The morning chill settled into Carmine’s bones beside exhaustion. Hunger ached in her stomach, but she willed it silent. She ignored her discomfort as she advanced one creeping step after another. Sorcery cloaked her sound and scent, keeping her all but invisible to the quarry before her: a fluffy little snow rabbit. It trotted along its trail, cute perhaps, but a full stomach overshadowed its adorableness by a long margin.

She raised her arm, a stone tight in her grip as the rabbit’s ears turned in her direction. She threw the stone wide, striking the bushes behind the skittish animal. It bolted in the opposite direction, exactly as Carmine planned. A three legged panther pounced in the rabbit’s path. Kathir landed inches from it, snapping her jaws, but her balance shifted beneath her. She fell towards her missing limb, barely catching herself before she tumbled. By then, the rabbit fled from her reach. Carmine chased, grasping a second pebble from the dirt and enchanting it with a quick spell. She threw it full force this time, and the stone curved midair, seeking out her target as bid. It struck the rabbit’s head. While it fell stunned, Kathir caught up and clamped her teeth around the rabbit’s neck. It didn’t suffer.

Carmine sighed in relief as Kathir returned with their catch. Three legged or not, her feral presence hadn’t diminished, and Carmine hesitated to get so close. Probably a wise fear.

“Any easier this time?” Carmine asked, pulling the carcass from Kathir’s maw and handing her her cloak in its place.

“No.” Kathir answered after shifting back to her humanoid body. A layer of fur remained, to ward the cold. She clothed herself and retrieved the first rabbit from their earlier hunt.

“Are you sure two will be enough?” Carmine tilted her head. “How much do you need to eat anyway?”

“Two will suffice.” Kathir slung the rabbits over her shoulder. “You have sharp reactions. Useful.”

“Was that a compliment?”

“A fact.” Kathir walked past her towards the road. “We will continue our march until dusk.”

“We’re not stopping to eat?” the young sorceress frowned in disbelief. “But we just caught-”

“We will need to stop at dusk for rest. Best consolidate all our time stationary in one spot.” Kathir’s pace continued, and Carmine had to quicken to keep up.

“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled, her stomach joining in displeasure. “Fine, if we’re not stopping, then we can talk on the road. You said last night you’d give me some answers, and I think you owe me some.”

“I gave my word.” Kathir answered, her eyes never moving from their path. “Do not claim a debt where none exists. You may grow into a useful ally. Allies are most useful when informed.”

“I’m sooooo flattered to be both those things.” Carmine leaned into Kathir’s vision, but the shapeshifter didn't so much as glance.

“Before I begin, we must make a pact.”

“After how the last one went?” Carmine flinched back. She tried to avoid remembering the day before, most of all her possession. The feeling of her body wrenching outside her control as it was puppeteered by a foreign entity lived in her mind as a fresh wound. She fell a few steps behind Kathir as she relived the moment. “I don’t think so.”

“This is for your own protection, and my master’s.” Kathir continued. “Were the exorcists, the empire, or any sorcerous authority learn of your experience, you would lose your freedom. Were you to mention my involvement, it is possible I could be traced back to my master. I cannot allow that.”

“Not much of a choice there,” Carmine furrowed her brow as she caught back up. “Fine, I won’t tell anyone. Now, What's so important that they'd lock me?”

“Your experience. The creature that took my arm was a Ba’el, and it was capable of much more than the carnage you saw. Given time, it would have withered this forest and sickened all life in it. The exorcists hunt them and any who would summon them from their realm.”

“Where did they come from?” Carmine asked, looking up at the clouds above her, recalling what she’d seen. “I’ve never seen anything like it; a dead land with a brilliant night sky.”

“I don’t know.” Kathir stared forward. “Only the Ba’el reside there.”

