Chapter One

Bruised, Not Broken

‘Dehsul!’ I lowered my bruised body into the springs and grit my teeth, attempting to make no sudden movements. ‘So many beasts! Are they what we skipped by flying the rest of the way to Ceilail?’

I failed to bite back a whimper while wading deeper into the hot water, stopping once it was up to my chin. Spasms ran through my bruised muscles, making it difficult for me to relax them. Even not moving at all couldn’t stop it. Thankfully I had avoided breaking anything, but beasts ramming me and tossing me into trees wasn’t how I envisioned ending the day. The “lesser” beasts in Rilzaan were both stronger and more intelligent than I wanted to give them credit for,

‘At least I get to sleep on a bed and not the ground tonight…’ I flinched, muttering curses as the hot water ran through a wound I must’ve missed healing. ‘Maybe I should have let Nalithor—’

“Rely’ric, are you certain you can’t check on Her Highness?’ A female voice questioned from somewhere by the entrance to the springs. “She looked like she was in such rough shape, yet she wouldn’t let us perform hyrzan to help—”

“You know men are not allowed to intrude on any of the bathing areas meant for women,” Nalithor cut the woman off, his tone firm. “I, for one, do not want to be at the other end of Amakiir’s claws—do you?”

Several women attempted to argue with him. I shook my head and then tuned them out so that I could cleanse off the grim of both travel and battle. My muscles and joints protested every movement, but I was filthy. I gnawed my lower lip in frustration. There were few things that didn’t hurt at this point but I refused to let the Varjior women assist me.

“Hyrzan”, as they called it, sounded too intimate for my liking. Their brief description of it came down to a ritual of incense, strong liquor, and an herb-infused full-body massage. While I appreciated their concern, I had no interest in such questionable, intimate, and hands-on methods. I didn’t know these people and had no reason to trust them touching me.

‘Didn’t you heal your wounds?’ Nalithor’s voice broke my train of thought, making me pout and sink until the water was to my nose. ‘The village women seem terribly concerned. They said you wouldn’t allow them to join you?’

‘I healed the cuts, not the bruises,’ I grumbled, dipping fully underwater to soak my hair. ‘I still can’t seem to grasp how to heal bruises for the life of me. I’ll be fine though.’

‘I’ll wait for you at our tents. You should let me heal you,’ Nalithor stated.

I frowned and glanced toward the spring’s entrance, listening as Nalithor and the Varjior women walked away. His concerned demeanor struck me as strange, though I couldn’t claim it was a bad thing. Still, it was a relief that they had left. I’d be able to finish my bath in peace.

After perching on a low rock I scrubbed the grime and blood from my hair with cleansers that smelled faintly of cherries. I was thankful that we’d arrived in the Varjior village so late at night; I really didn’t feel like dealing with the giggling groups of single women again, nor was I in the mood for people to pester me about the bruises I’d sustained.

Clambering out of the springs proved to be even more difficult than climbing in had been. My muscles screamed in protest when I pulled myself onto the stone ledge. The pain brought tears to my eyes, but I shook it off. I dried myself with a towel instead of magic, deciding that using my power seemed like too much effort. My hair received the same treatment, and I left both slightly damp.

‘Ugh, I’m turning purple.’ I grimaced and looked down at my arms, eyeing the mottled patches of purple and yellow that had formed. ‘By how my back feels…that’s probably worse. Maybe I will take Nalithor up on that offer after all.’

After dressing in lightweight clothing and an overrobe I slipped through the maze of tents and crude buildings that made up the majority of the village. Amakiir had assigned us tents around the village’s outer ring, near where many of the warriors’ tents were. Most people were asleep already by the sound of things, but that came as no surprise.

A little over a day of travel by foot had left the former captives exhausted, and it was late enough that most of Amakiir’s people were asleep as well. We were lucky that none of the captives were ill, but most weren’t physically fit. The children and teenagers, in particular, had struggled to maintain pace. Most of the people were captured for use as pleasure slaves, not for working mines or farms. Some were even the sons and daughters of noble or otherwise wealthy families; others were commonfolk or temple servants that happened to be “above average” in appearance.

I found Nalithor perched on a stump near my tent, his spear settled across his lap while he cleaned the blade. Several patches of grass around his feet were rotted from where beast blood had dripped onto them. As I drew near, Nalithor dismissed the weapon and cleaning kit into a shrizar before turning to look at me with concern.

