It was, in fact, early morning by the time the two headed back. Dirge was quite young so he helped Andrew to walk, but he refused any attempt to use - or recruit - a piggy-back ride. Nevertheless, after half-an-hour of stumbling around, the two finally made it towards Andrew's gate.

He noticed a prodding glance from Dirge, now Derek, and opened the gate. By the time he reached the front door, Andrew nearly collapsed at the intense pain.

"How is the actual hell can she do that with a simple purse," groaned Andrew. He little pushed open the door and waddled towards the couch. There no one up, but he did not bother to do anything else besides hurdle in his stained cloak.

After sleeping for an hour, Andrew felt a rough tap on his back.

"Damn it! Why the hell did you do that?!"

"I should be the one acting like that," laughed Derek. "Your parents were worried sick."

He casually drank the from the wine cask and pointed over to the side. Andrew didn't bother to count it, rather, he just removed the bulky and irritating purse from his side and tossed a perplexed and agitated Leya the earrings.

Derek laughed from the side, "kid worked overtime, bought something before he was launched through the door into some tavern. Whether theft or simple smack talk, he landed on my chicken."

"A day and a half!" Cried Rae. "Seriously! Tell us when and if you're leaving! We thought the worst had happened."

Andrew groaned under the sudden hug which wrenched him from the comfort of the couch. However, he accepted the pain as a matter of course.

"I told Leya I'd leave," coughed Andrew. "Well, she was near-comatose, but still!"

Keryzn glared at Andrew before he stepped to Derek's side and took a strong swallow of wine. One became two, and two, three. After awhile his father let out a relieved sigh.

"Now that this mess is cleared up, I'm going to go," his face seemed stern and harsh, but his eyes were tenderly looking at the boy before shuffling out to work.

"What are these?" Spoke Leya in confusion. "Cursed?"

"I wish," growled Andrew. "Feels like a damned ape smashed my back because of them."

She awkwardly bit her lip before she tried them on. As there was nothing seemingly amiss with them, she turned check it out.

"Huh, not bad. A little gaudy, but still not bad."

He noticed a small glow appeared around her and she disregarded it all and gripped the hilt of her sword.

"No sword practice inside," ordered Rae. "And, you, where have you been!?"

"Working?" Offered Andrew weakly. "Had to save up enough."

Rae suspiciously hefted up the bag and she trembled. After looking inside, she growled, "you made fifty blighted gold, 'working'?! Where did you steal this from!"

Andrew looked at Dirge for advice, but the man quietly drank the wine.

Andrew sighed and scratched his head. "Mother, look at the jewelry when you get a chance. I learned that I can modify my weapons so I started to create low-end jewelry... it is technically illegal... or is it? I don't know, anyways, due to the method of production, but it doesn't harm anyone. I sold my rights to a few pieces earlier on so if you want to go to an auction I can point them out to you."

Derek looked at her for a moment before he let out a deep sigh. "Andrew, she's marked. Don't bother hiding it - from her, at least."

Andrew was startled and looked at his mother with wide eyes. No matter where he looked, he didn't see anything. However, Rae was increasingly uncomfortable with the comment.

She bit her lip and lowered her shoulder. In the middle of her clavicle was a single black dot. Nothing overtly suspicious in and of itself, but the man's discerning eyes picked it out immediately.

"You're... one of them?"

"Was," sighed Rae before her expression changed. "Wait, so you di-"

Derek laughed and pulled her to the side. Leya's deep, ragged breaths could be heard from outside louder than Derek's voice. With a look of realization, her face glowed for a moment.

"So... it is true. Well, it was still illegal, but more on the grey side," giving Derek a firm glare, she continued. "Nothing more than production. No touching anything that can be traced back to you."

Derek poked his head up, "in other words, don't mess up. Then you'll get paid and you'll live happily ever after."

Rae took a look at the bag of gold before grimacing. "What could you have done to make the old wretch reward you like this. It isn't much, but profit margins are not nearly that lucrat- ahem, uhm, nothing."

