughter. You haven't been your usual self lately, filling my desk and ears with your complaints and suggestions. You think I didn't notice? And now you arrive unannounced where you have no business being... on a holiday?"

Despite the words and tone, I could sense the speaker actually felt more concerned than suspicious. But Serena bristled in response. "Maybe I'm considering a job transfer," she said snippily.

I felt my lips tug down into a frown behind my mask. Something felt... off. Even more off. Serena was tense and nervous, yes, but no more so than when we'd first started out on this quest. If anything, she felt more annoyed, as though her father's appearance was an irritating inconvenience rather than disaster in the making. More than that...

I stared blankly into space, seeing the same puzzle pieces forming a completely different picture. My stomach tightened as the reality of the situation crashed into me.

I... I was afraid. I had no idea what to do. Continue forward despite the newest obstacle? Give up, when we were already here and so close?

Blake was creeping closer to the duo, unnoticed through their arguing. Should I stop him? Help him?

I just wanted time to stop. I needed time to think!

"You don't trust me!" Serena was saying. I wasn't even sure whether she was deliberately trying to distract, or if she was just getting carried away by her own passionate feeling. "You never let me have the meaningful assignments, and then you say I can't handle that much responsibility--"

"I never said... what?"

This last was slurred. I shot up on unsteady legs, watching as Serena caught the crumpling form of her father. "What have you done?" she cried out. "You'll activate lockdown--"

As though her words had done just that, the lights flickered off and came back flashing red. A low buzzing sound filled the air; the ward net stirred like a hornet's nest, lifting the mana density even where we stood.

The sound of locks engaging down the hallway made me freeze, my blood running cold. Thankfully, my friends reacted quickly, rushing and struggling to keep our door open. Belatedly, I hurried for the single exit.

"No, no," Serena said, having already dragged her father into the hallway. "Go back in. Your only chance is if I can convince them it's a false alarm. Do you hear me? You'll be caught in the worst situation, lockdown!"

She even sounded extremely convincing. She must have run through all the various scenarios in her imagination multiple times; that, or she was superb at improvisation.

But we didn't have time for this, and my other options had dried up. "Stop lying," I said. "You set off the alarm yourself."

My friends' reactions thankfully went unnoticed as Serena snapped her head around, staring at me in shock and horror. "What? What are you talking about?"

It was difficult to speak calmly with my heart thundering in my ears and my eyes seeing the flashing red lights, but I tried. "You're trying to trap or delay us."

"Look, I know you're upset and want to blame someone, but this isn't my fault! I didn't know my father would come here!"

"You didn't. But you only agreed to help us in order to betray us. To advance in your guild." I looked at her sadly, wishing it were otherwise... but all the pieces fit.

My moment of realization had come when she'd faced off against her father... and she hadn't felt guilty. To clarify, she'd felt rueful, regretful, pitying, contemptuous, and guilty on and off through our planning sessions, but I'd always written off her tumultuous reactions as her perceived betrayal of her guild, family, and everything she'd known. Yet when she'd stood before her concerned father... not a twinge of guilt.

That had prompted a sudden horrible suspicion to creep up in my mind, which reviewing all the evidence hadn't been able to shake loose. Had she ever actually said she planned to help us or to turn against her guild? Hadn't her exact words been more along the lines of 'a job better suited to her'? Such as, just for example, a promotion after achieving a stunning feat?

She sincerely cared about the creatures under her care. But she qualified by calling them 'innocents' or 'beasts'... whereas she probably saw undines as monsters. Hadn't she been against freeing them, after all? Instead she'd wanted to bring them directly to the Tamers... the same branch locked in a bitter struggle with the local Breeders. The rivals she might seek to pin crimes against before returning in triumph to where her true loyalties lay.

The more I pondered, the more I realized how badly I'd misjudged her. That strange satisfaction that came at the oddest moments, such as when I'd explained my intentions to free undines, or when Blake's solution was to put those in our way to sleep. Not from finally rebelling against her family, or contributing to a greater cause, or obtaining petty revenge. Instead her satisfaction came from... what, validation we were wrongheaded? Assurance of her plan's success?