“Will you let me heal you?” Nalithor questioned.

“You don’t have to…but it would help,” I grumbled, fidgeting with one of my sleeves.

“You weathered some rough blows,” Nalithor murmured in a troubled tone, following me into my tent. “At the very least you should have accepted some help in and out of—”

Nalithor cut himself off with a sharp intake of breath, followed by a growl, when I plopped down on a stool and tugged my overrobe off. I sat with my back to him and held the dark fabric over my bare chest. The Magelights inside my tent flickered, threatening to disappear entirely, as the Adinvyr muttered curses.

‘He’s…upset?’ I chose to keep the question to myself, then glanced over my shoulder at Nalithor when he placed his hand on my back.

“You should have let me handle more of the beasts,” Nalithor spoke softly.

I flinched in response to the sudden warmth of magic flowing from his hand and across my skin.

“Someone had to keep the rescues calm and together,” I countered, clenching my hands in the fabric of my robe. “They’re less scared of you than they are of me. It made more sense to let me handle the beasts.”

“Arianna…” Nalithor sighed, drawing his magic down my back. “I would say they respect you now, not fear you.

“Ah… Sorry, did I hurt you?”

“It’s kind of hard not to hurt me with this much bruising,” I pointed out, flinching again as he trailed his fingers and magic down my spine. “We’re leaving for Dauthrmir in the morning, right?”

“Yes, the rest of the airships will arrive early in the morning.” Nalithor recoiled, removing his hand from my back when I flinched yet again. “The academy sent word ahead to inform me that I’m expected to resume my duties after I report to Lucifer. I was going to ask if you would join me, but with these wounds…”

“I’ll be fine as long as you take the edge off the bruising,” I mumbled, gripping my robe tighter.

“You’re certain?” Nalithor asked, his voice full of concern. “Aren’t you still recovering from releasing Ceilail? I would understand if you prefer to rest instead of overseeing classes with me.”

“I’m sure. I’ll go crazy if I have to stay in the house all day.” I nodded once, then twitched and shot Nalithor a look. “Don’t you think your hands are wandering a little too low, Nalithor?”

“You are bruised everywhere.” Nalithor huffed. “While I’m happy you’re willing to accompany me, I’m just…concerned for your wellbeing.”

‘Happy? Concerned for me?’ I bit back an amused smile. I stayed silent while Nalithor’s darkness flowed through my skin. It seemed as though he got the hint about his wandering hands but his wandering magic was just as distracting. ‘Maybe I really did overdo it.’

“Arianna… If you were Human, you would likely be dead.” Nalithor sighed and rested his cheek against the back of my shoulder, his hands gripping my waist while his magic subsided. “I’m going to go get you something for the pain. You’re not going to have a restful sleep in this state.”

“That’s not nec—” I began to protest, but stopped myself when Nalithor shook his head against my shoulder and dug his claws into my waist.

“You are fidgeting too much for me to heal you properly.” Nalithor released me. A moment later, I heard him rise to his feet. “I need you to be still, and you need to rest.”

“So you’re getting me a sedative?” I frowned and shifted so that I could look at him over my shoulder.

“Yes. You’re heavily bruised and you’ve torn quite a few muscles. I would rather not have you tear more in the course of squirming.” Nalithor paused, realization followed by discomfort spreading across his features. He averted his gaze, his muscles tensing. “Ah…if you do not trust me, then I can get—”

“That’s not it!” I exclaimed, surprising even myself. “I do trust you, it’s just—”

“Then let me fetch you some toryn’xir. It’s strong enough to make you sleep, but weak enough that you should wake up in the morning.” Nalithor smiled and placed his hand on top of my head. “Part of our duty as warriors is to make sure we recover as quickly as possible. Since we’re working as partners…we’re responsible for each other’s wellbeing.

“Let me do my part.”

“Fine…” I mumbled, pivoting away from him.

‘I need to take my own advice.’ I tugged my clothing back into place with a wince. ‘I told him he doesn’t need excuses to speak with me or get to know me—the same should work in reverse, right? I don’t need to endure this ache just to— Ow…’

“Toryn’xir is quite strong. I recommend taking it in one gulp,” Nalithor informed me as he returned with a shot glass of opalescent lavender liquid. “Into bed with you.”

