Rania sat in the back of the inn, ignoring the other bustling customers, staring down at the scroll that Kethren had given to her. It was in the language of her people, so she wasn’t concerned about anyone nearby being able to read it. It was complicated, though, far more complicated than she had expected when Kethren had given it to her. She absent-mindedly took a bite from the potato she had ordered for dinner, frowning down at the scroll. She had gone over it several times, yet she still seemed unable to fully grasp its contents. It was frustrating. But then, she had always had trouble learning through reading. I should have looked at it while I was still in Keystun, she thought, taking another bite of her cold dinner. Maybe Kethren would have been able to explain it to me.

She glanced up and found herself peering at a couple at the bar, the woman laughing, putting a hand on her ample bosom, peering up at the man coquettishly. After the woman permitted him to kiss her, Rania turned her eyes away, feeling puzzled. What was I supposed to feel with Kethren? She had overheard conversations of these human women talking about men, but Rania could not say that she had felt anything like what the women described. Admittedly, there had been lust, Rania could not deny that. Even for elven standards, Kethren was an attractive man. While on a contract in the south where she had met him, there had been several women that flirted with Kethren while Rania watched them in amusement. Human women were so obvious in their affection and while it had initially startled Rania, now she found it to be an interesting, almost endearing quality to their race.

It is getting busier, Rania noted after some time of dwelling on humans, distracted from her original thought. She rolled up her scroll and tucked it inside her robes. Now would be the best time to do some exploring. She left her table, slipping between the crowded inn and outside to the refreshing air. It was dark outside and since Jorlaan was a smaller town than most, there was a sparse amount of torches lighting the streets. Smiling to herself, Rania stepped through the mostly empty streets. Most of the people were inside sleeping or at the inns taking advantage of the effects of alcohol. The place she wanted was out of the way from the town, closer to the mountains than any of the other homes. As she came to the lone path that led from the town, she glanced behind her and seeing that no one was watching, she continued down the well-worn, dirt path. When she spotted the home, she veered to the right and made a wide circle until she was at the back of the home with the vast trees of the Tilusian Mountains at her back. It was a decent sized manor, covered with tall windows and a greenhouse attached. It was dark inside, as Rania had expected with the sorcerer still in Keystun or on the road to Jorlaan.

Rania turned and stepped into the forest some ways before extending her wrists out so that she rose up to the tallest branch. She stepped onto the branch and the jewels in her gauntlets dimmed. She sat on the branch and removed her robes so that she was only in her leather jerkin and breeches. Checking to make sure that her dagger was tucked beneath her boot in case she needed it, she tied her cloak and sword around the branch securely. She slipped off the branch and her jewels flashed as she landed neatly on the ground. She left the trees and returned to the manor, surveying the back of it again. After a moment’s consideration, she went to the greenhouse and straightened her index fingers on the glass and her jewel glowed as she traced a wide circle in the glass. Very carefully, she pulled the glass out and it hung suspended in the air while she slipped through the gap and into the plants on the other side. Gingerly, she stepped onto the ground and then raised her hands, pulling them towards her. As she did, the glass slipped back into place and stuck there as if nothing had happened.

Glancing around, Rania found the door that led inside the manor. She crept carefully through the tables of plants to the door and tried the handle. It turned with ease under her hand. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, she went inside and closed the door behind her quietly, straightening as she listened. It was quiet inside the manor. She was wary of any magical trap the sorcerer might have set within the manor, but it didn’t appear that she had stepped into anything that would alert him someone had been inside or she would have felt it by then. After standing near the door for a few moments, she determined that it was safe enough and moved forward. She passed the stairs, deciding to search this floor before going upstairs. She found the dining area and kitchen bare of anything interesting and the living area was equally lacking. It wasn’t until the drawing room, where she found a wall full of books that she had to spend any real time searching.