“A whole land of those things.” Carmine shuddered. One was more than enough. Still, she remembered the mournful, desperate look of the Ba’el’s- no, the Riven’s face as it retreated back through its portal. No doubt, it was dangerous, but she couldn’t help sparing it some pity. Though one doubt still remained. “Is that really the whole reason? For the pact, I mean. You said yourself the exorcist already hunted these things, I doubt they’d jail someone cooperative enough to tell them about one.”

“Be careful with that assumption,” Kathir tilted her head, adjusting the rabbits on her shoulder, “but you are correct. Your possession would earn their attention. A surviving host to such an entity could be both a bane and a boon.”

“Why?” Carmine moved in front of Kathir, walking backwards, her curiosity piqued. “What was that thing?”

“Powerful. Something you avoid for the moment.”

“Come on!” Carmine groaned, slacking her shoulder in disappointment. “You can’t just leave it at that. The damn thing nearly turned me inside out, you thought it would.”

“Precisely the reason you should avoid it.” Kathir kept staring up the road.

“Fine. if you’re not going to say anything…” Camine turned her back on Kathir, marching forward, hand to her chin. The more Kathir insisted, the less she would let it go.

What was so important to the exorcists, and Vembris, and sorcery? If it were just a Riven, Kathir would have no reason to hide it. She already spoke of the Ba’el, so Carmine doubted that fit. When she first saw the arcanite skeleton, Carmine had thought it ornamental, but it had a will of its own. One strong enough to supersede hers. She’d heard folk tales of spirits following the last will of the dead, if their intent was strong enough. Remembering how the entity acted mostly on instinct, not thought, that fit. That couldn’t be the whole story. Hauntings, if they were even real, involved moving loose objects or crying in the night, not calling powerful gale by spell. Even the way it casted was different. It had the power to change the weather but it didn’t call for the wind by word, but recollection. ‘Nekilim’s sky…’ A place? None she heard of, but the world was vast. She felt an echo of the entity’s nostalgia, recalling the mental images of the porous mountains. The entity knew them well, but for the breadth of time the feeling suggested, the place would have to be…

“Ancient…” Carmine lifted her head, eyes wide. She spun off her heel, stopping in the middle of the road. “It’s an ancient!”

Kathir’s eyes snapped to Carmine.

That’s a yes. She slapped her fist into her palm, ideas rushing in and out of her mind. “Not just any ancient either,” Carmine started pacing back and forth, accidentally blocking Kathir. “It’s the Riven’s ancient.”

“Be careful where you voice that theory,” Kathir warned, but it may as well have been a confirmation. She continued past Carmine, but the young sorceress quickly stepped at her side, unable to stop her rambling.

“It’s true isn’t it! But that would mean there were more than just the four we know.” Carmine waved her hands, her exhaustion forgotten. “Each made a nation, then claimed a moon as their seat. Vembria for Vembris, Raela for Raelis, Sashira for Sashiris, and Amalia for Creed. No coincidence that the powerful nations had an ancient associated with their species, but why just the Humans, Fauns, Aevans and Vulfans? Where are the ancients for Riven- well, I know, but what about Elves like, or any of the other species on Oyara? ”

“Carmine.” Kathir grumbled.

“Are they dead too? If so, how? Why did the ancients hide this from-” Carmine stopped her rambling only when she walked into Kathir’s arm. She looked up to the towering shapeshifter, startled to see her slitted golden eyes burning into Carmine’s own.

“Why indeed.” She said, her tone a warning. “Be. Careful. Where. You. Speak. That question can cost you your freedom.” Kathir slung the rabbits back over her shoulder and continued. “Come.”

Carmine followed in silence as the sun crested further and further down, but her mind stormed with dozens upon dozens of thoughts. Heeding Kathir’s advice, she kept those ideas to herself. The shapeshifter was likely just repeating herself, but knowing what she did, Carmine raised a ward over herself just in case.

She bit her thumb, falling deep in thought. What else was believed true simply because the ancients said so? She remembered Nicholos telling her how the Ancients imparted knowledge to the people, improving their lives and granting them sorcery, medicine, science…but it seemed they kept some knowledge withheld. Perhaps finding it would lead to more advancements the likes of which Oyara had never seen.

