Amon had a difficult time getting to the house where Ariadne was hidden as the Bastion Knights made their way to the Craftsman District with what looked to be captives judging by their chains. He had to hide in alleys and subject himself to suspicious and curious gazes from beggars, and less savory individuals who were also using the alleys to hide.

“You a dwarf or just a kid?” A man Amon was sharing an alley with asked.

He didn’t respond and kept his eyes on the passing knights trying to locate the men he encountered yesterday to avoid them.

“Hey, I’m talking to you.” The man said placing a hand on Amon's shoulder.

Amon flattened his right hand, and made it steel, before thinking better of it, and making it flesh again. “Does it matter?”

The man cackled softly. “A kid. You’re right it doesn’t matter. We’re both hiding for the same reason.”

“And what reason is that?” Amon shrugged off his hand.

“To hide our nyghtmare of course. It will be in short supply soon.” The man said gleefully.

Amon didn’t spot the knights he saw yesterday, so he left the alley leaving the nyghtmare addict to his ramblings. He pitied the man, he didn’t seem too far gone, but he was an addict, and would soon lose himself like Rickert.

… Shit.

Amon groaned and returned to the alley to get a better look at the man. He couldn’t have been more than forty years old though he had already gone bald and was shaped like a brick. “What’s your name?”

“My name?”

“Yes, your name,” Amon repeated.

“… Aiden.” He responded, licking his lips as if his name was unfamiliar to him.

“Aiden, I want to give you my nyghtmare.”

“You do!” Aiden said, hopping on his feet. “The boy is a saint, like Zagam himself!”

Amon gestured for Aiden to get closer as he straightened his right hand and made it steel. Aiden approached eagerly, but he was too tall for Amon to reach his neck.

“Crouch, so I can place the pouch in your hands.”

Aiden obeyed and crouched immediately, then Amon hit him with a chop to the neck. He fell face-first to the ground. Amon made his hand flesh then grabbed the nyghtmare pouch at his waist and pocketed it to throw away later. “Sorry Aiden, but hopefully you’ll be thankful for this one day.”

This won't steer Aiden away from using drugs, but at the very least it should be more difficult for him to get his hands on them now.

Amon left Aiden in the alley and made for the house Ariadne was hiding in once more. Though the Bastion Knights already passed it by, he still took care to avoid being spotted when he approached the door. He tried to open the door but found it locked, so he drew the key to the house from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. There was a soft creak as he opened it and another when he entered and closed the door behind him. Though the house was still dusty and dirty, the kitchen and the table were somewhat clean and atop the table was half-eaten dried meat and roasted nuts that Amon had bought for Ariadne yesterday using the two silvers he had.

That’s a good sign, that means Ariadne stayed.

Since Ariadne wasn’t in the kitchen Amon made his way to the only room in the house and opened the door. He was relieved to see Ariadne looking out a window in a dark blue tunic with long slits in the shoulderblades designed by raven tailors to allow their wings freedom.

“Ariadne,” Amon called out softly.

Her two dark wings flapped furiously as they did when she got startled. Seeing the familiar sight, Amon couldn’t suppress the chuckle that escaped his lips. “Who’s there!”

Amon turned away. “It’s me.” He said, still chuckling.

“Second.” She said relieved. “How did you get in? I locked the door.”

“Did you forget I have the key?”

Judging by her gasp Amon guessed she did. “Come, we’ll talk in the kitchen,” He said walking away.

Ariadne’s hurried footsteps were not far behind as Amon made his way to the kitchen. “Sit down.” He commanded, his back to her.

“You’re going to hide your face again? Why does that matter? Can’t you just change your appearance?” She asked, confused and annoyed.

Amon regretted telling her that. Now she would think it suspicious that he insisted on hiding his face though he claimed he could change appearance.

Fortunately, Ariadne is quite gullible.

“I don’t want to scare you. Would you not think it frightening if I appeared today with a different appearance? How would you know I was who I said I was?”

Ariadne contracted and flattened her wings, as she sat on the chair. “I suppose that would be frightening.” She conceded. “We should have a secret phrase that only we know, so I can be sure you’re Second!”

Amon smiled and turned around to stand behind the chair Ariadne was sitting on. “Oh. You’re saying that like you want to keep seeing me. Does that mean you’ve come to trust me?”

She was quiet, but the slight movement of her wings gave away her unease. “I haven’t, but at the very least you were not lying about Solas being exposed. I walked the streets this morning and heard people talking about the Bastion Knights leaving, and prowling the city. They said the Bastion Knights finally found the people behind the drug trade.”