I wouldn't assume anything ever again. I'd known I could read someone wrong despite my Empathy, but the magnitude of my mistake here shocked me.

Jeff, Brandon... They would have every right to say they told me so. Why hadn't I listened?

But I'd really liked her! I'd believed she was brave, and noble, and caring... and perhaps she was all these things. She had said, I distinctly remembered, that she believed she was doing what was right.

It was another startling and humbling realization. I could truly like someone, believe they were a good person, and still be ideologically opposed in a dramatic, life-and-death manner. Such differences weren't birthed just between separate species or masters and slaves.

Seeing her standing her ground now, I felt admiration and loss. But I understood my priorities. "You wanted to catch us after we'd committed to a greater crime," I said, partly for my friends' benefit, "And to implicate the Tamers as much as possible. Would you have even followed through with the undines?"

Serena looked around. My friends surrounded her and her father, blocking escape.

She must have realized the ruse was up, because her expression changed, the piteous pleading look replaced by fierce defiance. "Even without that, it's too late for you all," she said. "We'll have the whole monster-loving lot of you closed down! Only a loony thinks of 'saving' undines!"

Despite expecting it, I still felt stung. "You think they're so different from beasts? From Leo or Rolf?"

"Of course! You can see it just looking in their eyes!"

"That is a completely irrational--"

"Can you save the debate for another time, please?" Bessie interrupted. I realized my friends were all radiating impatience... while the red lights continued flashing around us, and any second, overpowered reinforcements might arrive.

Oh, um, whoops? Though I still itched to educate this Breeder on the error of her ways!

...I could always send a strongly worded letter later.

I wasn't actually calm at the moment. The puzzle presented by Serena and the familiar topic of debate had helped distract me somewhat, but in truth I was nearly shaking apart with nerves. All seemed lost.

Serena had warned us and warned us, after all. We were in lockdown! There was no escape!

...Was there?

"You don't really think we would walk into a known trap without precautions?" Bessie bluffed decisively. "Help us get the undines and get out, and nobody needs to get hurt."

Serena swallowed visibly, but she said, "I'm telling you now. I told you before. We're under lockdown; there's no getting in or out until higher-ups arrive."

"Not for you, maybe. Bl--" Bessie stopped herself just in time. She gestured to Blake and said, "Stick him." Then Tom. "Grab her."

I flinched as Serena screamed and struggled, but Tom soon gripped her wrists behind her back while Blake jabbed her father with a syringe. The elder Breeder stirred, groaning weakly, before abruptly shooting awake.

His wide eyes took in the scene, growing wider at the sight of our masked figures and his helpless daughter. Though he tried to hide it, he was obviously most worried about this last, even more than for himself.

But to his credit, his voice didn't waver. "Who are you?" he asked. "What do you want?"

"Dad, they're-- mmph."

Tom had clapped his free hand over her mouth. I looked away, then forced myself to look back.

Thank the deities, the interrogation didn't take long. We didn't even have to make overt threats; Serena's father quickly confessed -- to her visible surprise, then resentment -- there was an emergency teleportation room for use by authorized personnel only. He even had access through locked areas to reach it.

Unfortunately, he claimed the undines were effectively unreachable during lockdown. "Standard protocol," he said, "In case the alarm's triggered by an escape attempt. Some clever monsters might think to force cooperation."

Bessie ignored the pointed jab. "Take us to the teleport room."

"What about the undines?" I said.

"No time! This situation's gone down the gullet!"

I opened my mouth to argue, but I could sense it was no use. Her mind was entirely made up. So as they turned in the opposite direction, away from our quest, I did the only thing I could think to do: I called Nailla from our bond.

She coalesced on the floor, looking incredibly out of place without any other water in sight. "Can you sense them?" I asked urgently almost before she'd resolved. "Hurry!"

My friends had stopped, realizing I wasn't following. But after a moment Bessie resumed prodding them onwards, clearly thinking I could catch up to two Breeders dragging their feet... except the pace quickened with the prospect of splitting our group.

Fortunately, I could still sense them as they turned the corner... and stopped? Oh, the elder Beste must need to reopen one of the locked areas. That would...