I bit back a quip and hopped off my seat with a low grumble instead. Nalithor came to stand in front of me as I perched on the edge of the bed, then shot me a stern look when I opened my mouth to speak. Pouting, I accepted the glass from him and sniffed at the liquid. It didn’t smell bad per se, but I didn’t recognize the scent either. The concerned Adinvyr didn’t look as though he was in the mood to answer such questions.

“Sweet dreams.” Nalithor chuckled as I tilted my head back and downed the pale liquid.

“Aren’t you saying that a little earl—” I swayed on the edge of the bed and grasped the edge to brace myself. “When you said…strong…”

“I didn’t mean the taste.” Nalithor caught me by my shoulders when I pitched forward.

His chest rumbled beneath my cheek as my consciousness slipped, but I couldn’t make out what he said. My mind was gone almost the instant he caught me against his chest.

? ? ?

“A-Ari? Hair? Mask?!” Darius yelped when I strode into the classroom, causing Nalithor to shoot my brother a filthy look from behind his desk. “Nali? What did you do?”

I perched on the chair waiting beside Nalithor’s desk and crossed my legs, glancing between my twin and the angered Adinvyr.

“I healed her, firstly,” Nalithor started with a growl. “Second, I decided that she is not allowed to adhere to the Old Ways any longer.

“Do you have a problem with that, Prince Black?”

“We’re still X’shmiran citizens!” Darius exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the desk and standing up in protest. “And what do you mean she’s ‘not allowed’? She’s not yours to—”

Nalithor bared his fangs and snarled at my twin. His tail snapped into the corner of the desk with a resounding crack. I studied him for a moment and then switched my attention to Darius—he was too frustrated to realize that he’d made a deity angry.

“My mask is far from wearable,” I added dryly, before motioning in the direction of the door. “Unless you would like to venture outside the Barrier and search for the many pieces—”

“The one that tore her mask nearly took her face with it!” Nalithor rumbled, heat radiating from him. I glanced over to examine the glare he’d settled on Darius. “You should worry about your sister’s wellbeing before outdated traditions!”

“If it wasn’t for Nalithor’s healing capabilities, I would be stuck in bed for the next few days due to yesterday’s beasts as well, “I added as my brother opened his mouth to protest further. “No matter how you try to deny it, Darius, fighting beasts isn’t ‘safe’ by any stretch. Armor gets torn, weapons break, and bodies get damaged.”

‘Thank you again, by the way,’ I offered to Nalithor while Darius mouthed a few times.

‘Don’t you have other masks?’ Nalithor smirked at me.

‘He doesn’t know that,’ I replied innocently.

“But I—!” Darius started.

The corner of my eye twitched. I rounded on my brother and summoned ice over his mouth with a subtle motion of my hand.

“Darius. This is a classroom.” I reprimanded him in a dangerous tone. “Nalithor is your professor and a deity. He should be afforded the proper respect. He isn’t your partner, your plaything, or your fuck toy.

“Even if he were, this is still his classroom. Kindly remember your manners and stop disrupting class. I’m already of half a mind to hang you from the clock tower by your ankles.”

‘You’re cute when you’re frustrated,’ Nalithor teased, smiling when I shot him a disgruntled look. ‘He did say he would like to speak with you about something after class.’

‘You have that smug look on your face again,’ I informed him, huffing as I turned my attention away from him and back to the class. ‘Is it my imagination…or have they grown worse?’

‘They’ve gotten worse.’ Nalithor grabbed the back of my chair and pulled it so that it was beside his. ‘Your brother managed to convince the other Archmagi to test him again and rush the new results… He scored worse than before.’

‘He does have a habit of getting his way.’ I sighed, readjusting myself. ‘Unfortunately he fits the role of spoiled prince quite well, most of the time. It wouldn’t surprise me if they indulged him just to silence him.

‘I’ll admit I’m the same way at times.’

‘Your time would be better spent by indulging me.’ Nalithor purred, nudging me. I looked at him again, this time in surprise. ‘I believe I’m much more pleasant, and I can assure you that I am much more rewarding.’

‘You are more pleasant. I’ll give you that,’ I replied with a small smile. ‘As much as I enjoy the attention, I probably shouldn’t let you get away with neglecting your students.’