Amon waited for Ariadne to continue talking, and after a moment where she realized he wasn’t going to talk, she spoke again. “You said that you would give me the formula for the medicine to increase a raven's lifespan, so what would you do if I told you I wanted it?” She asked quietly.

“I’d give it to you, but I have some conditions that you must abide by,” Amon said immediately.

“I knew you wouldn’t give it up freely.” She grumbled. “What are your terms then?”

Amon placed his hand on Ariadne's shoulder. “They won’t be anything that will harm the Raven Clans I swear it.” Amon cleared his throat. “First, and the most important. The Raven Clans must never ally themselves with the Acolytes or anyone associated with them. If they so much as seek an audience with the Raven Clans they must be refused and driven off your lands. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “As I said we don’t even know who they are, so if you can deliver what you promise, then we would have no problem abiding by that.”

“Good. I’d also recommend that you try to kill them if you have the opportunity. For when you refuse them they’ll try to do the same to your people.”

Ariadne tried to turn around, but Amon held her head in place. She moved her head back with a humph. “Who are these Acolytes that you fear and hate so?” She asked curiously.

“It’s best if we don’t speak of them too much, and if you learn one of their names never speak it aloud,” Amon warned. “they will know, and they will come after you.”

Neither Amon nor Vine knew how, but Vine knew that speaking an Acolytes name would immediately alert them of the person who spoke it. It’s how they’d been able to stay hidden for so long, they killed anyone who learned of them, anyone who they didn’t find useful that is.

“Y-you’re not just trying to scare me, are you?” She asked with a small tremble.

“I am trying to scare you. Getting involved with the Acolytes is dangerous.” Amon squeezed Ariadne’s trembling shoulder reassuringly. “Enough of that. Onto my second condition. The Raven Clans must send representatives to meet with the Weyer Kingdom’s royal family to forge a stronger alliance.”

Ariadne shifted in her chair trying to look at Amon again, but she knew better this time and turned her head back on her own. “You’re working for the royal family!”

Amon shook his head though Ariadne couldn’t see him. “No. Don’t even mention my existence to them or that the Raven Clans were influenced by someone to seek them out.”

“Then why have the Raven Clans forge a stronger alliance with them then?” She asked confused.

Amon ignored the question. He couldn’t tell her it was because the survival of the Raven Clans depended on it. “It seems you find the condition agreeable, so I’ll move on to my third and final condition.” Amon let that statement hang over her for a moment before continuing. “There will come a day when I seek the Raven Clans out, and I will ask something of you that you will not like, but you must do it.”

Ariadne was still for a moment. “I-I don’t know if that’s something I can accept on behalf of the Raven Clans without knowing what you will ask of us. All the other conditions I can accept, but not this one.” She said softly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She said resolutely. “But you can come with me to the Raging Winds and discuss your terms with the Raven Clans yourself.”

“Very well. Just accepting the first two conditions is enough. I’ll give you the formula.”

“What!” Ariadne exclaimed. “Just like that? You won’t try to convince me or threaten not to give me the formula if I don’t accept your last condition now?”

“Do you want me to?” Amon asked amused.

“N-no, it's just.. surprising that you gave up so easily.” She said unsure.

Amon released a chuckle. “That’s reassuring.”

“What is?”

“That you’re taking the conditions I laid out seriously. It means you’ll abide by them when I give you the formula.”

She gasped. “Did you just tell me that last condition to test how serious I was about this!”

“You’re overthinking it,” Amon said nonchalantly, though he was surprised she figured it out. “Now, I’ll give you the formula, but you have to leave the city immediately and return to the Raging Winds to share the formula with the Raven Clans. Understood?”

“Do you also know the formula to the blue powder just in case your formula doesn’t work?” She asked desperately.

Amon sighed. “What I’m giving you is better than the blue powder, if what I give you doesn’t work then I swear to you that I will give you the formula to the blue powder.”

“Okay!” She stood up. “I’ll get some paper and ink from my satchel, I’ll be right back!” She said running to the bedroom.

Amon watched her go, admiring the control she had over her wings as she contracted them to fit inside the doorway.

It seems that all those formulas that Vine had me memorize weren’t for naught… what is he doing now I wonder?

*****

“Are you done yet?” Ariadne asked impatiently.

Amon looked up from the formula he was writing and watched Ariadne standing with her back to him, though she was craning her neck to try and catch a glimpse of his face. “What did I tell you about looking!” He snapped.

Ariadne quickly moved her head to its proper place. “I’ll see your face eventually, just let me see it now, please.” She pleaded like a child.

I have to stop seeing her as my mature older sister. I’ll just be disappointed.