Carmine imagined the possibilities; hidden secrets she could reveal to the world. Better ones. Ones that could help banish ignorance and make anything possible.

She quickly quashed that naive delusion. Some knowledge was more burden than boon, she learned that from the necromancer in the archive. Hidden knowledge could be dangerous, but that was true of anything in the wrong hands.

She loathed the idea of exorcists on her back. She had a good thing at the tower; a warm home, a place to learn, and real friends. Too much to jeopardize on half-truths from a stranger.

Still, a crumb of temptation rooted in her breast. The yearning to know hidden secrets beckoned with future pride and accomplishment. She began to understand why mages had a reputation for sticking their noses where they don't belong.

“We camp here,” Kathir nodded to an alcove sunken into the treeline.

“Camp?” Carmine lifted her head and saw, at some point, the sun fell out of sight. “Ah. alright-”

“Construct a fire.” Kathir commanded as she dropped their rabbits to the ground.

“Excuse me?” Carmine furrowed her brow, half horror, half disgust.”

“Can you?”

“Do I look like I want to start fires!?” Carmine motioned at herself, her face.

“Can you?”

“Are you listening-”

“If you cannot, we will eat our prey raw.” She sat next to the rabbits, claws extending from her remaining hand. “I can. Can you?” She set to skinning their quarries. With one hand, she struggled to keep them from slipping from under her grip.

“Why don’t we switch?” Carmine suggested. “I can skin the rabbits, it’ll be easier-”

“I must adapt.” Kathir countered, shifting her gaze up to Carmine. “So must you.”

Carmine’s arms fell to her side in defeat. She moved to the treeline, pulling her father’s knife from her belt. She snapped twigs off trees, and gathered what fallen branches seemed dry enough to support a flame. She winced even at the idea, hands shaking as she stripped bark free with her knife. Her empty stomach churned as she tightened her hands into fists.

After what she faced already, she could handle lighting…a small fire. She knew the spell, but Professor Castadio never made her cast it. She could do this. She just needed to control her fear, and focus.

She built a small fireplace, setting stones and stacking a tripod of sticks like father taught her. She prepared the kindling and took a step back…then another for her sanity’s sake. She pointed a finger at the kindling, taking deep breaths, ignoring the stronger than usual ache from her scars. She whispered a spark to life, sending the tiny thing into her target. When smoke started rising from between the sticks, she tossed in larger ones to feed the fire. Within moments, embers warmed Carmine’s shins. A paltry little thing, but she managed.

“Well done,” Kathir made her jump. “I too succeeded.” She lifted the skinned rabbits in her hand. Claw marks covered the poor things, but they were ready to cook. She set them over the fire and finally gave Carmine her full attention. “I will tell you more.” Kathir suddenly declared, sitting across from the young sorceress.

“Uh, Ok?” Carmine huddled her knees to her chest, letting herself warm up.

“My Master seeks to contain and study Ba’el, and to seek out knowledge outside of what the ancients shared. He created me to aid in this purpose.”

“Created?” Carmine furrowed her brow.

“You will learn in time, you’ve made that apparent. Given that time, I judge you would make a strong ally, if my master’s goal comes to align with yours.”

“This.. is a lot to take in,” Carmine admitted. She still hadn’t wrapped her head around all the discoveries she’d learned. “I need time to think-”

“I am not seeking an answer. We will meet again when the time is right. If it never comes-

Clinking metal turned both their heads towards the road. Carmine recognized the scraping shuffle of plates in motion.

"Armor," she said, rising to her feet. "Sounds like there's a few of them. Do you think it's Oscar's other men? Some survived."

"No. Mercenaries do not chase a stronger foe, unless they sought death. Oscar's men sought riches." Kathir faded into the bushes. "They are coming closer."