‘One of these days I will take a bite out of you as payment for refusing to distract me from such boring tasks,’ Nalithor informed me, sighing as he rose to his feet. He squeezed my shoulder and then moved around the desk to oversee his students. ‘Alas, you are right. Keeping this lot from blowing up their homes or countries is rather important…I guess.’

I fell silent, satisfied that Nalithor’s attentions had been redirected for the moment. I returned to observing the class as the surprisingly patient Adinvyr attempted to teach his students to control their powers. Darius, and a handful of other students, comprised the group of most fearful students.

Glancing around, I realized that Darius’ partner didn’t appear to be part of this class. ‘Aren’t similar mages paired? Why is Vivus in none of my brother’s classes?’

Almost all of the students seemed terribly distracted by Nalithor even though his Dauthrmiran-styled robes covered his skin from the throat down. He had also carefully resealed the majority of his aura upon returning to the city. Nalithor seemed as though he was determined to reduce the amount of unwanted attention he gained for being both an Adinvyr and a deity, but none of his methods seemed to be helping.

“Professor, the crystal cylinders during our exams were meant to represent the ten elements, right?” An Elven student asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“That’s correct, Edth’y.” Nalithor nodded.

“Why were there eleven?” Edth’y frowned. “Is it just to provide more space for powerful mages to spread their power, or something else?”

“Occasionally we discover mages with unusual power,” Nalithor began, crossing his arms while he contemplated something for a moment. “The cylinders are enchanted with sigils to draw each of the elements from the person being tested. Anomalies such as wood, metal, and most magic appear in response even though they are not accepted as primary elements.

“The practice origination as a way to discover mages who were utilizing forbidden magics, such as Blood Magic, and inadvertently led to the discovery of other types of magic.”

“Wouldn’t wood and metal magics fall under earth magic?” Another student asked.

“Wood Mages can only work with wood and trees.” Nalithor shook his head and pivoted to address the second student. “Likewise, Metal Mages can only work with metal. It isn’t unusual for them to have control over one of the primary elements alongside, but their affinity for wood or metal allows them to do things an Earth Mage cannot; such as forging permanent blades or armor out of raw metal without the use of a forge.”

“As fascinating as this is,” I began with an amused smile, “I hope you two didn’t bring this topic up in order to distract from your assigned tasks.”

Both students turned burgundy. Nalithor shook his head and sighed at them. I watched while Nalithor paced among the rows of students once more, redirecting each of the students to focus on their control exercises. The ones affiliated with light were incapable of sustaining so much as a pinpoint of it, while the ones allied with darkness couldn’t even shape or draw on their own shadow.

Lucky for me, none of the Light or Astral Mages bore the type of presence that made me want to run and hide…but I got the feeling that was due to their poor abilities more than anything else. That, or perhaps Nalithor’s dark presence just overshadowed them all.

‘Control over their magic seems like it isn’t the only area they’re lacking in,’ I commented after a while, watching as Nalithor’s tail twitched in response, though he didn’t turn. ‘They all want a taste of their teacher don’t they?’

‘Yes. Well, aside from the few who have been looking at you like you’re meat,’ Nalithor muttered. ‘My power—’

‘Your power isn’t to blame!’ I laughed. ‘You’ve hidden your aura, your scent, and even your skin, almost completely! You distract them because you’re nice on the eyes, Nalithor, and that isn’t something so easily hidden.

‘Adinvyr or not, deity or not, I’m rather certain their libidos would have them all distracted regardless.’

‘You sound terribly amused.’ Nalithor shot me a smirk over his shoulder. ‘Nice on the eyes, am I?’

‘Like you don’t know,’ I countered, watching his smirk transform into a broad grin. ‘It’s almost time to give them their homework and prepare for your next class, isn’t it?’

‘Aye, it is,’ Nalithor replied, turning to approach me and return to his desk. I leaned out of my chair a little, watching the student’s reactions. ‘I get the feeling you aren’t admiring my ass this time.’

‘This time…?’ I snorted, flushing. ‘They just seem…unusually entranced by your tail.’ I bit back a laugh when Nalithor made a sharp flourish with his tail. The majority of the students turned scarlet in the face and glanced away as if they’d seen something naughty. ‘Oh I see…’

‘What is it?’ Nalithor shot me a look, then tugged on my curls and passed me. ‘You look like a fox stalking its prey.’