Rania gave the drawing desk a brief ruffle, but most of the letters and papers were old and nothing that would help her. She went to the bookcase built into the wall and stood in front of it thoughtfully for a moment. She glanced to her left where the window was, but it was facing the mountains. Strangely enough, most of the windows and living spaces in the manor were pointed towards the mountains rather than towards the town. Dismissing it from her mind, Rania began to meticulously go through the books, flipping through them, skimming the contents. By the time she had gotten to the end of the bookcase, she had found a handful of leaflets stuffed inside the books. After she had finished the bookcase, she went through them and found that most of them related to a girl named “Celina,” although the sender was unknown, all of the letters unsigned. “Friend Alastair,” one read, “I have appreciated your advice regarding Celina. It’s been hard dealing with this situation. For a time, I truly thought that I would be strong enough to endure...but those strange things have continued. It has been weeks since anything has happened, but this time they have increased in their severity. I worry for Celina’s mind.”

Mental problems, perhaps? Rania thought, tucking the letters beneath her shirt to peruse more closely later. If so, why did this person not consult a doctor? Why go to a sorcerer? She shook her head and after a glance around realized she was finished with this floor. Leaving the drawing room, Rania returned to the stairs and carefully stepped up them to the second floor. There were more rooms up here than she had expected. She started on the right side of the stairs, where two rooms that looked like guest rooms were situated. The rooms were empty of any real belongings, so she continued down to the other end of the hallway. There was another guest room and then where the hallway turned left around a corner, she saw that there were three rooms at the end, quite clearly belonging to Alastair. Rania didn’t move for a moment, staring at the room on the left side of the hallway. While everything else in the manor had seemed undisturbed, this room’s door was open. Unsettled, Rania reached down and slipped her dagger out, creeping along the wall to the room. She was quite certain now that someone else was in the manor with her.

As she came to the room, she paused, peering inside, but it was still and she couldn’t see anyone in the drawing room of Alastair’s chambers. Rania lithely stepped across the doorway and into the room and even before the door moved was she aware that the other intruder was near. She swung around a second too late as a body came hurtling towards her. Heavier and more muscular than her own, she went tumbling to the ground, but before they were able to recover for another attack, she darted her legs beneath the body and flung it over her with her legs. She rolled forward to put some distance between her and the person, crouching on the floor with her dagger out. She heard a masculine voice swearing and when he swung around, there was a pause as they both recognized each other.

“You!” they both sputtered in unison.

The adrenaline was beginning to fade from Haemon, leaving his heart pounding in his chest, thinking that he had been about to face a sorcerer. At the appearance of the woman from the forest, he felt a little relieved but more than a little shocked. He had recognized her bright, white blonde hair and the head scarf as soon as he had recovered from being thrown across the room by her. He didn’t immediately move from his defensive position, however, and she remained crouching grasping her dagger, eyeing him uncertainly. It was clear neither of them had been expecting someone else to be raiding the sorcerer’s house. His first thought was that she had some sort of beef with the sorcerer, but then he began to wonder whether she was after the crystal, too. “What are you here for?” he demanded after these quick thoughts raced through his mind.

She hesitated and then made a gesture with her dagger. “I should ask you the same thing, thief.”

“Thief?” he repeated.

“There is no point in pretending to be innocent. You must be here stealing something, you look far too guilty.”

Going on the offensive, huh? What have you got to hide so much that you don’t want me to know? His eyes narrowed on her and he saw her tense in response. “I think you’re here stealing something.”

“I am not here to steal anything,” she said with a scowl. “Nothing he would miss, anyway, I promise you that.”

There was a pause while they both sized each other up, glaring. Haemon could see that their options were limited. She obviously wasn’t here to steal the crystal, as Haemon was certain the sorcerer would miss that given the type of security precautions he had taken to hide it. And, bandit or not, he did owe her his life. Pursing his lips, he slowly straightened and her eyes followed him warily. “Alright, let’s make a deal then. I’ll tell you what I’m looking for if you tell me and then we won’t interfere in each other’s business unless it’s something we both need. Deal?” He could see her running it through her mind and then nodded, coming to her feet, but keeping her dagger in hand. As she made no move to say anything, looking to him expectantly, he told her, “I’m looking for a pink crystal that our client wants from the sorcerer.”