"Did they notice the fire?"

"Irrelevant. Hide." Kathir faded into the forest with frightening ease, her black fur blending with the dark, leaving her eyes as a pair of golden moons flickering against the fire light.

Without delay, Carmine joined her and whispered a spell to conjure an illusion of bushes and twigs where she hid. Only a thorough search would have a chance to find them…she hoped.

Within minutes, torchlight flickered between the trees. Two exorcists broke the camp's perimeter, swords drawn, cloaks wrapped around their armor against the cold. A pair of Riven joined them, spears in hand, wearing thick hides, probably the rangers Grik had mentioned.

Kathir tensed beside Carmine, her fur standing on end as her claws extended.

"Don't," Carmine whispered. "I think you've done enough for one day."

An exorcist knelt by the wavering campfire. "Looks like whoever was here just left," he said, voice echoing inside his canned helm. He reached for the rabbit. "Even left us a little dinner…"

"Jordan," Another, a woman, said with familiar frustration.

"What!?" The patchy bearded exorcist lifted up his visor. Yup, Carmine pouted, that's his mug. "We got dragged out here on no notice to search an entire forest. I’m starving to death over here!"

Tera sheathed her sword, a deep grumble vibrating her armor. "Perhaps…a quick rest would help."

"I know these people," Carmine said, hushed. She rested her hand on Kathir's arm until the claws went away. "They can take me home."

"Good." Kathir's fur thinned, retracting into her iron gray skin. "Better they do not see us together. Go to them, but remember-"

"Tell them nothing. I know, I know.”

“Good.”

"Wish I could say it was lovely working with you, but it wasn't. This time" She stood, readying to reveal herself. "I’ll think about what you said…" She turned back to Kathir, but found only the cold woods as her audience. She still felt eyes on her back, and doubted that feeling would leave for a while.

Carmine ended her illusion and walked back towards her camp. The group all turned on guard at her steps, until they recognized her Leval-blue robe.

"Hi." She uttered with a small wave. Supposed rescuers, or not, exorcists unnerved her on a good day. Except for one. One exorcist she barely tolerated.

"It's the kid," Jordan announced to the others. He relaxed first, taking his hand off his sword.

"I have a name," Carmine grumbled, rolling her eyes in his direction. "You know it."

"Yeah, you're fine. What are you doing wandering around in the dark? We've been looking for you for hours, you know!"

Carmine smirked. Jordan's frequent complaints were a welcome dose of the ordinary. "Hours? How did you get here so quickly? I thought it'd be days before I saw anyone."

"When an injured Riven drops into the infirmary, things tend to move quickly," Tera explained as she raised her visor. "Ms. Valentine couldn't get much from him, but whatever he said caused a call to action."

Grik. At least Vale got to him in time.

"Next thing we know, the headmaster is pulling us through a portal to look for you blue cloaks," Jordan finished.

Anxiety crawled back up Carmine's back. With all that happened in the sanctuary, she hadn't spared a thought for anything else. "The others," she stammered, "did you find them, are they all okay?"

"Relax kid," Jordan raised his palm. "We found 'em. Pretty quick too with a master sorcerer's help."

They are shaken," Tera added, frowning. "I'm sure you understand. Physically, no one is injured."

"That's something." Carmine frowned. She remembered how Grik's pupils panicked when everything went wrong. This day would never leave them. Maybe she could help talk to them, or maybe they'd be even more afraid of her after what she did. "What about Grik?" Carmine watched their blank faces. "The injured man I sent to the tower."

"Him." Tera nodded. "Ms. Valentine was still tending him when we left."

"I'm sure he's fine." Jordan waved off the question. "The doc's got real talent, right kid?"

"She does," Carmine nodded, her worry fading.

"Then we got no worries." Jordan slapped his knees with a metallic ring as he rose, a rabbit haunch in his gauntlet. "Ready to get back? You can tell us what the hell happened on the way."

