What did they want? Who did they want? Maybe she could duck back into the forest and hide until Nicholos came looking for her, but what about Vale? Carmine couldn't just leave her alone, who knows what strangers would do? She snuck into the greenery along the path, fighting the urge to go the opposite way as she crept towards her home.

As she drew closer, she heard voices arguing ahead. Vale’s she recognized, but the other she didn't. A man’s voice, not Nicholos’, one that didn’t belong. Carmine moved from tree to tree and with luck, the strangers would leave by the time she arrived.

They didn’t.

As she rounded the last bend in the path she saw a pair of humans wearing white and blue armor standing outside her home. One man, the younger of the two, looked just a few years older than Carmine. A few scraggly hairs spouted off his chin like a bug’s antennae, a shade darker than the dirty blonde hair trimmed short on his head. The other, a tall and powerfully-built woman who looked around Vale’s age, stood behind the young man with a frown etched on her stony face. Carmine guessed she was in charge.

Both strangers waited, arms crossed in front of her cabin door like gatekeepers, as if it were their house and not Nicholos’. Carmine’s eyes landed on the weapons at their sides. Swords, and much better ones than she’d ever seen before.

Vale rubbed her creased brow, glaring with frustrated eyes to the two strangers in front of her.

"My business isn’t yours to know," Vale grumbled. "But if it will get you to leave, fine. Nicholos is a colleague of mine, and a friend. I visit often. Something you'd know if you were from around here and not a pair of pricks from inland."

"Watch your fuckin’ mouth!" The man uncrossed his arms and raised his head to look down at Vale. He moved his hand to his hip, just inches from his sword handle. “You don’t know who you’re talking to, do you?”

"Watch yourself," the woman warned, but stood just idly by.

"You know, I've heard Fauns don't like humans learning magic." He looked at Vale, eyes full of suspicion. He leaned to one side, staring at the backpack she carried for Carmine’s lessons. "You could be here to ransack his house."

"I told you. He's my friend, dumbass!" Vale snapped.

"You can't prove that, and your attitude stinks."

"Coincidence! Your breath smells like shit, but I suppose that's expected when you're talking out of your ass."

"You horned bitch." The man's jaw clenched as his hands balled into fists. Carmine recognized the hate in his scowl. For a moment, his face was among a sea of others in a downpour.

"Stop!" Carmine yelled, caught between past and present. She ran out to Vale's side, standing between her and the stranger. “S-stay away f-from us!” she stammered, trembling.

“Who’s this kid?” The young man glared, scrunching his face as he looked at Carmine. He opened his mouth again but the other stranger smacked him over the head with a gauntleted hand.

“I told you to watch yourself,” The lady pulled the young man in line by his collar. He glared at Vale and Carmine again but kept his mouth shut and looked away. The lady stepped in front of them both, towering a full head and shoulders over Vale. Carmine had grown over the last few years, standing at Vale’s shoulder now, she even thought she was starting to get tall. Not anymore.

“Ignore my apprentice's outburst.” She spoke directly without any hesitation or pause. “We’re exorcists from Edrinock.” Hearing this, Vale pulled Carmine closer. “We need Sir Nicholos’ assistance with an urgent matter. Our information said he lived here, but it made no mention of a faun or an...elven child.” She tilted her head at Carmine. “Are you…?”

“She’s Nicholos’ ward.” Vale pulled Carmine behind her with no resistance. “Do you need proof of that too?” she bared her teeth, spitting out every word.

“We do not.”

“So Nicholos being friends with a faun is unbelievable, but him looking after a child is just fine, eh? I see. Go fu- uh- find your way out of here.”

“We can’t.” The exorcist said plainly. “Tell me, faun: when will Nicholos return?”

“Soon, and then he can tell you to piss off as well.”

“If that is his decision then so be it.” The exorcist moved away from the cabin, her lackey following behind her. “But I suspect he will want to hear our proposition. We will wait.”

With both exorcists out of the way, Vale urged Carmine over to the house. They sat on a badly built bench outside the door as Vale checked Carmine over.

“You all right, Red?” Vale asked, brushing the dirt off the young elf’s coat.

“Who are these people?” Carmine asked, clinging to Vale in the face of these strangers.

“Exorcists, like they said.” Vale looked at the pair with a furrowed brow and apprehensive eyes. “They work for the Church of the Ancients, going all over Vembris to root out cults and heretics. Technically they’re supposed to abide worship of all the ancients, like mine, Reala, but I’ve heard stories of them removing any sect that doesn’t pay homage to Vembria, -uh, the human ancient.”