‘“Prey” is all they’re good for…’ I murmured, sitting back in my chair. ‘They’ve just recently learned of Adinvyr anatomy, haven’t they?’

‘Anatomy…? Ah…’ Nalithor arched an eyebrow at me before turning his attention to one of the shelves behind his desk. ‘You think they are trying to ascertain what manner of things I can do to them with my tail?’

‘Can you think of another reason for them to be so mesmerized by it?’ I countered, tilting my head. ‘That and the fact that you seem to be fond of squeezing me with your tail must have the gears in their heads turning.’

‘If anyone is going to look at me like that, I would prefer it be you.’ Nalithor teased, striding past me once more. ‘That said, you should join your brother on his way out. I’d imagine he’s at least a little concerned by your prolonged absence.

‘The rest of my classes for the afternoon are of the physical variety, if you wish to join me. I’m sure you’d enjoy giving some of the students a good thrashing.’

‘They’d be too easy!’ I laughed, rising to my feet; though I didn’t miss the brief look of disappointment that flashed across Nalithor’s face. ‘Seeing your frustration with them does have its own appeal though.’

I shot Nalithor a smirk as I moved out of the classroom and into the hallway to wait for Darius. It wasn’t long before the disheartened students filed out. My twin promptly latched onto my arm, his expression firm, and dragged me outside of the academy. He seemed upset about something but I wasn’t sure what.

“Ari! Why did it take so long for you and Nali to come back?” Darius demanded. “Eyrian and the others said the two of you would be a few hours behind, but it’s been almost two weeks!”

“Nalithor had business in another part of Abrantia Valley and invited me to hunt with him.” I shrugged, turning to look at my twin. “Is that why you wanted to speak with me?”

“Nothing happened between you two then?” Darius narrowed his eyes at me, concerned. “You and he didn’t fu—”

“Darius,” I sighed, clamping my hand over his mouth, “I am far more picky than you are when it comes to such things. Nothing happened between Nalithor and me aside from some good old fashioned bloodshed.

“There were a lot of things to kill.”

“If you say so…” Darius grumbled, shooting me a suspicious look. In a matter of seconds he switched gears and adopted a cheerful grin. “Are you coming to the party tonight, Ari?”

“Party? What party?” I frowned. ‘Wait… Don’t tell me—’

“The party to celebrate your successful hunts!” Darius beamed. “Since you played a big role, they decided to wait until you and Nali returned. Everyone but that Elf chick will be there! I hear she got sent home for some reason.

“There’ll be food, drink, and lots of hot men! You really should come—”

“She was sent home because she tried to kill me,” I stated, causing Darius’ eyes to widen. “I don’t know about this party, though. It sounds noisy, and I—”

“Nalithor, Eyrian, Xander, and Azhar will all be there!” Darius continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I’m sure they’re all quite hungry—and well, hungry—after all the fighting you did. Especially Nali, it’s been so long after all! You should—”

“Not interested.” I dismissed him as an unwanted pang of jealousy stabbed through my heart. Heat began rising in my in response to the anger that my jealousy made me feel. There was no reason for me to be jealous…but that didn’t stop it from happening. I hated it. “I don’t share your fascination with their feeding practices, Darius.

“Now then… Don’t you have a class you should be going to?”

Darius sighed heavily and then stalked back into the academy. I shook my head at his back. What a pain in the ass he could be at times. ‘He did that on purpose, didn’t he? He could have just said he didn’t want me to come.’

Before I could turn and stalk back to our house, Nalithor’s arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back against his chest. His scent filled my senses, but I just shot him an annoyed glare over my shoulder.

“Your brother truly has no tact.” Nalithor chuckled. “He certainly did succeed in eliciting a rather nice spike of jealousy from you, my dear, while simultaneously insulting my honor… Quite the feat on his part.

“I do hope you will reconsider the matter of the party, however. I was hoping to convince you to attend as my date.

“D-date?” I inquired, my face igniting. Nalithor’s mischievous chuckle as he nuzzled my shoulder only made it worse. “Are you seri—”

“I’m quite serious, my dear.” Nalithor purred, giving me a firm squeeze. “I decided that I want exclusive rights to your company for the evening, even though we are both expected to join the celebration. Also, I don’t intend to ‘dine’ on anyone at the party…though if you decide to offer yourself, I certainly won’t object.”