Seeing his mother's cheeks glow in embarrassment, Andrew chuckled, "so you knew about this neighbourhood all along? Hell, the first thing you did was scratch out the mark."

"You had misgivings that early?"

"Not really, it was ugly and obvious. However, in hindsight, it does make sense. Anyways, I have more of a stash, but I imagine you should be able to put some of this to good use?"

"Hide it," sighed Rae. "Your father won't appreciate the fact that you earn more than him. Anyways, money still isn't much of an issue, but I'll ask if the need presents itself."

Derek smiled and walked towards the door. "Cellar trick."

Rae rolled her eye and laughed. "Thanks again. I do appreciate you bringing back my son back."

"I got paid," smirked Derek as he lifted up two gold coins. "Easy targets. Anyways, I"m off."

"Forty-eight," mused Rae laughingly. "It's true. Hell, there are bad rumors going on about you, you know?"

Andrew lowered his head. 'Damn, there wasn't that many people in the square that day, was there?'

Rae sighed and lightly tapped the sour yellow bruise on his back - repeatedly. Even as he cried in pain, she continued seven or eight more times before she relented. As he collapsed despondently on the couch, Rae hid the purse upstairs. Yet, he just laid there as he tried to understand how to do anything productive.

Yet, his only real option was to dedicate himself to his shadow doppelganger. Therefore, he appeared just in front of Leya and her sword slashed across him.

She let out a startled yelp and Andrew smirked. "Damn things are ridiculous. How are they? They hold up to moving and such?"

"Well enough," shrugged Leya who performed another slash through Andrew's neck. "Stand there for a bit."

"Sure? Anyways, what did you get up to? Recovering?"

"Nah, just hanging out with Reva and Kate. I knew you were alive and nearby so I really didn't think much of it." She talked effortlessly as she slashed the sword through various points of his ethereal body.

Andrew nodded along, but she obviously wasn't entertaining him. Therefore, he decided to congeal a solid blade from the shadows and enter into a stance. He focused primarily on parrying her swings but was forced to constantly regenerate his blade under the barrage of blows.

Even though he couldn't be hit physically, he was still being drained due to the ghost pains from his back and the constant use of magic. At about half-way through, Andrew returned to his body to eat while he half-heartedly controlled his mind to occasionally parry a blow.

It was a cheap illusion that could be blown away with a trifling amount of magic or enough physical prowess; however, it served to train him in splitting his mind.

He did not go to school for two days afterward due to the unending pain from his crushed ribs, and back. And, on the third day, he finally relented to Leya's promise to heal him with a proper spell.

As he went into class, he noticed a grim atmosphere. He looked towards Kate who seemed much worse for wear than before. While they managed to scratch out close matches, the oppressive numbers had hindered their chances.

Andrew was exempt from punishment as he rested listlessly in the room.

The four of them ate lunch quietly until he noticed Juin and Kerryn appear at their side.

"So you did finally come back. Thought you ran off," laughed the boy arrogantly. "Anyways, there isn't much use in complaining. We've already brought our numbers back. You might have a few extra books, but they'll be ours soon."

Andrew looked at him curiously before he ignored the boy completely. "Hey, Kate. Is there any more of that pie?"

Kate looked at the scene before turning away as well. "Not that I know of, think one of the Yhir took it."

Andrew scowled for a moment. "No matter. Isn't anything too important I guess."

Juin and Kerryn wore increasingly furious looks. Kerryn was a strange mix absolute coldness that shone with any number of brutality.

There was a lapse of silence before Juin smashed his fist down on the table. Shattered glass and porcelain reverberated through the room as his own meal was ruined. While irate, Andrew only raised a brow before turning back to the others.

Seeming tired of waiting, Andrew noticed a cold glare appear in Leya's eye. He laughed bitterly before he turned.

"Soveri-" started Kerryn before she yelped loudly.

At the beginning of the seemingly familiar verse, Andrew's doppelganger formed both body and blade and held it to her throat.

