*Caw Caw Caw*

“Jarshan, how long have I been Interim Secthead?” I squint towards the shadowy sky as the flock of migrating Mirebirds fly through the sky. A sense of familiarity runs through me. This is how it was when Perideen came. Before I left home.

“About five years,” Jarshan replies. His bushy beard has been trimmed, and he no longer seems bored like when I first met him at the beginning of the Trials. Instead, the old wolf seems practically brimming with enthusiasm to see each day. Over the last couple years, he’s become my right-hand man. Jarshan does the things that I would never ask Elina to do. House-cleaning, keeping the Sect free of those who don’t match my image, so long as I continue to work towards our goal, he’s willing to do anything. After a while, with no word on Romy’s status, he’s dropped the ‘interim’ part of my title. To be honest though, I don’t still completely trust him. “Something on your mind, Secthead?”

“Not really.” Dejectedly, I sigh. It’s starting to disturb my mentality, even if Romy’s absence helps me maintain control over the Sect.

Auntie...where are you? Are you still protecting Mark? You’ve missed so many birthdays...not that I mind, but I can’t understand what could be taking you so long. Don’t tell me I’ll be able to legally drink before I see you again? Hehe, drinking laws. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about that. Not like this world has any.

“Do you know what the Sect has started to call you?” Jarshan senses my bad mood. The old wolf has a funny personality. Totally willing to slit your throat and crack a joke while he’s at it. Bastard’s...almost likeable.

“What do you mean?” Narrowing my eyes, I glance back at my head of assassins. Jarshan is my pack leader, and I am the man in the shadows, commanding the baying hounds. “I believe I informed everyone to act as if Janus was Interim Secthead. They shouldn’t be referring to me by any name unless necessary. I hope they remember this...for their sakes.”

“Heh, Kiddo.” Jarshan chuckles, ignoring my obvious annoyance. He knows that at the end of the day, he’s irreplaceable. As such, he’s allowed to know certain parts of the plan. And piss me off. “You might be a genius, but sometimes, you forget how regular people think. Did you really think declaring Janus as Interim Secthead would keep things under wraps forever? Word spreads...especially when it’s about a monster mage like you.”

“So long as it’s only within the Sect,” I reply. Watching the Mirebirds caw and circle overhead in ever tightening concentric spirals, my voice turns hard, “If the Daggas Clan and Merekeep were to learn my identity as the next Secthead, it would make things problematic...as you very well know, Jarshan.”

“Yes, yes! I’m sure it has everything to do with them...and nothing to do with keeping Romy unaware of your activities!” He continues to chuckle even as I shoot him dirty looks. Okay, maybe it has a little bit to do with keeping Romy from finding out I’m here. “But don’t you want to know?”

“Know what?”

“What the Sect calls you!” Jarshan clearly is too excited to let this go. Tiredly, I give up and wave my agreement.

“Well?” Out of patience, I ask, “What do they call me?”

“Hehe, you’ll love this!” He comes right up behind me and whispers in my ear delightedly, “They decided that since you’re not really the Secthead yet, Raingod, is a bit much. But still, your performance at the Trials has inspired them. So, they decided to give you an interim name. Myrr Stormstopper. That’s what they call you!”

Stormstopper?

“That’s kind of lame...” I blurt out without thinking. “Why can’t I just be a Rainstopper like everyone else?”

“You don’t like it?” Jarshan sounds oddly disappointed. When I look over my shoulder, his face is calm, but I get a sneaking suspicion that he’s pretending. You came up with that name, didn’t you? “Well, I suppose it is a bit much. But the one who’s going to finally restore the Sect to greatness should have a cool name, right?”

“Uhuh, whatever.” I take one last peek up at the sky, just as the Mirebirds finish circling and head off into the distant horizon. Going home? Or somewhere new? I wonder...do they even have a home? “Call me what you want, but make sure the world believes that Janus was the victor of the Trials. I don’t want anyone in Merekeep to suspect me. And I’d prefer not to have to change my name.”

“You’ll be fine! No Rainstopper would ever betray their Secthead. Well, not since you took charge, anyway.” Jarshan laughs, reaching over and patting my shoulders. I’ve grown a lot taller recently. He doesn’t have to reach down that much anymore. “You’re going to head out soon then? Just as we planned?”

“Tonight, actually.” Suddenly, I feel a bit cold. The evening air is growing chilly as the sun sets. It’s strange, I should feel apprehensive. After all, this is it. Years of planning, training, and scheming. Building up my connections to set it all in motion. Turning to Jarshan, I lock eyes with him. “I trust you and Janus will be able to finish the preparations on your own? I’ll be taking Meera with me.”

“It’s no problem,” Jarshan nods. However, he suddenly looks thoughtful. “Say, what about that Demi-Cat of yours though? She’s quite young...and without a family. Are you really going to just leave-“

“She’ll have Elina!” I cut him off. My harsh expression causes even Jarshan to pause. “This is for her sake as much as mine. I owe them, Jarshan. You just want blood, but for us...this is personal. You got that?”