A puzzled expression crossed her face. “A crystal? I did not see any when I was downstairs. That is not why I am here, though, so there is no need to worry about me.” She appeared uncertain a moment and then seemed to come to some conclusion about him, giving a tiny shrug. “I work as a mercenary and I am working on a contract right now. My client believes that the sorcerer and the High Duke of Jorlaan have something to do with the disappearance of his daughter. The sorcerer is proving difficult to handle and one of my contacts gave me some information that has led me to believe that the sorcerer’s role in this might not be all that it seems.”

“So you’re here to look through his papers?”

“Basically, yes,” she said. “I have yet to find anything very useful. I would bet that wherever his crystal is will be where the papers I want are, too.”

“We’ve already had several bandits try to get the crystal already and they’ve gone through the entire place without even seeing it.”

“That would explain why he had no wards up to keep people from breaking into the manor.” She turned her head, looking around. “Shall we continue searching? If we come up with nothing, we might have to go about this a bit differently.” Without waiting for him to reply, she moved towards the bedroom door and vanished into the room, leaving him standing dumbfounded in the middle of the drawing room. He was annoyed at her nonchalance, yet he did as suggested, searching for any signs that there was a hidden compartment or doorway somewhere else in the drawing room. When he came up with nothing, he continued on to the bedroom where she was rummaging through the night stand.

As they left the bedchambers and went to the study across the hall, Haemon was searching his memory of his previous encounter with the woman. Because it had been a hectic and dangerous situation, they had never exchanged names. Even though he was still somewhat uncomfortable because of her sorceress powers, she had saved his life and had proved to be trustworthy in that situation. She didn’t appear to be threatened by him now that she recognized him, which made him comfortable enough in not watching her every instant. It was comforting, as well, to know that rather than use her magic, she had gone for her dagger and physical strength instead. It was nice to know that she wouldn’t set him on fire while his back was turned.

There’s nothing here, either, Haemon thought after he had felt around the entire study. She had seemed to collect a few papers where they had disappeared beneath her hauberk and shirt, although she didn’t appear as though she had found anything incredibly useful. There’s one more room to search...If the sorcerer is using magic to withhold the crystal, then I won’t be able to find it...but she might. It could be useful to have her around then, I suppose...

They continued on to the next room, which was a large library, nearly as big as Alastair’s bedchambers. Haemon considered the bookcases lining the walls from floor to ceiling with a rueful expression. There was a table in the middle of the room with stacks of books and papers on it. While Haemon proceeded to search the bookcases, pulling the books out and flipping through them, she went to the table and read through the papers and flipped through those books. Haemon was partially through the books when she approached him. “What?” he asked, flipping through a book absent-mindedly.

“I did a sweep through the manor to see if there was anything unusual and there is a portal somewhere in this room.”

“A portal?” he repeated, looking up from the book and staring at her blankly. “You mean...if we found it, it would take us somewhere else?”

“Yes, of course,” she answered simply. “I think it is most likely that the portal will take us to another study or room of some kind.”

“How do we find it?”

“I already found it. It was on the table. If you are ready, I think I can activate it to get us there.”

“Oh, joy...,” he mumbled, putting the book back and following her to the table.

“Alright, take a hold of my arm, please,” she instructed, “and we shall see where this takes us.” She picked up the book and he noticed something glimmer in her gauntlets before he felt his vision go black and his body lift up. The last thought he had before he fell unconscious was that he felt quite like he was going to be sick.

Rania blinked rapidly as her vision became less blurry and more focused. She was still holding the book, but they were in a large room with navy blue walls. There was a small, simple bed in the corner with a plain trunk at the end, but the rest of the room was extravagant. There was an alchemy lab table with glass cabinets filled with plants and coloured bottles hanging above it. On the table, she noticed, was a bright pink crystal floating suspended above a silver disc. On the opposing wall were more bookcases, but these books looked more worn and aged, as if they had gone through a great deal more use. And, in the middle of the room was a dais where two books were sitting, one of them matching the one she was holding. This is an amazing hiding spot, she mused, looking around again, but it looks like he has another book somewhere else working as a portal. Probably one that he keeps with him. It’d be better if we don’t linger here.