Finished writing down the formula Amon put the quill down and stood up. “I’m finished. Take a look for yourself.”

Amon turned away from the eagerly approaching Ariadne as she took a seat on the chair he was previously sitting on. She grabbed the paper and scanned the formula carefully. “Unicorn’s blood, and red monarch’s dust!” She said incredulously. “How are we going to get a steady supply of these! These others as well! It could take us months to try and make just one concoction! And how do we prepare these ingredients, you just wrote them down with no instructions or process!”

“Don’t complain,” Amon said irritated. “You have red monarchs in the Raging Winds, don’t you? Just catch them there. For the unicorn's blood, if you can’t find any, you can substitute it for centaur’s blood, though it won’t be as effective. I’m sure nomadic tribes make their way to the Raging Winds that you can trade with. As for the other ingredients, they’re easier to get just a little expensive. It’s a matter of life and death there's no excuse to be stingy. If your alchemists can’t figure out how to make the concoction then I recommend asking for the Weyer Kingdom’s royal alchemist. The royal family will be more than happy to lend her to you once you strengthen your relationship with them.”

Ariadne thought about it for a moment then nodded. “You’re right. If this formula you gave me works, then there’s no excuse not to do all we can to make as many concoctions as we can.” She stood up, folded the paper carefully, and put it in her satchel. She began turning around, but Amon’s grunt stopped her.

“Fine.” She pouted. “So, what will our secret phrase be when we next meet then.”

He pondered it. They agreed to meet back in the same house in six months, so Ariadne could report the effectiveness of the concoction, but he didn’t expect to change much appearance-wise in six months.

Still… I should keep this charade going. It’s amusing if nothing else.

“The phrase will be. Someday ravens will sprout white wings atop their black wings and become as gods.”

“Ohhh!” Ariadne cooed. “I like it. Let's go with that!”

“Good. You should leave now while the Bastion Knights are preoccupied.”

She made for the door then paused. “I know it means little and will sound hollow considering I didn’t do anything to stop it. But I am sorry about the damage Solas caused because of us ravens.”

Amon would be lying if he said he wasn’t upset about the Raven Clans being involved with Solas, but he couldn’t find it in himself to hold a grudge considering their circumstances. “Solas was making and supplying drugs to the city before you even accepted his offer. He may have started making drugs because of you ravens, but he didn’t have to start a drug trade, he decided that on his own.”

She nodded. “Second.” She hesitated. “If you can, please let the potterers in the Craftsman District know that I left and that I appreciated their kindness and generosity.”

“I’ll try,” Amon replied with a small smile.

“Thank you. Now, have you ever seen a raven fly?” She said proudly.

He had, and it was a sight to behold. “Of course, but if you want to show off, I’ll gladly watch.”

Ariadne giggled and tugged on her cloak to better hide her wings. She opened the door then stepped outside, and Amon followed behind her. There were citizens close to the house, so they found a better spot for Ariadne to leave near the District Square which citizens were still avoiding.

Ariadne took off her cloak and threw it at Amon. “Something to remember me by.”

Amon caught the cloak as she spread her dark feather wings which were about five meters in length if he remembered correctly. Since Ariadne wasn’t in a high position to leap from she would need to build enough speed on her own to take off. Fortunately, the winds were strong today. She began flapping her wings, slow at first then faster and faster creating gusts of wind. Then, after a dozen heartbeats, she jumped and was in the air flying upward.

“Bye, Second!” She waved from the sky.

She flew higher into the air until her figure became smaller and then became nothing but a blurred speck in the sky as she rode the winds and took off. Amon was always left impressed when he saw a raven take flight. Though humans and ravens shared a lot of the same features it was when ravens took flight that their differences were made clear. Ravens had hollow honeycomb-like bones that were lighter than human bones. Most of them were also built like Ariadne, lean but packed with muscle especially in their chest, shoulders, and back. Even their lungs were different, allowing them a greater lung capacity than humans.

See you next time, Ariadne Lightwing.

“Gods! A raven!”

“Look at her fly!”

“There truly was a raven in Mefleiad!”

“Ha! I knew there was a raven, but you all called me an old coot!”

Some citizens had made it back to the District Square and saw Ariadne fly away, but it wouldn’t be a problem, he had his hood on, and no one was paying him any attention since they were looking up at the sky and talking amongst themselves. Having finished what he needed to do for the day he made for the Freemarket to meet with Sister Haze, and with a newly acquired cloak and coin, he had gifts for her as well.

That didn’t take too long, Sister Haze should still be there. If not… well, she already doesn’t expect me to make it in time.