“Of course,” he answers smoothly. However, he doesn’t let it drop, “But perhaps you might reconsider. After all, Demi-Cats are quite loyal and capable fighters. Leaving such a young girl without her loved ones...I’ve run the Trials for several generations, and I can tell you, orphans need-“

“It’s happening. Shut up, Jarshan.”

“Yes, Secthead.”

...

Grimacing, I pace nervously. Of all the parts of my plan, Jarshan has to poke holes in the spots that hurt the most. I know she needs a family damnit! What do you want me to do? It’s way too dangerous to bring her with me! And even if I did, she’d only be tainted by the things that must be done. Perhaps I may need to apologize to her in the future, but at the end of the day, I’m responsible for Natalia. This is my fault. If I must make the hard choice between two evils, then I would choose to end this myself every time! No matter the cost, even if she hates me for it!

“Elina will do a better job raising her than I ever could...”

“Did you say something, Secthead?”

“No. Nothing.” I start to move to go. Up here, on the highest peak of the Sisyphean Cliffs, I can see why Jarshan likes it. You can watch everything from here. The whole Rainstopper Sect is beneath you. At first, I had to have someone carry me. But now, four years after the healing, I don’t need anyone to go where I please. The wind is at my beck and call, and my body moves the way it was meant to. Gracefully, I take a step off the edge and start dropping down towards Elina’s hut. “Let’s go. It’s time to find Meera.”

*Swoosh*

*Tap*

A short while later, we’re down below, at the plateau. The Healer’s hut is just as it always is. But it feels different knowing that this might be the last time I enter for a long time. A thin trail of black smoke curls over the top of the eye in the center. After it was destroyed in my fight with Meera, we rebuilt it and restocked it painstakingly over the years. Elina refused to allow any upgrades or changes. It’s her ‘cave’ of sorts. A refuge that she lets only the most trusted or those who need close attention inside. Poking on the door, it swings open gently. No one is inside. I made sure to have Elina go out training with Natalia today.

*Creak*

Padding inside, I feel like I need to sneak even though I know they’re not home. For a second, I have a moment of doubt. Did I play with her enough yesterday? Should I delay another day? What if Natalia hates me after this? I might never see her smile at me again...

“No...NO! It has to be done.” Shaking my head, I shove my doubts away. Quietly, I walk deep inside to the little cot I share with Natalia. There’s another one across the hut where Elina sleeps. Pushing a bundle of dried herbs hanging from the ceiling out of my face, I drop the envelope I’ve prepared for my Demi-Cat sister. Additionally, I reach into my pocket and remove a certain item. Sorry, I wanted to be here when you tried it for the first time. But then you might ask questions I can’t answer. Enjoy it with Elina, Natalia. And please...don’t hate me.

Going over to where Elina sleeps, my feet are awfully heavy. I have another note, though no samples for her. As I’m about to leave it on her bed, I decide better of it and change my mind. She knows me too well. Everything that needs to be said has already been said. Slowly, I close my hand over the note and whisper a quiet Burn. When I open my fingers, the ashes disintegrate into the dark confines of the hut. One last quick peek around. I sneak a look up through the open ‘eye’ in the ceiling and see nothing except clouds blocking the setting sun. Don’t let me down, Second Auntie! Make sure she grows up into a fine young Demi-Cat! You know loneliness just like I do, so I’ll trust you to take care of Natalia if I don’t come back!

*Creak*

The door whines as I shut it. An air of finality settles over me. I bow my head and close my eyes, as if in prayer. Jarshan waits respectfully outside until I’m ready. He might be annoying at times, but just like his disciple, he can be surprisingly intelligent at times. Eventually, I open my eyes. It’s time. I’ve already waited far too long.

“Are you sure you want to go, Secthead?” Jarshan is oddly reluctant today. I would have thought he’d be excited to take over completely in my absence. “Why not wait just one or two more days? Maybe a week even? Your training with Elina is hardly complete. Just another year could really help you unlock your Qi.”

“Jarshan...I’m a mage.” Meeting his gaze, I try to project confidence. “Even if I’ve been given a second chance, I missed the best time to train my body. Merekeep took that from me. In the end, the sword will never be my sharpest weapon. I’m...no Romy.”

“No, you’re not,” Jarshan agrees thoughtfully. However, after a moment, he smiles. There’s a flash and his wolf-mask comes on. As if he’s about to fight me. But it's only halfway on, leaving half his face exposed. Another test?