“That must be your crystal,” she told her companion. When silence met her ears, she turned around to see that he had passed out during the travel and was lying crumpled on the ground. “This really is not the time for sleeping,” she sighed. She sat down and laid the book aside. “And it better not become a thing, waking you up all the time.” She felt a hint of déjà vu from sitting over him, waiting for him to wake up. She made certain that he had not somehow gotten injured during the travel, patting his body. He seemed fine, so she suspected it was just his inability to handle portal travel. She supposed slapping him awake would work just as well as anything. She slapped him briskly across the face on both cheeks and he startled awake, holding his face.

“What the hell, woman?” he snapped, glaring at her.

“You passed out and there was no time to wait for you wake up. I think he may have a portal access with himYour crystal is right there, I am going to search through the trunk and books while we are here.” She left him sitting there glowering sulkily and went to the bookcase. All of the books smelled of alchemy potions and herbs, so she doubted there would be anything that she was looking for there. She couldn’t even find a journal, which she was reasonable considering how secretive Alastair appeared. After an unsuccessful search, she went to the trunk that had a surprising conglomerate of items within it. Swords, some armor and robes, and other things that she was unsure about lied inside of it. At the bottom, she found a few more books and a book of sketches that also held loose leaflets that were letters and also monetary accounts. Frowning at one, she saw that the accounts were, in fact, not Alastair’s, but someone else’s, although she couldn’t read the name because of how badly the paper was worn. Shutting it, she set it aside to take and when she found nothing else, she closed the trunk and collected the sketchbook. “You have not grabbed it yet?”

“That damn thing isn’t natural,” he said from his place in front of the table, looking uncertain. “How do I know it won’t burn me?”

“There is no real way of knowing,” Rania told him simply. “Just grab it so we can leave.” He glanced at her and then reached out, taking hold of it and yanking it away. The silver disc seemed to go dim, as though it had been glowing before.

“I don’t like this place, let’s go.”

“Alright, but I will not wake you up if you pass out again, so stay awake.”

“Fine, fine, let’s just go.”

Rania didn’t want to admit it, but she was getting a strange, uncomfortable feeling from the place as well. She felt guilty for stealing the sketchbook and after the crystal had been removed, the feeling had seemed to intensify. She took the book again and her jewels glowed as she released a bit of magic into the book and they were traveling again to the manor. True to his word, he didn’t pass out, but he did look incredibly sick from the travel. His usual tan skin looked a little pale and he had his lips pursed. “Are you feeling ill?” she asked gently.

“I’m fine,” he bit out and as an afterthought mumbled, “but thanks.” In spite of herself, Rania smiled and turned away, amused by the bandit.

“I came in through the greenhouse, how did you come in?”

“I picked the lock on the side door. It might be easier to get out.” She nodded and followed him downstairs and out of the manor. It was a relief to be out of the manor and with that business behind. Rania still had a feeling of discomfort about the portal room in her stomach, yet had no way of calming it since she was unsure of what had originally caused it. “I appreciate your help with this,” he told her quietly, gesturing towards the bundled cloth in his hand, where he had covered the crystal. “I wouldn’t have guessed a portal. I suppose this means I owe you two favors now.”

“Not at all,” she said, shaking her head. “I needed to go there as much as you did. Are you traveling back tonight?”

“Yes...just in case the sorcerer discovers this gone, I don’t want to be around.”

“Safe travels, then,” she said with a smile.

“For you, as well,” he said with a nod. As he made to leave, he paused, snapping his fingers. “Ah...I never did get your name.”

“No, I suppose not. My name is Rania. And yours is...?”

“Haemon. Stay safe, then.” He waved and hurried around the manor, disappearing. Rania watched him and then turned into the trees, walking to where her belongings were located. She detached her robes and sword and after she floated back to land on her feet, she still felt a wave of unease as she thought about that crystal. Somehow, she felt that she ought to have prevented Haemon from taking it from that portal room.

Suddenly exhausted from the night’s events, Rania headed back into town and to the inn where she was staying. As soon as she got to her room, she dragged her jerkin and other clothing off and pulled out her cotton night gown, throwing it over her head and collapsing gratefully upon the bed. She lay there for a moment with her eyes closed, feeling her exhaustion seducing her teasingly, attempting to lure her into sleep. Reluctantly, she sat up and pulled off her scarf, letting her hair down and scrubbing at it, mussing it up. She reached over and took the bundle of papers and sketchbook that she had stolen from the manor, flipping through them thoughtfully. Most of the ones she had taken from books and from the study and drawing room were random correspondences with clients and aside from the few ones regarding Celina, there was nothing that seemed to stand out. It wasn’t until Rania started into the sketchbook that there was any other mentioning of Celina and here, the contents became quite more interesting.