“I know. Dad used to make little carvings for Vembria’s shrines,” Carmine commented, bitterness crawling up her throat. “For good fortune.” She looked up to Vale with confusion. “What do they want with Nico?”

“Nico might know, but I think it has something to do with their second duty.”

“Second?”

Vale nodded. “They hunt dark mages. Anyone that dabbles in the forbidden arts will find themselves against an exorcist sooner or later. Problem is, they have a history of acting a little too aggressively in their duties. They act on rumors and baseless finger pointing. Steer clear of them, Red. They answer to no one but themselves.”

“Did Nico do something wrong?”

“No...but he’s a known seeker of rare artifacts and he's worked a few jobs for 'em before.”

Carmine looked across the road at the two armored figures and clung to Vale a little tighter. The wait lasted nearly an hour, with neither side breaking the silence. The armored lady kept looking down the path, never even glancing at Carmine and Vale, but the other one, the younger one, kept a close eye on them both. He tapped his foot, moving restlessly in place as if he expected trouble.

A loud snap boomed around the side of the cabin. Carmine and Vale recognized the noise, but both exorcists turned in surprise. The young one even drew his sword.

A circular portal opened on the cabin wall, giving a view to Rolderston's marketplace through the window of a shop of curios and magical nicnacs. Nicholos stepped through, carrying his small pouch of profits for the day. The creases in his brow had deepened since the day he and Carmine first met, and his hair greyed a little more, but the soft smile on his face every time he came home hadn't changed a bit.

She rose from the bench and immediately wrapped her arms around the old mage's side. With him back, the strangers would leave, and they'd be left alone again.

"Good to see you too, Carmine," Nicholos said, patting her back. He looked across the road, his smile faltering as his gaze landed on the strangers. “Who’s this?” he looked to Vale, all jubilance in his voice fading away.

“Exorcists. These two chucklefu-” Vale bit her tongue, “-Chuckleheads were asking about you in town. I came to check on Red, but they beat me here.” Vale looked at the exorcists, halfway between a glare and a smirk. The proof they wanted arrived.

“And what do two exorcists want with me, hmm?” Nicholos looked between them. “Run out of witches to hunt,or are you looking to make one- sorry, 'expose' one here?”

“Hey, you can’t-” The young exorcist began only to be cut off by his boss clearing her throat.

“I am Sister Tera,” The lady said in a level voice before gesturing to her companion. “This is initiate Jordan. We have a job for you Sir Nicholos: we have need of a guide.”

Nicholas glared between them during a moment of silence, letting out a sigh as the boss lady, Tera, started to deflate from her grand message.

“Did- did you hear-?”

“Fine. Come inside, we’ll talk.” Nicholos opened the cabin door and motioned inside. Vale didn't move, crossing her arms and staring at Nicholos like he'd just scuffed her hoof. "What?"

"Careful with them." She warned, speaking through clenched teeth before walking inside. She turned back in the doorway and beckoned Carmine. "Let's go to your room, Red. You can tell me about your walk."

Carmine nodded, unsure on just how much to tell. Vale might scold her for being too reckless.

The Cabin interior welcomed Carmine back with its earthy pine smell. Mismatched furniture only shared a single thing in common: simplicity. A wobbling chair sat next to an uneven table, both splinter hazards just to be around. Carmine's homework still sat, strewn about the tabletop, discarded the moment she finished. Even with all the commotion, Nicholos still set it aside for later.

Carmine led Vale to her room. It wasn't as big as her old room. In fact, it was pretty small. Her bed lay pushed up against the right wall as far as it would go just so the door could even open. On the left she had a long desk and dresser with a stool tucked under its gap. Straight forward, under a window sat the one thing Nicholos tried to build himself: the most ramshackle book shelf Carmine had ever seen. It tilted to the left, and the shelves had even spaces between them and It fell over if she so much as brushed its side. Nicholos wanted to burn it, but Carmine kept it. She liked the clumsy thing. She didn't have much walking space though, just a small lane through the middle of the room.

Carmine peeked out the door before it closed. Nicholos crossed his arms as he sunk into his armchair, Its depression fitting him perfectly. He gave a nod to Carmine, one that meant he'd be okay. She nodded back. He looked at the exorcists expectantly as she closed the door.

"How are you holding up," Vale asked, pulling the stool out from under the desk as Carmine sat on the bed. "You looked pretty frazzled out front, even with strangers around."

"That guy…" Carmine mumbled, thinking of the younger exorcist. "He looked like he was going to hurt you."