“Jarshan?” I ask.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he replies. When he reaches into his robes, I tense. However, at the sight of what he withdraws, I laugh. Oh...so it was THAT! As if bestowing a gift of great value, Jarshan slowly hands out a white and black mask to me. One, I’ve never seen before. Carefully, I stretch out my hands to receive it. However, he simply steps in past my guard and holds it over my face so I can examine it. “Accept this and you are no longer who you were. Not merely, Myrr, or Acolyte, or even Interim Secthead. Once you put on this mask, you become truly Rainstopper. Is that what you want?”

A real Rainstopper. No more hearing ‘Acolyte’ while being beaten. The next time I see Romy, I’ll only be a little bit below her. Definitely a higher status than Mark. Heh...yea, that sounds nice.

“I’ll take it.”

“Very well!” Jarshan nods and steps in. First, he presents the mask to me face side first so I can see what it looks like. Umm is it...a bird?

“What is it?” I ask. With a hint of pride, Jarshan flips the mask around and gazes at it fondly. Did you make this one up too?

“Midnight Roc, a wandering beast that never lands! Born in the clouds, it commands the storm! One who brings light to the endless night!” he tells me. Grinning with an oddly child-like joy, Jarshan reverses the mask in his hands and hands it to me. “Pretty cool, huh? I thought it would suit you.”

“A bird that never lands, huh...sounds a bit like an albatross,” I remark. He looks at me strangely.

“What’s an a-l-ba-cross?”

“Albatross. Where I’m from, it’s a lonely bird that has no home...or friends...oh, screw it! It’s a good mask, Jarshan!” Laughing, I pluck the bird-faced Roc mask from his hands. Admiring the elegant beak and black-feathers drawn onto the cheeks, I raise it to my face. Jarshan eagerly waits as I place it over my nose and buckle the strap in place. The mask is perfectly made, a beautiful fit. It doesn’t impede my vision at all despite covering nearly my entire face. Super light...yet somehow, I still feel the weight of it. “Am I wearing this right?”

“Welcome to the Sect, Myrr Rainstopper!” Jarshan just cackles, his face half-wolf, half-man. “What is your order?”

“Given up on calling me, Stormstopper?” I joke with him as I stand there, by the edge of the cliffs. Up above, for a split second, I swear lightning flashes through the empty clouds.

“Whatever the Secthead wishes. So, let it be said. So, it will be done,” he intones. Together, we watch the red sun set. After a moment, a familiar pair of figures appear, from the direction of the Rainstopper dormitories. The tall form of a dark-robed Rainstopper Assassin, and beside him, a smaller girl in provocative leathers. Perideen and Meera. Jarshan turns to me. “Looks like they’re here.”

“Take care of the Sect for me. Remember, this is my Sect, not Janus’s, not yours...” I tell him.

“As if I could forget,” Jarshan replies. Suddenly, he presses something small into my hands with that crazy speed of his. What’s this? A notebook? “Oh, one last thing, Secthead, before you go.”

“Mmm?”

“A little light reading for your journey. I was browsing through the old Raingod Archives the other day. It might interest you to know that out of the long history of the Rainstopper Sect, only one previous Secthead has ever had the aptitude for magic.” The old wolf winks at me. “He wasn’t nearly so talented as you, but he did experiment quite a bit to see how magic could augment the Rainstopper fighting style. Take a look, Raingod Adam was an interesting man.”

Glancing down, I feel the cover of his gift with interest.

“Thanks, Jarshan,” I tell him.

“Don’t die young, Pup,” Jarshan answers, “I really want to see how you turn out.”

“Don’t let anyone I care about die,” my reply is dead cold, only half a joke, “Or you won’t like who comes back.”

“Now that’s a proper Rainstopper line, Secthead!” He smiles brightly. But it starts to fade as I don’t smile back. “H-Hey! You know you can trust me, right?”

“I’m serious, Jarshan. Don’t mess up.” Finally, even I have to crack a grin. This old wolf. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think he really is on my side. Sighing, I turn to go and say over my shoulder, “Keep an eye out for my signal. I’ll be off then.”

“Yes, Secthead!” Jarshan calls out behind me, “By the way, you wouldn’t happen to have an extra sample of the product for me, would you-?”

“Sorry, I’m out! Next time we meet, you can have some!” I yell back, already striding off to go to Perideen and Meera, “In Merekeep!”

“B-But that could be years from now!” The genuine horror in his voice is something no one would expect from the grizzled Supervisor of the Trials. “Myrr! You can’t be serious-“

“...I’ll mail you some!” Laughing, I peek into the future to look backwards without getting caught. Turning off my Foresight, I grin in secret at the memory of how red Jarshan’s face is about to become as he realizes he’s been played. That’s for taking so long at the Trials!

“Damnit, kid! Who taught you to be so evil!”

“You did! Next time, make sure to come on time!”

“You’re still holding a grudge about that?!”

“Yea. Bye Jarshan.”

“W-Wait! You’re not really mad are you-“

“Hey, Perideen, let’s get going!”

“SECTHEAD-!”