"I'd also be interested in hearing," Tera added with a stern stare, or maybe just stern in Carmine's head. Her heart beat faster as she remembered Kathir's warning. She didn't trust anything that shapeshifter said, but that didn't mean she doubted everything either.

"Sure," Carmine answered, looking at the road. "It all happened pretty fast, so sorry if the details are fuzzy."

As they marched back along the trail, Carmine told them as much as was safe. Luckily they were under the impression Kathir abducted her, a point she saw no reason to correct. As to why, Carmine explained that the shapeshifter needed her to tend to the wounds the brigands inflicted, and then left her in the wilderness. The Riven rangers departed for the sanctuary once they heard Carmine's tale, but Tera and Jordan remained.

Jordan believed her. His face couldn't trap doubts if it were barred iron, but Tera's expression remained stone. Same as years ago, Carmine couldn't read her face, but if the exorcist had any concerns she kept them to herself.

Which was more unnerving.

Even walking exhausted Carmine after the day she had, but the night still held few plans left for her.

"She's back!" Hern called up from the camp. A half-dozen heads all turned to look at her. Hern and Gwen stood and ran to meet her as she returned. Emmet joined them too, in the shadow of the massive Headmaster Thomas.

"You're okay! I thought that big mean cat was going to get you too," Hern's brow held a firm crease. He must have worried all night.

"Well, I knew you'd come back," Gwen raised her chin with pride. "If that cat-lady-thing tried anything, I know you'd zap her down like the bad men." A flash of fear crossed her eyes. "Th-they won't be back, right?"

"No," Carmine answered with a smile. "They're all gone."

"We found a few unconscious where we portaled in," Jordan added. "Some rangers are already taking them back to Dwerra in irons."

"See?" Carmine held both her pupils' hands. "All safe now."

Emmet stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance as he met Carmine's eyes.

"I…" he started, mouth open but wordless. He bit his lip. Carmine recognized his need to share, but fearing to speak. She knew it well.

"Hey," she said, "we're safe."

Emmet closed his mouth, eyes a mix of relief and tears. He stepped through the distance between them and suddenly wrapped his arms around Carmine.

"I'm sorry. This was all my fault," he cried, squeezing her shoulders. "I was so stupid, just running my mouth like I knew everything. They would have taken us if you didn't stop them."

"I- uh- it's- fine- you- you're-...welcome?" Her brain turned over as her body stiffened. What should she do? What should she say? She could manage neither, as her face felt very very warm.

A soft chuckle thundered from the Leval headmaster. Carmine lifted her eyes and saw him smiling directly at her.

What? What did that laugh mean? What did it mean!?

"You've done well aspirant," He ignored her mental inquiry. "As a would-be teacher, you protected your pupils…and as a friend you saved my son." Unlike his wife, Headmaster Thomas wore his expressions plain. He smiled, warm and relieved, as a father. He gently pulled Emmet back, possibly sensing Carmine would melt if the hug went on any longer. "This experience was trying for all of you, and if you need help to work through it, we will provide. I'm of the mind that hardship shows who we are, and who we can be. You did well today young miss Felis, and when we return, your courage will be recogniz-"

"Courage!?" Aaron spoke up behind them, pointing at Carmine. "Headmaster, she lost control. It wasn't courage, she went mad! We're not even supposed to learn war magic until we're full sorcerers. She-"

"Enough." Headmaster Thomas retorted, standing between Aaron and Carmine like a dam. "I told you we'd talk no more of this."

"Headmaster-" Carmine tried to counter what Aaron said, but Thomas raised a finger

"You kept everyone safe. That's all that matters." He turned back to the young pupils huddled around him. "I'm afraid we'll be cutting this trip short," Thomas announced. "We'll take everyone back to the tower. A warm bed and a hot meal would do all of you good, hmm?" He looked to Grik's pupils and received several nods back. "Excellent," he said, opening a portal to a familiar courtyard. "You've all earned a rest."