“Alastair,” read one letter, “Thank you for coming to me with this. What you have written has, frankly, disturbed me. This girl that you’ve described seems to be connected with those mineral forces from the Tilusian Mountains. The fact that the crystal was found near her when Reginald found her is enough evidence for me and will certainly be enough for Fynn. I’ve already been in contact with Reginald and we’ve agreed upon a place to keep the girl safe and to watch her. The crystal is another matter. If Fynn finds out that any of us have had contact with it, he’ll not hesitate to destroy us. I would prefer it to be in your hands for protection given my high profile. In the meantime, I will be with Reginald caring for the girl. I’m sure that he will regularly update you on her progress.”

Mineral forces? Rania thought after finishing this letter, startled. Where have I heard about this before? Since such things existed in the Tilusian Mountains, she was sure that her people must have known of it. Frustrated by her memory, she frowned and set aside the letter and reached for the next one. Of course, I have been alive for so many years...it is no surprise that I would forget some things. Shaking that off, Rania perused the next few letters, but most of them seemed to be from the character Reginald, as it was similar to the letters she had found outside of the portal room regarding Celina. These letters went into fuller detail on the strange events that surrounded the girl. Animals flocking to them in the wilderness only to stare at them, deadly storms happening at high altitudes when she was in an unsavory mood, and sudden screams in the night that didn’t belong to Celina or Reginald. All of the letters were unsigned, but she was able to recognize the familiar slanting handwriting that differed from the almost violent writing of the other writer, who Rania suspected was another sorcerer. Reginald never mentioned the other man’s name, always referring to him as “our good friend.” It was some time until Rania came up with another letter from the sorcerer and this one seemed quite recent.

“Alastair,” the sorcerer had written, “It’s been difficult trying to travel with Celina with all of these things happening around her. She’s a very average girl in her temperament, but we avoid angering her if we can help it. Everything seems to go dark. I’m currently on my way to Keystun, where I have a messenger set up for you. He’s a trustworthy one and Fynn won’t suspect that he’s connected to me at all. I imagine you and your duke will be heading there shortly as well. While I admire your ethics, that duke will have to be killed sooner rather than later unless your potions have been keeping him in line. I haven’t heard anything about people suspecting foul-play so you might actually be able to keep to your morals. As for the portal, I’m glad that it’s been working for you and that you were successfully able to administer it. Fynn is going to keep sending people after you now that he knows you have the crystal, so be careful, brother.”

Rania read this over several times, feeling a chill go down her spine. Slowly, she set the letter aside and glanced around. The room itself was warm, but her skin had seemed to go ice-cold. It was clear to her now that this Fynn character was the one after the crystal and something in the pit of her stomach made her think that whatever his reasons for getting it could not possibly be for any good. Considering the type of things that had been happening in Sorra, Rania suspected that these mineral forces were part of the problem. Rania flipped through the rest of the loose papers in the sketchbook. The accounts, she realized, were the other sorcerer’s that Alastair had been keeping track for him. Not sorcerer, she corrected herself, but Alastair’s brother. She began to go through the sketchbook and found several sketches of strange plants, but also of odd rock-shaped items. One of them she recognized as the pink crystal that Haemon had stolen. A sense of panic began to overwhelm Rania that she could not quite understand.

“What should I do?” she whispered to herself anxiously, biting the end of her thumb. This has nothing to do with me, she told herself, but something feels wrong. If Fynn is also a sorcerer, he should have been able to find that portal. Other sorcerers would have been able to find that portal, but I was the one who did...and my jewels are of a different type of magic than theirs and they would have no way of accessing it... She shook her head and grabbed her scarf and after tying her hair up, hastily secured her scarf around her ears and began to collect her things in the room. Whatever is happening with Alastair and this crystal is related to the reason for the sudden attack on my village. My contract will need to be put on hold for a bit, it seems.