"Yes?" Spoke Andrew sheepishly. "I was wondering what this noise is all about."

Juin grew furious and started mouthing a shortened incarnation.

"Silence," sighed Andrew. "Are you two really willingly going to attack someone without a proper duel - when we fight on a daily basis?"

Unlike Leya and him, most of the other students required an incantation if nothing else than a single word or two. However, without voices, they were unable to stop Andrew looking down at the two coldly. His blade inched closer to Kerryn's throat and the whole cafeteria droned on to incredible, unearthly silence.

Looking at Juin for a moment, Andrew snorted. "Did you want a duel? I'll take on your entire class if you'd like to embarrass yourselves that much."

The doppelganger vanished and Andrew turned to leave. "My chicken... I just wanted dessert first..." mourned Andrew quietly as he wandered back. "... Oh, Derek... I know the feeling now..."

Leya snickered quietly and the other two were silent. However, Juin and Kerryn were fuming under the challenge.

After no less than five seconds, the boy shouted, "I accept! You prideful bastard, you'll see what Efryd's class can do!"

Andrew chuckled and began walking towards the rear of the school. It had long since turned into a decrepit land by itself. When he walked, the mass of students in the cafeteria followed for the show. It was a rare challenge. One that seldom happened.

The moment the two parties stood on the fields, a silver-haired young man glanced from above before happily clapping his hands.

"I believe Efryd is currently treating two students for major injuries; therefore, as judge, I happily proclaim this fight to begin!"

Andrew glared at Juin who charged over in a blind rage.

Predominately, most people in the class utilized water and ice magic. However, on occasion, other elements did trickle in.

Seeing the furious boy, Andrew blinded him for a quick moment before landed a blunted rock pellet at his rigid footing. Juin made a satisfying thump into the ground by the time an frigid hail-storm surrounded Andrew.

Instead of using other elements, he allowed the shadows to seep out from his pores and covered the vortex in an ominous opaque mist. He controlled the opponents hail to avoid him as he brought forth an incorporeal doppelganger.

The apparition flew unabated through the sky before finally landing behind an unsuspecting student. Using it as a center of focus, he rapidly shot hundreds from tiny pellets towards the backs of the spread students. The first row howled in pain and soon the second joined in a chorus. However, even injured, they were capable of recovery magic so Andrew broke out of the weakened hailstorm.

His doppelganger fell apart into a fine mist that blinded Kerryn before he and Juin met in the middle of the valley.

Andrew gave a feral smile as he stood still to take a spiked, icy fist.

"Congeal, pain," murmured Andrew.

Looking around at the students who finally rose to their feet, Andrew smiled and waved. Moments later black fog swept through the area and blinded them all.

Andrew stared at the squirming boy and softly repeated the pain hex over and over again. At its fifth incantation, the boy no longer cried aloud. Nor did the raging torrents of curses that were once spewed at him.

"Will there be anything else?"

He cast a gaze towards the others who lost only due to their horrid orders and formation. They simply cast all their efforts on a spell they knew previously he could manipulate to some degree.

Their furrowed brows and seething expressions made Andrew curious so he decided to test them. Using a thick fog of shadows, he dyed their visions black and three horrid screams appeared.

Fern smirked and clapped from above. "It's over. Match: Ator." He looked at the others and grinned from ear-to-ear. "That is why we made peace with the demons. Their magic isn't very pleasant even if ours can be used in similar ways. Thus, don't be idiots."

Andrew snickered and noticed a dark shadow appearing on the man's ear. Andrew hadn't noticed another user, but the silver-haired young man, Fern, appeared to be one. It was a trademark that Andrew normally kept active day and night. It was so engrained into his habit that little else could stop him save for unconsciousness - even then it was possible to retain it.

Nevertheless, Andrew walked towards the Ator and Yhir side and waited patiently. "They are down a team - one of their strongest - so don't bother holding anything back," spoke Andrew calmly.

He gave a small look that seemed to spur them forward and the two sides readied for another battle.