They barrel down the road for quite a ways before Amadeo finally pulls back on the reins. As the moon reaches its zenith, he looks around, the darkness lit up somewhat by the bright light of the moon. Before them sits a crossroad. A partially eroded sign stands at the corner of it, one arrow pointing left and the other pointing right, the word 'Lorelei' written across the right arrow. "We've got another few hours left. Are we good to push the rest of the way? If we pace them well enough, we'll make it to Misery by maybe three o'clock."

"I say we do it. I don't feel comfortable sleeping out here after that beast made that ogre half the monster he used to be." Tyrion answers, huddled up to the girls for warmth.

Hope nods in silent agreement, arms wrapped around the halfling and the elf. Anna looks over the landscape and shivers. "Anywhere warm will do."

"Alright. Just hold on. We'll be there soon." Amadeo cracks the reins and hurries onward, taking the left road.

The fields passing by on the east give way to a thick fog bank hanging like a curtain over a huge lake and the surrounding area. "Here we go. Almost there." They cross over a small bridge, coming to another crossroad. The fog bank rises on both sides, and Amadeo looks to the left before sighing. "Too dangerous tonight." He mumbles to himself, using the guidance of the moon as they enter a small grove of trees, out of which rises a stone tower. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a wire and whispers into it.

"Master Yuri. It's Amadeo. Please open the door!" The wagon pulls closer to the tower, and Anna gasps. "There's something in the fog!" A shape appears as they pass, a barely visible figure with an outstretched claw that swipes at Tyrion, who fires a bolt into the fog in response. Amadeo speaks into the wire again. "Master! Hurry!"

The tower's base appears out of the fog, the wooden door immediately visible. As they race toward it, the door grows in size, opening so large that the wagon has no trouble making it in. Outside, the figure disappears into the fog, the door slamming shut behind them. Amadeo pulls to a grinding half, sighing. "Everyone alright?"

"Aside from the scare, yeah." Anna sits up and peers over the edge of the wagon curiously.

"Mrmpher." Comes Tyrion's response. The sudden stop sent him flying toward the front wall of the wagon, and he rubs his head.

Hope just nods. "I think we're fine. What about you?"

"I'm alive. Don't think I'll be able to sleep for a week, but-"

"Again, Amadeo? You had the same response after your FIRST encounter with dear Mercy Warren." An unfamiliar voice to most of the party speaks up from one end of the room, and they look to the speaker. Standing opposite them, at a door up a short flight of stairs leading out of the stable they seem to have found themselves in, a young child of about twelve looks over each of them; a blonde haired boy with one amber colored eye, the other eye almost violet.

Hands folded behind his back, the boy smiles softly as Amadeo climbs down from the seat. "Master. It's only been a month, but it's still been too long."

"That it has, my apprentice. Welcome home." The child steps down the stairs, his form covered by a short green robe.

Hope helps the others out of the back, looking over the kid. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Ah, right. Introductions." Amadeo gestures to the party. "Master, these are my friends; Hope, Tyrion, and Anna."

The child bows his head. "And I am Yuri of Yuthas. It is my pleasure to welcome you to my home."

Hope raises an eyebrow. "Amadeo, this is a bad joke."

"This isn't a joke. I know it sounds ridiculous, but this child is my teacher." Amadeo folds his arms, and Yuri shakes his head. "Now now, it's quite alright. Not everyone gets it at first."

"Alright, if you're his teacher, what spells can YOU cast?" Hope challenges, still skeptical.

Yuri looks from her to Amadeo, who shrugs, then sighs. "Very well. If you insist, perhaps a change is needed." He holds up a caterpillar cocoon, weaving his fingers through the air. The pressure changes around Hope, who shrinks, her body morphing and sprouting red and white fur. Her ears shift, rising to the top of her head and becoming pointed tufts. Her tail shrinks and a thick, fluffy puff toward the end. Her jaws and nose extend outward. In a moment it is over, and where once stood Hope the devilkin, there now sits Hope...the fox.

Anna bursts out laughing, running over and picking up the fluffy critter. "Oh, she's so cute! And so soft!"

Tyrion chuckles. "She's really foxy now!"

Hope yips and whines, struggling and leaping from Anna's grip to the floor. She looks herself over, ears laying flat back as she turns to Amadeo with pleading eyes, barking at him. He holds a hand to his mouth, snickering. "Master, I think she got the point."

"Yes, I suppose she has." Yuri snaps a finger, the fox shifting and regaining her physical form, arms and legs spread outward in mock imitation of the fox she momentarily was. She looks over the child before clearing her throat and nodding. "Ok. I won't make that mistake again."

Yuri smiles, gesturing to the stairs. "Come. Let's get you all inside. I'm certain you've had a very long journey if you arrived so shortly after Maggie found you."