Suddenly, I felt a strange shift from Nailla. As I returned my attention to her, she seemed to be... vibrating? Like a tuning fork? I just gaped in wonder as she emitted a musical resonance that carried further than my ear could hear.

Even more strange and wonderful, something answered. Whatever she was doing, however she was sending it, her signal was bouncing back, subtly altered! And then another!

Was that... were they communicating? How? It was too formless for a proper translation, but that was definitely a call and response. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to pick up this much without both our bond and [Intermediate Universal Translation], and yet I'd never read anything suggesting water spirits could communicate in such a manner. Or was this restricted information too?

In any case, Bessie was right: we had no time. "Enough, Nailla! We need to go!"

"No!" The look she sent me could have turned water to ice.

But her voice emerged wrong. She needed water, badly. "Nailla! We won't have another chance if we're caught now!"

My weak tugs on our bond were ineffectual, but to my relief, she snarled and retreated into it, her emotions howling with furious anguish. If she'd had access to water... well, in a different situation she wouldn't have stopped, and there was little I could do about that.

Turning on my heel, I started Running for my friends and hopeful freedom.

Fortunately, I found them in the emergency teleport room. Less fortunately, the ward net was indeed keyed to only allow authorized persons through.

I turned to Bessie in a panic. "What do we do?"

"You're the S... Skilled observer. Can't you think of anything?"

"You can't think of any way to bypass your own security?" I asked the Bestes.

"I didn't even know teleporting out was possible," Serena said bitterly.

"If I did, I would have plugged that hole already," her father said. "The whole point of lockdown is to prevent escapes leading to mass panic. You realize loss of confidence in us can spiral into tighter restrictions on even harmless magical beings? What exactly is your goal here?"

I couldn't help but notice he was speaking to me nervously and coaxingly as though I were a deluded fanatical terrorist... which was probably how he saw me. He didn't truly think his 'reason' would penetrate but couldn't help trying or half-hoping. Or no, was I falling into misassumptions again?

But as I looked at him and the warding again, I was struck by a sudden idea. "We'll cast together!"

Instantly, his fear spiked. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Then you'll leave us here with your daughter," I pointed out.

My friends were giving me surprised looks, thankfully hidden by their disguises, but they kept quiet.

"No, dad! Don't... mmph."

"All... all right." His shoulders sagged. "But I hope you realize you'll be tracked down, wherever you go. Whatever you do."

"I know," I said. I could feel his absolute confidence in his statement, and he had good reason for it. I, on the other hand, couldn't shake my worries... but mainly because success hinged largely on factors outside my control. "Together."

"I... I've never cast with somebody else before."

"It'll be fine," I said, instead of informing him I hadn't either using a Scroll. But it couldn't be much more difficult than a group casting, right?

Even if my fellow participant wasn't much of a caster. I found myself slowing down my pace and breaking up my rhythm to match him, but his magic, his will, his intent...

The warding, which had after all cut some cost-saving corners, recognized it as enough. I felt when the shackles over this teleportation spell fell away, leaving only the teleport tag, tracking us through space.

Gently but firmly, I pushed him aside, continuing the casting by myself. This was easier in some ways... but harder also...

After stumbling back, he stared at me for a beat before turning and hurrying to his tied-up daughter -- no idea where my friends came by the ropes -- and starting to work on freeing her. I heard them whispering frantically together, plotting... no, they were back to arguing. ("You just didn't want anyone to take over your newest pet project!" "You think this is about me? And my ego?")

Oh, yes, finally! I felt that particular buildup, that extremity of resistance, the towering will so unknowable and familiar...

And we broke free. Trace this!

We arrived with a disorienting jolt, like we'd needed to cut out of one membrane in reality and then through another, double-layered. But I felt saved, exhilarated, like I could take my first real breath of air since we'd started our quest, and especially since I'd realized I'd walked us right into a trap. The denser mana of Duni was as a warm blanket of comfort in comparison to the horrors of guilt and crime we'd left. That's right, everything was so familiar, the dungeon walls, the dim lighting, the... wait.

My friends were also staring, their bewildered faces reflecting back at me.

"Where are all the rats?"