Vale scoffed, "I'd like to see him try. That welp is all bluster and no muster." She rustled Carmine's hair. "And what about you? Running out in front of him like some big damn hero, someone's getting brave."

Carmine lowered her head, trying to hide a shy smirk that betrayed her face. Her shoulders loosened and her chest didn't feel as tight as earlier. Vale always knew how to lighten her mind. "I think it was more panic than bravery."

"It can be both, darling. Now, show me your hand won’t you?"

A shiver went up her spine. Vale caught her. Without meeting the faun's eyes, Carmine put her left,unbandaged hand forward.

"Not that one, you tricksy little- the other."

"Be more specific next time then."

Vale scoffed again, feigning anger as she wagged her finger at Carmine's face. "Don't forget, I'm your doctor missy. I can make your medicine taste a lot worse."

"It can be worse?" Carmine flinched, alarm running through her voice as she shot a disgusted look at the pair of bottles on her desk. They stared back with her own reflected eyes, each filled with a menacing slimy fluid she had to take every morning and night. 'To stay healthy' Vale had told her. A shame they tasted like mud and rotten vegetables.

Vale's face fell a little at Carmine's revulsion. "Hey, I do my best to make it passable already. Don't make that face. Please."

Carmine laughed a little. "Sorry" she said, offering her bandaged hand, hesitating as she stared at the singed and frayed wisps of cloth over her palm.

"How'd this happen?" Vale raised a brow. "Have you been practicing on your own again?"

Trying not look guilty under the question only made Carmine fidget harder. "M-maybe," she stuttered. "Only a little."

"This looks like a big 'little,' Red. What happened?" Vale's tone held no accusation, and that made it worse.

"I...tried one of my mum's spells… spider walking and...one of the lightning ones."

Vale let out a long sigh. "That's a war spell, Carmine, nothing like what I or Nico taught you, but you know that now, don't you?"

Carmine clutched her wrist and nodded. Not a lesson she needed twice.

"You're a fast learner, I'll give you that," Vale encouraged her as she cut the singed bandages off. "But take care not to rush. You're young, and you have a lot of time ahead of you. It's better to be right than fast."

"I can't be both?" Carmine asked, half-joking, getting a chuckle from Vale.

"Not this time. I’m not against you learning at your own pace. I’m like you, experimentation and practice is more helpful than theory and reading, but some things should be taught." Vale explained as she applied a new bandage to Carmine's hand. "You get me?"

"I do. I’ll be-"

"A Necromancer!?" Nicholos' voice raised in the other room.

"He fit the description," Tera's response returned, hushed, but not so quiet that Carmine couldn't hear. "He was digging up another grave when we apprehended him."

"Had the mark too," Jordan added in, much louder. Vale turned to listen as well. "A hand as black as tar, and an attitude just as grim. Fucking asshole tried to-"

"You will mind your language in my home," Nicholos warned.

Even through the door, Carmine heard the younger exorcist sputter and go quiet. Nicholos continued over him.

"You've still yet to say why you need me."

"During our interrogation, the heretic divulged the location of his workshop," Tera continued to explain. "An ancient archive located in an arid strip between the Edrinock and Dulet provinces, undiscovered to wider authorities, until now."

"That so?" Carmine could hear the interest in Nicholos' voice. "But the trip would be long, yes?"

"About a fortnight there, assuming the best conditions. Rest assured Sir Nicholos, you would be well compensated for your time and service."

"I expect so...I'd have to find someone to look after Carmine. Hopefully Vale-"

Carmine’s bed slammed against the wall as she jumped to her feet. Her bookcase crashed into the floor and the voices in the other room went quiet a moment before Nicholos spoke up again.

"We should continue this discussion outside," he said. Feet shuffled towards the front door, as if standing just outside would make her hear any less. Carmine's hands clenched in frustration. Her breath quickened as her head went wild with too many thoughts to keep track of.

'Find someone to watch her' and do what!? Sit on her hands while Nico is off with strangers looking for some neck-romancer? Just be left-behind and useless? No, she could do more now! She didn’t have to be hidden away!

"Carmine, take a deep breath," Vale said, taking her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Carmine slowed her breaths, doing as Vale had taught her whenever she felt overwhelmed. After a few breaths she found her voice again.

"T-they want Nico to go with them, go somewhere far." Carmine answered, looking into Vale's eyes for some solution. "They want to take him to look for some workshop of a necro-thingy, and he's gonna leave me behind!"

As she explained, Carmine noticed a shift in Vale, she leaned away, hiding her concerned expression as much as she could. It wasn't Nicholos leaving, It was something after that. Something that made her avoid Carmine’s eyes.