"You have no idea." Amadeo responds, as they step through the doors into a simply decorated foyer with a table by a fireplace, surrounded by a long couch on one side and a couple of chairs. The fireplace burns with a comforting warmth. A door stands on each of the other three walls, and a window looks out over the foggy area below.

Amadeo strides into the familiar room, taking a seat in one of the chairs by the fire. The table shimmers as he sits, a tea pot appearing upon it along with a tray of cups and saucers. The pot lifts and pours its piping hot contents into the cups before setting back down.

"I must admit, I was not expecting you to return so soon. I figured you'd at least take another half a day or so." Yuri plops into the chair opposite him, and the rest of the party gather on the couch.

Amadeo shakes his head. "We'd have been here tomorrow, but an ogre and a land shark had other plans...Wait, you knew we were on our way?"

"I don't need scrying to know you'd be coming home at the first sign of your family being in danger. You forget that I spent a year teaching you before you decided to run off in the first place." Yuri sips from one of the cups and frowns. "I regret that I cannot interfere directly in your village's affairs, else there'd be no need to have sent you that letter."

"Nonsense, Master. It was probably for the best that you did. Things up north got a little...heavy." Amadeo takes another cup, and the others do the same, choosing to follow his lead.

"Yes, Maggie told me Kaina has seen quite a bit of action. But enough of all that. You and your friends must be tired. I'm sure you remember how to reach the sleeping quarters. I've plenty of space, so feel free to find a room for each of you. We can talk in the morning." Yuri sits back in his chair, his feet propping up on an ottoman that scurries up under them. "Good night, friends of Amadeo. Do be careful not to wander too much without his guidance. My tower is a weaver's abode, after all."

Amadeo stands, bowing his head low. "Good night, Master." Turning to the others, he gestures to a door directly opposite the one they came through. "Come on. It's bed time."

Heading through the door, the cups floating after them, Amadeo leads the party through a narrow hallway and up a spiraling flight of stairs. His eyes fall on his devilkin companion, who has an almost shellshocked look on her face. "Hope, are you alright?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Hope mumbles, looking out the windows as they pass. "That is probably the scariest kid I've ever known."

"Least he only turned you into a fox." Anna giggles.

The wizard enters a straight hallway at the top of the stairs, and Hope tilts her head. "Is it just me, or is this place bigger on the inside?"

"It's not just you. This whole building is a magical creation, a variation of the Nine Sided Tower. You can modify it at will each time you cast the spell, and if you cast it in the same spot every day for a year, it becomes a permanent structure." Amadeo gestures to one door as they pass it. "That's the bathroom. Plenty of room for at least six people."

"How do you know it fits six people?" Tyrion asks curiously.

"Because the master takes at most six students at one time. There were three girls and three guys, but the schedule was so tight that we finally decided to just bathe at the same time."

Tyrion grins wide. "Oooh, so you were coeds?" Hope flinches a bit, though no one notices.

"It saved time. Wizard training is no joke. We may not be lifting boulders or picking pockets, but we still focus on learning spells and maintaining concentration for hours at a time." Amadeo shrugs, pointing to another door further down the hall as they stop at a different one. "That's the restrooms, split down the middle for ladies and gents. And here are the bedrooms."

He opens the door they stopped at, entering an octagonal room much like the foyer from before; table near a fireplace with couches and chairs, with a door on each wall save for the one the fireplace is attached to. "Make yourselves at home. It's not much, but it's cozy."

"I think it's nice!" Anna cheers as she steps in, looking out another window. "That fog, though. Has it always been here?"

"Yeah, at least as long as I've been around. We've learned to live with it." Amadeo opens the door to one room on the left side. The rooms are sparse, with just enough room for a bed, a desk and chair, and a chest of drawers.

"Kinda cramped in there for big folk, hm?" Tyrion looks inside, and Amadeo laughs. "Nah. I loved it. At my folk's place, I shared a room with Kira, so having my own was nice, no matter the size." He sets his pack down on the desk and stretches, looking out at the night sky and sighing. "Such a waste of such a lovely night."

Hope flops into a chair. "How does a kid learn to do all of this?"

Amadeo comes back out and sits, sipping from the tea cup that had been following him. "He's a genius for whom magical study comes as naturally as breathing. I know he used to be from Yuthas, but something happened a few years ago and he left, eventually settling on the edge of town to pursue his interests. The mayor made him promise to not interfere in the affairs of Misery such as politics or disputes. Other than that and my experience as his apprentice, I know very little about him. But I trust him with my life."

"Because he's your master?" Anna tilts her head, leaning over the back of the couch.

"More than that. He saved me from Mercy Warren."