“Hmmm…” I pondered for a moment while he nuzzled me again. A smirk crept across my face when I felt him tense. “I’ll join you. Be forewarned that I will refuse to share you with any of the other ‘guests’, however.”

“Mmm… You won’t share me?” Nalithor inquired.

“That’s right,” I confirmed. “Djialkan wasn’t wrong when he said that I don’t like to share anything. That goes doubly so if you intend to claim ‘exclusive rights’ to my company, Nalithor.”

“I’m certainly not complaining.” Nalithor chuckled, releasing a roll of power for emphasis. I bit my lip to hold back a shiver. “I will pick you up tonight. Will you still join me for the remainder of today’s classes?”

“Sure,” I replied with a slight nod. “Let’s show the rookies why they’re still rookies.”

Nalithor grinned down at me as he released me, then offered me his arm. After a moment, I accepted and let him lead me to the academy’s training areas. More than once I glanced to the side at him as we walked. He had put quite the damper on his power and scent alike. It actually irritated me on some level. Not because he had hidden power, but because he needed to hide it.

‘Actually… No. It is because he hid it.’ I realized with a small frown. ‘His power and scent are both so comforting. I don’t like it being diluted.’

I perched on top of the fence surrounding our designated training field and remained silent as Nalithor approached his waiting students. Most of them attempted to look imposing or “strong” as the Adinvyr approached them. Smirking to myself, I let a brief spike of power and bloodlust roll over them. Each and every one of them lost their composure in an instant and grew pale.

Nalithor, however, shot me a smirk before returning his attention to the shaken greenlings.

I probably found it more entertaining than I should have to watch Nalithor deal with the students and their inflated egos. In actuality, Nalithor was a very good teacher. However, this particular lot was wearing on his patience fast. Most of them didn’t even know how to hold a weapon properly. Nalithor was so incredibly displeased it was almost cute.

“Need some help?” I inquired after quite some time had passed, then smirked as Nalithor’s tail switched back and forth a few times.

“You have something in mind?” Nalithor pivoted to look at me, narrowing his eyes.

“They’re not going to understand how to hold a weapon unless they actually hit something with incorrect grips,” I offered. Motioning with my left index finger, I summoned thirty pillars of ice in the training arena. “If they hit these… I think they’ll understand quicker, don’t you?”

“Learning through experience, hmmm?” Nalithor mused.

“Well if you really want to, you can just stand there for another half-hour and correct their grips individually,” I spoke with mock innocence. “Or, they could spend a few minutes, at most, smacking these for understanding. If they sprain or break something, either one of us can repair them with ease.”

“We’ll try it your way,” Nalithor replied dryly, turning his sharp gaze to the confused students. “You heard Her Highness! Strike the pillars.”

‘Maybe you’ve suppressed too much of your power. They don’t seem like they’re taking you seriously,’ I commented, tracking Nalithor as he approached me and then leaned back on the fence beside me. ‘Or…is it normal for the academy greenlings to be so belligerent?’

‘No, they aren’t usually this problematic.’ Nalithor chuckled and slipped an arm around my hips, scooting me closer to him. ‘You look like you’re considering lecturing them as you did with your brother.’

‘It’s either that or I leave you with uncooperative students.’ I motioned at the academy clock tower. ‘I’m not going to dinner in this after all.’

‘You have that scheming look to you again,’ Nalithor remarked, moving to stand in front of me. He rested his hands on the beam to either side of my hips and smirked. ‘Should I be concerned, my dear?’

‘Only if you think someone in Dauthrmir actually has a chance of competing against you,’ I replied innocently, returning his smirk. ‘For now though… I can’t exactly get up with you blocking my way, now can I?’

‘I was considering stealing another kiss.’ Nalithor chuckled at me. ‘Very well, I’ll let you scamper off. Reining in this bunch shouldn’t be an issue.’

Nalithor took a step back and then returned to his unruly and whining students, allowing me to slide off my perch. While making my way back to the house, I realized that I was disappointed, of all things, that Nalithor had chosen against kissing me. ‘Was he…was he teasing me?’

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