She leaned into Vale's gaze, there wasn't much else to look at in the room.

"Vale?" Carmine tried to get her attention. "What is it they want Nico to find? What's a neck-romancer?" Carmine would've joked at how silly the name sounded, if not for the sweat forming on Vale's face and the long following silence. "Why won't you tell me?" Carmine snapped. Why was this such a big secret? Why was there a secret at all!?

"Fucking exorcists," Vale groaned a curse before snapping her head back to meet Carmine's eyes. "Nico and I hoped you'd be a little older before you learned about this, but I suppose it was only a matter of time." With a firm grip, Vale sat Carmine back down on the bed. She dragged the stool directly across from the young elf and looked at her with an uncharacteristic sternness. "Listen closely, alright? I don't want those two bastards out front to hear anything, got it?"

Carmine nodded, a little more anxious now.

"Good, and save your questions until I'm done, alright? Necromancy...is one of the forbidden aspects of magic. One of the things I mentioned outside. The first thing you need to know, Carmine, is that this hurts people." Vale paused a second, letting the point hang. "No matter how thos sounds, it's a practice of pain and death. Do you understand?"

"You still haven’t told me what it even is," Carmine wriggled under the sudden intensity from her teacher.

Vale sighed one last time before, "it's the practice of defying death and...animating corpses to life."

For a moment, Carmine's world turned upside-down and backwards. Her eyes widened with confusion, shock and, perhaps, a small hope.

"No. Carmine, no. I see what you're thinking," Vale’s finger stabbed at her as she rushed to continue before Carmine could even process the implication. "It doesn't bring people back. Hey, Listen!" A quick jostling snapped Carmine's attention back. "I know how it sounds, but it's not what you're thinking. It doesn't bring people back from the dead."

"But you just said-"

"I said corpses." Vale hissed. "Necromancers rob graves, and turn the bodies into their obedient puppets. There's no thoughts, no feelings. It isn’t life."

"But, isn't there a way to fix that?"

"Believe me, some people have tried." Vale looked out the window, in the direction of the exorcists. "They end up hurting a lot more people in trying to save someone who can't be saved, and those are just the ones with more...altruistic motivations. Others use it to prolong their own lives at the cost of others, or murder dozens just to use their bodies as soldiers or labor or whatever other wretched use they think of. As...awful as they can be, the exorcists are right to stop it."

"Then...there's nothing that can…" Carmine looked towards the ground, disappointment shattering her fledgling hope. Before she even realized, she felt Vale's arms around her.

"Sorry Red," Vale said as she gave Carmine a hug. "We knew this would be a shitty-uh, shifty subject for you, but trust me; this isn’t something you want."

Carmine chuckled at Vale, trying to keep her head up. Vale really tried not to curse when she was around. "I'm...alright." Carmine told herself, trying to keep her disappointment and sorrow at bay. It hurt, but not as much with Vale there.

For a minute they waited in silence, the muffled voices of Nicholos and the exorcists still outside, but Carmine ignored them for a moment, thinking to herself.

"Vale?" She started.

"What's up?"

"I...want to go with Nicholos on this trip "

"That's- wait, you what!?" Vale leaned back and looked at her with the most confused frown.

"I want to go with Nicholos."

"Red, you hate going to town for an hour. You realize you'd be going somewhere, to quote you, very far away, for a long time, and probably with those two asses. You know that right?"

Carmine hesitated. She really didn't like the exorcists. The lady didn't talk like a normal person, and the younger one was just mean, but she looked Vale in the eye and nodded. As much as she didn't like them, she hated being left behind even more.

The cabin door creaked open as only one set of boots thudded inside. No clanking metal either, Nicholos came back. Without waiting for Vale’s answer, Carmine jumped up and walked into the living room.

Nicholos sat in his chair, rubbing the side of his head. Bags sagged under his thoughtful eyes as he let out a long sigh. A map lay sprawled on the table with a marked ĺine along one of its paths.

As Carmine walked closer, Nicholos turned, putting up a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I take it you heard," he said, sitting back on the chair.

"Some of it," Carmine admitted.

"You take their job?" Vale asked as she made her way to the living room as well.

"Yeah." He nodded, earning a grumble back from the Faun. "Vale, we need the money. The people in town are fine enough, but they don't have the greatest need for my skills."

"I know," Vale dropped onto one of the other chairs and crossed her arms.

"Getting coin together hasn't been easy."

"I know. Just be careful with them, alright?"

"Always." Nicholos turned his attention back to Carmine. He scratched the back of his neck, no doubt thinking of how to tell her he'd be gone for a while. Instead…

"I want to come with you." Carmine declared first. She stepped towards him, holding one hand in the other to keep the anxiety at bay. "I...I can help. I want to help."

“You what!?” Nicholas nearly fell out of his chair.

“You too, huh?” Vale chuckled at him from across the room. She poured herself a cup of water from a jug and sat back to watch. “You heard her right, Nico.”

Nicholos stared between them, trying to get his mind back up to his brain. Carmine grumbled, why was this so hard to believe?

“I-I want to go!” Carmine insisted before he could say no. “I’ve learned a lot, I can help!.”

“Carmine,” Nicholas tried to get a word in, “This isn't a vacation, where we’re going could be dangerous.”

“I can protect myself,” Carmine argued, “That’s what you taught me to do. I won’t be in the way.”

Nicholas went quiet, his brow furrowed. His hands clasped together as he lowered his head in thought. “There is...one other problem-”

She knows,” Vale spoke up. “You forget how sharp her ears are.” Vale gulped down her water and set it aside, giving Nicholos her full attention. “I told her what it means.”

“I thought we agreed we’d tell her when she was older.” Nicholas shot a glare in Vale’s direction, but she paid no notice.

“Shoulda kept your voice down then,” She shrugged, “or better yet: don’t let exorcists in your home.”

“I don’t care about that stuff, Nico,” Carmine Continued, hoping he’d believed her. “You’ve...you’ve done all this for me,” She motioned to the house around her, her studies, her mended body. “ I can’t sit here and do nothing but….but hide.” She straightened herself, trying to look as calm as possible, and probably failing, but she didn’t care. “I’m ready.”

Nicholas looked her up and down, before nodding to himself with a small grin. “Then we’ll go, together.”

----------

The sun had only started to rise over Rolderston when Nicholos and Carmine arrived at the crossroads leading out of town. Vale walked with them under the violet morning sky to see them off.

Beet, Nicholos' horse, pulled their cart to a stop at the meeting point set by the exorcists. Carmine saw their camp just off the road. Tera sat near their wagon packing while snoring came from a tent nearby.

"Seems we're early" Nicholos noted, surprised.

"Of course we are," Vale said, stifling a yawn. "Why do you schedule anything when you insist on being a half hour earlier anyway? The sun ain't even up yet." Vale yawned again, too tired to be grumpy. She saw Carmine smiling at her and cocked a brow. "What about you Red? How're you so chipper?"

"I'm used to waking up early," Carmine answered. Both excitement and nerves energized her for the journey ahead.

"Lucky for you." Vale rubbed sleep from her eye. "You got your medicine?"

"Right here." Carmine tapped her bag.

"And you take it-"

"Every morning and night."

"Good kid." Vale rolled her shoulders moving from hoof to hoof. "You two be careful out there, alright?"

"We'll be fine" Nicholos replied, shooting Vale a confident grin. His eyes had a spark that Carmine hadn't seen in a long while "Getting home safe and sound is our first priority. Trust me."

Vale returned his confidence with a doubtful hum and looked to Carmine. "Keep him out of trouble."

"I will," Carmine said, puffing out her chest.

"Then I've got nothing to worry about." Vale turned to leave, waving them both goodbye. "You two have a good adventure. My bed is calling my name."

Tera waited for Vale to make her departure before walking over. Even without her armor, she looked big.

"Apologies for the delay," she began. "We will be ready to depart soon."

"No problem," Nicholos answered, getting comfortable in his seat. "I knew we'd be a little early."

Tera moved along the cart's side, turning to Carmine in the back. "Did I hear correctly?" She asked Nicholos while holding Carmine's stare. "You mean to bring this child with us?"

"Yep." Nicholos gave no further explanation.

"You realize our road is a long one."

"I do."

"And its safety is not guaranteed."

"You like reiterating, don't you?"

Tera's jaw clenched for only a second as she gave Nicholos her full attention.

"Very well, how you travel is no business of mine, but be aware, my first priority, and that of my apprentice's, is the mission. Come what may"

"Understood."

Tera held Nicholos' gaze for a long silent moment. Carmine saw, by her furrowed brow, that she expected an explanation.

Nico gave none.

"I know I'm a handsome silver fox, but you're gonna make me blush-"

"Right, fine, we're done." Tera grumbled, breaking away as fast as she could. "Wake up, initiate!" She shouted. The snoring quickly gave way to confused blathering as Jordan's head poked out of his tent. "We're moving out!"